Todd put his root beer float down on the gla.s.s card table and wiped his sticky hands on his Hulk Hogan pajama bottoms.

"Gross," Claire said.

"Oh, please, I just saw you wipe the sugar from your sours on the chair," Todd said. "Why don't you take them out of your back pocket and share them with the rest of us?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Claire said, feeling the bag of candy under her b.u.t.t as she shifted in her seat.

"I know why you're h.o.a.rding them," Todd said.

Claire felt her face turn red. She prayed that for once in his life, her brother would be cool and keep his mouth shut.

"Because Cam Fisher gave them to you." Todd made kissing sounds and started rolling around on the couch. "Oh, Cam, I love you sooo much. I will protect your sours with my life. ..."

Claire lifted her leg, ready to kick Todd off the couch, but quickly changed her mind. Instead she crossed it over her knee and tugged her shoelace. She was defenseless, and had been for the last week, ever since Cam stopped Todd at Briarwood Academy's bike rack and asked if he was Claire's brother. When Todd said yes, Cam made him his trusted delivery boy, the guy responsible for bringing mix CDs and candies home for Claire. And the last thing Claire wanted to do was kick the messenger in case he walked off the job. All she could do was roll her eyes and pray for the moment to pa.s.s.

"So when are we going to meet this Cam?" Jay asked, removing his wire gla.s.ses and sticking them in the front pocket of his blue Brooks Brothers shirt.

"I dunno, whenever," Claire said. "It's not like we hang out every day after school or anything. We just e-mail each other and stuff. We're just friends."

Claire wished there was more to it than that, because Cam was the sweetest, most thoughtful boy she had ever met. But they never actually hung out alone and sometimes Claire wondered if maybe there was some other girl he liked better.

Claire slapped the scoop of ice cream in her float with the back of her spoon. "So what game are we playing?"

"Hey, Dad, what do you feel like playing?" Todd said as he walked over to the oak armoire where they kept the board games.

"Anything-I'm feeling lucky," Jay said, rubbing his chubby hands together.

"Cranium?" Todd held the purple box over his head.

"No, you always pick that," Claire said, brushing the blonde bangs out of her eyes. "Let's play Trivial Pursuit."

"Claire, I'm ten," he said. "The only trivia I know is who got kicked off last night's Survivor. Survivor."

Claire watched her parents crack up.

"Cranium it is," Jay said, stuffing a handful of popcorn into his mouth. A clear brown kernel sh.e.l.l stuck to his cheek and Claire watched it bob up and down while he chewed. It finally fell off and landed on his sweatshirt.

In Orlando, Jay and Judi were thought of as attractive. They both had bright blue eyes, big warm smiles, and deep tans. But ever since they moved to Westchester, Claire had become aware of their imperfections. She noticed that her mother and father were relatively short and that they dressed too casually and were both about ten pounds overweight. When Claire found out Ma.s.sie's parents had personal trainers and nutritionists, she was ashamed hers still got excited every time Ben # Jerry's came out with a new ice cream flavor. But in time she learned to appreciate their shameless snacking habits, because they were the only people in Westchester who didn't give her dirty looks when she ate a bit of junk food.

"Who wants more ice cream?" Todd said, jumping to his feet.

They had been playing for two hours and Claire and Judi were one right answer away from winning.

"You always do that when you're about to lose," Claire said to her brother.

"Do not."

"Do."

"Fine," Todd said. "Go." He turned the hourgla.s.s over as quickly as he could, clearly hoping to catch them off guard.

But Claire refused to let him intimidate her. "Okay, Mom." The whole game was riding on Judi's ability to sketch a picture with her eyes closed. She picked up her tiny pencil and started drawing.

"Belly b.u.t.ton," Claire shouted.

Judi shook her head.

"Stomach woman!"

"No," Judi said. She shut her eyes tighter and drew faster.

"Belly mover. Belly b.u.t.ton shaker. Stomach dancer. BELLY DANCER!"

"Yes!" Judi screamed. She pulled Claire into a hug.

Claire smiled brightly. Beating Todd at Cranium was the only way to put him in his place these days. "Losers clean up," she announced. She couldn't wait to escape the mess of candy wrappers and empty froth-stained root beer gla.s.ses that Todd and her father were obligated to clean. All she wanted to do was take off her orange Old Navy cargo pants, slip into her flannel Power Puff Girls pj's, and return Cam's e-mail.

Suddenly Claire heard the front door open.

"Who's here?" she asked her mother.

"No idea," Judi said with a trace of fear in her eyes. "Jay? You expecting anyone?"

"What, dear?" he called from the kitchen.

Claire's stomach clenched with nervousness and excitement when the mystery guest walked into the living room. "H-hey, what's up? What are you doing here?" she asked.

Judi brought her hand to her heart and slowly shook her head. "Ma.s.sie, you scared us."

"Sorry." Ma.s.sie pulled her black cable-knit poncho over her head and draped it over the back of the corduroy couch. She was wearing a red velour sweat suit and sheepskin slippers. "Sometimes I forget I have to knock. I guess I'm still used to walking into this house whenever I feel like it."

"That's totally understandable," Judi said with a nervous chuckle. "Did you need something?"

Before Ma.s.sie could answer, Todd barged through the kitchen door wearing an ap.r.o.n and yellow rubber gloves. "Ma.s.sie, want a root beer float? I can make you one."

"No thanks, I ate already," Ma.s.sie said. "But thanks for offering."

Claire knew Ma.s.sie was just being nice to Todd because her mother was in the room. Normally Ma.s.sie would have said something about too many fat grams or not wanting his booger-stained hands touching her food.

"I just got The Sims 2 The Sims 2. Wanna start a family together?" Todd asked, his brown eyes flickering with hope.

Ma.s.sie looked at Claire and tilted her head toward the staircase. "Normally I'd be all over that, but I have to talk to your sister." She turned away from Todd and looked straight into Claire's eyes. "Now," she mouthed.

"'Kay." Claire couldn't help feeling like she was about to get in trouble for something and wondered if anyone could hear her heart pounding. "Let's go to my room," she said, avoiding her mother's suspicious glare.

"Perf," Ma.s.sie said as she walked toward the staircase.

Claire followed Ma.s.sie up the stairs. While they were walking, Claire reached into the back pocket of her orange pants and pulled a sour out of the plastic bag as quietly as she could. She popped it in her mouth while Ma.s.sie's back was to her.

"Why do you eat those?" Ma.s.sie asked, without turning around. She sounded disgusted. "They're all sugar."

"I know." Claire was ashamed and tried to swallow the red worm as quickly as she could. "I'm over them. That was my last one."

When they entered Claire's bedroom, Ma.s.sie closed the door.

Claire was so uncomfortable she walked over to her window and looked outside, hoping the s.p.a.cious lawn below might make her feel less trapped.

"What's going on down there?" Claire pointed to the woodpile outside the old horse barn that hadn't been there in the morning.

"My parents are turning the barn into a state-of-the-art home gym," Ma.s.sie said, sounding utterly unimpressed.

"Phew," Claire said with a smile. "I thought another family was moving in."

"No, you guys are more than enough," Ma.s.sie said. "By the way, when are you leaving? I thought this situation was quote 'temporary,' end quote."

Claire looked at her pink-and-white-striped socks, suddenly aware of how ridiculous they looked with her orange pants.

"It is is temporary," Claire explained. "My parents look at houses every day." She actually had no idea how much longer they'd be staying and had stopped asking her parents when she and Ma.s.sie had started getting along, barely a month ago. temporary," Claire explained. "My parents look at houses every day." She actually had no idea how much longer they'd be staying and had stopped asking her parents when she and Ma.s.sie had started getting along, barely a month ago.

"Relax, Kuh-laire. I was joking. I actually don't mind having you here anymore."

"Oh," Claire said, lifting her eyes to meet Ma.s.sie's. "Sorry."

"It's okay." Ma.s.sie smiled.

Claire was desperate to ask Ma.s.sie why she was there but thought it might be better to act as though the surprise visit was normal. Maybe that way it would happen more often.

"What's this? this?"

Claire hoped Ma.s.sie was talking about the e-mail on her computer screen from Cam. She had been dying to share the details of her secret crush with Ma.s.sie but could never catch her alone. Maybe tonight ...

But Ma.s.sie was pointing to the digital pictures on her wall. Every shot was of Claire standing in front of her closet wearing a different outfit.

Claire felt her face getting hot. "Oh, that's nothing."

"It looks like you're stalking yourself," Ma.s.sie said.

Claire couldn't help laughing.

"What is it? Come on, I won't tell anyone."

"Yeah, right," Claire said, enjoying the moment. Finally Ma.s.sie Block wanted to know something about her.

"I promise." Ma.s.sie held out her pinky. Claire held out hers. They looked each other in the eye and then locked fingers.

"Fine," Claire said, letting go. She paused and took a deep breath. "I hang those pictures up to keep track of my outfits. You know, so I don't wear the same thing twice."

Ma.s.sie widened her amber eyes. Claire instantly regretted confessing.

"That's brilliant," Ma.s.sie said.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. Mind if I copy you?"

"Not at all," Claire replied, sweeping her bangs to the side of her forehead. She couldn't believe how well things were going and decided this this was the perfect time to show Ma.s.sie the note Cam sent her the night of the OCD Fashion Week Uniform Contest. was the perfect time to show Ma.s.sie the note Cam sent her the night of the OCD Fashion Week Uniform Contest.

Claire reached for the mesh pocket inside her backpack and pinched the worn paper between her fingers.

"Kuh-laire, we have to talk," Ma.s.sie said.

Claire released the paper and watched it fall to the bottom of her bag.

"It's go time." Ma.s.sie pushed on the bedroom door to make sure it was completely shut.

"Huh?"

Ma.s.sie went into a detailed description of Alicia's sleep-over party, the phone call she got while she was spray tanning, the candy cane tan that she blamed on that phone call, and the Teen Vogue Teen Vogue modeling job. modeling job.

"What are you going to do?" Claire felt just as cheated by Alicia as Ma.s.sie did but wasn't quite as bloodthirsty. Maybe because she knew how awful Ma.s.sie made her her life when she moved to Westchester and refused to wish that on anyone, even Alicia. life when she moved to Westchester and refused to wish that on anyone, even Alicia.

"Let's destroy her," Ma.s.sie said, looking deep into Claire's eyes.

Claire felt paralyzed, like the breath just got sucked out of her body.

Ma.s.sie dived stomach first onto the middle of Claire's unmade bed. The mattress squeaked under her weight. "Here's the plan."

Claire stayed on the very edge with her feet planted firmly on the ground while Ma.s.sie explained.

"So are you in?" Ma.s.sie asked when she had finished.

Claire thought about it.

"Well?" Ma.s.sie pressed.

Claire nodded, deciding a little guilt was better than making Ma.s.sie angry.

"Good."

Ma.s.sie lifted the olive green rotary phone off the dark wood night table and handed it to Claire. "This is so heavy, I don't know how Grammy used to lift it."

"I know, my arm gets stiff after one phone call," Claire said, trying to lighten the mood.

"You have have to get a cell phone." to get a cell phone."

"Four more years," Claire said, remembering her parents' rule.

"Brutal," Ma.s.sie responded as she flipped open her cell phone, pulled up a number, and hit Send. She hit Speaker Phone before anyone answered.