mustard packets and squirted them onto her veggie burger (no bun); and (3) Kristen dipped a banana into a styrofoam cup of fro yo.
When they were ready to focus, Massie leaned forward on her elbows and assumed the “gossip position.” The others pushed their lunches to the side and followed.
Once their huddle was complete, Massie spoke.
“I’m looking at a minimum of twenty points for what I’m about to say,” Massie said.
“What?” they all replied.
“I have plans with a Briarwood boy on Saturday,” she said. Their faces lit up and she knew it no longer mattered that she hadn’t been on the Labor Day shopping trip. She was still their hero.
“Why didn’t you tell us in the car?” Alicia asked.
“’ Cause I didn’t want Claire to hear.” Massie lifted her head out of the circle and scanned the room.
“When did you meet him?” Kristen asked.
“Yesterday, at Galwaugh Farms,” Massie said.
“While you were
sick?
” Alicia asked.
“I wasn’t sick all day,” Massie said.
“Oh,” Alicia said.
“I got a lot better.” Massie gathered her hair and twisted it in a bun on the back of her head, then took the chopsticks that came with her spicy tuna rolls and slid them through the knot to keep everything in place. Then she continued.
“He is fifteen, ah-dorable, and has his own horse,” Massie said.
“He sounds perfect,” Kristen gushed. “He could be the
one
.”
“Tell us everything.” Alicia nodded. “Every last little detail.”
And she did.
O CTAVIAN C OUNTRY D AY S CHOOL T HE C AFÉ
12:30 P.M . September 2nd
Even though Claire had zero appetite, she slid an orange plastic tray along the silver rails in front of the food displays. It was the only way she could blend in while she evaluated the lunchtime scene. She passed sushi platters, tofu steaks, crudités, and a colorful “design your own salad” section, but she didn’t care about any of it. She was too busy checking out the other girls. She didn’t have to have grown up in Westchester to know that the table where she chose to sit in the next few minutes would brand her for life.
“Will that be all?” the checkout lady asked.
A girl in line behind Claire let out a chuckle.
Claire looked down at her tray and realized it was still empty. She reached into the box by the register and pulled out a Toblerone bar.
“Finally, a girl around here who actually eats chocolate,” the checkout lady said. “How refreshing.”
Claire smiled and wondered if it was really possible to be in a school where no one ate junk food.
But it was. Bottles of Glaceau water were on every table. Even if Claire
wanted
to order a bottle for herself, she wouldn’t have known how to pronounce it. She tried to see what Massie was eating but couldn’t get a good look.
She was in the far corner of the room with Alicia, Dylan, and Kristen. It was the only four-top in the café. All of the other tables were designed to fit at least six. The four girls were sitting with their heads close together, and Claire figured they were telling secrets. Every few seconds a laugh would erupt from the table and one of them would break free from the huddle just long enough to have a quick look around, to make sure they hadn’t been overheard. The other girls in the cafeteria seemed to be overwhelmingly drawn to them. In a matter of only five minutes at least four different wannabes approached their table, each of their faces bright with an eager smile. Each girl stayed for a few minutes, but the second she walked away, Alicia, Dylan, Kristen, and Massie would go back to talking and giggling, probably about whoever had just stopped by for a chat.
Claire knew a seat at that table would guarantee her a promising future at OCD, but considering the morning she had just had, she refused to let herself fantasize about it. It was never going to happen.
Not every table seemed as exclusive as Massie’s, but they didn’t seem as appealing either. One group of
When they were ready to focus, Massie leaned forward on her elbows and assumed the “gossip position.” The others pushed their lunches to the side and followed.
Once their huddle was complete, Massie spoke.
“I’m looking at a minimum of twenty points for what I’m about to say,” Massie said.
“What?” they all replied.
“I have plans with a Briarwood boy on Saturday,” she said. Their faces lit up and she knew it no longer mattered that she hadn’t been on the Labor Day shopping trip. She was still their hero.
“Why didn’t you tell us in the car?” Alicia asked.
“’ Cause I didn’t want Claire to hear.” Massie lifted her head out of the circle and scanned the room.
“When did you meet him?” Kristen asked.
“Yesterday, at Galwaugh Farms,” Massie said.
“While you were
sick?
” Alicia asked.
“I wasn’t sick all day,” Massie said.
“Oh,” Alicia said.
“I got a lot better.” Massie gathered her hair and twisted it in a bun on the back of her head, then took the chopsticks that came with her spicy tuna rolls and slid them through the knot to keep everything in place. Then she continued.
“He is fifteen, ah-dorable, and has his own horse,” Massie said.
“He sounds perfect,” Kristen gushed. “He could be the
one
.”
“Tell us everything.” Alicia nodded. “Every last little detail.”
And she did.
O CTAVIAN C OUNTRY D AY S CHOOL T HE C AFÉ
12:30 P.M . September 2nd
Even though Claire had zero appetite, she slid an orange plastic tray along the silver rails in front of the food displays. It was the only way she could blend in while she evaluated the lunchtime scene. She passed sushi platters, tofu steaks, crudités, and a colorful “design your own salad” section, but she didn’t care about any of it. She was too busy checking out the other girls. She didn’t have to have grown up in Westchester to know that the table where she chose to sit in the next few minutes would brand her for life.
“Will that be all?” the checkout lady asked.
A girl in line behind Claire let out a chuckle.
Claire looked down at her tray and realized it was still empty. She reached into the box by the register and pulled out a Toblerone bar.
“Finally, a girl around here who actually eats chocolate,” the checkout lady said. “How refreshing.”
Claire smiled and wondered if it was really possible to be in a school where no one ate junk food.
But it was. Bottles of Glaceau water were on every table. Even if Claire
wanted
to order a bottle for herself, she wouldn’t have known how to pronounce it. She tried to see what Massie was eating but couldn’t get a good look.
She was in the far corner of the room with Alicia, Dylan, and Kristen. It was the only four-top in the café. All of the other tables were designed to fit at least six. The four girls were sitting with their heads close together, and Claire figured they were telling secrets. Every few seconds a laugh would erupt from the table and one of them would break free from the huddle just long enough to have a quick look around, to make sure they hadn’t been overheard. The other girls in the cafeteria seemed to be overwhelmingly drawn to them. In a matter of only five minutes at least four different wannabes approached their table, each of their faces bright with an eager smile. Each girl stayed for a few minutes, but the second she walked away, Alicia, Dylan, Kristen, and Massie would go back to talking and giggling, probably about whoever had just stopped by for a chat.
Claire knew a seat at that table would guarantee her a promising future at OCD, but considering the morning she had just had, she refused to let herself fantasize about it. It was never going to happen.
Not every table seemed as exclusive as Massie’s, but they didn’t seem as appealing either. One group of
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