Beautiful Disaster

by Kate Brian

  Let it go. You have to let this attraction go, she told herself. Lexa told you about the secret societies. She has your back. You have to have hers.She reached for the board and moved her rook again.

  "The blue and gray teams are packed with crew team members, and we only have three: me, Landon, and Rob," Palmer said, bracing his elbows on his thighs as he leaned forward. "And scrawny guys like Adam and Christian are not gonna get it done."

  "I say we sabotage their boats," Lexa suggested, glancing at Maria and laughing. "Mess with their rudders or something."

  Ariana's heart skipped a beat. Was that possible?

  "Why does everyone keep suggesting cheating?" Palmer blurted, dropping back on the couch. "I'd rather lose fairly than cheat."

  Lexa's cheeks darkened in embarrassment. "I was just kidding, Palmer," she said, glancing toward the center of the room and away from him. "You know me better than that."

  Palmer blew out a sigh. "I know. I'm sorry." He reached up and toyed with her hair on her back. "I'm just pissed off. With that Landon fund-raiser, I really thought this whole thing was in the bag."

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  "So did we," Maria said sadly.

  Soomie smacked her pawn down in front of Ariana's king. "Checkmate!" she announced happily.

  Ariana sighed. She hadn't remotely seen that move coming, but she didn't even mind the loss. Her brain was too busy formulating a new plan. One that would assure gold the win and secure Privilege House for her and her friends. One that would redeem her for what she had done.

  Maybe Lexa couldn't do this for Palmer--wouldn't do this. But Ariana could.

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  PLAY IT SAFE

  Ariana waited until the digital clock on her desk clicked over to exactly 2 a.m. Then she quietly moved her sheets aside to expose her fully clothed body, sat up, and shoved her feet into her black ballet flats. Before bed she had dressed in a long-sleeved black T-shirt and black cigarette pants, then cuddled under the covers until Allison was finished with her fifteen-minute marathon floss session and went to sleep. During the last four hours of wide-awake waiting, she had reviewed the plan meticulously from start to finish over and over and over again. By now, she was confident and more than ready to get it over with. And more than ready to get away from Allisons snoring for a little while. She tiptoed across the room, opened the door without a sound, and moved swiftly down the hall.Outside, the air was cool and still. Ariana hesitated for a moment. She had planned to take the direct route and sprint across campus, but now that she was faced with all the glowing pathway lamps and

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  security lights, she wasn't so sure. Maybe it would be better to stick to the shadows and move along the walls of the buildings. Always better to play it safe.

  As she raced along the outer walls of the dorms, heading for the hill and the river down below, all she could think about was Palmer's face. The look of shocked glee he'd wear when Team Gold won the race later this morning. He wouldn't know it, but it would all be thanks to her. Maybe one day, when they were old and gray and watching their grandkids play in the front yard of their sprawling desert estate, she would tell him. And he would look at her and smile and say he always knew she would take care of him.

  Ariana bit back a giddy laugh just thinking about it. It was a stupid fantasy, she knew, but it was the middle of the night and she felt daring and dangerous. And as long as she kept it to herself, who the hell cared? She scampered down the hill, her long auburn hair trailing behind her. She was racing toward the boathouse, but it felt more like she was racing toward her future.

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  LITTLE MIRACLE

  Ariana stood on the dock before the race Monday morning, surrounded by the rest of her team, her hair pulled back in a tight pony-tail. It seemed as if the entire school had gathered either at the starting point of the race, or near the finish line upriver. Blue, gray, and gold balloons were tied all along the safety railings on the dock and everyone was dressed up in team colors. The excitement in the air was palpable as photos were snapped, friendly bets were made and trash talking abounded. This was it. The final event of Welcome Week. This race would determine which team got to live in Privilege House. And which secret society would secure bragging rights for the rest of the year.As Palmer geared up for his pre-race speech, Ariana wondered how long it would be before the true tests of the secret society began. There had to be more to getting in than being a hard worker during Welcome Week. Whatever it was, Ariana would be ready for the

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  challenge. Hadn't she already proven that last night, risking her neck so gold would win today? She only wished the society could know the lengths she had gone to. But that could never be.

  "All right, team, it all comes down to this," Palmer said, strolling back and forth in front of the crew members. He was wearing a tight black shirt and dark gold APH mesh shorts and looking gorgeous. "We win this, we're in. Privilege House is within our grasp. So dig in, concentrate, and leave it all out there on the water, okay?"

  The team cheered and Ariana clapped along with them.

  "Ladies! Gentlemen! To the boats!" Headmaster Jansen announced, strolling along the dock.

  The air filled with cheers and a bunch of spectators took off and grabbed their bikes, intent on getting to the finish line before the race was over. Palmer stepped over to Ariana and crossed his arms over his chest as the rest of the team filed by, headed for their boat.

  "You ready for this?" he asked.

  "Definitely," she said, trying to hide the extreme level of her giddiness. "Good speech. You seem a little more confident than you did last night."

  "Well, Brigit had a point," Palmer said, looking out at the water. "If I'm going to be a leader, I've got to lead, not bring everyone down. But I can tell you the truth," he said under his breath, causing Ariana's face to flush. He was about to take her into his confidence. She was the one person he could be truthful with. In that split second she decided it was okay to pretend that she was Palmer's girlfriend, that Lexa didn't exist. After all, she was the one who was here for him--the

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  one he had chosen to be here--while Lexa was out there somewhere in the faceless crowd. She looked up into his eyes and felt that they were the only two people in the world.

  "We're going to need a miracle," he said.

  "All we can do is go out there and give it everything we have," Ariana said in a soothing voice. "Whatever happens, happens."

  Palmer smiled. "Thanks, Ana. Let's go do it."

  Ariana bit back a smile as he squeezed her upper arm, then turned to join the others. Little did Palmer know, she was his own little miracle.

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  GLORY

  "Pull! Pull! Come on, you losers, pull!" Ariana shouted, straining her voice to its limit. The wind tore at her face and coaxed tears from the corners of her eyes as the boat zipped across the water. In her peripheral vision, she could see both blue and gray gaining on them. How was this possible? How could they be so close when she had spent the wee hours of the morning sabotaging their boats?Apparently, Team Gold really did suck.

  "Dig in, you guys! You've got this! Pull!" Ariana cried, sitting forward.

  She could hear the guys grunting, straining for every last ounce of strength. Stray cheers floated across the water now and then, niggling at her nerves. She looked up at the finish line. Almost there.

  "This is it, guys. The last stretch! This is Privilege House! Now pull! Pull! Pull!" Ariana screamed. She could see blue's cox now. Their boat was inching up. Inching up to meet gold's. Or were they ahead? Ariana couldn't tell. It was far too close to tell.

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  "Pull! Pull! Pull!"

  And then, they were over the finish line. An air horn blared. There was a suspended moment of silence as the guys dropped their oars and looked up, sweat pouring down their faces and necks. The boat continued to glide away from the crowds as everyone waited for the announcement.

  "What the hell happened?" Palmer a
sked, looking up at Ariana. "Was it just me or did we just--"

  "And the winner of the crew race is . . . the gold team!" Headmaster Jansen announced.

  "Yes!" Palmer thrust his fists in the air as the rest of the boat celebrated. Ariana would have killed to hug him, but it wasn't possible from where they were both sitting. Back on the shore, the hundred or so members of Team Gold celebrated, jumping up and down and dancing around and screaming their congratulations toward the boat. Ariana laughed and leaned back, looking up at the sun.

  Privilege House was hers.

  Back on shore a few minutes later, Ariana was greeted by her friends with hugs and backslaps and squeals of joy. Tahira jumped into Rob's sweaty arms, and Landon managed to give Maria a real kiss in all the mayhem, though he followed it up with cheek kisses for several other girls, including Soomie, just to be safe. Adam hugged Brigit for a tad longer than was absolutely necessary, so it seemed as if Lexa's plan was working there. Everyone had someone to celebrate with, except Ariana, but she wasn't going to let it get her down. Her adrenaline was still rushing through her veins as she took this in. All she wanted

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  to do was get moving. Get back to Cornwall and pack her stuff. See what the inside of Privilege House was like. Start taking advantage of those privileges. Start truly showing the members of this secret society what she was all about. She did notice, however, that Lexa did not immediately jump Palmer's bones, but figured it had something to do with the fact that Palmer was down by the edge of the water with the other two team captains and the headmaster.

  Headmaster Jansen called the crowd to order, standing near the edge of the water in a short-sleeved button down shirt and khakis. There was a huge gold trophy situated on a table to her left.

  "Congratulations to Team Gold for a fantastic win!" she announced. The gold team members exploded in cheers while the rest of the student body applauded politely. "Palmer, why don't you come over here and collect your trophy?"

  Palmer acknowledged the cheers with a modest wave as he walked by Elizabeth and Martin, then thrust the trophy overhead with both hands. As the din died down, Headmaster Jansen laughed.

  "All right now, it's time to bring the Welcome Week events to a close with the shedding of the colors," she said. All around Ariana, students removed their armbands and tossed them on the ground at their feet. She quickly untied her own and let it fall. "From here on out we are one school with one purpose," Headmaster Jansen announced.

  "Yeah, but tonight, gold is gonna party!" Landon shouted, earning hoots and hollers from his teammates.

  Ariana grinned. She knew that, in fact, everyone was going to party that night. There was a school-wide soiree scheduled for that evening

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  as the official close of Welcome Week and the official start of the school year. Now Ariana was looking forward to it more than ever. It would be the first event at Atherton-Pryce where she could fully relax. Palmer walked over to join his team with the trophy and everyone gathered around him. Ariana slipped to the front of the crowd.

  "Congratulations, Captain," she said.

  "Congratulations, Cox," he replied.

  Then he reached down and hugged her, all sweaty and smelly and perfect. Ariana closed her eyes and savored the moment. In her heart she felt as if they had both engineered their win. He had led the team in the spotlight, while she had led behind the scenes. This was their moment of glory. A moment she'd remember forever.

  "Lexa!" Palmer shouted, suddenly releasing Ariana. His face turned red as he glanced guiltily at Ariana and wiped his free palm on his shorts. "There you are, love of my life!" he crowed. Ariana stepped back, feeling sour. Way to overcompensate, Palmer.

  Lexa jogged over and jumped into Palmers arms, planting her lips on his. He held her tightly in his arms, the trophy still clutched in one hand behind her back. Team Gold cheered for the couple as if they were the ones who had won the competition for them. As if Lexa had anything to do with anything. Ariana had to take another step back to keep from being smacked in the head by the trophy. Her entire body flushed with anger and searing jealousy from head to toe. That was her moment-- hers and Palmer's--and Lexa had just ripped it away from her.

  Why does she have to be here? If she weren't here, Palmer would be mine. I know it, Ariana thought. If only she could just disappear.268

  Suddenly, Ariana felt something snap inside her mind. She had not just thought that. No. Lexa was not expendable. Lexa was her friend. And she wasn't about to do anything to jeopardize her new life.

  Nothing, she told herself as Palmer kissed the tip of Lexa's adorable nose. Nothing, nothing, nothing.

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  THE GREATER GOOD

  "Well, Miss Covington, I must say . . . I'm amazed," Mr. Pitt said, folding his hands on his desk in front of him. Outside the sun was just starting to go down and Ariana could hear the shouts and laughter coming from the quad. The party to mark the end of Welcome Week was just beginning, and she longed to be there."Amazed?" Ariana repeated.

  "Your test scores went up by an average of twenty-four percent," he said, handing over a printout of her grades. "If that's not amazing, I don't know what is."

  Ariana's chest inflated with pride as she reached for the paper. She knew she had done well, but she was pleased by how very well. "Does this mean I have a new schedule?" she asked hopefully.

  "Done and done," Mr. Pitt said, handing over a schedule card as well.

  Ariana bit her bottom lip as she looked it over. Honors English,

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  honors American history, honors chemistry, honors French, calculus, and her two electives, creative writing and modern literature.

  "I hate to get ahead of myself, but if you manage to ace that curriculum, Princeton is going to have to accept you," he said.

  "Thank you," Ariana replied, beaming. "Thank you so much for everything, Mr. Pitt."

  She knew that he was not responsible for this. That it was her own determination and talent and drive that had gotten her to this place. But at that moment her heart was so full, she felt she should share the wealth with someone.

  "You're welcome, Miss Covington," he said, reaching for a book that he had open facedown on his desk. "Now, I believe you have a party to attend."

  "I do," Ariana said, standing up and tucking the two pieces of paper--the evidence of her triumph--into her bag. "Goodnight, Mr. Pitt!"

  "Good luck, Miss Covington."

  Ariana closed the door behind her and covered her mouth with both hands, squeezing her eyes closed with joy. She was on her way. On her way to straight As and Princeton and the life she'd always wanted. As she stepped outside into the cool evening air, she felt a sense of absolute peace. She was going to get everything she wanted. She was certain of it.

  In the distance she saw the twinkle lights that had been strung all around the quad flicker on, and the student body cheered. Music wafted across campus and happy voices fdled the air. Ariana smiled

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  and turned her steps toward the party, feeling as if it was being thrown just for her.

  She had only taken two steps when Palmer came around the side of the building and nearly slammed right into her.

  "Sorry, I--"

  "Oh my gosh, Palmer. You scared me!" she exclaimed, hand to her chest. She was about to suggest they walk to the party together when she got a good look at his face. His distressed, panicked face. "What's wrong?"

  "Nothing. Everything. I . . ." He looked at her curiously, as if he was deciding whether or not to trust her. Ariana's heart skipped a beat. There was nothing she wanted more in that moment than for Palmer to trust her. "I have to go talk to the headmaster," he said finally.

  "About what?" Ariana asked, stopping him with her hand to his arm.

  Palmer blew out a frustrated sigh. "I just came from the boat-house." He took a step closer to her and looked around, then lowered his voice. "Lexa did it. She cheated. The rudders on the other two boats were all screwed up
."

  All of the breath rushed from Ariana's lungs. This was not happening. Why would Palmer have gone back and inspected the boats? Why couldn't he have just left it alone? But then, a little flame of hope sparked in her mind. He was blaming Lexa. He was automatically blaming Lexa.

  This was something she could use to her advantage.

  "How do you know it was Lexa?" she asked.

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  "Who else could it have been?" Palmer asked, palms to the sky. "You were there. It was her idea."

  Ariana had to play this perfectly. She had to say what a friend would say in this moment.

  "Well, if she did it . . . she did it for you," Ariana said. "For the team."

  "Yeah, but I told her not to," Palmer fumed, blotches of anger coloring his cheeks. "She knows that cheaters make me sick. She knows that. How could she do this?"

  "Palmer. Calm down," Ariana said in a soothing voice.

  "I can't," he said, looking off toward the quad and the party. "We can't do this. I have to tell Headmaster Jansen, and gold has to forfeit their win."

  "What? No!" Ariana breathed. "You can't do that."

  "Why not? I don't see any other choice," Palmer replied.

  "Just wait. Think about this for a second," Ariana said, her mind reeling. She could not lose Privilege House now. Not after all the ups and downs of the last week. Not after everything she'd risked. "If you ... if you tell the headmaster, Lexa's going to get in trouble. She'll be humiliated in front of the entire school. She might even get expelled."

  "Well, she should have thought about that before she did something this stupid," he spat.

  Wow. This guy was really serious about his values. Apparently they meant more to him than his girlfriend, a thought that made Ariana's heart flutter with hope.

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  "Okay, but what about the rest of the team?" Ariana said. "They'll be so disappointed. Everyone worked their butts off. And we should have won the fund-raiser. We would have if some idiot hadn't made off with half the money."

  Palmer glanced at her. For the first time she saw something shift in his eyes. He was considering this. He was listening to her.