The Clique by Lisi Harrison

sitting in a speedboat waving at the camera. Their cheeks were all squished because their life jackets were too tight, and their hair was matted down with spray. They had their arms around each other and they were smiling big, goofy smiles. Just looking at that picture made Claire’s chest feel tight. She hadn’t called them since school started because she was scared she’d cry when she heard their voices. She was about to IM them and ask how she should cancel her plans with Layne, but she knew they’d just tell her not to. They’d tell her to forget about Massie and her snobby friends, and Claire didn’t feel like explaining why she couldn’t. Shame forced her to come up with an excuse all on her own.
    Claire started looking around for Layne’s number.
    “I know, Layne, it totally sucks,” Claire said into the white cordless phone. “
Especially
on a Friday night.” She paced back and forth in her bedroom, stepping lightly to avoid the creaking hardwood floors.
    “I’d be happy to come over and help you babysit if you want,” Layne offered.
    “Uh, that’s probably not such a good idea.” Claire rubbed her nose. “Todd is really sick and highly contagious.”
    “Bummer.”
    Claire paced again. She couldn’t tell if Layne knew she was lying.
    “Can we do something tomorrow?” Claire asked.
    “Sure, around noon?”
    “Perfect,” Claire said. “Thanks for being so understanding.”
    “No big,” Layne said. And then Layne started to say something else, but Claire didn’t hear a word of it.
    Claire was so nervous, she’d already hung up.

T HE B LOCK E STATE M AIN H OUSE
    8:00 P.M . September 5th
    Claire arrived at the sleepover half an hour late because she didn’t want to seem anxious. By the time she got there, everyone else was already in the living room, dancing on the brown leather couches. Claire could see them through the big picture window, but when she knocked on the side door, no one answered. She figured they couldn’t hear her. The music was probably up too loud, she reasoned.
    So Claire opened the door a crack and poked her head in. “Hello,” she called. “Hello?” The house smelled warm and sweet, like chocolate chip cookies.
    “In here, Claire,” Kendra called back.
    Claire walked into the living room and instantly felt her muscles tense. She was wearing her favorite blue-and-white sheep print pajamas. Massie, Dylan, Alicia and Kristen were fully dressed.
    Pop music blasted from the speakers that hung in every corner and a giant glass bowl of popcorn was sitting on the glass coffee table. Heaps of clothes were spread all across the floor.
    “All right, girls,” Kendra said, lowering the volume on the stereo. “The break is over. I need help packing this stuff up.”
    Kendra began picking pieces of clothing up off the floor one by one—dark denim jeans, candy-colored sweaters, wool coats, nylon jackets, designer print T-shirts, stretchy skirts, and knit doggie clothes. She’d hold each one out in front of her for a brief second and then quickly fold it into a crisp rectangle and place it neatly in one of the many cardboard boxes that sat on the floor. The other girls were half-heartedly doing the same. Claire was hypnotized. No one acknowledged her except for Bean, who ran up to her and sniffed her toes.
    “Hi, Bean.” Claire crouched down to pat the dog.
    Before Claire was able to make contact, Massie let out a high-pitched whistle and Bean scampered back to her mistress.
    “Claire, we’re so glad you could come,” Kendra said.
    Massie glanced up. “Nice jammies,” she said. Then she went back to folding.
    Not one of the other girls even looked her way.
    “Why are you getting rid of
that?
” Massie asked Dylan. “You just bought it on Labor Day.”
    “It makes me look fat!” Dylan held the thick white cashmere sweater in her arms so she could see it from a distance. The price tag dangled off the sleeve. “What was I thinking, buying white?”
    “Lemme see,