Private (Private 1)

What followed was a long litany of the rules and regs, all of which

“A little bit about me,” she said with a smile.“ I graduated from were listed in the Easton Handbook we all had back in our rooms.

Easton Academy six years ago. Lived in this very dorm my freshman Of course, I had thought that some of them were just for show—to and sophomore years. This was back before they built the freshmen make the parents feel like they were sending us to a nice, strict, no-their own dorm,” she added with a sly smile. She wanted us to feel nonsense school—but it turned out that they were all real and that like she was one of us. Or maybe she just wanted to feel like she was the school took them very seriously. We really did have to sign in still one of us. “After I graduated, I went to Yale undergrad and with Ms. Ling in her room on the first floor every night before ten.

Harvard grad where I received my master’s degree in East Asian

After that, we weren’t allowed to leave our floors without express

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permission from Ms. Ling herself. There were quiet hours every

night from six until nine and we were not allowed inside Bradwell between classes. Guys were only allowed inside the dorm between the hours of six and nine each night, and then they were only per-mitted in the common rooms (this announcement was met with a

THE GIRL IN THE WINDOW

few snickers, the most obvious of which came from a sort of pig-faced girl with blond hair and big boobs who sat in the center of the V ). Once she was done reading us the three-page-long list, Ms.

Ling looked up and grinned.

“So that’s it! If you have any questions, please feel free to come That night, since there was nothing to study for yet, quiet hours see me in my room. I have a really good feeling about this group. It’s were suspended so that each floor could have a little get-to-know-going to be a great year! I look forward to getting to know each and you party. I was never good at parties, so I was kind of dreading it, every one of you!”

even though I knew I should just go. If I wanted a new start, I was She had to yell that last part because everyone was already on

going to have to go against instinct, which meant being social. The their feet and heading for the doors.

very idea gave me cramps, though, so I avoided thinking about it and flipped through my Easton Handbook on my bed while

Constance got ready. And talked.

“So when we finally got to the bottom of the mountain, I was totally dehydrated and had this streak of mud all the way up my side and this guide was waiting for us there and he was like, ‘Did you not see the trail?’ and we were like, ‘ What trail?’”

I smirked because I could feel her looking at me and it sounded like the point in the story where she would expect some kind of reaction.

“Anyway, are you ready?”

The moment of truth. I put the book down. “Maybe I’ll come

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P R I V A T E

25

down later.” I honestly didn’t know until that moment that I wasn’t of our floor-mates and had come back beaming, happy to report

going to go. But I didn’t take it back.

that only two rooms had a window like this and we were beyond

“Want to make an entrance, huh?” she joked.

lucky to get one. I sat down on the sill and stared out the last Not remotely.