Birthday Vicious (21 page)

On the one hand, Ashley had lied to her, so the whole time A. A. was annoyed with Tri, it was really unfair.

On the other hand, if Tri was such a pushover, giving in to Ashley's outrageous demands even though he knew it would hurt A. A.'s feelings, what kind of guy was
he
?

He must have seen how upset she was, how embarrassed she was when he never called her after they'd kissed. He did nothing, and then waited all this time to set the record straight. Was that what she wanted in a boyfriend—someone so indecisive and weak? Maybe they
were
better off just as friends.

“I don't know,” A. A. told him, and that was the truth. She didn't know what to think or what to do.

She didn't know anything anymore.

ASHLEY STARED, BLINKED, AND THEN
stared again. Was this really her cake? This giant squashed ball that looked like it had been picked up by a tornado, dumped somewhere in Kansas, scooped up by a digger, and then bounced cross-country back to her dining-room table?

Was that really supposed to be her, in miniature, cut in half and waving forlornly from the top of the ball, looking as though she was being swallowed alive by a giant half-sucked piece of candy? And what were those gold strings hanging everywhere—ropes or boogers?

“Sweetie, I don't know what happened,” her mother was saying, one arm around Ashley's trembling shoulders.
“I'm so sorry. We'll get you another cake next week, twice as big! We'll have it sent to Miss Gamble's, so all the girls can have a slice. We'll get a cake so big it'll be included in the next
Guinness World Records
!”

“It's okay, Mom,” Ashley said. “I think I know what to do.”

Lili had prepared her for the cake catastrophe, but Ashley had no idea it was this bad. She made up her mind quickly and walked over to the other side of the house, where the gaggle of ghouls were still laughing over their heinous breach of etiquette. Lili was right—they were a bunch of rebels without a clue. At least they had the decency to stop when they saw Ashley headed their way.

“Lili told me about the accident,” Ashley said, a tense smile on her face. “But don't worry about it. I just want to make sure you guys have a good time.”

They looked surprised at her reaction, and then one of the girls—the one with the unfortunate nose-pierce—piped up, “Yeah, this sucks. Is there anything else to eat around here?”

“Yeah, I'm hungry,” one of the guys agreed.

“Of course,” Ashley replied smoothly. “William,” she said, calling on her butler. “Can you make sure
these guests get more cake? You know, the one that was specially made?”

William raised his eyebrows, but he didn't protest. “Right this way.”

Ashley watched them follow the butler and then dig into plates of the “special” cake with a smile. Revenge is sweet.

What the horrid hangers-on didn't know was that the cake was special, all right. It was made especially for Princess Dahlia von Fluffsterhaus. They were eating dog food.

*  *  *

But Ashley didn't wallow in her victory for long. Something much more tragic was happening—the fact that she was about to turn thirteen at midnight and she was still NBK!

If only Cooper had come. Nobody else here counted. Well, that wasn't totally true—the other Ashleys counted. Of course they did. And her parents counted. They'd done everything they could to make her party a dream come true.

“And I'm really sorry I've been so distracted lately,” said her mother, when Ashley had returned from her revenge errand. Matilda kissed the top of Ashley's head.
“This new baby has been quite a shock for me and your father. For you, too, I know. And you've been such a little trooper!”

“I know,” Ashley sniffed again. She really had been a trooper. Because her mother had been so out of it, all the responsibility for the party had fallen on Ashley's shoulders.

If it weren't for her dedication, everyone here tonight would be sitting at home feeling miserable and deprived, as though their lives were without meaning. Ashley had brought them so much happiness. And all she got in return was a no-show sort-of boyfriend and a trashed cake! Life was tragic, she supposed. Better get used to it now, before she was old and gray, i.e., twenty.

“Here are my girls!” Her dad rushed into the room, looking handsome in his sharp, well-cut suit, even if the only tie he could find read:
ELVIS COSTELLO US TOUR '84
.

He gathered up Ashley in his arms and squeezed her tight, crushing her. “Tildy, I think we should give Ashley her gift now, and not wait until later. To make up for this terrible cake fiasco.”

“Yes!” Matilda's blue eyes widened, and she clasped Ashley's hands. “What a lovely idea! Are you ready, darling?”

“I guess.” Ashley sighed, allowing herself to be led out of the dining room, through the lobby, and out the mansion's grand double doors. A crowd had already gathered on either side of the driveway, all cheering and clapping. But no Cooper. Why hadn't he come?

The gates swung open, and William—still in his lion suit—waved at her with a giant, furry paw. Then, to the oohs and aahs of the crowd, in roared a tiger-striped Vespa, driven by a guy in a black helmet.

Just what Ashley had wanted! She clapped her hands together and jumped up and down on the spot. Even though it wasn't the biggest surprise in the world, and even though she wasn't wearing her tight calfskin leather Vespa outfit as planned, she was happy. She hugged her father and gave her mother a big kiss.

“Here you are, darling.” Matilda handed her the golden Vespa helmet that the Ashleys had given her as a prebirthday gift.

“Yay, Ashley!” cried Lili and Lauren in unison. They were both standing on the steps farther down, smiling proudly. Ashley waved to them and blew kisses, wondering why A. A. wasn't with them.

“But before you put it on,” suggested her father, “maybe you want to get your other gift from the driver?”

Ashley scampered down the stairs, the Vespa helmet swinging from one arm. What was this other gift? A ticket to Rome, maybe? A bracelet with thirteen diamonds? A platinum Neiman Marcus card?

“Hello,” she sang, beaming her widest smile at the Vespa driver. “I've come to ask for my other gift. What is it?”

The driver, dressed all in black, slowly pulled off his helmet. Ashley gasped.

It was Cooper!

But how? She looked over at her mom. “Did you have something to do with this?”

“Maybe.” Matilda smiled. “Let's just say maybe some young gentleman came over the other day to RSVP personally for your party. He said it was important that you know he was going to be there.”

Her mom was
sooo
cool. Ashley almost forgave her for having another child.

She turned to Cooper, who suddenly looked shy.

“Happy birthday, Ashley,” he said, and leaned toward her. He was so handsome, she almost forgot to close her eyes. Her first kiss! It was even better than she'd hoped. It didn't even matter that there were a hundred people watching, or that the pesky Guinevere Parker was
taking a digital picture, probably from an unflattering angle, to stick in the Miss Gamble's newspaper.

Cooper was here, helping her onto the Vespa, telling her to buckle on her helmet and hold on tight. She wrapped her arms around his waist and smiled to herself as he turned the scooter around and drove down the driveway, off into the night.

“BYE, ASHLEY!” LAUREN STOOD ON
the steps, waving, as the Vespa purred through the gates and into the street. It was kind of silly, waving good-bye to Ashley like this, when all she was going to do was turn around in five minutes and come straight back to the party. Cooper didn't look old enough to go anywhere but the end of the driveway. And anyway, the band still had another set to play. There was going to be a juggling contest at ten, and an acrobatics display at midnight. Ashley still had another two outfits to model.

Lili was instantly dragged off by her father to get her coat and say her farewells to the Spencers. Christian, who'd been standing behind them during the Vespa-giving
ceremony, had loped off to get them ice-cream cones, so Lauren sat down on the broad stone steps to wait for him, hoping her shoeless feet weren't getting too dirty.

Not that Christian would care about something like that. She was so happy they were back together. She didn't even really mind the way Sadie had moved in on Alex right away. What did it matter, right? As long as Alex was happy, and Christian was happy, and she was happy, and Sadie was . . .

Hang on. Wasn't that Sadie sitting two steps away? And who was that guy she was leaning all over, giggling in a high-pitched, affected way that Lauren had never heard before?

It certainly wasn't Alex.

Lauren clambered to her feet and marched straight over.

“Sadie?” She looked from the blond bombshell to the beefy jock lolling next to her on the stairs. This was most definitely
not
Alex. “And sorry, your name is?”

“Todd,” slurred the guy, winking at her. OMG! He had his hand on Sadie's knee!

“Would you excuse us for a second, Todd?” Lauren faked a smile and grabbed one of Sadie's perfectly manicured hands.

“Hey!” she protested, but Lauren continued to tug her first to her feet and then down the stairs. The gravel of the pathway dug into Lauren's bare feet, but it was too bad. She had some important business to deal with.

“What happened to Alex?” she hissed. Sadie pouted and rolled her eyes.

“He kept talking about you all the time,” she whined. “I think he just wanted to come with me tonight to make you jealous. I don't really care. I dumped him five minutes ago, and it's no biggie—I already found another guy. Isn't Todd a doll?”

She looked back over her shoulder and made smoochy sounds in Todd's direction. Yuck!

“Who is he, anyway?” asked Lauren, almost grossed out by her behavior.

“He was here with that ho.” Sadie pointed at a girl huddled by a potted bay tree, who looked like she was about to cry. “But I stole him right from under her nose. Pretty clever, huh?”

Lauren shook her head in despair.

“That's just mean,” she said, frowning at Sadie's triumphant grin. “I don't get you. One minute you like Alex, and the next you're all over some other guy? Some other girl's boyfriend?”

“Don't be such a prude,” Sadie snapped. She looked down her long, thin nose at Lauren, as though Lauren wasn't good enough to polish her Valentinos. “You said it yourself, earlier tonight. I look
amazing
. I
am
amazing. You're right. I shouldn't care what people think about me. And now I don't have to. Not when I look like this. It's all about
me
now!”

Lauren didn't know what to say. Sadie might look beautiful, but the way she was acting was plain ugly.

Lauren had groomed her to infiltrate the Ashleys, but she'd gone too far. Now Sadie was even worse than the Ashleys—mean, self-centered, fickle, and disloyal. Lauren's brilliant plan was a disaster, as spoiled as Ashley's birthday cake.

She'd created a monster.

Dear Diary,

All's well that ends well. At least between Christian and me. I like him so much, my head hurts thinking of what I put us through. He's so sweet and funny. I'm so glad it's just the two of us now. And Alex will be okay—at Ashley's party I saw him talking to some girl from Helena Academy who wasn't at all unattractive.

I'm a bit worried about the Sadie situation, however. On Monday she showed up at school looking tr
è
s glam, even wearing knee-high boots with the uniform! You should have seen Ashley's face. She'd never thought of that. Then the very next day, Sheridan Riley, the girl who used to worship the Ashleys, turned up in the same exact pair of knee-high boots! So now Sadie and Sheridan are running around calling themselves “The S. Society.” Looks like they mean to give the Ashleys a run for their money.

Things should get pretty interesting around here. . . .

Warily,

Lauren Page

JOURNAL.DOC

I've tried everything to get ahold of Max, but even though I'm off my electronic probation now, he won't take any of my calls, texts, or IMs. I can't believe he would listen to those Slytherin sluts over his girlfriend. There has to be something I can do!

You can't just break up with someone over a little misunderstanding, right? Over a silly thing like a camping trip? So what if I don't like to go camping and Max does? We have other things in common, don't we? Don't we? Why can't I think of anything?

For now, I'll just go log on his band's YourTV page again. He looks so cute in the video for their song “Uptight Girl.” I wonder who inspired it?

Yours in mystification,

Lili

MEMO: FILE: DIARY: ALIOTO, ASHLEY

DON'T KNOW IF WHAT TRI SAID IS TRUE. IT'S BEEN BUGGIN ME. RIGHT NOW ASHLEY IS STILL MY BFF. TRI N ME R BACK 2 BEING BFFS.

ALL IS BACK TO NORMAL. :)

MAY-B I SHOULD ASK ASHLEY ABT WHAT TRI TOLD ME?

I can't believe we still have to keep this stupid journal. Let's see. What is there to report? I have the most amazing boyfriend in the world. I couldn't ask for a better birthday gift. Or a better birthday.

Okay, so maybe after the party was over there was so much trash and glitter and debris all over the house that it looked like New Orleans after Mardi Gras and we had to spend the weekend at the Four Seasons just to get away from it all. It was still worth it, even if the tigers totally tore up the lawn and none of the staff who were shot out of the cannons will ever get their hearing back (which is why I'm so glad I found this dictation service).