Free The Pretty Committee Strikes Back by Lisi Harrison Page B

that's it.”
    “Isn't cheese supposed to be really fattening?”
    “Guess not.” Massie quickly repositioned herself so that she was facing Claire and Josh Hotz.
    “Well, I love them.” Josh tousled Claire's bangs. “They show off your big blue eyes.”
    Claire flashed him a fake smile, then nervously searched the crowd.
    “Hey, there you are.” Alicia stepped in front of Josh so she could lock eyes with Claire. “Uh, Cam's looking for you.”
    “He
is
?”
    “Yeah, he said he wanted to talk to you about something.” Alicia tilted her head to the side and widened her dark brown eyes.
    “Did he say anything about an e-mail?” Claire asked.
    “I know what it's about.” Massie pulled Claire away.
    “What is your problem?” Massie hissed. “You know she has no clue you and Cam aren't hanging out anymore. She was just trying to get you away from Josh so she could talk to him alone.”
    Claire shook her head slowly, silently scolding herself.
    “You need to start using your brain, Kuh-laire,” Massie continued, “because I am getting super-tired of looking out for you all the time. I have my own stuff to deal with.”
    Out of the corner of her eye, Massie noticed Chris Plovert hobbling behind the rest of the guys from the Briarwood soccer team as they hurried to greet someone.
    Massie felt her stomach lurch. Derrington, the star goalie, had finally arrived.
    Of course, he was wearing shorts, and not because of the record-breaking temperatures. Derrington would have exposed his knees if they were going to the Arctic Circle. It was just his thing. And as ridiculous as it was, Massie had grown to like it. Besides, his messy blond hair, light brown eyes, and beaming smile were so ah-dorable, Massie rarely felt the need to look below his neck.
    Alicia sneaked up behind Massie and Claire and threw her arms around them. “Whatcha guys talking about?”
    Massie got the prickly sweats under her arms. Had Alicia heard what they were talking about? “Where's Josh?”
    “Ugh, the second Derrington showed he left.” Alicia rolled her eyes. “I swear, Derrington's like their gawd or something.”
    Massie ballooned with pride. Her crush was the most popular guy in her grade. And she was the most popular girl. They were a perfect match, like DK and NY.
    “But wait.” Alicia paused. “What if he was just using that as an excuse to get away from me and find the girl he likes?” Her wide eyes narrowed as she scanned the crowd.
    Massie crawled out from under Alicia's arm. Claire did the same.
    “Why are you so sure he likes someone else?” Massie asked.
    “Yeah, maybe he's just playing hard to get,” Claire offered.
    Massie glared at her, silently saying, “You've already done enough, let me handle this.”
    Claire lowered her eyes.
    “You're forgiven,” Massie accidentally said out loud as she casually watched Derrington high-five his soccer team buddies.
    “Huh?” Alicia asked.
    “Uh, nothing.”
    “Aloha.” Olivia bounced into their circle. Her smile was wide and her teeth were so white they bordered on blue. Her super-sunny disposition and buttery blond hair were blinding. Massie slipped on her Oliver Peoples Commander sunglasses to protect her pupils from the glare.
    “Sorry I'm late,” Olivia said, as if anyone had actually noticed or cared. “I was working on my oral.”
    The girls snickered and focused on the pavement below their feet.
    “My oral,” Olivia insisted,
“hygiene.”
    The girls snickered again.
    A light breeze introduced them to a whiff of Mr. Myner's spicy cologne as he approached them. It smelled like Christmas-scented candles.
    “Mr. Myner?” Massie asked in her most innocent voice. Claire, Alicia, and Olivia leaned in. “My mother insists that you are the model on our roll of paper towels. But I said you're way too busy teaching geography to model for Brawny. Am I right?”
    Everyone cracked up, even Mr. Myner.
    “That's sweet of your mother.” His too-dark-for-February tan