Without another word, she flipped the phone closed and shoved it in her pocket. Her fingers hit the subway
token. She smiled and took off her necklace, placing the token next to the fleur-de-lis, and refastened the
chain around her neck.
212
WORTH IT JANUARY OF JUNIOR YEAR
***It was late Sunday afternoon when Daniel and Ariana's cab pulled through Easton's gates. Most of the
snow had melted over the rest of break. Ariana's heart jumped with excitement as the cabdriver navigated his
way expertly around the front circle, avoiding pockets of students dragging designer suitcases in their wake.
She turned toward the window and shook her head at the sight of London Simmons and Vienna Clark, the
sophomores whose copy-and-paste style had quickly earned them the nickname the Twin Cities. The girls
struggled with hot pink Chanel suitcases, their faces scarlet with effort. Or second- degree burns, judging
from their identical sunglass tans and the bottle of duty-free rum peeking out of Vienna's Halston beach tote.
"What's that smile for?" Daniel slipped his arm around her shoulders. It felt heavy, like it was filled with
lead.
Ariana shrugged, itching to be away from his touch but forcing herself to grin at him. "Just glad to be back."
213
Daniel groaned, reaching into his back pocket for his wallet as the cab slowed to a stop.
"Not me. Two weeks went byway too fast."
He fished a fifty out of his wallet and handed it to the driver, then jumped out and hurried around to the other
side to open Ariana's door.
"Thank you," Ariana said sweetly, stepping onto the curb.
The crisp winter air sent a shiver of anticipation down her spine. Every day for two weeks, she'd fantasized
about this moment. Getting back to Easton. Getting back to Thomas. She glanced down at her watch,
adjusting it against the glare of the late afternoon sun.
"Want to go into town for dinner?" Daniel was standing idly by as the cabdriver lugged each of their bags
from the trunk and tossed them on the curb. "I'm starving."
"No," she said, too quickly. Realizing her mistake, she forced a yawn. "I'm just really exhausted."
She tugged anxiously at the puke green cashmere scarf Daniel's mom had given her for Christmas. She'd felt
obligated to wear it during the entire trip, and now it felt like it was tightening around her throat.
Daniel frowned. "Okay. Then lunch tomorrow?" Effortlessly, he picked up a duffel bag bulging with ski