Invasion of the Boy Snatchers by Lisi Harrison Page B

her bedroom cautiously, not exactly sure what she was afraid of.
    “Claire?” Massie asked meekly. “You in here?”
    “Yup.” Claire’s voice sounded muffled, like she was inside a box.
    “So am I,” another muffled voice chimed in.
    Massie poked her head inside the closet and saw Claire standing with Layne.
    “What are you doing here?”
    “I told Claire I’d come over today and help her unpack.” Layne was wearing a pink rain hat similar to the one Kristen had been wearing at school the other day and a hot pink jumpsuit that was unzipped just enough to show a sliver of the black-and-yellow-striped sweater she was wearing underneath. She had a beige canvas backpack strapped to her shoulders.
    “What are you wearing?” Massie asked. “Did you skydive here?”
    “You know, you didn’t really give her much closet space to work with,” Layne said.
    “It’s okay, Layne.” Claire pushed Layne out of the closet.
    “No, it’s not, it’s totally unfair,” Layne insisted.
    “Hey, Layne, knock knock.” Massie put her hands on her hips.
    Claire sighed.
    “Who’s there?” Layne asked, happy to help.
    “Butt out.”
    “Butt out who?”
    “Butt out, Layne!” Massie turned on her heel and marched out of the closet. She slammed the door behind her and locked it, leaving Claire and Layne trapped inside. It was the first time she giggled all day.
    “Let us out.” Layne pounded on the door. “Or I’ll wipe jalapeño salt all over your precious cashmere sweaters.”
    “Go ahead. Claire has already destroyed half of my wardrobe. You might as well finish the job. See you later,” Massie shouted. “Good luck with your reorganizing.” She stomped on her wood floors, pretending to leave. After a few seconds, Massie quietly removed her diamond studs and pressed her ear against the door.
    Layne was panting.
    “She’ll let us out eventually. Don’t panic. So what’s up?” Claire was obviously trying to take Layne’s mind off the fact that they were trapped. “How’s Eli? Are you two still hot and heavy?”
    “I dumped him last night on IM. I wrote, ‘U G2G 4Ever.’”
    They giggled.
    “Why?”
    “He told me he bumped into Alicia and Nina at the MAC makeup counter,” Layne said.
    “So you finally got tired of dating a guy who wears eyeliner?”
    “No, he became obsessed with Nina. He wouldn’t stop talking about her. He loved her sexy boots, her wild outfits, and her exotic accent. I swear, Nina-mania is spreading faster than Dylan’s flu.”
    “Let’s ask the hearts about her.”
    “’Kay,” Layne agreed. “Hearts, should we lock up our crushes? Is Nina a boy-snatcher?”
    Claire giggled. Massie pressed her head against the door a little harder. She heard the plastic bag rustle and the candy hearts clink together.
    “ It says, ‘ She
-devil. ’”
    Massie felt her stomach sink when she heard Claire and Layne gasp. She wanted to run in the closet and ask them to help her come up with a plan to get rid of Nina.
    “That girl must be stopped,” Layne shouted. “It is our duty to put an end to Nina the Sex Machina.”
    Just then, Massie’s cell phone rang. She fumbled to hit ignore, but it was too late.
    “Massie, are you out there?” Claire shouted.
    “Open the door.” Layne pounded.
    “Come on, Massie, we have a movie to catch,” Claire pleaded.
    Massie unlocked the door with one hand and answered her phone with the other.
    Layne and Claire burst out of the closet and stormed out of the bedroom.
    Massie ignored them.
    “Hullo? . . . Hey, Kristen, what’s up? . . . Your bike lock is missing? What about your bike? . . . Who would take the lock and leave the bike? . . . Well, I can’t find my crimper. . . .” Massie searched her room to see if anything else was gone. That was when she noticed an empty space on her Glossip Girl shelf where her tube of Cotton Candy had been. “I think I know who did this.” She thought of the ten minutes she had spent in the bathroom while