Untouchable (Private 3)

I turned around slowly and scanned the room. Most of the people who caught my eye quickly looked away. I forced myself to look at the pictures again. Thomas had led such a full life . . . and I had known nothing about it. I had never known he had traveled so much. Never realized that he and his friends were so close. Never known who his family was. Never known how many girls he had been with.

I caught a glimpse of Thomas and his face-licker and was overcome with jealousy and a severe sense of emptiness. Not a single

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photo had ever been taken of me and Thomas. We hadn't been together long enough, or I hadn't been important enough, for us to be captured on film together.

The moment I thought this, I felt deeply ashamed. How could I stand here feeling sorry for myself? Thomas was dead. He would never have any of these experiences again. All because some psycho out there had felt the need to end his life. God, what I wouldn't give to look that person in the eye and rip his heart out.

"Deep breath," Ariana said. "You can do this."

I inhaled slowly through my nose. Let Ariana's confidence cool me. Across the room, Gage smirked in our direction. He and Dash both sported suits and loosened ties and looked very proud of themselves, even as Noelle ranted at them.

"Let's get something to drink," I suggested.

"Now you're talking," Kiran said.

This time, I led the way. When we got to the drink table, I dunked a cup directly into the punch bowl and sucked the fruity liquid down my dry throat. Kiran took a moment to slip out her flask under the table and spike her drink and Taylor's.

"Nice work," I said to Gage. "You guys should go into funeral planning."

"It is the only business where you're guaranteed a nonstop flow of customers," Gage replied lightly.

This boy needed a good ass-kicking. Like yesterday. Maybe Noelle should have let them go after Thomas's townie.

"You need to take down the pictures, Dash," Noelle said,

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apparently attempting to regain her composure. "It's Tim Burton--level morbid."

"What? I think it's cool," Dash said, admiring his handiwork. "We're supposed to be celebrating Thomas's life. Well, this was his life."

"It's creepy," Kiran said, shuddering as she took a sip of her punch. "It's like he's staring at us."

"From beyond the grave," Taylor put in.

Gage scoffed. "And the Oscar for superfluous drama goes to--"

Dash laughed and the two boys slapped hands. "Nice!"

"This from the guys who were forming a lynch mob just days ago," Noelle said, rolling her eyes.

"I don't understand you, Noelle. Did I or did I not ask for your help planning this, and did you or did you not turn me down cold?" Dash asked, squaring his broad shoulders.

Noelle's eyes narrowed. I felt a lovers' spat coming on. "What's your point?"

"My point is, you didn't want to get involved, so now you don't get to complain about it," he said.

Noelle's mouth fell open. Dash looked mighty proud of himself. No one, not even Dash McCafferty, rendered Noelle speechless very often. Could it be that the balance of power in this relationship was shifting? You could practically see the hope in his eyes.

"Why don't you girls all down some of Kiran's secret stash and unclench?" Gage said, with his usual subtlety. "Meanwhile, we'll be

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over here letting Dean Marcus congratulate us on a job well done."

Gage slapped his hand down on Dash's shoulder and tugged him away. Noelle fumed silently as she watched the guys lope casually across the room. She wasn't big on making scenes, but I knew Dash was going to pay for that one later. Possibly, she was already plotting her revenge.