As she headed toward the exit of the building, she saw Ellie at her locker, placing her books in her book bag, a solemn expression on her face.
“Don’t tell me you’re depressed about lacrosse practice being cancelled?” Brinley asked her.
“It is?”
“Yeah, apparently Werkie has strep. Hopefully that means we won’t have to hear that grating voice of hers for at least a week.”
Ellie nodded like she was in a daze.
“What’s wrong with you?” Brinley asked. Then suddenly something occurred to her that made her palms sweat. “Is it about your mom? Did she find something out?”
Ellie shot her eyes up, now completely focused on her. “What are you talking about?”
“The V.P. race,” Brinley replied. “What else would I be talking about?”
“Oh…No, not that I know of. She’s been in New York. She gets back tonight.”
“I’m going to grab a coffee at Dean & DeLuca. Want to come?” Brinley asked. She needed her fix and didn’t think she could wait until she got to her house.
“I can’t,” Ellie said quickly. “I, um, need to be home so I can talk to my mom about something as soon as she gets back.”
“Oh. Okay, no problem,” Brinley answered, not allowing herself to press Ellie for more information. She wished POTUS would hurry and make up his mind so her and Ellie’s friendship could finally go back to normal.
As they began making their way toward the exit of the building, Brinley’s phone buzzed. Her brain froze when she saw it was a text from Shane: Are you at school?
“How did you know you liked Gabe better than Hunter?” Brinley blurted out. She was about to take back the stupidly impulsive question when she realized she really wanted to know the answer.
Ellie gave her a strange look. “I guess I knew it made more sense to be with Hunter, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t let go of Gabe.” Ellie stared off into the distance like she forgot Brinley was there for a moment. “The way I feel when I’m around him is on a completely different plane than the way I felt with Hunter. Or anyone else really.”
Brinley nodded, unable to deny she could relate to every word Ellie said. It made a lot more sense to be with Patrick who she not only shared a million similarities with, but who actually lived in the same city. But she couldn’t let go of Shane because even though the nicest item of clothing he owned was probably from L.L. Bean, the way he made her feel was unlike anything she had ever experienced. Patrick saw her the way everyone else did, but Shane saw something else. And the idea of telling Shane whatever they had was over made her want to vomit up her lunch like she was a member of the G.A. dance team. And just like that she had her answer.
But now what? How long could she successfully keep Shane a secret from everyone?
As she and Ellie exited the double doors, Brinley was already running through the logistics of how she could sneak up to Stowe for a quick visit. It would require a few intricate lies, but Sarah Corliss owed her one and would cover for her no questions asked.
They passed the long row of town cars outside McKinley Hall. Ellie instinctively stopped so Brinley could find hers.
“I actually drove today,” Brinley explained. “Don’t ask.” Brinley rarely drove to school, much preferring to be driven by the family chauffeur, but Brooks had insisted on swinging by to get Taryn, so Brinley had obviously opted out. She was not planning on sitting in that backseat again until their driver shampooed and vacuumed the seats.
They headed toward the sophomore parking lot as Brinley looked down at her phone and wondered what to text Shane. It took her a second to realize Ellie had stopped walking.
“What’s wrong?” Brinley asked, looking up at her.
“Why is that hotel bellhop from Stowe standing by your car?”
Brinley’s eyes shot across the lot. Her stomach felt like it was free-falling. Ellie was right. Shane was casually leaning against the driver’s side door of her car. He was looking off to the side, unaware that Brinley and Ellie were approaching.
Brinley’s pulse accelerated to a speed that couldn’t have been healthy. But she needed to stop thinking about how amazing it was that Shane was suddenly here and instead think up a viable excuse. “I left my Prada jacket at the resort and went ape on them that it was way too expensive to risk losing in the mail. I guess they had someone personally fly it down. They have surprisingly good service.” She forced herself to stop rambling and a sense of fear overtook her. Had Ellie bought it?
“Oh. That’s nice.”
Thank god Ellie seemed distracted enough that the lame excuse worked.
“See you tomorrow!” Brinley chirped, hiding the shock in her voice.
“Bye,” Ellie answered, thankfully not giving a second glance toward Shane and walking in the opposite direction toward her Lexus.
Brinley’s feet moved so quickly she feared she might lose a shoe. She was now only feet away from Shane and he finally turned his head and saw her. Their eyes locked and a smile spread across his face. Her heart jumped.
She might not be ready to admit it to the world, but there was no denying it anymore to herself. Brinley freaking Madison had officially fallen for a townie.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Tuesday, 8:21 p.m.
Ellie paced around the beige-flecked granite island in her kitchen, stress-eating a bag of pita chips. She jumped when she heard the engine of her mother’s town car pulling up the driveway. The car door slammed and Ellie’s nerves skyrocketed. Why was this the one time her mother’s plane wasn’t inevitably delayed? Now she had no choice. She had to tell her mom what had happened between her and Gabe. Before Jasmine did it for her. Ellie would try to soften the blow by promising she and Gabe would do everything in their power to keep their hookup a secret. Not that it would help much, but if Marilyn was worried Ellie’s relationship with Gabe would weaken her image in the press, she might at least appreciate Ellie’s intention to keep it discreet.
“Hi, Elle,” her mother said as she entered the kitchen. She looked polished in her tweed pencil skirt and black silk button-down, not a shiny hair out of place even though her day was probably a whirlwind of activity. “Tell me you had more than pita chips for dinner.”
“Um, no, not yet,” she said trying to keep her voice steady.
“What’s wrong, honey?”
Her mother was giving her a long, curious stare. Of course she could tell Ellie was stressed about something. Ellie’s emotions were unfortunately always broadcast across her face like a billboard. She opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly forgot the speech she had prepared in the car on the way home from school. Instead, she blurted out, “Gabe and I were together the other night at the movies and I’ve seen him a few times after that, too.”
Marilyn’s eyes widened, but she said nothing. She carefully sat down on one of the stools at the counter and took a deep breath. When her mother was really angry, she tended to get quieter not louder, which somehow was a lot scarier than the other way around. After an intolerably long time she said, “I just don’t understand why you’re doing this.”
Months ago, when the photograph of her and Gabe leaked out, Ellie had chosen to pretend like the Rookie Party was a random incident. But suddenly, it felt pointless to continue hiding behind the lies. She wasn’t doing either of them any favors.
“That photo of me and Gabe a few weeks ago…that wasn’t a random thing,” Ellie began.
The words tumbled from her mouth as she paced around the island in the kitchen and told her mother everything. About the day she and Gabe met, the summer they spent together, and even Ellie’s inadvertent involvement in the lie Richard Mills paid that waitress to tell about her father. She only stole quick glances at her mom, who listened stoically. Ellie feared if she focused too much on what her mother’s reactions were she wouldn’t be able to continue rehashing the events that led up to this moment. When she finally finished, she took a breath and met her mother’s gaze. Marilyn s
tared at her like she was a complete stranger.
“Mom, I’m sorry. I want to stop seeing him—”
“So why haven’t you?” her mother asked, as if the answer was simple.
“I’ve tried. Ever since he came back to school I’ve been trying.” Though the nerves coursing through her body were making it hard for her to catch her breath, there was a part of her that was relieved she was at least finally being honest.
She stared at her mother, waiting for some kind of reaction—any reaction—but Marilyn looked right past her. Ellie suddenly found the weight of the moment exhausting and she fell into the stool next to her mother.
“Mom, please say something,” Ellie whispered anxiously, looking over at her. She could almost see the story replaying in her mother’s head as Marilyn sighed several times in a row.
“I need to digest all this, Ellie,” she said, shaking her head.
Ellie did not like the sound of that. “Maybe when all this V.P. stuff is over, it will be easier for us to talk about it…” She trailed off as her mother pursed her lips.
“I need to digest it all,” Marilyn repeated.
“Okay,” Ellie said in a small voice. She grabbed the bag of pita chips off the counter and trudged up the stairs where she could let the tears fall freely.
Ellie placed a Dunkin’ Donuts pumpkin-flavored pod in the Keurig coffee machine the next morning, the warm aroma of nutmeg and cinnamon instantly filling the air. She chugged the first few sips, hoping it would wake her up since she had spent most of the night tossing and turning. She had been dying to talk to Gabe about the conversation with her mother, but she was terrified Marilyn would hear her, so she texted him instead and told him nothing was resolved.
She turned when she heard the footsteps of her mother and Jasmine hustling into the kitchen. Jasmine was holding a cup of coffee while zipping Marilyn into her dress and simultaneously typing an email.
“Morning, Elle!” Marilyn said, giving Ellie a quick kiss. She definitely seemed like she was in a better mood than last night. Had she resorted to taking Valium after that conversation they had? “Where did I put my briefcase?”
“It’s in the office. I’ll get it,” Jasmine said, quickly disappearing.
“Ellie, sit down for a second,” her mother instructed.
Ellie did as she was told and her mother leaned against the island with what almost seemed like a proud expression.
“I spoke to Senator Mills last night after you went to bed.”
Ellie caught her mug of coffee a second before it spilled all over the floor. “What? Why?”
“I figured if you and Gabe want to be together, it’s time Richard and I make an effort to put the pettiness behind us. At least publicly. Privately, he can think whatever he wants to think about me,” her mother said casually as if this entire situation was not a milestone. “So we’re having breakfast this morning.”
Ellie was dumfounded. “You’re saying you’re okay with me and Gabe being together?”
Marilyn sat down next to her and took both of Ellie’s hands, squeezing them affectionately. “I want you to be happy and you already have to live your life under a microscope because of my career. I can appreciate that it’s not exactly fair to you. I guess I’m trying to assuage my own guilt in the matter and make life a little easier on you.”
Ellie widened her eyes incredulously. It was everything she’d ever hoped to hear her mother say. It had never occurred to her that her mother might feel guilty about her impact on Ellie’s life the same way Ellie felt guilty about her own impact on her mother’s career. “Are you sure you don’t mind all this going on in the middle of the V.P. race?”
Her mother raised an eyebrow. “It sounds like you and Gabe have waited long enough. And besides, once the press gets a few photo ops of Richard and I having an amicable breakfast, you and Gabe dating won’t really have the same effect.”
Ellie’s mind was blown. “Thank you, Mom. I don’t know what else to say.”
“Just promise you’ll be open with me from now on. Especially if I get this V.P. appointment.”
“Promise,” Ellie said, wrapping her in a tight hug. “And the president would be crazy not to pick you. Hopefully, the next big issue we’ll face is how to fill those extra rooms at One Observatory.”
Jasmine entered the room and handed Marilyn her chic leather briefcase. “Don’t worry. I have my interior decorating license and I do a little woodworking on the side. I’ll help you.”
Ellie laughed, not doubting it for a second and easily picturing Jasmine wearing a welding mask and holding a power tool.
Her mother stood up. “I’ve got to run, Elle, but we’ll talk when I get home tonight. Jasmine, you’ll finish up those emails?”
“Not a problem,” Jasmine said, already whipping out her laptop and typing so fast her fingers were a blur. “I’ll meet you at the office.”
Marilyn nodded, grabbed her keys and was out the door. Ellie, on the other hand, was too much in a state of shock to move. She looked over at Jasmine, who had a self-satisfied smile on her face while she typed.
“Don’t act so surprised,” Jasmine said without looking up. “I told you it was a good idea to tell your mother the truth.”
Ellie shook her head. “I can picture my mom extending an olive branch to Mills, but I can’t picture him taking it.”
Jasmine smirked. “Well, it took some convincing.”
“What did she finally say to get him to agree?”
Jasmine looked up at Ellie, but continued rapidly typing which was both impressive and kind of creepy. “Between us?” Ellie nodded effusively. “When he was resistant to the idea of not publicly attacking your mother every chance he got, she told him she would have no problem going to the press and informing them that Taryn Reyes got those edible pot candies from Gabe.”
Ellie’s jaw dropped. “My mother would never do that. And anyway, that’s not true. Taryn got those mints from her friend in California.”
Jasmine shifted her eyes back to her computer screen. “Yeah, but Mills doesn’t know that.”
And it probably didn’t hurt her mother’s persuasion effort that she had a fifty-fifty shot of becoming the next vice president. Not exactly the person you want as your enemy if you’re Senator Mills. Ellie smiled. It may not be squeaky clean, but after all, this was politics they were dealing with.
Ellie’s hand was intertwined with Gabe’s. At school. In front of everyone. They were walking to their first period history class and to say they were the center of attention was an understatement. But Ellie didn’t care.
“I’m surprised eyeballs aren’t rolling all over the floor,” Gabe said dryly.
Ellie laughed. He had a point. They were popping out of everyone’s heads the second they caught sight of her and Gabe.
The two of them had met up in the parking lot before school and Ellie had told him everything. Well, almost everything. She had left out the part about how her mother had gotten his dad to agree to call a truce.
As they passed by the sophomore locker area, Portia was in the middle of putting her books in her locker when she spotted them. All the books fell from her hands and crashed to the floor.
“OMFG,” Portia whispered, looking like a balloon filled with too much helium. Her wide eyes darted around the hallway helplessly as if she were about to explode.
“I was kind of hoping we would at least leave Portia speechless,” Ellie said as they sauntered past her.
“If this didn’t do it, I’m convinced it’s never going to happen.”
Ellie held his hand tighter as they passed by Nora and Liesel, whose mouths fell open in unison.
“Do you want to come over tonight?” she asked, leaning into him and already excited by the prospect.
“Maybe I shouldn’t if your mom is going to be home.”
Ellie furrowed her brow. “Why? Everything is fine now. She really is good with us being together.”
Gabe’s dark eyes shimmered.
“I just meant because I’m already having trouble restraining myself at school.” He kissed her neck lightly and Ellie blushed while getting the chills at the same time.
They approached their history class and ran into Hunter and Evan, who were walking in, too. Ellie had called both Evan and Brinley on the way to school to share the news about her conversation with her mother. She hadn’t managed to get a hold of Brinley, but Evan had been ecstatic. Although ever since Evan and Hunter had become exclusive, Evan’s default emotion was ecstatic.
“Hi, guys!” Evan said beaming.
“You seem happy,” Gabe answered. “I hope you didn’t wake and bake this morning.”
Evan’s face clouded with confusion. Hunter laughed, putting an arm around her and said, “That’s when you smoke pot in the morning.”
“Ooooh. That makes sense,” Evan said, then rolled her eyes with a smile. “Funny, Gabe.”
They made their way to four seats next to each other in the center of the room. Portia entered behind them, practically ramming into Ellie because she was looking down, furiously typing on her phone. Ellie and Gabe exchanged an amused look. Portia would probably be posting about them every ten seconds on her Twitter feed for the entire class period.
As soon as Ellie settled in her seat, she saw Taryn sitting on the other side of the room, looking at her and Gabe curiously. Ellie wished she had handled the entire Gabe situation better with Taryn, but maybe now that Taryn was dating Brooks, it wouldn’t be so awkward. Although they still had the whole V.P. race standing between them now. It was like the two of them had been pitted against each other since the moment Taryn arrived at G.A.
“We still have time to ditch and go to the chapel instead,” Gabe whispered, leaning into her.
Georgetown Academy, Season One Page 59