"Omigosh. We should do this every week," Soomie said as her pedicurist massaged the arches of her feet.
A couple of hours without Kaitlynn every week, being pampered along with my friends? Ariana thought, slipping into her robe. I could definitely handle that.
106
A GIFT
Ariana awoke on Thursday morning to the dual delights of a bright sunny day and an empty bed opposite her own. Kaitlynn was already up and out, which meant that Ariana could relax as she got ready for classes. She took a deep breath and stretched her arms over her head, recalling the lovely, relaxing evening she'd had the night before. She had felt like a truly integral part of Lexa's group, helping her friends select their nail colors, chatting through their facials and pedicures. Plus her muscles were all perfectly loose this morning. Not a coil or a knot anywhere. All thanks to Brigit. No, thanks to the choice Ariana had made that first morning when she'd arrived at APH. When she'd chosen to be friends with these girls. She had obviously chosen wisely.With a smile, Ariana allowed herself the luxury of one more minute burrowed under the covers. It was good to be her.
Finally, Ariana opened her eyes and rolled over onto her side. She
107
blinked and lifted her head. There was something sitting on the edge of her night table: a long, pink velvet jewelry box with gold trim, the kind that usually held a necklace or bracelet. Her heart caught. Had Palmer left something for her? Or was this, perhaps, a trinket from Stone and Grave?
Ariana sat up straight and glanced over at Kaitlynn's table. She had no matching box. Which meant either she'd already opened hers, or this was, in fact, something that had been left just for Ariana.
Holding her breath in anticipation, Ariana grabbed up the box and pried it open. Out slipped a long, thick lock of auburn hair. It fluttered to the ground like a leaf, coming to rest on Ariana's bare foot. Instinctively she kicked it off, her nose scrunched in disgust. Then she crouched on the ground for a better look. It was the exact same shade as her own dyed hair.
Her heart dove into her feet and she jumped up, running for the mirror. A strangled cry escaped her throat. There was a big chunk of hair, much more than what had been stashed in the tiny box, chopped away from the right side of her face. Ariana whirled around, her blood hot with anger now, and grabbed the box again. She turned it over, looking for a clue. Nothing. Then she pried the removable bottom out and a folded piece of paper hit the floor. Ariana stooped and unfolded it. It was a small calendar with the word NoBash written in red letters over the square for next Saturday, September 14. Yesterday's date was crossed out in red. On the bottom there were three words scrawled in red ink.
108
NINR FSYD LEFT!
Kaitlynn. Kaitlynn had done this to her while she slept. Ariana hadn't felt a thing. If Kaitlynn could do this to her while she was in her most vulnerable state . . . what else could she do? Ariana stood up, her body quaking, and hurled the box at the wall with a guttural screech, releasing all the anger and fear that had pent up within her chest in the last ten seconds. She imagined herself cramming the box down Kaitlynn's throat, then balling up the calendar and shoving that down there as well. Kaitlynn could not do this to her. She would not let her.
Out in the hallway, a door slammed, and Ariana suddenly realized how much noise she had just made. She looked around her empty room wildly, wondering how many of her floormates had heard. Control. Control was all--important. And she had just lost it.
Just breathe, Ariana.
In, on
e. . . two. . . three. . .
Out, one. . . two . . . three. . .
In, one. . . two. . . three. . .
Out, one. . . two . . . three. . .
Her heart rate was just returning to normal when a scream split the quiet. Ariana ran out into the hallway and down to Soomie and Brigit's room, where she flung open the door. Soomie was sitting straight up in bed, holding a box just like Ariana's in one hand and a small lock of black hair in the other. Brigit hovered over her, looking horrified.
109
"Omigod!" Soomie cried, looking up at Ariana. "Do I look as bad as you?"
She got up and ran for the mirror, but it took a minute for her to find the spot where her hair had been chopped. Kaitlynn had taken an inconspicuous lock on the underside of Soomie's hair. A spot that could easily be hidden.
"Who did this?" Soomie cried, her hand shaking.
"Did you get one, too?" Ariana asked Brigit.
Brigit looked around, confused. "No."
"What the hell is this?" Allison shouted.
Ariana exchanged a look with her friends, then rushed down the hall. Allison stood in the center of her room with another box, a blond curl pinched between her finger and thumb. Tahira was nowhere to be found.