OCTAVIAN COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL THE CAFÉ

12:39 PM
December 19th

Ever since the Teen Vogue shoot, Massie had given Claire permission to eat at number 18. But most days Claire chose to sit at number 2 with Layne, Meena, and Heather. It was the only time she got to spend with Layne now that she carpooled with the Pretty Committee. But this was a special occasion and Claire didn’t want to be late.

“Layne, if you don’t hurry up and finish your chicken fingers, I’m going to Massie’s table without you,” Claire said, feeling extra-springy in her new Keds. They had a cluster of star and moon charms dangling off the tongue, which was probably why Massie said, “They’re a little better than the old ones,” when she saw them.

“I’m coming,” Layne said, taking one last bite of her lunch before dumping the rest of her chicken in a Ziploc. She zipped it up and dropped the leftovers in her Sunshine Tours bag. Meena and Heather shrieked.

“Happy?” Layne asked Claire, pulling the fake Louis Vuitton scarf out of her pocket and wiping her hands.

“I thought you left that in the parking lot,” Claire said.

“I went back and got it when you guys drove off.” Layne shrugged. “It’s surprisingly absorbent.”

Claire, Meena, and Heather laughed. Layne shook the crumbs off the scarf and stuffed it back in her bag.

“Can we go now?” Claire hardly ever reacted to Layne’s weird eating habits anymore. She accepted them along with the rest of the quirks that made her best friend so much fun to be around.

“What’s the big hurry?” Meena asked. She lowered her wide hazel eyes and admired the henna tattoo on her own hand.

“I told you,” Claire said, half knowing the girls were just giving her a hard time. “Lucinda sent copies of the pictures she’s putting in the magazine and Massie is showing them to all of the models at 12:40 PM.”

“Who’s Lucinda again?” Heather smiled, flashing her new multicolored braces.

“Shut up.” Claire threw her napkin at Heather and they all laughed.

“When do the lowly non-models get to see the pictures?” Meena raised the back of her hand to her forehead and turned her head to the side.

“They are open to the public at 12:50 PM sharp; that’s why I have to go now,” Claire said, checking her pink Baby G-Shock watch. “I would have invited you, but I’m only allowed to bring one non-model.” Claire made air quotes when she used Meena’s word.

“Eat your hearts out.” Layne wrapped her nubby Hello Kitty scarf around her neck and flicked the tip of her nose before she turned to leave. “Let’s go, Claire.”

Meena and Heather shouted, “Sellout,” and threw napkins at Layne’s back.

A line of curious students was already forming behind Massie’s table when Claire and Layne showed up. Massie’s expression was one of pure joy.

“It looks like you’re selling Justin Timberlake tickets or something,” Claire said to her.

“I know, they’ve been lined up since the beginning of lunch,” Massie said.

“Come on, let’s see ’em already,” Dylan said, reaching for the white cardboard envelope in Massie’s hand. But Massie quickly pulled it away.

“Okay, is everyone ready?” she asked.

“YES!” Kristen, Dylan, and Olivia said.

Everyone leaned in toward the center of the table except Alicia.

“What’s wrong?” Massie asked her.

“It’s not like I’m in any of them,” Alicia said lightly.

“Not true,” Massie said. “You’re in one.”

“You already looked?” Kristen said. “I thought this was the first showing.”

Massie opened her mouth to protest but let out a laugh instead. “Busted,” she admitted.

She opened the envelope and started passing out the photos. Every single shot showed the girls fighting.

“These are hilarious.” Dylan was looking at an image of herself with an elf on her back. His little finger was hooking the side of her mouth and pulling it back toward her ear.

“What about this one?” Kristen laughed and passed the picture to Olivia.

“Oh nooo,” Olivia said. “I’m so sorry.” It was a shot of her stuffing Santa’s fake beard in Kristen’s eyes while Claire tried to pry them apart.

By now the entire cafeteria was watching table 18—even some of the teachers were hovering. Claire finally lifted her head. “No way. The general public line goes all the way out the door.”

“Yes!” Massie threw her fists in the air when she noticed the hordes of people that were waiting to see her pictures.

“They’ve been standing for almost an hour.” Layne shook her head in disbelief as she glanced at the line, where several girls were eating their sandwiches. “They’ll do anything for a peek into the fabulous life of Massie Block. It’s shocking.”

“You’re here, aren’t you?” Kristen said to Layne.

“I’m supporting Claire.” She lifted her chin. “That’s the only reason.”

“Yeah, right.” Claire snapped a picture of the crowd with her digital camera.

“Lemme guess,” Layne said. “Another picture for Cam, right?”

Claire shrugged and smiled shyly.

“This is awesome,” Olivia said, looking around the Café.

Everyone at number 18 nodded in agreement and Claire felt like the natural order of the universe had been finally been restored. Kristen, Dylan, and Alicia surrounded Massie like the planets orbiting the sun, while Claire, Layne, and Olivia were like the stars, standing over them and twinkling with pride.

“I say we open to the public now,” Massie announced.

“But it’s not twelve-fifty yet,” Alicia said.

“Doesn’t matter.” Massie surveyed the restless crowd. “I don’t want them to lose interest.”

“Good point. Step right up,” Alicia called.

And for the next forty-five minutes they did.

The proud smile on Massie’s face was the last thing Claire saw before a mass of curious fans completely surrounded the leader of OCD’s infamous Pretty Committee.

Suddenly Claire had a tiny idea of what being Massie Block must feel like. Every day she had to make people want to be her and every day she had to somehow show them that it was a lot harder than it looked. And that was the one thing about Massie that Claire didn’t envy.