Lisi Harrison - Best Friends for Never

Special Thanks

A very special thankyou to Ben Schrank, Lynn Weingarten, Les Morgenstein, and Josh Bank for your ongoing faith and guidance and for believing in me in that special way that's usually limited to family members. And to Lauren Levine and Deb Savo-the measure of a true friend is someone who reads more than five different versions of your first novel.

Copyright 2004 by 17th Street Production, an Alloy company

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Poppy

Little, Brown and Company

Hachette Book Group USA

237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017

For more of your favorite series, go to www.pickapoppy.com

First eBook Edition: October 2004

The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

ISBN: 978-0-31604-174-4

The only thing harder than getting in is staying in.

THE CLIQUE

Be sure to read all the novels in the #1 New York Times bestselling CLIQUE series

The Clique

Best Friends For Never

Revenge Of The Wannabes

Invasion Of The Boy Snatchers

The Pretty Committee Strikes Back

Dial L For Loser

It's Not Easy Being Mean

Sealed With A Diss

And keep your eye out for Bratfest At Tiffany's and THE CLIQUE'S new look coming February 2008.

If you have to ask, you'll never be on

THE A-LIST

Be sure to read all the novels in the New York Times bestselling A-LIST series

THE A-LIST

GIRLS ON FILM

BLONDE AMBITION

TALL COOL ONE

BACK IN BLACK

SOME LIKE IT HOT

AMERICAN BEAUTY

HEART OF GLASS

BEAUTIFUL STRANGER

And keep your eye out for CALIFORNIA DREAMING, coming April 2008.

For CeCe

CLIQUE novels by Lisi Harrison:

THE CLIQUE

BEST FRIENDS FOR NEVER

REVENGE OF THE WANNABES

INVASION OF THE BOY SNATCHERS

THE PRETTY COMMITTEE STRIKES BACK

DIAL L FOR LOSER

IT'S NOT EASY BEING MEAN

SEALED WITH A DISS

THE BLOCK ESTATE
DINING ROOM

7:45 PM

October 23rd

Massie Block hated herself for looking so beautiful. She angled a silver soup spoon toward her face and quickly glanced at her reflection. The new caramel-colored highlights in her dark hair brought out the amber flecks in her eyes and made them sparkle, just like her stylist, Jakkob, had promised. She was debuting a brown suede miniskirt that made her butt look even perkier than usual, and her arms and legs were lightly dusted with gold shimmer powder. Massie dropped the spoon and pushed it aside. She couldn't believe she was wasting this redcarpet outfit on her father's birthday dinner, especially since they were spending it at home with the Lyonses.

Happy biiirthday, dear William, happy birthday to youuuuuu. The two families finished their song with a round of light applause. William's face turned purple as he struggled to blow out all forty candles at once, and Massie couldn't help giggling. It was the first time she had smiled all night.

They were seated around an elegant oak table in the Blocks' dining room, unable to fully see one another because of the elaborate centerpieces that overflowed with seasonal fruits and flowers. The teardrop-shaped bulbs on the crystal chandelier had been dimmed. The soft warm glow from the red candles was the room's main source of light.

Massie had been forced to sit between the two Lyons kids thanks to her mother's need to micromanage. On her left, Claire was shoveling a massive piece of sugary cake into her mouth as if Cosmo suddenly declared fat was the new thin. Massie turned away. To her right was Todd, Claire's ten-year-old brother. Massie watched in disgust as he reached his icing-covered fingers over her plate to grab the pitcher of grape juice.

Eew. Massie said under her breath.

She folded her thin arms tightly across her chest and shot her mother a sarcastic thanks-a-lot look. Kendra smiled back innocently. Massie rolled her eyes. But before her pupils could finish their journey, she was hit with a wave of grape juice that soaked the front of her skirt.

Ehmagod! Massie yelled. She pushed away from the table and jumped from her chair.

Sorry. Todd shrugged his shoulders. It was an accident.

He was fighting a smile and Massie knew he was lying.

I swear, it's like you were raised by a pack of unbelievably dumb wolves, she said, dabbing her skirt with a white cloth napkin.

Massie, Kendra snapped. She looked at Judi Lyons and shook her head apologetically.

Massie blushed. She realized her comment was more insulting to Todd's parents than to Todd but was too upset to apologize. If anyone should be saying sorry, it was them. Ever since Labor Day, when the Lyons family left Orlando and moved into the Blocks' guesthouse, Massie's life had pretty much sucked. For the last two months Claire had been forcing herself on Massie. She crashed Massie's carpool, followed her around at school, and even tried to steal Massie's best friends. Lately Todd had been fighting for her attention too. The entire family was cramping her style and Massie was desperate to shake them. She hated that her dad chose to be old college buddies with Jay Lyons. Why couldn't he have picked Calvin Klein?

Todd grabbed a napkin and started rubbing Massie's skirt as if he was buffing the hood of a sports car.

Lemme help you.

Uchhh. Stay away from me, perv. Massie slapped his arm.

Massie saw her mother slide the diamond pendant back and forth on the platinum chain around her neck and shoot her husband a stern do-something look from across the table.

Sweetie, relax, William said to his daughter. Todd is only trying to help. His voice was firm and fatherly. I'll buy you another skirt.

But he did it on purpose, Massie said. I saw him tilt the pitcher on me.

Kendra lifted the dainty china bell beside her dinner plate and shook it until Inez, the Blocks' live-in housekeeper, burst through the swinging door.

Yes, Mrs. Block? Inez smoothed the apron on her uniform, then cupped her hand around the tight gray bun on the back of her head. She liked everything in its proper place.

Kendra sighed and directed her gaze toward Massie.

Inez took one look at the stain and darted back into the kitchen. She returned with a bottle of seltzer water and a sponge. Massie lifted her arms out to her sides and Inez started scrubbing as hard and fast as her bony arms would allow.

Todd, did you do that on purpose? Judi Lyons asked her son. She popped a chocolate-covered strawberry into her tiny mouth and did her best to chew it with her mouth closed.

Of course he did, Massie screeched. He's been staring at me with his big wet cow eyes ever since we sat down.

Son, it looks like you're about as charming as your old man. Jay Lyons smacked his big belly and let out a hearty chuckle.

Todd kissed his fingertips and winked. Everyone laughed except Massie.