Chapter 20 #2
“Yes, I thought so too. I guess he’s just got to find someone to go with him.”
“How ever will he do that?” I rolled my eyes as sarcastically as I could.
She laughed. “I have no idea.”
I could easily imagine the line of girls that would be following Noah everywhere he went if they knew he was searching for a date. I was also sure that most girls at Weybridge qualified as coming from an influential family. Most girls but me, that was.
There was a knock at the door, and Anna burst through it before either of us could respond. She frowned when she saw me. “Why aren’t you dressed?” she asked before immediately turning to Cress. “Why isn’t she dressed?”
“I’m not coming tonight,” I said.
“But we already talked about this. Noah asked you to come!” Anna huffed. “Noah!”
“He didn’t just ask me. He invited both of us.”
“While he was looking at you. It was like I wasn’t even in the room. Hell, he probably wished I wasn’t in the room.”
“I told you you’re reading into it too much. He won’t even notice I’m not there.”
“I wouldn’t bet on it,” Anna grumbled before letting out a sigh. “I can’t believe you’re bailing on our first party of the year.”
“There was a party last weekend,” I reminded her.
“That doesn’t count. It was before school started, and you left that one early.”
“She’s promised to come to the next one,” Cress said in my defense. “We should get going, Anna.” She placed her straightener down and walked over to give me a hug. “Call me if you change your mind,” she said. “I’ll come back and walk you out there.”
“Thanks, but I’ll be okay here. You guys have fun.”
“Well, the offer’s there.” She smiled. “We’ll see you later.”
“And I’ll make sure to send you pics of Noah’s sad face when he realizes you’re not there,” Anna called as she skipped to the door.
“Please don’t.”
She winked at me and then closed the door behind them.
I relaxed a little once they were gone. I knew they didn’t like that I was bailing on tonight, but I really thought it was for the best. I wasn’t lying when I told them how tired I was, and I wasn’t sure I was mentally prepared to face another Weybridge party.
With the whole night stretching out ahead of me, I wandered downstairs to the dorm kitchen to make myself a hot drink.
There were several girls already in the room, raiding the freezer for ice cream.
I didn’t recognize any of them, but they looked quite young, so I guessed they were freshmen.
I made my way past them and smiled when I saw Lily standing by the kettle.
She was already dressed in her pajamas and wearing a pair of fluffy slippers.
“Hey, Lily,” I said as I came to stand at her side.
“Isobel, hey. You’re not going out tonight?”
“Nah, I’m taking the night off.”
“Me too,” she said. “Amber has a date, so I’ve been taking advantage of having our room to myself.”
“Yeah, Cress is out too. I was planning to curl up and read a book or something.”
“A girl after my own heart,” she said with a smile. “I’m making a hot chocolate. Do you want one?”
“Sure. That would be great.”
I leaned against the counter as Lily grabbed another mug and filled it with chocolate powder.
“What did you get up to today?” I asked.
“Study, study, and then a bit more study.” She sighed. “I have to get top grades to keep my scholarship.”
“That must be a lot of pressure.”
“Yeah, it can be, but I like to think I thrive under the pressure,” she said. “How about you?”
“My dad came to town to visit, and we had lunch.”
“Oh, I’m jealous. I wish I could see my parents, but I won’t be able to get home until Christmas.”
I gave her a sad smile. “Don’t be jealous. I’m not close with my dad, and I probably won’t see my mom until Christmas either.”
“It’s hard being away from home.”
“It is,” I agreed.
She poured hot milk into our mugs and added a big pink marshmallow on top of each one before glancing up at me. “I should warn you the hot chocolate here is addictive. Are you sure you want to get hooked?”
“Yeah, hit me with it.”
“That, my friend, is the right answer.” She grinned and passed me the mug.
We slowly made our way from the kitchen, and I took a small sip of my drink as we walked. The hot chocolate was delicious with a rich, full flavor that tasted a little like an Easter egg had been melted in the cup.
“This is so good.” I groaned with appreciation.
“I told you it’s addictive,” Lily said. “I’m always sneaking down at night for hot chocolate. It’s the best.”
As we started up the stairs back to our dorm rooms, I heard the clopping of heels up ahead.
I glanced upward to see Veronica rounding the corner and descending the stairs in front of us.
She was followed by a group of five other girls, who were all dressed for a big night out.
Veronica was wearing a short skirt and a low-cut top, and her hair and makeup were so perfect she looked like she’d been airbrushed.
They were probably all going to the party at the boathouse.
Veronica had her head buried in her phone but looked up as she approached and sneered when she saw us.
“Watch it, Charity,” she said, stepping forward to push past Lily.
Lily jumped back to avoid a collision and ducked her head so she didn’t meet Veronica’s eyes. I refused to budge an inch, and I cradled my hot chocolate closely as I scowled at Veronica and her friends. Who did they think they were?
“Don’t talk to her like that, Veronica.” The words were out of my mouth before I had a moment to consider them.
Veronica stopped in her tracks and slowly turned to face me. “Excuse me?”
The other girls had all paused as well and were glancing between Veronica and me with a combination of shock and anticipation etched on their faces.
“Her name is Lily not Charity. Don’t call her that.”
Lily swallowed and slowly shook her head. “It’s fine, Isobel. Really.”
Veronica shot me a smug smile. “Yes, it’s fine. It’s just a little inside joke. Isn’t it, Charity?”
Lily blanched, and I felt my blood pulse hot with anger. “Nobody’s laughing, Veronica. And Lily isn’t some charity case. She’s incredibly smart and actually earned her place at this school. She isn’t just relying on her parents’ money to get her everything she wants.”
Veronica raised her eyebrows, and a few of her friends started whispering to each other. My comeback could have been addressed at any one of them, and I realized I’d probably just picked a fight I couldn’t win.
“And what about you, new girl?” Veronica snapped. “What makes you so high and mighty?
“Nothing,” I responded. “But I’m not just going to stand here while you harass my friend.”
“Didn’t Daddy’s money get you into Weybridge?” Veronica continued, ignoring my response. “Oh, wait, he’s not in the picture, right?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“So mysterious, new girl.” Veronica gave an overdramatic sigh and shook her head.
“Come on, Isobel, let’s just go,” Lily pleaded, gently placing her hand on my arm.
“Listen to Charity.” Veronica smirked. “You don’t want to make an enemy of me, new girl.”
“I’m not trying to make you my enemy,” I said. “Just don’t call Lily that name again.”
“Like I said, it’s just a joke between friends.”
There was something unsettling about the way Veronica was smiling at me, like she was completely unaffected by my defense of Lily.
Before I could say anything else, she turned and continued down the stairs without a backward glance.
Her friends hurried to follow her, still whispering to each other and shooting me judgmental looks.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” Lily murmured as we watched her leave. “Veronica’s not the kind of person you want to mess with. But thanks for sticking up for me.”
“It was nothing,” I said. The pit in my stomach said otherwise.
I hadn’t set out to make Veronica my enemy, but I think I just had.