Perfect Mistake

  "That's so great, you guys," Ariana said.

  "I think so," Conrad said, leaning back and putting his arm around

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  Lexa. "Although I am just using her for the invite. I've been hearing about this party for years."

  "Shut up," Lexa said, whacking his chest with the back of her hand. Lexa smiled surreptitiously at Ariana as the waiter worked his way around the table to Connie. "Thank you," she mouthed.

  "You're welcome," Ariana whispered back. She glanced across the crowded dining hall at the crew table, where Palmer had been taking most of his meals. He wasn't looking her way, but she smiled nonetheless. A huge obstacle had just been cleared for them--bulldozed, perhaps--and he didn't even know it yet.

  "Nice singing, Ana," Kaitlynn said as she glided past their table. "I didn't know you had it in you." Then she leaned down next to Ariana's ear and whispered so that only she could hear. "Looks like you've just solidified your spot in Stone and Grave. Too bad that means someone else is going to have to go."

  "Not to worry, Lil," Ariana said facetiously. "By the time the NoBash is over, we'll both have what we want."

  Kaitlynn stood up, shot Ariana an intrigued glance, then gave the table a perfectly sweet and innocent smile and walked away.

  "What was that all about?" Lexa asked.

  "Oh, just some roommate business," Ariana replied, reaching for her water glass. "Now, what do you guys want to hear for my encore?"

  Everyone laughed and started throwing out names of ridiculous songs. Ariana relaxed into her chair and breathed easy for the first time in days. Finally, finally things were looking up.

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  ARM CANDY

  Dressed in her strapless, crushed silk gown, her auburn hair pinned back from her face, Ariana felt more beautiful than she had since becoming Briana Leigh. More like herself. For the first time in days, she had everything under control. For the first time in days, she knew exactly how her night was going to end. And it wasn't going to be under Kaitlynn's knife or her scissors or her nail clipper. By the end of the night, Kaitlynn would be satisfied. Her membership in Stone and Grave would be a lock--as long as she completed her own task, which was not Ariana's responsibility--and everyone would be happy.Except, of course, Tahira and her friends and family. But that was not Ariana's concern.

  "This is going to be the greatest NoBash ever!" Brigit announced, raising her video camera in the air to take in the scene outside Wolcott Hall. The two dozen glammed--up students milling around out front cheered in response, hamming it up for the camera. Ariana, standing

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  with Soomie, Maria, Landon, and Christian--all of whom had received their own invites and were therefore going "stag"--waved and laughed as the camera lens passed by her.

  "Where's your roommate?" Soomie asked, adjusting her black velvet wrap, which rested in the crook of her arms. She wore a tasteful, gunmetal strapless gown and a simple diamond necklace, her hair pulled back in a tight bun. Pretty, but she could have been Noelle Lange's tightly wound mother headed for the opera.

  "Who knows?" Ariana said airily.

  And who cares? she added silently.

  The last time she had seen Kaitlynn, she had been cursing at her mascara wand in the bathroom. It would be the icing on the cake of her week if Kaitlynn somehow managed to miss the limo caravan to the party. Ariana barely dared to dream. She glanced around the crowd for Palmer, who had never shown up at the door of her room as she assumed he would. Perhaps he had expected to meet her here with everyone else. Although she would have preferred the formality of being picked up at her room, she was too giddy at the thought of being with him to care all that much. She couldn't wait to see what he thought of her gown.

  Then, as if thought alone had conjured them out of thin air, Ariana spotted Kaitlynn near the curb, once again blatantly flirting with Palmer. Palmer wore his black tuxedo like the style was made exclusively for him. Ariana hadn't seen anyone look so comfortable in a suit since Thomas Pearson first semi--seduced her at the Winter Ball all those years ago. As Kaitlynn's fingertips fell lightly on Palmer's arm,

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  Ariana felt a surge of proprietary ire she also hadn't felt in years. Not since the day she'd first seen Thomas talking to Reed Brennan on the Easton Academy quad. The day she'd lost him forever.

  That was not going to happen again.

  "Excuse me for a moment, ladies," Ariana said, squaring her shoulders.

  She strode over to Palmer and slipped up next to him, nudging his arm with her elbow.

  "Hey," she said with a just--for--him smile.

  He looked down at her. "Hey," he said flatly.

  Ariana's heart skipped a beat as trepidation zipped over her skin.

  "Hello, Ana. You look . . . cute," Kaitlynn said snootily.

  And you look like a skank, Ariana thought, checking out Kaitlynn's ridiculous cleavage in her red, sweetheart--neckline dress.

  "Lillian," Ariana replied, looking down her nose at her roommate. "Mind if I talk to Palmer for a sec? Alone?"

  Kaitlynn glanced at Palmer, as if expecting him to tell Ariana off. Instead he took a breath and blew it out noisily. "Actually, I do need to speak to Ana, Lillian. If you don't mind."

  Ariana's heart did a victory dance as Kaitlynn's face fell ever so slightly. "No problem," she said to Palmer. "I'll catch up with you later."

  Then she floated off to join Tahira and Rob in the crowd. Palmer stared out across the driveway toward the valley below, purposely avoiding Ariana's gaze. Her nerves sizzled as she wondered what was wrong. Had Kaitlynn said something bad about her?

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  "So ... are you my date for this thing or what?" Ariana said lightly."I don't know. You tell me," Palmer said, turning to her. He didn't appear angry, just hurt. Ariana felt a surge of confusion. She was capable of hurting Palmer Liriano?

  "What do you mean?" Ariana asked.

  "I mean, the last time I talked to you about it, you still didn't want to tell anyone, even though Lexa's been parading all over campus with her tongue down Conrad Royce's throat," Palmer said, color starting to rise from his neck to his face. Ariana felt the sting of this comment. He was hurt, but not entirely by her. He was hurt by Lexa's ability to move on so quickly. And probably by the fact that Ariana had not allowed him to do the same, by keeping him at arm's length. "So you tell me. Am I your date or not?"

  Ariana was opening her mouth to respond, when a slim arm looped around hers.

  "Is this guy bothering you?" Lexa joked.

  She looked drop--dead gorgeous in an emerald green gown that brought out the color of her eyes. It was cut low in the front, even lower in back, and had a multilayered skirt that accentuated the curve of her hips before cascading to the ground. Conrad was right on her heels, looking square and strong in his tuxedo.

  Palmer looked into Ariana's eyes. Ariana searched for the perfect thing to say. A way to make it seem as if the fact that Palmer was her date was no big deal--to telegraph to Lexa that it meant nothing-- while solidifying to Palmer that it meant everything.

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  "Come on, Ana," Lexa said, tugging her away. "Christian's dateless too, so I promised him you would be his arm candy. You don't mind if I steal her away, do you, Palmer?"

  Palmer's eyes never left Arianas. He was waiting for her to speak. Waiting for her to tell the truth. But the words were caught in Ariana's throat. Clearly Lexa wanted to get her away from Palmer. Clearly she still didn't want anyone near him. And as long as Ariana was certain Lexa could blackball her from Stone and Grave, she had to keep the girl happy. Palmer could blackball her too, of course, but she believed he was more of a gentleman than that. She believed he would understand that her motives here were pure. And she hoped that he believed, as she did, that all this waiting was just temporary.

  "No," Palmer said finally, as if he could follow the train of Ariana's thoughts in her eyes. "I don't mind at all."

  Even though it had been A
riana's decision, she felt as if he'd just driven a knife through her heart. But she allowed Lexa to pull her away from Palmer and toward Christian. As she went, she glanced back at Palmer, hoping to convey an apology with her eyes, and saw Kaitlynn already swooping in on him again.

  A white--hot bolt of rage shot through Ariana so fiercely, she thought for a moment that she wouldn't be able to contain it. Screw Lexa for snatching her away from Palmer. Lexa already had a new beau. She didn't need the old one. And screw Kaitlynn for homing in on the one guy Ariana wanted. There were plenty of hot, wealthy guys at this school. Couldn't she let Ariana have anything for herself?

  As she tore her gaze away from Palmer and his leech, Ariana saw

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  that she and Lexa were passing right by Tahira, Allison, and Rob. Her heart skipped a panicked beat at having nearly missed such a perfect opportunity. She reached into her bag, extracted the key from her safety--deposit box--she wouldn't be needing it anymore. She fingered the heavy metal keychain she'd attached to it, then slid it into the outside pocket on Tahiras gold, jewel--encrusted clutch, which was lying on a bench with Allison's bag and their wraps. Instantly, Ariana's body heat cooled.

  No one had seen. Step one of her plan was complete.

  "Christian, your arm candy as promised," Lexa said, practically flinging Ariana at Christian.

  "Nice," Christian said, looking Ariana up and down. "I'll try not to devour you all in one bite."

  Landon, Maria, Conrad, Lexa, and Soomie all laughed, while Brigit and Adam had the innocence to blush. Ariana, for her part, simply glanced at her watch and checked the drive for the still elusive limos.

  Suddenly she couldn't wait for this night to be over.

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  PHASE TWO

  Ariana stared out the window of the black stretch limousine as it whipped past the long, snaking line of luxury cars waiting to be cleared by the Norwegian embassy's security team. Curious partygoers strained their necks to get a glimpse of the car with the Norwegian flags adorning its front grill, wondering which of Norway's esteemed dignitaries were inside.Imagine what they would have thought if they could have seen inside and spotted Landon Jacobs downing a thick, dark Guinness from a can while Palmer and Christian cheered him on and Brigit, the beloved princess of Norway, curled into a corner screeching and laughing, just hoping he wouldn't spit it all out all over her.

  "Ah. That's the stuff," Landon said, lifting the larger--than--usual--size beer can over his head. "Thanks to the good people of Ireland for that."

  Then he belched. Long and loud. Even Soomie looked disgusted.

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  "Ah, the things you've learned on your world travels," Maria intoned jokingly.

  "Yeah, maybe on next year's tour you could, I don't know, take in a museum or two," Lexa joked.

  "If they'll pay me to sing, I'm in," Landon replied.

  "You're such a fame whore," Maria said, crossing her arms over her chest.

  "Ah, but that's why you love me," Landon replied, jostling her with his elbow.

  Maria blushed and got up to sit next to Lexa, clearly not wanting anyone in the car to take that love comment seriously. Lexa, meanwhile, looked plenty in love herself. She cuddled into the crook of Conrad's arm and he leaned in to kiss her forehead. Lexa smiled, then glanced out of the corner of her eye to make sure Palmer was watching. He wasn't. He was looking, instead, at Ariana. Quickly, Ariana trained her gaze out the window again as the limo turned onto the circular brick drive leading up to the embassy. Pretending to be oblivious to both Palmer and Lexa was key at this point. The last thing she wanted to do tonight was answer a bunch of Lexa's questions about why Palmer kept staring at her. The go--to answer would be have no idea what you're talking about. But she wasn't sure how long she could keep that up.

  "We're here!" Brigit announced merrily as the car came to a stop.

  Outside, a hundred camera lenses flanking the red carpet turned to face them. Ariana could hear the helicopters circling overhead, and saw at least a half--dozen uniformed guards stationed along the front

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  lines of the crowd. A red carpet led up to the front door of the mansion that was the embassy, and the whole facade glittered with light.

  "I have to go last, you guys. You know the drill," Brigit said. Adam clutched her hand, looking pale and clammy. Apparently the reality of exactly whom he was dating had just hit home full force.

  "I'm on it," Landon said.

  He flung open the door of the limousine and stepped out, his arms raised above his head. Instantly there was a communal gasp, followed by a cheer.

  "Oh my God! Is that Landon Jacobs?" someone shouted. And suddenly, flashbulbs shattered the night, clicking and blinking and winking like a thousand psychotic fireflies. Landon strolled down the red carpet solo, posing here, chatting with a reporter there. The guy knew exactly how to work a crowd.

  "At least he's good for creating a diversion," Maria said under her breath, holding the skirt of her dark pink gown as she stepped out.

  "Come on. He's good for way more than that," Soomie said, following after her with starry eyes.

  Christian jumped out and reached back for Ariana's hand. "Milady."

  Ariana shot him a smile, but got out on her own. "Sorry, Chris, but I'm not anyone's arm candy," she said, patting him on the arm. "Save me a dance, though."

  Christian's face fell, but he recovered quickly, sidling up next to Maria. Random Boy's feelings were the last thing on Ariana's mind. After her tiff with Palmer, this night had become all about work. She glanced over her shoulder at the next limo, which had transported Kaitlynn,

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  Tahira, and Zuri, plus Allison--whom Brigit had invited because she was a Stone and Grave potential--among others. Ariana had to wait for them to get out of the car without making it too obvious.

  "I'd never call you arm candy," Palmer whispered to her as he slipped by. Then he slapped Christian on the back and the two of them walked into the party together.

  Lexa and Conrad were next out of the car. Lexa put on a big grin for the paparazzi and Ariana heard a few whispers of "Lexa Greene" and "senator's daughter" skitter through the crowd. She looped her arm through Conrad's and looked at Ariana.

  "You coming, Ana?"

  "Actually, I'm going to wait for Lily," Ariana replied, her smile forced. "I'll be right in."

  "Okay."

  Lexa and Conrad walked the red carpet, looking every bit the movie--star couple. Ariana wished Lexa would fully invest herself in the guy already. She seemed to really like him, so why did it also seem like part of her simply wanted to make Palmer jealous?

  Kaitlynn, Allison, and Zuri were piling out of the rear car now. Allison and Zuri made their way up the red carpet, arms linked, posing for the cameras as Kaitlynn ducked her head and moved quickly inside. Smart move, and one Ariana would be making as well. If either of them was caught on camera, it would all be over.

  Behind Ariana, Brigit and Adam edged their way toward the door of their car. Ariana leaned over and stopped them.

  "Wait."

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  "What's wrong?" Brigit asked.

  "Tahira's just about to go through," Ariana said. "You want to be last, right? The big finale? Don't let her steal your spotlight. You know how much she'd enjoy it."

  Brigit nodded and smiled. "You're right. Thanks, Ana."

  "No problem,"

  Tahira got out of the car with Rob, and right away, all lenses were trained on the princess of Dubai. Tahira ate it up, waving, posing, flashing her wide grin, swiveling her hips. She made her way to the top of the red carpet so slowly, Ariana had to take baby steps just to get there when she wanted to--right in front of Tahira.

  "Hello, everyone! Well yes, of course! Brigit and I are dear, dear friends!" Tahira shouted, answering reporters questions. Ariana felt like hurling. Or, at the very least, stepping on the girl's glittery gold train so she'd trip and fall on her overly made--up face. But instead she had to c
oncentrate on walking slowly enough to get through the door just ahead of Tahira, and on making sure that none of the cameras could get a clear picture of her face.

  "What're you doing, Covington?" Tahira hissed under her breath, keeping her smile on. "Trying to throw me into shadow with your big head?"

  "Ah, Tahira. It would have to be bigger than yours to accomplish that," Ariana replied blithely.

  Tahira's smile only faltered for a moment, and she went back to working the crowd. By the time they finally reached the door of the embassy, even Rob was checking his watch.

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  "Can we get on with this? I'm starving," he said under his breath.

  "Do you think of nothing other than your stomach?" Tahira snapped. "This is practically my job, you know. I have an image to maintain."

  "I know. Sorry," Rob said, chagrined. He lifted his hands in surrender as the line edged forward.

  "Omigod, Rob, did I tell you? I got the best dirt on a donor," Tahira said out of nowhere. The hairs on the back of Ariana's neck prickled.

  "Really?" Rob whispered. Clearly Tahira had broken the rules and told him all about Stone and Grave and her secret task. Ariana wondered if the Stone and Grave members knew about this. Or if there was some way she could let them know.

  Of course, after tonight, it wouldn't matter anymore that Tahira had broken the rules.

  "What is it?" Rob asked.

  "I'll tell you later," Tahira said. Then she leaned toward Ariana's ear from behind. "But somebody's going daaa--own!" she sang under her breath.

  It took every ounce of Ariana's willpower to keep from turning around and smacking the girl across the face.

  She had to go. It was either her or Ariana. Simple as that. Ariana arrived at the front of the line.

  "Please place any metal objects in the container on the belt, then move through," the guard instructed.

  Ariana had nothing metal on her person, so she slipped through

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  the gate with no problem. Up ahead, revelers were gathering in a huge anteroom, partaking in champagne and appetizers. Ariana hesitated, loitering among the few Hatches of people who had stayed behind to chat in this first hall.