Beautiful Disaster (Privilege 2)

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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.