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CHAPTER 5 SINGLED OUT
An hour later I was kicked back with Noelle, Kiran, and Taylor in a set of chaise longues near the pool, my face tipped toward the sun. We were full of Caribbean barbecue and each had a pina colada (mine virgin) to sip. Noelle had insisted I change, so now I was wearing a white polo-shirt dress and a ton of SPF. My Pennsylvania skin was so not ready for the Caribbean sun.
"So by the fall, you'll be seeing my face everywhere," Kiran said, adjusting the brim of her wide sunhat so that her entire face was shaded. "In magazines, on billboards--"
"On the sides of buses," Noelle put in as she worked her long hair into a braid down her back.
"Hey, all exposure is good exposure," Kiran told her, raising one red fingernail.
"Tell that to Reed," Noelle said slyly.
My blood stopped cold. Was that a jab about the Dash video?
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"The face of a whole cosmetics line," I said, ignoring Noelle's comment. "That is so incredible."
"I know. My agent said the company hasn't had a non-actress do it since, like, the nineties," Kiran replied. "I guess they just thought I was that hot."
"But not at all modest," Noelle added, flicking an unseen speck off the skirt of her dress.
Awaiter in white shorts and a colorful Hawaiian-style shirt paused in front of us, smiling as he lowered a silver tray full of tarts, cookies, and slices of frosting-laden cake.
"Your dessert, ladies," he said, moving to place the tray on the table between Taylor and me.
"You're leaving that here? No. Please. Put it over there," Taylor said, flicking her hand in Noelle's direction.
"Still working on that willpower, Bell?" Noelle asked as the waiter did as was requested and moved to the next group of chairs.
"Just playing it safe," Taylor replied, glancing at the sweets as if they might jump up; hurtle over Noelle, Kiran, and me; and cram themselves down her throat.
"Understood." Noelle picked up a chunk of white cake and took a bite, then slowly, decadently, sucked the coconut icing from her fingers. I couldn't tell if she was taunting Taylor or just enjoying herself. Probably a little bit of both.
"So what about you, Taylor? How's Chi-town?"
"Cold," Taylor replied. She faced forward again and looked up at the perfectly clear blue sky. "But my father bought me an entire new fall
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and winter wardrobe and a Land Rover when I told him I'd decided to stay in Chicago. Plus, I love my high school. I'm president of the senior class and should be graduating number one. Hopefully there will be an early acceptance letter from Stanford when I get home."
"Wow, Taylor. Sounds like you've got everything you wanted," I said.
When I got home, I was really going to have to deal with narrowing down which colleges I wanted to visit and apply to, something that should have been on my mind all semester and would have been if I hadn't been so distracted by Cheyenne's suicide and my stalker and my breakup and everything else. Maybe I could get a good essay out of the whole experience.
TOPIC: WHAT PERSON OR PERSONS HAS HAD THE MOST INFLUENCE ON YOUR LIFE?
ANSWER: CRAZY ARIANA OSGOOD AND HER PSYCHO SISTER SABINE.
Noelle tipped backher head and sighed. "So I guess Ariana intimidating you into leaving Easton actually was a good thing."
Taylor and Kiran exchanged a glance, and Taylor looked down at her lap.
"Is that what happened?" I asked. How long had I been dying to have this conversation?
"Basically," Taylor said, forcing a smile. "She was worried that if I stuck around, I would crack and tell the police what we did that night. Which, let's face it, I probably would have. But I never knew she went back there that night, Reed, I swear."