The Clique Read online

  Copyright © 2004 by 17th Street Productions, an Alloy company

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  Little, Brown and Company

  Hachette Book Group USA

  237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017

  Visit our Web site at HachetteBookGroupUSA.com

  First eBook Edition: July 2008

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  ISBN: 978-0-316-04169-0

  Contents

  The A-List

  The Block Estate The Kitchen

  The Block Estate Top Of The Stairs

  The Block Estate Massie’s Bedroom

  The Block Estate The Driveway

  The Block Estate Massie’s Bedroom

  The Guesthouse Claire’s Bedroom

  The Guesthouse Kitchen

  The Range Rover First-Class Section

  The Range Rover Octavian Country Day School

  Octavian Country Day School The Starbucks Kiosk

  Octavian Country Day School Art Class

  Octavian Countryday School The Café

  Octavian Country Day School The Café

  Briarwood Academy Hidden In The Bushes

  Octavian Country Day School First-Floor Bathroom

  The Guesthouse The Living Room

  The Block Estate Main House

  The Block Estate The Kitchen Pantry

  The Block Estate Cabana #3

  The Guesthouse Claire’s Bedroom

  The Block Estate Outside The Main House

  The Block Estate Massie’s Bedroom

  Tranquility Nail Salon After School

  The Guesthouse The Kitchen

  Galwaugh Farms Shady Lanes

  The Block Estate The Pool

  The Guesthouse Claire’s Bedroom

  The Range Rover The Block Estate Driveway

  The Guesthouse Claire’s Bedroom

  The Block Estate Massie’s Bedroom

  The Block Estate Massie’s Bedroom

  Octavian Country Day School The Locker Room

  Walnut Road

  The Rivera Estate The Kitchen

  The Guesthouse Jay & Judi’S Bedroom

  The Range Rover First-Class Section

  The Jaguar Backseat

  Octavian Country Day School The Steps

  The Block Estate The Backyard

  The Block Estate Massie’s Bedroom

  If you have to ask, you’ll never be on …

  THE A-LIST

  Be sure to read all the novels in the New York Times bestselling A-LIST series

  THE A-LIST

  GIRLS ON FILM

  BLONDE AMBITION

  TALL COOL ONE

  BACK IN BLACK

  SOME LIKE IT HOT

  AMERICAN BEAUTY

  HEART OF GLASS

  And keep your eye out for BEAUTIFUL STRANGER, coming September 2007.

  HOW FAR WILL ONE GIRL GO TO BECOME …

  the it girl

  Be sure to read all the novels in the New York Times bestselling it girl series

  the it girl

  notorious

  reckless

  unforgettable

  And keep your eye out for Lucky, coming November 2007.

  To Ken Gottlieb, Shaila Gottlieb, and Kevin Harrison for always being there with the right words when I get stuck.

  CLIQUE novels by Lisi Harrison:

  THE CLIQUE

  BEST FRIENDS FOR NEVER

  REVENGE OF THE WANNABES

  INVASION OF THE BOY SNATCHERS

  THE PRETTY COMMITTEE STRIKES BACK

  DIAL L FOR LOSER

  IT’S NOT EASY BEING MEAN

  And keep your eye out for

  SEALED WITH A DISS, coming August 2007

  If you like THE CLIQUE, you may also enjoy:

  Bass Ackwards and Belly Up by Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain

  Secrets of My Hollywood Life by Jen Calonita

  Haters by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez

  and keep your eye out for

  Betwixt by Tara Bray Smith, coming October 2007

  THE BLOCK ESTATE THE KITCHEN

  10:49 P.M. August 31st

  “Massie, wipe that confused look off your face,” Massie’s mom, Kendra, said. “It’s really very simple—you’re not going.”

  Massie Block flicked the tiny bell that dangled from her gold charm bracelet over and over again. The hollow pings were the only sounds she could make, unless of course she wanted to be accused of “interrupting” by her annoyingly polite mother, which she didn’t. She just wanted to win the argument they were having.

  “But I have plans and it would be rude if I broke them,” Massie said. “Right? I mean, haven’t you always told me to ‘honor my engagements’?” She made air quotes just to remind her mother that the rule was hers in the first place.

  Massie looked to her father, William, for backup, but he just sipped his tea and continued reading the latest copy of Westchester magazine.

  “I told you about this weeks ago,” Kendra said. She spoke very slowly and enunciated every word, in much the same way she talked to Inez, their live-in housekeeper. “Your father has been good friends with Mr. Lyons since college. They are moving to Westchester all the way from Florida so that Mr. Lyons can work for him. And while they are looking for a home of their own, they will be living in our guesthouse. And as our daughter it is important that you’re here to greet them when they arrive.”

  “Why?” Massie narrowed her eyes. “They’re Dad’s free-loading friends, not mine.”

  Kendra shot her husband a desperate look across the table. William stayed focused on the magazine.

  “Well, they’ll be your friends soon enough.” Kendra said. “Claire is starting the seventh grade on Tuesday too, so you should have plenty to talk about.”

  “What? Like math?” Massie snapped.

  “You can always invite her to join in on your plans,” Kendra suggested. “Then you won’t miss out on anything.”

  “Impossible.” Massie shook her head. “We’ve had these appointments for weeks. We can’t just call up the spa and add another person at the last minute.” Massie looked away. “Not that we’d want to,” she said under her breath.

  “Then it’s settled,” Kendra said. “Inez will have brunch on the dining room table tomorrow at 1:15 P.M. Don’t be late.”

  Massie turned and stomped out of the kitchen. Her black pug, Bean, scurried across the floor, trying to keep up without getting too close to Massie’s deadly three-inch mules. When they got to the staircase, Massie leaned down and scooped up the puppy with one hand.

  Normally she took her heels off before climbing the steps because of the “delicate high-gloss finish on the wood.” But considering the circumstances, she chose to leave them on. Every floor-scuffing step would pay her mother back for destroying the Labor Day plans she had with her three best friends.

  When she got to the second floor, Massie kicked off her shoes and padded across the plush carpet straight into her bedroom. And slammed the door behind her.

  “Don’t slam!” came Kendra’s voice over the intercom. Massie looked at the white speaker by the bed and rolled her eyes.

  Everything in her room was white: the leather chaise by the bay window, the sheepskin rug, the painted brick walls, the dozen fresh tulips, and her flat-screen Mac. Her friends called it the iPad. She’d designed it that way after she stayed in the presidential suite at the Mondrian in Los Angeles.
The only color in the enormous hotel room had come from the decorative green apple in the middle of the white marble coffee table. She loved how crisp and orderly everything looked.

  But just the other day she’d read in a British gossip magazine that purple was the official color of royalty, which explained the brand new mauve Calvin sheets on her bed. She’d been hoping to buy more in the “queen’s color” during her Labor Day shopping spree, but that was no longer an option.

  Massie lifted her dog in the air so their eyes could meet. “Bean, tell me this isn’t happening.”

  Bean blinked.

  “Missing out on tomorrow could stunt my social growth for the rest of the year,” Massie said.

  Bean licked Massie’s thin wrist. She loved the taste of Chanel No. 19.

  “Everyone will have a fresh batch of inside jokes I won’t even get. I’ll have to smile like a good sport while everyone laughs and says, ‘Oh, you just had to be there.’” Massie shook her head vigorously as if her mind was an Etch A Sketch that could erase thoughts she didn’t like.

  “And you know Dylan will buy the YSL lip markers I put a ‘yes’ sticker on in Lucky,” she said. “And you wanna know why this is happening?” Massie continued. She didn’t wait for Bean’s reaction. “So I can meet some girl from Orlando who’s going to be living here for a year. I mean, what’s the urgency? She’s not going anywhere.” Massie paused and searched her brain for a reasonable explanation. “Unless of course she has a life-threatening illness.”

  Bean yelped.

  “And if she does …” Massie let out a heavy sigh. “Why should I get attached?”

  Massie ripped up the itinerary she made for her friends that detailed everything she had planned for their day of beauty. She stood above her trash can and let the scraps of paper fall through her fingers like snowflakes. She could see that words like spray tan, eyebrow wax, aroma (therapy had been torn away), and Bergdorf’s were still intact.

  Massie collapsed on her bed and stretched her arm toward her night table. She grabbed her cell and hit “1” on her speed dial. The girl on the other end picked up after the first ring.

  “Heyyy,” Alicia said

  “Hold on, I’ll get Dylan,” Massie said.

  “’Kay.”

  Massie punched in “2” and pressed Send.

  “Dyl?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Hold on, I’ll get Kristen.”

  Massie pressed “3.”

  “Hey, Mass,” Kristen said.

  “Hey, Alicia and Dylan are here too,” Massie said.

  “What’s up?” Kristen asked. She sounded nervous, like she was about to get blamed for something she didn’t do.

  “I can’t go with you guys tomorrow,” Massie blurted.

  “Yeah, right.” Dylan snorted.

  “No, I’m serious. You’re not going to believe this, but I have to—” Massie paused and reconsidered her next words. “I have the flu.” Which came out sounding like, “I hab da flu.”

  “Gawd, you sound awful,” Kristen said.

  “Yeah, maybe we shouldn’t go,” Dylan offered. “We can come over and take care of you instead.”

  “What? Not go?” Alicia snapped. “I mean, Massie, what exactly is wrong with you? Maybe we can help.”

  “Feber. Headache. Stuffed up doze, you doh, duh usual.” Massie added a sniff and an “uuugggghhh” for effect.

  “Dylan’s right. We’ll bail,” Kristen said. “It won’t be the same without you. Who’s going to squeeze my hand when I get my eyebrows waxed?”

  “And who’s going to tell me if I look fat when I try stuff on?” Dylan asked.

  “The mirror,” Alicia said.

  Kristen let out her famous raspy, phlegm-filled cackle.

  “Massie, please don’t leave me alone with them,” Dylan joked.

  Massie smiled with relief. They wanted her with them. They needed her with them. And that, as always, was all that mattered. But she also knew how quickly they could change their minds.

  “You all go. But I want to hear every detail of what happened.” Massie momentarily forgot her sick voice. “Every single one.”

  THE BLOCK ESTATE TOP OF THE STAIRS

  1:10 P.M. September 1st

  Unfortunately, the Lyons family arrived right on time. When the doorbell rang, Massie crouched below the banister on the second floor and watched. Her parents were gathered around the Blocks’ daughter, Claire.

  “Claire! What a knockout you’ve become,” William Block said. He turned to his wife. “Kendra, who does she look like?”

  Massie leaned forward to sneak a closer look, but they had already started walking toward the dining room.

  “Gwyneth Paltrow!” Kendra announced. Massie thought her mother sounded like an overly excited contestant on a game show.

  “Where’s your gorgeous daughter?” a man’s voice asked. Massie assumed it was Mr. Lyons.

  “Good question,” Massie’s mom said.

  Massie stood up and tiptoed into her bathroom for one last look at her “first-impression” outfit. She had no intention of becoming friends with Claire but still thought it important to let the girl know what she’d be missing. Massie checked the back of her satin cargo pants for panty lines and examined her white Hermés scarf (worn as a belt, of course) to make sure the knot was sitting flat against her hips. Her white cashmere tank top was free of dog hair and her amber eyes looked bright. No one would ever know she had cried herself to sleep the night before.

  “Massie, the Lyonses are here,” her mom broadcasted over the intercom.

  “’Kay.” Massie said into the speaker. She slicked a coat of clear gloss on her mouth, gave her hair a final flip, and made her way toward the dining room.

  “There she is!” Judi Lyons had such a big smile, the tops of her chubby cheeks almost touched her eyes.

  “Massie!” Jay Lyons reached his arms out to hug her. Massie looked back at him blankly.

  “Hey,” Massie said. She lifted her right hand and swiveled it from side to side, just like a queen.

  William walked around the long oak table and put his arm around his daughter.

  “Massie, Jay is my oldest friend,” William said.

  “Wait a minute, let’s not bring age into this,” Jay joked.

  Everyone burst out laughing except Massie, who glanced at Claire and then quickly looked away. Despite the speedy once-over, Massie managed to detect a pair of overalls, white Keds, and straight blond hair with bangs. She looked like one of the cast members on Barney and Friends.

  And then she looked to Claire’s right and saw Todd, Claire’s ten-year old brother, sticking his pudgy fingers in Bean’s ears.

  “That’s my dog, not a baseball glove,” Massie barked.

  “Todd, leave the dog’s ears alone.” Jay grinned.

  “Sorry about my brother,” Claire said in a kind voice. “I’m Claire, the normal one in the family.” She extended her hand for a shake. Massie met it with a grip so tight Claire giggled uncomfortably and contorted her body in an effort to get loose.

  Claire’s arm was covered in a stack of bracelets, obviously homemade. Some were made out of colored beads and others of braided string.

  “You okay?” Massie asked. She raised her eyebrows and tipped her head to the side, like she had no idea why Claire was so jumpy.

  Kendra clapped once. “All right. Well, why don’t we all sit down?” she said. “Jay and Judi can sit over there on William’s left.” Kendra pointed. Massie noticed that her mother’s diamond rings were turned around, which Massie knew meant that the Lyonses didn’t have a lot of money. Kendra always did that when she didn’t want the “less fortunate” to feel uncomfortable.

  “Massie, why don’t you sit over there next to Claire,” Kendra said.

  Massie sat down without making eye contact. She had an idea or two of her own about where her mother should sit.

  Once the food was served and everyone was distracted, Massie took out her cell phone
and held it under the table. She kept her head up while her thumbs typed a text message.

  MASSIE: U THERE?

  ALICIA: YEAH

  MASSIE: ??? R U DOING?

  ALICIA: K IS CRYING.

  WON’T LET SVETLANA WAX HER OTHER BROW

  MASSIE: WANT ME 2 TALK 2 HER?

  Massie moved a stuffed mushroom cap around her plate with her fork while she waited for Alicia to answer.

  ALICIA: G2G. FEEL BETTER

  Massie’s heart started beating quickly. She could picture everyone in Svetlana’s tiny waxing room standing around Kristen, laughing hysterically and trying to convince her not to walk out with uneven eyebrows.

  Inside joke number one.

  Massie decided to send a text message to Kristen anyway. She wanted to be the one to convince her to endure the pain so Svetlana could finish the job.

  MASSIE: STAY STRONG. PAIN IS BEAUTY

  She glanced down for a spilt second to make sure she got the smiley icon in the right place before she hit Send.

  “Massie, no phones at the table,” Kendra said.

  “Sorry,” Massie lied.

  “Why don’t you take Claire upstairs and show her your room?” Kendra suggested.

  “’Kay.” Massie glanced down at her cell phone, but Kristen was clearly too busy to type a response. Massie sighed and bit her lip.

  THE BLOCK ESTATE MASSIE’S BEDROOM

  2:25 P.M. September 1st

  “I heard West Chester is like the Beverly Hills of New York,” Claire said. She stood in front of the bay window in Massie’s bedroom and looked down on the tennis courts, the swimming pool, and the stone guesthouse. She was working hard to sound relaxed, but really, Claire had never been in a private house this big before.

  “What’s West Chester?” Massie asked. She sounded utterly confused. “Oh, wait, do you mean Westchester?”

  “Yeah, isn’t that what I said?” Claire turned away from the window and looked back at Massie. She twisted and turned the bracelets on her arm.

  “I can’t believe you made those in kindergarten and they still fit you,” Massie said. “You must have super-tiny wrists.”

  “I didn’t make these in kindergarten.” Claire’s voice was kind and understanding because she didn’t want Massie to feel stupid for making such a ridiculous assumption. “My best friends made these for me when I left Florida.” She looked proud. “They also gave me this so I could send pictures of my new school.” Claire pulled a tiny silver camera out of the chest pocket on her overalls. “And my new friends,” Claire continued. She aimed the lens at Massie and snapped a picture. Massie moved. Claire checked the shot to see if she would have to take it again.