Private (Private 1)

them doing one or the other.

there anymore. And then, just as I did every morning that I didn’t During subsequent commercials, Constance updated me on

wake up to my mother shouting at me from her room to get up and the backstory, but I only half-listened. I knew I should be back in bring her her morning pills, I would smile. My life was my own

my room or at the library, reading through the extra history texts now. I was still getting used to it.

I had yet to wade through. Or practicing French pronunciation.

A rap on the glass door of the booth made me jump. Constance’s

Or doing trig problems. Pretty much the only class I wasn’t feel-eager face looked down at me through the foggy glass.

ing stressed about was my lit class, and that was only because I

“Come on! You’re missing it!” She waved maniacally for me to

spent all my Sundays up until now reading. But as much work as I follow her, then ran. I sighed and hoisted myself up.

had to do, I wanted to be social. I needed to be.

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K A T E B R I A N

P R I V A T E

99

Of course, I wished I was spending this time socializing with

result, they had dwindled from four a year to exactly one—the

the Billings Girls, but that was not an option. I had spent my

prom—which was only for juniors and seniors. As a result, I had meals with them ever since Noelle had stolen my tray, running for never danced with a boy in my life. Not once.

their food and executing every other small errand that popped

“I don’t know,” I said. “I actually have a lot of work to do.”

into their minds, but our contact had yet to extend outside the

“You read on Sundays and you’re gonna do homework on a cafeteria.

Saturday night?” Lorna said, cracking her mask as she pulled a face.

“So, everyone going to the dance on Saturday?” Diana asked as

“Back up, ladies—we have a party animal.”

the scene faded to black, then to a car commercial. Kiki sat next to

“Don’t bother with the reverse psychology, Lorna. There’s no

her, head bobbing to her personal soundtrack as she flipped

way she’ll go,” Missy said, going to work on her cuticles with a pair through the latest issue of In Touch.