Ma.s.sIE'S BEDROOM.

11:45 AM AM.

October 25th Ma.s.sie stood in front of her full-length mirror and tilted her head to the right. She always did this when she tried on a new outfit. The off-center angle helped her see what she looked like through someone else's eyes. It was the closest thing she had to a second opinion.

"Ugh, I can't wear this either," Ma.s.sie said to Bean, who was curled up in a tiny ball on a hill of sweaters. She pulled a red V-neck over her head and tossed it on the bed with the rest of her rejects. Normally, the fluffy purple duvet was the only burst of color in Ma.s.sie's all-white room. But today clothes in every color were in plain view. Ma.s.sie put her hands on her hips and evaluated the mess.

"It looks like my closets all barfed at the same time. This bet is a nightmare."

Bean opened her eyes and stretched.

"Bean, everything in my closet feels stale. If my jeans don't get a few new shirts to play with, they're going to die of boredom."

The dog licked her paws.

"How am I supposed to go to the mall today and not buy a single thing?"

Bean barked once.

"Nice try, Bean, but Halloween costumes don't count," Ma.s.sie said. "I'm talking about something new and cute and envy-worthy. I don't want anyone to think I'm slipping ever again."

"Honey, we're leaving in three minutes," Kendra's voice announced over the intercom.

"'Kay, Mom, I'll be right down." Ma.s.sie spoke into the box on her night table.

But she was still in her underwear.

Ma.s.sie peeked out of her bedroom window, hoping to catch a glimpse of Claire struggling to find something non-repet.i.tive to wear. But her lights were off. She was probably already waiting downstairs.

UGH!.

Ma.s.sie's phone rang three times before she found it underneath a crumpled blazer.

"Hey, Kristen, what's up?"

"Nuthin'." Kristen sounded b.u.mmed.

"What's wrong?" Ma.s.sie held a gray DKNY T-shirt up to her face, then tossed it over her shoulder.

"I can't believe you're not coming shopping with us," Kristen said. "This is the last Sat.u.r.day before Halloween, and if we all want to wear the same costumes-"

"Do you honestly think think I I want want to go with Claire?" Ma.s.sie asked. "Or that I would to go with Claire?" Ma.s.sie asked. "Or that I would ever ever pick her over you guys? Puh- pick her over you guys? Puh-lease! Have we met? I'm making this sacrifice for the greater good of the party and you know it." Have we met? I'm making this sacrifice for the greater good of the party and you know it."

"Sorry. It's just that I'm kind of b.u.mmed about Dylan liking Derrington, and Alicia is obviously taking her side because she says Dylan was talking about her crush way before I was, but that's only because I told you you and not Alicia." and not Alicia."

While Kristen talked, Ma.s.sie tried to think of a way to be seen with her friends. What if they b.u.mped into Becca or Liz? It wouldn't look good if she wasn't there.

"Hey, don't you guys have plans to go to the mall today?" Ma.s.sie asked.

"No. We're going to-"

"Kristen, don't you guys have plans to go to the mall today?" Ma.s.sie's words were razor sharp.

"Oh yeah, right," Kristen said. "We've been planning it for days."

"But remember, you have to act like it was a total accident," Ma.s.sie said. "My mom thinks Claire and I are quote friends friends end quote. If she thinks I had anything to do with this, the party will be off." end quote. If she thinks I had anything to do with this, the party will be off."

"No problem. Acting is my specialty. My mom still thinks I wear old-lady cardigans and baggy slacks to school every day, doesn't she? We'll call you when we get there."

The girls hung up and Ma.s.sie turned to face her closet one last time.

She decided the only way to survive the bet was to treat her old clothes in new ways. This way her mind would be tricked into thinking that she had gone shopping. She threaded one of her father's Armani ties (left over from her short-lived Avril phase) through the loops of her Sevens so it would swing across the outside of her leg when she walked. Then she slid a white Brooks Brothers shirt (mostly for sleeping) over her tank top. She left every b.u.t.ton open except the bottom two. Once the sleeves were rolled up and her charm bracelet was fastened, she was ready.

"Boarding school chic," she said to Bean.

"We're leaving," Kendra said through the intercom.

Ma.s.sie walked downstairs and greeted the mothers, Claire, and Todd with a smile. She was pleased to see Claire standing uncomfortably in an ultra-tight mustard yellow T-shirt that barely covered her midriff.

"How does it feel to have your sister borrow your clothes?" Ma.s.sie asked Todd.

He was standing by the front door, eating a banana.

"Ha! I knew she would notice," Todd said to Claire with a c.o.c.ky grin.

His voice was thick and garbled because he spoke with his mouth full. The gooey sound made Ma.s.sie's stomach turn.

Claire scowled at her brother.

"It's laundry day, that's all," she said to Ma.s.sie. "Besides, we never said anything about borrowing."

"Go for it. Seeing you in Todd's clothes is almost better than imagining you in my old snowsuit." Ma.s.sie twisted the dangling tie around her wrist as she spoke.

"Don't get used to it," Claire said. "My mom told me I could buy a few new things at the mall today."

Ma.s.sie couldn't believe how cruel life could be. The corners of her mouth felt like they were carving their way through drying cement as she forced a that's-so-great-I couldn't-be-happier-for-you-if-I-tried smile across her face.

"So you've been keeping track of my ensembles, have you?" Todd whispered all over the back of Ma.s.sie's neck. "Did you happen to notice the new gray Dockers I got last week?"

His hot breath smelled like banana.

"Did you happen to notice my two-inch Choos?"

She lowered the heel of her boot on Todd's foot. He let out a soft yelp and limped over to his mother's side.

"Love hurts," Ma.s.sie said.

THE WESTCHESTER MALL.

LEVEL I.

12:51 PM PM.

October 25th Claire and Todd ran through the automatic doors of The Westchester like they had just been dropped at Six Flags.

"Think they have a Dairy Queen here?" Todd shouted to Claire. He was trailing behind because of his recent foot injury.

"Every mall has a Dairy Queen," Claire yelled over her shoulder. "Ma.s.sie, wanna come find the gummy store with me?"

"I'd rather not waste my calories," Ma.s.sie said while checking her cell phone for messages.

Claire immediately thought of her friends back home. They all loved candy. They bought it together, shared it, and kept emergency supplies stashed away in their closets. The girls in Westchester acted the exact same way. Only to them "candy" equaled shoes and handbags, not sours.

Claire put her hand in the back pocket of her black satin dress pants (ugh, this stupid bet!) and ran her fingertips along the three dollar bills her father gave her before she left the house. She vowed to wean herself off sugar after this final indulgence. The Briarwood boys might think it was immature. Ma.s.sie definitely did.

"Remember," Kendra announced. "We're meeting in front of Nordstrom's in ten minutes."

Sunshine poured through the skylights, filling the mall with warm light. The Westchester looked nothing like the concrete barns Claire and her friends shopped at in Florida. It didn't even have a Spencer Gifts or a Strawberry. Instead shoppers wove in and out of Louis Vuitton, Sephora, and Versace Jeans Couture. They wore big movie-star sungla.s.ses and high heels that clicked and clacked on the shiny marble floors with every step they took.

Claire felt like the stylish mannequins in the window displays were looking down on her, just like Ma.s.sie, Alicia, Kristen, and Dylan did.

Claire didn't feel comfortable until she set foot in the Sweet Factory. Familiar bins of colorful candy lined the walls and felt like home. She scooped a mound of gummies into a plastic bag and paid the cashier.

"Thank you for visiting the Sweet Factory." The overweight teenager managed to hand Claire her change without looking up from his copy of Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution.

"No," Claire said. "Thank you you." She popped an orange gummy foot in her mouth and headed back to meet the others.

Ma.s.sie was the last to arrive at Nordstrom's and the only one who wasn't chomping on a sugary snack. Even Judi and Kendra were sharing a big black-and-white cookie.

"It must be hard to be around all of these stores and not shop, huh?" Claire said to Ma.s.sie.

"I don't know," Ma.s.sie said. "I haven't really thought about it."

But Claire knew Ma.s.sie was lying by the way she stared longingly at people's bags when they pa.s.sed. Suddenly Claire hated herself for suggesting the bet in the first place. Her goal was to be accepted by Ma.s.sie, not resented.

"Want some calories?" Todd said to Ma.s.sie. He held out a sticky Cinnabon.

"No thanks."

"C'mon, just a bite. Taste the sin sin in Cinnabon." in Cinnabon."

"No THANKS."

"It's ha-ah-t." Todd waved the pastry under her nose.

"Todd, did I order coffee?" Ma.s.sie said.

"Uh, no," Todd answered.

"Then why are you all up in my MUG?" Ma.s.sie snapped.

"S'cuse me for offering," Todd said. He backed away.

Claire giggled. She was digging through a bag of gummies, trying to avoid the green ones.

"Want some of these?" Claire offered the bag to Ma.s.sie even though she knew it was a waste of time.

Ma.s.sie reached in and pulled out a handful. Todd's jaw dropped.

"Oh, sure, you'll eat with Claire Claire," he said. "Since when did you start liking her her more than me?" more than me?"

"Since always," Ma.s.sie said.

Todd was so hurt he ran ahead to catch up with the mothers. Claire, on the other hand, was elated. Ma.s.sie actually liked her her better than someone. So what if it was her bratty brother? It was a start. better than someone. So what if it was her bratty brother? It was a start.

"He won't be bothering you for at least another hour," Claire said.

Ma.s.sie responded by grabbing more gummies.

The two girls slowed their pace to let Todd and the mothers get ahead of them.

"So what are you going to be for Halloween?" Claire asked.

"A Dirty Devil," Ma.s.sie said. It came out sounding like "a Duree Devuh" because she was chewing on a gummy worm. "You?"

"I was thinking maybe Blossom, the Powerpuff Girl. She's got brains, beauty, and a mean punch. And I already have the costume from last year."

"That's all right, I guess. At least you're not one of those people who goes for the punny costumes," Ma.s.sie said. "You know, like a black-eyed p p or a card shark." or a card shark."

"Yeah, those costumes are so wanna-be clever." Claire had never really given "punny costumes" much thought before but decided to agree anyway.

"I think you two should wear the same costumes since you're co-hosts," Kendra called out over her shoulder.

"How did she hear us?" Claire mouthed to Ma.s.sie.

"What a cute idea," Judi chimed in.

Ma.s.sie touched Claire's arm lightly as if to say, "Stand back and let me deal with this one."

"Mom, that's a great idea if only we thought of it a few days ago," Ma.s.sie said. "It's just that I already have a costume commitment with Alicia, Dylan, and Kristen. Oh, and Claire really really wants to be a Powerpuff Girl, so maybe next year." wants to be a Powerpuff Girl, so maybe next year."

"Oh, come on. You could go as the PARTYpuff Girls," Judi said.

Claire rolled her eyes. She thought she'd die of embarra.s.sment.

"Uh, that's okay," Ma.s.sie said. "Things are fine the way they are."