15 

STRANGERS

BACK IN MY ROOM, I GATHERED UP MY BOOKS and papers, shoving them into my backpack. I was disappointed that Paige wasn’t here so we could talk. But I was also excited to see Brit’s room. I couldn’t even imagine what her space looked like, and I was curious.

I changed from my riding clothes into jeans, a fave pink v-neck shirt, and a black jacket dotted with tiny rhinestones.

I left Winchester, heading across campus to Orchard.

“Sasha, hey,” Julia said. We met just as I opened the door. “What’re you doing here?”

“Homework with Brit,” I said. There was a flicker of annoyance on Julia’s face. “What about you? Where are you going?”

“To meet Ben,” Julia said. “We’re going to see a movie.”

“Fun. Hope it’s a good flick. See you later.”

I stepped around her, heading for Brit’s room.

“Sasha?”

I turned back to Julia. “Yeah?”

Julia stepped back inside and let the door close behind her. “Are you and Brit, like, best friends now?”

“Brit and I are friends. We haven’t known each other long enough to be best friends,” I said.

Julia stared me down. “Fine. Just remember that you’re also spending a lot of time with us.”

“And?” I shook my head.

“And even though Heather and Alison like Brit and seem all about making her part of the Trio, I don’t trust her, so don’t go spilling any of our business to her that you hear.”

“Why don’t you trust Brit?” I asked. “You’ve barely spoken to her.”

Julia adjusted the shoulder strap on her purse. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m being paranoid or whatever, but there’s something off about her. And I don’t want anyone else in our group. Especially when we’re still adjusting to you.”

“Wow, thanks,” I said, sarcasm in my voice. “I don’t know what your deal is with Brit, but you’ve got to be kidding that I’m part of the Trio. That’s insane. I hang out with you guys, but it’s not like Heather put me through an initiation or something. She never informed you and Alison that the Trio was becoming a ‘Quartet.’ You really need to chill.”

Julia opened her mouth, looking ready to fight back, but instead turned and shoved open the door. It shuddered behind her—its angry sound echoing through the hallway.

I shook off my annoyance with Julia. It wasn’t worth it, and I had too many other things on my mind to worry about besides one-third of the Trio.

I wandered down the hallway, taking in the cranberry-colored walls and enjoying getting out of Winchester. It was fun to be in a different dorm, and I’d always loved the color scheme and feel of Orchard. I found Brit’s room and knocked on the door. Unlike the last time I’d seen it, her door had been decorated. She’d put up a purple, glittery “B” near the top of the door, and she’d taped pictures of people who looked like they’d be her parents and sisters under the B. There were also photos of Apollo. I spotted my favorite one immediately—it was an early morning photo where the sun was rising over the back of a pasture. Dew glinted off the grass, and Apollo was looking right into the camera. His gray face looked so gentle—I almost wanted to pet the photo.

I smiled at the pic, then knocked on Brit’s door.

“Hey,” Brit said, pulling open the door. “C’mon in!”

She’d changed into cozy gray yoga pants, a pocket T-shirt, and a hoodie.

“Hope you like my room,” she said, gesturing with one hand.

I stepped inside, putting my backpack on glossy hardwood floor. Brit’s room was a few feet bigger than mine and Paige’s. One bed was made with a lilac and white striped comforter. The other, empty, had a neat stack of laundry on it. A giant whiteboard on the wall had scribbles with neon-colored markers that had notes like hist extra credit due 2mrw and I <3 Todd on DVD nxt month.

Her closet doors were closed and a few pairs of sneakers were tossed in a pile beside the door. A thick pink area rug covered most of the floor, leaving only a few feet of hardwood near the walls. The bathroom door was closed and next to the door was a glass desk with a black swivel chair.

Between the two beds, Brit had a black lamp table with shelves under it that were stacked with books, a few glass horse figurines and a bonsai tree. The clear lamp was chic and modern. Brit had twinkly lights shaped like tiny stars draped along the wall across the space between the windows. I bet the lights cast fun shadows at night.

“I love your curtains,” I said, walking over to one of the two windows to check out the view.

“Thanks—I found them at Pottery Barn Teen. I’m totally obsessed with that store!”

The off-white eyelet lace curtains flowed from clear curtain rods with a shiny acrylic star at the ends of each rod. I pulled back a curtain, and looked out the window from Brit’s second story double. This window faced the gym—a place I’d yet to visit—and the outdoor pool.

“Your room is awesome!” I said. “I’d decorate exactly the same way.”

“Then we both obviously have good taste,” Brit said, grinning. “I’m glad you like it.”

“It must be nice to have a room to yourself sometimes,” I said. “Or are you ready for a roommate now?”

“I’m pretty social,” Brit said. “I hope I get assigned a roommate soon.”

“I’m sure you will. Doubles don’t have just one person in them for long. Especially if you really want a roomie.”

“Fingers crossed,” Brit said. She glanced toward her desk, sighing. “Shall we?”

“I guess we should,” I said. “If we don’t get started soon, I’ll never finish everything before tomorrow.”

“Want to grab snacks first?” Brit asked. “I think we could probably use a little caffeine and something of the sugar variety.”

“Most definitely,” I said.

Brit and I went to Orchard’s spacious common room and looked through the kitchen cabinets for what we wanted.

I grabbed a snack-sized bag of Cooler Ranch Doritos, a box of gummy worms, and a can of root beer.

“What’d you get?” I asked, looking over at Brit.

“Sprite, M&M’s, and chips,” she said. “All of the essentials.”

She grinned at my snack choices, and we walked toward the door.

“I love Orchard’s common room,” I said. “It’s alw—” I closed my mouth when the door pushed open.

Callie stood there.

Her long black hair was loose around her shoulders. She’d dusted shimmery eyeshadow on her eyelids that made her brown eyes look even darker. I waited, frozen, for a look of fury or something from her. But she looked at me as if we were strangers. Everything about her—from her jeans and slouch boots to her butterfly earrings—reminded me of my former best friend. Everything except the way she was looking at me now.

Brit, standing beside me, shifted her snacks into the crook of her left arm.

“Hi, we haven’t met yet,” Brit said. “I think I heard around the stable that you’re Callie, right?”

Callie looked at Brit. “Yeah, hi. I’m Callie.” Her tone wasn’t friendly or chilly—just without emotion. “Brit?”

Brit nodded, sticking out her right hand. “Yep—new girl at school.”

Brit’s tone was light and without any hint that she knew any of my history with Callie.

Callie nodded, stepping around us without looking at me. “Welcome to Canterwood. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around.”

I started to turn around and ask Callie if she’d talk to me. For a second, I considered not waiting for Jacob to tell her the truth.

“Ready?” Brit asked.

I stared at her—unable to make a decision.

“Ready,” I said, finally, after too many seconds passed.

I followed Brit out of the common room and down the hallway.

“Thanks for the save,” I said, able to form words now that we were away from the common room.

“No problem,” Brit said. “Situations like that are so awkward, but I would have done the same thing. Don’t even worry about it.”

Brit opened the door to her room, and before I took a step inside, I forced myself to shake off the Callie encounter.

Two hours later, Brit and I groaned and stretched simultaneously.

“I. Quit,” I said.

“Me. Too,” Brit said in the same tone.

I flipped my science textbook shut and dropped it below me. I was sitting in Brit’s pod chair near her floor lamp. She was at her desk, and we’d been working nonstop since we’d gotten snacks.

“If I read one more page, my brain’s going to explode,” I said. “All of the root beer in the common room can’t save me.”

Brit nodded. “Same here. I’ve been stuck on the same math problem for twenty minutes. I’ll have to ask my teacher for help tomorrow.”

“Want me to look at it?” I asked. “I’m not the best at math, but I could try.”

“You sure?” Brit held out her notebook to me. “It’s problem twenty-nine—the last one.”

I read the problem, staring at her bubbly handwriting. “Okay, it’s possible that I’m delusional, but I think I know how to solve this.”

“Really?”

I got up off the chair and flopped onto Brit’s bed with a pen and the notebook. Brit got beside me, and I walked her through the problem.

“So, after we move the negative two over here, then we’re set to solve the equation,” I said. “Can you do the next line?”

Brit stared at the paper, her pen hovering over the problem. But she bent over it and scribbled in the next line of the equation.

“Is that totally wrong?” she asked, wincing.

I read through her work twice, shaking my head. “Nope! You got it. Now just do the next line and solve it. Then we’re really done.”

“Okay, one sec.”

I packed up my books and let Brit focus on her problem. I checked my phone for texts and there was one from Paige.

Back in r room. Hmwk done—gag. Ready 2 chill when u get back.

Leaving v soon! I sent the text.

“And … done!” Brit said. She closed her math book—there was visible relief on her face. “Thank you so much.”

“I’m glad I could help,” I said. “Don’t ever worry about asking a teacher or me or someone if you need help. It’s only your first week here, and you’re waaay more put together than I was, like, two months after being here.”

Brit looked at her math book, then up at me. “Thanks. And I really doubt that’s true, only because it seems like you’ve been a student here forever. It’s so dumb, but I feel embarrassed to ask teachers or people I don’t know for help. This school is so tough—I don’t want anyone to think I can’t handle it.”

“No one would think that. Ever,” I said. “You’d get more respect if you asked for help with whatever than if you faked your way through it.”

Brit nodded, twirling her pen.

“And besides,” I said. “You’re the one who just got here over the weekend and acts as if she’s been here for years. You’re outgoing, friendly, and everyone—even the Trio—wants you to be part of their group.”

“The Trio’s really interested in me?” Brit asked, her head tilted as if she didn’t believe me.

“Honestly? Alison adores you. Julia’s wary with everyone, and Heather wants you in her group. Pause to take note that she never does that.”

Brit shook her head, laughing quietly. “They’re all cool girls, well, except for Julia ’cause she kind of hates me. But what if I don’t want to be part of anyone’s group? I just got here, and I’d rather have friends—like all of you guys—than jump into a clique or something.”

I nodded at Brit. “Got to say that I’m impressed. Most girls would have done anything to be Heather’s friend and to get into the Trio.”

Brit rolled her eyes. “I saw enough of that at my old school. Cliques were rampant, and it was never something I was into. I’d rather be popular, or not, on my own.”

“I’ve bounced around among friends since I got here,” I said. “Paige is my best friend and before the mess with Jacob, Callie and I were also best friends. How lucky can a girl get to have two best friends?”

Brit nodded, but didn’t interrupt me.

“And that was when the Trio was torturing me. Then, things fell apart between Callie and me, and the more I talked to Heather, the more I liked her. It sounds crazy to even say that now. But Alison and I got closer, much to Julia’s dismay, and now we’re all sort of friends. I’m definitely not part of their group, but we’re friends.”

“Do you want to be part of the Trio?” Brit asked.

I paused. “I don’t know. I kind of like things the way they are right now—with me on the outside. Like you, I’m not all about being popular or cliquey, but I also can’t say that I’m sorry the Trio’s decided to stop torturing me.”

“Please, as if I’d complain about that either,” Brit said. “Just because you’re friends with them doesn’t mean you have to join their group—unless you want to.”

Brit started picking up her textbooks, and I slung my bag over my shoulder. “Thanks for letting me hang out today,” I said. “Even though we were doing homework, I still had lots of fun.”

“Me too,” Brit said, smiling. “And next time we’ll do it at your place. I’d love to see your dorm.”

“For sure. And thanks again for being so cool with Callie.”

“Seriously, it was no big deal.”

We smiled at each other, and I left Orchard thinking about how Brit had no idea how big a deal her help really had been.

When I got back to my room, Paige was in her pj’s lying on top of her bed reading The Secret Garden.

“I thought you were done studying,” I said.

Paige nodded, holding up her copy of The Secret Garden full of sticky notes. “I’m not really studying, just reading. I figured I needed a head start. I’m only going to get more homework over the weekend, and this class is important to me.”

“Good point,” I said. “I wish I had your will to study, but I can’t. I’m changing and going to sleep.”

Paige closed her book, yawning. “I’m doing the same. I want to read more, but I’m too tired.”

I sensed something was off with Paige, but I didn’t know what. I grabbed a clean pair of pajamas—black Hello Kitty shorts and a white T-shirt—and headed to the bathroom to change and get ready for bed.

When I came out, Paige’s light was out, and she looked half-asleep already. I was exhausted and didn’t want to start a fight, but I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I couldn’t wait for Paige to come to me about Callie.

“So, um, Brit and I went to The Sweet Shoppe yesterday,” I said.

“Oh, what’d you get?” Paige asked.

“Ice cream sundaes.” I stopped, feeling unsure about how to approach her with this. But I knew I had to.

“That sounds so good,” Paige said. “Yum.”

“It was good. But I wanted to talk to you about The Sweet Shoppe. I saw you there with Callie.”

Paige started to sit up in bed, a look of alarm on her face.

“No, no, I don’t care,” I said, getting under my covers. “I know you guys were friends before this whole mess started. Even though Callie and I aren’t friends anymore, it doesn’t mean that you can’t be.”

Paige dipped her head. “I know you don’t care. That was a dumb thing to do. I should have told you I was having dessert with her instead of lying about it.”

“You were probably worried that it would make me feel uncomfortable,” I said. “And it doesn’t—I promise. I’m glad you guys are still friends. But you know you can tell me the truth about whom you’re going out with even if it is Callie.”

Paige nodded. “I’ll definitely be honest with you about it from now on. Promise.”

“None of what happened was Callie’s fault. She probably needs all the friends and support she can get right now.”

Paige yawned. “Definitely. ’Night.”

I flicked off my lamp. “’Night.”

I stared at the ceiling for a long time trying to fall asleep. Something wasn’t right. Paige hadn’t done anything wrong, and I believed that she’d tell me the truth if she was going to meet Callie, but I still felt that something was off. I just didn’t know what.