tune.
"Well, I figured they were going to ask about my past, so I decided that if they pressed it, I would tell them my parents are top secret diplomats and that I can't say anything more than that or I'll risk national security," Kaitlynn replied with a grin. "I mean, we are in DC and half the members have family in the government, so they'd probably understand."
"Not bad," Ariana conceded. In fact, she was impressed by Kaitlynn's creativity. But she also knew that national Stone and Grave had connections in every branch of government. If they really wanted to find out who Lillian Oswald's family was, they could. And if they tried, they would definitely find out that no one even remotely related to her worked in the government. There was no one related to her anywhere--she didn't even exist.
Of course she couldn't remind Kaitlynn of that. She had to be supportive of her friend. All she could do was hope that it never came to such an inquiry.
"Hi, ladies. Balmy night we're having, no?" Jasper said, finally falling into step with them.
"You're a little crazy, you know that?" Kaitlynn said to him. "More than a little," he replied with a wide smile. "So, Ana . . . I was sorry to hear about your dad back there," he said, tucking his hands under his arms. "The same thing happened to my mom."
"Really?" Ariana and Kaitlynn said in unison.
Jasper blinked and lifted one shoulder as he walked. "Well, almost the same. I mean, she was shot, but she did it to herself."
He said it so matter-of-factly, Ariana's mouth dropped open in shock. "Wow. I'm . . . um . . . sorry."
Jasper shrugged again. "So . . . you going to open that?"
He nodded at Ariana's envelope, which she'd all but forgotten she had clutched in her hand.
"Now?" she said, looking down at the name Briana Leigh written across the front in silver script. "They told us to wait until we're alone."
Jasper smirked. "Do you always do as you're told?" Kaitlynn let out a short laugh and Ariana's freezing cold face burned. If there was one thing she hated, it was being mocked to her face. But somehow, being mocked to her face in front of Kaitlynn was unbearable.
"Not always," she said flatly. "But in this case, yes." With that she quickened her steps, walking purposefully ahead and leaving Kaitlynn and Jasper behind. She let the door of Privilege House slam behind her, not bothering to pay them the courtesy of holding it open, then bypassed the elevator, knowing they would only catch up with her if she waited. She jogged up the stairs and walked directly to the common bathroom at the center of her floor. No one ever used it because each dorm room had its own private bathroom. Even so, she waited until she was locked safely into the last stall before opening her envelope. She took a few deep breaths, waiting for her pulse to return to normal, then extracted the black card inside. Unfortunately, her breath left her all over again when she saw the task she'd been assigned.
"Catch Palmer Liriano in a compromising position." For a long moment, Ariana couldn't move. This was her task? But why? Palmer was a member. Then an icy cold shiver of realization shot through her and she started to shake even more violently than before. Lexa. It had to be. She did suspect something was going on between Ariana and Palmer and this was her way of punishing Ariana for it. She was the president, after all. She would have the power to set the tasks. And now Ariana was totally screwed.
Ariana cursed under her breath and slammed her palm against the stall wall. Hell Week had officially earned its name. BONDING TIME
"The assignment is not to directly translate the conversations into Spanish word for word, but to really think about colloquialisms and slang," Mr. Bernal instructed, pacing the front of the classroom. His wiry black hair stuck out in all directions and stubble peppered his double chin. Sometimes it was all Ariana could do to keep from gagging when he walked into a room.
"Well, I figured they were going to ask about my past, so I decided that if they pressed it, I would tell them my parents are top secret diplomats and that I can't say anything more than that or I'll risk national security," Kaitlynn replied with a grin. "I mean, we are in DC and half the members have family in the government, so they'd probably understand."
"Not bad," Ariana conceded. In fact, she was impressed by Kaitlynn's creativity. But she also knew that national Stone and Grave had connections in every branch of government. If they really wanted to find out who Lillian Oswald's family was, they could. And if they tried, they would definitely find out that no one even remotely related to her worked in the government. There was no one related to her anywhere--she didn't even exist.
Of course she couldn't remind Kaitlynn of that. She had to be supportive of her friend. All she could do was hope that it never came to such an inquiry.
"Hi, ladies. Balmy night we're having, no?" Jasper said, finally falling into step with them.
"You're a little crazy, you know that?" Kaitlynn said to him. "More than a little," he replied with a wide smile. "So, Ana . . . I was sorry to hear about your dad back there," he said, tucking his hands under his arms. "The same thing happened to my mom."
"Really?" Ariana and Kaitlynn said in unison.
Jasper blinked and lifted one shoulder as he walked. "Well, almost the same. I mean, she was shot, but she did it to herself."
He said it so matter-of-factly, Ariana's mouth dropped open in shock. "Wow. I'm . . . um . . . sorry."
Jasper shrugged again. "So . . . you going to open that?"
He nodded at Ariana's envelope, which she'd all but forgotten she had clutched in her hand.
"Now?" she said, looking down at the name Briana Leigh written across the front in silver script. "They told us to wait until we're alone."
Jasper smirked. "Do you always do as you're told?" Kaitlynn let out a short laugh and Ariana's freezing cold face burned. If there was one thing she hated, it was being mocked to her face. But somehow, being mocked to her face in front of Kaitlynn was unbearable.
"Not always," she said flatly. "But in this case, yes." With that she quickened her steps, walking purposefully ahead and leaving Kaitlynn and Jasper behind. She let the door of Privilege House slam behind her, not bothering to pay them the courtesy of holding it open, then bypassed the elevator, knowing they would only catch up with her if she waited. She jogged up the stairs and walked directly to the common bathroom at the center of her floor. No one ever used it because each dorm room had its own private bathroom. Even so, she waited until she was locked safely into the last stall before opening her envelope. She took a few deep breaths, waiting for her pulse to return to normal, then extracted the black card inside. Unfortunately, her breath left her all over again when she saw the task she'd been assigned.
"Catch Palmer Liriano in a compromising position." For a long moment, Ariana couldn't move. This was her task? But why? Palmer was a member. Then an icy cold shiver of realization shot through her and she started to shake even more violently than before. Lexa. It had to be. She did suspect something was going on between Ariana and Palmer and this was her way of punishing Ariana for it. She was the president, after all. She would have the power to set the tasks. And now Ariana was totally screwed.
Ariana cursed under her breath and slammed her palm against the stall wall. Hell Week had officially earned its name. BONDING TIME
"The assignment is not to directly translate the conversations into Spanish word for word, but to really think about colloquialisms and slang," Mr. Bernal instructed, pacing the front of the classroom. His wiry black hair stuck out in all directions and stubble peppered his double chin. Sometimes it was all Ariana could do to keep from gagging when he walked into a room.
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