OCTAVIAN COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL
THE CAFÉ

Monday, January 26th 12:38 P.M.

Claire and Layne Abeley were standing at the back of the Virgins line, waiting to place their juice orders. As soon as the cheering died down, Layne turned to Claire and picked up the conversation where they had left off, just before Sage cut the ribbon.

“So why do you think Cam wants to try and kiss you?” Layne stuffed a handful of jalapeño-flavored soy nuts in her mouth, then wiped her salty fingers on her bright yellow Shirley Temple sweatshirt. A green seasoning skid mark was streaked across Shirley’s cute little pug nose.

Claire absentmindedly brushed the salt away. “Because he gave me a mix CD at Alicia’s party last night and”—Claire pulled the CD out of her red JanSport backpack—“look at the playlist.”

Layne grabbed the CD out of Claire’s hand and started reading the names of the songs out loud. “‘Do You Love Me,’ by Kiss; ‘I Want You,’ by Kiss; ‘I Kissed a Girl,’ by Jill Sobule; ‘Kiss,’ by Prince . . .”

“Shhhhh.” Claire knocked Layne in the arm and looked around the Café to make sure no one was listening. “Silent reading, please.” She watched Layne’s narrow green eyes move back and forth across the jewel case while she scanned the rest of the list.

“I’ve never even heard of these songs,” Layne whispered. “Are you sure he didn’t steal this from his grandfather?” She was never one to hide her feelings.

Claire rolled her eyes. Why couldn’t Layne just be happy for her? “He gets a lot of music from his older brother, Harris,” Claire whispered back. “But that’s not the point!”

“Sorry.” Layne bent down and pulled up her pink socks so that they covered her thick kneecaps. The socks didn’t match her yellow ruffled miniskirt and sweatshirt or her orange-and-blue-checked Vans, but that was what made Layne Layne. And Claire had decided a long time ago to accept her for who she was. After all, Layne had accepted Claire back when no one else would, and that was something Claire would never forget. “So you want to kiss him?” Layne twisted her newly hennaed jet black hair into a messy ball and clipped it with a pink glittery banana clip.

Claire nodded without a moment of hesitation. Then she popped one of Cam’s red cinnamon hearts in her mouth and tried her hardest not to chew it. It was a game she had been playing with herself all morning: if she could suck the candy until it disappeared, she and Cam would kiss at the dance. If she bit it, they wouldn’t.

“Is that slutty of me?” she asked.

“No, I think it’s romantic.” Layne gently placed her hand on her heart and made a swooning face.

Claire giggled and turned bright red. “Okay, can we change the subject, please?”

“Sure,” Meena said as she and Heather broke into their conversation. “I have a new subject.” She pulled a pair of black-and-red-striped leg warmers off her arms and stuffed them in the outside pocket of her Hello Kitty wheelie suitcase. “So, are you really going to be sharing a bedroom with Massie Block?”

“Yeah, are you?” Heather asked.

Their blunt bob haircuts had been dyed the same color as Layne’s, and Heather had cut super-short bangs. Claire thought they looked like comic book characters.

Meena and Heather were Layne’s best friends and the only other girls at OCD who shared Layne’s eccentric style and addiction to protests.

“I think we know her well enough now to stop using her last name.” Claire tried to hide her excitement. But it was hard. She loved that people were starting to find out that she and Massie were friends. It did more for her status than the latest Marc Jacobs bag ever could.

“Okay, then is Massie really your real friend this time?” Meena pressed. “Or is she just using you again to get something she wants?”

“No, it’s real this time.” Claire still had a hard time believing it herself.

“Hmmm,” Layne said.

“Does this mean you get to borrow her clothes?” Heather adjusted her makeshift belt, which was really a cute stuffed snake that she’d won at Coney Island when she was four. It was so bulky, she was having a hard time keeping it tied around her tiny waist.

“I’ve already borrowed a ton of her stuff.” Claire could feel the proud smile spreading across her face.

“What?” Layne asked.

“Unfortunately, I stained two of her sweaters.”

Layne chuckled. “I heard she doesn’t have a washing machine—she just throws her dirty clothes out and buys new ones.”

“The entire Block estate is built on landfill made up of Massie’s dirty clothes.” Claire giggled

Layne started laughing, and Claire felt a wave of guilt.

“I’m just kidding. Massie’s totally normal.”

“Yeah, whatever.” Layne rolled her eyes. “You’ve become a total Massie-chist.”

Meena and Heather giggled.

“I have not.” Claire felt her throat lock. Why was everyone having such a hard time accepting that she and Massie actually liked each other? Claire searched her mind for a new topic, but she was too flustered to think of anything. Luckily, her cell phone started ringing.

“Hullo?” Claire answered her phone. “Oh, hey—” She was about to say Massie’s name but stopped herself. “Really? That’s TFFW. We must have walked right past you. . . . We’d love to cut. . . . Be right there . . . .”

“Uh, what’s ‘TFFW’?”

“‘Too funny for words.’”

“Ah,” Layne said. “I’m not taking Massie as a Second Language until next semester.”

“Very funny.” Claire pulled Layne out of the line and led her to the front. “Let’s go—Massie said we could cut.”

“No, thanks.” Meena shook her head. “I’d rather wait back here, with the people.”

“Yeah, power to the people.” Heather shot her fist in the air.

“Well, we’re going.” Claire tugged on Layne’s arm.

“Someone needs to protect her,” Layne shouted to her friends.

“Whatever.” Heather chuckled.

“Traitor,” Meena yelled with a semi-smile.

Claire was relieved that they had only been teasing. Meena and Heather were so much easier to deal with than Massie’s Pretty Committee. They got jealous of each other’s CD collections, not each other’s friends.

“Hey, no cutting,” a few people shouted as they marched past. But Claire kept her eyes fixed forward and ignored them all. She would be with Massie in a few seconds and then they’d be safe.

“Look, Kristen,” Nina pointed out when Claire and Layne arrived. “You’re not the only one with bad hair. This girl’s bangs are way too long.”

Claire stuck out her hand. “Hi, I’m Claire.”

Nina reached out and shook it hard. “See, Massie, this girl knows how to shake a hand.”

Massie put her hands on her hips and opened her mouth to say something, but Claire cut her off.

“Do you really think my bangs are long?”

“Sí,” Nina said.

Claire felt everyone’s eyes on her. “Yes!” she shouted. “I’ve been trying to grow them out for months.”

“I think you should trim them a leetle bit instead. Boys love when they rest just on the tips of your eyelashes. It says, ‘Stay by my side. I can’t see with all this hair in my eyes and I may need your help crossing the road.’ And guys love when girls are helpless.”

“What?” Massie snapped. “Claire, let me take you to Jakkob after school. He’s ah-mazing with layers.”

“I would love to,” Claire whispered softly. She couldn’t help wondering if there was any truth to Nina’s theory. “As long as he doesn’t scalp me. Cam hates short hair on girls. He says it makes them look—”

Claire felt Massie’s thumb poke the side of her ribs and immediately stopped talking. Everyone was glaring at her while Kristen adjusted her pink rain hat. Claire felt a rush of intense heat all over her body, like she had been instantly sunburned.

Nina started laughing.

“Uh, I didn’t mean it like that Kristen,” Claire said. “I just meant—”

“It’s okay.” Kristen looked down at the cold concrete floor.

“By the way, Kristen, I love your hat.” Layne smiled. “I would totally wear that.”

“Great,” Kristen said under her breath.

Suddenly, frantic newscast music blasted through the PA system in the Café, rescuing everyone from the awkward conversation.

“What is that?” Dylan screeched.

The music faded out and the click-clacking sound of fingers typing on a keyboard remained.

“It sounds like hail.” Kristen covered her ears.

“Good thing you have that hat.” Massie rolled her eyes.

Kristen stuck out her tongue.

“I’m kidding!”

Finally, Alicia spoke.

What’s up, OCD? I’m Alicia Rivera, kicking off the New Year with a very exciting newscast. . . .

Everyone applauded. Claire could even hear muffled cheers coming from the halls. Alicia must have heard it all the way from the audio booth, because she paused, waiting for the applause to die down.

Claire remembered when Comma Dee used to do the OCD news. She would tell corny jokes and rap the headlines. The entire school would cringe with embarrassment. But the girls in the Café seems to like Alicia’s straightforward six-o’clock news delivery, because everyone had turned to face the speakers, anxious for her to continue.

If you’ve been anywhere near the Café today you know that Virgins is open for business. Congratulations, Sage!

More applause. Sage bowed graciously with her hands in prayer position.

“Easy, Buddha.” Massie muttered under her breath.

Today’s special juice cocktail is the all-natural fruit-and-soy-based Low-Fat Lover in honor of the upcoming Valentine’s Day dance!!!!

The Café exploded with excitement. Napkins were thrown in the air and a few empty fat-free fro yo containers were chucked into the crowd. Alicia quickly changed her tone, as if she could sense the disruption.

Who’s ready for the details?

(Cheers)

Alicia giggled to herself like a TV anchorwoman would after bantering with the wannabe-funny weather guy. Claire pictured Alicia sitting at her desk, nervously shuffling her papers, waiting for the right moment to get back to business.

This year’s theme is Love Struck. One week from Friday, all the OCD girls will meet at the Briarwood Academy soccer field after the big playoff game to pick dates. But there’s a catch . . . literally. The guys will be dressed in Velcro suits, and you will each get five Velcro-tipped arrows. All you have to do is shoot the guy you like and he’s all yours. If you don’t catch anyone, you have to wait to be asked, unless of course you—giggle!—want to go alone. And as always, the most ah-dorable couple gets the Cupid Award. So I suggest you eat a lot of lean protein Thursday night, wear comfortable shoes, and run like panty-hose. Don’t let your dream guy get away. . . .

This has been Alicia Rivera for OCD news saying, I heart you.

(Roaring applause)

“Did you hear that?” Massie’s amber eyes were wide with excitement.

“Yeah, we have to run!” Dylan whined. “This sucks.”

“No, the Cupid Award! If I can get Derrington into a pair of long pants, I bet we actually have a chance of winning.”

“Seventh graders never win the Cupid.” Kristen shook her head in awe.

“Until now.” Massie threw her arms in the air like someone who’d jumped out of a birthday cake to ta-da music.

Claire smiled with admiration. She loved Massie’s tireless ambition.

“At least we don’t have to worry about all of that humiliating chasing.” Massie turned toward Claire. “It’s a total given that Derrington and Cam will stand still for us.”

“What makes you so sure?” Nina purred.

“They like us. You know, more than friends,” Claire explained. She popped a cinnamon heart into her mouth.

“So?” Nina said. “What if someone else catches them first?”

Claire bit down on the heart. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. “Stop being so superstitious,” Layne said. “A stupid candy heart can’t predict your future.”

Claire couldn’t believe how well Layne knew her. It was borderline creepy.

“How cute,” Dylan huffed. “Not only do you live together but you date together too.”

“It’s simply ha-darbole.” Kristen rolled her eyes.

The girls walked up to the Virgins counter and ordered a round of Low-Fat Lovers. Claire attempted to pay, but Sage simply waved her hand. Claire shrugged, then stuffed her crumpled five-dollar bill back in her pocket. Friendship with Massie Block certainly had its benefits.

“Thanks for the freebies, Sage,” Massie said loud enough for the girls on line to hear. She took a long sip of the frothy fruit shake. “Ahhhh. Dee-lish! You know, I would actually consider paying for these. Not that you’d ever want me to, right?”

“Uh, of course not.” Sage was always so ah-nnoyingly calm, no matter how hard Massie tried to rile her up.

“Here’s to the Love Struck dance and my Cupid Award, of course.” Massie raised her juice in the air.

“Cheers,” the girls said as they clinked cups. Massie worked her vacant runway-model stare as she led her friends through the crowded Café, flaunting her free drink like a complimentary purse that had just been hand-delivered by Karl Lagerfeld.

Layne leaned over and whispered in Claire’s ear, “Hey, how romantic would it be if you had your first kiss with Cam at the Love Struck dance?”

Claire was overcome by the spicy smell of jalapeño but loved the idea so much, she didn’t even flinch. “Brilliant!” she whispered back. “And you can kiss your boyfriend, Eli, the same night.”

Layne made an “ew” face. Claire wondered if she had caught a whiff of her own breath.

“I’m done with him. He wears more makeup than I do, and I’m a little over the morbid skull-and-crossbones jewelry he wears. I think I need to be with someone a little more positive, especially as we get closer to spring.”

Nina interrupted. “You know, I am quite an archery expert. I’d be happy to give you lessons. My father taught me how to shoot a bow and arrow when I was a kid. It’s the sport of royalty, you know. And Daddy always told me I was going to marry a king.”

“Yeah, King Kong,” Massie said.

Claire and Layne were the only ones who laughed.

“That would be meowsea!”

“I’m sorry, I do not understand this word, meowsea.” Nina looked confused.

“Awesome!” Kristen explained. “It would be awesome. The second the guys see my short hair, they’re going to run as fast as they can to get away. I need some serious target practice.”

“And when they see my fat butt coming, they’ll—”

“You’re not fat!” everyone shouted together.

Dylan pinched an inch of skin on her belly and pointed to it with her free hand. “Tell that to her.”

“We need all the help we can get,” Kristen confessed.

“Great, then how about Friday after school?” Nina’s back was to Massie, Claire, and Layne.

“Uh . . .” Kristen and Dylan hesitated. They must have been thinking about what Massie had done to Alicia when she’d tried to make plans during one of Massie’s Friday night sleepovers.

“Uh, is there any other night we could do it?” Dylan asked.

“Yeah,” Massie chimed in. “Friday nights I host a very exclusive VIP sleepover party, so that won’t work for them.”

Claire popped a cinnamon heart in her mouth and tried her hardest not to bite it. But the increasing tension was making it very difficult.

“What’s wrong?” Nina flipped her ponytail and leaned closer to Kristen and Dylan. “Can’t you make your own decisions?”

Claire bit into the candy and felt the spicy rush of cinnamon burn her tongue.

Massie stuck her hand in Claire’s bag of candy and pulled out a handful of hearts. She stuffed them in her mouth and crunched down on all of them at once.

“Since when do you eat candy?” Dylan screeched. “Since Claire dared me to break into the vending machine at the ski lodge.” Massie giggled. Claire started laughing at the memory of on-all-fours Massie jimmying the machine with the pin on her brooch.

“Really?” Dylan looked slightly hurt. “I’ve been trying to get you to eat sugar for years.” She dug her hand into Claire’s plastic bag and started gathering a fistful of hearts.

Massie slapped her arm. “Ouch!” Dylan shouted.

“Get your hand out of there,” Massie snapped. “You’re sick.” Then she turned to Nina. “Sorry, Señorita, but you’ll have to hang out with people your own age Friday night. My friends have plans.”

“Are you sure you don’t need lessons?” Nina offered. “It would be pathetic if you didn’t shoot anyone and you had to go to the dance alone.”

“What about Thursday night?” Dylan sneezed.

“Or tonight?” Kristen asked hopefully.

“Puh-lease.” Massie sounded annoyed. “You sound desperate. Any guy at Briarwood would stand still for us.” Her cell phone started vibrating. Massie reached into her Granny-Smith-apple-green tote and flipped it open.

“See?” She held the screen in front of Nina’s face. “It’s a text message from Derrington.” She pushed a few buttons and read aloud.

DERRINGTON: Did U hear about the dance?

Massie smirked at Nina and quickly typed her response.

MASSIE: Yup.

Derrington wrote back immediately and Massie read his response to the girls.

DERRINGTON: HOW LAME!

Massie looked confused and continued reading in silence.

Everyone leaned in toward her screen, but Claire was the only one she didn’t push away.

DERRINGTON: No way I’m wearing a Velcro suit. 2 stupid! Even Cam thinks it’s queer.

Claire felt light-headed and dizzy. This couldn’t be happening. What about her first kiss?

“Whatever you do, don’t act desperate.” Nina sounded smug. “Play hard to get. Make them beg you.”

“How do you know so much about boys?” Kristen asked.

“Experience.” Nina winked.

“Ew,” Layne said.

Dylan and Kristen gazed into Nina’s dark brown eyes like they were falling in love.

Massie sighed and leaned against the corner of an empty lunch table. She began typing. Everyone stopped walking to wait for her.

“What?” Claire begged. “What are you writing?”

Massie didn’t look up from her phone. But she tilted the screen so Claire could see. She seemed to be taking Nina’s advice.

MASSIE: No prob. We’ll go with other guys. G2G.

Massie hit Send. Claire started chewing on her thumbnail.

“What if that doesn’t work?” Claire said under her breath.

“It will,” Nina assured her. “My advice always works.”

Massie folded her arms across her chest and rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t following your advice. I always play H2G.”

“Hard to get,” Dylan explained to Nina.

Bhuzzzzz, buzzzz.

“It’s vibrating!” Claire shouted. “What did he say?”

DERRINGTON: Serious?

MASSIE: 100%. Why?

DERRINGTON: How bout a deal? U & C come watch the playoffs and we’ll go 2 the dance w/u.

Claire threw her arms around Massie and started jumping up and down.

“You are so getting your first kiss at a Valentine’s Day dance,” Layne gushed.

“Be cool,” Massie snapped.

Layne covered her mouth.

“He can’t hear us.” Claire giggled.

MASSIE: Hmmmmm.

“What are you doing?” Claire squealed.

DERRINGTON: Pls. You never come to my games. I need u 4 luck. I want 2 win the MVP ribbon. Deal?

MASSIE: What about Cam?

DERRINGTON: Same.

“Yes!” Claire shouted. “Tell him it’s a deal. Tell him!”

“Wait!” Nina insisted. “Not so fast or you’ll look pathetic.”

“OMG, you are sooo good at this.” Kristen grinned.

“Yeah, you should do an audio book on how to get guys or something,” Dylan gushed.

“Puh-lease. I was totally going to wait.” Massie reached for another handful of Claire’s hearts and checked her watch. “There, I think nine seconds is appropriate.”

Nina shook her head and looked away.

MASSIE: Done.

“Looks like we’re going to the playoffs,” Massie sighed. “Whatever those are.”

“Meowsea! Now I finally have someone to watch the games with.”

“Count me in.” Nina smirked. “The only thing I love more than football is the cute players.”

Massie leaned in and whispered to Claire and Layne, “If she really loved it, she’d know it was called soccer, not football.”

They giggled.

“What?” Kristen asked. “Why are you laughing?”

“Is it because I’m fat?” Dylan said.

“You’re not fat!” Everyone shouted.

“It had nothing to do with you.” Massie smirked at Nina.

“Yeah, right.” Dylan coughed. She turned her back to Massie.

“I love the way you Europeans call soccer ‘football.’ It’s so ah-dorable.”

“I know.” Nina slowly turned her head and smirked at Massie. “It is, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, if you like sounding clueless,” Massie said.

Dylan and Kristen shot Massie a That-wasn’t-a-very-nice-thing-to-say look. And Massie responded with a very direct Watch-it-girls-or-I’ll-crush-you.

Claire could sense that alliances were starting to shift. She had a feeling that her friendship with Massie would put her on the winning side, but these days, it was getting harder and harder to know for sure.