A Tale of Two Pretties by Lisi Harrison Read Free Book Online Page B

playful smile.
    Massie arched her brows.
    “My bangs and Keds made them feel better about their own hair and shoes. So you helped boost their confidence.”
    “Kuh-laire, are you a ballerina?”
    “Why?” she snapped, angry at herself for even bothering. “Because I’m so
leotarded
? Or because I’m a
tulle
?”
    “No.” Massie jumped to her feet, “Because you’re so on pointe!”
    “I am?”
    “I’ve been an ah-mazing friend!” The light had returned to her friend’s amber eyes. “Don’t poor people always say that’s worth
     more than all the money in the world?”
    Claire nodded enthusiastically.
    “And poor people would know that better than anyone, right? I mean, it’s not like they can afford cable or magazines or computers.
     They probably huddle around an open oven and analyze this kind of stuff for fun.”
    Did she honestly believe that?
Not that Claire would ever ask. Challenging Massie while she was boosting herself was like waking a sleepwalker: It could
     lead to danger.
    “Gawd, you are so right…” Massie began texting, her fingers flying over the touch screen with a renewed sense of purpose.
    Massie: 911! Meet at GLU HQ 2-moro at 11.
    She hit send. Claire was the first to respond.
    Claire: Can’t wait. C U then.
    And then:
    Alicia: Whatever u say! Ur the alpha. Always have been always will B
    Dylan: Major family day. I can probably get away for 15 but no more.
    Kristen: Can’t stay long. Soccer thing @ 11:30.
    “
Ehmagawd!
” Massie threw her iPhone on Claire’s bed like it had been sprayed with Todd-snot. “The poor people were wrong! They know
     that I’m not rich, and they’re over me!”
    “Do you seriously think they like you for your money?”
    “You tell me!” Massie snapped, waving her phone in Claire’s face. “You’re the alpha?” she spat. “Alicia is ah-bviously mocking
     me! Dylan just spent ten days with her family! That’s more back-to-back family time than they’ve had the last five years combined.
     And Kristen? A soccer thing during December break?
Puh-lease.
Change your name to Jesse James and lie to me again!” She smashed Claire’s tasseled pillow into her face and groaned.
    Claire searched her mind for a reasonable explanation for the Pretty Committee’s flakiness but found nothing. Dylan
never
hung out with her family. Alicia
never
acknowledged her beta status. And Massie was right: What kind of crazy-intense team practices over Christmas break? What
     if Massie was right? What if the PC was breaking up with her now thather family was broke? And if they were so willing to dump a no-money Massie, there was zero hope for an off-estate Claire.
    But were the girls really that callous? Had their friendships been that superficial? It wasn’t possible. Even for them. Right?
    Claire snuck a gummy. But even the sweet candy couldn’t wash away the sour taste in her mouth.

THE BLOCK ESTATE GLU HEADQUARTERS
Monday, December 27th
11:01 A.M.
    Massie was more stiff than the marble statue Sotheby’s had just removed from her front yard. She was standing in the center
     of the Blocks’ barn-turned-spa-turned-cold-spa while Alicia, Kristen, and Dylan avoided her gaze. As a result, she avoided
     Claire’s gaze because this whole stupid thing was her idea in the first place. Not that Claire noticed. She was biting her
     nails like they were made of sugar. Alicia was petting Bean, Dylan kept checking her phone, and Kristen was nervously rolling
     her foot back and forth on a soccer ball—like that would somehow convince Massie that her bogus story was true. The alpha
     wanted to scream, but could only manage a yawn.
    Last night Claire had slept peacefully in a sleeping bag on the floor, while Massie had tossed and turned in her foam-filled
     comforter. The white numbers on her iPhone had flitted by, like they were counting down to Massie’s execution. Just as the
     French peasants had lopped off Marie Antoinette’s head over cake, the Pretty Committee