Beautiful Disaster

  "Yeah. It is kind of cool," Palmer said with a nod. "But it puts a lot of pressure on me to win and get in, you know? Keep it in the family."

  Family pressure. Ariana knew a little something about that. "Sure."

  "So three o'clock. Gym. Be there."

  He tossed his baseball into the air and turned to walk away.

  "Actually, I have a new number," Ariana said, hoping she sounded casual and composed when, in fact, she was almost panicked by the idea of him walking away right then. This was their first one-on-one conversation and she wanted it to last as long as possible. Long enough, at least, for her to make a lasting impression.

  Palmer whipped his cell out of his jacket pocket without hesitation. "I'll be needing that."

  Ariana blushed, flattered, and Palmer smiled, noticing.

  "For team business, of course," he clarified teasingly.

  "Of course."

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  She gave him the number, adjusted her shopping bags in her hands, and kept walking, hoping he would fall into step with her. He did. Ariana smiled to herself. Clearly there were ten million other places a guy of his stature and popularity could be right now, but he was choosing to stick with her.

  "So, Ana, before I let you go, do you have any special talents I should know about?" he asked, looking her up and down in a suggestive way.

  Ariana's blush deepened.

  "For the competition, of course," he added, grinning. He realized the effect he had on her and was obviously loving it. Ariana didn't mind, however. She was loving it too.

  "Of course," she said again. "Well, Mr. President, I'm not sure exactly what you're looking for."

  They had come to the crossing of the pathways in front of the school store. Ariana paused and looked up at him, the sun lighting his handsome face perfectly. He took a step closer to her. So close she could feel the warmth radiating from his body.

  "Don't worry. When I need you, you'll know." Then he tossed his baseball up in the air, caught it, and strode away.

  Ariana breathed in the fresh, late-summer air, enjoying the excited rush of her pulse, and looked down at her purse. There would be no getting rid of her phone now. Palmer had the number. And if there was one thing she wanted in this life, it was Palmer being able to get hold of her whenever he damn well pleased.

  She was just going to have to find a way to deal with Hudson.

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  ROOMMATES

  Ariana had never missed Noelle Lange more than she did at that moment. As she tried on her new uniform pieces, each stirrer and itchier than the last, Allison sat on her bed with her earbuds cranked up and a magazine open on her lap, watching Ariana's every move. She watched as Ariana shimmied in and out of skirts, as she buttoned and unbuttoned blouses, as she tried on a cardigan sweater, then a blazer. When Ariana turned to the side to check out her profile, Allison snorted. Ariana shot her an irritated look and the girl trained her eyes on her magazine, as if she hadn't been observing Ariana for the last fifteen minutes.

  You have no idea who you're dealing with, Ariana thought, her nostrils flaring slightly as she glared at the unsuspecting girl. I can think of five different ways to end you right now.When Allison looked up again, Ariana made sure to hold her gaze until the girl blushed and glanced away first. Then Ariana sighed, bored now, and went back to her private fashion show.

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  Allison was not a person Ariana could live with for very long. Unfortunately the girl was also on gold, just like her pal Tahira. Ariana could only hope that once they got into Privilege House, the two of them would decide to room together and there would be someone cool who needed a new roommate. In the meantime, being sequestered with the girl for the last hour just brought home how amazing it was to be paired with a real friend. She missed the sound of Noelle's voice, which filled every room she entered. Missed her bald-faced honesty. Her humor. Her advice. Missed living with someone she loved.

  Or had loved. Until the girl turned her back on Ariana and chose Reed Brennan over her.

  Maybe Allison as a roommate wasn't half bad. If they never became friends, there was far less of a chance that Allison would end up betraying her.

  "Allison? Can I ask a question?"

  The girl rolled her eyes and made a big, exaggerated show of removing her earbuds from her ears, as if Ariana were making a huge imposition.

  "What?"

  "How does laundry work around here? I didn't see a laundry room," Ariana said, holding tightly to her patience.

  Allison heaved a sigh and sat up straight. "See that bag?"

  She pointed at a light blue bag that was folded and placed atop the shelf above Ariana's desk.

  "You put your dirty clothes in that bag and leave it in the hallway before eight p.m. In the morning it comes back to you all clean

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  and neatly folded. It's like a miracle," Allison said facetiously, her eyes wide. Then she flopped back down on her pillows and put her ear-buds in again before noisily flipping the pages of her magazine.

  "Thank you!" Ariana shouted. No need to let this girl stop her from being polite.

  She slipped her arms into the navy blue cardigan again and ran her fingers over the gold APH crest on the breast pocket. Ariana had always wished that Easton Academy had required uniforms. She liked how neat and cohesive they made the student body look. She cherished the tradition of wearing the school colors and proudly displaying the crest. Uniforms instilled pride. Integrity. Loyalty. Qualities that many of the people at Easton had lacked.

  Even though the short-sleeved shirt was making her itch and the pleated plaid skirt needed to be hemmed, Ariana decided she would wear them to the three o'clock team meeting, along with a blue and gold tie. Her comfort was far less important than her inconspicuous-ness. She didn't want to stand out like the newbie she was. She wanted to blend. To fool everyone into thinking she had been here all along.

  Allison laid her magazine aside and picked up a copy of the Washington Post. As she lazily turned the pages, Ariana reached back to French braid her hair. Then, suddenly, Allison paused and looked up from the paper. She stared at Ariana, her eyes slightly narrowed, her lips slightly taut. Ariana's heart started to race. Every day since Briana Leigh's exhumation from the lake, Ariana had checked the newspaper for any stories on herself or Kaitlynn, just to make sure no one had started to ask questions. But today she had been so busy, she hadn't

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  thought to look. What if there was something in there about her funeral? A picture of Ariana or a story about Kaitlynn that mentioned her old friend Briana Leigh Covington?

  Instantly she began mentally cataloging everything in the room, trying to find something that could be of use to her. There were plenty of neckties in the closet, a pair of large scissors on Allisons desk, and pillows. Pillows could be helpful. But there were people everywhere, chatting in the halls, hanging in the lounge. A struggle would definitely be heard. What was she going to do?

  "I'm out of here," Allison said, suddenly rising from the bed. She curled the newspaper up, tossed it in the trash can, and brushed by Ariana, slamming the door behind her. The second she was gone, Ariana dove for the paper and ripped through it, making sure to take in every line of every last page. There was nothing. Nothing but stock quotes and football scores and stories of human suffering.

  Ariana was just being paranoid.

  With a sigh, she returned the newspaper to the trash and turned toward the mirror. So Allison hadn't seen anything to make her suspect Ariana. She was simply prone to staring. Which was just one of her many drawbacks. Taking a deep breath, Ariana wiped the newsprint from her hands with a tissue from Allison's desk and tossed that in the trash as well. She couldn't help looking forward to the gold team's imminent win and to getting out of Cornwall and into Privilege House. Because her perfect new life could not include an imperfect roommate.

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  STATEMENT OF TRUTH

  Ariana stepped out into the sun, feeling giddy even a
s the super-starched pleats of her skirt scratched her bare thighs. She wondered if her new friends had thought to wait for her, and her smile widened when she saw Maria, Brigit, and Soomie loitering on the quad a few feet from the dorm's back door.But the smile died a moment later. Not one of them was in uniform. In fact, no one on campus was in uniform.

  Maria took a sip from the paper coffee cup in her hand and snorted a laugh. She looked comfortable as could be in a cream linen dress and strappy leather wedges. Brigit had changed into jeans and colorful, layered tanks, and Soomie wore a black skirt, a crisp white tee, and a pair of Chanel flats.

  "What are you wearing?" Brigit asked breathlessly as Ariana stepped toward them, her face burning.

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  "Everyone was in uniform at the rally," Ariana whispered back as Brigit took her arm in a solidarity kind of way. "I thought--"

  Suddenly it dawned on her. The reason Allison had been staring at her. Hiding laughs. Making that odd face. She hadn't recognized Ariana. She'd been trying not to crack up. The girl knew that Ariana was going to walk out here in her uniform and look like a moron, and she had simply let her do it.

  Bitch. Bitch, bitch, bitch.

  "We all wear our unis for the rally, but not again until classes start," Soomie informed her matter-of-factly.

  "Guess we should have told you," Maria added, sounding like she didn't much care one way or the other.

  "I have to go change," Ariana said.

  "There's no time," Soomie told her. "You don't want to be late."

  Ariana's face stung over being told what to do, but Soomie's tone left no room for negotiation. Clearly punctuality was a must for Miss Organized. Ariana had just been starting to win her and Maria over with her dissing of Tahira back at the school store. She didn't want to make waves now.

  "Okay," Ariana said. "Let's just go."

  On the way across campus to the gymnasium, which had its own parking lot and sat at the north end of campus, Ariana noticed more than a few amused glances being shot in her direction. She did her best to ignore them, but her body heat had risen to a dangerous level by the time they stepped through the blue doors to the gym's lobby. It only made the itchy fabric itchier. She tried to distract

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  herself by taking in her surroundings. Hung from the ceiling were dozens of championship banners for all kinds of sports, and glass trophy cases lined the cinderblock walls, crammed with hundreds of years' worth of gold and silver trophies. Ariana would have loved to stop and peruse the history, but the rest of Team Gold was streaming through the inner doors to the basketball court. Including Tahira, Robert, and Allison. Ariana caught Allison's eye, and she and Tahira both cracked up laughing. Rob snorted and doubled over, an over-the-top reaction that was obviously for his girlfriend's benefit.

  "Thanks a lot," Ariana snapped as she strode past Allison into the gym, the heady scent of the freshly waxed floor filling her senses. "It's so nice of you to make me feel welcome."

  "Anytime!" Allison sang back, her eyes wet with laughter.

  Maria, Brigit, and Soomie trailed after Ariana.

  "Hey, Norway. Or should I say, Muffintop!" Tahira commented, rather loudly. Her words echoed throughout the lofty gym, and everyone around them turned to stare. Brigit froze in place, her mouth open in horror. Tahira strolled up to her from behind and looked her up and down as she passed by. "I thought you looked hefty in your uniform, but those jeans really show off your new curves," she added in an obnoxious tone.

  A strangled squeak escaped Brigit's throat. Maria and Soomie exchanged an anxious look, but Ariana could tell they were at a loss as to how to help. She stepped up to Brigit's side and took her arm.

  "Don't listen to her, Brigit," Ariana said, staring at Tahira's purple

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  kitten heels. The girl really was all about bold color choices. "At least you're not carrying all your weight in your cankles."

  Brigit laughed as Tahira's jaw dropped. Ariana tugged her new friend along toward the bleachers, which were rapidly filling with dressed-down students. They found a spot in the bleachers, front and center, where girls of consequence should be sitting. Maria and Soomie gathered around her and Brigit, settling in.

  "Thanks, Ana," Brigit said under her breath. "I don't know what happened to me back there."

  "It's not a problem," Ariana replied, feeling proud over making herself so useful to Brigit.

  "You should be careful, though," Maria said. "You don't want to overdo it when it comes to Tahira."

  Ariana's heart panged. She had thought she was doing something right. Something that would endear her to these girls.

  "But I thought you didn't like her," Ariana said.

  Soomie and Maria exchanged a look. "It's a fine line," Maria said.

  Ariana stared straight ahead. She had no idea what that meant. She was supposed to be mean to Tahira, but not too mean? Were they kidding? Clearly there was yet another nuance here she didn't understand. How was she ever going to catch up, especially if they didn't fill her in? She curled her fingers into fists and bit back her frustration.

  All in time, Ariana. Just give it time."Hi, girls!" A pretty redhead paused on her way up the bleachers with a couple of friends trailing behind her. "We brought iced coffee." Her friends handed cups to Maria, Brigit, and Soomie, who took the

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  frosty drinks as if they'd been expecting them. The redhead, meanwhile, looked around in confusion. "Where's Lexa?"

  "Not getting in till tomorrow," Maria said, taking a sip. "You can give hers to Ana," she added, waving a hand in Ariana's direction.

  "Ana, this is Quinn," Brigit said. "She's a sophomore."

  "I'm on coffee, if you ever need one," Quinn said with a smile. "Hope you like skim latte. It's Lexa's drink of choice." She seemed disappointed to be handing the drink to someone other than Lexa.

  "Sure. Thanks," Ariana said, nonplussed.

  "We'll be up top if you need anything," Quinn said, the smile returning. "Later!"

  '"Bye," the girls said vaguely.

  "What does she mean, she's on coffee?" Ariana whispered to Brigit.

  "The underclassmen were always asking us if we wanted anything, so last year Lexa decided it would just be less of a bother to assign people certain chores," Maria said with a shrug. "Quinn brings coffee to any interclass event, but we also have girls on snack duty, clothing patrol, library runs--"

  "Clothing duty?" Ariana asked.

  "Like if you spill coffee on your sweater and you need a new one, they'll get it for you," Brigit explained, sipping at her straw.

  Ariana's jaw dropped. "Wait a minute, you have errand girls?"

  "It's not as bad as it sounds," Soomie said. "They want to do it."

  "Of course. Lexa would never make anyone do something they didn't want to," Maria added.

  "I like to think of them as ladies-in-waiting," Brigit said, staring

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  up toward the ceiling. "It's much more civilized. You'll have to give Quinn your drink order the next time you see her."

  Ariana tried not to look as shocked as she felt. But this was way better than having a few grousing Billings newbies at her beck and call. It was a whole troop of willing lackeys. She sipped Lexa's latte and glanced back at Tahira. Quinn and the other girls had passed her by, so clearly the Dubai princess was not in on this particular perk. Ariana had definitely chosen wisely.

  Just then Palmer strode into the room with Landon and Adam in tow, and excited chatter raced through the assembled crowd. Landon and Adam walked over to Ariana's clique. Ariana kept her eye on Landon as he made his way up the bleachers and dropped down next to Soomie, who turned purple at his closeness.

  "Chicas," he said by way of greeting.

  "Buenas tardes" Soomie replied.

  Ariana glanced at Maria, who stared pointedly straight ahead. This triangle was very intriguing. And potentially something Ariana could use to her advantage once she figured out a way to play it.

&nbs
p; "Hey," Adam said, sitting down next to Ariana. "I almost wore my uniform too, but my roommate told me to change."

  Ariana smiled politely. "If only we were all so lucky."

  Adam smiled back, showing some adorable dimples. "So, are you new to the prep school thing, too?"

  "Me? No. I've been to a ton of schools like this," Ariana replied, recalling Briana Leigh's history of bootings from various illustrious academies.

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  "You're lucky. Public school is way different," Adam said, wiping his palms on his jeans.

  Obviously, Ariana thought, but didn't say. Instead she gave him a bolstering look. "Well, you've obviously fallen in with the right crowd. Being friends with these guys, you should have no problem."

  "That's exactly what Palmer told me over the summer," Adam said, brightening considerably. "My mother works for his mother. That's how I got my scholarship."

  Ariana considered telling him that this was the kind of information he might be better off keeping to himself, but at that moment, Palmer decided to start the meeting. He stepped up to the center of the bleachers and smiled.

  "Welcome, Team Gold!"

  Everyone cheered. Ariana crossed her legs at the knee and clapped her hands. She wasn't sure whether to hope he would look for her. Why had she changed into this stupid, itchy uniform? She glanced over her shoulder to find Allison sitting a few rows behind her, smiling haughtily. She tossed her short blond curls back from her face and Ariana's fingers twitched, thinking of those silver scissors on her roommate's desk. Girl didn't know who she was messing with. She'd be lucky if she woke up with all her hair tomorrow.

  "Let's get right down to business," Palmer continued, rolling his baseball between his palms. His eyes scanned the crowd, making solid eye contact with all assembled like a good public speaker, and fell on Ariana. His lips twitched and she fought the urge to sink back, instead

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  sitting up straight and holding her head high. "Uh ... we have three events at which to dominate."