The Complete Private Collection: Private; Invitation Only; Untouchable; Confessions; Inner Circle; Legacy; Ambition; Revelation; Last Christmas; Paradise ... The Book of Spells; Ominous; Vengeance (121 page)

“Later, Hollis,” she said.

As he loped off, I couldn’t help feeling let down. Why couldn’t he be proud of me? Why couldn’t he support me? Why couldn’t he just be positive for five seconds in a row?

That night I returned to my room after a grueling study session with Kiki and some other people from my AP chem class. We had our first major exam the next day, covering everything we’d learned so far this semester, and after listening to my classmates spout formulas and compounds and measurements, I was starting to think that I had, in fact, learned nothing. Maybe I could get Mr. Dramble to postpone the test. Did the Billings influence stretch that far?

Exhausted, I dropped down at my computer to check my e-mail. There was one from my brother, Scott, titled “Nittany Lions Rule!” That could wait. Another from my mom—a forwarded message, which was probably one of those stupid poem/chain letters that had been circulating the Web for years. Mom had just discovered e-mail, so all those urban legends and dumb-blonde jokes and stories of undying love we’d all read a thousand times were still new to her. I bypassed that as well and went right for the message at the top of the list. Sent only minutes ago.

From Dash. It was titled “Congratulations.”

I glanced over my shoulder, as always, before clicking it open.

Reed,

I heard about your coup. Nice work! I knew you could do it. Whittaker is so excited I think he might have strained something. Is it too weird to say I’m proud of you? Is that something “just a friend” would say?

WB

Dash

So much better than that last e-mail. And see? This was the kind of response I had wanted from Josh. Pride. Congratulations. Was that so hard? My heart fluttered as I started to type a response, but then I paused, thinking of Noelle. Thinking of the fact that she and Dash were probably going to the Legacy together and that he—still—had neglected to tell me. I deleted the first line and started over.

Dash,

Thanks. And yes, I think just friends can be proud of each other. BTW, I heard you’re going with Noelle. That’s great.

Reed

There. That would show him how very unaffected I was by his—

An e-mail popped up almost immediately. From Dash. He was
online right now. Why did that thought make my pulse race like I’d just sprinted the four hundred?

Reed,

Yes. She told me she got one of the money clips for me. Good thing. There are certain people attending whom I’d like to see. . . .

Dash

After that I couldn’t stop smiling.

Our gowns were delivered the next day. All the other Billings Girls had received boxes from home or had ordered several dresses online so they could shop in the privacy of their own rooms. Even the ever-reluctant Sabine had received a gown from her mom. A gorgeous, modern white dress with a silk rope halter collar and an extremely low back. Everything was now in place, and everywhere we went, the Easton legacies were engaged in hushed conversation, speculating over where the party might be, who might or might not attend. The sense of anticipation was exhilarating. It put nearly everything else—classes, exams, Cheyenne, even Josh and Dash—out of mind.

But there was still one slight problem.

“I checked the fence on my morning run,” Noelle whispered, slipping into the seat across from mine in the library. “It’s sealed up.”

“Damn. And with the security cameras on all the other entrances . . .”

“The Crom’s really covered all his bases,” Noelle muttered,
dropping her history tome on the table with a bang. “It’s like we’re living in Alcatraz.”

“You’re not giving up, are you?” I hissed, leaning over the table.

“Of course not,” she snapped. “I’m just saying—”

We both looked up as a shadow fell across the table. It was Amberly, looking pert and perfectly matching as ever, with Lara and her other omnipresent friend hovering behind her.

“Hi, Noelle! Hi, Reed!” she said with a smile.

“Hi, Amberly,” I replied.

I still didn’t know what to make of this girl. She seemed sweet enough, but there was something blank behind her smiles.

“Omigod, Noelle, I just found out my family is going to be in New York for Christmas this year,” Amberly said, clutching her books. “Now you can take me to all the good parties!”

Noelle smirked. “I would, Amberly, really, but my family always goes to the islands for Christmas.”

Amberly’s face fell like an anvil in one of those old Roadrunner cartoons. “Oh.” And then it lit up again. “Well, maybe I can get them to switch their plans to the islands. My parents would do pretty much anything for me.”

Good for you.

“I know. They’re fabulous,” Noelle said.

“What are
you
doing for Christmas, Reed?” Amberly asked me excitedly. “Are you going to the islands, too?”

I had to laugh. “Um, no.”

“Well, maybe,” Noelle said, eyeing me.

“Seriously?” I asked.

“Why not? You should absolutely come along. I’m sure Christmas in Blahtown, USA, is ‘superfun,’ but you haven’t lived until you’ve spent the holidays in St. Bart’s.”

Okay. This was an unexpected turn of conversation. The very idea of living the sweet life with Noelle over break made my skin tingle. But could I really ditch the parentals and Scott for my mom’s first sober Christmas in years?

“I’ll have to think about it,” I said. “But thanks, though.”

“Oh, you have to come! Then we can all hang out together!” Amberly trilled. “I’m calling my mother right now.” She whipped out a lime green phone, which perfectly matched the lime green stripe along the hem of her dark blue sweater, and flipped it open.

Noelle rolled her eyes as she shifted in her chair, turning to face Amberly’s beaming face fully. “I don’t mean to be rude, Amberly and . . . entourage,” she said to the silent sentries standing behind her. “But we’re kind of in the middle of something here.”

Amberly hesitated for a second, then closed her phone. “What? What’s going on?” she asked. “You can tell me, Noelle. We’re such old friends.”

“I know. We are,” Noelle said smoothly. “But this is Billings business,” she said. “Something you’ll know all about in a couple if years, I’m sure.”

Amberly lit up like the Fourth of July. Noelle had just thrown her the bone every girl at Easton wanted to chomp on. The possibility
of getting into Billings one day. Behind her, her friends started to whisper urgently amongst themselves.

“Really?” Amberly said. Then, perhaps hearing how desperately grateful she sounded, she cleared her throat. “I mean, I’m sure,” she added, lifting her chin a bit. “Well, if you need any help at all, you know where to find me. And don’t forget to call me about St. Bart’s! It will be so much fun! ’Bye, Noelle! ’Bye, Reed!”

She and her friends strolled away and I was about to launch back into our conversation when Noelle turned to me with her knowing smirk.

“You have a plan, don’t you?” I said, recognizing that particular glint in her eyes.

“Not a plan, exactly,” she replied. “But an inkling . . .”

Before I could ask her what she meant, I saw someone hovering just on the other side of the stacks behind Noelle. My heart skipped a startled beat. Someone was spying on us. Listening in. I saw a flash of blue eyes, white skin.

I jumped up, shoving my chair back.

“What? Reed? What’s wrong?” Noelle asked,

I held up a hand and darted around the stacks. Irrationally, I thought of Cheyenne. I thought of Ariana. As impossible as either of those scenarios might be, someone was following me. Someone was watching. Who else? Who else would want to keep an eye on me?

I had no idea what I was going to say or do. No clue how I was going to confront who or whatever I was about to encounter. But in the next second I realized I didn’t need to know.

Because no one was there.

Saturday. October 30. Every secret exit from the Easton grounds had been checked. Every one of them was inaccessible. Short of a team of Navy SEALs busting onto campus and smuggling us out, we were screwed.

Noelle and I sat in the solarium that night, staring at each other across one of the smaller tables near the wall—a table a pair of sophomore girls had vacated for us the moment I started to eye it, saying they had been about to leave anyway. Everyone was watching us. Waiting for some direction. Some sign that we hadn’t dangled the Legacy in front of them only to snatch it away at the last minute. But no one dared approach us. We were on lockdown.

“There has to be a way,” Noelle said.

“We have to call Suzel,” I whispered.

Noelle sighed. “I told you. I want to keep her out of this. We have to be able to do some things on our own.”

“Noelle, the Legacy is tomorrow. Tomorrow. We still have to come up with a plan and tell everyone about it. There’s no time left. And Suzel is not only on the board, but back in her day at Easton she was kind of a rebel.”

I had read her file and, though it was next to impossible to imagine she of the straight teeth and responsible hair tearing up Easton, she had come close to expulsion a good six times in her first three years, engaging in everything from hazing to drug use to talking back to teachers. Then, her senior year, she had somehow become the model citizen she seemed to be today. What, exactly, had turned her around? That was the one detail the file didn’t divulge.

Noelle, of course, didn’t seem surprised by my revelation. She knew everything about everyone already.

“I’m willing to bet that she knows things about this campus that we can’t even imagine,” I said.

Noelle’s eyes were serious as she studied me.

“The Legacy is tomorrow,” I said.

She sighed through her nose. “Fine. Make the call.”

I grabbed my iPhone and found Suzel’s number on the contact list. She picked up on the first ring.

“Hello, Reed,” she said in a bubbly tone. “How are you?”

“I’m fine, thanks. And you?” I said, sliding off my chair so I could pace out my nerves. I stuck to the wall so no one could hear my side of the conversation, but all around the room, people were noting my movement, pointing me out to their friends. It was like being in a cage at the zoo.

“I’m fine as well, thank you for asking!” she replied.

“Listen, Suzel, we actually have kind of a problem,” I said.

“Shoot,” she told me.

“Well, tomorrow’s the Legacy and we still haven’t figured out a way to get off campus,” I told her, biting my lip.

Suzel sighed heavily, and for a moment I thought I’d messed up. That Noelle was right. That she was disappointed in us.

“I was afraid of this,” she said. “Headmaster Cromwell is such a tightass. But you didn’t hear that from me.”

I laughed, both relieved and amused. Noelle’s expression lightened considerably.

“All right. There is one passage off campus that he would never expect you to know about,” Suzel said determinedly. “Get yourselves to Gwendolyn Hall tomorrow night at exactly six p.m. There’s a wooden door in the back that leads to the basement. It’s the only one they never boarded up. I’ll make sure it’s unlocked.”

“Gwendolyn Hall?” I asked, glancing at Noelle. She eyed me, intrigued.

“Yes. There will be directions for you there,” Suzel said. “And make sure everyone comes in shifts. A huge crowd is going to catch someone’s eye. Understood?”

“Understood,” I replied.

Her tone was so conspiratorial and no-nonsense, I half expected her to tell me that my phone was going to self-destruct at the end of this phone call. But instead, she just wished me luck and hung up.

“Gwendolyn Hall?” Noelle said. “That’s miles from the gate.”

“I know,” I replied as I sat down again. “I told you. This woman’s good.” I took a deep breath and sighed. “There’s still one problem.”

“The Crom?” Noelle said.

“Yeah. He swore he was going to watch us all like a hawk,” I said, running my hand through my hair. “I think we’re going to need a distraction or something. Some way to keep him occupied while we all sneak out.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Noelle said with a sly smile. “And I have just the thing.” She sat up straight in her chair. “Oh, Amberly?” she said in full voice.

Amberly nearly knocked over her chair, she jumped out of it so fast. “Yeah?”

The room was otherwise deathly silent. Everyone present was wondering why a non-Legacy freshman was being summoned by two Billings Girls.

“Come over here a second. And bring your little friends,” Noelle said.

Amberly leaned down to whisper something to her girls and they all scurried to our sides like paid servants. I had no idea where this was going, but I liked it.

“Amberly, Reed and I have a little favor to ask of you,” Noelle said, looking up at her.

The girl at least had the sense to appear skittish. “Sure,” she said. “What kind of favor?”

“The kind of favor that will put the Billings Girls forever in your debt,” Noelle said meaningfully, looking at each of the girls in turn.

All three of them turned beet red. They knew what this meant. Do this favor, and the Billings Girls will remember you. Do this favor and come junior year, you’ll be invited to join the most exclusive house on campus.