Private (Private 1)

She stared as if waiting for me to tell her this was a joke.

“I suggest you stop spending so much time socializing with the women of Billings House and get yourself to the library,” she said finally. My jaw dropped. Her lips twitched and I could tell she was pleased with herself for shocking me. She tapped her fingertip to her temple near the corner of her heavily made-up eye. “I told you I would be watching. You should start taking both me and your

education more seriously.”

P R I V A T E

127

“No, you’re not. You just came from Ms. Naylor’s office,” Ariana said, never taking her eyes off her book. How did she know that?

She turned the page lazily and continued reading.

Kiran slid her designer sunglasses down and looked at me over

RESIDENT GENIUS

the top. “Oh, yeah. She’s got that look.”

“What look?” I asked.

“That ‘I just got my first grades at Easton and now I’m suicidal’

look,” Noelle said, casually crossing her legs at the ankles.

Taylor sucked air through her teeth. “That bad, huh?”

Outside it was a warm, sunny day, and on my way to lunch I saw

Sometimes I forgot how much these girls knew about this place.

Noelle, Ariana, Taylor, and Kiran all kicked out on the grass in the How integrated they were into the inner workings of Easton. A few quad, soaking up the rays. Kiran’s shirt was pulled up to expose her years here and they knew everything that was going on. I wondered stomach and her face was tipped toward the sky. Noelle was propped if I would ever have that kind of Easton wisdom. I wondered if I up on her elbows, debating something with Taylor, who picked at the would even be here long enough to find out what next week’s Friday grass. Ariana lay with her back on the ground and her feet up on a dinner special would be.

bench, her book lifted in front of her face. She had moved on from

“I can handle it,” I said.

Anna Karenina and was now reading The Brothers Karamazov.

“Bullshit,” Noelle replied. “You look like the stick you just peed The other students trailed by the Billings Girls on their way to on turned blue. Get Taylor to help you.”

the cafeteria, casting sidelong glances in their direction. During Taylor’s eyes brightened and she sat up. “I’ll totally help you.”

the school day, we weren’t supposed to lounge anywhere unless we

“Really?” I asked. I couldn’t believe the Billings Girls were

were sick, and then it was to the infirmary with us. I heaved a sigh actually offering their aid. They hadn’t forced me to run any overly as I walked by them.

heinous errands for them in days, either. Was it possible that the

“Problem, glass-licker?” Noelle asked.

torture was over? Maybe they were finally accepting me.

I paused, uncertain, and hovered a few feet away, clasping the

“She helps all of us,” Noelle said, closing her eyes as she tilted strap on my bag with both hands. It had been a long time since any her face toward the sun. “Why do you think we hang out with her?”