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Lexa. "Although I am just using her for the invite. I've been hearing about this party for years."
"Shut up," Lexa said, whacking his chest with the back of her hand. Lexa smiled surreptitiously at Ariana as the waiter worked his way around the table to Connie. "Thank you," she mouthed.
"You're welcome," Ariana whispered back. She glanced across the crowded dining hall at the crew table, where Palmer had been taking most of his meals. He wasn't looking her way, but she smiled nonetheless. A huge obstacle had just been cleared for them--bulldozed, perhaps--and he didn't even know it yet.
"Nice singing, Ana," Kaitlynn said as she glided past their table. "I didn't know you had it in you." Then she leaned down next to Ariana's ear and whispered so that only she could hear. "Looks like you've just solidified your spot in Stone and Grave. Too bad that means someone else is going to have to go."
"Not to worry, Lil," Ariana said facetiously. "By the time the NoBash is over, we'll both have what we want."
Kaitlynn stood up, shot Ariana an intrigued glance, then gave the table a perfectly sweet and innocent smile and walked away.
"What was that all about?" Lexa asked.
"Oh, just some roommate business," Ariana replied, reaching for her water glass. "Now, what do you guys want to hear for my encore?"
Everyone laughed and started throwing out names of ridiculous songs. Ariana relaxed into her chair and breathed easy for the first time in days. Finally, finally things were looking up.
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ARM CANDY
Dressed in her strapless, crushed silk gown, her auburn hair pinned back from her face, Ariana felt more beautiful than she had since becoming Briana Leigh. More like herself. For the first time in days, she had everything under control. For the first time in days, she knew exactly how her night was going to end. And it wasn't going to be under Kaitlynn's knife or her scissors or her nail clipper. By the end of the night, Kaitlynn would be satisfied. Her membership in Stone and Grave would be a lock--as long as she completed her own task, which was not Ariana's responsibility--and everyone would be happy.Except, of course, Tahira and her friends and family. But that was not Ariana's concern.
"This is going to be the greatest NoBash ever!" Brigit announced, raising her video camera in the air to take in the scene outside Wolcott Hall. The two dozen glammed--up students milling around out front cheered in response, hamming it up for the camera. Ariana, standing
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with Soomie, Maria, Landon, and Christian--all of whom had received their own invites and were therefore going "stag"--waved and laughed as the camera lens passed by her.
"Where's your roommate?" Soomie asked, adjusting her black velvet wrap, which rested in the crook of her arms. She wore a tasteful, gunmetal strapless gown and a simple diamond necklace, her hair pulled back in a tight bun. Pretty, but she could have been Noelle Lange's tightly wound mother headed for the opera.
"Who knows?" Ariana said airily.
And who cares? she added silently.
The last time she had seen Kaitlynn, she had been cursing at her mascara wand in the bathroom. It would be the icing on the cake of her week if Kaitlynn somehow managed to miss the limo caravan to the party. Ariana barely dared to dream. She glanced around the crowd for Palmer, who had never shown up at the door of her room as she assumed he would. Perhaps he had expected to meet her here with everyone else. Although she would have preferred the formality of being picked up at her room, she was too giddy at the thought of being with him to care all that much. She couldn't wait to see what he thought of her gown.
Then, as if thought alone had conjured them out of thin air, Ariana spotted Kaitlynn near the curb, once again blatantly flirting with Palmer. Palmer wore his black tuxedo like the style was made exclusively for him. Ariana hadn't seen anyone look so comfortable in a suit since Thomas Pearson first semi--seduced her at the Winter Ball all those years ago. As Kaitlynn's fingertips fell lightly on Palmer's arm,
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Ariana felt a surge of proprietary ire she also hadn't felt in years. Not since the day she'd first seen Thomas talking to Reed Brennan on the Easton Academy quad. The day she'd lost him forever.
That was not going to happen again.
"Excuse me for a moment, ladies," Ariana said, squaring her shoulders.
She strode over to Palmer and slipped up next to him, nudging his arm with her elbow.
"Hey," she said with a just--for--him smile.
He looked down at her. "Hey," he said flatly.
Ariana's heart skipped a beat as trepidation zipped over her skin.
"Hello, Ana. You look . . . cute," Kaitlynn said snootily.