Lucinda tapped her green leather cowboy boot while she waited for everyone to cross. "Now remember," she said once they were all together again, "don't buy anything with horizontal stripes-they make you look wide-no black because it's dowdy, and nothing nothing with a logo or label on the front. You're models, not billboards." with a logo or label on the front. You're models, not billboards."

"No labels? labels?" Alicia snapped, pleased with herself for speaking up before Ma.s.sie.

"Of course no labels," Ma.s.sie said. "Do you know how much money the magazine makes on advertising? Why give it away for free when they can get paid for it?"

"She's absolutely right, Alicia," Lucinda said to Ma.s.sie. She was clueless to the growing tensions among the girls. "Wow, I'm impressed."

Alicia stuck her tongue out at Ma.s.sie, and Ma.s.sie responded with one of her c.o.c.ky half smiles. Paolo managed to capture the entire exchange.

"You girls should have your own reality show," he said, still walking backward. "This is pure money."

"You should be on ER," ER," Ma.s.sie said to Paolo. Ma.s.sie said to Paolo.

"Why?"

"Because you're about to fa-" Ma.s.sie shrieked.

Paolo backed right into a heap of stuffed garbage bags. His long skinny legs shot straight up into the air and disappeared over his head. Three containers of film rolled into the middle of Washington Street.

"Ehmagawd," the girls shouted.

Alicia looked up at the bloated silver sky, trying her hardest not to laugh. She caught Ma.s.sie's eye for a spilt second and thought it looked like she was about to lose it too. Alicia knew that if they were still friends, they'd be doubled over in hysterics.

"I'm okay." Paolo rolled onto his side, pushed himself off the trash heap, and stood up. He scooped up his camera gear and began blowing on his lens. "Watch out, little girl," he said to Ma.s.sie. "I know your bad side."

"To know it is to love it," Ma.s.sie said, throwing her arms around Dylan and Kristen.

"To know it is to love it," Paolo mimicked, doing his best bratty Ma.s.sie impersonation.

Everyone laughed, even Alicia, who suddenly found herself missing her old best friends. She longed for the old beta days, when she would spread gossip, not instigate it, and regretted ever thinking she could be a better alpha than Ma.s.sie. But it was too late to turn back now. She had Faux-livia, Strawberry, and Kori now. And they needed her.

"You each get three hundred dollars," Lucinda said, doling out the cash while Paolo doc.u.mented the transaction. "Except you two," she said to Strawberry and Kori. "Sorry."

The two girls shuffled to the outside of Lucinda's tight circle of models.

Alicia ignored Strawberry and Kori's pathetic expressions and reached inside her gold hobo sac. She touched her pink leather wallet to make sure she had her credit cards. Three hundred dollars would barely cover the cost of the chandelier earrings that were dripping off the mannequin in the window of the ultra-trendy Scoop.

Paolo went in first so he could snap the girls walking into the store. He took a few establishing shots of the fake Christmas tree in the middle of the store and the pierced and tattooed salespeople refolding messy piles of turtlenecks.

"Can we go in now?" Faux-livia asked.

Lucinda tapped on the window to make sure Paolo was ready for them. He gave her a thumbs-up. "Go ahead."

"I feel like I'm in heaven," Alicia said to Faux-livia, Strawberry, and Kori when they entered the all-white store and saw the incredible jeans selection on the back wall.

"Look at those shiny bags," Faux said, pointing to festive glittery clutches along the gla.s.s countertop by the register.

"And those cool lace dresses," Strawberry said. "I'm gonna go take a look."

"I wanna check out their boots," Kori announced before taking off and slamming into Ma.s.sie, who had been carrying an armload of miniskirts that were now all over the ground. Kori and a salesguy raced to pick everything up while Ma.s.sie stood above them with her hands on her hips.

"I can't stand to watch this anymore," Alicia said to Faux-livia. "I have to get those chandelier earrings before anyone else grabs them."

On her way to the jewelry display, Alicia pa.s.sed Dylan. She was looking at the lace dresses and stuffing her face with the free sugar cookies that had been hanging on the tree branches in wax envelopes.

Strawberry wandered up beside her and started looking at the same dresses.

"Why are you breathing down my neck?" Dylan asked Strawberry. "Do you want something?"

"'Kay," Strawberry said, putting her clammy fingers all over the two cookies Dylan had in her hands.

"Uch, just take them," Dylan said.

"Thanks," Strawberry said with a grateful smile. "So what are you gonna buy?"

Alicia wanted to shop for earrings but couldn't help listening in on their conversation, in case she had to jump in and save Strawberry.

"I don't know what I'm gonna buy yet," Dylan snapped.

"Let me help you-you know, since we kind of look alike and all," Strawberry said.

"Puh-lease," Dylan shouted. She wiped her crumby hands on a pair of pin-striped pants. "Your hair color comes from a packet of Kool-Aid and by the look of those thighs your nickname should be Pear, not Strawberry."

"I was only trying to help," Strawberry screeched. Her face turned bright red.

Alicia put the earring back on the velvet display board and ran to Strawberry's side in case she started crying. "You okay?" she asked. But Strawberry ignored Alicia.

She grunted twice and whipped her half-eaten cookie on the shiny white floor. "You moose!" she shouted from a place deep within her and pushed Dylan into the metal rack of lace dresses.

Paolo snapped as many shots as he could before the security guard grabbed Strawberry by the back of her pink ponytail and dragged her outside.

Alicia b.u.t.toned her gray wool coat and ran after her. She followed Strawberry out of the store and chased her across 14th Street. She could hear Lucinda calling their names but ignored her.

Alicia finally caught up to Strawberry inside the Little Pie Company.

"You okay?" Alicia asked again, trying to catch her breath. She felt cold and sweaty at the same time and hoped Teen Vogue Teen Vogue would be doing her hair and makeup before the shoot. would be doing her hair and makeup before the shoot.

"She's lucky I didn't take one of those leather belts to her," Strawberry said, without a trace of humor. "Blueberry tart, please!" she called to a man behind the counter who was in the middle of serving another customer.

Alicia felt her phone vibrating and reached into her bag to answer. She was grateful for the distraction.

"Hullo?"

"Hey, it's Lucinda; we're going to Jeffrey." She hung up before Alicia could ask how Dylan was.

"You're getting that tart to go," Alicia told Strawberry.

When they got to Jeffrey, they were greeted by a doorman in a tuxedo. "You'll find everything you need right up those stairs," he said. They walked up three marble steps and straight into the cosmetics department. "Enjoy your beauty."

The store looked more like Bloomie's than a boutique. Beyond the makeup and perfume was an endless selection of clothes and shoes that seemed to stretch on for miles.

"I love it already," Alicia said to Strawberry, who was sucking blueberry off her thumb. "Remember, stay away from Dylan. You're better than her. Besides, you don't want her to sue you. Her mother knows a million Hollywood lawyers."

"Isn't your dad a lawyer?" Strawberry said, wiping her hands on her coat.

"Yeah, her mother's," Alicia said.

"Whatever," Strawberry said. "She started it."

Alicia saw Ma.s.sie and Dylan weaving in and out of the shoe display that cut through the middle of the entire store. Dylan's ponytail was a little messy, but other than that, she looked fine.

"I have to shop," Alicia said, trying to make up the time she lost chasing Strawberry.

"Fine, I'm going to hang in the front of the store by the cosmetics," Strawberry said. "I need some new gloss."

"Cool, see you in a bit." Alicia sprinted toward the designer clothes in the back.

She knew exactly what she wanted. She had seen a fashion spread in CosmoGIRL! CosmoGIRL! called Grecian Yearn, and Alicia wanted to make it her look for the holiday season. She needed a pair of pencil-straight jeans, preferably in a dark wash, and an ultra-feminine Greek-G.o.ddess-type minidress to wear over it. High heels, hopefully in a bold metallic color, would complete the look. Just then Alicia spotted the perfect pair. called Grecian Yearn, and Alicia wanted to make it her look for the holiday season. She needed a pair of pencil-straight jeans, preferably in a dark wash, and an ultra-feminine Greek-G.o.ddess-type minidress to wear over it. High heels, hopefully in a bold metallic color, would complete the look. Just then Alicia spotted the perfect pair.

"Do you have these bronze snakeskin mules in a size five?" Alicia asked the tidy, thin salesman in the shoe department. His black turtleneck was tucked into his black pleated pants and fastened with a thin black belt. He reminded Alicia of her mascara brush.

He plucked the shoe out of Alicia's hand and turned it over to look at the price. "Is your mother a size five?" His free hand was bent behind his back.

"These are for me," me," Alicia said. Alicia said.

"Honey, maybe you read the tag wrong," he snipped. "These are six-hundred and forty-nine dollars, not sixty-four dollars and ninety cents," he said, replacing the shoe on the big white display cube in the center of the floor.

"Maybe you you read read me me wrong," Alicia said, picking the shoe up and placing it back in his hand, making sure the heel dug into his palm. "I know how much they cost, wrong," Alicia said, picking the shoe up and placing it back in his hand, making sure the heel dug into his palm. "I know how much they cost, honey." honey."

He grabbed the shoe and disappeared into a back room. Alicia sat on the couch and waited, wishing Ma.s.sie had been there to hear her tell him off. Alicia had one hour left to find her dream outfit and was starting to feel the pressure. Everyone was at the back of the store sorting through racks of dresses and Paolo was taking their pictures. Alicia was desperate to get to the action.

She shuffled to the back of the store in her socks to get Kori. Maybe she wouldn't mind waiting for the shoes while Alicia shopped and got in a few of Paolo's pictures.

Alicia found Kori in the middle of a conversation with Kristen and decided not to interrupt. If they hit it off, maybe Kristen would join forces with them once again.

"If I were you, I'd pocket the three hundred dollars and wear that," that," Kori whispered to Kristen. Kori whispered to Kristen.

"I can't wear a Juicy sweat suit on the photo shoot. Besides, they're so two years ago," Kristen said. "I'm just wearing it now because it's easy to get in and out of while I'm trying things on."

"Yeah, but don't you, like, need need the money?" Kori asked. the money?" Kori asked.

"What?" Kristen's aqua eyes looked a little gla.s.sy. Alicia knew where this was going.

"Hey, Kori, sorry to intrude, but-"

"There's nothing wrong with being poor, Kristen," Kori said, ignoring Alicia. "Don't forget, I live in the Brickview too."

"Probably because your mother spent her entire savings on those face-lifts that made her look like Michael Jackson," Kristen said, loud enough for the two older ladies at the next rack to hear.

"She needed them for her sinuses." Kori stomped her foot. "She had a deviated septum."

"So they removed her entire nose?" Kristen shouted.

"At least my mother could afford surgery," Kori screeched before she took off running.

"Well, maybe she can afford afford to get you soccer lessons, 'cause you suck on defense this year." to get you soccer lessons, 'cause you suck on defense this year."

"Thanks a lot, Kristen." Alicia sighed. She ran through the store in her socks, chasing after Kori. On her way out, Alicia pa.s.sed the exact same Greek G.o.ddess dress she had seen in CosmoGIRL! CosmoGIRL!. She grabbed it off the rack and tossed it in the arms of the first salesgirl she saw.

"Can you please hold this for me? I'll be right back."

"Of course, madame," the rail-thin blonde said.

Alicia got outside just as the first flake of snow fell to the ground. "Great," she said to her new yellow cashmere socks.

Kori was squatting on the ground with her back against the outside wall of Jeffrey, crying.

"Kori." Alicia crouched down and rubbed her friend's kneecap. "Why are you so upset? You know your mother doesn't look like Michael Jackson."

"She always had a narrow nose," Kori cried. "Even before the operation."

"I know." Alicia tried her hardest to keep a straight face, but inside she felt a pang of regret. After all, it was Alicia herself who had spread the story about Kori's mother's surgery, months ago. She even taped pictures of Michael Jackson to Kori's locker every day for a week. Alicia, Ma.s.sie, Kristen, and Dylan would hide and wait for her to tear them off. Once she did, they would laugh until they had tears rolling down their cheeks. Kori never figured out who put those pictures there or why they did it.

"Let's go back in." Alicia checked her silver Gucci watch. "It's starting to snow."

"I'm gonna stay here," Kori said.

Alicia reached into her pocket and pulled out the three hundred dollars from Lucinda. "Share it with Strawberry," she said, stuffing the crisp twenties into Kori's cold hand.

"What are you you going to use?" Kori said, wiping her tears. going to use?" Kori said, wiping her tears.

"The same thing I always use." Alicia held up Len Rivera's Platinum Visa.

Kori threw her arms around Alicia and hurried inside to grab Strawberry.

Alicia ran in behind her, bolting up the front steps inside Jeffrey's two at a time. She couldn't wait to try on her dream dress. If it fit, she would run across the street to Dernier Cri and buy the super-straight-legged jeans she saw in their window.

"Excuse me, miss, would you mind showing me where you put that turquoise dress?" Alicia asked the blonde salesgirl.

"Oh, you're beck," she said, turning to the shoe guy who had helped Alicia earlier. "Luis, ze pet.i.t girl is beck."

"I thought you left." His hands were clasped behind his back and he rocked back and forth on his heels.

"I just ran outside for a second," Alicia said, putting on her boots. "Sorry about that. So where is the dress?"

The girl searched the store with her eyes and stopped on Ma.s.sie, who was standing at the cash register. "She is buying it right now."

"You're kidding, right?"