Privilege 4 - Sweet Deceit (8 page)

"What was that all about?" Kaitlynn asked suspiciously as Ariana pushed her arm into the sleeve of her leather jacket.

"Nothing," Ariana said. "He actually just wanted to congratulate us on the prank," she added quickly. "He said we're shoo-ins."

"Really," Kaitlynn said skeptically, narrowing her eyes. "Then why didn't he tell us both?"

"I don't know," Ariana said, lifting the strap of her bag onto her shoulder. "Maybe because he and I have been friends longer?"

"That's crap, Ana," Kaitlynn said as they walked away from the table. "There's something you're not telling me and we both know it."

"Lily," Ariana said. "There's not. I swear."

"Uh-huh," Kaitlynn replied, her expression sour as she looked Ariana up and down. "So much for all this talk about being friends."

Then she turned on her heel and stormed away. Ariana heaved a sigh and followed her toward the door, her giddy sense of victory all but evaporating. Sometimes dealing with a paranoid psychopath was hard work. PRETENDING

"What was your best Halloween costume ever?" Maria asked, glancing over her shoulder at Ariana as they walked into the Hill with Lexa and Soomie that evening.

"I don't know . . . one year when I was little I dressed up as Fancy Nancy," Ariana said with a shrug.

"Like from the children's books?" Lexa exclaimed. "That's so cute! You should do that this year."

Ariana gave her a cautious smile. After the episode with Palmer in the dining hall that morning, she had expected the cold shoulder from Lexa. Had she somehow imagined Lexa's suspicion and jealousy? Would Lexa actually be fine if she found out about Ariana and Palmer's relationship?

"Um, I think we're a little old to be going as Fancy Nancy," Soomie said moodily, tugging her black scarf from around her neck as they crossed the room.

Ariana, Maria, and Lexa exchanged looks. Ariana knew that all of them were still sad, but while the others were trying to move on, act normal, cheer up, Soomie just couldn't seem to snap out of her depression.

"Right. Because Raggedy Ann is so much more sophisticated," Maria joked, clearly trying to keep the mood light as they joined the line at the coffee counter. The other girls fell in behind her. Every one of them knew that when it came to coffee, Maria went first.

"Whatever," Soomie sniffed, checking her BlackBerry.

Another look darted between Maria and Lexa.

"Last year Soomie and Brigit went as Raggedy Ann and Andy," Maria explained to Ariana. Soomie scoffed, like she didn't want to hear it. "What?" Maria pressed on. "It was hilarious with the big red noses and the red yarn wigs and the red-and-white striped tights."

"I only did that because it was Brigit's favorite toy as a kid," Soomie explained flatly. "This year was supposed to be my turn to pick a costume. We were going to be Batgirl and Robin. The costumes just came in the mail yesterday."

Ariana's stomach dropped. So that explained Soomie's new wave of melancholy.

"Well, at least you can still be Batgirl," Ariana suggested tentatively.

"You can't be serious," Soomie snapped. "You really think I'm going to wear that now?"

Ariana's throat prickled. "Sorry, I just--"

"Whatever," Soomie said, closing her eyes for a moment. She took a deep breath and looked Ariana in the eye. " I'm sorry. I just . . . I guess I'm not feeling very comic booky these days."

Ariana swallowed hard as the line inched forward. Maria looked down at her boots for a moment before flicking her long brown hair back and trying again.

"So . . . what're you going to be?" she asked Soomie.

"I don't know. I'm thinking something gothic," Soomie said.

"But Batgirl is gothic," Lexa said.

"No. I'm talking seriously gothic," Soomie said, ducking her chin. "Right now I've got it narrowed down to (A) Hester Prynne, (B) Jane Eyre, or (C) Joan of Arc."

Lexa looked at Ariana and whistled. "Yeah, I'd say that's gothic."

"Where is this party, anyway?" Ariana asked. "Did you rent out a club or something?"

"No. It's at my house," Soomie replied, sending a quick text on her BlackBerry.

"I thought your parents lived in California," Ariana said, her brow knitting. "Do they have a house in DC?"

"No. It's her house," Maria said with a grin.

Ariana blinked. "You have your own house?"

Soomie shrugged and slipped her PDA back into her bag. She looked up and narrowed her eyes at the chalkboard menu behind the coffee counter. "My parents know that I sometimes need my privacy, especially when I get stressed and need to concentrate. They want me to do my best here, so they bought it for me when I first started at APH. It's nothing big. Just a row house near the Capitol."

Ariana shook her head. Nothing big. She would have killed to have her own piece of real estate to retreat to. "That's incredible. I can't wait to see it," she said as they finally reached the counter.

"Can I help you ladies?" the guy behind the register asked with a smile.

Maria ordered her usual double espresso, then stepped aside so the rest of the girls could place their orders.

"I'll have a caramel latte and a pecan scone, please. Black coffee and a blueberry muffin for Soomie, and a regular latte and cinnamon scone for Ana," Lexa said, taking out her wallet.

"Oh, Lex, that's okay," Ariana said. "I got it."

"Please. You'll get the next one." She flipped her hair over her shoulder and eyed Ariana. "Maybe you should stick with the children's book theme. Go as Winnie the Pooh or Thomas the Train or something?"

"Okay, Lex. She's not a toddler," Soomie said.

Ariana smirked and scanned the room. Over at a table near the wall were three guys with seriously bad haircuts, which just made her smirk wider.

"Oh! What about Hannah Montana?" Maria said. "Or a Barbie doll?"

"Um, no," Ariana replied. "Why are you guys trying to saddle me with some juvenile costume?"

"Cuz it's fun," Lexa said with a half-shrug as the barista delivered their order.

"Ha ha," Ariana said to Lexa. "And thanks," she added, picking up her coffee and scone.

"Yeah, thanks, Lex," Soomie added.

Just then, Ariana caught a glimpse of Kaitlynn at the back of the line. Her face was buried in a book for English class and she was trying to look like she was oblivious to Ariana and the other girls, but Ariana knew better. Kaitlynn was wishing she was part of the conversation, and probably trying very hard not to horn in on it. Her usual style was to force herself on Lexa and the others every chance she got, but Ariana had a feeling that the whole Stone and Grave thing had Kaitlynn so freaked that she was rethinking her every move.

"Hey, Lily! Come join us!" Ariana shouted.

Kaitlynn looked up from her book as if startled. "Oh, I . . . I don't want to cut the line," she said.

"Sure you do," Lexa replied with a smile. "What do you want?" Kaitlynn shrugged an apology at the waiting line of customers, but no one said a word. No one at APH ever contradicted Lexa Greene. "I'll just have a hot chocolate," Kaitlynn said.

Lexa ordered for her as Kaitlynn stood next to Ariana at the counter to wait. "So. What are you guys talking about?" she asked, tucking her book into her bag.

"Halloween costumes," Maria replied, sipping her espresso. "Ana can't decide what to be."

"I just hate pretending to be someone I'm not," Ariana said, shooting Kaitlynn a mischievous glance.

Kaitlynn hid a grin behind her hand.

"I have no idea what I'm going to be either," Kaitlynn said, taking her hot chocolate from the barista. Together the five girls turned toward the room and started the search for a big enough table to hold them.

"Why don't we do something together?" Ariana suggested.

"Really?" Kaitlynn asked.

"Sure. Why not?" Ariana replied, taking a sip of her coffee as she followed Lexa toward a table near the window. "It could be fun."

"You do realize that if we do a pairs costume you'll be stuck to my side all night," Kaitlynn said, lowering herself into a chair.

"I'm sure she can handle it," Maria said. "This is going to be fun! What's a good costume for Ana and Lily?"

"Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum?" Soomie suggested, her eyes innocently wide.

Ariana laughed, pleased that Soomie was actually making a joke, even if it was at her expense.

Lexa grinned. "I know! Dumb and Dumber!"

"You guys are hilarious," Ariana said acerbically, tearing a corner off her scone. "I was thinking more like Jane and Lizzie Bennet."

Kaitlynn gasped in excitement "Or the Boleyn girls!"

"But I want to be the one who doesn't get beheaded," Ariana replied.

"We'll see," Kaitlynn joked darkly, settling back in her chair and looking relaxed and happy. Still with the thinly veiled threats. But then, Ariana realized, she had set herself up for that one.

"This is going to be good," Ariana said with a smile.

"Definitely," Kaitlynn replied. "I'm so glad you decided not to cancel your party, Soomie. Suddenly I can't wait for Halloween." GETTING TO KNOW YOU

"I must say, if this is what they call Hell Week, I'm unimpressed," Jasper said, reaching for a tortilla chip and dipping it into the salsa jar in the center of his dorm room floor.

"Why? Because they haven't made us do anything since Tuesday?" Ariana asked, flipping through her handbook. It contained basic information on her fellow pledges and on Conrad and April, the only two members who'd officially revealed themselves. It also covered the significance of various literary figures throughout history--like Lear and Miss Temple. Ariana had had it memorized since Wednesday morning, but tonight she'd finally taken Jasper up on his offer to study together. She wanted someone else to quiz her to make sure she hadn't missed anything.

"Exactly!" Jasper laid his book aside and rested his hands, palm up, on his knees. "I had all these visions of being up all night, toiling away at menial tasks, getting whipped by angry, faceless society members."

Ariana laughed and dusted some salt off her fingers. "Whipped?"

Jasper raised his eyebrows. "I have a vivid imagination."

"Me too," Ariana replied. "But mine never went to whipping."

Jasper laughed and pulled his legs in closer, then reached for another chip. "So then, what did you think it was going to be like?"

With a sigh, Ariana leaned back against Jasper's roommate's bed. Kendrick Musgrove was out at a meeting of one of his "plethora of clubs," as Jasper put it, leaving the two of them some privacy to study. Ariana liked Jasper and Kendrick's room. It was neat and sparsely decorated. Both beds were covered in plain wool blankets. A few posters of Civil War battles and old-school navy ships lined the walls, hung at perfect right angles. She found the order comforting.

"I don't know. I suppose I thought it would be more like boot camp--you know, being woken up in the middle of the night and having to run around in our underwear or something."

Jasper laughed wholeheartedly, his white-blond bangs falling over his light blue eyes.

"Shut up," Ariana said, picking a few crumbs off her jeans to avoid his gaze. "My dad had to do that during fraternity pledging."

"Your dad was in a frat? Which one?"

Ariana froze as her vision entirely blurred over. Her dad was in a frat. Her dad. Not Briana Leigh's. She, in fact, had no idea whether or not David Covington had ever been in a fraternity. She didn't even know if the guy had gone to college. Her heart started to force hot panic through her veins and she could feel her throat begin to close. How could she be so careless? So stupid?

Breathe, Ariana. Just breathe.

In, one . . . two . . . three . . .

Out, one . . . two . . . three . . .

In, one . . . two . . . three . . .

Out, one . . . two . . . three . . .

It didn't matter. It wasn't as if Jasper was going to Google David Covington the second she left his room to try to find out what fraternity he was in. She looked up at him, her heart rate finally returning to normal. His expression was quizzical and slightly concerned.

"Sorry, I just . . . this is embarrassing, but I don't even know," she said with a laugh. "All that Sigma Delta Gamma stuff sounds the same to me."

"Believe me, I understand," Jasper replied. "Half the time when my dad starts talking my eyes just glaze over."

Ariana let out a silent sight of relief. "Anyhow, maybe they're taking it easy on us because of Brigit."

"Perhaps," Jasper mused, rubbing his hands together. He looked up at her, his blue eyes sparkling. "Or maybe it's all part of their insidious plan. Lull us into a sense of security so we'll be all the more surprised when they attack."

"Maybe."

"So," he said with a sly smile, reaching for his book again. He opened to a page at random and looked down his long nose at the small print. "Tell me everything there is to know about Adam Lazerri."

"Why bother? We both know it," Ariana said, tucking a strand of auburn hair behind her ear. "Poor Adam."

"Ah, yes. The sacrifice made for the greater good," Jasper said, toying with his book.

"Do you really think that's all it was?" Ariana asked. "That they were just trying to scare us into submission?"

Jasper shrugged and frowned. "Either that or they really are going to pick us off one by one."

"Well, I'm getting in, and so are you," Ariana said confidently. "So tell me all about yourself--things that aren't even in the handbook." She crossed her arms over her chest and settled in for the story.

Jasper smiled and let out a groaning sigh. He leaned back against his own bed, crooking both arms behind his head in a cocky way, and shoved his legs out, crossed at the ankles. "Well, where does one begin? There's so very much to tell."

"Start with the basics," Ariana said, rolling her eyes. "Then warm up to the good stuff."

"I grew up just outside Baton Rouge," Jasper replied, deepening his southern drawl. "Mama's family money comes from cotton, but Daddy's in the real estate biz. Although as far as I can tell he hasn't worked a day in his life. Just lived off the proceeds from investments made by his father's father."