When he saw Blossom and Buttercup approach, he slapped his hand against his heart and smiled.
“Now, aren't you two precious,” he said. “Come. Sit, sit, sit.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?” she mumbled to Nathan.
“Yes,” he squeaked.
“Howdy,” the artist said. “I'm Jules Denver.”
Claire noticed his dry, chalky hands as he extended his arm to greet her. She shook it politely, then wiped her palm on the side of her dress when he wasn't looking.
Jules had gray feathered hair that Claire assumed had been blown dry by a professional. His nose was big and bulbous and his deep set eyes were tiny slits. Claire thought Jules's extreme features looked like one of the sample caricatures wrapped in plastic, tacked to the side of his easel.
“I think it would be darling if your little friend sat on your lap for the portrait,” he said to Claire.
“Do you think that will make me look like a ventriloquist?” Claire asked in her kindest voice. “Maybe I should just stand behind him.”
“What-ever.” Jules's smile faded. “Please look over there.” He pointed his red Magic Marker at the big oak tree with the dangling mannequin. “And don't move.”
Five girls dressed as mice stood under the tree in a tight cluster, talking to each other with their hands over their mouths. Claire was trying to read their lips when she saw a cute guy with messy black hair, dressed as a soccer goalie, run past them. He was looking over his shoulder as if he was being chased. But no one was behind him.
“Maybe he's had too much sugar,” Claire said to Nathan. But Nathan didn't respond.
“No talking,” Jules snapped.
Claire wished Layne was around because she would have found that funny.
“Look straight at the tree, dear,” Jules said.
Every time Jules looked down at his paper, Claire tried to spot Cute Running Guy without moving her face. Finally she found him. He was heading her way.
“Look out,” Claire said to Jules.
But it was too late. Cute Running Guy slammed straight into Jules, sending him face-first onto his easel.
“Medic,” Jules said. He lay flat on the ground, surrounded by Magic Markers.
“Sorry, man,” Cute Running Guy said as he lifted himself off Jules. “I didn't see you there.”
Claire and Nathan fought the urge to laugh for as long as they possibly could.
“Very funny,” Jules said to Claire with a snarl. “I think I broke my hip.”
“We should probably go,” Claire said as she backed away. “Feel better.”
Blossom, Buttercup, and the soccer player broke into a fit of hysteria as soon as Jules was out of earshot.
“Sorry I ruined your picture,” the soccer player said.
“Are you kidding?” Claire said. “You saved my life.”
“Good.” He smiled. Claire liked his soft voice and had the sudden urge to hear him say her name the same way he just said “good.”
“I'm Claire,” she said. “And this is my brother's friend Nathan.” She pointed to the ground, but no one was there. “Oh, well, that was Nathan. Funny, I didn't see him leave.”
“I'm Cam,” he said. His black hair and red lips made Claire think of Snow White but in a total guy way.
“Who were you running from?” Claire asked.
“These two girls, Alicia and Olivia. But I think I lost them.”
“Is that a good thing?” Claire asked.
Please say yes please say yes.
“Yes.” He sighed. “I mean, they're cool and everything, but they're a little hyper for me, you know?”
“They are a lot of things. All of which are worth running from.”
Cam chuckled. His eyes laughed.
“Are you having fun at my party?” Claire asked.
“This is your party? I thought it was Massie's.”
Claire fought the urge to sound bitter. “We threw it together,” she said. “I live right over there.” She pointed to the small stone house with the cutout cardboard ghosts taped to the door.
“Oh, no way.” He sounded surprised. “So you're the new girl.”
“Yyyy-eah.” She couldn't tell what he was going to do next.
But he didn't do anything except stare at her with his different color eyes.
“What?” Claire tugged at the hair elastic around her wrist until it pinched her skin.
“I heard about you, that's all,” he said. “Don't worry, it was all good.”
Claire was dying to ask him what he had heard, who he'd heard it from, and when he'd heard it. But she didn't want to seem desperate.
“Nice,” was all she said.
After an awkward silence Cam spoke.
“Massie seems fun. I hung out with her at the benefit and I thought she was pretty cool—you know, for an OCD girl.” He gently punched her arm.
Claire giggled.
“I was at that party,” she said. “But you must have been too busy flirting with Massie to notice.”
Cam stuffed his hands in the pockets of his shorts and smiled shyly.
“Looks like someone has a bit of a crush on Massie Block.” Claire hoped he wouldn't pick up on her disappointment.
But she'd never know because he wiped a wavy mass of hair out of his eyes and changed the subject immediately. He looked toward the dance floor, where everyone was clapping and cheering for a half-naked chubby guy who was twirling his shirt above his head to the beat of the music.
“Wanna see what's going on over there?”
“Sure,” Claire said. “But I can't promise I'll like it.”
Cam laughed and Claire smiled. She was glad he shared her sense of humor and she wanted him to know it. In fact, she wanted him to know a lot of things about her, but if he liked Massie, he probably liked girls who played hard to get. Claire decided to act slightly bored while they danced.
“Happy Halloween, everyone!” the DJ shouted. “Are you having fun tonight?” The crowd “woo-ed” and clapped. “I have one song left and I wanna make it count. Can you handle it?”
Fists shot into the air and everyone was throwing hand-fuls of candy around.
“I thought so.” He flashed his cheesy DJ smile. “I've got two gift certificates to iTunes right here for the couple with the best moves.” He held two white envelopes above his head.
“Those are ours,” Cam said to Claire. He wiped his palms on his soccer shorts.
After the first beat of Nelly's “Hot in Herre” the crowd exploded. Their cumbersome masks, tails, hats, capes, and shoes were tossed to the side of the dance floor.
Tired parents, stuck with the late night carpool shift, started to trickle in. They didn't dare drag their kids out before the final song had ended so they talked among themselves with their arms folded and their car keys in hand.
Claire, desperate to impress, threw in a few leaps from gymnastics and some butt-shaking dance moves she copied from music videos. She was so focused she had to remind herself to look up and see what Cam was doing. When he wasn't looking, she wiped the sweat from her forehead and checked him out.
He looked like an outlaw from the old Western movies her father and Todd liked to watch. His hands were out in front of him and his fingers were pointing straight ahead like guns. Each time the music pulsed, Cam would “fire” the guns with his thumbs. He moved to the beat without ever lifting his feet off the ground.
Todd and Nathan were running around, pushing each other into pretty girls. As soon as one of them slammed into someone, they'd take off before the girl or the guy she was dancing with could spot them.
Dylan, Alicia, and some blond girl Claire had never seen before were on the opposite end of the dance floor surrounded by a group of gyrating boys. Claire saw them glance at her a few times and point to Cam. She could tell they were impressed by her partner, which inspired her to dance even better. If only Massie had been around to see her. But she was nowhere in sight. Hopefully Dylan and Alicia wou
ld spread the word.
The music stopped and the parents looked relieved.
“And the winner of tonight's When Hell Freezes Over dance contest is—” The DJ played a drumroll sound effect. “The soccer player and the Powerpuff Girl.”
The disappointed crowd applauded politely.
Todd and Nathan looked surprised but flattered as they made their way toward the DJ booth to collect their prize.
“What are you doing here?” Claire asked her brother.
“I've come for what's rightfully mine,” he said. Nathan reached his tiny hand across Cam and grabbed at the white envelopes the DJ was holding.
“Get away from me, you little rodent,” the DJ said. He held the gift certificates above his head and out of Nathan's reach.
“Leave or I'm not doing your math homework,” Claire whispered to Todd.
“Hey, Nathan, look! There's candy all over the ground,” Todd said.
And off they went.
Cam was so happy he hugged Claire in front of everyone. He was even more grateful when she gave him her gift certificate.
“Are you sure?” Cam asked as he took the piece of paper from Claire's clammy hand.
“Positive. I don't have an iPod.” But Claire knew she would have given it to him even if she did. She would have done anything to make him smile at her that way.
“Well, I'll make you a killer mix of all the songs I download.” Cam stuffed the envelopes deep in his pocket. “I should go,” he said. “Thanks for the party. It was fun.”
“Cool,” was the only thing Claire could think of to say. She reached into the side of her kneesock and pulled out her digital camera. Cam was already a few feet away, and his back was to her, but she quickly snapped his picture anyway.
Friends hugged each other goodbye while their parents roamed the yard, picking up familiar costume parts.
Massie was at the gate saying “good night” and “you're welcome” to her guests, who all praised her for hosting such an incredible party. No one stopped to thank Claire. But she didn't let that put a damper on her night, which had ended up perfect thanks to Cam. She couldn't wait to tell Layne she was no longer a “Mopey Dick.”
When everyone was finally gone, Claire took off her red wig and started heading toward the guesthouse. She couldn't wait to take a shower and crawl into bed.
“Where do you think you're going?” Massie called after her. She was putting on a pair of yellow rubber gloves and holding a big green garbage bag. “My mom said we have to throw out the food so the raccoons don't invade.”
“Now I'm a co-host?” Claire said. The crisp wind dried the sweat on her body and she felt cold for the first time all night.
“Landon was supposed to take care of this, but she's gone,” Massie said. “We must have run out of coffee or something.”
Claire sighed. She slid the elastic off her wrist and put her hair in a high ponytail.
They walked across the lawn side by side, picking up smushed chocolate, crushed cups, and costume scraps. When Massie bent down to pick up a rubber nose, Claire stole a quick glance at the picture she took of Cam. She didn't get a shot of his face, but his calf muscles looked cute. She couldn't wait to e-mail the picture to her friends back in Florida.
“So what'd you think of that guy?” Massie asked Claire.
“I really like him,” Claire said. She could feel herself turning red.
“I'm not surprised,” Massie said. “You guys have the same taste in makeup.”
“Huh?”
“And it looked like Layne and Eli totally hit it off too,” Massie continued. “I saw them trying to kiss each other good night, but their costumes kept bumping, so they never made contact.”
Claire realized Massie was talking about Tristan, not Cam. She decided not to correct her. The less Massie knew, the safer Claire would be.
“What about you?” Claire asked. “Any crushes tonight?”
“Nah.” Massie shook her head vigorously. “I was busy making sure my friends didn't kill each other. I spent half the night on the phone listening to Kristen cry over some doof who wears shorts in the winter. I even missed the dance contest.”
Claire was about to blurt that she'd won but stopped herself at the last minute.
“You're so lucky you don't have friends,” Massie said. “Sometimes they can be so depressing.”
“I have tons of friends in Florida, you know,” Claire said. But Massie didn't respond. She was too busy peeling a smushed marshmallow off the treats table.
“I can't believe Alicia and Olivia left without saying goodbye to me,” Massie said as she tossed an empty bottle of Pellegrino into her garbage bag.
“Who's Olivia?”
Massie seemed too wrapped up in her own thoughts to explain.
“Oh, well.” She sighed. “You know, friends are like clothes—they can't be in forever.”
“That's the saddest thing I've ever heard,” Claire mumbled to herself.
“What?”
“Nothing, I was singing.”
Claire wanted to ask Massie if she really meant that but didn't bother. She already knew the answer.
OCTAVIAN COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL
SAGAMORE HALL
9:00 AM
November 3rd
“What can this emergency assembly possibly be about?” Massie whispered to Kristen.
It had been an amazing weekend, filled with leftover Halloween candy and postparty gossip. And no one was in the mood for a Monday morning lecture. The seventh graders were making their way down the carpeted aisle of the school auditorium. Massie and her friends were at the very back of the line.
“I heard it has to do with Dori's petition,” Kristen said. “Supposedly it upset the cafeteria ladies 'cause it said they should get manicures before serving food to minors. And everyone signed.”
“Someone had to tell them.” Massie pulled the bottom of her hair toward her nose so she could get a whiff of her Aveda shampoo. It had been a while since the doors to Sagamore Assembly Hall had been cracked, and the smell of stale carpet hung in the air.
Principal Burns stood by the stage and held open the infamous velvet satchel. One by one, the girls gently placed their phones inside before taking their seats. The “cell block” was the principal's most recent effort to silence the symphony of ringing phones that interrupted every assembly. It also meant everyone had to suffer through her boring speeches without the distraction of text messages. Massie always made sure hers was the very last one in the bag so it wouldn't get scuffed.
On the way to her seat, Massie loosened the pink, gray, and purple cashmere scarves around her neck and wondered if Claire had as much trouble with the bet that morning as she had. She scanned the room and half smiled to herself when she saw two wanna-bes in the hideous red-and-mustard-yellow combo she was forced to wear during her walk of shame on Friday. It seemed like everyone was searching for fashion inspiration. Massie had a feeling Claire found hers in Layne's attic. The patch suede seventies skirt and the yellow Feelin' Groovy T-shirt she wore were dead giveaways.
Massie pulled down a cushioned theater seat and sat between Kristen and Dylan. They had purposely left a space between them so they wouldn't have to sit together.
Alicia arrived but barely uttered a word to any of them. She was too busy snickering with her new BFF Olivia about all the e-mails they got from Derrington that weekend.
“And how about that thing he does with all his D's?” Alicia said.
“You mean how they're all in red?” Olivia asked. “Yeah, what's up with that? Do you think there's something wrong with his computer?”
“No. It's 'cause his name starts with D and he's trying to be cute.” Alicia sounded confused, like she couldn't tell if Olivia was serious or not.
Massie rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe Olivia was such a ditz and wondered why Alicia didn't make fun of her. Normally Massie would have asked, but she was giving Alicia the silent treatment for not saying goodbye after the
party.
Everyone was fighting.
Kristen was giving Dylan the stink eye for flirting with Derrington when she called during the Halloween party. Dylan was mad at Kristen for liking Derrington even though they barely knew each other. And they were both mad at Alicia for e-mailing Derrington even though Alicia claimed he started it. Everyone could have been mad at Olivia too, but no one liked her enough to bother.
“Ladies, it's time to simmer,” Principal Burns announced as she adjusted the microphone on the wooden podium at the front of the room. She scanned the room, using only her beady eyes while keeping the rest of her body completely motionless. Everyone thought she looked like a buzzard.
“I'll get right to the point,” Principal Burns said. “Last week some serious violations were brought to my attention.”
Massie craned her neck to see Dori's reaction. Just as Massie suspected, the girl was smiling proudly, like she just won on American Idol.
Why didn't I think of doing a petition?
“What started out as a few attention-starved girls prancing around in tasteless outfits spread through the halls of our school like a virus,” Principal Burns declared. “And by lunchtime the entire grade was rated R for full frontal nudity.”
Dori's smile faded. Massie's lit up.
Massie reached for her cell phone so she could fire off an “OMG!” to Kristen and Dylan, but it was in the velvet basket.
Ugh!
Forced to communicate the old-fashioned way, Massie dug her nails into Kristen's thigh. Kristen responded by pinching Massie's arm.
“Soon thereafter, a pack of angry parents called an emergency board meeting, which lasted for five hours and kept me from seeing my only son in his VERY FIRST HALLOWEEN COSTUME—he was a little baby bird.”
Massie, Kristen, Alicia, and Dylan quickly covered their mouths to conceal their laughter. A few other girls snickered but stopped as soon as Principal Burns seared them with her tiny black eyes.
After a dramatic pause and a deep inhalation she continued. “Eventually we came to a decision.”
Dylan reached her arm across the back of her seat and gently grabbed a chunk of Massie's hair. Massie clutched the back of Dylan's crisp white collar. They couldn't imagine what was going to come out of Principal Burns's mouth, but they had a feeling it wasn't going to be good.
Best Friends for Never Page 9
