Private (Private 1)

if sensing me watching, Noelle looked up and caught my eye. She

“Hi,” I replied. Ariana smiled at me and returned to her book.

sighed, shook her head, and pushed herself to her feet. Her chair Natasha and Leanne ignored my arrival, but I couldn’t have cared made a sickening scraping sound.

less.

“What’s she doing?” Constance asked.

“So. There’s something we need you to do for us,” Noelle said.

Noelle was on her way toward our table. My heart was in my

My heart thumped and I was overcome by a rush of embarrassed

throat.

heat. Of course. She had only brought me over here to execute some

“I don’t know.”

new task. What did she want now? New toast for her turkey sandwich?

Noelle stopped right next to us, picked up my tray full of food,

“Okay,” I said slowly.

turned around, and brought it back to her table without a word. She

“We need you to break up with Kiran’s Dreck boy for her.”

dropped it next to Kiran and raised her eyebrows at me. Kiran

Kiran went ashen and my heart seized. I looked at her in a panic laughed and wiggled her fingers teasingly. Taylor ducked her face and saw that her eyes were wide with accusation.

behind her curls and flushed. Ariana lowered her book for the first

“I didn’t tell,” I blurted.

time and looked around, confused. At the far end of the table,

Noelle lit up with a grin. “Oh! So you knew about it?” she said, Natasha looked peeved and Leanne stared.

looking from me to Kiran. “That’s interesting. Are you two, like,

“Uh, I think she wants you to go over there,” Diana said.

confidantes now or something?”

I had to agree. I shot her and Constance baffled looks, then

“Noelle,” Kiran said. “I—“

rose and lifted my backpack. Noelle had made quite a scene, so

“Don’t worry. Glass-licker didn’t tell on you,” Noelle said.

everyone in the cafeteria was now watching my progress. As I slid