that I had just caused an abrupt silence. Slowly, I turned toward the parlor. From my vantage point
I could see a few of my Billings sisters crowded onto the gold brocade love seat. Astrid Chou
glanced over at me and quickly slouched down, drawing her hand up to her cheek as if to hide her
face.
Dead silence. Aside from the cozy crackling of the fire, there was nothing. My mouth was dryer
than a sandbox.
Move, Reed. Move.
I placed my bags on the floor and walked toward the parlor, stripping off my coat, scarf, and gloves
as I went, since my inner thermometer was now registering about four thousand degrees. With
each inch I could see a bit more of the room, and by the time I reached the door, my suspicions
were confirmed.
Every last Billings Girl was gathered around the parlor. Portia
10
Ahronian, Shelby Wordsworth, London Simmons, and Vienna Clark were on the couch, all avoiding
my gaze. Kiki Thorpe, Missy Thurber, and Lorna Gross were crowded onto the love seat next to
Astrid. Tiffany Goulbourne and Rose Sakowitz sat in the straight-backed chairs in front of the flat-
screen TV. Even Constance Talbot and Sabine DuLac were there, sitting on the floor with their legs
curled under the coffee table. And at the head of the room, perched in the wingback chair near
the fireplace, was Noelle Lange. Her thick dark hair was pulled back in a bun and she wore a black
turtleneck sweater and a black and gray plaid skirt. Huge diamonds sparkled in her ears. Her full
lips twisted into a semblance of a smile as she looked me in the eye--the only person able to do so.
"What's going on?" I said tentatively. The sound of my voice made a few of the girls squirm. Clearly
this was a scheduled meeting. Clearly they had all known to get back to campus early for this. And
clearly, Noelle was at the heart of it.
I stared at Sabine, who stared down at her knee-high leather booths. Why hadn't she warned me
about this?
"Perfect timing, Reed," Noelle said, leaning back. Her elbows casually perched on the chair's
armrests as she coolly looked me over. She lifted both hands, palms up, and her dark eyes
sparkled merrily. "We just voted you out."
The earth tilted beneath my feet. She couldn't have said what I thought I'd heard. Not so