Part 14 (1/2)
”What's an LBR?” asked Alicia.
”Loser beyond repair,” Ma.s.sie stated.
The girls cracked up. Ma.s.sie half smiled, unsure whether they were laughing at her or with her.
”Can I use that?” Alicia's big brown eyes widened with hope.
”Me too?” Dylan asked.
”And me?” Kristen wondered.
”Sure.” Ma.s.sie beamed. Ahnna always thought that term was stupid.
Not that Ahnna mattered anymore. A new year was about to start. And with a new year came new ideas. Ideas from her notebook that Ma.s.sie resolved to turn into realities. Things like: * Weekly sleepovers at my house. * Weekly sleepovers at my house.* Lists about what was in and what was out.* Rating systems. Possibly out of ten. To gauge looks and outfit-fabulousness.* Award points for gossip.* Carpools to school, chauffeured by Isaac.* Carpools to the mall, chauffeured by Isaac.* Carpools to parties, chauffeured by Isaac.* Carpools to spray-tan appointments, chauffeured by Isaac.* Carpools to Starbucks, chauffeured by Isaac.* What Would You Rather challenges.* Boy/girl parties.* Wardrobe summits.* Hair summits.* Makeup summits.* Accessory summits.* Product summits.* School supply summits.* Technology summits.* Shopping summits.* Social invitation acceptance summits.* Favorite color summits.* Favorite snack summits.* Favorite celeb summits.* Crush summits.* Party summits.* Hair removal summits.* Hair extension summits.* Mani-pedi summits.* Eyewear summits.* A black pug named Bean.* Designated lunch table, with me at the head.* Walking order, with me in the middle.* Headquarters for GLUs (Girls Like Us).* Bedroom makeover. Royal purple, please.* Loser makeovers.* Spa days.* Vacation packing lists.* Slang that only they would understand, like LBR, GLU, beta, HART, jobby, POTI, POTO, sand-me-down...* And of course, NO MORE THAN FOUR.
”Fifteen seconds until midnight!” Merri-Lee announced.
The camera operator lifted a giant Sony onto his shoulder and flicked the switch. A red light illuminated on the side of the lens. ”We're live.”
Below, the crowd was getting anxious, like caged animals sensing a storm.
Noisemakers were buzzing. Streamers were being tossed. Champagne corks were popping.
Outside the hangar, the less fortunate were already hugging, probably for warmth. Ribbons of air billowed from their frostbitten noses as they lifted their heads in reverence to the giant designer clutch.
”Here we go!” Merri-Lee shouted into her mic, her voice amplified throughout the party. ”Ten!... Nine!...”
Everyone shout-counted along while the hydraulic platform lowered in perfect time with the sparkling Yves clutch. Ma.s.sie waved at the crowd below, like a queen overlooking her royal subjects.
Ehmagawd! This was the moment Hermia was talking about. Ma.s.sie's palms tingled with joy. She was finally feeling This was the moment Hermia was talking about. Ma.s.sie's palms tingled with joy. She was finally feeling it it! Flanked by fas.h.i.+onable girls and waving at the ma.s.ses while they literally looked up to her. This was her fate! She was living her destiny. She was...
The platform lowered a few more inches.
... WAIT! Would her reign expire once they reached the ground? Was this what she had been working toward her entire life? A ten-second ride beside a giant handbag? Was this it for her Would her reign expire once they reached the ground? Was this what she had been working toward her entire life? A ten-second ride beside a giant handbag? Was this it for her it it?
Ma.s.sie reached into the pocket of her dress and gripped her purple stone, silently asking it if there was any more to this seemingly magical night.
”Eight!... Seven!... Six!...” Dylan count-shouted at the crowd below.
Alicia wiped hair out of her lip gloss.
”Five!... Four!...”
Kristen covered her exposed b.u.t.t with her free hand.
”Three!... Two!...”
The bag and the platform touched down in the center of the dance floor.
”One!... HAPPY NEW YEAR!”
A live performance from ThRob rocked the house via satellite while everyone embraced.
The girls crammed together again for another four-way hug. They melded together like different-colored metals.
”Stawp!” demanded a familiar girl's voice. ”Stawp right now!”
Ma.s.sie broke away from the group and turned around. Shauna, Briana, and Lana stood behind their plaid leader. Their arms folded across their chests, eyes squinted in contempt. They seemed still compared to the celebratory chaos swirling around them.
”The Ahnnabees Ahnnabees?” Kristen whispered.
”Kr-isten,” Ahnna hissed.
Ma.s.sie gasped. ”You know know them?” them?”
”Unfortunately.” Kristen rolled her eyes.
Alicia giggled. ”It's the Mad Plaider.”
”If they stood in a line, they'd be a caterplaider,” Kristen joked.
”Burrrrrr-berrrry!” Dylan burped.
”Burberry dresses, no punch-backs.” Ma.s.sie playfully punched her new friends.
They all cracked up and exchanged high fives.
”Um, yeah, that's so funny I forgot to ditch you ditch you!” Black eyeliner was smudged under Ahnna's eyes and her forehead glistened with sweat. She looked like she had just been microwaved. ”I wanted to leave you here, but my dad wouldn't let me.”
Ma.s.sie stared at her blankly. Hadn't they already left her?
”We're driving you home tonight, re-mem-ber?”
”Oh,” Ma.s.sie mumbled, her spirits falling like the YSL bag. She felt like Cinderella, forced to return to her humdrum life after a night at the ball.
”My dad can take you home,” Alicia offered. dad can take you home,” Alicia offered.
”He can?” Ma.s.sie's insides jumped up and high-fived each other.
”Given.” Alicia smiled, looking more beautiful than Ahnna ever could.
”And what are you gonna do at school?” Ahnna asked. ”You know, when you have no friends.”
Shauna, Lana, and Brianna giggled.
”She's transferring to OCD,” Dylan chimed in. ”So she can be with us.”
”We don't have to wear those ugly plaid uniforms you're trying to pa.s.s off as designer, either,” Alicia added. ”We can wear whatever we want.”