Ariana lifted her chin as she turned her steps back toward the dining hall.
All she had to do was get rid of Reed and all this insanity would stop. Get rid of Reed, and everything would be all right.
THE WRONG GIRL
She must die … she must die … she must die …
Ariana followed twenty paces behind Reed on Tuesday as she made her way back from her second class of the day and toward her dorm. After calling in sick—so early she’d gotten the nurse’s voice mail—she’d snuck out of Privilege House, to her car, and through the gates. She’d arrived at Georgetown within half an hour, at exactly 5:30 a.m., just in time to see Reed walk out the front door of her dorm and take off on an hour-long jog. After that, she’d returned to her dorm and emerged two hours later, traipsing along the path in a camel coat with two of her healthy, fresh-faced friends at her sides. Now it was one o’clock, and Reed hadn’t once glanced over her shoulder, hadn’t looked around suspiciously, hadn’t suspected she was being watched. The girl had no instincts. No intuition. A major defect, as far as Ariana was concerned.
Reed used her key card and stepped inside the dorm. Ariana leaned back against the trunk of a nearby oak tree and whipped out the small notebook she’d purchased at the campus bookstore that morning while Reed was in class. In it were her meticulous notes.
5:30–6:32: Jogs around campus. Returns to dorm via dark alleyway (POSS)
8:30–8:34: Walks to dining hall
8:34–9:15: Breakfast with friends
9:15–9:20: Walks to English class, takes public route through quad (NG)
9:25–10:30: Endures most boring lecture on Shakespeare ever
10:30–10:37: Walks to gym, cuts through deserted parking lot (POSS)
10:45–11:30: Lifts weights (EW)
11:30–11:45: Showers and changes, not many people in gym at this hour (SHOWERS, POSS?)
11:45–11:55: Walks to biology class, another public route (NG)
12:00–12:43: Takes biology exam. Fifth student to finish
12:43–12:52: Walks to dorm, cuts behind the biology building, passing only one other student (POSS?)
Satisfied that her notes were concise and clear, Ariana tucked the notebook away and checked her phone. There was a text from Tahira.
STOPPED BY W/BAGEL. WHERE R U? PLAYING HOOKY? WANT CMPNY?
Ariana thought about texting back, but decided against it. She was planning on spending her entire day here at Georgetown. She had a lot of work to do.
Tahira texted again.
WHERE R U?????
Ariana groaned and tucked her phone away. Maybe she’d tell Tahira she’d sat in movie theaters all day and turned off her phone.
The front door of the dorm popped open and Reed walked out, chatting on her cell. Instead of turning to the right, as she had done every other time that day, Reed walked up the path directly in front of her. The path that would lead her straight past Ariana’s tree. Heart in her throat, Ariana turned to the side and leaned her shoulder against the rough bark of the tree trunk. She whipped out a worn copy of Catch-22 and held it up to her face, pretending to be engrossed.
“Are you kidding?” Reed said into the phone with a laugh. “My parents are psyched to spend New Year’s at the Cape. My mom doesn’t have to worry about making plans and my dad is all about skeet shooting with your father. He bought a vest and everything.”
Ariana bit down hard on her tongue. Bit down until she tasted blood. Reed was passing by just a few feet away. Mere inches. What she wouldn’t give to just reach out and grab her. Cover her mouth and pinch her nose closed. Drag her behind the tree and hold her down and press and press and press until she stopped struggling.
“Josh! Shut up! No, we are not sharing a room,” Reed screeched, laughing like a hyena.
A chill raced down the back of Ariana’s neck. Reed was talking to Josh Hollis? It made sense, she supposed. His parents did have a gorgeous, sprawling house at Cape Cod. But really. Those two were still together? How was that even possible? Josh was a good guy. Smart and kind and big-hearted. How had Reed managed not to irritate him to within an inch of his sanity by now?
“I know, I know,” Reed said. “I love you, too.”
She hung up the phone and kept walking toward the dining hall. As Ariana slipped away from her tree, she felt an odd pang of sympathy deep within her chest. Poor Josh. He’d be so sad when he found out Reed was dead.