The Candace Clique

Chapter One

Anastasia opened up her laptop and started to type another chapter in her new book, humming to a beat of a song she was listening to. Her foot tapped on the bleachers repeatedly, absentmindedly replaying the entire ballet routine inside her head.

The glistening light of the sun showered down on them as the three friends idled themselves while they waited for Bridget’s volleyball practice to end.

“How hot can it get?” Candace wailed, leaning back on her shoulders on the higher bleacher behind her and unbuttoning a few buttons from her blouse. The soccer team didn’t beat behind the bush upon staring at the blonde’s tempting position. The girl cracked a smile, blowing her admirers a kiss before trying to cool herself down.

Julia took out a cigarette from the back of her faded jeans. Her black polished fingers expertly covered the flame from her lighter as she lighter her stick, taking a long satisfying drag before she blew out clouds from her mouth, “Candace, can’t you go a day without seducing any guy?”

The blonde cracked her neck, taking a sip from her slushy, “Can’t you go a day without changing your hair color and adding another piercing?”

Before Julia could let loose another snide remark, Anastasia looked up from her laptop while scrunching up her nose, “Jules, can you please stop smoking? It’s really unhealthy.”

“No, I can’t,” Julia snapped. She took the cigar out from her mouth and held it up with two fingers, “Can, you promise we’d go to the mall after this?”

Candace nodded, “I have to pass my mural to Mom’s secretary, she said they’ll make more copies and have it sold in no time.”

Anastasia pouted in envy, tucking an astray dark curl behind her ear, “You’re so lucky your mom’s a famous goddess that everyone worships the ground she walks on.”

Margaret Lowe is the owner of Lowe Enterprise. Lowe Enterprise has been the widest and richest magazine enterprise there is. Margaret has only inherited the business which was first handled by her grandmother.

Candace let out a bark of laughter, “Yeah, well she’s got to do far more for me to worship the ground she walks on.”

“Why do you hate your mom so much?” blabbed Julia, inhaling on her cigarette once more, receiving another disgusted look from Anastasia.

Candace straightened up, combing a manicured hand through her shiny blonde hair, “I don’t hate her, Jules,” she explained, feeling as though her throat is going dry, “it’s just that, Mom and I don’t spend a lot of time like before anymore and she’s always busy with everything.”

“Well, that’s how you get the things you want, Can,” Anastasia muttered, looking at Candace through her long, thick, lashes, “you see, you’re good at the things you draw and your Mom manages to pull some strings to get them to go worldwide, isn’t that enough proof she loves you?”

Candace smiled genuinely, “I got your point, An.” She looked over at Bridget who was being hauled over Patrick—the quarterback of Bentley High School, and also the son of the owner of the school—and was given a ruffle to her light brown hair, “isn’t Bridget just lucky?”

The rebel nodded, following the other girl’s gaze, “Patrick Bentley’s ass is so fine.”

“Agreed,” Candace smirked, giving Patrick a once over.

Anastasia rolled her eyes dismissively, “You guys are gross.”

Bridget came up running to her three friends, still laughing at something Patrick and his friends had said a while back. When she reached her friends, the first thing she did was open her arms up and shrug, “Why don’t you guys try to be sporty, too?”