Summary:
Massie Blake: With her glossy brunette locks and laser-whitened smile, Massie is the alpha of her clique and she’s got a major in on the social scene at Acadia Middle School in Clifton Park,New York (“we offer private school level education on the public dime!”). Massie knows you'd give anything to be just like her…..
Dana Marvil: Massie's old friend who divides her time between haut couture and hijinks.
Alicia Rivera: As sneaky as she is beautiful, Alicia floats easily under the radar because of her looks and brains, and she’d love to take Massie's throne one day.
Kristen Gregory: She's smart, hardworking, and will insult you to tears faster than you can say "my haircut isn't ugly!"
Olivia Ryan: You’d be forgiven for thinking she was an airhead,but anyone who knows her will assure you that she’s nawt.
Enter Claire Lyons, the new girl from Florida in Keds and two-year-old Gap overalls whose family is staying in the Blake guesthouse and who doesn’t quite seem to be Clique material. But with a little help from all kinds of people,she just might come up smelling like Chanel No. 19. . . .
it all began with texts
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
C:>iridium
Stand by one...Connection complete.
Welcome to Friendster. Your handle is kuh-laire.
Log in at 2:17:35 pm on 8/12/2005.
kuh-laire: hey,massie,idk if you remember me,but do i have some exciting news!
massiekur: if it’s about your folx moving up here,claire,save it. my folx told me this am. had 2 miss shelby wexler’s party 2 get outfits for when u guys move here. that’s not for like another week,isn’t it? and it’s only been 5 months since we talked. biggest news is mom’s welcoming a new little block in jan 06. don’t know if boy or gurl yet.
kuh-laire: omg! u oughta introduce me to your cool friends! i think i remember u talking about kristy (?) and i think dana as well?
massiekur: u mean kristen. she’s the soccer player,kind of a geekazoid 2. shen offered her some athletic scholarships to quote “make her school experience better” unquote.
kuh-laire: shen - that’s the school you guys go to,right? shenandoah or something like that?
massiekur: close, it’s shenendehowa. no idea what that means - some first nations thing or other,i guess. three elementary schools,one middle and high school each. i should warn you tho,we’re not exactly urban glam in clifton park, more country club chic. when u guys arrive im taking u to either clifton park center or crossgates in albany for a shopping spree.
kuh-laire: oooh,nice! i hear lululemon is popular up there,right?
massiekur: this spring it was all my other best friend alicia would wear,lol! shes fannish, that means fake spanish. her dad changed his name from rivers to rivera so her mom’s fam would ok their marriage.
kuh-laire: jeepers,is that funny or what!
massiekur: it’s kinda a sensitive subject with her.
kuh-laire: still,it makes 4 a cute love story.
massiekur: don’t i wish!
kuh-laire: so, who else at this school should i keep my eye on?
massiekur: layme…..excuse me,layne abeley might be ur speed. she’s a geek and kristen is cousends w/her - that means “cousins & friends”.
kuh-laire: abeley? as in the guy who arrested saddam in the gulf war?
massiekur: that’d be her dad,actually! he’s nice,a little beefy tho. her brother chris is an absolute god,however. u need to meet him,claire! he’s musclebound for days.
kuh-laire: hubba hubba! btw,i have a cousin who lives there - the daughter of my dad’s younger sister. do u know christina mcadams by any chance? that’s her.
massiekur: you’re strawberry’s cousin? my condolences. i mean,you kinda hafta be rude 2 be an alpha,but im practically a saint next to her! she’s not always bad but she can be kinda a bitch.
kuh-laire: believe moi,i know. her family sometimes comes to orlando for the summer. i thought i was the only one who called her “strawberry”!
massiekur: well,you’re not,haha. ttyl - i’ve gotta go see alicia. see you when you get here!
kuh-laire: deal!
kuh-laire ended this conversation at 2:24:10 pm.
———————
C:>iridium
Stand by one...Connection complete.
Welcome to Friendster. Your handle is kuh-laire.
Log in at 3:15:42 pm on 8/14/2005.
skyelark : yo, claire! it’s skye hamilton, massie’s dance bff—heard you’re moving to clifton park next week! ehmagawd, i’m so psyched to meet you! massie spilled about your orlando roots and that you’re christina “strawberry” mcadams’ cousin, lol. ready for shenendehowa’s fabu vibes?
kuh-laire : omg, hi skye! massie mentioned you—dance queen, right? i’m totes pumped to move, but drama’s got me nervous, haha. what’s shen like? massie said it’s all country club chic, not orlando flash.
skyelark : haha, strawberry’s an LBR sometimes—love her, but she’s extra! shen’s the best, claire-bear, no orlando neon needed. it’s rule 13 commons code—think $20 thrift tees, $50 soccer games, not $200 miami club flexes like the “money” class. we’re “wealth” class, old money but chill, $50 bazaar vibes, not westchester $1,000 snobbery. massie’s taking you shopping, right?
kuh-laire : yup, clifton park center, $300 spree! massie said you’re all about dance—tell me more! and what’s this commons code?
skyelark : ooh, you’re in for a treat! commons code’s our shen heart: like, i wear $20 thrift leotards for shen east’s dance team, not $200 lululemon like alicia, lol. we do $15 grange goods snacks at rehearsals, not $100 caviar. keeps us affluenza-free, unlike those wannabes with $80,000 cars. dance team’s my jam—i’m choreographing a fall show, $50 thrift costumes, all rule 7 creativity. you gotta join us!
kuh-laire : dance sounds fabu! i’m no pro, but i did some jazz in orlando, $30 classes. who else is on the team? and, like, who’s cool at shen?
skyelark : jazz? you’re so in, kuh-laire! team’s tight—rule 4 sisterhood. there’s irene hamilton, my lil cousin, she’s 10, a future star, $15 thrift tutus. then olivia ryan, artsy vibe, $20 thrift sketchpads—she’s always doodling during breaks. olivia’s got this spark with cam fisher, soccer hottie, $30 thrift jerseys. they’re, like, rule 2 love-first waiting to happen, mark my words.
kuh-laire : cam and olivia? massie mentioned them! cam’s “fishy” charm sounds cute. any tea on them?
skyelark : haha, cam’s green eyes are hawt , but he’s all commons code, $50 soccer camp vibes, not $200 nike flexes. olivia’s his artsy match, always at $50 shen art fairs with layne. they’re not official yet, but give it a few years—total rule 2 energy. shen’s full of love vibes, like me crushing on kemp hurley, dance team’s tech guy, $40 thrift hoodies. he’s no chris abeley muscle-god, but he’s my kinda nerd.
kuh-laire : ehmagawd, skye, you’re spilling all the tea! kemp sounds sweet—dish more!
skyelark : lol, kemp’s a gem—sets up $100 dance lights, all rule 5 authentic. we’re not a thing yet, but i’m manifesting, rule 2 style! throuple’s just a vibe—shen’s open-hearted, not like westchester’s $1,000 gatekeeping. other cool peeps: dana marvil, redhead, sassy, $30 thrift gloss—she’s massie’s bff, total rule 1 joy. kristen gregory, soccer geek, $50 shen scholarship—she’s tight with cam. avoid strawberry’s alpha shade, but massie’s got your back.
kuh-laire : dylan and kristen sound fun! and as for christina—i called her strawberry in orlando, too. any tips for shen survival?
skyelark : you’re already strawberry’s cousin, you’re golden! tips: keep it rule 5 real—$20 thrift skirts, not $200 gucci like the “money” class. try to vibe with us at $50 shen dance practices, not $200 albany bars. laugh with dylan, kick balls with kristen, sketch with olivia. massie’s your alpha, but i’m your dance sis, rule 4. come to my $50 welcome pizza party at shen east when you land—deal?
kuh-laire : deal, skye! you’re, like, the sweetest! ttyl—gotta finish packing!
skyelark : later, claire-bear! shen’s dance floor’s waiting!
kuh-laire ended this conversation at 3:22:19 pm.
——————
C:>iridium
Stand by one...Connection complete.
Welcome to Friendster. Your handle is kuh-laire.
Log in at 7:08:53 pm on 8/17/2005.
strawberryalpha: yo, claire, it’s christina—yep, strawberry mcadams, your cousin. massie and skye won’t shut up about you moving to clifton park. gawd, orlando’s so last season, but shenendehowa’s my turf. ready to play in my sandbox or you still stuck in mickey mouse land?
kuh-laire: omg, christina! hey, strawberry —haha, didn’t expect you to hit me up! i’m super psyched to move, like, next week. massie and skye are so sweet, but you’re the queen, right? what’s shen like? spill the tea!
strawberryalpha: queen? try alpha , claire-bear. shen’s my castle—country club chic, not your orlando flip-flop vibes. our little commons code keeps it real: $50 thrift skirts, $15 grange goods snacks, not $200 miami bling like the “money” class LBRs. i’m “wealth” class, 7,000 sq ft mansion, but i slay $100 lululemon, not westchester $1,000 snobbery. massie’s shopping spree better get you shen-ready.
kuh-laire: totes, $200 clifton park center haul! skye said you’re extra, but i’m used to your strawberry shade from orlando summers, lol. what’s the shen social scene? who’s your crew?
strawberryalpha: shade? puh-lease, i’m an acquired taste, cousin. shen’s a jungle, and i’m the lioness—rule 4 sisterhood, my way. my crew’s tight: kemp hurley, counselor’s kid, $40 thrift sweaters, all brains and heart, but don’t bore her. then jamie marvil, dana’s sis, newsie wannabe, $50 thrift mics—she’s loud but loyal. we run shen middle, $50 soccer games, not $200 albany club trash.
kuh-laire: kemp and jamie sound cool! massie mentioned dana, too—redhead, sassy? and skye’s got this dance team i might join. any tips for not, like, crashing your jungle?
strawberryalpha: dana’s a riot, $30 thrift gloss, rule 1 joy—my kinda beta. skye’s dance team’s legit, $50 thrift tutus, rule 7 creativity, but she’s fierce—don’t step on her toes. tips? don’t be an LBR, claire. ditch orlando’s $100 neon tanks for $20 thrift tees, it’s more authentic. hang at $50 shen bazaars if you can and don’t fangirl over chris abeley’s abs—everybody does, but it’s tired. + he has a girlfriend already,she’s a sophomore like him.
kuh-laire: haha, chris abeley’s muscle-god status has been noted to me by massie! she and skye mentioned cam fisher and olivia ryan, too—soccer guy and artsy girl. they cool?
strawberryalpha: cam’s “fishy” charm’s overrated, $30 thrift jerseys, rcommons code to a fault. olivia’s artsy, $20 thrift sketchpads,bit of a geek, but sweet. they’re glued at the hip, like, love-first vibes waiting to pop. maybe you’ll crush on one of ‘em, who knows? just don’t try stealing my spotlight, kuh-laire—i’m the real alpha, nawt massie, and shen’s my show.
kuh-laire: no spotlight stealing, promise! cam and olivia sound fun—maybe i’ll sketch with olivia. and, like, what’s this social list massie and skye keep mentioning?
strawberryalpha: gawd, you’re curious! social list’s the “wealth” class code—a few different rules, no penalties, keeps us from turning into albany trash. rule 2’s love-first, like my parents’ $50 thrift dinners. rule 4’s sisterhood, my crew’s vibe.
kuh-laire: okay, i’m ready to learn! i wanna fit in, not flop. you gonna be at skye’s pizza party when i get there? we could, like, reconnect for real.
strawberryalpha: skye’s pizza bash? ugh, fine, i’ll show—$15 grange goods slices better not stain my $100 lululemon. we’ll reconnect, but don’t expect me to go soft just ‘cause we’re cousins. bring your a-game, claire-bear, and maybe i’ll let you sit with my crew if the pretty committee doesn’t want you. ttyl—gotta prep for shen’s alpha reign.
kuh-laire: deal, strawberry! i’ll bring the a-game. see you soon!
strawberryalpha: whatever, kuh-laire. don’t mess up my shen.
kuh-laire ended this conversation at 7:16:27 pm.
Notes:
Yep,Dylan’s name is Dana here.
meet the kendra krew
Summary:
Kendra Blake has some news to share - well,she does: the other ladies just wanna gossip.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Friday,August 19,2005
1:40 p.m.
Saratoga National Golf Club
It was often said that in Clifton Park,as in any good suburb anywhere,there were two kinds of upper class people. The first kind had money: these were the types who were flashy about it,the people who bought imitation A-frame or Scottish style McMansions in the Michaels Group developments in the eastern part of town (which had once been Halfmoon before its annexation ten years ago or thereabouts),who drove Infinitis and Tesla T-2000s down the streets hoping that somebody would notice them and give them a backpat for having such in toys. They were the ones who ate out at every tony restaurant the Capital Region had on offer and then went to Chatter or Facerange to complain about how they suddenly couldn’t afford their HOA dues or their second kid’s college fund, and usually they were the ones who after a few years could be counted on to move to someplace like Albany or Troy or Niskayuna, someplace where such trashiness was encouraged,even celebrated as a way of life.
The second kind had wealth as opposed to mere money: these were the people whose families had been in Clifton Park since one of the three booms of the 1850s,the 1890s,and the 1940s. These were the people who had family-owned behind-the-scenes seats at SPAC or who made regular donations to the Shenendehowa coffers. These people could actually afford to live in their McMansions (or,in some cases,regular actual-factual mansions). They were usually bankers or accountants or doctors or lawyers or even people who simply managed old family fortunes,people who knew the time-old adage about money talking and wealth whispering,and they made it work to their advantage. They were equally comfortable at Balenciaga launches or school bazaars, benefit balls or Bunco nights - in short,they were rich but still relatable.
One such among these was Jaclyn Ansell Ryan,a stocky,pretty blond woman,about forty,possessor of an interesting pair of inclined eyebrows and a sharp wit who on this bright day was wearing a pea-green pantsuit with matching loafers,the latest in J.Crew’s summer catalog. She was the unofficial president (but then,had there ever been an official one?) of the Excalibur Court and Environs Literary Appreciation Society, which is to say it was a book group for bored housewives. Sure,there were exceptions:Jaci herself was a real estate agent (as was Lorraine Delacorte),Amy Deery was the youngest Deputy Town Supervisor Clifton Park had ever had (and looked to be headed for her boss’ position),Marsha Gregory was deputy head nurse at Albany Med and would probably be running the hospital in a few years,Nadia Rivera had been a model and nowadays was an artist,Merri-Lee Marvil had her news show,Jo Hearland ran a home decor company specializing in shiplap,Tessa Hurley was the High School West guidance counselor,Chloe Gedman was a video game graphics designer,Lisa Dalton taught acting classes,Natya Hamilton co-owned a dance studio with her husband,Erin Malone and Johanna Abeley ran a photography business,and Christina Weezer was a noted mystery novelist. But the rest of the ECELAS was composed of housewives - people like Kendra Blake,Stacey Plovert,Eloise Wilder,Janae Singer,Cara Higgins,and Amber Sprout who lived off the money their husbands made. These were the women Jaclyn usually focused her mental energy on,seeing as they could always make time for her and help select their next read.
This month their read was the second Space Odyssey book,a suggestion that surprisingly had originated with Kendra: apparently she and 2012 actor Roy Scheider were related through her Waldorf relatives. Jaclyn had to admit to herself she liked it better than the original 2001: the stakes felt more human and less cosmic,something she could at least partially identify with. Seeing the movie in 1984 had been her first “real” date with Victor,at least their first date unconstrained by familial expectations of what “proper girls” did and didn’t do (which in Jaci’s opinion was just hogwash: a) it was the eighties now and girls did as they liked and b) unlike the Ryans,the Ansells were new money and so they didn’t really know what they were talking about). Another tie they had to the movie was closer to home: Madolyn Van Anda,the unofficial secretary of ECELAS,had been in the movie herself back when she was Madolyn Smith,playing Scheider’s character’s wife.
TANNISTANNISTANNISTANNIS
The sound of voices perked Jaci up as the other women entered the room,the distant sound of golfers barely making an impression on their lively chatter. She moved aside a little to allow Nadia to sit in her accustomed spot equidistant from a fan and the TV. In one corner Madolyn was talking up one of the club busboys - “Listen,you gotta position this table this way,it’s always how we’ve done it!”
”Penny for your thoughts,Jace?”,Merri-Lee asked with a smirk on her pretty face: she repositioned her dark brown bob as she spoke.
”I wish. Kendra told me yesterday she had some news to tell us.”
”Hopefully it’s not about the Lawrie middle son,because that little piece of gossip has run its course,baby.” Jordan Lawrie,second son of a newly prominent local family,had recently come out as nonbinary,raising a share of Clifton Park eyebrows though their parents had been supportive of their choice.
”I don’t think so,Merri-Lee. More and more people are progressive these days than not - surely as a journalist you’ve noticed. You’ve covered pride parades and the suchlike.”
“And I’ll be covering more now that Morning Moxie has a fifteen year contract!”,Merri-Lee replied joyfully,naming the morning news show she hosted on WNYT 13. Her reply attracted the attention of some of the other members. “Congratulations!”,Jo Abeley grinned at her while Maria Randolph enveloped her in her arms. As Jaci looked on,pretty Angie Fisher added her thin arms to the hug. Oh,what the heck,might as well do so too,Jaci thought,and the deed ensued.
Their reading selection for the day (the next to last chapter,in which the Russo-American crew of the Gagarin rescues the Chinese crew of the Tsien from the chaos caused by Jupiter becoming a star) went by quickly:evidently the ladies were eager to get to the gossip session that ECELAS meetings invariably devolved into,and Jaci had to admit that she was no exception. Marsha led the gossip sesh today with some item about the Santangelo family out on Leuconia Court….apparently the dad’s brother was facing jail time for insider trading? Jaci could understand:the Great Recession back in 2001 had done such a number on the financial system that it still wasn’t quite fully recovered in some places. Elizabeth Lawrie (mother of Jordan) contributed a bit about the head gym coach at Orenda being arrested for MSAM distribution and Vanessa Pincher told them about the new Kirna Zabête opening on Broadway in Saratoga (which proudly marketed itself as the local equivalent of Fifth Avenue or Rodeo Drive). Before anyone else could add anything,though,Kendra cleared her throat.
”Ladies,ladies,if you could focus yourselves on me for a bit,I’ve got some major news to share.” She straightened herself as the women turned to look at her.
”After reviewing about a dozen different candidates for the CFO position at Blake C&T,William’s found the perfect candidate for the position.”
”Who?”,Laura Coyne asked with a hint of curiosity in her soft but deep voice.
”His name is Jay Lyons,he’s an old friend of William’s - well,of both of us,he and William attended the University of Madison together,and I used to go out with him before I met William - in fact I introduced Jay to his current wife,who at the time lived in the condo next door to me. One of us at least might already know him” - here she tipped her head to Merri-Lee. “Did he work your flight,Merri? I don’t remember off the top of my head.” Merri-Lee had been a spaceflight observer on the first Shuttle mission of 1997,a Spacehab flight that had required an emergency visit to the Mir space station after its atmospheric supply had been contaminated - all the Shuttle’s air had been vented to space after the docking and the air supply had been refilled from Mir’s onboard consumables.
”Yes,he did,Kendra - he was the test director for that launch.” Merri-Lee proceeded to explain what that was to the other women and they returned to their gossip.
TANNISTANNISTANNISTANNIS
”So when do they get here?”,Tessa asked Kendra a little later as the group chowed down on finger sandwiches and pasta salad in the club’s Prime Restaurant. The vaguely elfin brunette was always a stickler for introducing new people to Clifton Park and she was confident she could have Mrs Lyons falling in love with the town in a week.
”They left Melbourne - that’s where they live in Florida - about seven this morning (they called earlier from Savannah) and they should be here Sunday afternoon assuming nothing major happens”. Kendra smoothed out her sundress,picked up her phone,scrolled for a bit and eventually came to a newspaper photo showing a smiling trio in front of a school flagpole. “That’s my most recent picture of them. It’s from when Claire won a local spelling bee in February.”
The people in the photo,Tessa had to admit,were handsome enough: Jay,although he was balding and had the beginnings of a paunch,looked a little like someone’s father from a Norman Rockwell painting with his loose collared shirt,a KSC lapel pin on the right flanked by embroidered Shuttle patches. Julie was a pudgy,pretty blond with a blowout and a blinding smile whose checkered skirt Tessa recognized from a recent spring collection by Tarquin. Claire was a younger version of her mother,a thin blond girl with bangs,somewhat muscular limbs,and a sweet little smile whose taste appeared to run to checkered shirts and the type of Keds her Kemp usually wore to school.
”Do you think we ought to have a welcoming party for them,Kendra? It’d seem like the right thing to do.”
”Will and I want to wait until they’re a little settled in here,so maybe a month or two. Certainly before I give birth,though”,Kendra smiled as she stroked her belly.
Notes:
Worldbuilding:
Yes, the second Space Odyssey book takes place in 2012 instead of 2010 in this universe. Deal with it.
Kendra was born as Kendra Blair Waldorf,a medium-close relative of the famous New York family: her folks were more upper middle class and she grew up in Worcester,Massachusetts. Blair exists in this timeline and she is Kendra’s second cousin and also her goddaughter. She and most of the Gossip Girl crew graduated from Shen in 1998 (Jenny was Class of 2001) and someday I might write a prequel series about their adventures.
The Pretty Committee girls literally have a classmate named Debby Weezer: Christina is her mother. Jaci is Olivia Ryan’s mom: the other women with canon ties mentioned are the mothers of Charlie Deery,Kristen Gregory,Alicia Rivera,Dylan Marvil (well,here her name is Dana),Kemp Hurley,Kori Gedman,Nikki Dalton,Skye Hamilton,Layne Abeley,Massie Block (Blake here),Chris Plovert,Becca Wilder,Allie Rose Singer,Alexis Higgins,Heidi Sprout,Carrie Randolph,Cam Fisher,and Ahnna Pincher respectively. (catches breath)
I urge all of you upstate gays and gals to try out the Saratoga National course someday.
Next chapter we meet the Lyons clan - the first half of the chapter will be from Claire’s point of view and the second half from Massie’s. A general note here - except for Kristen’s little “Glambition!” project (which we’ll see in the second book of this series,per the additional tags) and some movie-only events like Claire first meeting Dana at the mall (Crossgates Mall represent!) and Chris Abeley accidentally knocking Claire over with his skateboard,the plot of this book will generally follow The Clique. There’ll be some additional plot points like Claire getting a student mentor (*cough*Fawn*cough*) and Kendra introducing Judi to the local ladies.
Editing this further with my outline for the next four chapters:
Chapter 4 - August 21,the Lyonses arrive,Claire meets Massie,room tour,Massie tells Claire about the Pretty Committee
Chapter 5 - still August 21,dinner,small talk and exposition
Chapter 6 - August 22,Massie on the Gallman Farms trail (Waterford? Malta?),scene with Chris Abeley,more or less as in the book and movie but of course she already knows him,he tells her about him and Fawn being together but she’s plotting……
Chapter 7 - August 23,Claire and Massie mall trip,they pick up Olivia and Strawberry,at Crossgates Mall they run into Dana and Merri-Lee (and possibly Jamie as well to satisfy the tag I put up)More worldbuilding:
Chatter and Facerange are this world’s version of Twitter and Facebook respectively. Friendster (from the last chapter) is a kind of MySpace with BBS influences,and other social platforms that we’ll get to know over this series include Jobhub (LinkedIn),Palantir (YouTube),and Pictogram (Instagram). The technology level of this universe’s 2005 is generally around ours in that year,slightly ahead when it comes to social media. The Internet is here called the Infonet but it’s still known as the World Wide Web.
Geopolitically there are some differences too,mainly amounting to the Soviet Union still technically being A Thing. Since the New Union Accords of 1989 it consists of Russia proper,Belarus,Georgia,roughly the northern fifth of Armenia,and some concessions like the 75 year lease of Sevastopol from Ukraine or the 300 year (!) lease of the Baikonur area from Kazakhstan. Most people in 2005 call it the “Union State” from the Accords.
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