Best Friends for Never (6 page)
“Oh yeah, right,” Kristen said. “We've been planning it for days.”
“But remember, you have to act like it was a total accident,” Massie said. “My mom thinks Claire and I are quote
friends
end quote. If she thinks I had anything to do with this, the party will be off.”
“No problem. Acting is my specialty. My mom still thinks I wear old-lady cardigans and baggy slacks to school every day, doesn't she? We'll call you when we get there.”
The girls hung up and Massie turned to face her closet one last time.
She decided the only way to survive the bet was to treat her old clothes in new ways. This way her mind would be tricked into thinking that she had gone shopping. She threaded one of her father's Armani ties (left over from her short-lived Avril phase) through the loops of her Sevens so it would swing across the outside of her leg when she walked. Then she slid a white Brooks Brothers shirt (mostly for sleeping) over her tank top. She left every button open except the bottom two. Once the sleeves were rolled up and her charm bracelet was fastened, she was ready.
“Boarding school chic,” she said to Bean.
“We're leaving,” Kendra said through the intercom.
Massie walked downstairs and greeted the mothers, Claire, and Todd with a smile. She was pleased to see Claire standing uncomfortably in an ultra-tight mustard yellow T-shirt that barely covered her midriff.
“How does it feel to have your sister borrow your clothes?” Massie asked Todd.
He was standing by the front door, eating a banana.
“Ha! I knew she would notice,” Todd said to Claire with a cocky grin.
His voice was thick and garbled because he spoke with his mouth full. The gooey sound made Massie's stomach turn.
Claire scowled at her brother.
“It's laundry day, that's all,” she said to Massie. “Besides, we never said anything about borrowing.”
“Go for it. Seeing you in Todd's clothes is almost better than imagining you in my old snowsuit.” Massie twisted the dangling tie around her wrist as she spoke.
“Don't get used to it,” Claire said. “My mom told me I could buy a few new things at the mall today.”
Massie couldn't believe how cruel life could be. The corners of her mouth felt like they were carving their way through drying cement as she forced a that's-so-great-I couldn't-be-happier-for-you-if-I-tried smile across her face.
“So you've been keeping track of my ensembles, have you?” Todd whispered all over the back of Massie's neck. “Did you happen to notice the new gray Dockers I got last week?”
His hot breath smelled like banana.
“Did you happen to notice my two-inch Choos?”
She lowered the heel of her boot on Todd's foot. He let out a soft yelp and limped over to his mother's side.
“Love hurts,” Massie said.
12:51
PM
October 25th
Claire and Todd ran through the automatic doors of The Westchester like they had just been dropped at Six Flags.
“Think they have a Dairy Queen here?” Todd shouted to Claire. He was trailing behind because of his recent foot injury.
“Every mall has a Dairy Queen,” Claire yelled over her shoulder. “Massie, wanna come find the gummy store with me?”
“I'd rather not waste my calories,” Massie said while checking her cell phone for messages.
Claire immediately thought of her friends back home. They all loved candy. They bought it together, shared it, and kept emergency supplies stashed away in their closets. The girls in Westchester acted the exact same way. Only to them “candy” equaled shoes and handbags, not sours.
Claire put her hand in the back pocket of her black satin dress pants (ugh, this stupid bet!) and ran her fingertips along the three dollar bills her father gave her before she left the house. She vowed to wean herself off sugar after this final indulgence. The Briarwood boys might think it was immature. Massie definitely did.
“Remember,” Kendra announced. “We're meeting in front of Nordstrom's in ten minutes.”
Sunshine poured through the skylights, filling the mall with warm light. The Westchester looked nothing like the concrete barns Claire and her friends shopped at in Florida. It didn't even have a Spencer Gifts or a Strawberry. Instead shoppers wove in and out of Louis Vuitton, Sephora, and Versace Jeans Couture. They wore big movie-star sunglasses and high heels that clicked and clacked on the shiny marble floors with every step they took.
Claire felt like the stylish mannequins in the window displays were looking down on her, just like Massie, Alicia, Kristen, and Dylan did.
Claire didn't feel comfortable until she set foot in the Sweet Factory. Familiar bins of colorful candy lined the walls and felt like home. She scooped a mound of gummies into a plastic bag and paid the cashier.
“Thank you for visiting the Sweet Factory.” The overweight teenager managed to hand Claire her change without looking up from his copy of
Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution
.
“No,” Claire said. “Thank
you
.” She popped an orange gummy foot in her mouth and headed back to meet the others.
Massie was the last to arrive at Nordstrom's and the only one who wasn't chomping on a sugary snack. Even Judi and Kendra were sharing a big black-and-white cookie.
“It must be hard to be around all of these stores and not shop, huh?” Claire said to Massie.
“I don't know,” Massie said. “I haven't really thought about it.”
But Claire knew Massie was lying by the way she stared longingly at people's bags when they passed. Suddenly Claire hated herself for suggesting the bet in the first place. Her goal was to be accepted by Massie, not resented.
“Want some calories?” Todd said to Massie. He held out a sticky Cinnabon.
“No thanks.”
“C'mon, just a bite. Taste the
sin
in Cinnabon.”
“No THANKS.”
“It's ha-ah-t.” Todd waved the pastry under her nose.
“Todd, did I order coffee?” Massie said.
“Uh, no,” Todd answered.
“Then why are you all up in my MUG?” Massie snapped.
“S'cuse me for offering,” Todd said. He backed away.
Claire giggled. She was digging through a bag of gummies, trying to avoid the green ones.
“Want some of these?” Claire offered the bag to Massie even though she knew it was a waste of time.
Massie reached in and pulled out a handful. Todd's jaw dropped.
“Oh, sure, you'll eat with
Claire
,” he said. “Since when did you start liking
her
more than me?”
“Since always,” Massie said.
Todd was so hurt he ran ahead to catch up with the mothers. Claire, on the other hand, was elated. Massie actually liked
her
better than someone. So what if it was her bratty brother? It was a start.
“He won't be bothering you for at least another hour,” Claire said.
Massie responded by grabbing more gummies.
The two girls slowed their pace to let Todd and the mothers get ahead of them.
“So what are you going to be for Halloween?” Claire asked.
“A Dirty Devil,” Massie said. It came out sounding like “a Duree Devuh” because she was chewing on a gummy worm. “You?”
“I was thinking maybe Blossom, the Powerpuff Girl. She's got brains, beauty, and a mean punch. And I already have the costume from last year.”
“That's all right, I guess. At least you're not one of those people who goes for the punny costumes,” Massie said. “You know, like a black-eyed
p
or a card shark.”
“Yeah, those costumes are so wanna-be clever.” Claire had never really given “punny costumes” much thought before but decided to agree anyway.
“I think you two should wear the same costumes since you're co-hosts,” Kendra called out over her shoulder.
“How did she hear us?” Claire mouthed to Massie.
“What a cute idea,” Judi chimed in.
Massie touched Claire's arm lightly as if to say, “Stand back and let me deal with this one.”
“Mom, that's a great idea if only we thought of it a few days ago,” Massie said. “It's just that I already have a costume commitment with Alicia, Dylan, and Kristen. Oh, and Claire
really
wants to be a Powerpuff Girl, so maybe next year.”
“Oh, come on. You could go as the PARTYpuff Girls,” Judi said.
Claire rolled her eyes. She thought she'd die of embarrassment.
“Uh, that's okay,” Massie said. “Things are fine the way they are.”
“Claire, wouldn't you rather be a Dirty Devil with Massie and her friends?” Kendra asked.
“Uh, yeah, I guess, but—”
“You were a Powerpuff Girl last year,” Judi said.
“I know, but—”
Claire could feel Massie glaring at her.
“Then it's settled.” Kendra pulled something invisible from her long eyelashes. “You'll both be Dirty Devils.”
Claire's stomach dropped like she was going down a steep roller coaster.
“Uh, okay,” she said.
Todd looked at Massie and giggled. He quickly brought his icing-covered hand to his mouth.
“Sorry,” Claire muttered under her breath.
But Massie turned her head away and tugged on her Armani tie belt.
Claire stepped into her line of sight and tried to apologize again, but Massie crossed her arms and said nothing.
Claire had the chilling suspicion that Massie would start acting like a devil a few days earlier than planned.
1:38
PM
October 25th
Massie couldn't believe she was standing in The Limited. The store's cheap knockoffs had always been an endless source of jokes among her friends. Alicia called their fake wannabe Prada bags Fraudas, and Dylan referred to their tweed page boy caps as “craps.” But at that moment, Massie would have given anything for one of their shiny BO-inducing polyester sweaters like the one Claire was trying on.
Massie grabbed a pair of red fishnet hose off the rack near the cash register. The Dirty Devil costume originally called for bare legs, but she was drawn to the “bad girl” quality of the fishnets. Or was she? She put them back on the rack and decided to stick to the original plan.
But maybe the fishnets are better
. She picked them up again. But instead of looking at the tights, she focused on Claire, who ran from rack to rack, deciding what to buy next.
“Claire,” Massie snapped. She stuffed the hose back on the rack. “It's hard for me to concentrate on our costumes with you bolting all over the store, trying to buy tacky sweaters.”
“Sorry,” Claire said. “There's nothing I like here anyway.” She tiptoed away from Massie, the excitement on her face fading.
Massie walked aimlessly around the store, touching fabrics and forcing herself to walk past the colorful stacks of camisoles and cardigans. She was about to cave and try on the only thing with cute potential in the entire store (a navy-and-pink fuzzy scarf) when she received the text message she had been waiting for.
KRISTEN:
? R U?
MASSIE:
THE LIMITED. HELP!
KRISTEN:
STAY CALM. WE'RE COMING.
MASSIE:
ACT NATCH.
KRISTEN:
GIVEN.
Seconds later Kristen, Alicia, and Dylan appeared in The Limited.
“Oh my God, is that Massie?” Alicia shouted across the store.
Massie tossed her last gummy worm in the round clothes rack as soon as she heard them.
“I—I think it is,” Dylan said. “Hey, Mass. What on earth are you
doing
here?”
Dylan waved frantically from the other side of the store.
“Now, isn't that a coincidence,” Kendra said to Massie. “You must be so surprised.”
“I am.” Massie put her hand on her heart for effect and went to greet her friends.
Their arms were full of shiny, tissue-stuffed shopping bags from Versace Jeans, Sephora, and BCBG.
“You didn't see Becca or anyone while you were shopping without me, did you?” Massie whispered.
They shook their heads.
“Good,” Massie said quietly.
“What are you guys doing here?” Massie's voice was now loud and clear.
“You mean us?” Dylan shouted. “Oh, we had this day planned for months.”
Massie shot her a look. “You call that acting? You did a better job playing a flying monkey in
The Wizard of Oz
when we were seven.”
“I told you to be subtle,” Kristen said. “You were waving like you were about to set sail on the
Titanic
.”
Massie could feel her mother's eyes burning a hole in her back.
“Go to the dressing rooms and I'll sneak in as soon as I can,” Massie said.
“Cute tie belt thing, by the way,” Alicia said.
“Thanks,” Massie said. She meant it. That compliment had been the only good part of her day.
She watched her friends as they tried to squeeze their bags past the mannequins and displays on their way to the back of the store.
“Massie,” Kendra said quickly. She said it the same way she said “Bean” when the dog picked through the trash.
“Uh-huh?” Massie smiled innocently but kept her distance.
Kendra signaled for her to come closer.
“I have the feeling that you and Claire aren't getting along as well as you were the other night,” she said. “Is everything okay?”
“Of course. Why?”
“Well, I thought you two wanted to spend the day together, and now I see your friends are here.” Kendra checked to make sure they were alone by the hair accessories display.
“The truth is, dear,” she said softly, “Judi is concerned. She doesn't think Claire has hit her social stride yet and really wants you both to get along.”
“Everything is
fine
,” Massie said. “Don't worry, okay?” She started to back away, but her mother grabbed her thin wrist and stopped her.
“I hope so, because Judi and Claire are two of the sweetest people I know, and I would hate to see them upset.”
“Mom, everything is—”
“She would be devastated if she thought you were lying about your friendship with Claire just to get permission for your party. It would also mean calling the whole thing off, and I know how much everyone in your grade has been looking forward to it.”
