Beautiful Disaster

by Kate Brian

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  SHOUT IT OUT

  By six o'clock the next morning, after a restless night of staring at the ceiling, Ariana's mood had miraculously improved. She felt much more positive. Much more herself. It was all the sanctioned yelling, she was sure. And the fresh air.Plus, staring at a shirtless Palmer for the last half hour might have had something to do with it.

  "Pull!" Ariana shouted, gripping the handles on either side of her flat seat with both hands. "Pull! Dig in and pull!"

  Palmer let out a grunt of effort as he worked his oars. His dark hair had been blown forward by the wind, forming a sort of fauxhawk down the center of his head, and his face was ruddy from the effort of the workout. Ariana saw a tiny rivulet of sweat working its way down his perfectly smooth chest, between his very defined pecs. She continued to shout as she watched the droplet wend its way lower and lower. When it reached the waistband of his sweatpants she glanced

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  away, her face searing. She looked past him to Adam--who was paler, skinnier, and less attractive--and shouted even louder.

  "Pull! What kind of weaklings are you? Pull!"

  The weaklings comment earned a few laughs from the guys. Palmer even broke concentration for a moment to look up at her and smile. But they dug in harder and the boat flew forward. Even Landon, who was almost as scrawny as Adam, grunted as he strained. Ariana was impressed. She would have thought that a pampered pop star like him would be averse to hard work. But then, as she had learned at the Brenda T, people were often surprising.

  As the boat lurched forward, Ariana held on for dear life and smiled. Maybe she was good at this. Maybe Palmer had made the right decision when he'd picked her over Lexa. Somehow, Ariana couldn't see that sweet little thing finding the proper voice to motivate anyone. But Ariana had that voice inside of her. That pent-up adrenaline and rage. It was nice to put it all to good use.

  As the boat sailed by the low-lying APH boathouse at the edge of the river, decorated with blue, gray, and gold flags and the APH crest, Ariana closed her eyes for a moment, just to feel. Just to absorb her surroundings. The warm breeze against her face, the salty, fresh scent of the river, the birds cawing overhead. Suddenly a voice in her mind spoke up out of nowhere.

  It's going to be okay, she told herself Kaitlynn gave you till Friday. That means you have three days to figure it out, and you will. You always do.When she opened her eyes again, Palmer was looking right at her with obvious longing in his eyes. She felt the force of his gaze deep

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  down inside her and, for a moment, allowed herself to relish it, and to relish the thrill of being right. He wanted her. A hot, desirable, unattainable boy was obviously attracted to her. It was the best feeling in the world.

  But he had a girlfriend. Which made him scummier than the underside of this boat just for looking at her that way.

  Control yourself, Ariana. Control.

  But she really didn't want to.

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  STOLEN MOMENTS

  The jubilant sound of guys' voices and laughter filled the boathouse as everyone celebrated a productive first practice. The cedar walls gleamed with a fresh coat of shellac, and the crew boats shelved along the walls were waxed to a shine. The guys had tossed their things-- duffel bags, boxer shorts, T-shirts, sweatshirts, and sneakers--all along the benches that ran down the center of the room, creating a sense of carefree disarray. Ariana would have loved to loiter in the corner for a while and enjoy the camaraderie, the shirtlessness, and the testosterone-filled atmosphere, but she had an exam to get to in fifteen minutes. As the guys grabbed their clothes and towels off the hooks at the back of the room on their way to the showers, Ariana slipped her hobo bag over her head and tried to slink out.Unfortunately, halfway through the doorway she slunk right into Palmer.

  "Leaving so soon?" he asked, arching his eyebrows.

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  Somehow he had already showered, and his shoulders were dotted with little droplets of water. His arms were stuck through the arm-holes of his T-shirt, which he pulled over his head as he slipped by her. Ariana was breathless as she noted the various spots in which the soft gray cotton clung to his body.

  Control, Ariana. Control."I have to go," she said.

  "Second breakfast?" he asked as the guys emptied out toward the shower room. He tossed his towel into his APH crew duffel, which sat on a bench in front of a wall of lockers, and zipped it up. Then he slid his gold band up his arm, where it tightened over his bicep. "I'll come with."

  "I'd rather you not," Ariana said tersely. No reason to tell him she was not headed back to the cafeteria. No reason to share anything more with him than she already had. She could not give him another inch. If she did, it could be dangerous.

  Palmer blinked as he lifted the heavy bag onto his shoulder. "Okay, I have to ask . . . did I do something to offend you?"

  Ariana simply stared at him. Off in the shower room, a few guys hooted and hollered. Laughter filled the air.

  "You can drop the ignorant act. It's beneath you," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

  "What ignorant act?" Palmer said, gripping his bag strap with both hands.

  Ariana scoffed. "You know you were about to kiss me the other night. You led me on."

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  Palmer laughed, tipping his head back slightly. "Led you on? I'd known you for one day."

  Embarrassment heated Ariana's face, but she told herself not to let it get to her. She was right. She knew she was right. "Yes. And you led me on for one day." Palmer's smile waned slightly. Ariana walked toward him. "If Lexa hadn't shown up at that moment, you would have kissed me. Just admit it."

  He took a deep breath and blew it out, studying her for a long moment. Ariana could have died from the strain of wanting to touch him. To just sink into his chest and wrap his arms around her. Then, finally, he spoke. "I can't."

  She blinked, tearing her gaze away from his arms and looking into his eyes. "Can't because it's not true, or won't because you have a girlfriend?"

  "A little bit of both?" he said with an annoyingly endearing smile.

  "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Ariana asked.

  "Nothing," he said, averting his eyes. He adjusted the strap of his bag and started past her, avoiding her gaze. "Forget I said anything."

  "No," Ariana said, her heart pounding. Palmer paused and placed his hands on either side of the doorway, leaning into them. He tipped his head forward and groaned, a noise that sent a skitter of nervousness through Ariana. "The other night you said ... you implied that you're all about fairness, right?"

  Palmer, his back still to her, snorted. "Right."

  "So do you really think it's fair to say something like that to me and then not elaborate? To not tell me the truth?" Ariana asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

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  "No. I guess not." He stood up straight and turned around to face her. There was obvious conflict in his gorgeous eyes. Conflict that gave her hope. "So here's the truth. I love Lexa. I've been with her forever and I love her. I'm sorry if that hurts or whatever, but I do."

  Ariana's heart shriveled like a raisin in the sun.

  "But--"

  And just like that it expanded again.

  "But?" she repeated hopefully.

  "But it's complicated. If I'm being totally honest, that night . . . maybe I forgot for a second that I was in love with her," Palmer said. "Just for a second."

  Ariana stared at him. Did he have any idea how awful this made her feel? He kept dangling what she wanted just within her grasp, then snatching it away again.

  "I do like you, Ana. You're ... different than the other girls I know. But I just... I can't," he said. " I hope you understand."

  Ariana swallowed hard. She was not going to play the victim here. Not going to let him see the hundreds of awful, warring emotions he had inspired in her. She was going to be the bigger person and put an end to this, right here, right now. For her own sake. For his
. For Lexa's.

  "I understand," she said in a clear, unaffected voice. "I completely understand."

  "Good." The depth of his relief was obvious. "So . . . we're okay then. We're friends."

  "Yes," Ariana said with a nod. "We're friends."

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  "Good. Then I'll see you at the faculty picnic later, cox," he said, backing away from her. "Good practice."

  "Good practice," Ariana repeated.

  Then he grinned at her one last time and walked out. Ariana's knees felt so shaky from the encounter she had to sit down. She backed up, dropped onto the wooden bench in front of the lockers, and placed her head in her hands.

  This is a good thing, she told herself. At least now everything is clear.

  Besides, she couldn't go around letting him look at her the way he had out on the water earlier. Couldn't be the girl who flirted with her best friend's boyfriend behind her back. She wanted to make it work here with Lexa and her friends. Undermining Lexa's relationship with Palmer was not the way to make that happen.

  Ariana took a deep breath and glanced at her watch. Crap. She had ten minutes to get back up the hill and all the way across campus. She was about to get up and go for a sprint, when something caught her eye. One of the guys had left his watch on top of his gym bag. Ariana leaned over to check it out and her heart stopped. It was a platinum Rolex. Worth a quarter of a million at least.

  Two hundred fifty thousand dollars, Ariana thought, her palms starting to itch. With that watch, she would be one quarter of the way to paying off Kaitlynn. Was it possible ... ? Could she actually raise the money through petty theft? The idea had never occurred to her until now, but many of the wealthiest teenagers in the world attended APH. She didn't have much time, but if she could simply scrape a few things together ...

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  Maybe she could get rid of Kaitlynn after all.

  Ariana's pulse started to race, spurred by adrenaline and the slightest twinge of excitement.

  Whose watch was it? And what kind of person left a two hundred fifty thousand-dollar watch just lying out in a public place? The kind of irresponsible person that practically deserved to have said watch stolen. No, not practically. He did deserve it.

  Ariana heard a bang in the shower room, followed by more laughter, and grabbed the watch. It slipped right into the inside pocket of her bag as if it was made to fit there.

  "Hey. What're you doing?"

  Ariana whirled around, her heart in her throat, glancing at the wall for the nearest oar just in case she needed it. Landon was walking slowly across the room, a white T-shirt clinging to his chest as he toweled off his shaggy hair. What had he seen? And why did it have to be him? People were definitely going to notice if Mr. World-Famous Pop Star suddenly went missing.

  "Nothing," Ariana said casually, lifting her shoulders. She started past him, focused on the door. "I'd better go."

  Landon took a step back and to the side, blocking her path. "Wait."

  Ariana's entire potential future passed before her eyes. He'd seen her pocket the watch. He was going to tell. Or threaten her. Or blackmail her. How could she have been so careless? She was going to be expelled from Atherton-Pryce before she even had a chance to take one class.

  "I've known girls like you," he said, looking down at her with a smirk.

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  "What?" Ariana asked. His words didn't compute. When was he going to accuse her already?

  "You think you're better than me, right? Better than my music? That's why you pretended you didn't know who I was in the school store," he said, tossing his towel on the nearest bench. "Just because it's pop doesn't mean it's crap, you know. Have you even listened to any of it?"

  Oxygen flooded Ariana's lungs, filling her body with sweet relief. He hadn't seen her take the watch. His ego was so big he probably couldn't see anything past it.

  "No. Can't say that I have," she replied coolly.

  "I figured. I can spot a music snob from a mile off," he said, tugging his rope necklaces out from under his shirt. "I'll send you some mp3s. At least listen to my stuff before you judge me."

  "Okay. I'll do that," Ariana said, sidestepping him. "You can get my e-mail from Soomie. Or Maria," she added pointedly, which caused him to blush. "Whoever you see first."

  Then she walked out of the boathouse as slowly and deliberately as possible, even if it meant being a few minutes later for her test. She couldn't risk him or anyone else watching her as she ran up the stone steps cut into the hill.

  Only the guilty ran.

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  MAKING THE CALL

  That afternoon was the faculty picnic on the great lawn, which meant the professors were showing up on campus for the first time to mingle with the students. There were half a dozen buffet tables packed with food and drink, dozens of picnic tables dotting the grass, and colorful banners and sign-up tables for various clubs and organizations, each of which was mentored by a member of the faculty. Ariana signed up for the APH literary magazine. She'd always enjoyed working on Easton's literary magazine, but more important, her signature would prove that she had been there. After that, she quickly slipped away from the party. With hundreds of people milling around, it was the perfect opportunity to walk off unnoticed. She hurried back to her dorm, grabbed her leather gloves from her drawer, and commenced her life as a cat burglar.Just like at Easton Academy, there were no locks on any of the dorm room doors, so it was beyond easy to slip in and out. Within minutes Ariana had gathered several pawnable baubles and trinkets,

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  including a few diamond tennis bracelets, a ruby necklace, and several iPods. But when she returned to her room and laid it all out with the Rolex watch, she realized that the grand total of all the items would barely put a dent in the million dollars she supposedly "owed" Kaitlynn. If she could have gotten her hands on Tahira's pink diamond or some of Brigit's crown jewels, they definitely would have helped. But Ariana had a feeling that those things would definitely be missed-- and that the royal guards would be sent out to find them. She stashed her stolen goods into the back of her desk drawer, covering them over with her notebooks, and sat down on her bed to think.

  Two seconds later, her phone beeped. She grabbed it and checked the screen. It was a text from Kaitlynn:

  3 days counting! hope u have a good plan, BL!Ariana's jaw clenched and she slapped the flip phone closed, then opened it again. Her one and only option had been hovering in the back of her mind ever since her encounter with Kaitlynn at the diner, and she scrolled to the phone book entry labeled "home."

  Grandma Covington. The woman had access to serious money. And Briana Leigh was her one and only granddaughter, her one and only living relative. The least Ariana could do was ask. It couldn't hurt, right?

  She glanced at her cell phone. The very idea of ringing up Grandma C. and putting on Briana Leigh's voice made her soul feel gray. But she needed the money in order to survive, and she needed it fast.

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  The sooner she bit the bullet and called, the sooner the ordeal would be over with.

  Ariana hit the speed dial button. Grandma Covington's assistant picked up on the first ring. She didn't even hesitate when Ariana said it was Briana Leigh calling. One person fooled, one much shrewder person to go. Ariana held her breath as she waited for Grandma Covington to pick up the phone.

  "Well, Briana Leigh, it's been over three weeks," she said by way of greeting. "I was beginning to think you were dead."

  Ariana froze. The irony of the jibe, the morbid irony of it, was so overwhelming, her mind went completely blank. What was she doing? Who was she calling? Why, again?

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

  "Hello? Is anyone there?"

  Ariana closed her eyes. Breathed. Opened her eyes. Spoke.

  "Sorry, Grandma," she said in Briana Leigh's Texas drawl. "I've just been so busy getting settled in here and buying my books and all. And I'm retaking my placement ex
ams. Trying to get into some tougher classes. So that's taken up a lot of my time."

  Ariana's heart rate slowed closer to normal with each word. It was a stroke of genius mentioning this up front. Surely Grandma C. would notice the change in schedule when she started to receive Briana Leigh's progress reports. And surely retaking the exams to get into harder classes would win her brownie points.

  "Well, I didn't know you had such initiative," Grandma Covington said cautiously.

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  "I'm turning over a new leaf here, Grandma," Ariana said, hearing the smoochy sounds of butt-kisses in her mind. "It's hard not to in a place like this. It just makes you want to learn."

  "Interesting," Grandma Covington said. "As long as you stay out of trouble this time. That's all I care about."

  Give me a million dollars and I will, Ariana thought. "Oh, definitely. You don't have to worry about that."

  "Good." There was a pause. "Well, are you going to tell me the reason for this call or am I to believe you were just checking in? Because I find that highly unlikely."

  Ariana laughed, mimicking Briana Leigh's giggle perfectly.

  "Actually, I'm calling about this fund-raiser we're having," Ariana said, gripping her bedspread in her free hand. "There's this whole competition thing here during Welcome Week and, well, it's a long story, but whichever team wins gets all these perks for the rest of the year. Anyway, one of the competitions is a fund-raiser for the Red Cross, and whichever team makes the most money wins the event, so--"