Beautiful Disaster

26

  "Prime tables in the dining hall and library," Palmer said. "And finally, privilege five."

  His voice grew low and sexy as he said "privilege five." Ariana's pulse quickened and she felt nearly ill with attraction. Everyone around her hooted and hollered.

  "This one was established when the school went coed in 1974 and Wolcott Hall with it ... the right to have a member of the opposite sex in your room!"

  The crowd went wild with cheers.

  "With the door open of course," Palmer added in a flat tone.

  Boos rang out, and Headmaster Jansen glared sternly at her students.

  "So now that we all understand the Welcome Week competition and what's at stake, we will open our envelopes together on the count of three," Palmer instructed.

  Ariana squeezed her eyes shut, holding fast to a mental image of Palmer and that incredible smile. Please let it be gold, please let it be gold, please let it be gold.

  "One . . . two . . . three!"

  She tore into her envelope and opened her eyes. In her hand was her golden ticket. Literally.

  "Yes!" she cried as everyone around her squealed and hugged and checked each other's cards. On the top step, Palmer held his own gold card above his head, laughing as he took in the chaos from above.

  "You got gold too!" Brigit cried, grabbing Ariana's hand and jumping up and down. "We're all on the same team!"

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  Ariana looked around at Maria, Soomie, and Brigit. She'd been so entranced by Palmer, she'd practically forgotten they were there. But they were, in fact, each clutching a gold card. On the same Welcome Week team as Palmer Liriano and her three new friends. Or, at least, the girls she planned to win over as soon as she found a way. The universe, clearly, was smiling on her. And suddenly she knew with absolute certainty: This new

  life of hers was going to be perfect.

  28

  BOYS OF CONSEQUENCE

  "I can't believe we're all on gold," Ariana said as she squeezed between a rack of white blouses and a wall display of striped APH ties, monogrammed scarves, preppy ribbon belts, and argyle socks in the school store. She picked up a few shirts in her size, adding them to the two plaid skirts and two gray skirts on her arm, and turned around to select some accessories. "What are the chances?""Sometimes things just work out," Maria said, sliding a gray and blue tie through her fingers. She exchanged a brief look with Soomie. They quickly dropped their eyes when they saw Ariana watching. Ariana's heart contracted as she realized that, once again, there was something unspoken going on between them. Something she wasn't supposed to know. "You should definitely get the gold accessories. They'll make your hair pop."

  Ariana almost contradicted her. She had always found that darker colors like black or navy blue really accentuated her blond hair. But

  29

  then she remembered she no longer had blond hair. She was an auburn girl now. Feeling the burn of her near mistake, she gripped her arm with her fingers under the bundle of clothes and stepped over to the gold and blue ties.

  "So true," she said, pretending to be distracted by the ties while she let her pulse slow. The store was jam-packed with students stocking up on supplies and new uniform pieces. Everyone around Ariana was comparing Welcome Week team colors and trash-talking over which team was going to kick which other team's ass. She tried to let the merry conversation soothe her.

  It was just one near mistake. It won't happen again. Get a grip. You're home. This is home now."So, Ana. Where're you from? Your accent is so exotic," Brigit said, flipping through a rack of skirts.

  "Yeah, but you're from Norway. You think nachos with cheese are exotic," Soomie pointed out, flicking her straight hair over her shoulder with a manicured fingernail.

  "Okay. Now I'm hungry," Brigit said with a pout, glancing toward the counter at the front of the sunlit store. "Who wants a candy bar?"

  "Not you. Remember? Chocolate is not your friend," Maria said, dropping the tie and moving on to a blue baseball cap with APH embroidered on the front. She tried it on and checked every angle of her face in a nearby mirror, sucking in her perfectly defined cheeks.

  "Right." Brigit looked down at her slightly doughy stomach. "The diet."

  30

  "We're just trying to help," Soomie told her, checking her Black-Berry. "You told us you wanted us to help."

  "I know, I know. And I do!" Brigit suddenly brightened again. "I'm going to lose ten pounds," she told Ariana. "Have you ever been on a diet?"

  "No. Not really," Ariana replied.

  Unless one were to count those few days after breaking out of prison when she'd been on a lack-of-money-induced fast. But she wasn't thinking about that now. Never again.

  "Dammit. This thing keeps freezing up and I have to restart it every time," Soomie said, pressing down hard on the off key on her PDA.

  "Maybe that's because you're asking it to do way too much," Maria suggested.

  "Please. I'm barely using seventy percent of its memory," Soomie replied as she checked out a gray sweater.

  "It scares me that you even know that," Ariana joked.

  She turned the corner and nearly walked right into Tahira, who was flanked by Allison and another girl.

  "Hey there, Transfer," Tahira said with a smile. She glanced at the other girls in a knowing way. "So, bored yet?"

  Ariana could feel Maria, Brigit, and Soomie watching her and knew this was an important moment. It was time to show them how she handled herself. Display her loyalty. Even if she hadn't completely decided to stick with them just yet.

  "No. But thanks for your concern," Ariana said coolly.

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  Tahira's eyes narrowed. "This is Zuri," she said, indicating the pretty black girl hovering just behind her left shoulder. A hot pink scarf held her long dreadlocks back from her face, and her shimmery eye makeup was expertly applied. It was too much for day, in Ariana's opinion.

  "We're going to host a party in our room tonight," Zuri said in a quiet, but somehow commanding voice. "You should come."

  "Definitely," Tahira said with a bright smile. She looked at the other girls derisively. "You're going to need a break from all the excitement," she added sarcastically. "What do you girls have planned, a chess tournament?"

  "Oh, shut up, Tahira," Brigit said, rolling her eyes. She stepped from the skirts and stood between Tahira and Ariana. "If you want to know what's boring, it's you constantly telling everyone how lame we are."

  "Just calling it like I see it. So, Brigit, tell me . . . how are your parents?" Tahira's voice dripped with disdain.

  "Here we go," Maria said under her breath, looking at the ceiling.

  Brigit crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her chin, shaking her blond hair back in an imperious way. "They're well. And yours?"

  "Fine. Fabulous, actually," Tahira replied, glancing at her fingernails. "And your summer, I trust, was adequate."

  "Better than adequate," Brigit sniffed. "I spent eight weeks in Greece as the personal guest of Princess Christine of Denmark."

  Tahira looked impressed for a moment before slamming her lips back into a frown. "I toured India with the emir."

  32

  "That must have been a test of your patience, what with his lazy eye and wandering hands," Brigit shot back. Behind her, Maria and Soomie slid their palms together triumphantly. Ariana feigned interest in a pair of charcoal gray kneesocks, always keeping her ear on the conversation. Emirs? Princesses? What was the deal with these two?

  "Will you be attending Prince William's Christmas party this year?" Tahira asked. "My invitation arrived last week."

  "Sadly, no. Queen Noor is having an intimate gathering that same week and I have been granted the extreme honor of an invitation," Brigit returned. Tahira visibly paled at this news. Another point for Brigit, Ariana assumed. "You know what they say. No one ever declines an invitation from Noorie."

  For a long moment Tahira simply glared at Brigit. Ariana could tell the girl was grasping for some
thing with which to one-up Brigit, but was coming up blank.

  "No," she said finally. "I suppose not."

  Finally, Ariana couldn't take it anymore. She looked at Maria, her brow knit and her voice low. "What's all this about?"

  "Brigit is princess of Norway. First in line to the throne. Tahira--"

  "Can speak for herself," Tahira interrupted. She tilted her head and looked at Ariana, with a staid smile. "Tahira is daughter of Dubai's emir."

  "They kind of get on each other's nerves," Soomie added.

  "And the Princess War continues!" Suddenly Palmer Liriano appeared behind Tahira and placed a hand on one of her shoulders, the other on Brigit's back. Behind him were three other boys, all of

  33

  whom were caught in the maze of clothing racks with nowhere to go. "Now come on, ladies, kiss and make up. I will not have Civil War among my team."

  Ariana's pulse sped up so fast she almost felt faint. Palmer up close was even more magnetic than Palmer on stage. She could see the crinkles in his cheeks when he smiled. The tiny birthmark just to the left of his perfectly straight nose. The insanely long lashes fringing his dark brown eyes. As he greeted Tahira, Allison, Zuri, Maria, Brigit, and Soomie with cheek kisses, warm smiles, and interested questions, Ariana paid close attention. Palmer definitely spent more time chatting with the "vanilla brigade," as Tahira called them, than he did with Tahira, Allison, and Zuri. It wasn't a huge discrepancy, but it was there. Ariana felt reassured that she had made the right decision. Palmer was obviously the center of the APH universe, so clearly Maria and her friends knew the right people. If they could get her closer to Palmer, then vanilla she would be.

  She waited as Palmer finished catching up with his friends and prayed that her mind would come up with something witty to say when he finally noticed her standing there. She also couldn't help noticing that he was surrounded by guys. No girlfriend trailing adoringly after him. This was a very good sign.

  At long last his eyes fell on her and he broke into a wide smile. Ariana's skin sizzled as he took her in. He clearly liked what he saw. The force of her relief, mixed with the insane weightlessness of anticipation, made her feel light-headed.

  Control yourself, Ariana. Control

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  "Who do we have here?" Palmer asked, sliding out into the aisle to stand in front of her.

  He smelled incredible. A clean, crisp aftershave scent. Expensive, definitely.

  "Ana Covington," she said with a hint of a smile. She lifted her hand toward him. "It's an honor to meet you, Mr. President," she added slyly, looking directly into his eyes.

  Palmer's smile turned satisfied. He liked the acknowledgment of his position, however teasing it might be. He shook her hand with a firm, warm grip, and Ariana's heart all but stopped.

  "And you, Miss Covington," he said, picking up on her jokingly formal tone. "But wait... I thought it was Briana Leigh."

  Ariana started. Why did everyone here seem to already know her name? "It... it is," she said. "But I prefer Ana."

  "All right, Ana," he replied, "So, what classes are you taking?"

  Ariana hesitated. The last thing she wanted to do was reveal her embarrassingly simple schedule--the result of Briana Leigh's substandard entrance exam scores--especially since she planned on having it altered as soon as possible.

  "Palmer's in all advanced and honors courses," Soomie explained with an affectionate smile. "He measures everyone's worth by the level of their intellect."

  Intriguing. A guy who actually cared about school and preferred to surround himself with like-minded people. Ariana was both surprised and pleased. She'd never known a popular, handsome, privileged guy to also be a serious student. But now she definitely

  35

  couldn't tell the truth about her schedule. Her only choice was distraction.

  "I'm impressed," she said, looking up at him. "No guy has ever shown interest in the size of my intellect before," she added with a flirtatious smile.

  His friends all reacted exactly as Ariana predicted, laughing and making suggestive noises. Palmer simply grinned and Ariana felt an instant connection. He appreciated her joke but didn't feel the need to be lewd about it. Palmer was definitely a rare breed. Mature, serious, and insanely gorgeous.

  "Guess I'm different than other guys," he said.

  "And I'm different than other girls," she said, glancing at Tahira in a derisive way. "So I guess we have a lot in common."

  Palmer laughed, his eyes sparkling.

  "You know what? You're no longer invited to our party tonight," Tahira said with a sniff.

  Ariana smiled stiffly. "I wasn't coming anyway."

  Brigit laughed as Maria and Soomie slid their palms together once more.

  Tahira's eyes narrowed in a threatening way. "You are so going to regret that."

  Ariana felt the slightest twinge of fear. After all, who knew what the princess of Dubai was capable of? But then Tahira walked over to one of Palmer's friends--a tall, muscular guy with thick, wavy, dark hair--to whisper something in his ear, and the fear passed. Retreating to her guy? Maybe Tahira wasn't as formidable as she made herself

  36

  out to be. Palmer, meanwhile, simply smirked and looked back at the guys.

  "This girl is going to be a definite asset on gold." The guys laughed again and Palmer looked around at the group. "We're gonna meet up with some of the other guys in the Hill. If you get done shopping you should head over."

  "Cool. We'll stop by," Maria said.

  Ariana, meanwhile, tried to pick apart his words. In the hill? What did that mean?

  "See you later, Ana," Palmer said, slipping by.

  "Wait. How did you know I was on gold?" Ariana asked.

  Palmer lifted his palms. "I'm the team captain. I know all."

  Then he sauntered away, greeting almost everyone he saw with a wave or a hug or a peck on the cheek, just like a real politician.

  "Palmer. Such a flirt," Maria said in a fond way.

  Ariana felt a hint of irritation at the implication that Palmer treated all girls this way, but she let it slide. She was too busy basking in her new crush. Then Soomie nudged her arm and woke her up from her Palmer-related stupor.

  "Ana, meet our friends," she said, her voice almost breathless. For the first time Ariana noticed that the three boys were still loitering nearby. The guy Tahira had retreated to now had his arms around Tahira as they whispered directly into each other's faces. "That's Robert," Soomie said, pointing at Tahira's boyfriend. "And this is Landon Jacobs."

  Landon pushed his hands into the pockets of his well-worn gray

  37

  chinos, which he wore with a studded leather belt and battered black boots. His tie was slung around his neck and then over his shoulder like a scarf, and his white shirt was open to reveal a faded T-shirt depicting the British flag. His jacket was rolled up at the sleeves, with the cuffs of his shirt just peeking out at the ends, and his blond hair was long on top and pushed forward over his blue eyes, as if he was trying to hide behind it.

  "Hey," he said with a slow, practiced smile, which Ariana could tell was supposed to make her swoon.

  "Hi," she said. He was definitely not as tingle-inducing as Palmer.

  Laridon blinked, as if confused. So did everyone else around them.

  "Oh, and this is Adam." Landon stepped aside and gestured over his shoulder at the curly-haired boy hanging behind him. "He's new too.

  "Nice to meet you," Ariana said.

  "You too. Is this place overwhelming or is it just me?" he asked in an endearingly vulnerable way.

  "It's not you," Ariana lied, taking pity on the poor guy. He looked kind of lost-puppy-doggish with his light brown curls and big brown eyes. Like someone who needed looking after. "Speaking of which, what's 'the hill'?" Ariana asked the group.

  "The Hillary Rush Junior/Senior Lounge," Soomie replied. "It's off the dining hall. We call it 'the Hill' for short."

  "Yeah, and the fres
hman/sophomore lounge is called 'the cave,'" Brigit added. "Because it's so much lamer than the Hill."

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  "I definitely miss the cave," Landon said with a shudder. "Well, see you girls around." Then, with one more confused glance at Ariana, he sauntered away, trailing Allison, Zuri, Tahira, and Robert.

  "Later, Norway," Tahira said over her shoulder.

  "Hopefully much," Brigit replied.

  Ariana almost cringed. So immature. She was going to have to help Brigit with her comebacks. Or possibly just teach her the art of aloofness.

  As soon as they were out of earshot, Soomie gripped Marias sleeve. "Oh my God. Landon is so hot!"

  Ariana blinked. If someone had asked her ten minutes ago, she would have sworn that Soomie was the type of girl who didn't do giddy. But here she was, practically trembling in the wake of Mr. Floppy Hair.

  "Eh. He's all right," Maria said, looking away. Ariana caught a hint of a blush at the top of Maria's high cheekbones. "It's just the fame thing. It makes objects in the rearview mirror appear hotter than they are."

  "He's famous?" Ariana asked, looking after the boys, who were just sidling out the door into the sun.

  All three girls gaped at Ariana. "Uh, yeah? Youngest artist ever to have two albums premiere at number one on the Billboard chart?" Soomie said, ticking a list off on her fingers. "First under-thirty ever to win Peoples Sexiest Man Alive? Winner of dozens of AMAs, Grammys, and MTV Video Music Awards, and star of the upcoming feature film First Son?"

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  An embarrassed blush crept up Ariana's face from her neck. Clearly this was a person whom every red-blooded American teenager was supposed to know about. She dimly recalled a conversation back in her dorm room--something about a worldwide tour and an inflated ego. They must have been talking about Landon. If she hadn't been so distracted by her new room, her fresh start, she would have tuned in and would never have made such a slip.

  "You're not from the South. You're from Mars," Brigit said with a laugh.

  "Sorry," Ariana said quickly. "I'm just not the biggest pop culture junkie."

  This excuse seemed adequate. Adequate enough for the topic to be dropped, but with some dubious looks.