Page 97 of Private (Private 1)

“Really? You aced all of it?”

there in front of me. Right there in front of everyone. This was why he

“Well, not art history,” I said. “I only got a B on that test. But I was so popular. So powerful. This was why he was always surrounded still think it was totally unfair.”

by students. They weren’t his friends. They were his clients.

“But a B is great, Reed! You did it,” Taylor said, grabbing me up

“Oh, shit,” Thomas said, seeing my face.

in a hug.

I turned around, flinging Taylor’s hand from my arm, and ran.

“Not without you, I couldn’t have,” I told her, grinning. “I’m so

“Reed! Wait!” Thomas shouted. “I’ll catch up with you guys

relieved, you have no idea. I mean, after my last meeting with

later,” I heard him add to his clientele.

Naylor I really thought I was out of here.”

I flew around the corner and jogged off. Away from the cafeteria.

“Have you told Thomas yet?”

Away from them all. Where I was going, I had no idea. I just had My heart thumped. Apparently I hadn’t been that great at keep-to go.

ing the depth of my relationship with Thomas a secret. Of course,

“Reed!”

from the look of excitement on Taylor’s face she didn’t seem to Thomas grabbed my arm. I snatched it away.

mind as much as, say, Noelle might have.

“What’s the big deal?” he said.

174

K A T E B R I A N

P R I V A T E

175

I whirled on him. “What’s the big deal? Are you kidding me?”

“No. It’s not,” he said. “Reed, I wouldn’t lie to you about that.

He knew about my mother. Knew she took pills and knew what

I wouldn’t lie to you about the important stuff.”

they did to her. What she did to me. How could he stand there and Because being a drug dealer was not important.

---