"Please. I'm barely using seventy percent of its memory," Soomie replied as she checked out a gray sweater.
"It scares me that you even know that," Ariana joked.
She turned the corner and nearly walked right into Tahira, who was flanked by Allison and another girl.
"Hey there, Transfer," Tahira said with a smile. She glanced at the other girls in a knowing way. "So, bored yet?"
Ariana could feel Maria, Brigit, and Soomie watching her and knew this was an important moment. It was time to show them how she handled herself. Display her loyalty. Even if she hadn't completely decided to stick with them just yet.
"No. But thanks for your concern," Ariana said coolly.
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Tahira's eyes narrowed. "This is Zuri," she said, indicating the pretty black girl hovering just behind her left shoulder. A hot pink scarf held her long dreadlocks back from her face, and her shimmery eye makeup was expertly applied. It was too much for day, in Ariana's opinion.
"We're going to host a party in our room tonight," Zuri said in a quiet, but somehow commanding voice. "You should come."
"Definitely," Tahira said with a bright smile. She looked at the other girls derisively. "You're going to need a break from all the excitement," she added sarcastically. "What do you girls have planned, a chess tournament?"
"Oh, shut up, Tahira," Brigit said, rolling her eyes. She stepped from the skirts and stood between Tahira and Ariana. "If you want to know what's boring, it's you constantly telling everyone how lame we are."
"Just calling it like I see it. So, Brigit, tell me . . . how are your parents?" Tahira's voice dripped with disdain.
"Here we go," Maria said under her breath, looking at the ceiling.
Brigit crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her chin, shaking her blond hair back in an imperious way. "They're well. And yours?"
"Fine. Fabulous, actually," Tahira replied, glancing at her fingernails. "And your summer, I trust, was adequate."
"Better than adequate," Brigit sniffed. "I spent eight weeks in Greece as the personal guest of Princess Christine of Denmark."
Tahira looked impressed for a moment before slamming her lips back into a frown. "I toured India with the emir."
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"That must have been a test of your patience, what with his lazy eye and wandering hands," Brigit shot back. Behind her, Maria and Soomie slid their palms together triumphantly. Ariana feigned interest in a pair of charcoal gray kneesocks, always keeping her ear on the conversation. Emirs? Princesses? What was the deal with these two?
"Will you be attending Prince William's Christmas party this year?" Tahira asked. "My invitation arrived last week."
"Sadly, no. Queen Noor is having an intimate gathering that same week and I have been granted the extreme honor of an invitation," Brigit returned. Tahira visibly paled at this news. Another point for Brigit, Ariana assumed. "You know what they say. No one ever declines an invitation from Noorie."
For a long moment Tahira simply glared at Brigit. Ariana could tell the girl was grasping for some
thing with which to one-up Brigit, but was coming up blank.
"No," she said finally. "I suppose not."
Finally, Ariana couldn't take it anymore. She looked at Maria, her brow knit and her voice low. "What's all this about?"
"Brigit is princess of Norway. First in line to the throne. Tahira--"
"Can speak for herself," Tahira interrupted. She tilted her head and looked at Ariana, with a staid smile. "Tahira is daughter of Dubai's emir."
"They kind of get on each other's nerves," Soomie added.
"And the Princess War continues!" Suddenly Palmer Liriano appeared behind Tahira and placed a hand on one of her shoulders, the other on Brigit's back. Behind him were three other boys, all of
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