Free Privilege 4 - Sweet Deceit by Kate Brian Page B

not?" Ariana replied, taking a sip of her coffee as she followed Lexa toward a table near the window. "It could be fun."

    "You do realize that if we do a pairs costume you'll be stuck to my side all night," Kaitlynn said, lowering herself into a chair.

    "I'm sure she can handle it," Maria said. "This is going to be fun! What's a good costume for Ana and Lily?"

    "Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum?" Soomie suggested, her eyes innocently wide.

    Ariana laughed, pleased that Soomie was actually making a joke, even if it was at her expense.

    Lexa grinned. "I know! Dumb and Dumber!"

    "You guys are hilarious," Ariana said acerbically, tearing a corner off her scone. "I was thinking more like Jane and Lizzie Bennet."

    Kaitlynn gasped in excitement "Or the Boleyn girls!"

    "But I want to be the one who doesn't get beheaded," Ariana replied.

    "We'll see," Kaitlynn joked darkly, settling back in her chair and looking relaxed and happy. Still with the thinly veiled threats. But then, Ariana realized, she had set herself up for that one.

    "This is going to be good," Ariana said with a smile.

    "Definitely," Kaitlynn replied. "I'm so glad you decided not to cancel your party, Soomie. Suddenly I can't wait for Halloween." GETTING TO KNOW YOU

    "I must say, if this is what they call Hell Week, I'm unimpressed," Jasper said, reaching for a tortilla chip and dipping it into the salsa jar in the center of his dorm room floor.

    "Why? Because they haven't made us do anything since Tuesday?" Ariana asked, flipping through her handbook. It contained basic information on her fellow pledges and on Conrad and April, the only two members who'd officially revealed themselves. It also covered the significance of various literary figures throughout history--like Lear and Miss Temple. Ariana had had it memorized since Wednesday morning, but tonight she'd finally taken Jasper up on his offer to study together. She wanted someone else to quiz her to make sure she hadn't missed anything.

    "Exactly!" Jasper laid his book aside and rested his hands, palm up, on his knees. "I had all these visions of being up all night, toiling away at menial tasks, getting whipped by angry, faceless society members."

    Ariana laughed and dusted some salt off her fingers. "Whipped?"

    Jasper raised his eyebrows. "I have a vivid imagination."

    "Me too," Ariana replied. "But mine never went to whipping."

    Jasper laughed and pulled his legs in closer, then reached for another chip. "So then, what did you think it was going to be like?"

    With a sigh, Ariana leaned back against Jasper's roommate's bed. Kendrick Musgrove was out at a meeting of one of his "plethora of clubs," as Jasper put it, leaving the two of them some privacy to study. Ariana liked Jasper and Kendrick's room. It was neat and sparsely decorated. Both beds were covered in plain wool blankets. A few posters of Civil War battles and old-school navy ships lined the walls, hung at perfect right angles. She found the order comforting.

    "I don't know. I suppose I thought it would be more like boot camp--you know, being woken up in the middle of the night and having to run around in our underwear or something."

    Jasper laughed wholeheartedly, his white-blond bangs falling over his light blue eyes.

    "Shut up," Ariana said, picking a few crumbs off her jeans to avoid his gaze. "My dad had to do that during fraternity pledging."

    "Your dad was in a frat? Which one?"

    Ariana froze as her vision entirely blurred over. Her dad was in a frat. Her dad. Not Briana Leigh's. She, in fact, had no idea whether or not David Covington had ever been in a fraternity. She didn't even know if the guy had gone to college. Her heart started to force hot panic through her veins and she could feel her throat begin to close. How could she be so careless? So stupid?

    Breathe, Ariana. Just breathe.

    In, one . . . two . . . three . . .

    Out, one . . . two . . . three . . .

    In, one . . . two . . . three . . .

    Out, one . . . two . .