Sweet Deceit

by Kate Brian

  But lying to Stone and Grave was a whole other level of complicated, because she was supposed to be Briana Leigh, and she had no idea what Briana Leigh had never done. What if they knew the things Briana Leigh had and hadn’t done—Lexa had gone to camp with Briana Leigh—and she got it wrong?

  Suddenly, Ariana’s underarms started to prickle. A sensation she detested almost as much as the foggy, light-headed feeling she got from drinking too much.

  “The rules, just so we’re clear, are simple,” Conrad explained. “When it’s your turn, you are to tell us something you’ve never done. Anyone in the circle who has done this thing is to take a drink. If you haven’t, you can leave your bottle on the floor in front of you. That’s it. So. Who will volunteer to start?” Conrad asked, stepping back and crossing his arms over his broad chest.

  “I’ll go, Brother Lear,” Jasper said, lifting a finger as if he was summoning a waiter.

  “Thank you, tap,” Conrad said. He stepped back toward the group of brothers and sisters, standing between Lexa and April, both of whom grinned giddily. “Go ahead.”

  Ariana felt a shift in the crowd around her, a shimmer of excited anticipation, and she felt a sour burning in her chest. This wasn’t about them getting to know each other better. They were playing this game for the entertainment of the membership. Hazing at its finest.

  “I never kissed a guy,” Jasper said with a smirk.

  Tahira rolled her eyes, opened her bottle, and took a swig. Kaitlynn did the same. Ariana touched the bottle to her lips and tried not to wince as the alcohol burned its way down her throat. Then Landon grabbed his bottle and took a drink. A few people in the crowd laughed and whispered.

  “What?” he said, drawing the back of his arm across his glistening lips. “I’m a rock star.”

  “Try pop star,” Rob corrected, standing on his toes to be seen. His comment earned another round of derisive laughter. Landon blushed but smiled. The guys often ribbed him about his pretty-boy pop persona, but he never seemed to mind. Probably because that pretty-boy pop persona had already netted him millions and taken him around the world, where he’d played sold-out concerts and met hordes of screaming, worshipping fans.

  “Next?” Conrad intoned, looking down his nose at Ariana.

  Ariana took a deep breath. It was her turn. Which meant, at least, she wouldn’t have to drink this time. “Okay. I’ve never kissed a girl,” she said.

  Everyone except Kaitlynn drank. All eyes went to Tahira.

  “What?” she said in the exact same tone as Landon. “I’m a slut.”

  Everyone laughed and Ariana’s shoulders started to relax. At least no one was taking this all that seriously. Games of I Never with Noelle Lange and Gage Coolidge were seriously stressful, since they both seemed to know everyone’s secrets and took pride in outing them. Not that Ariana hadn’t come up with a few fabulous I Nevers in her day, perfectly crafted to humiliate or expose her friends. But the stakes in this game were much higher, and laying low seemed the better tack.

  Tahira was up next. She leaned back on her hands and looked right at Ariana. Ariana’s eyes narrowed and all the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. What was the girl up to?

  “I’ve never stolen anything . . . ,” she said in a leading way.

  Ariana stopped breathing. She wasn’t. She couldn’t. Was she really going to try to call out Ariana for those thefts she’d committed at the beginning of the year? Her eyes darted around at the membership, finding Christian in the crowd, thinking of his Rolex, which she’d lifted from the boathouse that day during welcome week. Oh God. They were definitely going to ask for an explanation and then she’d have to come up with some kind of cover story on the fly. But what? How could she, millionaire orphan Briana Leigh Covington, explain stealing thousands of dollars worth of jewelry and iPods and random paraphernalia from her classmates? Ariana’s stomach twisted dangerously and her vision started to prickle over with gray spots. This was all Kaitlynn’s fault. If Kaitlynn hadn’t blackmailed her, she wouldn’t have had to steal those things.

  “. . . from the school bookstore,” Tahira finished finally.

  Ariana released her breath. She looked at Tahira, her face burning. Tahira grinned back. She’d done her damage and she knew it. It was all Ariana could do to keep from slapping the little twit across the face. Meanwhile, both Landon and Jasper reached for their bottles.

  Breathe, Ariana. Just breathe.

  In, one . . . two . . . three . . .

  Out, one . . . two . . . three . . .

  In, one . . . two . . . three . . .

  Out, one . . . two . . . three . . .

  “Theft, huh?” Conrad said, eyeing Landon and Jasper from above. “Care to explain?”

  “I forgot my wallet and I was out of gel,” Landon said matter-of-factly.

  The guys jeered and hooted and hollered. Landon simply shrugged. “Dude’s gotta do what a dude’s gotta do.”

  Conrad looked at Jasper. “And you?”

  “It was a freshman dare,” Jasper replied. “My friends said I couldn’t walk out of there with a pencil. I took a laptop.”

  Silence reigned. For a moment Ariana was concerned for Jasper’s future with Stone and Grave, but Conrad actually looked impressed.

  “All right then,” he said. Then he turned to Kaitlynn, his soft black robe swishing. Ariana could have reached out and touched that cozy-looking velvet. She yearned to tear the burlap sack from her sweaty, raw skin and slip one of those luxurious robes on instead.

  One day, she told herself. One day soon.

  “Next?” Conrad said.

  Kaitlynn smirked as her gaze flicked to Ariana. A hot flush raced over Ariana’s already warm body. She tried to breathe normally, but she was starting to hyperventilate. Now what?

  “I’ve never killed anyone,” Kaitlynn said, her voice loud and clear.

  The membership laughed and scoffed and whispered as Ariana’s insides plummeted to her toes. First of all, Kaitlynn was lying. She had murdered Briana Leigh’s father in cold blood. Second, did she really think Ariana was going to take a drink? No. No way. She just wanted to get a rise out of her. This was payback for what she’d said during the interrogation the night Allison had gotten kicked out. Then Ariana saw something move to her right. Jasper was reaching for his bottle. Suddenly, everyone froze. The Tombs were silent. Jasper took a long drink from the bottle. Then, ever so innocently, he looked around at the membership.

  “Lucy. She was my dog,” he said. “I had her put to sleep when the cancer spread to her lungs.”

  Relieved laughter filled the room. Ariana rolled her eyes and smiled. For a second there she really thought there was another murderer in their midst. Jasper placed his bottle down on the concrete with a ping and everyone looked at Landon expectantly. What exactly could superstar Landon Jacobs claim to have never done?

  “I’ve never not completed my task for Stone and Grave,” he said with a Cheshire smile.

  Never not, Ariana thought. That means he’s already done it. And I should drink because I haven’t. She reached for her bottle, but paused when she realized no one else had made a move. Suddenly, all eyes were on her and her hovering hand. Ariana’s heart pounded wildly. Was she really the only tap who hadn’t completed her task? But they’d just been given their envelopes on Saturday, and they still had a week and a half to get them done. This was not good. The last thing she wanted was for the membership to know she was the only one whose task wasn’t completed. They were going to think she wasn’t dedicated to earning her membership.

  But it was already too late. They’d all seen her reaching for her bottle. The only thing to do now was bite the bullet.

  Ariana grabbed her bottle and took a drink. She saw several of the members exchange interested and impatient glances, and she dared not look at Lexa. She braced herself for the inevitable question from Conrad.

  “I’ve never been on a roller coaster,” Jasper said suddenly, cutting the tension.
>
  “What? Seriously? That’s sick!” Landon said, grabbing his bottle.

  “God did not intend us to hang upside down at ninety miles an hour. If he had, he would have given all of us wings,” Jasper said.

  The membership started to tease and needle Jasper while Tahira, Ariana, and Kaitlynn all drank. Just like that, the tense moment with Ariana in the spotlight had passed. As Ariana lowered her bottle she glanced at Jasper in thanks. He smiled back. He’d distracted the members on purpose, just to save her. She wouldn’t have been surprised if his admission were a lie. A lie told just to help her out.

  But still, an awful, heavy feeling of failure and dread settled in over her shoulders. All the other taps had completed their tasks, and she hadn’t even come up with a plan to execute hers. She’d been hoping for a miracle—for some kind of reprieve. But now it was clear that reprieve wasn’t going to come. And if she wanted to measure up to her fellow taps, she was not only going to have to complete her task, but she was going to have to do it soon.

  Ariana’s eyes found Palmer in the crowd, and he gave her a private smile of encouragement for her turn. Her heart thumped painfully as she wondered if, after she finished her task, he would ever smile at her like that again.

  THE POWER

  Ariana lay back on her bed, her heart pounding bile through her veins. She breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth, counting slowly to ten. Then she pushed herself up and slipped her phone out from behind the seasonal mum atop her dresser. She had bought the potted flower that afternoon at the APH bookshop, which was chock-full of autumnal decorations these days, but she hadn’t felt very festive doing so. Her fingers trembling, she stopped the recording and quickly played it back.

  There she was, staring at the camera, the picture so clear she could see her ice-blue eyes. She should have felt gratified. This was going to work. But she hated that it was going to work.

  Taking another deep breath, Ariana erased the ten-second video to make more room on the digital card. She carefully replaced the phone in its hiding spot, then sat down on her bed to wait, kneading her fingers in her lap.

  You have to do this. There’s no other way. If you want to be in Stone and Grave, you must complete this task.

  An image of Lexa’s smirking face flashed through her mind and Ariana’s fingers curled so quickly, her nails cut into her palms. The very idea that she was going to do this to Palmer just because of some sadistic vendetta Lexa had against her made her blood boil. Palmer and Lexa had broken up weeks ago. And Lexa had a new amazing boyfriend. Why couldn’t she just let Palmer go? Was she trying to make sure he never dated again?

  Calm down. It wasn’t necessarily her, Ariana reminded herself. April was always a possibility. She was the girls’ pledge educator. She was supposed to be in charge of Hell Week, along with Conrad. It might have been her job to figure out what each of the girls would have to do. But if so, what was she thinking, making one of the taps humiliate one of the active members?

  It was Lexa. It had to be Lexa. Ariana knew she was just fooling herself thinking otherwise.

  There was a quick rap on the door and Ariana’s breath caught. She closed her eyes, took a breath, and held it. In a few minutes this would all be over.

  Just breathe, Ariana.

  In, one . . . two . . . three . . .

  Out, one . . . two . . . three . . .

  She opened her eyes, reached over, and hit the record button on her phone. Her hands were perfectly still. She got up, walked to the door, and opened it. Palmer was wearing a blue APH sweatshirt and his eyes were bright.

  “I got your note,” he said, holding up the scrap of paper between two fingers. “‘Let’s make up for the other night?’”

  Ariana opened her mouth to greet him, but her airway was choked off by guilt. So instead she grabbed him by the front of his sweatshirt, the embroidered letters crushed inside her fist, and pulled him to her. Palmer tripped forward in surprise, but met her lips in a kiss. Ariana reached behind him and slammed the door. She backed toward her bed, kissing him all the while, then turned around and shoved him down, so that his back was to the bed, and his face would be clear to the camera.

  Palmer looked up at her, surprised, but clearly pleased. Ariana could practically see him through the view screen on her phone—see how perfectly he was framed, how clear his face was in the picture. Swallowing back the nauseated feeling rising up in her throat, Ariana lay down on top of him, but quickly rolled off to the right side so that her back was to the wall. So that she wasn’t blocking the camera’s view of his face.

  Palmer smiled, his eyes never leaving hers. He reached his hand up, cupped her face, and gently kissed her. Ariana’s fingers clenched. He was so sweet. So gentle. So freaking unsuspecting.

  I can’ t do this. I can’t, I can’t, I can’t.

  But you have to. You must. You must get into Stone and Grave.

  Ariana steeled herself. There was a task at hand. All she had to do was complete the task. Then she wouldn’t have to worry about it anymore. It would all be over if she could just get through the next few minutes. And a few minutes were really all she had. The digital card on her phone would be full before she knew it.

  She pulled back, sat up, and tore off her sweater, revealing the skimpy tank top underneath. Palmer smiled and took his shirt off too, showing off his very ripped chest and stomach. The next ten minutes were a blur. Ariana kept trying to concentrate on Palmer, kept trying to shove her own betrayal into the back of her mind. But she couldn’t do it. All she could think about while he kissed her and touched her and undressed her was the fact that a camera was running. The fact that someone in Stone and Grave was going to demand to see the recording. Someone else—possibly Lexa—was going to watch every second of what was happening.

  Unless . . .

  Did it really have to be every second?

  Ariana pulled back from Palmer’s kisses.

  “What’s the matter?” he asked, breathless.

  “Nothing. I just . . . I forgot. Lillian’s supposed to be back soon,” Ariana said, yanking her shirt over her head and rolling away from Palmer.

  “Seriously?” he asked, sitting up. His face was flushed and he was practically panting. Ariana was flattered by the fact that he was so attracted to her that he was already that far gone.

  “Yeah. I’m sorry. I totally forgot,” Ariana said as she smoothed her hair. “Can we go back to your room?”

  Palmer blinked a few times. He plucked his sweatshirt off the floor and pulled it on. “Um . . . yeah. Sure. Landon’s at some record company meeting tonight.”

  “Cool. Let’s go,” Ariana said, taking his hand.

  “Okay,” Palmer said, still in a stupor.

  Ariana led Palmer out of the room, leaving the camera behind, feeling giddy over the fact that it wouldn’t be recording the ending of this encounter, wherever it may lead. Feeling, for the first time in days, like she had the power.

  NEW TASK

  “Tap number three. What is the birthplace of Stone and Grave brother Rabbit?” Conrad demanded, staring down at Ariana. His nostrils flared and her heart pounded a nervous beat. It was amazing how intimidated she felt in front of him, when just a few hours ago they were laughing together in class over an odd turn of phrase in Hamlet.

  “Brooklyn, New York, Brother Lear,” she replied, her legs quaking beneath her. For the past hour, Ariana and her fellow taps had been kneeling on the floor in the Tombs, their knees pressed into the icy concrete, their burlap sacks chafing their bare skin. Never in her life would Ariana have been able to predict how difficult it was to kneel for that long, but her thigh muscles had started quivering about half an hour earlier, begging for her to sit back on her heels, to stand up, to lay down—anything to relieve them.

  “What do you think you’re doing, plebe?!” Conrad shouted suddenly, spittle flying from his lips as he turned on Tahira.

  Ariana was so startled she almost collapsed. Tahira pushed herself
up into her kneeling position with her fingertips to the ground. Clearly she had tried to sit back for a second.

  “Sorry. I . . . I just needed a break,” she stammered.

  Ariana had never seen Tahira be anything less than firm, focused, and in charge. Stammering was not her style.

  “What makes you think you deserve a break!?” Conrad shouted, his eyes nearly popping out of his skull. “I see you move again and you’re out on your ass.”

  Ariana felt her heartbeat in every inch of her body. She tightened her glutes and thighs and they whimpered in response. This was torture. Plain and simple. But she wasn’t going to move. No way was she going to invite Conrad and his psycho tirade to her end of the line. She breathed in and briefly closed her eyes. At times like these, she couldn’t help thinking of Noelle and Kiran and Taylor and wonder what they were doing at that precise moment. Whatever it was, she knew that they would agree with her—this was no way to spend a Friday night.

  “Tap number four,” Conrad continued, shouting down at Jasper. “What is the Stone and Grave nickname of Maria Stanzini?”

  “Estella, Brother Lear,” Jasper replied quickly.

  “Tap number five,” Conrad said, pacing over to Kaitlynn. “Is Oswald your real last name?”