tell a lot about a person from his or her choice of footwear, and Sergei's kicks screamed "street
urchin." Still, Ariana felt a certain reluctant affinity for him. She was, after all, a fellow observer.
"Just one more," he said softly in his lilting Eastern European accent.
This time, he pointed the camera directly at Ariana and snapped away. Ariana blushed at being
singled out.
Daniel stood up, his chair scraping loudly against the marble floor. "Dude, did you just take a
picture of my girlfriend?"
The table went silent and Ariana could feel Noelle's eyes on her. She stopped breathing.
Not again... not again... not again...
Ariana watched Sergei's face go ashen. He backed away slightly, his shoulders curled forward.
"I've taken everyone's picture tonight." Sergei was like a cowering puppy in the face of an irate
owner. Ariana couldn't take it. Besides, the last thing she wanted was a scene like the one that had
played out in the woods last summer. Not here. Not now.
"Daniel, it's fine. Don't worry about it," she said in a soothing voice.
But Daniel wasn't having it. "No, it's not fine." He fixed his eyes on Sergei and crossed his arms
over his chest. "Do you think my girlfriend's pretty?"
264
Sergei blinked uncertainly. "Well... I... yes?" It came off like a question.
Daniel's cheek twitched. Several waiters brought out tartlets and creme brulee on silver trays,
filling the room with the scent of smoked apples and nutmeg.
"So what do you like best about my girlfriend? Her smile? Her hair?" Daniel's eyes gleamed. "Her
cleavage?"
Thomas and Dash hid smirks behind their hands. Noelle and Paige stood up, rolling their eyes at
the display of testosterone, and headed toward the bathroom. Isabella whipped out her Sidekick
and started texting, probably alerting the other students in the room to the main event unfolding
at table one.
"Daniel, stop," Ariana said quietly as Sergei stared at the floor.
"And do you take pictures of all the pretty girls?" Daniel asked, a condescending smile playing on
his full lips. "Or is it just my girlfriend?"
"I think I'll go now," Sergei said, backing away from the table.