Cruel Love

by Kate Brian

  “Of course, I would never want any of my students to feel as if their needs weren’t being met,” she said, her words clipped. “If you feel you’d rather see someone off campus, we’ll see what we can do.”

  Slowly, Ariana smiled. I really do have all the power, she thought giddily. “Thank you,” Ariana said curtly. “Now if you’ll excuse me.”

  “Of course.”

  Ariana stepped around the headmaster, a triumphant grin nearly splitting her face. Suddenly the Meloni situation didn’t feel quite so urgent. She wasn’t going to have to meet with him, which meant she had just scored herself more time to make sure she came up with the perfect plan for his execution. All she had to do was make sure she avoided him on campus and she would be fine. Could this day get any better?

  She spotted Maria and Tahira at a prime table near one of the bay windows and waved, but hesitated. There was someone missing from this picture, and suddenly she felt more empowered than ever to do something about it. She held up a finger to her friends, telling them she’d be there in a second, then found an empty chair and took out her phone.

  “Please just answer. Just this once,” she said under her breath. Then she speed-dialed Soomie’s cell phone.

  This time, the connection did not go straight to voice mail. In fact, it rang three times and suddenly, Ariana heard the sound of fumbling, then breathing, then a voice.

  “Ana. Hey.”

  Soomie sounded tired and distant. Like she was talking to her from another galaxy.

  “Hi! Oh my God, Soomie! It’s so good to hear your voice!” Ariana said breathlessly. She clutched the phone tightly to her ear, as if doing so could somehow prevent Soomie from disconnecting.

  “Yeah, I’m … I got all your messages. I’m sorry I haven’t called back,” Soomie said.

  “That’s okay. Where are you? Are you all right?” Ariana asked, curling her legs up beneath her on the chair cushion.

  “I’m … fine. Better, I guess. I’m in Antigua with my mom. We’ve been staying at this spa where they don’t allow TV or phones or Internet,” Soomie replied. “I’m hiding in a closet right now, actually.”

  Ariana got a mental picture of Soomie curled into a ball on the floor of a small, dark room, wooden hangers dangling above her.

  “That’s intense,” she said. “How much longer are you guys going to be there?”

  “I don’t know,” Soomie said. “It’s an open-ended stay. My mom’s on top of me all the time. She’s, like, afraid I’m gonna snap or something. I keep telling her the only thing that’s going to make me snap is having her fawn all over me, but it’s like talking to a wall.”

  Ariana laughed, and she heard Soomie exhale a chuckle, too. That had to be a good sign.

  “But it is kind of nice, to be honest,” Soomie said. “Not knowing what’s going on in the real world. There’s no stress, no worry. I’ve been sleeping. A lot.”

  Because there’s probably some “spa doctor” feeding you muscle relaxers, Ariana thought, biting her lip.

  “That doesn’t sound like you,” Ariana said carefully. “You’re the busiest person I know, usually.”

  “I know,” Soomie said, somewhere between sad and wistful.

  “It sounds like you miss it,” Ariana said, holding her breath.

  “I did. I mean, I do.” Ariana heard jostling in the background, and imagined Soomie pushing herself up off the floor. “I miss the distraction, I guess. Whenever I’m not sleeping, I’m thinking. Wondering if there was something I missed. Something I could have done.”

  “I’ve spent a lot of time doing that, too,” Ariana replied. A pair of senior boys dropped down onto the couch adjacent to her chair, and she turned slightly away from them. When she did, she found herself looking right at Palmer, who sat in the far corner, drinking bottled iced tea with some of his friends. Suddenly, an idea occurred to her. A brilliant idea that could benefit both herself and Soomie. “But, Soomie, it’s pointless. There’s no going back. You know what’s really helped me?”

  “What?” Soomie asked.

  “Focusing on my future,” Ariana said. She fiddled with the clasp on her bag, opening it and closing it over and over again, excitement ticking her veins. “I’ve been getting some college brochures together and narrowing down my choices … and I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I was elected president of Stone and Grave.”

  “You were?” Soomie suddenly came to life. “Ana! Congratulations!”

  “Thank you,” Ariana replied, blushing. “And, well, Palmer’s been pretty out of it so I think we may need to elect a new V. P.,” she continued slowly. “I think you’d be perfect for the job.”

  “Wow. I … that could be cool,” Soomie said.

  “You could have as much or as little responsibility as you want,” Ariana put in, warming to her subject. She watched Palmer yuck it up with his buddies as she talked, imagining how stunned he’d be when she asked him to step down and suggested Soomie as his replacement. “I bet if you got back here and got involved … if you threw yourself back into your school work … I know you’d feel so much better.”

  There was a long pause. Ariana could hear Soomie’s breathing, and imagined she could hear her considering, too.

  “Besides, we miss you, Soomie,” Ariana said, lowering her voice a bit, tempering her tone. “Maria misses you…. I really feel we’ll all get through this so much better if we do it together.”

  “Ana, I—”

  Ariana heard Soomie’s voice catch and thought she was about to cry. But then, a furtive whisper came through.

  “Crap. That’s my mom. I’ve gotta go.”

  “Wait, Soomie. Promise you’ll think about what I said,” Ariana whispered back.

  “I will. Thanks, Ana. Bye.”

  And just like that, it was over. Ariana ended the call and sat for a moment, listening to the buzz of conversation around her and feeling highly alert. She hoped Soomie wasn’t getting into trouble with her mom. She hoped what she’d said to her friend had gotten through. Because she really wanted Soomie to get her life back. But she also needed to replace her obnoxious ex as soon as humanly possible. And most important, once she figured out how to deal with Meloni, she wanted to have her entourage firmly in place.

  BENEVOLENCE

  Ariana turned on her phone after her last class of the day on Tuesday and it instantly let out a beep, indicating that she had a new message. She shouldered her bag and turned her steps toward the library, holding the phone to her ear.

  “Miss Covington, this is Doctor Victor Meloni.”

  Ariana almost tripped on an uneven brick in the pathway. She paused to catch her breath and glanced around to make sure no one had noticed her near fall. All around her, students rushed from class in clumps and pairs, headed toward their dorms or their clubs or their practices. Ariana took a deep breath and kept walking, Dr. Meloni yammering on in her ear. She just could not escape from this jerk.

  “I’ve spoken to the headmaster and I’m going to assume from her account of your conversation that you somehow know of my connection to your father’s killer, Kaitlynn Nottingham,” the message continued. “I believed that my unique insight into your history might enable me to help you in a real way, but clearly you disagree.”

  Ariana jogged up the stone steps to the library and stopped outside the door, leaning back against the wrought-iron railing. Kassie Sharpe strolled by and gave her a quick wave, so Ariana did her best to shoot her a friendly smile.

  She could not believe the know-it-all, condescending tone Dr. Meloni was taking with her voice mail. Wait. Yes she could. This was Dr. Victor Meloni, after all. Did he ever say anything that wasn’t know-it-all and condescending?

  “Therefore, the headmaster has decided to allow you to seek outside help and I have, against my better judgment, acquiesced. Because, Miss Covington, the most important thing is that you talk to someone and receive some help. Even if that someone might not be the most qualified person for the job. In case you
feel the need to speak to someone else after this outside meeting, please know that my door is always open, and I’d be more than happy to speak with you over the phone, if that makes you more comfortable. Have a good day.”

  The beep sounded, indicating the end of the message. Ariana gritted her teeth and pressed her thumb down on the DELETE button until she thought the phone might crack. What an asshole. What a complete, indisputable asshole. The world was going to be a much better place without a guy like Victor Meloni polluting it with his toxic positing and self-rightousness.

  But at least the immediate danger was officially over. She would not be forced to meet with the man who could instantly end her existence. That was a great relief. But he still had to go. He was a loose end, a liability.

  With another deep, cleansing breath, Ariana tucked her short auburn hair behind her ear and strode into the library, her head held high. She walked to the back of the study carrels and found an empty desk, where she quickly plugged in her laptop. Her plan for the evening had been to start organizing her notes for her chemistry final, but now she knew there was no way she would be able to concentrate on that sort of menial task. Not until she got some planning out of the way first.

  Ariana shed her coat, sat down, and jumped her chair forward until her rib cage was pressed firmly against the edge of the desk. She blew out a breath and pushed her hair back from her face with both hands.

  Killing Dr. Meloni was going to be different. The man was older, wiser, and more physically powerful than anyone she’d ever dealt with before. There had been times in the past, times she wasn’t exactly proud of, when the killing had come out of nowhere. It had sprung from sudden and violent emotions, like when she’d lost her cool with Thomas Pearson. Or simple convenient twists of fate, like that day she’d let Sergei Tretyakov drown in the lake near the Easton campus. She had planned out Kaitlynn’s murder rather meticulously, but that had been necessary. Kaitlynn, like Meloni, was smart and intuitive with serious reflexes, not to mention a killer survival instinct. So Meloni, like Kaitlynn, required a plan.

  Ariana opened a new Word document and started to organize her to-do list. She typed it up quickly, glancing over her shoulder every so often to make sure no one was near enough to see her screen.

  Get his schedule down to the minute

  Visit his house again. Check for:

  Security system

  Points of entry

  Evidence of other residents

  Heavy traffic times (probably none)

  Place to park the car least visible from road

  Work on handwriting

  Here, Ariana paused and closed her eyes, thinking back to the Brenda T. She had no problem envisioning Dr. Meloni’s signature. He’d written it on every chart, every prescription order, every report, every demerit. But most of the documents had been typed up on a computer, then signed by hand. Biting her bottom lip, she opened her eyes again. There was no way she would be able to write out the entire suicide note. Even if she broke into his on-campus office, she was fairly certain she wouldn’t be able to find enough writing samples to perfect his handwriting.

  “I’ll have to type it out, print it, then sign it,” she murmured under her breath. “That’s what he would do anyway.”

  She went back to her list of things to do at his house and added:

  Location of computer?

  Then she recalled another serious necessity and added that as well.

  Find his gun

  If no gun, must buy one.

  Find out what one needs to buy a gun legally

  Consider illegal avenues???

  Buy treats/meat for Rambo distraction

  Ariana sat back in her chair and blew out a breath. She was feeling much calmer, more peaceful, than she had while listening to Meloni’s message. This was going to be fine. It was going to be perfect, actually. The only question was when? When would Dr. Victor Meloni meet his end?

  Smiling, Ariana imagined how the whole thing would play out. Imagined the look of shock on his face when he recognized her. How sweet it would all be. She could hardly wait.

  “But you have to,” she whispered to herself. “Reed comes first, then Meloni. You’ve bought yourself time. Just remember that. You have time.”

  Ariana clicked open her calendar and scanned it. The next few weeks were going to be so busy, with studying for finals, her big birthday bash, Stone and Grave events, and getting ready for Christmas break. She narrowed her eyes as she scanned the dates, and finally decided everything could wait at least until after her birthday party that Friday night. She deserved to have a little stress-free fun. Once all the champagne had been popped, all the cake devoured, and all the presents opened, then she could deal with the tasks at hand.

  Both Reed Brennan and Dr. Meloni had just been granted a slight reprieve, and they didn’t even know it. Ariana smiled, saved her document and opened her chem notes, feeling like a benevolent saint—putting her own needs aside and granting her victims a few more precious days of life.

  RESIGNATION

  As Ariana led her fellow Stone and Grave members into the cave for her first official meeting as president, she tried as hard as she could to force a solemn expression onto her face. She fixed her eyes on the candle closest to the place of honor she would now occupy and stared it down, attempting to think somber thoughts. Thoughts about death and responsibility and privilege. But she just couldn’t do it. The giddy bubbles that had danced inside of her chest all afternoon had pumped up the party to a frenzied roar, and try as she might, there was just no keeping the ridiculous grin off her face.

  She was president of Stone and Grave. She was president of Stone and Grave!

  Now that she had started to plan for Meloni’s demise, she had resolved not to think about Dr. Meloni or Reed Brennan anymore. At least not for today. She wanted to enjoy this moment. She wanted to relish it. She was not going to let old enemies ruin one of the biggest accomplishments of her new life. As she slowly made the circuit of the room, she took a deep breath and let any negative inklings melt swiftly away.

  This was her night and hers alone. No one could taint it. And just to put the capper on the occasion, Soomie had shown up at the last minute and joined the processional. It looked as if things were really starting to return to the way they should be.

  At the top of the circle, Ariana paused and faced inward. Palmer should have been directly to her left, but once again he’d decided not to show—unknowingly giving her great ammunition for her remove-Palmer-as-V. P. plan. Instead, Soomie was next in line. After her came April, Conrad, Maria, and so on down the line, until Jasper finally brought up the very rear. Ariana glanced at Tahira and Landon, at the spot between them that she used to occupy—a spot for lowly neophytes—and it was all she could do to keep from giggling out loud.

  Christian Thacker stepped from the circle to close the heavy doors silently. When he returned to his place, Ariana took a moment to relish her position, before speaking.

  “We are the Stone and Grave!”

  “We are the Stone and Grave!” the membership replied.

  Ariana smiled. “You may all be seated.”

  Candles flickered and robes swooshed as the membership settled themselves in on the ground. Ariana smiled at Soomie and turned to face the group.

  “Before I open the floor to new business, I just wanted to say thank you all for granting me the honor of the presidency,” Ariana began, rolling her shoulders back. “I appreciate your confidence in me, and I want you to know that I won’t let you down.”

  “Here, here!” Adam shouted, inspiring a round of applause.

  Ariana smiled bashfully and raised a hand to silence them. “I’d also like to welcome Sister Emma Woodhouse back from her vacation,” Ariana added. “We missed you, Sister. Everyone’s so glad to see you here and healthy.”

  Another round of applause. Soomie blushed and looked down at her lap. “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you, Sister Portia, and you, Sist
er Estella,” Soomie said to Ariana and Maria when the noise died down. She looked up and addressed the room. “Over the past couple of weeks, Sisters Portia and Estella have shown me what true friendship and dedication really mean. While I would have preferred to have been here for something as important as an emergency election, I’m glad you all saw the same things in Sister Portia that I’ve seen. And I’m glad to be back,” she added, her eyes shining.

  “We’re glad to have you!” Maria said, reaching in for a hug.

  “Awwww. It’s like a bad episode of The View,” Rob joked, earning a round of laughter from the guys.

  “Are there good episodes of The View?” Jasper inquired.

  “All right, all right. We’ll dispense with the sentiment,” Ariana said. “Does anyone have any new business?”

  “I do, Sister Portia,” Christian said, raising a hand. He pushed himself up from the floor and crossed the circle to hand her a note, written on heavy ivory parchment paper. Ariana recognized Palmer’s handwriting instantly, and her heart lurched.

  “What’s this?” Ariana asked.

  Christian shrugged. “Brother Starbuck asked me to give it to you at the start of the meeting.”

  He quickly returned to his spot. The paper trembled slightly in Ariana’s grip as every single pair of eyes in the room was trained on her. What was Palmer doing? Having his friend pass her notes in the middle of her first official meeting? Was this another attempt at undermining her authority? Making her look silly?

  “I think he wanted you to read it out loud,” Christian said.

  Ariana shot him a look. Like that was going to happen. “I think I’ll read it to myself, first.”

  Carefully she unfolded the note. It was short—only five lines—and what she read made her jaw drop.

  “What is it?” Soomie asked.

  Ariana rolled her eyes and cleared her throat. “To the Brotherhood of the Stone and Grave,” she read aloud. “Due to recent events I find I am unable to, in good conscience, continue my membership in this once-prestigious chapter of this hallowed society. Please accept my sincere regrets, but I must hereby render my resignation. Sincerely, Palmer Liriano.”