Perfect Mistake (Privilege 3)

"Sorry," Lexa replied. "So what backfired?"

"We played a prank on Allison this morning," Brigit replied, leaning back against the rear row of seats and kicking off her heels. She sighed happily as the stilettos hit the floor. "But it looks like she took the lemons and turned them into a lemon--tini."

"Wait a minute, that was you guys?" Lexa said, letting the door

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close behind her. She crossed her slim arms over her chest. "You're the ones who set up the fake cheat sheet?"

"It was Ana's idea," Brigit said helpfully. "We thought we'd have a little fun with her. You know, since she was such a beyotch to Ana when they were living together."

"You're kidding," Lexa said flatly, giving Ariana a scolding look.

"What's the big deal?" Ariana asked. "We were just messing around."

She had thought that, of all people, Lexa would be pleased. She was the one who was apparently so obsessed with getting "Briana Leigh" to loosen up and be like her old self. The one who most likely had decided that Ariana's task should be to make a "spectacle" of herself.

"Just messing around? This is serious stuff! She could have gotten thrown out of school." Lexa's eyes narrowed.

Ariana's face burned. Had she been right all along? Was it a bad thing to try to sabotage another potential member of Stone and Grave? But no. It wasn't possible--Soomie and Maria had practically told her to do it. Unless they were trying to sabotage her. Did they actually want to keep her out? That couldn't be. They were her friends.

Suddenly, Ariana's head hurt from trying to figure out what it all meant, what everyone's motivations were. But one thing was for certain: Lexa did not get to be her moral center. The girl had no idea the sacrifices Ariana was currently making to preserve their friendship and spare her feelings. And to keep everyone on this campus safe.

"She would have ended up at some other good school," Ariana said, lifting a hand. "It's not that big a deal."

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Lexa sighed and shook her head. "Whatever. I'm glad it backfired," she said. "You two totally stepped over the line." She turned around and flung open the door. "I'll see you upstairs."

As the door closed behind her, Brigit gave Ariana a chagrined look. "Wow. She was pissed."

"I don't get it," Ariana said. "I thought she wanted me to loosen up."

Brigit shrugged. "I guess in Lexa's world there's loosening up in a good way and loosening up in a bad way."

Ariana gripped her forearm tightly in her fingers. She couldn't believe Lexa was mad at her. All she was trying to do was protect her. Protect Brigit, Maria, Soomie, Tahira, and Allison too. There was a psychopath out there just waiting to prey on one of them, and Ariana was the only person who could stop her. Every single fiber of her being was focused on trying to stop her.

But she had failed. And now there was no telling what Kaitlynn might do. Whom she might hurt. Because of Ariana's mistakes, someone--most likely someone she cared about--was going to die.

"Ana?" Brigit said, looking worriedly at Ariana's arm. "Are you okay?"

Ariana released her grip. There were four perfectly straight white lines where her fingers had been. The rest of her arm was red from the pressure.

"I have to go," she said, whipping the door open. "I have to get out of here."

It wasn't until she was out in the open air and halfway down the hill that she let the tears flow.

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FAILURES

Ariana was aware of a sharp pain in her leg before she was even aware that she was awake. She swatted at it as she lifted her head and opened her groggy eyes. Her hand hit something hard and she sat up straight. Her heart stopped. She was looking right into the menacing eyes of Kaitlynn Nottingham, and Kaitlynn was holding a steak knife. Red liquid dripped from the tip.Ariana gasped. A puddle of blood had pooled on her sheet, flowing from a small gash across her shin. Suddenly, she was wide awake. She jumped to her feet, knocking Kaitlynn backward with all her might, gritting her teeth to keep from screaming out in rage and pain. Kaitlynn reared backward and tried to grab a desk chair for balance but crashed to the floor on her ass anyway. The knife skittered across the hardwood and came to rest under Ariana's bed.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ariana whisper--shouted. She stood over Kaitlynn, her cut stinging, unable to take even a second to check

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the severity of the wound. She couldn't turn her back on Kaitlynn. Couldn't let her defenses down for even a second. The psycho had finally crossed a line.