Privilege 4 - Sweet Deceit Read Online Free PDF

she said, squinting and chewing on her bottom lip. "Is it, I don't know . . . too soon to try to have fun?"

    Ariana took a deep breath. "No. Y guys were right. It's what she would have wanted. Maybe it'll cheer everyone up a little. I think if we do it

    ou right, it'll be good. It'll be like . . . keeping her spirit alive."

    Lexa nodded slowly. There was a long moment of silence. "I really miss her."

    "Me too," Ariana said, her heart heavy.

    "I'm so glad you transferred here, Briana Leigh," Lexa said, reaching over to hug Ariana. Ariana stiffened at the use of her full fake name. Lexa had known the real Briana Leigh Covington when the two of them were kids, and every once in a while she would drop her full name, reminding Ariana of how fragile her assumed identity was. One slip and Lexa could realize she was an imposter. "Having you here and becoming friends again after all this time. It's like . . . I don't know . . . it makes me think life can't be that bad, you know?"

    Ariana hugged Lexa back, staring blankly over her shoulder at the framed photo of Briana Leigh's ranch back in Texas--one of the personal items Briana Leigh's maid had mailed to her at the beginning of the school year. Ariana knew exactly how bad life could be. Her very presence here at APH, the very fact that she was walking around masquerading as Briana Leigh Covington, was the result of how bad life could be. And she knew that as long as Kaitlynn Nottingham was here, getting her way, life was only going to get worse. NO GUARANTEES

    Ariana hustled across campus on a still, cool Tuesday night, headed for the library, hoping that a change of scenery would help her concentrate on her homework. She was so stressed she didn't even take the time to notice the gorgeous shades of the changing leaves around her or turn her head at the sound of shouts and laughter from one of the dorms. She couldn't believe the number of assignments that had been piled on her that day. With all she had to deal with, schoolwork had fallen woefully low on her list of priorities. Which really wasn't going to cut it if she wanted to fulfill her lifelong dream of getting into Princeton.

    A few yards away from the double-oak doors of the stately redbrick library, Ariana heard a crack, then an under-the-breath curse and the telltale crunch of leaves underfoot. She paused and looked around. There were a few people crisscrossing the campus, but no one near enough to be heard that distinctly. Someone was hiding nearby, watching her. A buzz of fear-tinged excitement raced through her and she clutched the strap on her bag, taking a deep breath and trying to appear calm. This was it. Hell Week was here.

    A moment passed and suddenly, two dark figures sprang out of the bushes and threw a black hood over her head.

    "Come with us," a gruff voice said in her ear.

    Ariana didn't scream or struggle. Instead she concentrated on not tripping as two hands gripped her arms and hurried her forward. She took long, deliberate breaths, which wasn't easy given that her face was covered and the sour scent of mildew filled her nostrils. At first it seemed as if they were headed for the library, but then they took an abrupt turn, and another, and another, until she was completely confused and dizzy. By the time she heard a door creak open and was hurried awkwardly down a set of hard, shallow steps, Ariana was sweating profusely and panting unattractively. At the very bottom of the stairs, one of her two kidnappers tripped. She flew forward, but they caught her before she could fall flat on her face. The tripper muttered something unintelligible and they kept moving.

    For one blissful moment, cool air rushed in around Ariana, but as she and her captors shuffled on, the atmosphere gradually grew warmer, and she could sense the glow of warm light through the tiny holes in the fabric of the hood. Her shoes made scratching sounds on the floor, as if she was walking across silty concrete. Suddenly, someone