“What's the problem?” Noelle asked, crossing her legs at the knee and leaning forward like a concerned talk-?show hostess. Except no talk-?show hostess I had ever seen ever waved a glass of wine around in front of her live studio audience. “Has Whittaker not asked you yet? ”
“No. He hasn't. But it's not that,” I said. “I mean, I'm sure he will-”
“Wow. Look at the ego on this one,” Kiran said, taking a sip of her wine. I chose to ignore the comment.
“It's just... I don't exactly want to go with him,” I said. “Can't any of you get me in? I could be your plus-?one,” I said, looking at Noelle.
Instantly, she scoffed. She sat up straight and swung her thick, dark hair over her shoulder. “You're not getting it, Reed. We can't even all get in without help.”
178
I had no response to that except to stare incredulously. The Billings Girls couldn't get in without help? How was that even possible? I had a hard time imagining them being shut out of anything.
“Come on,” I said finally.
Noelle and Ariana laughed. Kiran picked at a cuticle, her cheeks flushing, while Taylor simply stared into her wineglass.
“Did you not hear me the other day?This party is exclusive. I'm the only person in all of Billings who even gets a plus-?one.”
“Well, you and Cheyenne,” Taylor said.
“Right. Cheyenne. The D.A.R. herself,” Noelle said. “Why do I always forget about Cheyenne?”
The other girls chuckled as if they all knew exactly why Cheyenne was so forgettable. Another joke I hadn't been let in on. But I had to focus on the aneurysm at hand.
“You're kidding,” I said. 'You guys can't bring dates?"
“Well, I can,” Noelle said, leaning back. “But I'm taking Dash.”
“Dash can't get in?” I asked. He who'd read me the rules of the night? He who'd acted all superior about the whole thing?
“Please,” Noelle said. “He's only second generation. His grandfather went to, like, P.S. 121 in the Bronx or something.”
“But then he made his first million by the time he was twenty- two,” Kiran added. “Real estate.”
“It's a real come-?from-?nothing story. You should ask him to tell you sometime,” Noelle said sardonically.
“Who's Cheyenne taking?” I asked, even though I knew there was no way in hell she'd take pity on me.
179
“Her little Boston boyfriend,” Kiran answered. “What's his name? Dork? Doofball?”
“Dougray,” Ariana answered, putting on an imperious English accent.
“Well, do we know anyone else who gets a plus-?one?” I asked hopefully.
“Just Gage. And he's taking Kiran,” Ariana said.
'Yeah. I gotta be Gage Coolidge's date. So looking forward to it," Kiran said.
“That's what you get for being a frosh,” Noelle said, sipping her drink. Then, off my confused look, she placed her hand next to her mouth and loud-?whispered, “First generation. Oh! But then, I guess you are, too,” she added sweetly.
“Sorry, Reed. But there's nothing we can do,” Ariana told me.
“That's why we were trying to set you up with Whit,” Noelle said. “He's basically your only shot.”
“Wait a minute, Kiran. You can't even get in? You're a supermodel,” I pointed out.