"Claire, I need to talk to you," Alicia said. Her voice was quiet and soothing. So quiet, in fact, Claire didn't hear her. "Claire, listen-"

"Loser," Layne sneezed.

Claire giggled.

"You're calling me me a loser?" Alicia hissed. "Funny, Layne, since you're the one wearing a see-through bathing suit and goggles with monster-eye holograms on them!" Alicia leaned past Claire and looked straight at Layne. "FYI, the see-through suit is scary enough; you don't need the goggles." a loser?" Alicia hissed. "Funny, Layne, since you're the one wearing a see-through bathing suit and goggles with monster-eye holograms on them!" Alicia leaned past Claire and looked straight at Layne. "FYI, the see-through suit is scary enough; you don't need the goggles."

Layne stood up and walked toward the locker room, her arms folded across her chest. "Nice split ends," she growled when she pa.s.sed Alicia.

"Banana b.o.o.bs," Alicia said back.

Claire looked at Alicia. Her eyes were so red from the chlorine, it looked like she had been crying. "Why are you so mean?"

"I was gonna ask you the same question, Kuh-laire," Alicia said.

Claire lifted her thumbnail to her mouth and started biting.

"Don't worry, I forgive you," Alicia said. "I know how hard it is to say no to Ma.s.sie Block. You were forced to be mean to me, just like I had to be mean to you when you moved here."

Claire looked down at her pruned fingers. She sat on her hands. "I was mean because you cheated me, Alicia. Not 'cause Ma.s.sie made made me." me."

"I know and I'm sorry for that." Alicia rested her hand on Claire's wet back. "FYI, I'm considering therapy."

Alicia paused to read Claire's face. Was she buying it?

"Claire, look at me," Alicia insisted. "There's no way that mural was your your idea." idea."

Claire didn't respond. She just kicked her legs and started at the blue and white tiles on the floor.

Alicia sighed. "Sometimes I felt like I had no choice too."

Claire lowered her head and Alicia knew she finally said something right.

"I'm sorry," Claire mouthed. She raised her shoulder and wiped a tear away from her eye. "I felt so bad doing that to you, but you really hurt us. We worked so hard on that uniform design and-"

"I know," Alicia said. "And I'm so sorry." She lifted a wet strand of hair to her eye and squeezed a drop of water off the end when Claire wasn't looking. "Please, please forgive me."

Claire looked up just as a "tear" slid down Alicia's cheek.

"Here, take this," Claire said, handing Alicia the white hoodie she had stuffed behind the bench.

"Thanks." Alicia dabbed her eyes. "I can see why Cam likes you so much."

"Does he really?" Claire said, shifting slightly to face Alicia. "He e-mails you every day; why do you sound so surprised?" Claire shrugged. "I dunno-I guess I keep expecting him to change his mind and go for someone prettier."

Alicia watched Claire lower her eyes and turn bright red.

"The only one prettier than you is me and I'm into older guys," Alicia said with a naughty wink. "His brother, Harris, and I have kinda been hanging out lately."

Claire raised her eyebrows.

"It's true," Alicia said. "Hey, how cool would it be if we went over there one day after school? It could be like a double date."

"Incredibly cool," Claire said, clapping the soles of her feet together. "But I dunno." Her legs suddenly stopped moving and her voice trailed off. "I'm kinda having second thoughts about him lately."

"It's just nerves. Don't worry, I'll go with you," Alicia said. "What are you doing after dinner Friday night?"

Now that Friday night sleepovers were no longer on Alicia's calendar, she wanted to fill the time.

"Uh," Claire said. "This Friday?" Friday?"

"Yes, this this Friday." Alicia paused. "Oh, you're probably going to Ma.s.sie's, right?" Friday." Alicia paused. "Oh, you're probably going to Ma.s.sie's, right?"

"No, I was just there last night because-"

"I know, I know," Alicia cut her off, not wanting to be reminded. "You know you're not officially IN if you haven't been invited to be a regular at the sleepover. And if you're not officially IN, Ma.s.sie has no right to tell you who you can hang out with."

Claire's eyes shifted back and forth while she considered Alicia's point.

"Don't worry, I won't tell a soul. soul." Alicia held out her pinky and Claire grabbed it with hers. They shook.

"Friday night is our secret," Alicia said. "I promise."

"'Kay," Claire said with a guilty smile.

Alicia jumped up and switched back to her old seat on the other side of Faux-livia. She was so pleased with herself, she could hardly sit still. "Did you find us a Kristen?" she whispered.

Faux-livia stuffed some loose strands of blond hair into her bathing cap. "What about Kori Gedman?" she said into Alicia's ear. "If you can look past the bad posture, she's actually kinda cool."

Alicia leaned forward and took a peek.

She thought Kori looked like a parenthesis because she was arched over all the time. "Explain," Alicia whispered.

"Well, she's like the second-best athlete in our grade, for starters," Faux said, "Kristen being the first. ..."

"Yeah, yeah, no need to mention her her name," Alicia said, waving Kristen's name out of the air. name," Alicia said, waving Kristen's name out of the air.

"Sorry," Faux said. "But you have to admit she even kinda looks like her. her. You know, the thin blonde hair, the braids; she even has a psycho laugh. It would almost be like getting another Kris ... another one." You know, the thin blonde hair, the braids; she even has a psycho laugh. It would almost be like getting another Kris ... another one."

"Yeah, without the annoying parents," Alicia said, warming up to the idea. "I like it. Good work."

"Switch," Miss Kuznick announced.

"Thanks," Faux said, feeling the top of her head for her goggles.

Alicia leaned back on the bench and touched the outside of the Ziploc. It was important that the bag was sealed and tucked safely out of harm's way before she jumped back in the pool. Now that she could deliver Claire to Cam, Alicia could get the last two digits of Harris's phone number. And she wasn't about to let the dripping wet girls in group two soak her battery.

When the bell rang, Alicia raced out of the pool and speed-walked to the locker room. She had twenty minutes to change and call Cam before French. As she was towel-drying her hair and checking for split ends, Faux burst through the locker room doors with the sealed cell phone.

"Thanks." Alicia grabbed the bag out of her hand. "If I wasn't in such a hurry, I would have grabbed it myself."

"No problem." Faux shrugged it off like it had been nothing. She seemed happy to be of service, much like Alicia had been with Ma.s.sie all those years.

Alicia flipped open her phone, hit 11, and tapped her nails against a metal locker while she waited for Cam to answer.

"Hey," he said when he picked up. "Did you talk to her?"

"Yeah, we'll be over Friday night," Alicia said.

"Nice."

Alicia could tell he was trying not to sound excited. "Now give me the rest of Harris's phone number. I have exactly eight minutes."

Within seconds Alicia was dressed and dialing Harris Fisher's cell phone number. She walked over to the mirror and quickly put on a bit of mascara.

"It's ringing," she said to Faux. But spoke loud enough for Strawberry and Kori to hear too. "Shoot, I got HARRIS FISHER'S ANSWERING MACHINE. I guess I'll LEAVE HIM A MESSAGE."

Kori and Strawberry peered around their open lockers. Alicia pretended not to notice anything except an imaginary piece of hair on the sleeve of her blazer. She pulled it off casually, knowing full well that she was playing to a captive audience.

"Yo, this is Harris and if you don't know what to do by now, hang up," his voice message said.

After the beep Alicia started pacing. She loved his smooth confident voice and was determined to sound just as alluring.

"Uh, h-hey there, Harris, it's me. Alicia. You know, uh, Rivera." Alicia looked up and noticed that at least five more girls had gathered round to listen. Alicia knew she finally had something Ma.s.sie Block didn't have-experience with boys.

She casually placed her foot on the changing bench and rested her arm against the top of her leg before continuing. She wanted her pose to scream confidence.

"Anyway, just wanted you to know I'll be over Friday night around dinnertime ..." Then she changed her tone to a soft purr. "To drop off a little something I know know you want." She threw in a naughty giggle for effect and then ended with a "ciao." you want." She threw in a naughty giggle for effect and then ended with a "ciao."

Alicia snapped her phone shut and nonchalantly twisted her damp, tangled hair into a ponytail as though phone calls like this were part of her daily routine.

Six girls stood motionless and stared at Alicia with their mouths open. It looked like she had hit pause on a scene in a movie. It was perfect.

"That was incredible," Faux-livia said to Alicia as they pushed past the dumbfounded girls.

"Which part?" Alicia said with a Ma.s.sie-esque half smile.

"All of it. I love how you started it with 'hey' instead of 'hi.' That was so cool."

"Thanks," Alicia said, bursting out of the locker room and into the busy halls. She walked with perfect jazz posture.

"Uh, maybe we should go the other way," Faux-livia said when she saw Kristen and Dylan at the Starbucks kiosk drinking Dr. Juices.

"No, it's okay," Alicia said, heading straight for them. "I knew they'd be here."

"Huh?" Faux-livia said.

"We won't have to find a knockoff Kristen and Dylan if we can have the real ones, right?" Alicia said, never taking her brown eyes off her targets.

"Brilliant," Faux said.

Alicia took a deep breath. "Wait here-I'll be right back."

"Good luck," Faux whispered as Alicia marched on.

"Hey," Alicia said when she stopped in front of Kristen and Dylan. She spoke as if nothing had happened. "Why aren't you drinking chai lattes?"

Dylan popped a yogurt-covered soy nut in her mouth and stared off into the distance.

"Well?" Alicia said with a playful smile.

Kristen lowered her head and searched her LeSportsac.

"I'm sorry for cheating, okay?" Alicia said. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I was just so over Ma.s.sie bossing me around-"

"We get it," Kristen whispered, looking around to see if Ma.s.sie was coming. "Ma.s.sie made us do the mural thing. We actually felt pretty bad about it. But you shouldn't have cheated us."

"I know," Alicia said. "Believe me, I wish I could take it all back. I miss you guys."

"Yeah, it sucks," Dylan said, dropping a handful of soy nuts into her open mouth. "But we can't be friends now. now."

"Why? You don't have have to stay friends with Ma.s.sie." Alicia spoke quickly. "I'm doing so much better on my own. I have plans with Harris Fisher Friday after school, and a few of the girls from synchro want to start hanging out." She paused for dramatic effect. "I feel free." to stay friends with Ma.s.sie." Alicia spoke quickly. "I'm doing so much better on my own. I have plans with Harris Fisher Friday after school, and a few of the girls from synchro want to start hanging out." She paused for dramatic effect. "I feel free."

"Pause. Rewind," Kristen said, punching imaginary b.u.t.tons in the air. "You're hanging out with Harris?"

"Yup." Alicia raised her palm in the air.

"Think you could introduce me to some of his friends?" Dylan asked.

"Given," Alicia said with pride. "I am also setting up weekly shopping trips into the city. Ma.s.sie still only does those once a month, right?" Alicia didn't give them time to answer. "Oh, and my loco cousin Nina is visiting soon from Spain. She's the one who taught me how to make out."

"Really?" Kristen whispered.

"Yup."

"Back away from the EW; move quickly or risk contamination," a familiar voice said.

Alicia felt a chill run down her spine. She turned and came face-to-face with Ma.s.sie, who was sipping from a big plastic cup that said Sugar-Free Strength on the side.

"Let's go," Ma.s.sie said.

Alicia looked at Kristen and Dylan, urging them with her eyes to tell Ma.s.sie off. "Coming," Kristen and Dylan said at the exact same time.

Alicia waited for them to whisper something to her like, "We'll call you later," but they simply walked away without saying another word.

THE B BLOCK E ESTATE G GLU H HEADQUARTERS.