It's Not Easy Being Mean by Lisi Harrison Read Free Book Online

Principal Burns or even Skye—more like by God or a serial killer.
    The back of the chapel was creepy as it was, with the choir's black robes hanging on hooks and the row of narrow, windowless rooms used for meditation and silent prayer. But now, in the dark, with just the bluish glow from their open cell phones to guide them, it was horror-film creepy. It smelled like stale carpet and dusty old books. And all Claire could hear was Massie rattling doorknobs and knocking lightly on walls, obviously searching for the one
thing
they were forbidden to discuss.
    “Kuh-laire, did you hear back from Cam yet?” Massie jiggled the last handle.
    “I left three messages and still no—”
    Distant footsteps distracted her.
    “What was
that?
“ Alicia grabbed the back of Claire's jacket.
    “Sounded like ballet flats on the chapel floor,” whispered Kristen.
    “More like cheap Steve Maddens,” Massie corrected. “Come on.” She held her cell phone in front of her and hurried toward the noise. Claire was in awe of Massie's fearlessness, especially since Alicia, Dylan, Kristen, and her were clutching one another's palms, even though they were sweaty.
    “Who's here?” Massie pushed through the blue velvet wings on the side of the stage like a fed-up Broadway actress and flicked on the lights.
    Kaya and Penelope ducked behind a pew.
    Massie glanced at Dylan and air-scribbled, letting her know to add Kaya and Penelope to the list of girls who got Skye's CD-ROM.
    Dylan flashed her the thumbs-up.
    “I see you.”
    “So?” called Kaya, still crouched like a chipmunk. “It's not a crime to be here.”
    “Actually, it is.” Kristen put her hands on her hips. “No one is allowed to be on school property after hours unless accompanied by a member of the faculty. It says so in the OCD handbook.”
    “Then why are
you
here?” Penelope straightened up and twirled her curly brown high-pony. As usual, she was dressed like a burglar, in black AG cords and a black turtleneck.
    “I lost my keys,” Massie jumped in.
    The two girls exchanged a glance.
    “In the
chapel
?” Kaya stood beside her partner in crime.
    “Yeah. I was praying this morning.” Massie smirked. “But it didn't work. You're still ah-nnoying.”
    Kaya gasped.
    The Pretty Committee giggled.
    “Penelope, are you a big boob?”
    “No.” She snorted.
    “Then why are you hanging?”
    The Pretty Committee burst out laughing.
    “You heard her,” Alicia snarled. “Leave!”
    Penelope and Kaya stared back defiantly.
    “Okay, then.” Massie flipped the power switch on the thin microphone clamped to the side of the altar. She leaned forward and pressed her glossed lips against it. “Kaya peed in her sleeping bag at my third-grade birthday party! And Penelope once sneezed during synchronized swim and—”
    “Okay, fine!” Penelope took off faster than the cowardly lion in
The Wizard of Oz.
And Kaya was right behind her.
    The girls exploded with laughter until Claire's cell rang.
    “Is it Cam?” Massie wiped her tear-soaked cheeks.
    “Yup,” Claire said before checking the screen. Her tingling feet were never wrong. “Hullo?” She jumped off the stage.
    “Hey.” He sounded like he was jogging or pacing. “What's wrong? Did you make your decision? Are you moving?”
    “What?” Claire's blond eyebrows practically smashed together. “No. Why?”
    “You called like three times and I got worried.”
    “Oh.” Claire felt an overwhelming need to touch his shoulder. “I just wanted to ask you something.”
    He sighed. She could hear his relief.
    Massie gave Claire the hurry-up-and-get-on-with-it hand signal.
    “Um.” She walked up the steps to the stage. “I was thinking, uh, maybe we could come over tonight.”
    “We?”
    Claire walked down the steps.
    “Yeah.” She looked at Massie, her wide blue eyes screaming for help. “
We
.”
    “Soccer lessons,” Massie mouthed.
    Kristen rolled her eyes.
    “We want soccer lessons.” She hated lying to