The Ivy: Scandal (36 page)

“I quit, too,” said Gregory, popping a potato chip into his mouth. “No more money for dues.”

“I’ll spot you, mate,” said OK, clapping a hand on Gregory’s shoulder. He’d been acting considerably less moody following the return of his ‘top mate.’ However, even Gregory had proved so far unsuccessful at determining the identity of OK’s secret lover, who, according to Matt, was the only logical explanation for OK’s recent mercurial temperament.

“Yeah, you guys can’t quit!” said Vanessa while Adam and Dana—rather audaciously—sipped Coke from one can using two straws, and OK returned to sharing Mimi’s copy of
Tatler
. Vanessa
lowered her voice. “Especially not after what happened last night!”

“
Ce qui s’est passé
?” Mimi demanded, lowering the tabloid. Even Matt momentarily stopped chewing his hamburger.

“Lexi was going around telling everyone who would listen that because she’s starting a new magazine over the summer and going to be applying for jobs next year on top of running
FM
, she’ll hardly have time for the Pudding anymore. She’s also up for president of her Final Club, the Bee, in the fall so she said she might even be forced to choose between the two—though, according to her, ‘Obviously the Bee is
so
much more prestigious than the Pudding’—or at the very least resign as one of the members of the Pudding’s board!”

“Oh,” said Mimi, yawning. “
That
.”

“But that’s not all,” Vanessa insisted. “Later after Lexi left, I overheard Clint thanking Tyler for ‘letting her go so gracefully’ and Tyler thanking Clint for ‘coming to him with what he knew’!” Vanessa eyed them, one after another, clearly disappointed for lack of a bigger reaction. Finally Vanessa turned to Callie. “You’re not even a little bit upset that she didn’t get tossed out kicking and screaming? I mean, after what she did to you?”

Callie shrugged. “Not really. I expected something like what you described might happen after Lexi came clean to the Administrative Board and Alessandra quit the Pudding and got put on academic probation for a year. Although I
am
surprised that, from the sound of it, Clint is the one who turned her in to Tyler.”

“Speak of the devil,” Vanessa whispered suddenly, pointing at
the nearest grill. Clint and Tyler stood in line waiting for food.

Alexis Thorndike was nowhere to be seen.

Spotting Callie and Gregory, Clint nodded cordially, raising his hand.

Callie waved back, smiling at Tyler. “We
did
date them,” Callie reminded Vanessa. “And I actually really like Tyler.”

“So, ladies,” Tyler called, coming over while Clint finished filling his plate, “any special plans this summer?”

“Callie just so happens to have recently landed a
very
prestigious internship in New York City,” Vanessa announced.

“Really?” Tyler asked her. “That’s awesome!”

“Yep,” said Callie. “I got a phone call from someone who works in hiring at
The New Yorker
two days ago. One of their editorial interns backed out at the last minute and, after seeing my story in the
Harvard Advocate
, they asked me if I’d like to fill her spot!”

“What spot?” asked Clint, joining Tyler.

Gregory’s arm tightened around Callie’s shoulders. She smiled, resting a hand on his knee.

“Callie got a job after writing a story based on my life, my mantras, and my teachings,” said Vanessa. “It’s in the
Advocate
. You should read—asap. It’s probably going to win, like, a lot of awards. And did I mention that it’s mostly about me?”

Callie thought she heard Mimi snickering behind her magazine. “It’s not really a
job
,” Callie explained. “I’m interning at
The New Yorker
, and I’m sure it will be mostly fetching coffee or doing other peoples’ research. And of course they’re not actually
paying me—though I will have a living stipend and housing in the dorms at NYU.”

She looked at Gregory, who had already declared his intention of sharing said dorm room while he figured out what he wanted to do now that he’d lost interest in finance.

“And you’re, uh, still planning to intern for Governor Hamilton in Washington, DC?” Callie asked Clint.

“Yes,” he said, looking somewhat grim. Callie neither asked—nor cared to ask—about his status with Lexi.

“Hope they have good squash courts down in DC,” said Gregory. “Because I’ll be coming for your spot next year.”

Clint laughed. “I will keep that in mind if I’m ever having trouble staying motivated.”

“Well,” said Tyler, “we’d better go find a place to sit before this food gets cold and the band comes on. See you all next year?”

“Yep,” everyone chorused. “Have a good summer!”

“Callie,” said Vanessa, rounding on her immediately. “How are you ever going to ‘see Tyler next year’ if you don’t stay in the Pudding!”

“Oh no!” Callie pretended to look horrified. “I hadn’t thought of that!”

Vanessa sighed. “Lexi’s gone. As in ‘Ding dong, the
witch
is dead—’”

“Watch your language!” Dana snapped.

“Meaning,” Vanessa continued, “that we have the opportunity to finally change the club! Make it a better place! Run for the
board and get rid of the Punch Book and everything else like it forever!”

Callie raised her eyebrows.

“She’s right, you know,” said a voice from over Callie’s shoulder.

“Grace!” Callie cried, leaping to her feet and giving the older girl a hug.

“You should never quit an institution if there’s a chance that you can change it,” Grace continued, appearing somewhat uncomfortable to find herself agreeing with a girl in a Marc Jacobs romper and four-inch wedges.

“Sounds like good advice,” Callie replied.

“Feel free to take it or leave it.” Grace smiled. “And also, congratulations on landing that gig at
The New Yorker
.”

“Thanks, and same to you,” said Callie. “I heard Dean Benedict was able to reverse their decision over at the
Times
.”

Grace nodded, breaking into a smile. “Maybe I’ll see you around at some point before next year…. Speaking of which, are you quite sure you won’t reconsider accepting a spot on the
Crimson
?”

“Yes,” said Callie. “I think I finally figured out what I’m supposed to be doing, and the paper isn’t it.”

“Football!” OK cheered, eavesdropping from where he sat. “Please say it’s football! Your gifts are too precious to be wasted!”

Callie laughed. “Actually, the woman’s varsity coach did e-mail me….”

“What?” said OK sharply. “She didn’t e-mail me—”

“
Parce que tu es un garçon
,” said Mimi, “duh!”

“Still.” OK sniffed, folding his arms. “I’m just as good as most girls, I should think.”

“You are,” Callie agreed, laughing.

“So it’s back to sports for you, huh?” asked Grace.

“We’ll see,” said Callie. “Think I can play Division One soccer
and
keep trying to write fiction
and
maintain my GPA
and
…?” She nodded at Gregory.

“Actually,” said Grace, “I do.”

“Thanks,” said Callie, unable to resist hugging Grace again.

“No,” said Grace. “Thank
you
. For…you know.”

“I know,” said Callie. “I’ll e-mail you about getting together this summer.”

“Sounds good,” said Grace, walking away to join Marcus and some of the senior
Crimson
staff members who were camped out on the far side of the tire swing.

“A toast,” said Mimi, holding up her can of soda. “First to Dana, who cares for our well-being so much so that she has superglued her ‘Rules to Use the Common Room’ to the wall such that we will all owe a fine since it remains permanently attached.”

“Hear, hear,” said the boys, raising their sodas, too.

“It was a good list,” Dana muttered. Adam rubbed her back. “I never meant to deface public property. I can only hope that it will prove useful for the incoming freshmen.”

Wow, thought Callie. How trippy to think that next year a whole new set of girls would be living in their suite. Would they read “The Rules” and wonder who came before them? Would
they be just as different from one another or their year half as crazy? She looked at Gregory. Would the boys across the hall be even close to this cute? He kissed her on the cheek. Yes, Probably, Maybe, and
No way!
she decided.

“Next, to Vanessa,” said Mimi. “I am not laughing
with
you; I am laughing
at
you.”

Vanessa’s jaw dropped and she pretended to look angry. “The best university in the entire world and yet they still couldn’t teach you English,” she said. “How tragic.”

Mimi smiled. “And finally to Callie: you are a much better human being than would seem to otherwise be indicated by all the trouble you have gotten mixed into. I am glad that once I return from my summer traveling through Europe I will have
le plus grand plaisir
of living with you all
encore
.”

Callie, Vanessa, Mimi, and Dana all clinked soda cans, smiling at one another under the hot afternoon sun.

“And to
mes nouveaux
roommates,” Mimi continued, looking at the boys who, having joined their blocking group, would also be living in Kirkland House next year. “Adam: if you are ever needing to borrow a dress…”

“Don’t,” Dana warned. “I mean, no thank you.”

“Yes, thank you, but Dana has plenty,” said Adam, earning himself a
look
.

“Matthew,” said Mimi, “someday, if you just keep on believing, your prince will come.”

Matt laughed.

“Actually,” said Callie, “I think his ‘prince’ might be in California, where he is planning—purely by
coincidence
—to spend his summer doing research for some Stanford professor’s hot new book about the history of the newspaper industry.”

“Oh my god,” said Vanessa. “Is
Jessica
going to be there?”

Callie giggled. “Yes,” she said, putting a hand on Matt’s shoulder in an effort to calm his blushing. “So you guys are guaranteed at least one visit—probably more. My parents are still in denial that I’m ‘suddenly running off’ to New York.”

“Thank god for that,” said Vanessa. “I need somebody to hang out with while I attempt to avoid
my
parents.”

Callie grabbed her hand and squeezed. “It’s going to be a fun summer,” she said, resting her head on Gregory’s shoulder.

“Ah yes, to Gregory.” Mimi resumed her speech. “We,” she said, gesturing to herself and OK, “have always been on the Team Gregory,
pas le
Team Sweater Vest. So to your ultimate
triomphe
and becoming
moins d’un trou du cul
—”

“That’s French for you’re an asshole,” OK explained.

“No!” Mimi cried. “I said becoming
less
like the hole
du cul
.” She expelled a frustrated gust of air through her lips. “What I am trying to say
est la suivante: Grégoire, tu as enfin surmonté ton orgueil. Callie, tu as enfin surmonté ton préjudice. Comme le livre
.” Mimi narrowed her eyes in response to their blank faces. “Oh,
quelle que vous tous, les Américains
,” she gave up. “Cheers!”

“Cheers!” the others echoed, raising their sodas again.

“Hey!” said OK after taking a sip. “What about me?”

Mimi smiled at him, that familiar mischievous glint in her eye. “
Pour toi, mon amour secrèt Ne sois pas une un idiotte
!” she toasted him. “
Retrouve moi sur scène dans cinq minutes
.”

“Huh?” asked Callie. “What did she say? Where is she going?” she cried as Mimi stood and ran away.

“No clue!” OK shouted over his shoulder, getting up and dashing after her.

“Don’t look at me!” Dana said a moment later, even though the only reason everyone was staring was because she had just harrumphed with a very knowing look in her eyes.

“What time do you think the band is supposed to start?” asked Matt.

“Probably any minute,” said Gregory, shaking a cigarette out of his pack. “Last one,” he promised Callie, showing her that it was empty.

“I didn’t say anything,” she said.

“Yes, but I can read your mind,” he said, pressing his forehead against hers and then kissing her.

“Oh yeah?” she murmured, tilting her head back the tiniest bit. “Then what am I thinking right now?”

“Guys! Ew! Seriously! Get a room!” shrieked Vanessa. “And preferably not the one separated from mine by a very, very thin wall. God! Is this what it’s going to be like all summer?”

Callie and Gregory looked at each other, cracking up simultaneously. “We apologize…in advance,” he said.

“Yeah,” echoed Callie, “we’re sorry we’re not sorry.”

“Matthew,” said Dana pointedly, “do you know which band is playing?”

“No idea,” he said, glancing at the huge red curtain that was currently obscuring the stage. “Didn’t the Yardfest flyer say it was a surprise?”

“I believe so,” Adam agreed. “Something like special or surprise guest appearance from a ‘certain international musical sensation’?”

Callie nodded. “I heard a rumor that—”

“Wait!” Vanessa cut her off. “I think I saw movement behind the curtain!”

Callie looked at the stage. The curtain might have rippled—but then again, it could have been the wind. Suddenly a student mounted the stage wearing a black headset and dragging a microphone with him.

“Er—attention, fellow Harvard students,” he called, tapping the microphone. “As you know, the concert should have started a few minutes ago, but we just got word that our guests have been delayed on the second leg of their flight from Germany. We have a car waiting for them at Logan Airport now, but we’re not really sure what time Sexy Hansel—oh, crap.”

Cheers and shouts had broken out among the crowd.

The student onstage smiled. “Oops,” he said. “Well, I guess now the secret’s out. Yes, for this year’s Yardfest we did somehow manage to book the techno pop sensation Sexy—what the hell?” he cried, turning.