Read Online The Perfectionists by Sara Shepard - Free Book Online Page B

approached. Parker yanked her hoodie over her head. These girls were nice—they looked at her directly without staring, as though there was nothing wrong with her—but still she felt uncomfortable around them.
    â€œWhat the hell are we going to do?” Ava burst out, her voice tinged with tears.
    â€œWe should stay calm,” Julie said evenly, though she was gripping Parker’s hand so hard Parker thought her nails might slice straight through her skin. “I mean, look. We didn’t do anything. We gave him one Oxy pill—that’s all. It’s not enough to kill anyone. Especially not him.”
    â€œBut that conversation we had.” Caitlin’s gaze flicked back and forth. “The things I said . The things we did. ”
    â€œI know,” Parker interrupted, thinking back to that night.
    For hours leading up to it, she’d considered not going at all, but the temptation of getting Nolan back— really getting him back—was too great. She’d slipped into the party unseen, her hoodie up over her head. She’d found Julie instantly. “Ready for this?” she’d asked her, her smile wide.
    Julie’s smile had been much more nervous. “I think so.”
    They’d gone upstairs one by one. On the landing, Parker had looked down into the crowd, but no one was watching them—they were either texting, or chugging beers, or hooking up with someone. She remembered seeing Asher in the corner, flirting with a girl from Brillwood Prep, and Ursula, talking to a JV player. Julie’s friend Nyssa was making out with a basketball player while Julie’s wannabe clone, Ashley, was talking to the hot new guy from Australia. Parker had continued up the dark stairwell, downing a beer and dropping the cup on one of the risers.
    The others joined her in the third-floor bathroom. A vase of fresh yellow asters sat on the vanity counter.
    Mackenzie had looked at Caitlin. “You have it, right?”
    Caitlin pulled out an orange prescription bottle with her name across the top. “Yep.”
    â€œHow much should we give him?” Ava asked.
    â€œJust one,” Parker said knowingly, thinking back to what Nolan had done to her. “It’s strong, especially with booze.”
    Caitlin shook one pill onto the counter and used the cap of the bottle to grind it into a powder. Julie handed her a cup of beer, and she brushed the powder in and stirred with her finger.
    And then they turned off the lights. The cup passed from girl to girl: They each spat in it for good measure. Their voices mingled together. He deserves everything that’s coming to him. Everyone’s going to thank us for this.
    They watched in silence from the balustrade as Ava took the cup and drifted downstairs. It took them a few minutes to pick Nolan out of the crowd—he was filling his beer at the keg.
    Nolan seemed surprised to see Ava, but took the drink unquestioningly from her hand. “ Hey there ,” said Mackenzie in a whispery voice faux-narrating as Ava leaned forward to murmur in Nolan’s ear. “Having fun tonight?”
    Then Mac switched to Nolan’s part, pitching her voice deep. “Now that you’re here I am. What’s this delicious drink you’ve brought me? So good! Glug glug glug.”
    The other girls, Parker included, giggled. She held her breath as Nolan took his first sip.
    â€œ Tonight’s been awesome ,” Mackenzie continued the joke. “I’ve already pantsed a freshman, poured beer all over a girl so I could see through her shirt, and pushed four of my so-called friends into the pool. Luckily I’m super rich and all these pathetic douche bags spend all their time pandering to my every need, so there are no repercussions to my totally asinine behavior.”
    Below them, Ava touched his bicep, a coy smile playing across her lips. She knew how to keep a boy’s attention, that was for sure. It was a