Burning.
The whole row of greenery, up in flames.
Too late.
CHAPTER 8
“Have you submitted your deposit for Mullhound yet?” Daisy asked me Thursday after last period. She had her thumbs hooked around the tan straps of her backpack, rocking on her heels as I loaded up my bag. “Has Jamie submitted his for…Columbia?”
She’d spat out the college name like a curse. “I did Early Decision for Mullhound, so I paid that in January. Jamie’s deadline was the first.” I looked at her discreetly from the corner of my eye. “I know you were waitlisted by NYU, but are you… maybe… considering anywhere else?”
“Not really.”
“Well, I’d be happy if you stayed close,” I told her, grabbing the edge of my locker door and leaning my head against it as I watched her. “Mullhound is only an hour away, so I’ll still be around.”
The light in Daisy’s eyes dimmed. “Good,” she said with cheer. If I hadn’t seen her eyes change, I wouldn’thave known it was false. “I can’t imagine being away from my bestie.”
I wondered why she’d only applied to NYU. It had been her dream forever, so it made sense to go all in, but surely a smaller graphic design school was better than nothing. Secretly, I wondered if her family had something to do with it. NYU was only a two-hour train ride from Addison—far enough, and close enough to come home if she had to. Maybe Daisy hadn’t applied anywhere else because her family needed her… more than she let on.
“I can’t believe Jamie isn’t going to NYU, though,” Daisy went on, expression darkening further. “Columbia University? I didn’t even know he applied there. Did you?”
“My mom had us apply to a lot of places.” I pulled out my political science book. “She still even had me apply to a bunch of others.”
“But he dreamed of NYU. Not some stuffy college full of stuck-up rich kids. Yeah, Columbia is prestigious, andeveryonewould be impressed by him—but he never cared about that before!”
I lifted my head, and as I did so, I spotted Jamie a few feet from us in the hallway. He’d clearly heard the topic of conversation, freezing mid-stride like a deer in headlights.
“For years, we went on and on about going to NYU together, about being creative thinkers in one of the most creative colleges in the United States, and then he decides—when he can’t even tie afreaking tie, mind you—” Daisy suddenly stopped, having seen where Jamie now took a slow step backward. “Oh,perfecttiming!”
At the fire in her voice, Jamie turned on his heel and started down the hallway in the opposite direction.
Daisy abandoned me entirely. “James Brighton!”
Jamie broke into a sprint, and Daisy gave chase.
Laughing under my breath, I shut my locker and threaded my arms through my backpack straps, following after them. I had no doubt that I’d turn the corner and find them arrested by Mr. Taylor, because running down Cardale’s hallway was an intense level of illegal.
They had, in fact, made it outside, but they hadn’t gotten much farther. They stood side by side at the curb in front of a sleek maroon convertible. Its top was down, and the cream leather interior gleamed in the sunlight. A few other students gathered around the vehicle, jaws dropped as if they’d never seen a sports car in their lives.
I spotted a figure leaning against the spot above the back tire, their ripped-jean-clad legs stretched out a little bit in front of them, and I did a double-take. And then frowned.
You havegotto be kidding.
Beck’s eyes were shielded by his mirrored sunglasses, his platinum blond hair tousled and almost glowing in the sunlight. He had his arms crossed loosely over his chest, basking in the attention of the studentsoohing andawingat a car that was most definitely not his.
And then he spotted me. “Eleanor.” He tipped his chin down, peering at me over the rim of his glasses. “Cute uniform.”
I gripped my backpack straps tighter, refusing to fidgetwith my skirt hem.
“He offered us a ride,” Daisy told me, sounding stunned. Not as angry with him like normal.
Of course he had. Why else would he have come and parked in the parent pickup lane of Cardale Preparatory? “Jamie,” I said to my brother instead. “Come on.”
I didn’t even get a step away before Daisy grabbed my wrist. “Nell.” Her eyes were locked onto mine. “It’s aconvertible.”
“Have you never been in one?”
Wide-eyed, Daisy shook her head.
