I skipped breakfast, spending the hour calming my nerves, adding to my list of evidence against

Ivy, and sending Noelle an e-mail apologizing once again for what I had done. All I could do was

hope that she would have an unguarded moment and read the message, and that my words might

start to melt the ice wall she had put up between us. I finally headed out in time to make it to

morning services at the chapel, where I sneaked in at the back of the crowd.The vibe in the air was

hushed, paranoid. Apparently everyone had heard about the murder investigation at breakfast.

And if they hadn't, the two uniformed cops stationed near the doors of the chapel certainly set an

eerie tone.

"... police are taking over Dean Marcus's old office...."

"Are they going to interrogate everyone? I didn't even know the girl."

"... everyone knows who did it anyway--"

42

When I heard that one, my head whipped around, but I couldn't tell who had said it. I was soon

bustled right down the center aisle to the junior section, where I was about to sit in my usual pew-

-until I realized it was a Billings pew. Instead, I took the one two rows back and tried to hold my

head high.

"Hi, Reed," Constance whispered as she slid into the pew in front of mine. "How was your first

night in your new room?" she asked, trying to sound all positive and upbeat.

"Fine," I lied, the back of my neck flushed with heat. I could practically feel Noelle watching us

from a few rows back. I knew she wouldn't like the idea of Constance fraternizing with the enemy.

"But the room itself is kind of dark and depressing."

"I missed you," Sabine added as she joined Constance. "It was so odd, sleeping in that room

alone."

A lump of sorrow filled my throat, nearly choking me. Meanwhile, Missy shot me a death glare as

she, Lorna, Astrid, and Kiki filed in next to Sabine.

"You guys better quit it," Missy hissed to my friends while glancing at me. "Noelle will eat you alive

for talking to her."

My heart squeezed tightly in my chest.

"I don't care what Noelle thinks," Sabine said defiantly.

"No, you guys, Missy's right," I said, as much as it pained me to agree with her. "You don't want to

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