FRESH PONY STUDIOS CHELSEA, NYC

3:00 PM
December 6th

The girls entered the gray cement building in silence, but once they stepped inside the photo studio, they gasped. The spacious room looked like the inside of a snow globe. Big fluffy chunks of fake snow fell lightly to the ground and gathered in heaps like mountains made of Sweet’N Low. A big red velvet throne surrounded by brightly wrapped presents was in the center of the room and cute little boys dressed as elves ran around playing tag. A jolly-looking Santa, holding his white glue-on beard, paced the floor, rubbing his fat belly like a pregnant woman. Camera assistants dressed in black T-shirts and jeans were adding the final decorations to the tall blue Christmas tree beside Santa’s throne.

Alicia breathed in deeply, inhaling the sweet smell of pine.

“Is that real?” she asked, wondering how a fake blue tree could give off such a strong smell.

“Yeah, we dyed the needles,” Lucinda said.

“Does that bother you?” Massie asked.

“Huh?” Alicia said.

Massie turned to Lucinda and said, “Alicia likes everything to be fake.”

Alicia wanted to shout, “I hate fake things. The knockoff scarves were an act of desperation. So were Kori and Strawberry and the cheating and everything else I did.”

But she didn’t.

Instead she felt everything she’d gone through the past few days boiling up inside her. Then she took a big step back and charged Massie, knocking her into one of the elves. They both caught their balance before either one of them fell.

“Excuse me, there’s no hitting in fashion,” Lucinda said.

“There is now!” Massie said as she ran full speed into Alicia. This time they both landed in the “snow.” Alicia could feel Massie’s bony butt on top of her back as Massie bit at her hair. Alicia turned around and tried to lick Massie’s cheek, hoping it would make her get up. But every time she stuck out her tongue, Massie would grab it and pinch it.

“Et off eeee,” Alicia screamed. It was the closest she could get to, “Get off me,” without the use of her tongue. She wrapped her fingers around Massie’s charm bracelet and used it as a handle to pull Massie’s arm away. One of the charms fell off in Alicia’s hand and she quickly dropped it in her boot.

Alicia saw a sudden flash of light and thought she might be dying until she heard Paolo say, “I love it. Give me more drama.”

Big flakes of white powder fell from the ceiling while stagehands tested the snow machine. Alicia tried to wipe them away from her eyes, but Massie’s knees were digging into her arms.

“Stop it, you’re hurting her,” Faux-livia said as she jumped on Massie’s back and pulled her off Alicia.

“Get her, Faux,” Alicia yelled.

“Stop calling me FAUX,” Olivia wailed, then slapped Alicia on the thigh.

“Ouch,” Alicia said before she pushed Olivia’s nose.

“Not the nose!” Olivia pushed back hard just as Kristen was coming over to watch and Alicia fell against Kristen’s shins.

“I need those for soccer, you know,” Kristen said to Olivia before charging her. They fell against Santa’s throne and squashed the prop presents that had been placed beside it.

“Did you wrap this one at work?” Olivia asked Kristen as she pulled a crushed box out from under her and smashed it over Kristen’s head.

“The only job you ever had was the one on your nose!” Kristen said as she whacked Olivia across the back with a satin ribbon.

“Stop it before you destroy my set,” Lucinda said, racing to drag the fake presents out of the way.

“Move,” Paolo shouted at Lucinda. “You’re blocking my shot.”

“How’s this for a shot?” Lucinda said, snapping his leg with her coin-covered scarf.

Alicia rolled away from Massie and quickly jumped to her feet. She caught her reflection in one of the round silver ornaments on the tree beside her. Her lip was swollen and her hair looked like a bird’s nest. She looked around to see how the other girls were holding up.

Kristen and Olivia had each managed to squeeze one of their butt cheeks on Santa’s throne and were clawing at each other’s necks, fighting for complete domination. Dylan was pulling Kori across the floor by the tips of her rubber snow boots, a big pile of fake snow gathered between her legs. The elves were chasing Strawberry and Claire, trying to pull their pants down, and Lucinda was shouting, “Security!” to no one in particular.

“You’re calling me hearty?” yelled Dylan. Everyone stopped fighting and looked up. Before anyone could stop her, Dylan tackled Santa and they both smashed into the blue Christmas tree.

“Tim-ber!” Kristen shouted when the tree started to sway.

Dylan and Santa looked up at the tipping tree and screamed. They rolled away one second before it came crashing down onto the studio floor.

Everyone raced over to Santa and Dylan’s side, except Massie. She stood across the room with a half smile on her face, watching the drama from afar. Alicia didn’t want to get caught staring at her but found it hard to look away. It felt like there was some mysterious magnetic force at work, drawing her in. And then, as if Massie had felt it too, she turned her head and looked right at Alicia with her fiery amber eyes. A sudden rush of prickly heat shot up Alicia’s spine and made her feel intensely alive, like a cell phone that just had its battery recharged.

Suddenly, for no reason and every reason, they both started laughing. And once they started, they couldn’t stop. They held their stomachs, slapped their thighs, threw their heads back, and let the tears spill down their cheeks.

Until, without warning, Massie’s smile faded. Her eyes became wide with fear and her mouth hung open. She grabbed her wrist and dropped to her knees.

Was she having a heart attack?

Alicia raced across the studio and knelt by her side.

“What’s wrong?”

“My crown is gone.” Massie ran her fingers along the studio floor, sifting through the fake snow, blue pine needles, and broken ornaments.

“When was the last time you saw it?” Alicia looked around the destroyed studio.

“I dunno.” Massie’s eyes filled with tears.

“I’ll go look on the other side.” Alicia stood up. “Don’t worry, we’ll find it.”

“’Kay.” Massie sniffed.

When Alicia got to the middle of the studio, she felt a sharp pain in her foot and dropped down to the floor. She unzipped her boot and massaged the sore area until the throbbing eased up. She quickly pulled up her sock and heard a faint ping sound. She looked down and there it was, right beside Alicia, in a tiny hill of fake snow. A piece of yellow sock fuzz was tangled around one of its points.

Alicia giggled to herself as the memory of her tugging on Massie’s bracelet and stuffing it in her boot popped back into her head. “I found it!” she shouted once she was back on her feet. “Massie, I have it.”

Massie was crawling around on her hands and knees, occasionally wiping tears away with her shoulder.

“I found it,” Alicia shouted again.

Massie jumped to her feet.

“Where was it?” Massie asked when Alicia put it in her hand.

“Uh, just sitting on the ground. I almost stepped right on it.”

“You’re the best,” Massie said, wrapping her arms around Alicia.

“Thanks, you are too.” Alicia hugged her back.

“This shoot is over,” Lucinda announced. She was kneeling on the floor, icing Santa’s forehead, and he lay motionless beside her. The other girls were fanning him and looking concerned.

“Why?” Massie let go of Alicia.

“Why?” Lucinda shrieked. She stood up and walked over to Massie and Alicia, pointing at them as she spoke. “Because I have no set, no Santa, no presents, no tree, and very little holiday cheer.”

Alicia couldn’t help feeling disappointed. She had been so looking forward to this day and it was ruined.

“Great idea!” Massie said. “Lucinda, you’re a genius.”

“Huh?” Lucinda and Alicia said.

“No other magazine would have the guts to show how stressed out people get around the holidays, but it’s something everyone can relate to.”

“That is a great idea,” Alicia said. “You can call the piece ‘Santa’s Little Hell-pers.’”

“That’s perfect, Leesh,” Massie said.

Alicia felt warm and happy inside. Massie hadn’t called her Leesh in weeks.

“I heart it,” Lucinda said.

“Well, you should.” Massie’s eyes sparkled. “It was your idea.”

“It was?” Lucinda said.

“I thought I heard you suggest that, but maybe I was wrong.” Massie glared at Alicia, silently begging her to play along.

“I thought I heard that too,” Alicia said.

“You did,” Lucinda said, twisting an oversized emerald ring around her index finger. “You did.”

“Thought so,” Massie said with a satisfied smile.

“I need all stagehands, models, elves, and Paolo to meet over by Santa for a quick meeting,” Lucinda shouted. “The show will go on!”

Everyone cheered.

“What was that all about?” Alicia asked Massie once Lucinda left.

“How to Win Friends and Influence People. Principle number seven,” Massie said. “Let others think the idea is theirs.”

“Spoken like a true alpha.” Alicia nodded with sincere admiration.

Massie clipped the crown back on her bracelet.

“It’s hard doing what you do,” Alicia said, wiping her eyes.

“Why do you think I’m so moody?”

“Massie.” Alicia heard her voice quiver. “I’m really sorry for everything I did to you. I promise I will never do anything to hurt you guys ever again.” She offered her pinky. “Friends?”

“On three conditions,” Massie said, holding her pinky slightly out of Alicia’s reach.

“Anything.”

“One: Claire is the only new addition to the Pretty Committee this year. That means Olivia can’t sit with us during lunch anymore, but you can still be friends with her.”

“Fine,” Alicia said. “Next.”

“Two: you have to get rid of those knockoffs.”

“But my scarf was real.” Alicia winked. She untied it from her belt loop and held it out for Massie to feel.

“Not that,” Massie said. “I’m talking about Strawberry and Kori. Those girls have no soul.”

“Done,” Alicia said. “And third?”

“Third is do it NOW,” Massie said.

“Done.” Alicia quickly pulled out her cell phone and used her family account to order a Town Car before Massie changed her mind.

Alicia found Kori and Strawberry standing in the far corner of the studio by the food table while Lucinda met with the rest of the group in a private huddle thirty feet away.

“Why are you all the way over here?” Alicia asked.

“She doesn’t want us to listen.” Strawberry sneered at Lucinda. “We’re not models.”

“I’m so canceling my Teen Vogue subscription,” Kori said. She dropped her shoulders and shot her pelvis forward.

Alicia checked her watch. “Wanna go outside for a minute?”

“Sure,” Kori said.

“You may want to grab your stuff.”

“You mean you’re letting us go home early?” Strawberry asked hopefully.

“Yeah.” Alicia sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry—we’ve been dying to go home. This has been the worst weekend ever,” Strawberry said.

“It has, hasn’t it?” Alicia agreed.

“Beyond,” Kori said.

When they pushed open the heavy studio door and stepped outside, all three girls squinted while their eyes adjusted to the light. The sun had burst through a break in the clouds and the air smelled like clean sheets. The falling snow had started to accumulate and the hectic city was silent and peaceful.

The burgundy Lincoln Town Car pulled up in front of the studio door fifteen minutes later. The driver rolled down his window and held out a sign that said Kori, Strawberry.

“Here’s your ride,” Alicia said.

“Thanks.” The girls hugged Alicia good-bye and practically dove into the car when the driver opened the back door. They waved as they rode away and didn’t stop until they were far down the street. Alicia couldn’t help smiling as she waved back. It was the perfect end to a perfectly awful day.

Alicia rubbed her cold hands, then glided back into the studio. She was ready to apologize to the others and start making up for lost time.

“Brilliant,” she heard Lucinda say when she got back upstairs. “That’s a wrap.” Everyone started clapping and cheering.

Alicia froze. They had finished the shoot without her.

When Massie saw Alicia, she marched straight up to her and looked her directly in the eye. “Now we’re even,” she said with a cocky half smile.

Alicia opened her mouth to protest, but no words came out. There was nothing left to say.