Welcome to Bridgeport Academy, an elite boarding school in New York where glamorous rich kids don't let rules get in the way of a good time.
[ Based on the It Girl series by Cecily Von Ziegesar ]
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"I feel all loose and wiggly." Kae shook her arms around. She'd moved to the surprisingly quiet lawn behind the tent. There was a tiny little rock garden, a mossy stone bench, and a pond. A giant orange goldfish swam slowly in the pond's circle. After a few rounds of I Never, Aubrey had tapped her on the shoulder and asked her if she wanted to get some air.
"You were looking a little green back there," Aubrey said.
"I'm all right. But thanks for getting me out of that. It was getting a little strange." She wasn't really keen on seeing Dave's butt crack, which kept making major appearances.
"No problem."
"How come you didn't play with us? You got something against kissing games?"
"I..." He hesitated. "It's complicated."
Kae rolled her head around on her neck. "Okay," she replied. She was happy that Aubrey felt okay just sitting her with her quietly, not explaining anything. Friends sat quietly together, after all, and even though she was having a blast at this party, something in it seemed empty now that she was drunk. How many of these kids did she actually connect with? Aubrey was a real friend, and they could be honest with each other. She leaned her head on his shoulder and stared at their reflection in the pond.
"You never told me you went out with Robyn last year." She glanced at him and he looked down.
"Yeah..."
"Is that why you hate Chris so much?"
He nodded.
"Well. That makes sense."
"It's so fucked up, though," Aubrey began slowly. "I still really like her. I tried to not like her but...I can't help it."
"I totally understand," she said, thinking of Chris.
Another reflection suddenly appeared in the pond. It was of an irresistibly handsome boy who, despite being at a party, still had paint smudges on his neck. Kae drew in her breath. It was as if she had conjured Chris up just by thinking about him.
Or maybe she was just a little tipsy.
"Hey," he greeted her softly.
Kae squinted. He wore a faded black t-shirt and paint-stained jeans. His thick hair, badly in need of cutting, curled at the back of his neck.
Aubrey creased his face in frustration, then squeezed her hand. "I should be going," he announced. He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Good luck." He brushed past Chris without saying a word, then slowly strode away.
Chris sat down next to her. "What are you doing out here? There's all sorts of crazy shit going on in this place."
"Yeah, I was part of the crazy shit, but I decided to come out and look at the pond."
