there was nothing. Even the sight of the blank screen depressed She was one. Ariana was two. Kiran, three. Taylor, four.
me, almost as much as the words “Glass-licker’s Phone,” which I I held my breath as the phone rang once, twice, three times.
hadn’t changed because it had started to feel like a personal joke Then the voice mail picked up. “Hi! You’ve reached Taylor’s phone!
between me and Noelle. Now it just seemed like a cruel joke.
Please leave a message!”
Back at Bradwell after dinner, I kept my phone in my front
I hung up before the beep. Emboldened, I tried Kiran. Another
pocket and listened for the ring of the hall phone, but everything voice mail. “It’s Kiran,” she said, sounding bored. “If you don’t was silent. Even the dorm was quieter than usual, with several of my know what to do at the beep, I can’t help you.”
floor-mates having gone out for dinner with their parents. Most of I hung up. A slight flicker of anger started to grow inside of me.
the families were arriving on Saturday for morning services fol-How could they ignore me like this? Had they all made some pact not lowed by brunch, but some had come early to whisk their little dar-to pick up if I called? Shaking, I tried Ariana. Her voice mail flicked lings off to one of the quaint, candlelit restaurants in town. One on instantly. I hung up before the recorded voice had finished
might think this would make me regret my decision to shut my par-uttering its first word and tossed my phone onto Constance’s bed, ents out, but it only made me feel more secure. If anything, we disgusted—with them, yes, but more so with myself.
would have been chowing down at the Denny’s on the highway while Screw this.
my mother made her coffee Irish and berated me for thinking I was I got up, grabbed the phone, and was about to dial Noelle when
better than she was.
the door flew open, shooting my heart into my throat. Constance With a sigh, I pushed myself up from my bed and sat down on
bounced in, all flushed.
the window ledge. Ariana’s room was pitch black. Most of the win-
“Hey! A bunch of us are gonna watch a DVD. Wanna come?” she
dows in Billings were. More casualties of parents’ weekend. I pulled asked.
out my phone and stared at it, feeling desperate. I needed to talk to No, I want to wallow.
someone.
“Thanks anyway,” I said. “I have some phone calls to make.”
I took a deep breath and decided to start at the bottom. I would call
“Come on, Reed. Lorna’s whipped out her entire Reese
Taylor. She was my best shot at a sympathetic ear. And maybe if she Witherspoon collection and they’re already starting to fight over was out with her parents, she would be more inclined to be nice to me.
what to watch,” Constance rambled.
216
K A T E B R I A N
“I can’t,” I told her. I itched for her to go away. The longer she stayed, the longer she prevented me from calling Noelle. From
begging for my life.