Everyone's their own Gossip Girl *BOOK PREVIEW*

Gossip #6:

Andrea could care less about the ball that was hosted by the great Eric Van Verona himself, but if that meant that Monica was about to make her appearance there, she had no choice but to attend.

Questions were circling her mind. She slipped on her navy TOMS before slipping on one of her mom’s Marc Jacob’s favourite fragrance. She grabbed the denim jacket from the hook and glanced at the mirror. She was looking unusually fancy this evening. She had her side braid on, the bold red lips, and her staple clear pink polish on. But there was something else about her. The dark brown hair wasn’t used to make herself look any more animalistic. Instead it seemed to piece together the neat and orderly side of her.

A side Andrea hadn’t seen in a long time.

“Shouldn’t you wait inside until maybe she knocks or something?” Andrea’s Mom asked, worry struck all over her face. Her daughter was looking so fashionably dressed. She didn’t want anything bad happening on the biggest night of Pinewood’s history. Monica was coming back and that only meant more drama and more tears from Andrea.

Andrea shot her Mom a look. “Last time I threw a phone down the window at her car and she caught it. She’s going to catch a person on the sidewalk, just standing there, in front of her own house with two protective brothers and one ex army of a mother.”

Mrs. Vega threw herself, laughing. “I’m just offering some more warmth. And are you sure you’re going to go like that to The Palace’s ball?”

“This isn’t Cinderella ball we’re talking about here. This is just a casual dance they like to call a ball for extra attention.” Or it could have been that Andrea didn’t have any dresses that fit her at the moment. Andrea was a growing girl and no one could compete with that. She was a five foot eight while her mother was a five foot six. She was just towering over everyone. Even her eldest brother who was out of the house and married was only a few centimetres taller than she was. Her whole “milk plan” had paid off.

“And you’re wearing those shoes,” Mrs. Vega stated. She sighed deeply before returning to the kitchen.

Suddenly three knocks were planted on the door and Andrea couldn’t help but squeal. She furiously swung the door open, grinning at her friend. The friend who was all dressed up in a pastel purple dress, the fabric looking very expensive and light.

Lily raised her eyebrows, scanning Andrea from head to toe. She shook her head in disapproval. “No way girl. There is no way you’re going to The Palace Ball like that.”

“Well, I’m not wearing a dress. I might as well crash a party.”

“Well you don’t know it’s a party until it’s been crashed,” Lily said as she closed the door. She glanced over at her friend, looking all sophisticated and preppy. Lily had to admit, it was a good turn for Andrea. She hoped Andrea would clean up as good as she did tonight, but then again, if this was what Andrea thought of when she thought of “Cinderella” there was no way anyone could imagine what a thrift store look would appear to be.

Andrea raised an eyebrow. “What are you trying to hint at Lily?”

She looked at me, her cheeks raising as she gave Andrea this suspicious sneaky smile of hers. “Were you even invited?”

“Just because you weren’t invited doesn’t make you the party crasher.” Andrea grabbed her black Chanel and set it against her right hip, right in her grip. If she was going to meet the same girl she had told all her secrets to, she was going to have to make a good second first impression. Andrea had a feeling Monica would come the same exact way she was when she had left. Almost too exact. “Mom, I’ll be back before ten, okay?”