Private (Private 1)

back into the cesspool that was my hometown. But then going to

“Thomas—”

this private little party would also give me a chance to corner Noelle

“You don’t have to answer right now,” he said, cutting me off.

and the others, to make them hear me out. And to show them that I

“But I want to talk to you some more. Can we at least keep talking?”

wasn’t a total loss. If I could get a senior guy to invite me to an illicit Talking wasn’t a promise of anything. It was just talking. And it party in the woods, that had to be worth something. Even if that didn’t even mean tonight or tomorrow or next week. It was all

senior boy was Thomas Pearson.

appealingly vague. “Sure,” I said finally.

I would just have to use this party to my advantage.

His smile brightened the room. “Good. Listen, there’s this

I looked into Thomas’s hopeful, tired eyes and knew how much

thing tonight. In the woods. Kind of a way to blow off steam before it would mean to him if I said yes. Even more important, I knew how all the parents get here. Will you come?”

much it could mean to me.

“What kind of thing?”

“Okay,” I said. “I’ll go.”

P R I V A T E

189

I reached for the door behind me and was about to run, but then the figure stepped into the light and I choked out a relieved sigh. It wasn’t some insane-asylum escapee. It was just Josh.

“Hey,” he said.

INTO THE WOODS

When he smiled, everything relaxed. How could I have thought

this person was threatening, with his golden curls and baby face?

He wore a long black coat over a hooded gray sweatshirt and jeans.

“You scared the hell out of me,” I said. “Where’s Thomas?”

“Sorry,” Josh said, lifting one shoulder. “Thomas sent me to get That night I lay in bed in flannel pants and a T-shirt, waiting until you. He wanted to get up to the party early.”

eleven o’clock, when I was to sneak out and meet Thomas behind

Nice. He sent his errand boy to come get me? What kind of

Bradwell. I wondered if I was doing the right thing. What would the maneuver was that from a person who was looking for forgiveness?

Billings Girls do when I crashed their party? Would they be angry?