Last Christmas (Private 0.60)

"Osgood." Mr. Holmes tossed Ariana's paper on her desk, and she caught it just before it fell to the floor. She

flipped it over and stared at the large red marks on the cover sheet. C-plus. She clenched her jaw as the letter

swam in front of her.

"Ready to go?" Isobel snapped her compact shut and stood up.

"What about yours?" Ariana stared numbly at her desk.

"Got an A," she replied, tucking a few sheets of paper into her bag. She laughed to herself and tugged her

plum-colored Miu Miu coat on over her scarf. "Want to get out of here and get some coffee?"

"I could use a latte." Paige appeared behind Isobel, wearing tan ankle boots and the new low-cut sweater

dress she'd bought over break.

"Great," Isobel chirped. "Ariana was going to tell us all about her naughty little vacation." A few seconds too

late, her manicured hand flew to her mouth. "Oops."

249

Ariana's cheeks flushed.

"Spare me the details, will you, Isobel?" Paige sneered, without looking at Ariana. "That's my brother you're

talking about."

"I-I wasn't thinking," Isobel stuttered.

"Shocker." Paige yawned. "Let's get out of here."

Ariana lowered her gaze to the paper in her hands. C+. This couldn't be right. She'd never made anything less

than an A-minus in her entire life. And Mr. Holmes was supposed to be an easy grader. Anger rose in her

chest. She couldn't let him get away with this. It wasn't fair.

"Ariana?" Isobel rested her hand on Ariana's sleeve. "You guys go on," she mumbled. "I have to ask Mr.

Holmes something."

Isobel raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. "You want us to wait?"

Ariana shook her head. "I'll meet you back at Billings."

"Fine." Paige's phone buzzed, and she pressed it to her ear, hurrying out of the classroom.

"Don't be long," Isobel teased. "As soon as you're done, I want the filthy play-by-play."

Ariana forced a laugh. It sounded strange, guttural, in her own ears. "You'll get it, I swear."

"That's my girl."

She wedged her clutch underneath her arm and sashayed up the aisle. Pausing briefly in front of Mr. Holmes's

desk, she ran her fingertip seductively along the sleek wood before flouncing out the door. She thought she