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87
RIGID
It was way past time to assume control of the situation.As Ariana stalked across the circle and up the hill toward Wolcott Hall, her blood boiled hotter with each step. She had just sat through what should have been a lovely lunch with Lexa's father, Senator Greene, and her friends, but she hadn't been able to enjoy it because she couldn't stop thinking about her encounter with Kaitlynn. The girl had ruined a perfectly good social outing and she hadn't even been there. Ariana knew that if she was ever going to get her emotions in check, she had to act. Had to put some plan in motion that would fix at least one, if not all, of her current troubles. First things first: Remove Allison from the running for Stone and Grave. Save her friends' lives and her own. After she got that plot started, she could concentrate on what would hopefully be the easier task, securing an invite to the NoBash for Kaitlynn.
Then she could deal with getting Lexa and Conrad together. And
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her own task for Stone and Grave--making a spectacle of herself. That was going to be interesting. How in the world was she supposed to do that? Wear her underwear on the outside of her uniform for a day? Don last season's shoes? Shave her head? Not one of these ideas appealed. What were they looking for? How devastating a humiliation were they expecting?
Ariana had come to the top of the hill and was walking so fast she found herself panting unattractively.
Breathe. Focus.
The Allison Plan. That was why she was here. Because all good plotters needed willing lackeys. Brigit hadn't been at lunch because she had a gown fitting for the NoBash. Ariana hoped to find her friend in her room. She shoved through the doors of Wolcott and almost slammed into Tahira
and Allison.
"Watch it!" Tahira snapped. "You almost took my head off!"
If only, Ariana thought, sliding past them without a word, her teeth clenched.
"God. Sweat much?" Allison commented, looking Ariana up and down with disgust. She and Tahira cracked up laughing and continued through the door. Ariana felt like she was going to spontaneously combust.
Yes, Allison had to go. As soon as humanly possible.
Breathing in deeply through her nose and out through her mouth, Ariana took the elevator to the top floor. By the time she got there she felt much calmer. She knocked on the closed door of Soomie and Brigit's room. There was a scuffle and some urgent whispering.
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"Who is it?" Brigit called.
"It's Ana."
"Are you alone?"
Ariana glanced behind her at the empty hallway.
"Yes. Is something wrong?"
"No. Come in. Quickly."
Ariana slipped inside the room. Brigit was stepping onto a seamstresses' block wearing a royal purple gown of pure, shimmering silk. It had cap sleeves and a square neckline that framed her neck and face perfectly. Very flattering. Crouching at Brigit's feet, pinning the hem, was a diminutive woman with graying brown hair pulled back in a bun.
"Hey, Ana. Sorry about that," Brigit said, all flushed. "I just can't let Tahira or Allison see my gown. How was lunch?"
"It was great, but we missed you," Ariana replied, placing her bag on Soomie's bed. "What a beautiful dress."
"I know, isn't it?" Brigit's face was giddy with pleasure. "Leah's a genius. Oh! How rude of me. Ana, this is Leah. She just got in from Oslo this morning."
Ariana tried not to let her envy reflect in her eyes. Personal seamstress flown in from Norway? What a life.
"A pleasure to meet a friend of the princess." Leah rose to her feet and shook Ariana's hand--a tight, bony grip--and bowed her head slightly.
"The pleasure's mine," Ariana replied. "You do amazing work."
"Thank you, miss."
