Paradise Lost (Private 9)

12

of her--at the girl who'd taken my place in Billings and had ransacked my Pemberly single--but I did my

best to push it back down.

"Noelle, wait!" I called, jogging to catch up.

They paused just outside the door and waited. Each had her cell phone out and ready, probably to spread the news that we'd been freed.

"Hey," Noelle said, pushing her dark hair over her shoulder. "Crazy stuff."

"I know," I replied, catching my breath. "Missy said they might close the school for good."

"Close Easton?" Amberly gasped, her blue eyes wide. "Can they do that?"

Noelle snorted a laugh and adjusted her cashmere scarf. "No. Please. The school hasn't done anything wrong."

"Although they do keep admitting the crazies," Tiffany said, covering her short black curls with a red cabbie hat. "And we keep inviting them into Billings."

"We didn't invite Sabine," I pointed out, shoving my hands into my pockets as a stiff wind blew by. "Cromwell put her there."

"True," Tiffany said as her phone trilled. "It's my dad. I have to take this." She moved away a few steps as Noelle, Amberly, and I started to walk across the quad. Noelle wisely maneuvered her way between Amberly and me, acting as a human buffer.

"Speaking of invitations to Billings, Reed, I'm sure you know we want you back next semester," Noelle said.

An instant thrill ran through me. "Seriously?"

"What?" Amberly blurted at the same moment.

13

Noelle paused and gave me a look that was half condescension, half apology. It would have been hard for anyone other than her to pull it off.

"Of course. Now that we know Sabine was behind everything, I'm sure everyone will agree," she said. "I plan to take a vote on it this afternoon, but I can't imagine who might vote nay."

At this, she turned to the side to give Amberly a pointed look. Amberly inspected her nails.

"You will accept the invitation, of course," Noelle said to me.

"Of course," I said, even though there was a twinge of trepidation inside my chest. "I mean, it will be a little strange after living there with Sabine for so long...."

I took a deep breath and looked across the quad toward Billings House. My fists clenched inside my pockets.

"I can't believe I trusted her," I said, as humiliation and fury bubbled in my veins--something I clearly was going to have to get used to. I had a feeling that my relationship with Sabine would haunt me for the rest of my life. "How could I have been so stupid?"

"Hey. We all thought she was a sweet, innocent little thing," Noelle said.

"Not you. You never liked her," I pointed out.

Noelle smiled wryly and cocked her head. "Yes, but I rarely like anyone."

I actually cracked a smile at that one. Then I heard shouts in the distance and knew that reporters were firing questions at some poor soul who had just driven up to the gates.

14

"They're going to be all over us," I said.

"No doubt," Noelle said, staring off in the direction of the dorms and the driveway beyond. Then, slowly, she looked at me and smiled, her brown eyes bright. "Unless we're not here."