Private (Private 1)

“What did you say?” I asked, hoping that whatever it was

wouldn’t get Noelle mad at me.

“I just reminded her that if we didn’t get your grades up, they’d send you home. And she doesn’t want that to happen.”

Really? Well, that was . . . interesting. Hard to believe that Noelle KETLAR HOUSE

could possibly care whether I was here or not, but good to hear.

I smiled, flattered and somewhat relieved. But a second later,

the phone vibrated again. I grabbed it playfully before Taylor could get to it, then was appalled at my own audacity. This wasn’t my phone, and Noelle might be writing something private to Taylor. I When I arrived at Ketlar that night, Thomas took my hand and led was about to hand it back when I saw the text was not from Noelle.

me right through the common room and down the hallway toward

It was from Thomas. Apparently he had found his phone. My heart his dorm room. He opened the door and stood there, waiting for me sunk. Why was Thomas texting Taylor? But in the next second I

&n

bsp; to go in. Beyond the threshold, I saw two beds made with dark

realized that this message, too, was for me.

spreads. One side of the room was messy and covered with art sup-

“New grl: ketlar common room. 8pm. b there.” An invite to the

plies, an easel standing in the corner. The other side was almost guys’ dorm. From Thomas. This day just kept getting more and

pathologically neat with a variety of electronics glowing and

more interesting. Taylor must have noticed my elated expression whirring in the darkness. The only light came from a small, green because she grabbed the phone out of my hand. She glanced at the desk lamp.

message, scoffed, and turned off the phone.

“What’re we doing?” I asked, my pulse racing with both trepida-

“You can play with your boyfriend when you’re done with your

tion and excitement.

work,” she said in a faux-mom tone.

“Go in,” Thomas said.

I snorted a laugh. She smiled. I could think about Noelle and her I hesitated. This was so very against the rules.

plans later. If I didn’t do this work now, I might never get the

“Go in,” Thomas repeated, this time a touch more firmly. My

chance to find out what they were.

pulse skipped and prodded me over the threshold. Thomas closed

Of course, who knew if that would be a good thing or a bad

the door behind us and we were alone. In his room. I was alone in a thing?