Georgetown Academy 1 and 2

by Jessica Etting

  If money equaled speech, her father was the loudest man in Washington.

  But Brinley’s father really excelled in damage control. It was widely acknowledged that no one did it better. Luckily for Brinley, she got the family rate.

  “Are you still taking Adderall?” he asked Brinley, a touch of concern tingeing his words.

  “Yes, Daddy,” she responded, her cheeks burning slightly. She hated disappointing her father, especially by admitting something as painfully nouveau as drug addiction. Brooks gave her a sharp look.

  “That wasn’t the only bottle,” she told him, sheepishly.

  “Can you stop right now?” her father asked. Going cold turkey? Brinley had already tried that a few times to miserable results. She always ended up caving eighteen hours later and taking even more Adderall to make up for it.

  “I don’t think so,” she said, her voice breaking. “I’m sorry, Daddy.”

  “Just keep taking it then,” he replied, giving her hand a squeeze, and Brinley felt a surge of relief. “We can deal with getting you off it later. For now, we need to focus on what’s important. How to avoid a scandal, here.”

  “What do you suggest?” Brooks asked.

  Brinley’s father thought for a moment, then turned to them, his brown eyes shining. “We’re going to take a ‘Center of Gravity’ approach. Do you know what that is?” Brinley and Brooks both shook their heads.

  “It was a war strategy term coined by the Prussian military theorist, Carl von Clausewitz,” her father began, and Brinley couldn’t help but think Mr. Walsh could take a few lessons from her father on how to teach a history class.

  “The Center of Gravity approach requires you to know what the main strength of your enemy is so that you determine the best place to strike. What is this girl’s main strength right now?”

  “Information,” Brooks offered up.

  “Exactly,” their father said and Brooks beamed. “We need to take the information she has and ensure that it’s no longer a strength.”

  “But how do we do that?” Brinley asked.

  “Leave that to me, pumpkin,” her father said. “It’s going to take me a day, but I’ll have this all cleared up by tomorrow.”

  A smile slowly crept on to Brinley’s face. No matter how much hype surrounded Taryn Reyes’s father, she doubted he was any sort of match for Thomas Madison.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Thursday, 7:32am.

  “So you really think it’s going to work?” Gabe asked Evan, who he had picked up on the way to school that morning. On the surface, they didn’t seem like obvious friends—Evan was hyperaware of what everyone thought about her at all times, Gabe never seemed to care—but they had quickly bonded years earlier over their similar taste in movies and books and had slipped into their old, easy-going friendship now that he was back.

  “It’s Luke’s best shot to help his dad,” Evan answered, still trying to convince herself since her conversation with Luke late last night that this was the only way. A nervous pit was lodged deep in her core, mostly because of the Luke situation, but her study date with Hunter after school was adding to her anxiety. Every time she thought about it, she felt a twinge of excitement about being alone with him, immediately followed by a flash of guilt as Ellie’s face popped into her brain.

  “And the whole Luke thing is going down when?”

  “At Assembly today.” Three hours from now. Evan wanted to turn around and go right back home so she didn’t have to go through with it.

  “This school has way too many assemblies.”

  “This one is for the basketball team. They’re getting a community service award so Luke thought it was the perfect place.” Evan couldn’t say no after seeing Luke in so much distress. “And Gabe, you can’t tell anybody he’s gay. He said I could tell you since he knows you won’t say anything because your dads are allies on that Prayer in School bill.”

  Gabe raised his eyebrows at her. “I won’t tell anybody because I’m not a prick.”

  As they drove over the Francis Scott Key Bridge toward M Street, Evan finally took a good look at him. His eyes were a little bloodshot, like he hadn’t slept much.

  “So, um, how are you doing with everything?” Evan asked. “The past few days must’ve been hard.”

  “The Mike Lim video is not making it any better,” Gabe responded laconically.

  Evan agreed. The hits on that video had tripled in a day and he was now set to appear on everything from The Tonight Show to Rachel Maddow. Samantha had probably already booked him for Today in Politics. But Evan hadn’t actually been referring to Mike Lim.

  “I meant with Ellie.”

  “Oh,” he answered, frustration coloring his face. “I don’t understand what’s going on with her right now.”

  Evan just nodded, feeling loyalty to both of them, and regretting she had just unintentionally thrust herself into an awkward situation.

  “For some reason, she’s dead set on getting back together with Hunter. I don’t get it. She’s not even herself with him.”

  “She’s not herself with you either.”

  Gabe took his eyes off the road to look at Evan. “What do you mean?”

  “Well…” Evan searched for the right words. “It seems to me that you’re kind of like this drug for her. And when she’s on it, you know, with you, she can’t even think about anything else. It just…consumes her.”

  Gabe ran his hands through his dark hair, which was a move Evan had heard a few girls gushing about in the girls’ bathroom yesterday. “I know it’s intense between us, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing,” he said.

  “But it is for Ellie when she has all this other stuff going on that she needs to figure out. I was talking to her yesterday—”

  “Wait, you were talking to Ellie?”

  “Yeah, it’s a long story. But the point is, she wants to get back together with Hunter, so I don’t know how realistic it is for you to wait her out.” It’s not like she was dying for Ellie and Hunter to reconcile either, but if that’s what Ellie wanted, it wasn’t fair for Gabe to keep hoping she was going to come around. “And even if she did want to be with you, do you really think she would ever be able to get past everything with your parents? Once the temporary high of being together wore off, you two would still be stuck with the same problems.”

  Gabe was silent, staring at the road in front of him, lost in his thoughts.

  “Maybe you’re right,” he finally muttered. “Maybe I need to move on.”

  Three hours later, Evan was sitting next to Ellie in the second row of the Kempsville Assembly Hall, a large 600-seat theater featuring orchestra and box seating, incredibly high ceilings and a sound system that rivaled most concert halls. It was just like old times when she and Ellie used to save each other seats for everything, but it was hard to get nostalgic about it right now. Evan felt like she could pass out at any moment. She had been dreading this assembly all morning, and now that it was finally here, she wasn’t sure she could go through with it.

  The G.A. championship basketball team, including Luke and Hunter, was on stage receiving an award of excellence from Headmaster Hopkins for the inner city basketball camp they helped run in December. Hunter, who was team captain, was accepting the award. Ellie watched him wistfully.

  “Did you talk to him yet?” she whispered to Evan.

  “I’m seeing him after school,” Evan whispered back, trying not to stare at Hunter with the same wistful look as Ellie.

  “We were just really honored to be included in this program,” Hunter said easily into the microphone. For the first time since the scandal leaked, he seemed comfortable with the fact everyone’s eyes were on him. Probably because he was born for public speaking. “We had a lot of fun and we’re looking forward to it next year.”

  Headmaster Hopkins, a large, balding man whose face could transform from congenial to intimidating with a flick of an eyebrow, gave Hunter the plaque, then took the microphone himself. “Co
ngratulations, guys. It’s a mirthful day for Georgetown Academy. We’re very proud of you.”

  The audience clapped and Evan tensed. Any second now.

  “All right, students, you’re dismiss—” Mr. Hopkins started before Luke interrupted him.

  “Actually, Mr. Hopkins, I have something to say,” Luke announced. Mr. Hopkins gave him a questioning look, but much to Evan’s chagrin, handed him the microphone anyway.

  Luke confidently walked to the center of the stage. “I have a very important question for a very important person.” Everyone listened with rapt attention. “Evan Harnett, would you go out with me?”

  The audience erupted into hoots and hollers. Ellie was grinning and saying something to Evan, but the cheers and whoops drowned it out.

  “Alright, people, no need to be obstreperous,” Mr. Hopkins yelled out.

  It was time for Evan’s performance now. She had practiced it with Luke last night and he had finally signed off after a half hour of failed attempts. She plastered on the embarrassed grin they’d discussed. The embarrassment part was at least easy for her to capture naturally.

  “Yes!” she shouted as if she had been waiting all her life for Luke to ask her that very question. Her voice sounded like it was coming from someone else. Everyone went even more nuts and Mr. Hopkins raised his hands to settle them all down.

  When Evan looked up at the stage, she could swear a look of disappointment flashed across Hunter’s face.

  At four o’clock that afternoon, Evan’s heart was pumping, not just from her public proposal, but because she was waiting for Hunter in the Folger Shakespeare Library in Southeast Washington. With its rich dark wood interior and two huge candelabra-chandeliers serving as the main source of light, it was the perfect place to house such an extensive Shakespeare collection. There was something simultaneously romantic and tragic about the atmosphere, not to mention this meeting with Hunter. But first, there was something she needed to do.

  Her hands trembling, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed Samantha’s direct extension.

  “Evan…I’d almost given up on you,” Samantha said when she answered on the first ring. Evan could hear her manicured nails tapping vigorously across her Apple keyboard.

  “Right,” Evan said, “So, I, uh, found out some information about Luke Jensen.”

  The typing stopped.

  “Well, not found out exactly…more like discovered…first-hand—”

  “What are you trying to say?” Samantha asked.

  “Luke Jensen isn’t gay. He and I are dating.”

  Samantha said nothing for a long moment. Evan was grateful she was doing this over the phone.

  “You didn’t think this information would have been useful to share with me earlier?” Samantha asked dubiously.

  “It just happened. I was trying to get closer to Luke, like you said, to see what I could find out for you and we ended up really getting along.” Evan preferred to keep the lie simple. The one thing she had learned from watching so many television interviews of public figures is that the more they talked, the more room they left for themselves to be exposed.

  “Huh. That’s a rather quick turnaround, don’t you think?”

  “I guess so...I mean, I guess I could see from the outside how it seems fast.” Evan gave a little laugh. “But for me and Luke, now that we’re together it feels like we’ve already been like this for years.”

  Samantha was silent.

  Evan continued, “From the first moment that we had a real conversation, it’s like we were finishing each other’s sentences. And he’s…very romantic. When he asked me out, he did the most amazing thing where—”

  “Okay, I don’t need all the gory details, Evan.” Evan shut her mouth, aware that her Joe Biden reflex of over-talking had derailed her plan to keep the lie simple.

  “So, just so I’m clear,” Samantha continued, “you’re saying, on the record, that Luke is your boyfriend.”

  “Yup,” Evan said, looking in her lap. “He’s, uh, taking me to the Follow the Stars event. I’ll keep my ear to the ground for any other big stories while I’m there.”

  “That’s okay, Evan. It’s not necessary.” Click.

  It wasn’t exactly smooth, but at least she had done everything she could. As she put her phone away, she looked up and saw Hunter striding toward her and a jolt of excitement rushed through her.

  “So that was a pretty dramatic assembly today,” he said, sitting down next to her on one of the deep leather couches in the back of the library. He didn’t seem his usual breezy self, but that wasn’t surprising. He had never been caught smack in the middle of a nationwide scandal before. It was strange to see him look anything but self-assured, though. “Yeah, it was great that you guys got that award,” Evan replied.

  Hunter gave her a funny look. “That’s not exactly what I was talking about.”

  Evan forced a tight-lipped smile. She did not want to talk about this.

  “Luke’s a really good guy,” Hunter continued, not letting it go.

  Evan crossed her legs nervously, half wishing she was in her usual uniform of jeans and a T-shirt, but half-happy she was still wearing the A-line tweed miniskirt and black cowl-neck sweater Luke had picked out for their big moment today. He had even strongly suggested that Evan blow dry her hair and leave it down instead of throwing it into her usual ponytail. She had finally relented.

  “Yeah, he’s okay,” Evan replied, pulling the loose strands of hair behind her ears. “Anyway, how do you feel about the Upton Sinclair thesis?” She thrust the list of topics toward him to deflect from any more questions about her fake relationship.

  Hunter finally took the hint and read the topics. “Yeah, that one’s great. We can talk about how the conditions in the meat factories would have continued that way for years if he hadn’t exposed them.”

  “And we can also talk about how Sinclair basically started the whole movement of investigative journalists exposing corporate corruption,” Evan responded.

  It had taken them all of thirty seconds to agree on a history topic.

  “Good point. Without Sinclair, the world wouldn’t have the future Pulitzer prize winning investigative journalist, Evan Harnett.”

  She loved how her name sounded when Hunter said it.

  “This actually gives me an idea.” He casually turned his body closer to hers and gestured with his hands as he always did when he was excited about something. “We could do a whole section on which journalists Sinclair paved the way for.”

  “I love that. Like Seymour Hersch and Nicholas Kristof,” Evan replied.

  “Which one is Kristof?”

  “He’s a Times columnist—”

  “Oh yeah, he writes a lot about human trafficking right?” Hunter asked. Evan nodded. She could easily envision Hunter at the breakfast table every morning reading The New York Times cover to cover. “We could add in documentarians, too,” he continued, “Like Michael Moore and Morgan Spurlock. I still haven’t seen Supersize Me. Maybe we should watch it since Sinclair’s book has to do with the food industry.”

  “Yeah, I haven’t seen it either.” She had seen it with Gabe years ago, but Hunter was suggesting that they watch a movie. Together. Or maybe he just meant they should watch it separately and then come together and discuss it. Stop getting excited about this, she told herself. But it was too late.

  “I’ll download it. We can watch it at my house one night after school this week,” he said. His tone was innocent, but the flicker in his bright blue eyes suggested something more. “You know, if you’re not busy…with Luke or whoever,” he quickly added.

  Evan was right. He had caught himself asking her out! Sort of. For school. But whatever.

  “No, uh, that would be great,” she responded, swallowing down the part of her voice that wanted to shout it.

  They locked eyes for a split second and then Evan shot hers right back down to her notebook. Neither of them said anything for a moment and Evan’s fa
ce flushed like the temperature in the library went up ten degrees.

  “Have you thought about where you want to go to journalism school?” Hunter asked, hopefully not noticing that Evan’s face looked like the color of a strawberry.

  “Northwestern. Definitely.” Evan instinctively put her hand on her wrist, willing her pulse to return to normal.

  “Sometimes I wish I could fast-forward two years and be in college already. It just seems easier.” He stared off at the overflowing bookshelves, like a million things were racing through his mind at once.

  “Usually I’m wishing I could fast-forward fifteen years to when I’ve got this great journalism job and my husband and I host these really amazing dinner parties where all these prolific, international authors show up…” Evan trailed off because Hunter was staring at her. “What?”

  “Nothing. I was just listening,” he responded. He sat back on the couch and Evan could swear he looked embarrassed.

  “So what do you want to do?” Evan asked.

  “I don’t know.” He stretched out his long arms. “I think that’s why I can’t wait for college. I’ve been so surrounded by all this my whole life, but I never noticed how claustrophobic this city is until now.”

  This was her chance to bring up Ellie like she promised. She would just let the words tumble out so she couldn’t stop herself. “I know what happened was awful, but maybe if you and Ellie talked, it would help. The feelings you had for her couldn’t have just gone away.” If her feelings toward Hunter were any indication, she had just made an excellent point.

  Hunter’s body tensed, though, his mouth curling into a frown. “I don’t think so.”

  “You guys have been together for two years, though. You might regret it if you throw it all away so easily.”

  He looked at her seriously, his eyes like open doors she wanted to stroll right through. “Yeah, maybe.”

  Okay, she didn’t need to beg him to get back together with Ellie. “Anyway, I’m sorry it’s been a rough week for you,” Evan said, hoping to end her relationship advice misery.