Dial L for Loser (Updated)
The PC are sitting in Starbucks celebrating their expulsion from OCD. After learning that the expression jinxed is out and AC is in, Claire wonders what she can do to earn the PC full-time respect and coming up short. Well not so much with Kristen (who it’s a nightmare for). Her parents are making her study philosophy so she’ll know what she’s throwing away. Not only did she get expelled she lost her scholarship. There’s a meeting coming up and Alicia says her parents will sue if they’re not allowed back in. If not Claire will have to go to public school. Massie, Dylan, and Alicia wouldn’t mind either being home schooled or going to boarding school in Switzerland.
Claire tells them the next day, Layne is throwing a protest in their honor. Massie is happy to see 18 girls have signs for her but 6 want to start replacement cliques (Da Crew and the Country Crew) and she can NOT let this happen! Dylan gives her friends the news that Abby Boyd and Hadley Durk with be on “The Daily Grind” to talk about their new movie Dial L For Loser (something that hasn't happened since Abby stole Hadley's boyfriend, Palmer Dryden) and the best part is she has passes for all of them.
In the bathroom, Dylan tells them that Abby and Gabor (Hadley’s boyfriend) have been hooking up behind Hadley’s back for weeks. Unfortunately, Calgery Edwards (Merri-Lee’s co-host) has her mic on (on) the toilet and Abby and Haley hear her and get into a cat fight. Hadley quits when Abby dumps tomato sauce on her head (live) and walks out. Rupert Mann makes an announcement on a talk show that he’s looking for the girl whose phone he’s holding (it’s Massies). He wants to fly her and her friends out to LA to audition to take Hadley’s place. When he gets in touch with Massie he tells her don’t bring “the red head”.
Kristen isn’t allowed to go because of her harsh parents. So, only Claire, Massie, and Alicia will be auditioning. Massie’s audition is too confident for the character of Molly. Alicia’s is good but Rupert says she’s too beautiful for anyone to buy she’s a loser. Claire gets the part (helped by the fact that she dressed the part-due to Massie and Alicia having water spilled on her shirt and the short cut of her bangs-). Immediately Alicia and Massie turn their backs on her. While Massie and Alicia are preparing to go back to Westchester, Kristen and Dylan surprise them with a job from Merri-Lee to stay and be behind-the scenes- reporters for the Daily Grind.
On the first day of shooting, Alicia and Massie freeze up and Claire has to come to their rescue and she takes control of most of the segment. The cast give Claire a special edition Dial L For Loser cell phone. (I forgot to say that when they talk to Kristen and Dylan back home, they tell them all the Tomahawk’s have to invite dates to the St. Patrick’s Day Dance whether they want to or not). Claire worries about who Cam is taking to the dance when he doesn’t answer her calls but then finds out from Layne he took Todd. Massie and Alicia want to ditch the parents and ask Claire can they meet up with her and Abby, but she doesn’t call them back while hanging out with Abby and Conner.
Massie gets told unless she livens up her segment, she and Alicia will get the ax. So, they try to interview Abby but she refuses. On top of this, she shoots off at the mouth about Alicia and Massie being the girls Claire blew off the night before and Conner liking Claire. So, Massie and Alicia manipulate the security guard, get into Claire’s trailer, and go live where they *find* a lot of embarrassing things they’ve planted (Pepto, Oxy, Listerine, face bleach, Dependends undergarments, ladies Rogaine, Head and Shoulders, Desenex (for athletes foot), Cruex (for jock itch, and oversized tampons). Fortunately they’re able to get a interview with Conner who comes looking for Claire.
Claire is hurt and brought to tears, but Massie just says she’s a drama queen. Connor wants Massie and Alicia to help him “get in touch with his emotions” and invites them swimming at his place in Malibu. Claire finds out it’s all about “picture wares” in Hollywood. She also finds out that Connier is taking advantage of “Moosie and Alice” in the press to uphold his bad boy image (what with them being drop outs) but decides not to do anything about it. Conner invites both Massie and Alicia to a wrap party. They find out he and Abby are an item-and have been for a while- from his mother whose glad he’s hanging out with “some nice girls”. They promise they won’t tell. They never gossip.
Alicia and Massie are on set when Claire has to kiss Connor (but she has her assistant escort them out for making her lose focus). At first, she has trouble with the kiss (not wanting to cheat on Cam) but then she really gets into it-making Abby “suggest” she dial it back-. When she calls Cam, she finds out Massie has emailed him a picture of the kiss. Claire tells him there’s nothing going on with her and Conner. It was just a scene. He tells her there’s nothing going on with him and *her* and hangs up the phone on her. He also thinks CF stood for Cam Foley (a question she was asked in the interview to give her crush’s initials).
Massie and Alicia make their way back to Connor’s trailer (they’re his guests on set) and they wonder why everyone is laughing at them-and thinks it’s because Claire kicked them off set-. They find out from overhearing Conner on the phone that he hired the photographers that they heard in the bushes while they were at his house to make Abby jealous. Instead, they got him dumped. The pictures are in US Weekly and are of Alicia what snot coming out of her nose and Massie picking her swim suit out her butt.
Claire finds out when she tries to stay in touch with Abby that she was just her “MBF” (movie best friend). Upset she heads back to her hotel room. On the way up she shares a elevator with Alicia and Massie -who are surprised to see her crying-. She tells them that in NY at least they’re honest when they don’t like you. Here people just prtend to be your friends. Then they go back and forth accusing each other of times that they’ve been there that they other pretended to be their friend but they weren’t. Claire then starts laughing hysterically and throwing chocolates at Alicia and Massie. They tell her to stop but there’s nothing they can threaten her with anymore and she says they’ll be begging for her friendship when the pictures come out. Alicia says point.
Kristen and Dylan write a paper on the meaning of life that gets all of them back at OCD but they all have to join clubs. Massie makes things right with Cam and Claire and when they get home there’s a surprise party (but Kristen and Dylan have already leaked this). At the end of the book another director calls Claire who wants her to move to California so he can take her to the top. She takes Cam’s hand and decides to just live in the moment.
My Thoughts:
Let's start with Claire since she's the star of this book. It felt good to see her one up Massie, who just really makes me ILL. I think if I had to pick a favorite character -and it's really hard with this series- Claire would be the one that makes me least wonder why I continue to read these books. Tho don't get me wrong Claire is such a weak character that she never seems to get that Massie is NOT her friend. I'm glad Claire got the role, but this is what frustrates me about the whole thing. As soon as I got back to the Block Estate -Layne may be Westchester's "loser"- but I'd ditch the PC so fast. Massie dumped all OVER Claire on national television with no shame what so ever AFTER she saves Massie and Alicia from public humiliation. and then Then jeopardizes her relationship with Cam. When Massie and Alicia's rep gets trashed, Claire wants to tell them upfront When is this girl gonna get a clue? By the end of the series? And then when I read about boyfriends of actresses getting jealous and the girlfriend's getting insecure over having to kiss the male lead it makes me want to scream. DID YOU NOT READ THE SCRIPT? The movie is about ROMANCE. There's a HOT male actor. What did you think was gonna happen? Yal were gonna hold hands? Firstly, if you’re an actor/actress that comes with the territory. and If you or your mate is that insecure, first of all, you're in the wrong field and second, you need a new gf or bf. The bf's make me just as frustrated because they never seem able to grasp the fact that again IT'S ACTING! Not to say tho that romantic attachments haven't formed from lead actors and actresses in those kinds of parts. Look at the leads from Once Upon A Time, True Blood, and Twilight (just to name a few). Massie and Alicia -with zero experience- (unless you count Alicia's at school) just happen to get picked to do a segment. And the one they’re picked cause the director still has Massie’s phone. These girls are so spoiled it's unreal how everything just seems to be handed to them for NO REASON! She even gets her dog MAILED to her. Because she can't wait 3 weeks (rolling eyes).
v RATING: 6. At least in this one, Claire's HOT ish and Massie has to fall WAY back!