Ain't No Party Like a Boy-Girl Party!
Pretty Committee + Hormones + Insecurity = Best Friends for Never.
Hello GLU’s! Welcome back to the Clique Book Club. This week in Best Friends for Never:
Massie’s boy-girl Halloween Party is a hormonal wonderland. The Briarwood boys are in the mix, Olivia Ryan is a post-glow-up hottie, and Layne is crush-positive. Kristen and Dylan like Derrick Herrington (aka Derrington), and Massie and Claire like Cam Fisher. It’s utter chaos. The fact that Massie likes Cam but fears rejection too much to admit it makes everything worse. Because when the party is over, Claire and Cam are just getting started.
And.
Massie.
Is.
Pissed.
Would Claire have avoided Cam if she knew Massie liked him too? Is it better that she didn’t know?
And then there’s Alicia, who left with Olivia Ryan and didn’t even say goodbye to the Pretty Committee. Is it worse that she left with a girl? Would they have forgiven her faster if she bolted with a Briarwood boy? Should they be angry at all? I mean, Irish goodbyes are our Riverdance. So, what’s really going on here?
Let’s discuss:
Massie sweats confidence. Why is she such an insecure mess now that the boys have entered the scene? Can you relate?
Alicia has seemingly ditched TPC for Olivia Ryan. Does she legitimately like Olivia more, or is she getting something else out of the relationship? And why are they so mad?
Claire has some serious AP-level chemistry with Cam. Unlike Massie, the “alpha,” this supposed “LBR,” is not afraid to take a chance on romance. How do you explain this Freaky Friday confidence switch?
LFG (Let’s F-ing Gossip)!
xoxo Lisi & Ellen
1. For one, boys in middle, and hell even now, make me a hot mess. I’ve had a weird time in middle school with, and even now it hasn’t gotten much better. And I guess for Massie, and even her friends, it was probably VERY confusing having to deal with those newfound emotions. Even for the boys too, I can see for hem how it was also very confusing.
2. It’s the control. She has control over her new friend and she was probably getting tired of being pushed around. Olivia gave her that chance to be the “Alpha” in their friendship. Their experience with boys I still believe is as low as all the other girls.
3. It’s the confidence. And maybe Claire has had a crush before she moved to New York. She can have normal conversations with guys and get along better. Her and Cam are the beacon for “middle school sweethearts”. Since she’s been around before though, she better able to handle herself. (🩷Claire and Cam forever!🩷)
1. I think Massie is insecure because she's very used to being the one everyone turns to. Massie's the one who sets most of the style trends at OCD, and I think her friends turn to her a lot. As a result of being the alpha, I think people automatically assume that Massie has experience with boys, and she doesn't want anyone to think otherwise.
2. When I re-read this, I was shocked that Alicia ditched TPC so suddenly. But, I think that Alicia definitely feels worshipped by Olivia. I think in TPC, Massie gets credit for everything, and she gets a lot of attention.
3. I think Claire's confidence comes from her "experience" with boys in Florida. She realizes in this book that she has more experiencing interacting with boys than most girls at OCD. I still find it really interesting that Cam starts liking Claire after their first conversation, despite her own worry that guys wouldn't find her attractive in her costume. I think Cam likes that Claire is herself, and she's someone he can laugh with.