The Dolls(42)

“Sorry,” we say in unison.

After class, Drew walks me to my locker. “So,” he begins as I pull out my economics book and stuff it in my bag, “my band’s playing at this bar tonight. I was wondering if you might want to come.” He looks nervous and hopeful.

“Sounds cool,” I say. “Where is it?”

He jots down the name and address of the place. “It’s in the Périphérie, though. Is that going to be a problem?”

I look at him blankly. “Of course not. Why would it be?”

“I don’t know.” He looks me up and down. “You just seem to be adjusting real quickly to this side of town.”





UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE

HarperCollins Publishers

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14


I’m standing in line in the caf when Liv and Max walk by without so much as a glance.

“Liv!” I call out.

She turns and does a double take. “Eveny?” she asks. “What happened to you?”

“Holy face-lift,” Max says.

I look down. “I just got a haircut and a facial. No big deal.”

Liv looks me up and down and waits for me to meet her gaze. “You look like a different person,” she says flatly. It’s not a compliment.

I open my mouth to explain, but I’m interrupted by Peregrine’s voice behind me.

“Eveny?” she trills. “Why in the world are you standing in line?”

“Yeah, come on,” Chloe, who of course is standing beside her, cuts in. “Up in the Hickories, Margaux and Arelia are serving smoked salmon blinis and caviar, and they brought Veuve Clicquot today.”

“Veuve what?” I ask.

Peregrine makes a face. “It’s a brand of champagne, Eveny. Obviously.”

How was I supposed to know that? “Well, can Liv and Max come eat with us too?” Liv is glaring at Peregrine, and Max just looks nervous. His eyes dart back and forth between Liv and me.

“I’m sure Liv and Max would prefer to eat with their own people,” Peregrine says. “Isn’t that right, Liv?” Somehow, Peregrine manages to make her name sound like a dirty word.

“Whatever,” Liv mutters, calling Peregrine a few dirty words of her own under her breath. “See you in class, Eveny. Have fun with your new friends.” She storms off, dragging Max behind her.

I start to follow after her, but Chloe grabs my arm. “Let her go,” she says gently. “She’s a nice enough girl, but this is bigger than her. She’s not one of us.” She and Peregrine begin walking away without waiting for me. I glance after Liv and Max, but they’re already gone.

After a moment’s hesitation, I follow Chloe and Peregrine toward the Hickories. I know it’s where I’m supposed to belong, but I can’t help feeling like I’ve just made a mistake.


Arelia and Margaux openly glare at me when I sit down, but when Peregrine tells them to pour me a glass of champagne, Arelia grudgingly does so, and Margaux shovels a spoonful of caviar onto a plate and thrusts it in my general direction. My nose wrinkles when I taste it; it’s salty, and the texture is peculiar.

“Take a sip of your drink,” Peregrine advises. “It brings out the flavor.”

I take a small sip of champagne and am surprised to realize she’s right.

“You forgot the verbena in Eveny’s champagne!” Peregrine says, shooting daggers at Arelia.

“Sorry.” But Arelia doesn’t look sorry at all as she grabs a sprig of purple flowers, leans across the picnic blanket, and shoves it into my drink.

I’m about to ask her if she needs help refilling people’s glasses, but I’m interrupted by the arrival of a cute guy with huge, broad shoulders, dark hair that curls at his ears, and empty-looking brown eyes. His sleeves are rolled up to reveal bulging muscles, and he has a letter jacket slung over his left shoulder. “Hey, baby,” he says dully, plunking down next to Peregrine. He doesn’t look at anyone else; he immediately busies himself with giving her a shoulder massage while sniffing her hair adoringly.

“Oh sorry, Eveny, perhaps you haven’t met Beau yet,” she says. “Beau, this is Eveny. Eveny, Beau.”

Beau grunts what I assume is a greeting, but he doesn’t tear his eyes away from Peregrine for even a millisecond. “Beau Fontenot?” I ask. It’s the name I heard them utter in the cemetery on Wednesday night. I realize in an instant that this is what his part of the charm was about: making him fall blindly in lust with Peregrine.

“Yes.” Peregrine narrows her eyes at me. “Anyhow, as I was saying, people who aren’t in on the Secret of Carrefour are not welcome to eat in the Hickories. This is our place.”