The Pretty Committee Strikes Back

by Lisi Harrison

  “When exactly did this happen?” Dylan asked. “Was it at the OCD Tree-lighting Ceremony?”

  “No, I bet it was after the tree-trimming gala,” Alicia jumped in. “There was tons of mistletoe around.”

  Massie looked at Claire and then at the sheepskin rug below her feet. She hadn't prepared for these questions.

  “I'd rather hear about the kisses, not the parties.” Claire came to her rescue.

  “Me too,” Alexandra agreed.

  Massie looked at Claire and thanked her with a soft half-smile. Claire gently closed her eyelids to say, “You're welcome.”

  “Did you go straight to tongue, or did you stay closed for a while?” Livvy asked.

  “We went straight for the tongue,” Massie said. “Thank Gawd he knew not to poke or dart, or I would have dumped him on the spot.”

  “How did you know?” Livvy asked.

  “I have been studying the art of kissing forever,” Massie said. “I've picked up some pointers from Passions and One Life to Live.”

  “Likewhat?” Carrie asked.

  “Like always tilt your head right.”

  “But what if you both go right?” Olivia was confused. “Won't you bump noses?”

  “No, Oh-livia.” Massie rolled her eyes. “His right and your right are opposite if you're facing each other.”

  “Right, but what if you're not?” Olivia looked at the others with a cocky grin, like she had just found a big, gaping hole in Massie's theory.

  Massie paused while the others laughed at Olivia's stupidity. Eventually Olivia laughed with them, but it was obvious from the flat expression behind her eyes that she had no idea why.

  The drops of water started coming down a little faster now, and the girls were getting distracted. They'd have to pat their heads dry before their hair frizzed and their mascara ran.

  “What'sgoingon?” Carrie asked.

  “It's getting hot in herrrrrre,” Alexandra sang.

  Suddenly everyone broke into Nelly's old hit.

  “Shhhh,” Massie hissed. “We'll get busted.”

  “Ehmagawd.” Alicia lifted her gray cashmere Ralph Lauren coat over her head. “It's pouring on me.”

  A steady stream of water was falling on Alicia's head.

  “Turn off the heaters,” Dylan yelled. “They're melting the igloo.”

  “And blow out the candles,” Claire added.

  Streams of water were pouring down all around them.

  “Ehmagawd,” Massie shouted. “Abort, abort!” She blew out her candles. “Everyone grab a beanbag and a rug and get out!”

  “What about Doose?” Claire joked once they were all outside.

  “Women and children first,” Massie said.

  “That lesson was killer.” Alexandra shook the water off the top of her head.

  “Itreallywas,” Carrie agreed.

  “I still want to know when you got all of this experience,” Dylan said.

  “Given,” Alicia said.

  At this point, Massie didn't care what they wanted. She had given them their twenty dollars' worth and was back on top. Her work here was done.

  “Oh no,” Livvy squealed once they were safely outside. “There are boys over there. Do you think they heard us?”

  In the distance Kemp, Plovert, Cam, Josh, and Derrington were playing Hacky Sack with an ice ball under the porch light in front of the dining pavilion.

  “No way, they're too far. Look.” Dylan cupped her hands around her mouth and softly said, “Hey, boys!”

  They all stopped and turned to face her.

  “I guess sound really travels out here in the wild.” She shrugged.

  “What if they heard?” Alexandra said.

  “Impossible, we were inside,” Massie said. “Now let's get away from the igloo before Mr. Myner catches us. If he knows we melted it, he'll—”

  “Hey, Block,” Derrington shouted. “How about that kiss now?” The boys laughed. “Look.” He pointed to the sky. “It's dark out.”

  Massie felt the heat of everyone's stare on her cold cheeks.

  “It's not classy to do it in public,” Massie shouted.

  “Always an excuse.” Derrington turned his back on her.

  “Hey, that's not cool,” Alexandra shouted. “She didn't give you an excuse at the holiday parties.”

  He turned back to face them.

  “And she went straight to tongue,” Livvy added. “You skipped right over the close-lip stage, so what are you complaining about?”

  Massie appreciated the MUCK girls coming to her rescue but they needed to stop. Now.

  “What are you talking about?” Derrington started walking toward them.

  “Come on,” Massie said to her friends. “Let's go. The last thing you girls need is to be sucked into one of our lovers' quarrels.” She pulled Livvy's arm and started walking toward her cabin. Her heart was pounding and her mouth went dry. Massie suddenly felt disconnected from her body, like she was watching herself from above.

  “Massie, what are they talking about?” Derrington insisted. “Have you been kissing someone else?'

  Massie cringed when she heard Derrington call her by her first name. He must have been really pissed. “Keep walking,” she told the girls.

  “I swear, if you've been making out with some other guy while I've been waiting, I'll—” Derrington continued.

  The girls stopped. “Let's go,” Massie insisted.

  “Whatdoeshemeanwaiting?” Carrie asked.

  Derrington was standing beside them now. Clouds of steam shot out of his mouth as he fought to catch his breath.

  “I want to know who you've been tongue-kissing.” Derrington looked deep into Massie's eyes.

  “Just you.” Massie's voice quivered.

  “Me?” Derrington lifted his eyebrows. “Ha!”

  Massie's throat got even drier as she felt the tears gathering behind her eyes.

  “You mean you two have never kissed?” Alicia said. “At all?”

  “She won't even let me give her a peck on the cheek-” Derrington unpinned Massie's rhinestone M brooch from the bottom of his shorts and threw it in the dirt. He lifted his Timberland and crushed the M into the cold, hard ground, then turned away and stormed off.

  Massie bent down to rescue her pin. She hoped a brilliant explanation for all of this would come to her before she straightened up again. But it didn't.

  “I want my money back,” Carrie whined. It was the first time Massie actually understood what she was saying.

  “You are more fake than those designer handbags on Canal Street,” Alexandra said.

  “I love those bags,” Olivia piped up. “They really look real, don't they?”

  Alexandra glared at her.

  “I am not fake,” Massie responded deliberately. “He's lying because he's upset.”

  “Puh-lease,” Livvy scoffed.

  She turned and walked away. Carrie, Alexandra, and Olivia followed.

  Dylan, Alicia, and Claire stayed behind. They stared at Massie while the others marched off in a huff. Despite the crisp night air, Massie's armpits were sweating. She was beyond humiliated and fought the desperate urge to drop to her knees and beg for forgiveness. At this point she didn't care if they revoked her alpha status forever, as long as they didn't give up on her completely.

  “I know what you're thinking, and I can totally explain.” Massie knew the only way she'd ever win them back was by telling the truth. But could she really admit that she felt threatened by Nina? Or that she'd been scared to kiss Derrington? Or that the thought of not being on top was more terrifying to her than pretending to be something she wasn't?

  Dylan and Alicia glared at her. They shook their heads like disappointed parents and slowly walked toward her. Claire inched forward with them but looked more strained than angry, like she was holding in a poo.

  Massie quickly glanced over her shoulder, hoping Mr. Myner might be nearby just in case the girls saw to it that she never moved again with
out the help of a full-time nurse and a wheelchair. But they were all alone … surrounded by miles of dense forest … where no one would ever hear her scream … or find her remains or—

  All of a sudden, Massie felt Dylan's arms tighten around her torso. Her grip was so tight, Massie thought she might have punctured a lung.

  “I'm so glad you were lying.” Dylan bear-hugged Massie.

  “What?” Massie sniffled, then wiped her eyes on Dylan's green cashmere scarf.

  “I hated that you had all of this boy experience and didn't tell us.”

  “Me too.” Alicia pouted and jumped in on their hug. “I was so sad. I totally thought we were drifting.”

  “Puh-lease! We're so not drifting.” Massie wanted to cry with relief. “I would never make out and not tell you. I just didn't want the other girls to know our private Pretty Committee business, so I was throwing them off the trail. I thought you knew what I was doing. If I knew you believed me, I never would have—”

  “Oh, puh-lease.” Dylan chuckled. “We totally knew. You're just such a good actress we started falling for it.”

  “Yeah.” Alicia widened her eyes. “You're incredible.”

  Claire smiled softly, shook her head, and looked out at the lake.

  “I promise, I'll tell you when it happens.” Massie paused and looked back at Derrington's cabin. “If it ever does.”

  “It will.” Claire finally spoke.

  “Yeah, don't worry.” Dylan threw her arm around Massie. “Come on, let's go back and get changed for the bonfire reading. We'll make you look ah-mazing so Derrington will beg for your forgiveness.”

  “Nah, you guys go ahead.” Massie smiled. “I don't feel like sitting in the cabin right now. I'll meet you at the fire pit.”

  “You sure?” Alicia sounded concerned.

  “Totally.” Massie tried to sound chipper so they wouldn't suspect that she was afraid to face the angry MUCK girls. “I just need some fresh air. It's good for the pores.”

  Alicia gave Massie a hug. Claire and Dylan joined in.

  Massie, who was usually the first one to break away from a hug, held on to her friends as tight as she could.

  Claire was the first to loosen her grip. “We'll see you at the fire pit,” she said.

  “Cool.” Massie smiled as her friends turned to walk back to the cabin.

  Massie waited until they were out of sight before making her way back. She was furious at herself but wasn't exactly sure why. Was it because she felt the need to be something she wasn't? Or was it because she was stupid enough to get caught?

  She crept behind the cabin and found a lone birch tree that looked like it needed some company. Massie ran her cold palm along the soft white bark but immediately stopped when she chipped her French manicure. Couldn't anything go right?

  She leaned against the trunk of the tree and then lowered herself until she was seated on the cold ground beneath it. Her sudden need to write was overwhelming. Massie peeled a layer of white, papery bark off the tree, pulled a purple glitter pen out of her coat pocket, and poured her heart out.

  MASSIE BLOCK'S CURRENT STATE OF THE UNION

  INOUT

  The Pretty Committee The MUCK girls

  Keeping my mouth shut! Open-mouthed kisses

  Doose Derrington

  When she was done, Massie folded the bark and stuffed it in the back pocket of her jeans.

  “Psssst,” someone called to her from behind a nearby bush.

  “Hullo?” Massie heard her own voice tremble. Were the MUCK girls spying on her? Did they have weapons? “Who's there?”

  “It's me,” a girl's voice answered.

  “Me who?”

  Massie heard a familiar phlegmy laugh. Was the trauma making her hallucinate?

  “Kristen?” she whispered into the dark, cold night.

  Kristen stepped out from behind the bush and giggled. She was wearing her green-and-white OCD soccer uniform.

  “What are you doing here?” Massie hugged her friend as hard as she could.

  “I used the money you gave me from MUCK to buy a ticket on Adirondack Trailways,” Kristen said.

  “What about all of those Presidents' Day sales?” Massie couldn't resist a lighthearted tease.

  “We already have all that stuff—it's so last season.”

  “How did you know where to find us?”

  “My memory skills are incredible now,” Kristen said. “I looked at your itinerary last week and the Forever Wild campgrounds address was at the top. And I remembered it.”

  Massie smiled and hugged Kristen again to hide her tears. It was nice to be in the company of someone who didn't know what had just happened.

  “I can't believe your mom let you come here,” Massie said. “She thinks my house is far.”

  “Well …” Kristen stuck her finger through the green Puma sweatband around her wrist. “She kinda thinks I'm away with the soccer team. So no one can know I'm here.”

  “I know how you feel.” Massie looked over her shoulder to make sure the MUCK girls weren't spying on them.

  “You do?” Kristen sounded pleasantly surprised.

  Massie nodded. Kristen smiled. She could have told her friend what had happened, but why ruin the moment with more talking? Especially when they both seemed so satisfied just being together.

  Massie opened her arms and threw them around Kristen.

  Claire had been right: sometimes there was no need for words.

  LAKE PLACID, NEW YORK FOREVER WILD CAMPSITE THE GIRLS' BUNK

  Monday, February 23rd 9:29 P.M.

  Mr. Myner looked up from his novel, took a dramatic pause, then continued reading from Hatchet. “’What did they do in movies when they got stranded like this? Oh yes, the hero usually found some kind of plant that he knew was good to eat and that took care of it. Just ate the plant until he was full or used some kind of cute trap to catch an animal and cook it over a slick little fire, and pretty soon he had a full eight-course meal. The trouble, Brian thought, looking around, was that all he could see was grass and brush.'“ Mr. Myner closed the book and sighed. “Powerful stuff, isn't it?”

  No one said a word. They were too busy either makings' mores or blowing out the orange flames that engulfed their burning marshmallows.

  “This book is full of clever ways to survive in the wild, so pay close attention,” Mr. Myner said. “And you'll hear more of them tomorrow night when we check back in with poor Brian.”

  “I think someone left Mr. Myner in the woods when he was a kid,” Layne whispered into Claire's ear.

  “He wishes.” Claire giggled. Their teacher was still basking in the afterglow of that last sentence, as if he were remembering the time forest nymphs sang it to him while washing his hair with spring water.

  “Mr. Myner.” Strawberry raised her hand. “Do we have time to make a few more s'mores?”

  Her question forced his attention back to the group.

  “Ten more minutes.”

  Everyone moaned.

  “You have a long day of orienteering ahead of you tomorrow. Believe me, you'll need your sleep.”

  Claire stuffed two Hershey bars and a pack of graham crackers in the pocket of her light blue puffy ski jacket.

  “What are you doing?” Layne asked. “I have a ton of Go-Gurt hidden under the cabin if you're hungry.”

  “It's not for me,” Claire whispered. “It's for Massie.”

  “I thought she had a stomachache.” Layne ran her fingers through the knots in her long brown ponytail. A clump of tangled hair came out in her hands and she tossed it in the fire.

  “She does. But she may get her appetite back. And it's not like there's any food in the cabin.” Claire knew better than to tell Layne the truth, that Massie was too ashamed to face her public.

  “Dude, who beefed?” Plovert shouted. He fanned the air and pinched his nose shut.

  “Ew, it smells like burning hair.” Alicia backed away from the fire and sat on the stump beside Josh. Oliv
ia followed her.

  Smooth move, Claire thought, wishing she could just pick up and sit beside Cam. Not that he would have even noticed. He was too busy cracking up with Strawberry, who was trying to blow out the blue flames that were scorching her marshmallow.

  “Claire, stop torturing yourself,” Layne insisted. “There's no way Cam would ever leave you for that. Trust me, there's nothing going on with them.”

  Strawberry yelped as the fiery-hot marshmallow flew off the stick and landed on the side of her neck. Cam flicked the gooey clump to the ground with his index finger.

  “Oh my God, he touched her,” Claire gasped. “Did you see that? He totally touched her neck.”

  “He was just trying to help.” Layne rolled her eyes.

  “I have to get out of here.” Claire stood up and zipped her coat pockets. She felt like she was going to faint or puke or both.

  “I'll go with you.” Layne scrambled to get up. “I have cramps anyway.”

  Claire stood up and brushed the pine needles and dead leaves off her blue flannel pajama bottoms. She quickly peered at Alicia and Josh from the corner of her eye, silently urging Josh to drop the stick he had been banging against his Timberlands so he could pay attention to Alicia. At least that problem would be solved. All of a sudden, Josh dropped his stick and plucked a wildflower from the ground.

  Yes! Claire thought as she turned her head to give them some privacy. She was finally off the hook.

  “Ready?” Claire asked Layne.

  “Ready.” Layne nodded once.

  They turned their backs on Strawberry and Cam, who were still laughing about the stupid marshmallow, and began their short trek back to the girls' cabin.

  “Hey, Claire,” a guy's voice shouted. Her hands got clammy and her heart started pounding. So what if the voice didn't sound like Cam's? That didn't necessarily mean it wasn't him, right? Just in case, Claire made sure a big smile was on her face when she turned around. A smile that said, “I am doing just fine without you, thank you very much.” Massie would have been proud.

  “Wait up,” the voice called again. It was Josh, holding up his roomy plaid pajama bottoms to keep them from falling down.

  “Oh, this is going to be good.” Layne sucked in her breath. She licked her lips and grinned, as if a big vat of Go-Gurt had just been handed to her by Chad Michael Murray.