Page 26 of The Pawn

"We're over here." She leads me to a little table near the back windows, which look out towards the garden we share with Lovelace Hall. The way she practically shoves me down in one of the chairs, there's really no other option but to agree to sit with her. "I wanted you to meet someone. Brenna, this is my roommate Tricia. Her dad just moved her whole family here fromSaudi Arabia.Can you believe it? I had so many questions last night that I kept her up late asking them."

Based on the expression on Tricia's face, she wasn't amused to have her sleep delayed by a curious blonde. Tricia is a petite girl with a rich dark brown complexion and hair that forms a perfect cloud of black ringlets around her head, making her one of few black girls I've seen on campus so far. She's wearing her button-up with the top two buttons undone and has rolled her skirt like a lot of the girls do. It's hard to imagine her living somewhere as conservative as Saudi Arabia.

"I won't ask any questions," I tell her, even though I'm curious. "It's too early to get into deep talk."

"There's not much to say, anyway." She shrugs, leaning back in her chair and playing with the spoon in her oatmeal. "Air conditioned house, air conditioned car, and a Western school for all the American and British kids. If you didn't look out the windows, it was pretty much...this."

The single word encapsulates everything about this place: the overstuffed antique seats wasted on teenage girls eating breakfast, beautifully detailed architecture, manicured gardens, and enough money in this room alone to fill Scrooge McDuck's money pit and dive right into it.

Chrissy says, "Tricia is so glad to be home, where she hasfreedomto wear what she wants and says what she wants. And now we all get to be friends!"

I'm glad that Tricia is the one who gets to live with Chrissy, and not me. I'm pretty sure I'd get worn down by her bubbly personality in just a day, and murder was one thing I didn't plan on doing once I got here.

"So, Brenna," Tricia says between bites of oatmeal, "where are you from? And how did you two meet?"

I glance over at Chrissy, who's staring studiously at her apple as she slices it up and smears almond butter on the slices. Maybe the reason why she asked Tricia all the questions was so she wouldn't have to answer any herself.

"I'm from a little town in Virginia you won't have heard of, called Wayborne. It barely even made it onto Google maps," I joke, which as far as I know is true. "Chrissy and I met yesterday in the line to get room assignments."

Leaning forward, Chrissy murmurs, "Brenna got stuck living withHolly Schneiderbecause of how late she enrolled. Y'know—the head of the Rosalinds?" She shudders in exaggerated horror. "You couldn't pay me to live with that girl. It's one thing to care about the rules, but toenforcethem? I mean c'mon, it's a high school away from home—live a little. No one will die if we smoke a damn cigarette or have a sip of boxed wine. You get it, Tricia, after living under an oppressive regime for so long."

"I actually think the Rosalinds are pretty cool." Tricia glances over at me curiously. "After all, they set up the social events and stuff. Think your roommate could get us the deets on the Blind Ball? I've heard it's the campus dating event.No oneknows who they'll get set up with, even the paired-off couples."

"Uh, well." I glance over at Chrissy, already cringing in anticipation of the no-doubt overwrought way she'll react to my news. "About that. I have no idea when it comes to the Blind Ball, but as far as the Rosalinds go, I asked Holly if I could take the open position. And she said yes. My training starts tomorrow."

Chrissy makes a sour expression, even as she exclaims, "Congrats!"

Tricia stares at the blonde in bemusement. "I thought you said last night that the Rosalinds were basically narcs."

"Yeah, well, Brenna won't be one. We're friends. Right Brenna?"

"Uh, right."

"Besides, it's not like she'll narc onus.She's just getting in with the Rosalinds so she can go to all the social events and make some pocket change." Leaning forward, Chrissy excitedly asks, "Do you know anything yet about the rock climbing trip this weekend? It's the first outing. I'm hoping that Lukas DuPont is going—he's a total dream boat."

Tricia perks up. "The boy with the blond hair and that to-die-for European accent?"

"Yeah. He grew up in Paris and London. He's trilingual, so y'know," she lowers her voice suggestively, "good with his tongue."

The thought of Lukas DuPont's tongue anywhere near me sends shudders down my spine and sets my teeth on edge. Sure, he's attractive—all the Elites are—but he's a complete fake. At least Tanner lets everyone see him for what he really is. Lukas hides his rough center behind a veneer of genteel bullshit.

"I honestly don't know any of the details yet about the social parties, but as soon as I know something, I'll be sure to mention it."

"Great!" Chrissy beams. "I'm so glad we get the inside scoop."

"Speaking of..." Biting her lower lip, Tricia asks, "Did you hear about what happened with that girl who left the Rosalinds to move off campus?"

I shake my head. "No one told me why she moved or anything. Like Chrissy said, I registered late. I wasn't even here for orientation week."

"Oh, so you won't have heard. Maybe I shouldn't mention it..."

"If there's some way to move off campus, youhaveto tell us." Chrissy's eyes are bright, and I have the feeling it has more to do with her thirst for gossip than anything. "The Rosalind Hall is great and all, but I've heard Lovelace Hall has plumbing issues. If I can convince the administration to let me get my own apartment senior year, Daddy will pay for it, and you can live with me." She flicks her eyes to me, and adds as an afterthought, "You too, Brenna."

"Well, I don't know about living off campus. What I heard was from this girl who was supposed to be her roommate. Apparently they bunked together during orientation week. But she said it was a secret."

Tricia looks torn, and I'm not normally one to push people, but if there are secrets here at Coleridge I have to know. Especially if they might help me take down the Elites. "Whatever it is, we won't spread it around. Right, Chrissy?"

"Ab-so-lute-ly. You have my pinkiest of pinky swears, Tricia."

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