Page 120 of Devoured

I laughed. “It’ll be worth it, I promise.” But maybe I was going to eat my words, because Rob was heading up the steps toward the library. Mason and I both looked at each other. And then we quickly caught up to them.

“What are you doing?” I asked. “This is the library.”

“I know,” Rob said. “The kinkiest girls hang out in the library. They’ll know where the best party is.”

Mason groaned.

Seriously, why did Rob and Matt not trust us here? Apparently running Empire High had gotten to their heads. But they didn’t know anything yet. Watching this plan crash and burn could be mildly entertaining, though. “Fine,” I said. “After you.” I gestured toward the front doors.

We walked into the library. I hadn’t spent much time in here, but I knew this was probably a bad idea. Rob was…well, loud. And libraries were notoriously quiet.

Rob and Matt wandered around until we got to the Loker Reading Room. We stopped at the large columns and stared at all the tables of people studying. I looked up at the ornate curved ceiling of windows. It was my favorite part of the library. I kept meaning to sneak in here at night when all the lights were off. I bet it would be easy to see the stars through those windows when it was dark.

“I’m confused,” Rob said. “I thought it was supposed to look like Hogwarts in here? It just looks…old.” He stared at the wooden tables and wooden chairs.

“Why would this look like Hogwarts?” I asked.

“Didn’t JK Rowling base the Hogwarts grand hall off this or something?”

“Pretty sure she based it on Oxford, man.” Actually I knew for a fact that it was Oxford. But if I talked about this too much he’d call me a nerd and never want to go back to the Gryphon Club tonight.

“Why are there so many people in here on a Friday night?” Matt asked.

“Because we’re at Harvard.” This was one of the best schools in the country. What wasn’t he getting?

“Shh!” someone said.

Matt laughed.

I was also almost 100% positive that Matt and Rob did not deserve to be accepted here. But luckily for them, I wasn’t in charge of admissions. And even more luckily for them, our parents wereverygenerous donors. Hell, I probably didn’t deserve to be going here either. I’d never know for sure.

Watch this,” said Rob with a wink. He walked over to the nearest table and sat across from a girl studying.

She did not look up.

He proceeded to talk to her.

She still didn’t look up. But she did say something back to him.

“He’s going about this all wrong,” I said. “Why hasn’t he lightly touched her arm to get her attention? It’s all about that one touch. And eye contact.” I leaned against one of the columns and folded my arms across my chest.

Mason shook his head. “Amateur.”

Rob said one last thing to the girl, then tapped the table, and then walked back over to us. “I don’t think this was the best place to come to ask about parties.”

“And why is that?” Mason asked. “Because the hottest girl here wouldn’t give you the time of day?”

“Is she the hottest girl here? I doubt it. But she did talk to me. And like I said, this isn’t the right place to ask about parties.”

“She didn’t know of any?” Matt asked.

Rob sighed. “No, she did. But she said the Gryphon Club throws the best parties.”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you all night,” Mason said.

“Shhh!” someone hissed.

Mason shook his head. “Come on,” he whispered. “Let’s head back.”

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