Part 15 (1/2)

By the time they had finished listening to John Mayer, Beyonce, and No Doubt, Claire had managed to make sense of her pattern instructions. Her first incision was a success, and as time pa.s.sed, she started to relax and enjoy herself. Hours flew by while the girls worked.

Claire was admiring her finished skirt when Ma.s.sie's phone rang.

”Hey, Alicia,” Ma.s.sie said.

Claire thought Ma.s.sie sounded cold toward her friend and wondered if she was still mad about the whole Alicia-leaving-the-party-without-saying-goodbye thing.

”What's up?” Ma.s.sie asked as she turned down the volume on the stereo. ”Yeah, I think Derrington's cool, I guess. ... Why? ... Did you find out if he likes Dylan yet? ... What about Kristen? ... Is he ever ever going to tell you? ... Well, what about Cam? ... Does he like anyone?” going to tell you? ... Well, what about Cam? ... Does he like anyone?”

Claire stopped sewing. She leaned against the back of the couch and listened.

”No, I don't like Cam.” Cam.” Ma.s.sie started pacing around the living room. ”I was just asking 'cause I thought maybe Olivia did. ... Well, she was chasing him around at the party a lot. ... Cam Ma.s.sie started pacing around the living room. ”I was just asking 'cause I thought maybe Olivia did. ... Well, she was chasing him around at the party a lot. ... Cam likes likes someone?” someone?”

”Who?” Claire mouthed to herself.

”WHO?” Ma.s.sie asked. ”Well, find out. ... Look, I should get back to work, but I'll see you tomorrow. ... You'll find out, right? ... 'Kay, bye.”

Claire's fists were clenched. So was her stomach. She had a feeling feeling Cam liked her after their Halloween party. Now Ma.s.sie's conversation had confirmed it! But she was desperate for more information. Cam liked her after their Halloween party. Now Ma.s.sie's conversation had confirmed it! But she was desperate for more information.

”Sounds like you and Alicia are friends again,” Claire said from behind the couch.

”Not officially,” Ma.s.sie said. ”But she's got the best gossip and I kinda need to be tapped in right now, so-”

”Why, is something going on?”

”She wouldn't tell me over the phone.” Ma.s.sie sounded irritated. ”I'll get it out of her tomorrow.”

”Oh.” Claire hoped Ma.s.sie wouldn't pick up on her disappointment. ”Good luck. Keep me posted.”

Ma.s.sie responded with a yawn. ”Look, I'm going to bed. I'm beat.”

”Are you finished already?” Claire looked at the mess of needles, thread, and sc.r.a.ps of material around her. She'd need the entire rest of the week to finis.h.!.+ She started to feel panic rising in her chest. Why was she even bothering with this in the first place? She didn't stand a chance.

”No, I still have some finis.h.i.+ng touches to put on everything, but I'll do it tomorrow after school. Meet me here, 'kay?” Ma.s.sie asked.

”Yeah, I'll see you after school,” Claire said with a smile, and suddenly realized the reason she was ”bothering.” For some reason, Ma.s.sie didn't mind having Claire around while they were working. And Claire wasn't about to give that up. She didn't even care why the change of heart occurred; she was just grateful it had.

”I'm going to pack my stuff up in a garbage bag and leave it by the door and I suggest you do the same.” Ma.s.sie started folding up sc.r.a.ps of unused material. ”Unless, of course, you want want me to peek at your uniform in the middle of the night.” me to peek at your uniform in the middle of the night.”

”No way. Give me one of those bags.”

Claire didn't actually care if Ma.s.sie looked at her sample. In fact, she would have been glad. It was the first thing she had ever sewn by herself and she thought she had done a pretty good job. But Ma.s.sie wanted it that way, so Claire left her bag by the door and turned off the light.

Claire ran all the way back to the guesthouse. Not because she thought psychos were chasing her, like she usually did, but because Ma.s.sie was finally being nice to her and Cam had a secret crush. Claire just knew knew she was the girl he liked. And all of that made her feel like running. she was the girl he liked. And all of that made her feel like running.

OCTAVIAN COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL.

THE HALLS.

11:15 AM AM.

November 4th Ma.s.sie raced through the halls, past the Models Wanted signs and the high-gloss Fas.h.i.+on Week at OCD posters. Someone had taken a deep red lipstick and changed a few of them to Fas.h.i.+on WEAK at OCD. But Ma.s.sie had no time to appreciate the ”clever” work of activists. She was in a hurry to find Alicia, who for some reason was not answering her phone.

Ma.s.sie picked up her pace and raced even faster. All she had to do was confirm that Cam liked her as more than a friend so she could finally start getting some of that valuable ”experience with boys” Alicia had been bragging about lately. But Alicia was nowhere to be found.

After ten frantic minutes Ma.s.sie decided to put her search on hold. She didn't want to be late for the FIT (Fas.h.i.+on Inspiration Trip) of the day or she would miss the chance to see Cynthia Rowley's design studio. Ma.s.sie ran outside to the parking lot and charged onto the bus. It smelled like leftover tuna sandwiches.

Ma.s.sie quickly made her way toward Kristen.

Her old denim skirt had bunched up around her legs and she quickly straightened it out when no one was looking. The suede pocket she had sewn on that morning was holding up nicely. She got six compliments on it. She'd even made up a few fake Web site names when people asked where she bought it. Only she she knew the pockets were pieces of the skirt Todd soaked with grape juice. knew the pockets were pieces of the skirt Todd soaked with grape juice.

”Kristen,” Ma.s.sie panted. ”Do you know where Alicia is? She's not answering her phone.”

”No.” Kristen checked her Coach watch, just like she always did when she was asked a question she couldn't answer. ”I don't think she's back from the sample sale yet.”

”Didn't she go at like eight in the morning?”

”Yeah, but Olivia wasn't in math, so I guess they're still in the city, looking for uniform ideas,” Kristen said.

”She went into the city with Olivia? Olivia?” Ma.s.sie asked.

”Yeah, I thought you knew that.”

Ma.s.sie shook her head.

Everything around her felt still and a rush of heat burst through her body like fireworks exploding. She usually knew where Alicia was at all times. Now the only thing she knew was that she didn't know anything.

Even though her ears were ringing, Ma.s.sie heard a frantic voice say, ”Has anyone seen Ma.s.sie Block?” The voice sounded really upset. ”It's an emergency.”

Ma.s.sie could not believe that she was seconds away from dealing with an ”emergency.”

”This year sucks,” she said to Kristen.

”Yeah, well, it's about to get worse,” Kristen said. ”Look who it is.”

”You're not going to believe this.” Claire stopped in front of Ma.s.sie's seat. She didn't seem to mind that everyone was waiting for her to get off the bus so they could leave.

”What?” Ma.s.sie rolled her eyes and tried to look bored. She stole a quick glance at herself in the rearview mirror. She looked good and was glad she had applied a fresh coat of gloss before she got there.

”Our uniforms are gone!” Claire cried. A bubble of saliva formed between her lips when she spoke.

”What do you mean, gone? gone?” Ma.s.sie pulled Claire into an empty seat so they could have some privacy.

”IwantedtoshowmyuniformtomymomthismorningsoIwenttogetmytrashbagand-”

”Slow down,” Ma.s.sie snapped. ”I can't understand you.”

”Inez threw them out! She thought they were trash.”