"Claire, wouldn't you rather be a Dirty Devil with Ma.s.sie and her friends?" Kendra asked.

"Uh, yeah, I guess, but-"

"You were a Powerpuff Girl last year," Judi said.

"I know, but-"

Claire could feel Ma.s.sie glaring at her.

"Then it's settled." Kendra pulled something invisible from her long eyelashes. "You'll both be Dirty Devils."

Claire's stomach dropped like she was going down a steep roller coaster.

"Uh, okay," she said.

Todd looked at Ma.s.sie and giggled. He quickly brought his icing-covered hand to his mouth.

"Sorry," Claire muttered under her breath.

But Ma.s.sie turned her head away and tugged on her Armani tie belt.

Claire stepped into her line of sight and tried to apologize again, but Ma.s.sie crossed her arms and said nothing.

Claire had the chilling suspicion that Ma.s.sie would start acting like a devil a few days earlier than planned.

THE WESTCHESTER MALL.

LEVEL II.

1:38 PM PM.

October 25th Ma.s.sie couldn't believe she was standing in The Limited. The store's cheap knockoffs had always been an endless source of jokes among her friends. Alicia called their fake wannabe Prada bags Fraudas, and Dylan referred to their tweed page boy caps as "c.r.a.ps." But at that moment, Ma.s.sie would have given anything for one of their shiny BO-inducing polyester sweaters like the one Claire was trying on.

Ma.s.sie grabbed a pair of red fishnet hose off the rack near the cash register. The Dirty Devil costume originally called for bare legs, but she was drawn to the "bad girl" quality of the fishnets. Or was she? She put them back on the rack and decided to stick to the original plan. But maybe the fishnets are better But maybe the fishnets are better. She picked them up again. But instead of looking at the tights, she focused on Claire, who ran from rack to rack, deciding what to buy next.

"Claire," Ma.s.sie snapped. She stuffed the hose back on the rack. "It's hard for me to concentrate on our costumes with you bolting all over the store, trying to buy tacky sweaters."

"Sorry," Claire said. "There's nothing I like here anyway." She tiptoed away from Ma.s.sie, the excitement on her face fading.

Ma.s.sie walked aimlessly around the store, touching fabrics and forcing herself to walk past the colorful stacks of camisoles and cardigans. She was about to cave and try on the only thing with cute potential in the entire store (a navy-and-pink fuzzy scarf) when she received the text message she had been waiting for.

KRISTEN: ? R U? ? R U?.

Ma.s.sIE: THE LIMITED. HELP! THE LIMITED. HELP!.

KRISTEN: STAY CALM. WE'RE COMING. STAY CALM. WE'RE COMING.

Ma.s.sIE: ACT NATCH. ACT NATCH.

KRISTEN: GIVEN. GIVEN.

Seconds later Kristen, Alicia, and Dylan appeared in The Limited.

"Oh my G.o.d, is that Ma.s.sie?" Alicia shouted across the store.

Ma.s.sie tossed her last gummy worm in the round clothes rack as soon as she heard them.

"I-I think it is," Dylan said. "Hey, Ma.s.s. What on earth are you doing doing here?" here?"

Dylan waved frantically from the other side of the store.

"Now, isn't that a coincidence," Kendra said to Ma.s.sie. "You must be so surprised."

"I am." Ma.s.sie put her hand on her heart for effect and went to greet her friends.

Their arms were full of shiny, tissue-stuffed shopping bags from Versace Jeans, Sephora, and BCBG.

"You didn't see Becca or anyone while you were shopping without me, did you?" Ma.s.sie whispered.

They shook their heads.

"Good," Ma.s.sie said quietly.

"What are you guys doing here?" Ma.s.sie's voice was now loud and clear.

"You mean us?" Dylan shouted. "Oh, we had this day planned for months."

Ma.s.sie shot her a look. "You call that acting? You did a better job playing a flying monkey in The Wizard of Oz The Wizard of Oz when we were seven." when we were seven."

"I told you to be subtle," Kristen said. "You were waving like you were about to set sail on the t.i.tanic t.i.tanic."

Ma.s.sie could feel her mother's eyes burning a hole in her back.

"Go to the dressing rooms and I'll sneak in as soon as I can," Ma.s.sie said.

"Cute tie belt thing, by the way," Alicia said.

"Thanks," Ma.s.sie said. She meant it. That compliment had been the only good part of her day.

She watched her friends as they tried to squeeze their bags past the mannequins and displays on their way to the back of the store.

"Ma.s.sie," Kendra said quickly. She said it the same way she said "Bean" when the dog picked through the trash.

"Uh-huh?" Ma.s.sie smiled innocently but kept her distance.

Kendra signaled for her to come closer.

"I have the feeling that you and Claire aren't getting along as well as you were the other night," she said. "Is everything okay?"

"Of course. Why?"

"Well, I thought you two wanted to spend the day together, and now I see your friends are here." Kendra checked to make sure they were alone by the hair accessories display.

"The truth is, dear," she said softly, "Judi is concerned. She doesn't think Claire has. .h.i.t her social stride yet and really wants you both to get along."

"Everything is fine fine," Ma.s.sie said. "Don't worry, okay?" She started to back away, but her mother grabbed her thin wrist and stopped her.

"I hope so, because Judi and Claire are two of the sweetest people I know, and I would hate to see them upset."

"Mom, everything is-"

"She would be devastated if she thought you were lying about your friendship with Claire just to get permission for your party. It would also mean calling the whole thing off, and I know how much everyone in your grade has been looking forward to it."

"You have nothing to worry about, okay?" Ma.s.sie stood on her tiptoes and kissed her mother on the cheek. "I was just on my way to find Claire before you stopped me. So can I please please go help her shop? She needs me." go help her shop? She needs me."

"Yes," Kendra sighed. "You may want to suggest she try black. It will look so pretty with her bright eyes."

Ma.s.sie gave her mother the thumbs-up sign and hurried off. But Claire was the last thing on her mind.

THE LIMITED.

DRESSING ROOM NO. 5.

2:12 PM PM.

October 25th "I have about two minutes before my mother gets suspicious, so I'll make this quick," Ma.s.sie whispered. "Remember that bet I told you about? Well, it's killing me-I have nothing to wear."

"Why don't you just admit defeat?" Alicia said. "It's only a bet."

"Because then she has to wear her old snowsuit to school for a week," Kristen said.

"It's two weeks," Dylan said.

"No, it isn't, it's one week," Kristen said.

"EhmaG.o.d, will you guys please stop fighting already? I need your help."

Ma.s.sie reached into her red Coach clutch and pulled out her Visa.

"Take this and buy me some cute tops. I would love a purple scoop neck and maybe something in winter white and then whatever else you think I'll like. I'll take care of our costumes if you do this for me."

"Don't forget I lost five pounds, so I probably went down a size," Dylan said.

"Got it," Ma.s.sie barked. "Now go!"

The girls stormed out, eager to complete their mission.

Ma.s.sie breathed a sigh of relief. She fixed her hair, reapplied her lip gloss, and adjusted her tie belt before unlocking the dressing room door. She had just saved her dying wardrobe, and she felt at peace for the first time all day. Her next stop would be The Espres...o...b..r for a celebratory chai latte.

Ma.s.sie was greeted by a mob of impatient shoppers holding armfuls of clothes, waiting for her to leave. But her victory was too sweet to be soured by a bunch of Limited customers, and besides, it wasn't like she'd ever see them them again. again.

She held her head high and walked out of the dressing room, managing to avoid eye contact with everyone.

"I heard you."

Ma.s.sie knew the voice but kept going.

"I know what you're doing."

Don't look back. Left foot, right foot. Left foot, right foot. Keep moving. You're almost out!

"Ma.s.sie, STOP," Claire said. She was at the front of the line, holding a periwinkle blue sweater and a few other items from the sale rack.

"What did you hear?" Ma.s.sie said.

"I don't want to fight." Claire's voice was patient and kind. "I know this has been hard for you, so I'll give you another chance. You can either call your friends to tell them you've changed your mind. Or you can wear the new sweaters under your old snowsuit." Claire had an evil grin on her face. It gave Ma.s.sie goose b.u.mps.

Ma.s.sie lifted her phone out of her bag and flipped it open.

"Darn," she said, and snapped it shut. "Battery's dead."

"Here you go," said a girl with dreadlocks who happened to be in line behind Claire. She handed over her red-gold-and-green Nokia. "You're Ma.s.sie Block, right? You go to OCD, right?"

Ma.s.sie waved the phone away and accidentally inhaled a mouthful of patchouli.

"Yeah," she said. "Who are you?"

"Brianna Grossman."

"Are you new?" Ma.s.sie asked.

"No, we've been in the same cla.s.s for two years," Brianna said, looking confused. "You invited me to your Halloween party."

But Ma.s.sie didn't respond. Instead she used her thumb to open her cell phone and her middle finger to flip Claire off.

THE BLOCK ESTATE.

Ma.s.sIE'S BEDROOM.

7:42 AM AM.

October 31st Ma.s.sie had just stepped out of the shower and was dripping wet when her phone rang.