Part 22 (1/2)
”You did?” Ma.s.sie forced herself to smile. She was happy for Claire but couldn't help wondering why she hadn't been told the big news right after it happened. Was she the first to know or was Layne? Who else had Claire told before her?
”Uh, should I keep it a secret?” Ma.s.sie widened her amber eyes, hoping the innocent expression masked her true feelings. ”Or does everyone know?”
”No one knows yet.” Claire took a sip of grape juice.
Ma.s.sie sighed. ”That's so awesome.” She smiled for real this time. ”Tell me everything. Don't leave one thing out.”
While Claire recounted Cam's romantic late-night visit as Camille, Ma.s.sie placed the hunter green cloth napkin on her lap and lifted her silver knife and fork. In one swift movement she sliced through her eggs Benedict. The bright yellow yolks cascaded over the crispy ham, spilled off the toasted English m.u.f.fin, and dripped onto her white china plate. It reminded her of the paint-splattered Jackson Pollock paintings in Alicia's house. She stabbed the cut piece with her fork and stuffed it in her mouth, grateful to have her appet.i.te back. Her clothes were starting to sag in all the wrong places.
She lifted the green napkin to her mouth and dabbed at the corners of her lips, trying her hardest not to wipe off her lucky Cinnabon gloss in the process. Derrington was at the table beside hers, flinging a knifeful of grape jelly at Kemp. Ma.s.sie quickly turned away before he caught her checking him out. How long would it be before they kissed again? Would they start doing it in the day? Or would it stay an apres-dinner thing? And what would happen when they got back to Westchester? Ma.s.sie's stomach locked up again and she pushed her plate to the side.
”It looks like everyone around here is getting action except for me.” Dylan twisted her long red curls into a chignon at the nape of her neck.
Claire turned red when she realized Dylan had heard everything she'd said about Cam. ”I was totally going to tell you.”
”It's not that.” Dylan leaned across the table so that she was face-to-face with Claire and Ma.s.sie. ”It's just that I've been so stressed about my mom and Mr. Myner that I haven't had any time to devote to my crush on Chris Plovert.”
”So?” Ma.s.sie shrugged. ”There's still time.”
”Totally.” Claire rested her hand on Dylan's shoulder. ”We can come up with a plan for you to kiss him after dinner tonight. That's our specialty.” She winked at Ma.s.sie.
”What I need is a plan to get rid of Olivia.” Dylan glared at the perky blonde at the other end of the table. ”Plovert is totally into her.”
”How do you know?” Ma.s.sie insisted, even though she knew Dylan was right.
”Last night he asked me to find out if Olivia was into anyone.” Dylan smacked her stack of syrupy pancakes with the back of a spoon.
”Oh.” Ma.s.sie slid her compa.s.s charm back and forth on the gold chain around her neck.
”Attention, please,” Mr. Dingle announced from the front of the room.
Ma.s.sie was grateful for the interruption. She wanted to make Dylan feel better but had no idea what to tell her. Everyone knew Plovert was into Olivia. He had been stalking her like a hungry bear ever since they'd stepped off the bus.
”Your attention, please.” Mr. Dingle pushed his big square gla.s.ses up on his nose, then clasped his hands behind his back like he was hiding something back there. ”Qui-et!”
The room was silent except for the sc.r.a.ping and clinking of knives and forks against china plates.
Once he had everyone's attention, Mr. Dingle revealed what he had been concealing. Everyone burst into hysterical laughter when he held up a tree branch with a pair of satin underwear dangling from it.
”I found this hanging from a tree at the beginning of Honeysuckle Trail behind the girls' cabin,” he said. ”And the worst part is, it was hanging a few feet away from an innocent snowy owl's nest.”
The room exploded into more laughter. Claire turned bright red and looked at Layne. But Layne didn't notice. Her face was buried inside her backpack. She was pretending to search for something of great importance.
”Not only is dyed satin a huge environmental hazard ...” Mr. Dingle took off his gla.s.ses. His beady eyes searched the crowd. ”But I'd hoped a few days in the wilderness would have taught you to respect nature.” He waved the stick and underwear around like a shredded battle flag. ”I demand to know who is responsible.”
The room was silent, except for a few false accusations from the boys' table.
”If no one comes forward, you will all pay.” Mr. Dingle put his gla.s.ses back on and pushed them into position with his index finger. ”How does a six-mile hike and no lunch sound?”
The murmurs built until everyone was speaking at full volume.
”Claire, isn't that your your underwear?” Alexandra shouted from the other girls' table. ”You have, like, ten pairs of those.” underwear?” Alexandra shouted from the other girls' table. ”You have, like, ten pairs of those.”
”She'sright,” Carrie said. ”She'stheonlyone who wears fullpanties. Weallwearthongs.”
The boys cracked up and started punching Cam. He turned bright red and whacked them back.
Claire hunched over and rubbed her forehead.
Ma.s.sie glared at Layne, silently threatening her to speak up, or else.
”Uh, I know who did it,” Layne offered softly.
”Louder,” Ma.s.sie said through her teeth.
Claire looked at Layne with a worried look on her face. She obviously didn't want her friend going down like this. Layne already took enough heat for her crazy outfits and disgusting food obsessions. If everyone found out she'd hidden dirty underwear in a tree, she'd never recover. It would be the final nail in her social coffin.
”I know who did it.” Claire jumped to her feet.
The room was silent. Ma.s.sie's heart was pounding. She couldn't bring herself to look at Claire, even though she was dying to see what would happen next.
”They're hers hers.” Claire pointed at Alicia.
”What?” Alicia screeched. She slapped her hand against her chest. ”What are you tawk-ing about?”
Everyone started whispering.
”Alicia, is this true?” Mr. Dingle asked.
”No,” Alicia insisted. Her cheeks turned the color of Claire's grape juice. ”'Course not.”
”Because if you're lying, everyone in this room is looking at a six-mile hike and-”
”It's true,” Livvy piped up. ”I saw Claire lend her a pan-when we got here.”
”I saw that too,” Alexandra said.
”Me too,” Layne shouted. When no one was looking she mouthed ”Thank you” to Claire.
”Ew, why would I ever borrow Claire's underwear?” Alicia shouted. ”I think I can afford my own.”
”You borrowed it, remember?” Olivia was obviously trying to be helpful. ”It was the day we got here. We were unpacking and Claire gave you-”
Alicia elbowed Olivia in the stomach.
”Ow,” Olivia wailed. ”What'd you do that for?”
Alicia glared at Olivia until she finally realized she had made matters worse for her friend. ”Ehmagawd, I am soooo sorry,” she whispered.
Ma.s.sie was too shocked to get involved. She could not believe Claire had the guts to blame Alicia. But then again, Alicia kind of deserved it for putting the moves on Cam. But hadn't Alicia just been paying Claire back for kissing Josh? The situation was too complicated to pick a side, even for Ma.s.sie. She popped a home fry in her mouth and crossed her legs. It was nice to watch someone else's social life crash and burn for a change.