Private (Private 1)

Freshmen and sophomores mostly, since it seemed that most

juniors and seniors had avoided this, the first school dance,

including—as predicted—the Billings Girls. Missy was right. They were above events like this. Far too sophisticated, too cool, too blessed with thousands of better things to do. I had come for exactly three reasons: 1) because Constance had begged me to, and I knew she would never let it die until I said yes; 2) because Missy had publicly declared there was no way I would show; and 3) because I myself had nothing to hold me back other than a stack of homework the size of a Buick.

What I didn’t get was why Thomas was there. If the Billings Girls were too good to be here, he certainly was as well.

“I might,” I said.

102

K A T E B R I A N

P R I V A T E

103

If he wasn’t so clearly otherwise occupied.

Right. Like you could do it.

I watched with a pang of jealousy as a pretty, petite brunette

“A person who’s coming over here,” Constance said under her

laughed at something he said. Ever since that look Thomas had given breath.

me outside the cafeteria, I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about What? I looked up. Slowly, Thomas was making his way across

him. Even though I knew he was probably trouble, I just felt a deep the room. He looked right into my eyes and smiled the whole way.

pull toward him and a sense of connection that was weirdly powerful He stopped right in front of me and tucked his chin. “Where’s

considering how few times we’d actually spoken. But the heart wanted your entourage?” he asked.

what it wanted. And tonight it definitely wanted Thomas.

“My entourage?”

All around the room, people kept to the walls, talking and laughing

“The Billings Girls,” he said. “I thought you didn’t leave home or staring out at the empty dance floor while the DJ spun random without them.”

dance hits of the last ten years. A few teachers roamed the periphery, Behind me, Missy snorted. Was this why he had come over here?

staring people down and looking generally peeved. It seemed

as if To mock me?

Easton had tapped its sternest adults to chaperone the event, and

“I do what I want to do,” I said, lifting my chin slightly.

I wondered if anyone would be dancing or at least having some

“Good,” he replied. “You don’t need them anyway.”

kind of fun if these sentries of doom weren’t present. All in all, it Yes, I did. And if he didn’t realize that, he was a lot more clue-probably would have been the lamest dance I had ever been to. If less about this school of his than he knew.