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"So did we," Maria said sadly.
Soomie smacked her pawn down in front of Ariana's king. "Checkmate!" she announced happily.
Ariana sighed. She hadn't remotely seen that move coming, but she didn't even mind the loss. Her brain was too busy formulating a new plan. One that would assure gold the win and secure Privilege House for her and her friends. One that would redeem her for what she had done.
Maybe Lexa couldn't do this for Palmer--wouldn't do this. But Ariana could.
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PLAY IT SAFE
Ariana waited until the digital clock on her desk clicked over to exactly 2 a.m. Then she quietly moved her sheets aside to expose her fully clothed body, sat up, and shoved her feet into her black ballet flats. Before bed she had dressed in a long-sleeved black T-shirt and black cigarette pants, then cuddled under the covers until Allison was finished with her fifteen-minute marathon floss session and went to sleep. During the last four hours of wide-awake waiting, she had reviewed the plan meticulously from start to finish over and over and over again. By now, she was confident and more than ready to get it over with. And more than ready to get away from Allisons snoring for a little while. She tiptoed across the room, opened the door without a sound, and moved swiftly down the hall.Outside, the air was cool and still. Ariana hesitated for a moment. She had planned to take the direct route and sprint across campus, but now that she was faced with all the glowing pathway lamps and
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security lights, she wasn't so sure. Maybe it would be better to stick to the shadows and move along the walls of the buildings. Always better to play it safe.
As she raced along the outer walls of the dorms, heading for the hill and the river down below, all she could think about was Palmer's face. The look of shocked glee he'd wear when Team Gold won the race later this morning. He wouldn't know it, but it would all be thanks to her. Maybe one day, when they were old and gray and watching their grandkids play in the front yard of their sprawling desert estate, she would tell him. And he would look at her and smile and say he always knew she would take care of him.
Ariana bit back a giddy laugh just thinking about it. It was a stupid fantasy, she knew, but it was the middle of the night and she felt daring and dangerous. And as long as she kept it to herself, who the hell cared? She scampered down the hill, her long auburn hair trailing behind her. She was racing toward the boathouse, but it felt more like she was racing toward her future.
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LITTLE MIRACLE
Ariana stood on the dock before the race Monday morning, surrounded by the rest of her team, her hair pulled back in a tight pony-tail. It seemed as if the entire school had gathered either at the starting point of the race, or near the finish line upriver. Blue, gray, and gold balloons were tied all along the safety railings on the dock and everyone was dressed up in team colors. The excitement in the air was palpable as photos were snapped, friendly bets were made and trash talking abounded. This was it. The final event of Welcome Week. This race would determine which team got to live in Privilege House. And which secret society would secure bragging rights for the rest of the year.As Palmer geared up for his pre-race speech, Ariana wondered how long it would be before the true tests of the secret society began. There had to be more to getting in than being a hard worker during Welcome Week. Whatever it was, Ariana would be ready for the
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challenge. Hadn't she already proven that last night, risking her neck so gold would win today? She only wished the society could know the lengths she had gone to. But that could never be.
"All right, team, it all comes down to this," Palmer said, strolling back and forth in front of the crew members. He was wearing a tight black shirt and dark gold APH mesh shorts and looking gorgeous. "We win this, we're in. Privilege House is within our grasp. So dig in, concentrate, and leave it all out there on the water, okay?"
The team cheered and Ariana clapped along with them.
"Ladies! Gentlemen! To the boats!" Headmaster Jansen announced, strolling along the dock.
The air filled with cheers and a bunch of spectators took off and grabbed their bikes, intent on getting to the finish line before the race was over. Palmer stepped over to Ariana and crossed his arms over his chest as the rest of the team filed by, headed for their boat.
"You ready for this?" he asked.
"Definitely," she said, trying to hide the extreme level of her giddiness. "Good speech. You seem a little more confident than you did last night."
"Well, Brigit had a point," Palmer said, looking out at the water. "If I'm going to be a leader, I've got to lead, not bring everyone down. But I can tell you the truth," he said under his breath, causing Ariana's face to flush. He was about to take her into his confidence. She was the one person he could be truthful with. In that split second she decided it was okay to pretend that she was Palmer's girlfriend, that Lexa didn't exist. After all, she was the one who was here for him--the
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one he had chosen to be here--while Lexa was out there somewhere in the faceless crowd. She looked up into his eyes and felt that they were the only two people in the world.
"We're going to need a miracle," he said.
"All we can do is go out there and give it everything we have," Ariana said in a soothing voice. "Whatever happens, happens."
Palmer smiled. "Thanks, Ana. Let's go do it."
Ariana bit back a smile as he squeezed her upper arm, then turned to join the others. Little did Palmer know, she was his own little miracle.