He dropped the chart and started for the door. Colleen held it open for him, but he paused.
"Put her on watch for seventy-two hours," he said.
Ariana's pulse all but stopped. She felt as if the restraints were tightening around her. Cutting into her skin. Pulling her down into some deep, dark abyss. She strained her neck to lift her head, chin to chest, so she could see them.
No. Not possible. Not acceptable. She had to be out by the morning of the fourth. Everything hinged on that date. Everything.
"Seventy-two hours?" Colleen frowned, holding her clipboard in both hands. "I can't do that."
"You can and you will," Meloni said ominously. "If she gets out before Wednesday, she'll be allowed in the yard for fireworks on the fourth. We can't reward this type of behavior."
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Ariana's pulse was racing. She stared at Colleen. Felt almost dizzy.
Please. Please, no.
Colleen placed her hands on her sizable hips. "I'm sorry, but I can't. The standard is forty-eight, and you know how the warden has been cracking down on procedures lately. I'm not going to lose my job on your whim."
Wow. Go, Colleen. Ariana had known there was a reason she wanted to be under Colleen's watch. Her eyes shifted to Meloni. Holding her head up was becoming difficult. She watched as his jaw worked. As he considered his options. Pull rank and make a scene, or back down. Luckily, his spineless side won out.
"Fine. Forty-eight it is," he said authoritatively. As if he had been the one making the decision. He turned and yanked the door open as wide as it would go, then stormed off down the hallway. Colleen rolled her eyes toward the ceiling and touched her cross before going about her business. Hiding a smile, Ariana dropped her head back onto the pillow and sighed.
Everything was okay. Everything was going to be okay.
"Colleen?" Ariana croaked. "Are these restraints really necessary?" she asked, slipping into her Southern accent. "Y'all know I'm not going anywhere, right?" She glanced meaningfully toward the door, knowing that at least one guard was standing watch in the hall.
Colleen considered and, probably on a power high from putting Meloni in his place, quickly loosened, then removed, the leg straps.
"Just promise me you won't try this again," Colleen said seriously as she unbuckled the wrist straps. "As long as you're drawing breath,
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you have the opportunity to repent. You have the chance for redemption."
"Thank you," Ariana said, touched. It was the first time in all her many days at the Brenda T. that she actually felt as if someone other than Kaitlynn cared about what happened to her. "I'll remember that."
"Good girl." Colleen patted Ariana's arm and doused the lights on her way out, enclosing Ariana in comforting darkness. "I'll be back in an hour to check on you."
The door clicked closed behind her and Ariana shoved her feet under the sheet and thin blanket that had been tucked tightly around the foot of the bed. She bent and yanked the covers out and pulled them up to her chin, then settled back and sighed. For the first time in a year and a half, she felt at peace. The other inmates always complained about suicide watch. How the staff checked on the patient every hour. How there was no rest. But Ariana was looking forward to it. Forty-eight hours in her own private room sounded like heaven. She loved Kaitlynn, but the girl could prattle on for hours, and right now Ariana could use some silence. Forty-eight straight hours of quiet contemplation. Forty-eight hours to rest up and prepare for what came next.
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NEED TO KNOW
"Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!"Kaitlynn threw her bony arms around Ariana's neck and barreled her right back into the guard. Thrown off balance, Ariana laughed as Kaitlynn's curls tickled her face. She didn't even mind when the guard shoved them both into the center of the room, causing her shoulder to contract in pain--it was still sore from when she'd fallen on it the night of her "attempt." None of it mattered, because it was the morning of July 4. Her independence day. Finally. Her time inside the Brenda T. was about to come to a close.
"Are you all right?" Kaitlynn asked as the heavy door slammed shut behind the guard, locking them in together.
"I'm fine," Ariana said lightly, dropping onto her twin bed.
She was surprised at how good it felt to be back in her room. Even though suicide watch had been peaceful, the room she shared with Kaitlynn was much cozier than the infirmary. The walls were
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covered with posters of exotic destinations like Bali and Thailand and Sri Lanka on Kaitlynn's side, and tear-outs from fashion magazines on Ariana's, chronicling the spring and fall shows from the past year and a half. They had dozens of books they had taken out of the Brenda T.'s library lined up on a shelf under the picture window, and a reading corner they had constructed out of extra pillows and blankets they had accrued over the past few months. Most of all, Ariana had missed the brushed cotton blanket on her bed, her one little piece of luxury sent to her by her mother for her last birthday. The one in the medical wing had been much coarser.
Kaitlynn sat down beside Ariana on the bed, studying Ariana's face with her big green eyes.
"Oh my God. I was so worried!" Kaitlynn cried, her accent thicker than ever.
"Please, Kaitlynn--you're overreacting," Ariana said with a scoff. She kicked off her sneakers and wriggled her toes happily. She felt so rested after her time in the medical wing. She should have tried this faked suicide attempt long ago. It had been like a little vacay.
"Overreacting? You tried to kill yourself," Kaitlynn said, squeezing Ariana's fingers. "I was so freaked when you wouldn't wake up. I thought you were a goner for sure."
A goner for sure. She was so cute."Well, I'm fine," Ariana said again, wresting her fingers from Kaitlynn's too-tight grasp. She patted Kaitlynn's arm and leaned back, folding her pillow behind her neck to prop herself up.
Kaitlynn blew out a loud sigh and bounced around on the bed so
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she could face Ariana. She sat story style at the end and pulled Ariana's feet up onto her lap.
"Good. Because I do not know what I would do here without you," she said, rolling her eyes and holding her arms across her chest. "The last two days have been a nightmare. It was so lonely in here."
Ariana felt a pang in her chest but ignored it. Kaitlynn would get used to it. She would have to. And in the end, they would be together again.
"Did Meloni freak out?" Kaitlynn asked, her eyes wide.
Ariana snorted. "Hardly. We're supposed to have some massively long session tomorrow." Not that they would. "But would you believe he told me to try harder next time?"
Kaitlynn's jaw all but hit the concrete floor as she sat forward in shock. "He did not."
"He did! He's such a jackass," Ariana said, reaching up to touch her gold fleur-de-lis.
"Oh my God! We have to do something!" Kaitlynn blurted, standing up and letting Ariana's feet drop. "He can't say that to you! What kind of doctor is he? He's supposed to help you, not--"
"Kaitlynn, calm down," Ariana said, sitting up.
Kaitlynn started pacing the small room, her ranting growing louder with each word. "No! I will not calm down! He should be fired. We should have him fired. You're clearly depressed and he's supposed to help you. He can't tell you to try harder next time. That's sick. Sick!"
"Kaitlynn! Shh!" Ariana grabbed her friend's arms and glanced at the door just as the guard rapped her fist against it.
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"Quiet in there!" she barked.
Ariana could feel that Kaitlynn was dying to say something, but Ariana stared her down and she stayed quiet. The guard moved on. Ariana allowed herself to breathe and released Kaitlynn's arms. She saw the white marks left by her fingers and felt badly for gripping her so tightly.
"Don't worry, okay?" she told Kaitlynn. "I'm going to deal with Dr. Meloni."
"So you are going to report him," Kaitlynn said, rubbing the spots on her arms.
"No. I just
mean he's going to get what's coming to him," Ariana assured her with a shrug.
Kaitlynn's expression shifted. She eyed Ariana warily. "What does that mean--what's coming to him?"
Ariana decided it was time to change the subject. She didn't like the way Kaitlynn was looking at her. As if she was suddenly afraid of Ariana. Besides, her friend didn't need to know anything more. It was safer for her that way.
"Nothing. Can we please talk about something other than Dr. Meloni?"
She dropped down on her bed again and grabbed the worn copy of Atonement she'd been reading. Kaitlynn hesitated for a moment, then sat on the edge of her own mattress, facing Ariana across the three-foot span that separated their beds.
"How was the food?" she asked. "Is it really as good as they say?"
"Better," Ariana said with a smile. "I was allowed as much dessert as I wanted."
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"Wow." Kaitlynn looked duly impressed.
"And you should have seen the view," Ariana continued. "I could see the whole lake from my window, including the beach at the hotel. I actually saw this couple making out in the middle of the night after they went for a swim."
Actually, they had gone skinny dipping and then had sex right out there on the beach for all of nature to see, but Ariana didn't want to shock Kaitlynn. The girl had never even been kissed before she'd been locked up in this hellhole.
Yet another precious experience stolen away from her by that bitch Briana Leigh Covington.
"A midnight swim," Kaitlynn said, looking wistful. "That must be heavenly. I would give anything to go for a swim in that lake. Just once."
She lay down on her bed, curling her knees up, and stared across the room. But this time, she wasn't looking at Ariana. She was gazing off into the distance. Into a future in which she might actually get to feel the cool water against her skin. Ariana knew this was one of her friend's favorite daydreams.
"We should make a pact," she said, sitting forward.
"A pact?" Kaitlynn snapped back into focus. The childlike idea of a pact was right up her alley.
"Yes. A pact," Ariana said, her eyes sparking, playing to her audience. "If we ever get out of here, we meet up at the lake, over on the east side where it's nice and shady, and go for a swim. You and me. Together."
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Kaitlynn's eyes died a bit when she heard the plan, and Ariana felt a twinge of exasperation. Kaitlynn didn't believe it would ever happen. But it would.
"Yeah. Okay," Kaitlynn said sadly. "It's a pact."
They shook on it, and then they each leaned back on their own beds. Ariana was so giddy about what was to come she could hardly keep a straight face, but she knew that a girl in her position, someone who had just gotten off suicide watch and was now facing a grueling session with Meloni, would be anything but happy. She tried to put herself into an appropriate mood. What would she be doing right now? What would she actually say?
"I can't believe I have to spend all day tomorrow with Meloni," she groused. "He's probably going to give me some kind of electroshock therapy or something."
"Try not to think about it," Kaitlynn said, her voice bolstering. "Maybe it won't be as bad as you're imagining."
"I can't. I can't not think about it," Ariana said, playing up the desperation. "I hate him so much."
"Want me to tell you a story?" Kaitlynn suggested, propping herself up on her elbow.
Ariana smiled and laid her book aside. There was the Brightside Girl she knew and loved. "Definitely. One of your stories will definitely help."
"Which one? Ariana and Kaitlynn Take Manhattan? Ariana and Kaitlynn Do Paris? Ariana and Kaitlynn in the Maldives... ?" Kaitlynn was getting excited. There was nothing she loved better than the stories
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she made up about what the two of them would do if they were ever together on the outside.
"Paris," Ariana said, closing her eyes. "Definitely Paris."
"Okay. Paris it is," Kaitlynn said. Ariana heard her bed creak as she got comfortable. "We open the story on the banks of the Seine, where the local artists all clamor to paint our portraits. 'You are zee most beau-ti-ful girls we have ever seen,'" Kaitlynn said in a badly executed French accent. " 'S'ii vous plait! Sit for us! It would be such an honor to paint you.... We will not even charge for the service!'"
Ariana laughed, covering her mouth with her hand.
"You turn away, blushing, and nearly trip over a man crouched next to his unopened easel. He looks up at you, and your eyes lock. He has the most gorgeous brown eyes you've ever seen in your life. It's love at first sight."
"Sounds perfect," Ariana said, opening her eyes. "But what about you?"
"Oh, he has a brother," Kaitlynn added quickly. "A much hotter brother."
Ariana laughed. "Of course he does."
"Of course," Kaitlynn added, laughing as well.
As Kaitlynn continued her story, Ariana's heart was a tangle of melancholy and excitement. She hated that she was going to have to leave Kaitlynn later today, but she was also happy because soon, they would both be free. Soon she was going to be able to make all these stories Kaitlynn had been telling her come true.
Her plan was going to work. It had to. Not just for her own sake, but for Kaitlynn's as well.
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SO UNLADYLIKE
The night was warm and muggy, the air so thick with humidity it clung to Ariana's skin and made breathing a chore. Letting them out into the yard for Lake Page's Fourth of July fireworks was one of the warden's great gifts to his inmates. It was the only night of the year they were afforded such a privilege, and Ariana recalled that last year the prisoners had been beside themselves with giddiness. Tonight, however, the general population just seemed sluggish and annoyed, as if they would have preferred being left in their common rooms with their TVs and their air-conditioning. They groused and grumbled as they trudged across the lawn or dropped down on the grass to wait for the show. Ungrateful, every one of them.Every one of them, save Ariana Osgood. Ariana couldn't have been more grateful. If she could have, she would have sent the warden a polite little note of thanks. What he didn't know was that he was aiding and abetting what Ariana hoped would be the first-ever escape
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from his precious facility. The fireworks and their noise were going to provide the perfect cover.
Now all she had to do was ditch Kaitlynn. Even though it pained her to do so.
"Did I ever tell you about that Independence Day when Grandma C. took all of us to the Texas hill country to spend the day on the river and watch the fireworks?" Kaitlynn said wistfully as they walked the yard. "Her father always used to take her there for the festivities, and she wanted to share it with us. Briana Leigh whined about it the whole time, of course. She wanted to go to the big barbecue picnic at the country club and hook up with Tad McMurray, but I loved it. I think that was the first time Grandma C. and I really bonded...."
Ariana was only half paying attention to Kaitlynn's ramble. She was too busy scanning the yard for someone to distract her friend. Finally she saw E Cup--real name Maria Huff--strolling by, and grabbed her opportunity.
"Hey, Maria!" Ariana called out, interrupted Kaitlynn in the middle of a sentence. Maria looked over her shoulder, surprised. She and Ariana had spoken a total of three times.
"Yeah?" she said.
"C'mere." Ariana motioned with her hand.
Maria did so, shuffling her small feet. Maria was small all over. About four-foot nine, with toothpick legs, and arms that appeared as if they could be snapped like twigs. Everything was small except her breasts--her humongous fake breasts. She had been a call girl in Las Vegas in her former life: a high-paid call girl with a huge mansion in
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the desert and four cars and five Chihuahuas about whom she loved to talk. Maria had been living the life. Which made Ariana wonder what had possessed her to run over the proprietor of her strip club nine times with each of those four cars.
But then, one never
knew what could make a person snap.
"What's up, Georgia Peach?" Maria asked, hands clasped behind her back.
"I was just thinking about my dog, Tara, back home and I remember hearing that you had dogs too," Ariana ventured, feigning interest. "What kind were they again? Shih tzus?"
Maria pulled an irritated face, her tiny features screwing up like a cartoon mouse's. "Ew. No. They're Chihuahuas. And my sister just sent me new pictures of 'em. Check it out." She pulled several bent photos out of her waistband and held them out for Ariana and Kaitlynn to see.
There they were. Five Chihuahuas all dressed up like ballerinas--tutus, crowns, and all. Ariana bristled. Animals dressed in human clothing was just so wrong. She felt humiliated on the dogs' behalf. Kaitlynn, however, loved it.
"Awww! Look at the little poochies!" she cooed, her voice going up an octave.
"Adorable!" Ariana forced herself to exclaim. She had seen Maria showing those pictures around to her table at breakfast that morning. As her tablemates cooed over them, Ariana had realized that God was on her side. She knew they would make for the perfect distraction tonight.
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Kaitlynn reached for the photos, but Maria slapped her hands away. Kaitlynn drew her hands to her chest and pouted.
"Look, but don't touch," Maria warned.
For a breathless second Ariana thought Kaitlynn was going to walk away to sulk, but the dogs were too much for her to resist.
"What're their names again?" she asked Maria.
"This one's Betty... that one's Sam. The one with the lazy eye is Chita. You should have heard the way she was barking the last time I talked to my sister. I swear she knew I was on the phone."
"Oh, well, she knows her mommy! Of course she does!" Kaitlynn said, jutting out her lower lip in a precious way.
Slowly, Ariana backed away from the pair of dog lovers and ducked behind a crowd of women from Ward Three. Within ten seconds she had become just another one of the hundreds of dancing shadows on the lawn, and she allowed herself a quick moment to breathe. One obstacle down. Only a thousand more to go. But there was no telling how long Maria would keep Kaitlynn occupied. How long it would be before Kaitlynn came looking for her. Ariana wanted to glance back, take one last look at her friend, but she couldn't risk catching Kaitlynn's attention