Free The Lies That Bind by Lisa Roecker

a better example than the two of you. Kate, you practically have a target tattooed on your forehead.” I considered my pink hair and bumpy history, especially with Headmaster Sinclair, and knew she was right.
    “And Taylor…” Ms. D. put her glasses back on and turned in her seat. “You are a leader in this school, so in their mind, publicly disciplining you for participating in unsanctioned after-hours activities would pretty much guarantee no student would disobey their rules again.” Ms. D. shook her head and turned back to her computer. “The alternative is giving the Brotherhood what they want and dismantling the Sisterhood for good.” Ms. D. looked at Taylor and shook her head. “I think we can all agree that this isn’t an option.”
    “But why not? What do you really have to lose?” I couldn’t stop the words from tumbling out of my mouth. The only thing Ms. D. and I ever disagreed on was the Sisterhood. She wanted me to join. To become one of the girls who protected the legacy of Sisterhood that the founders of Pemberly had established all those years ago.
    After everything with Grace, Taylor had issued a standing invitation for me to join. And most girls would have jumped at the chance. On top of being the most popular girls in school, the Sisterhood had access to information and a powerful alumnae network that could pull unimaginable strings. They never failed a test because they always had the answers beforehand, and none of them ever got rejected from colleges or clubs because there was always someone to make sure they got in.
    Being a Sister gave you complete access to pretty much anything you could ever want.
    But none of that mattered. Not when I remembered the role they had played in Grace’s death.
    “That is never going to happen, Kate. Never.” Taylor’s voice was barely above a whisper, but somehow her words still managed to scare me a little. When it came to the Sisterhood, Taylor was like a terrorist—willing to die for the cause.
    Ms. D. nodded briskly. “You’re going to have to let me handle this, girls.” She said the words as she typed into the system. “Hmm,” she said, “I see they’re already one step ahead of us. Bethany has an excused absence all week, supposedly called in by her parents.”
    “Impossible! Her parents are in Europe. It was forged by the Brotherhood. Obviously.” Taylor’s voice was steeped in frustration as she rose out of her seat, both hands on the desk for leverage.
    “No, no, it’s actually better this way. The less the school administration knows about this, the better. I’ll have to go directly to the headmaster and tell him what his boys have been up to. Hopefully the security footage from that night will convince him it’s in his best interest to force them to cooperate. We’ll get her home.”
    I sagged with relief. Ms. D. had everything under control. I knew she’d know exactly what to do. Unfortunately, Taylor hadn’t taken the news quite as well. She looked positively manic.
    “Are you crazy? They have stolen my best friend. She has been tied up in a chair or locked in one of their disgusting closets, and you expect me to just sit tight while you negotiate with Sinclair? We have to find her before they make good on their threat.” It was the first time I ever remembered not having to strain to hear exactly what she was saying, Taylor’s stilted words dominating the small room.
    Ms. D. appeared unfazed by Taylor’s diatribe. “These are teenage boys we’re dealing with here, Taylor. Not serial killers. Certainly accidents have happened in the past.” Ms. D. shot me an uneasy look. “But I’m confident they mean Bethany no harm. This is just more of their antics and games. I will figure out a way to get Bethany home safely without you two getting expelled.”
    An ironic “Amen, sister” was on the tip of my tongue, but I snapped my mouth shut when I saw the look on Taylor’s face. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears.