I can put in for a transfer!" she said excitedly. "We can room together in Pemberly."
I was touched at the offer. Clearly Sabine cared more about me than Billings, which was
unprecedented. But I couldn't do that to her.
"You heard what Noelle said. It's a single," I told her. "There's no way we'd ever fit. But thanks for
the offer."
Sabine's face fell. "Well, then, we should just talk to everyone. Get them to vote again..."
"No. I don't want to be all 'pathetic and whiny about it,'" I said, quoting Noelle.
"You're right," Astrid said, shoving a throw pillow into the now bulging garbage bag. "Chin up.
Screw her. That's the only way to deal with this."
24
"Maybe if you just go and live in Pemberly for a while she'll cool down," Constance suggested,
chewing on her bottom lip. "Maybe... I don't know... maybe they'll all come around."
Pemberly. The very thought of the old, gray dorm with its tiny little windows, paint-chipped door,
and ancient, abused furniture made my skin crawl. I wasn't meant
for Pemberly. I was meant for
Billings.
But I couldn't argue with Constance's logic. I might be better off trying to fix this thing from afar.
"This is so unfair," Sabine said. "You are Billings."
The words hung in the air like a funeral dirge. They all looked at me mournfully and I felt as if my
heart was breaking. From my angle I could still see the two halves of the broken disc shining in the
garbage can.
"Not anymore," I said.
25
NEIGHBORS
The Pemberly single was one of the most depressing things I'd ever seen. The old wood floors
were scratched and gouged, and a crusty stain seeped out from beneath the single bed. All the
old, dingy furniture was shoved up against the walls--bed to my left, desk straight across, dresser
to my right--leaving just enough space in the center of the room to walk through. Above the bed
was one tall, skinny window with peeling paint all around the pane, and the whole thing looked
like it might fall off if I tried to open it. I turned to check out the closet right next to the door. It