Beautiful Disaster (Privilege 2)

"Why? Isn't that your name? Isn't that why you drowned poor Briana Leigh in the lake that night?" Kaitlynn replied.

Ariana closed her eyes against the onslaught of images. Briana Leigh struggling for life, her lifeless form sinking to the bottom of Lake Page. Suddenly a rush of anger crashed in on her from all sides and she wanted to scream at Kaitlynn. Tell her it was her fault that Briana Leigh had died. She was the one who had fooled Ariana into thinking Briana Leigh was a murderer. She was the one who had manipulated Ariana into going to Texas and wheedling her way into the girl's life. If not for Kaitlynn, Briana Leigh would be alive and well right now.

Except that you did need the authorities to find a body, a little voice reminded her. But she chose to ignore that little detail. This was Kaitlynn's fault. All Kaitlynn's fault. Still, she couldn't get into a screaming match about culpability right now, not with all her new friends and classmates slumbering within hearing range. She gripped her arm with her free hand to rein in her anger, held her breath, and stared out the window at the glowing lights of the APH campus. "What if I don't come?""Well, then, I'll just have to send this little e-mail I've composed to your Headmaster Jansen, telling her all about the violent tendencies of the imposter they have living on campus," Kaitlynn said. Ariana could hear the sound of a computer keyboard tapping away in the background. "I'm sure that with all the dignitaries' sons and daughters they have strolling around campus, they'll be sure to investigate right away."

Hot tears seared at Ariana's eyes. She wanted to throw something.

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Hit someone. Break something. She imagined her fist going through the glass in front of her, the satisfying crash, the blood pouring down her arm.

"You'll be there," Kaitlynn said confidently. "See you at two."

The line went dead.

Ariana turned and hurtled her phone against the wall, shattering it into a zillion pieces. She let out a quiet groan and sank to the floor, pulling her knees up and holding her head in both hands, struggling for breath.

Why had she trusted Kaitlynn? Why had she let her out of prison? Why couldn't she have just seen the girl for what she really was-- a lying, manipulative, murderous psychopath?

She took a deep breath and pushed her fingers up into her hair. This was her own fault. Her own gullibility had brought her here. Kaitlynn had played her, used her as her unsuspecting puppet.

I hate her, Ariana thought, pulling at her hair as the depth of her own stupidity slapped her in the face again and again and again. I hate her, I hate her, I hate her.

The pain was what brought her back from the edge. She pulled her hands away from her scalp and with them came an alarming amount of hair. Ariana's jaw dropped, appalled by her own lack of control. She stood up, her hands shaking, and breathed.

In, one. . . two. . . three. . .

Out, one. . . two. . . three. . .

In, one. . . two. . . three. . .

Out, one. . . two . . . three...

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Slowly, her blood pressure began to return to normal. Yes, Kaitlynn had played her. It was the most frustrating fact of all to accept, but there it was. And she had to deal with it. She had been naive enough to believe in Kaitlynn, and now she had to figure out a way to correct the mistake. Somehow. Some way. She had to get Kaitlynn Nottingham out of her life.

Ariana breathed in, her mind completely clear now, and gazed across the room at the shards of plastic and metal that had once been her cell.

And now she definitely needed a new phone.

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FOCUSAriana stood in front of the mirror and smoothed the front of her white Calvin Klein top. Her hand trembled and she stared at it for a moment defiantly. It would not tremble again. She would not let Kaitlynn see her sweat.

"Everything's fine," she told herself. "You aced that history exam this morning and you're well on your way to getting your schedule changed. Now all you have to do is deal with the bitch from hell and you'll be back on track."

She gave herself a tight smile, grabbed her suede hobo bag, and strode into the hallway. A burst of laughter greeted her, and she looked up to find Maria, Brigit, and Soomie strolling down the hall, led, of course, by Lexa, who was looking very Audrey Hepburn in a perfectly chic black sundress and flats. Ariana's first instinct was to clench her fist, but she forced herself to smile.

"Hey, guys," Ariana said brightly.

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"Briana Leigh!" Lexa's eyes lit up as she stepped forward, but then she stopped abruptly. "I'm sorry. I mean, Ana. The girls reminded me you want to be called Ana now."

Ariana registered the fact that they had been talking about her. But that, she supposed, was to be expected. She shrugged casually. "Well, Briana Leigh is kind of a mouthful."

Lexa appeared confused by this, but let it go.