“What’s happening?” asked Theo.
“Wait.” Rob said. “Is this a payback prank?”
“I wish,” Claire mumbled.
“Looks like you’re gonna have to kiss something else at midnight,” Judi Lyons snapped. “Perverts,” she shouted.
“Mom!” Claire gasped. “Don’t do this to me!”
“I’d hate to be her father,” Benton the newscaster stated.
Claire’s dad pounded the wall. “Tell me about it!” he shouted.
“I’m sorry, okay!” Claire pounded back as if the walls were an extension of her own stupid self. The self that convinced her she could get away with such an elaborate stunt. The self that wished, more than anything, that she had.
Her mother pounded back twice. “You’ll be sorry all right, when we send you to boarding school.”
Claire rolled her eyes. Did they not think the major embarrassment that came with having the incident played and replayed on the local news was punishment enough?
“Think they mean it?” tweeted a little voice. It was coming from under her bed.
Claire leaned over the side, white-blond hair falling around her face like a collapsed parachute. She locked eyes with a small redhead in Batman pajamas. He was lying on his back, mechanic style.
“Todd!” Claire whisper-shouted. “What’re you doing in here?”
Her brother crawled out and joined his sister on the bed. Claire lifted herself up to face him, her anger melting like a ChapStick in the glove compartment. Even though she was beyond tired of his eavesdropping, it was nice to have some company.
“Do you really think they’ll send you to boarding school?” he asked, like he’d actually miss her.
“No way.” She smiled strongly for both of them. “Those places are full of rich snobs.” Claire bit her thumbnail. “They’re just trying to scare me.” She nodded with certainty. “They’ll forget all about this by Valentine’s Day.”
Todd sighed. Claire could smell his minty toothpaste. “Think they’ll change their mind about not letting me watch SpongeBob for a month?”
Claire shook her head no. “Sorry. I know this is all my fault.”
“I’ll forgive you if I can have…” Todd scanned the bedroom with renewed hope. His hazel eyes landed on the silver bowl of gummies. “Those.” He pointed at the oily lump.
“Fine.” Claire giggled without smiling.
Todd jumped off the bed and claimed his prize. He slurped down the worms like spaghetti while Claire tended to her trashed room.
Sadly, she began scooping up the debris. The sooner she cleaned, the sooner she could put this whole mess behind her. She leaned forward to pick up her trash can and… thud. The red jewelry box that ThRob had given her fell out of her dress pocket.
“What is that?” Todd chew-asked.
“Nothing,” she lied, turning away from her brother, suddenly wishing she were alone. Alone to cherish what was left of Theo and Rob.
She sat down on the end of her bed, surrounded by red organza, the way Scarlett might have after Rhett left her, and slowly opened her consolation prize. Inside, resting in cotton, lay a tiny silver microphone charm. It blurred and melted behind her tears, as she thought about what could have been had she not been caught. Unable to withstand the torture of what-ifs, Claire snapped the box shut and hid it away in her desk drawer, desperate to leave this terrible night in the past.
Who knew? Maybe some day she’d regift it.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Since this is the Clique prequel and I went back in time, I would like to acknowledge the people who helped grow this series from the very beginning. In order of when we met. *
1. The voices in my head **
2. Ben Shrank
3. Richard Abate
4. Josh Bank
5. Les Morgenstein
6. Lynn Weingarten
7. Cindy Eagan
8. Sara Shandler
9. Lanie Davis
10. Alex Kohner
* If this was in order of importance and brilliance all of your names would be number one and no one would be able to read them.
** Okay, fine, so I didn’t actually meet the “voices in my head,” but this is my acknowledgment and I can make whatever claims I want. Even if they don’t make sense.
The Clique: Charmed and Dangerous Page 12
