following eyes continued the entire way up to her room. When she finally got there, the door was open. There was a dark-haired girl sitting on one of the beds, and the other side of the room was empty.
“I’m Rebecca. Call me Becca if you want,” she said, making brief eye contact before looking around and taking in the entirely dreary room. The floor was a flat and ugly all-colors carpet, the walls were dingy white, and the bed looked like one you’d see in a dollhouse, i.e., not one for sleeping.
“I’m Dana Veers.” Even she sounded bored with herself.
“This room is horrible,” Becca said, and walked moodily to the empty side.
“It’s ridiculous. I hate it. I’ve been here two years, and I feel like the walls are slowly moving in every day.”
Becca looked at her new roommate for the first time. She was thin and pale, but was very pretty.
“Rocking the vampire look, I see.” Becca started to unbutton her coat.
“That means a lot coming from you, Barbie.”
Becca froze, and then started to laugh. She could see that her reaction surprised Dana.
“What are you laughing at?” Dana’s tone sharpened.
“You! That was funny. Barbie. I never get that.” She rolled her eyes.
“Because vampire was so creative?”
“Touché,” Becca said with an arched eyebrow raised. “So what happened to your old roommate?”
“She graduated. Most of the girls end up with a roommate in the same class year, but sometimes they have to combine ages.” She shrugged. “She was quiet, we didn’t really talk very much.”
Becca nodded, and then looked at her suitcases and boxes. “Wow, do I not feel like unpacking. What time is it?”
Dana hesitated before answering. It was clear that she didn’t quite know how to handle her new roommate. “Eight-thirty.”
“Mmm-kay. Is anything going on tonight?” It had been a while since she’d been social. She needed it.
“Anything … like what?”
Becca sighed. “Like, a party or something?”
“No one really parties here.”
Becca laughed. “Now that is just not possible. It’s a boarding school. That is the only thing that makes these places tolerable.”
And then Becca was out the door. She stuck her head in the doorway of the next room over. Two girls were chatting and unpacking.
“Hey, I’m Becca.” She smiled winningly at them in an omg-we-r-about-2-b-bffs! kind of way.
“I’m Julia.” The taller of the two girls ran a hand through her caramel highlights.
“I’m Madison.”
“Great. So, what’s going on tonight?”
“What?” Madison asked.
“Any kind of party or anything?”
Madison looked confused. “No …”
Becca looked to Julia, who shook her head.
“Well, we should have one. Is there anywhere we can go?”
Madison shook her head, but Julia raised an eyebrow in consideration.
“I’ve always said we should do something down at the boathouse, but we never have. They have cameras. Not on the actual beach, but in the hall on the way there and stuff.”
“Hmm … who watches the security tapes at night? Is it a student or, like, a security person?”
“He’s a security guy, but he’s kind of …” She looked uncomfortable. “He’s just kind of off ….”
“What, like, retarded?”
“Mentally challenged. Yes.” Madison nodded.
“Let’s go talk to him. What time’s he go on to his shift, anyone know?”
“I always see him in there at night. He might be down there now.”
Becca smirked. “Lead the way.”
Madison looked nervous.
“Come on,” said Becca, “don’t be spineless.”
Julia straightened up almost imperceptibly and walked out of the room. Madison followed. Then Becca. They led her to a wing off the great hall.
“That guy?” Becca pointed to the lanky, red-haired boy in the small, all-windowed office.
“That’s him….” said Madison meekly.
Becca adjusted her hair, pulled down her shirt a little and knocked on the door. When he turned to look at her, she smiled and waved. “Hi!”
“Come in?”
“Hi, I’m Becca.” She leaned down and held out a hand, which he took. “What’s your name?”
“Danny.”
“Danny? I like that name.” She smiled again when he did. “So, Danny, I was wondering if you could help me.”
“Help you with what?”
“Some people want to have a little get-together tonight, but we don’t want to get in trouble.” She stuck out her lips a little. “We just don’t want to get told on. And we were just sure that you would be the right person to talk to about that.”
He groaned. “I don’t know….”
Becca smiled. “Oh, come on … it’ll be our little secret! And maybe one of these times when we do it you can come down? Maybe?”
Danny laughed. “That would be nice.”
“Good. So when you see everyone walking down the stairs to this boathouse, you won’t say anything?”
He bared his teeth in worry, but shook his head. “I won’t say anything.”
“Good. Good. That’s very, very sweet of you.” She took his hand. “Thank you so much, Danny. If you ever get in trouble, I’ll take full responsibility. But let’s not let that happen, okay?”
He nodded eagerly.
“I’m going to go now, but I’ll stop by soon to say hello, okay, Danny?” He nodded again.
She walked out and looked at the girls. “Okay, we’re all set.”
“Oh, my God, how did you do it?” Julia asked.
Becca shrugged. “Okay, now we need people. Guys.”
“That’s going to be difficult,” said Madison.
“Why?”
“We’re not allowed in the boys’ dorms.”
“Ugh, are you serious?”
Both of the girls nodded, looking somber.
“Okay, well then I’ll do it. I’m new. I didn’t know.” She gave a wide-eyed dumb-girl look and then smiled.
Madison laughed. “You’re so … ballsy.”
“Take me to the boys.”
Their next stop was a door directly across from the one that led to their own dorms. While Julia and Madison stayed put, Becca walked through it, nonchalantly as could be, and into a long hallway, where she knocked on a door at random.
A chubby but okay-looking guy opened it. He looked surprised to see her.
“Hi, I’m Becca.”