The Virginity Pact

15 - can't keep a secret

"Whatever," Lydia says.

"Seriously," Elijah says and props himself up on one arm. "Her sister died last year. She started taking drugs, drinking. She couldn't handle it. She had to go to therapy and rehab for a while."

Lydia's eyebrows furrow, thinking over what Elijah just side.

They sit in silence for a while until Elijah breaks it.

"What's that?" He asks, nodding to a letter tapped up on the side of Lydia's vanity mirror.

Lydia props herself up the way Elijah has and follows his gaze.

She smiles proudly. "That is a personal invitation from the dean of Yale to attend a highly coveted, highly exclusive private party for those who hope to be incoming freshman."

"Nice," Elijah nods. "You know, Harper got on of those too, actually," he thinks aloud, immediately regretting his proclamation.

Elijah groans internally when Lydia's head snaps back to him with a face contorted in disgust, anger and shock.

"Lyd," he says slowly.

"No," she cuts him off. "No fucking way."

+++++++++

"I love that uniform," Holden states, eyes trailing up my legs as I lays sprawled out on his living room couch.

I wrinkle my nose and throw a pillow at him and he catches it with a smirk as it hits his chest.

"Ready for school tomorrow?" He asks, lifting both my legs, sitting on the couch, then laying them back down over his lap.

I lick my lips, feeling strange.

"Um, no?" I say in more of a question. "Not really. I don't know. I just hope no one finds out about me working here."

"I can cover for you if they do," Holden shrugs.

"Really?" I ask.

"Yeah. Or, you know, you could find another job that's less embarrassing."

I sigh, feeling bad for even being embarresed. The women I worked with in housekeeping were amazing--no one should be embarrassed about having a stable job that provides for them and their family.

But then again, what about my newfound reputation? Should I leave The Annabelle before this secret slips to more people than it already has?

"I got a letter from Yale," I say, changing the subject. "It's for a private party in New Haven hosted by the dean."

"Shit, that's great," Holden smiles and I nod.

"What about you? How's the deal with your dad going?" I ask and Holden frowns.

"It's not."

"I feel bad for Lydia," I say quietly after a few moments of silence.

"High schools been kind of her highest of highs and lowest of lows," Holden says.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean there's the fashion shows and shit like that but then there's, you know, your best friend fucking your boyfriend, the drug thing last year."

"What drug thing?" I ask confused. Drugs and Lydia in the same sentence only made since to me if it was involving Jake's consistent pot use.

Holden sighs and licks his lips. "She started taking adderall last fall to focus with her SAT prep. It turned into a problem and Ainsley snitched to Lyd's mom."