another bite of melon.
 
 "I am so sick of that Amberly girl," she said.
 
 "Tell me about it," I replied, happy for the change of subject. Something to distract me. "I'll bet she
 
 sucks as a roommate."
 
 "I hardly know," Sabine replied. "She's in Noelle's room twenty-four-seven. They're fused at the
 
 hip. All they do is talk about their travel plans for Christmas. Noelle even gave Amberly a vintage
 
 Louis Vuitton travel trunk. Portia said it's worth more than Noelle's car."
 
 I could practically feel my skin turning green. It was weird even to think about Portia and Sabine
 
 hanging around Billings, discussing such things. Weird to think that normal Billings life was going
 
 on without me.
 
 "I don't understand what Noelle sees in her," I said through my teeth. "Would you believe the little
 
 twit tried to blackmail me?"
 
 "No! How?" Sabine asked.
 
 "Remember the other night at the library when you walked in on us by the vending machines?" I
 
 said.
 
 167
 
 Sabine nodded, obviously intrigued, her fork suspended over her fruit salad.
 
 "She basically told me she wanted me to give her that Billings disc or else," I said, rolling my eyes.
 
 Sabine's face slackened slightly. "But you destroyed that disc."
 
 "I know, but I told Noelle I still had a copy," I replied, blushing slightly as I recalled my own lame
 
 attempt at blackmail.
 
 "Oh. But you don't?" Sabine asked, pushing her food around now.
 
 "No. I was just trying to get Noelle's attention," I said with a sigh, folding my arms on the table.
 
 "Anyway, Amberly went all Sopranos about it. Like she was willing to do anything to protect her
 
 own."
 
 "Well, it's a good thing she can't get her hands on that information," Sabine said, laying her fork
 
 down finally. "It would not be good for anyone if that got out."
 
 "I know. I kind of have a feeling that, no matter what she says, our privacy would not be her first
 
 priority," I added, glancing over at Amberly as she held out her hand to show her manicured nails
 
 to Lorna.