Perfect Mistake (Privilege 3)

"An espresso for Maria," Quinn continued, handing over the drink. Maria grabbed it like she was lost in the desert and it was the last cup of water on earth. "And a chai tea and an almond scone for Soomie."

"Thanks," the other girls said, giving their lackey brief smiles.

"Anything else before I go to Italian?" Quinn asked, quickly checking her Gucci watch. Her straight red hair was back in a tortoiseshell headband and she wore her uniform all tucked and pristine. Ariana appreciated the sophomore's attention to detail. When she got into Stone and Grave she was going to keep an eye on Quinn for potential membership.

"We're fine," Soomie said, taking a sip of her tea. "Don't be late on our account."

"Okay. Have a good day!" Quinn said before grabbing her overstuffed backpack and walking off.

Ariana leaned back in the chair and tried to relax--tried to think of something to chat about with her friends--but all that kept coming to mind was Kaitlynn and her death threats. After partaking in the Stone and Grave ceremony the night before, Ariana was more determined than ever to get in. But that would require three things-- first, not getting murdered by Kaitlynn; second, not letting Kaitlynn murder any of her friends; and third, being one of the four who got in, rather than the one poor soul who did not.

A pair of songbirds twittered in one of the nearby trees, and Ariana wondered sadly at the fact that she had to be thinking about murder at all on a gorgeous day such as this.

77

It was too bad she couldn't ask for Soomie and Maria's advice. Find out if she was right about sabotage being a no--no to the Stone and Gravers. She had a feeling they were both in Stone and Grave already, and might have some useful advice, but she couldn't even tell them about the tapping ceremony the night before without risking Stone and Grave's wrath, let alone revealing the truth about herself and Kaitlynn.

Unless .... maybe she could ask them without really asking them. They would obviously know what she was talking about, but would probably answer without acknowledging it. At least, that was what Ariana would do for them if she was in and they were out.

"Ana, what is your problem?" Maria said suddenly. "You've sighed ten times in the last five minutes."

"Have I? Sorry," Ariana replied. "Just having deep thoughts."

"Anything we can help with?" Soomie asked.

"I wish," Ariana replied.

She took a deep breath of the early--autumn air. Should she give it a try, or would Stone and Grave consider even thinly veiled questions to be a crime?

"Try us," Maria said finally.

Ariana shifted in her seat. She decided to trust her friends. Trust that they wouldn't report her to Stone and Grave. If there was ever a time to rely on their friendship, it was now.

"It's just. . . there's something I want. . . and there are a bunch of people standing in the way of me getting it," Ariana said. "And I'm not sure how to deal with it."

78

There. Technically, she hadn't said a word about Stone and Grave, so technically she had broken no rules. Soomie and Maria exchanged a glance.

"That's easy," Maria said, sliding her sunglasses atop her head.

"Take out the weakest link," Soomie said.

Ariana felt a sizzle of possibility skitter through her heart. She'd known she could count on them. And here they were, practically suggesting sabotage outright. So maybe it wasn't going to get her disqualified.

"The weakest link," she repeated.

Just then the glass doors behind them opened and out traipsed Tahira and Allison. They gabbed and laughed obnoxiously all the way across the patio to a table shaded by a red umbrella. Once seated, they attacked their apple--cinnamon muffins like a pair of rabid dogs let loose in a chicken coop. So unsavory.

Of course, Ariana could have turned it around on Kaitlynn and simply sabotaged her. Taking Kaitlynn out of the running would not only mean getting into Stone and Grave, but it would also mean Kaitlynn would not be there to annoy her all the time. But there was a problem with that plan. If she sabotaged Kaitlynn, then Kaitlynn might turn her in to the authorities--or worse, kill her.

The only option was to take someone else out. Then both she and Kaitlynn would get what they wanted. Mostly. Ariana would still have to deal with being tied to Kaitlynn for life, but at least she'd be in. And alive.

"The weakest link. The person who doesn't have the guts or the

79

brains to fight back," Soomie added, scrolling through her e--mails on her BlackBerry.