By the time the plane landed, the sun was going down and Ariana had calmed herself into a cool, detached state of mind. She felt focused, placid, and filled with a sense of purpose she hadn't entirely felt since first arriving in Dallas. She had a plan to execute, and she was focused on that plan.Briana Leigh, meanwhile, was so out of it she could hardly make it down the steps without the aid of the crew. The flight attendant had uncorked a bottle of champagne while the plane was taxiing down the runway, and Briana Leigh had downed three gl
asses. Now she gripped the corked, half-empty bottle in one hand as she tromped heavily toward the ground. Ariana slipped her huge sunglasses over her eyes and made sure her hat was secure. Now that she was so close to the Brenda T, she was taking no chances. Not until she was inside the gates of Atherton-Pryce Hall. Then she could finally relax.
The Covingtons' pilot met Briana Leigh and Ariana at the foot of
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the steps and grimaced when he saw that Briana Leigh could hardly hold herself upright.
"Maybe you should take these, Miss Walsh," he said, handing a set of car keys to Ariana. She immediately recognized the four-circle Audi emblem on the fob.
"And these are?" Ariana asked.
"The keys to my new car, Emma" Briana Leigh said with a laugh. She slung her arm around Ariana's shoulders and Ariana went rigid. "Well, your new car. It's kind of like a bribe to do well at school. Grandma covers her bases."
"She's drunk," Ariana said to the pilot, hoping it would explain what he had just heard--that the car was now hers.
"Well, good luck at school, Miss Briana," the pilot said.
Briana Leigh's eyes flashed. "It's Briana Leigh, you idiot! How many times do I have to tell you people?"
"Briana Leigh! Calm down," Ariana scolded, clinging to the girl. She shot the pilot an apologetic look. He simply looked amused, like he had made the faux pas on purpose. Clearly he thought that Briana Leigh's obsession with her name was ridiculous, just as Ariana did. "Where is the car?"
"Right over there."
He pointed toward the small terminal of the private airport, where a gleaming, steel-gray Audi convertible was parked.
"Nice! Shotgun!" Briana Leigh shouted. As if anyone else had been going to call it. She staggered toward the car, and the baggage men quickly hustled after her with all of her and Ariana's things.
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"Good luck, miss," the pilot said to Ariana.
She smiled from behind her sunglasses. "Thanks."
Not that I need it, she added silently, narrowing her eyes at Briana Leigh. She had a plan. A foolproof plan. Luck would not be an issue.Once in the car, Ariana locked her things in the glove compartment and turned on the GPS. Briana Leigh tossed the champagne bottle into the backseat, cranked up the stereo, and hit the button to release the car's roof.
"Whoo! Ibiza, here I come!" she shouted.
"Shhh!" Ariana scolded as she entered their destination into the car's computer. She glanced around at the Covingtons' crew, who were shuffling toward the terminal to relax while the jet was refueled. She hit the button again and reclosed the roof. There was no way her hat would stay on with the top down. "They're going to hear you."
"I don't care anymore," Briana Leigh said. "I can't wait to get the hell out of here!"
Ariana shook her head, clenched her teeth, and hit the gas. The sooner she got this over with, the better. She couldn't listen to Briana Leigh's shrill voice for one more second.
Speeding down the highway, Ariana opened the window and let the cool evening air rush over her. The familiar scents of the late-summer Virginia air filled her nostrils, and it was all she could do to keep from heaving at the memories that came whirling back. The chain-link fence, the itchy clothes, Crazy Cathy's screaming, Meloni's infuriating smirk... Ariana breathed in and let the memories come. Let her adrenaline intensify. She was going to need it very soon.
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She took the exit for the country road near Lake Page. For the first time since getting in the car, Briana Leigh turned the music down and stopped singing.
"Where're we going? I didn't see a sign for the airport."
"That's because we're not going to the airport," Ariana replied, her fingers gripping the steering wheel tightly. "I have a surprise for you."
"What? Emma! I have a flight to catch!" Briana Leigh snapped.
Ariana took a deep breath. She stared straight ahead. "I know, but I wanted to thank you for everything you've done for me," she said, her voice utterly sincere. "I made a reservation for us at the Philmore on Lake Page. It's supposed to be the most exclusive resort in the area."