Roman's face was expressionless as he made his way up the stairs and inside the hallway.
Everyone waited until all the Scions and Adriana were safely out of earshot before they started buzzing about the latter's sudden appearance.
"Do you think something happened at boarding school?"
"Ohmygod, I can't believe she's going here now!"
"Man, she's hot!"
It was at that moment that the bell finally, blissfully rang.
I let out a relieved sigh. "Come on, let's get to class or we'll be late," I said, pulling Venice like she'd pulled me earlier.
"Yeah, I make you watch the hottest guys ever and you make me go write essays," she grumbled. "Some friend you are."
I smirked. "You'll thank me one day."
* * *
Rrrring! The bell signaling the end of third period and the start of lunch hadn't even finished ringing before the hallways were filled with hungry high schoolers clamoring for their daily intake of gourmet sushi and pastries flown in from France.
Yes, that is really what they serve in our Dining Center, or DC, as everyone calls it. Fitting, considering the politics in our DC outrivals that of our nation's capitol tenfold.
I sidestepped an overly PDA-ing couple and pushed my way into the girls' bathroom, which is all done up with Italian marble, sterling-silver faucets, and jewel-toned velvet furniture in the lounge area, though why a public bathroom—or any bathroom, for that matter—needs a lounge area is beyond me. There's even a bathroom attendant presiding over an array of European toiletries.
There were already three girls in the bathroom when I came in, all stick-thin, whose green-and-gold plaid uniform skirts were shortened to the skankiest proportions possible.
They're the type of girls who usually take the time to shoot me a disdainful look before going right back to their primpfests, sometimes throwing in a snide comment about me being a scholarship student or something.
Scholarship students were very, very rare at Valesca. Academically speaking, that was a good thing, since recipients were viewed very favorably by college admissions committees (according to my guidance counselor). Socially speaking…not so much. Merit was a main factor in scholarship decisions, but so was financial need. Being a scholarship kid basically implied my family wasn’t rich enough to afford the schools six-figure tuition bill in full—which was true—and since there is virtually nothing more important than money in Valesca, you can see why my scholarship status might be a problem.
In any other town, my family would’ve been considered well-off or even wealthy, but in Valesca, we were middle class at best. I don't really give a shit what other people think of me, but I hate it when my family gets looked down on just because we don't earn millions a year.
That's why I was more than a little befuddled when the girls took one look at me and scurried out the door, heads down. If they had tails, they'd be tucked between their legs right now.
It didn't take me long to realize why.
When I turned, I found myself face-to-face with Adriana Perry, who's even more flawless-looking up close, if you can believe it.
There was dead silence for a good ten seconds as we stared at each other. For the most part, her face was unreadable. I thought I detected a hint of amusement, but it was gone so fast I wasn't sure if I'd just imagined it.
"Hi," I said awkwardly, when I couldn't take the awkwardness anymore.
No answer.
I had just about figured she was ignoring me and was going to leave when she spoke up. "Hi," she answered in a soft, lilting voice. Though her eyes didn't stray from my face, I had the feeling she was examining me in the way only another girl can.
"Ok, well, it's nice to meet you—well, see you—but I'd actually better get going." I edged around her, painfully aware of the odd looks the bathroom attendant was sending our way.
"What's your name?"
I blinked. That, I didn't see coming. "Um, Maya."
Silence again.
"Maya Lindberg," I added.
Apparently, that was what she'd been waiting for, because she then held out her hand and said, "Adriana Perry."
I shook her hand hesitantly. "It's nice to meet you."
"Likewise." Giving me a brief smile, she proceeded to turn to the mirror and fix her already-perfect hair without saying another word.
Ooook.
Not wanting to stay in that bathroom a second longer, I made my way as quickly through the door as possible, without downright running.
The encounter hadn't been unpleasant, but it hadn't been, well, pleasant either. It had just been…weird.
What's even worse, I can't quite shake the feeling that that two-minute interaction had just cost me a year's worth of anonymity.