me, I want to keep this small," Noelle told her. "The more selective the better."
"That's what I like to hear. So who are we including?" Kiran asked. Her thumbs were poised over her BlackBerry, ready to take down the pertinent information. Noelle straightened her legs and flipped her hair over her shoulder.
"Not Cheyenne. Let's start there." "Fabulous decision." "Girls. Let's not be rude," Adriana said in her stern voice. "She's not going to come anyway," Kiran told her. "All the more reason to extend the invitation," Ariana replied coolly. "It's always better not to burn bridges. You never know who Cheyenne might become." "I already know. The frigid, cuckolded wife of some repressed gay senator," Noelle said. She and Kiran laughed, and Kiran dragged her hand across Noelle's. "Charming," Ariana said. Noelle rolled her eyes. "Fine. We'll invite her," she said. But when Ariana looked down again, Noelle shook her head at Kiran ever so slightly. Kiran smirked. Dissension in the ranks. Who knew?
"Okay, so, the four of us, Cheyenne,"
Kiran said, half-laughing. "Who else?" "Uh, you guys can leave me out of it," I told them. The room fell silent. I continued to pretend to read as if I hadn't just kiboshed the merriment. "You're not serious," Noelle stated. "I'm sorry. I'm just not in the mood to party right now," I told her without looking up. I could feel them looking at one another. "God, Reed, why don't you get over yourself already?" Kiran said. My face stung.
"Excuse me?" I blurted, turning to her. "Sorry. I don't think I meant to say that out loud," Kiran told me, looking surprisingly chagrined. Noelle shot her a look that could have wilted steel. "I think that what Kiran means to say is, you need to find a way to get past this," Noelle said. "And I think that this night is exactly what you need."
"Yeah, you've mentioned that," I replied. "I just don't agree." "Look, Reed, I know things have sucked lately," Noelle said. I snorted. "Okay, that's an understatement, but I don't know what word would cover it, so just go with me on this, okay?" she said, pushing herself off her bed. "I know things have sucked, but that's exactly why we have to get out of here. This place has nothing but bad vibes lately. Don't you just want to get away from it for a few hours?" "Of course I do," I told her. "But I can't do that until--" "Until what? Until Josh is free?" Noelle said. "Even if he is found innocent, that could take months. What are you gonna do in the meantime? Just sit around here and wallow?"
"She's right. It's not good for your health," Ariana said, closing her book. "Not to mention your complexion," Kiran put in. I wanted out of this conversation. Especially in the next moment, when Noelle's eyes narrowed and took on that wicked sheen.
"Or maybe you just want to stay home so you can sneak out in the middle of the night again," she said. Of course. Of course she knew I'd left the dorm the other night. Why did
I ever think I could get away with it? Ariana and Kiran both looked surprised, however, so Noelle hadn't shared this information with them. "When are you going to get it into your head, Reed?" Noelle said. "I--" "Know everything. I know," I said tersely. "It's in my head already, believe me." I stood up, ignoring the ire on her face at being interrupted, and quickly gathered my things. "Let me ask you this. Do you know where I went?" I didn't even know I was going to ask her that until the words were out of my mouth. But then I realized I had to know. Was she aware that Dash and I were sneaking around together in the middle of the night? Did she know why? Were we both in for some kind of retribution?
But as I watched, her defiant expression faltered slightly and I knew. She had no clue what I'd been doing. She was hoping I'd panic and tell her. So that she would be fully in the know, as she so loved to be. "Guess not," I said, savoring that moment. That one moment when I actually knew for sure that I knew
"That's what I like to hear. So who are we including?" Kiran asked. Her thumbs were poised over her BlackBerry, ready to take down the pertinent information. Noelle straightened her legs and flipped her hair over her shoulder.
"Not Cheyenne. Let's start there." "Fabulous decision." "Girls. Let's not be rude," Adriana said in her stern voice. "She's not going to come anyway," Kiran told her. "All the more reason to extend the invitation," Ariana replied coolly. "It's always better not to burn bridges. You never know who Cheyenne might become." "I already know. The frigid, cuckolded wife of some repressed gay senator," Noelle said. She and Kiran laughed, and Kiran dragged her hand across Noelle's. "Charming," Ariana said. Noelle rolled her eyes. "Fine. We'll invite her," she said. But when Ariana looked down again, Noelle shook her head at Kiran ever so slightly. Kiran smirked. Dissension in the ranks. Who knew?
"Okay, so, the four of us, Cheyenne,"
Kiran said, half-laughing. "Who else?" "Uh, you guys can leave me out of it," I told them. The room fell silent. I continued to pretend to read as if I hadn't just kiboshed the merriment. "You're not serious," Noelle stated. "I'm sorry. I'm just not in the mood to party right now," I told her without looking up. I could feel them looking at one another. "God, Reed, why don't you get over yourself already?" Kiran said. My face stung.
"Excuse me?" I blurted, turning to her. "Sorry. I don't think I meant to say that out loud," Kiran told me, looking surprisingly chagrined. Noelle shot her a look that could have wilted steel. "I think that what Kiran means to say is, you need to find a way to get past this," Noelle said. "And I think that this night is exactly what you need."
"Yeah, you've mentioned that," I replied. "I just don't agree." "Look, Reed, I know things have sucked lately," Noelle said. I snorted. "Okay, that's an understatement, but I don't know what word would cover it, so just go with me on this, okay?" she said, pushing herself off her bed. "I know things have sucked, but that's exactly why we have to get out of here. This place has nothing but bad vibes lately. Don't you just want to get away from it for a few hours?" "Of course I do," I told her. "But I can't do that until--" "Until what? Until Josh is free?" Noelle said. "Even if he is found innocent, that could take months. What are you gonna do in the meantime? Just sit around here and wallow?"
"She's right. It's not good for your health," Ariana said, closing her book. "Not to mention your complexion," Kiran put in. I wanted out of this conversation. Especially in the next moment, when Noelle's eyes narrowed and took on that wicked sheen.
"Or maybe you just want to stay home so you can sneak out in the middle of the night again," she said. Of course. Of course she knew I'd left the dorm the other night. Why did
I ever think I could get away with it? Ariana and Kiran both looked surprised, however, so Noelle hadn't shared this information with them. "When are you going to get it into your head, Reed?" Noelle said. "I--" "Know everything. I know," I said tersely. "It's in my head already, believe me." I stood up, ignoring the ire on her face at being interrupted, and quickly gathered my things. "Let me ask you this. Do you know where I went?" I didn't even know I was going to ask her that until the words were out of my mouth. But then I realized I had to know. Was she aware that Dash and I were sneaking around together in the middle of the night? Did she know why? Were we both in for some kind of retribution?
But as I watched, her defiant expression faltered slightly and I knew. She had no clue what I'd been doing. She was hoping I'd panic and tell her. So that she would be fully in the know, as she so loved to be. "Guess not," I said, savoring that moment. That one moment when I actually knew for sure that I knew
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