Page 21 of Dirty Liars
He calls out to the group, and we all begin to head down past the beach and out onto the rocks along the lake. As we leave the lights of the school behind us, I look over my shoulder at the dorm room on the corner. The light is still on. I imagine Dana is up there reading and probably pining over Victoria. I wish that I was with her instead of down here about to get into some kind of inevitable trouble.
A long, cold walk later, and the group of us are standing a brief distance from the lighthouse. It stands sentry upon a rock overlooking the crashing water. From the way the water stirs here, sending white spray up over our shivering forms, it might as well be a sea.
On any other night, I would have thought that this was beautiful, but tonight there is nothing but dread in me. I have no idea what the group, or more specifically, Astor, is up to, and my instincts tell me I should not be here. I’m shivering and my teeth are nearly chattering as I hug myself to try to keep warm.
Astor walks up beside me and stands very close. He gazes down at me and that perfect wave of carefully combed hair ruffles in the sea wind.
“Here we are, Sadie. It’s your moment of truth. Are you going to meet the challenge? Or are you going to run and fall into the ranks of the lowly at the academy?”
It’s a bit melodramatic, but it doesn’t make it any less real. I know he means it.
Victoria practically appears at my side. “Oh, she’ll do it. She’s one of us,” she assures him, and then she looks directly into my eyes. “You’ll do it, won’t you?”
“Do what?” I ask, not at all sure that I want to know.
Astor drapes his arm over my shoulder and leans a little closer to me. He smells incredible, and I still want to punch him. Speaking in a low voice into my ear, he points his finger, as the rest of his hand is still wrapped around the wine bottle, at the lighthouse.
“You’re going to break in.”
Shock registers through me like an earthquake. “What?” I ask in total disbelief.
“And then,” he continues, “once you’re inside, you’re going to find an argand lamp, and you’re going to bring it back out with you.”
I have no idea what an argand lamp is, but I don’t want to say that in front of the group. They probably all know, and the last thing I want to do is look like an idiot. I know I’m already an idiot for even being there in the first place. I remind myself to pretend to be Sadie. What would Sadie say?
“You want me to break into a lighthouse and steal a lamp? That’s your idea of a fun night?” I give him a dour look and cross my arms over my chest as if he’s trying my patience yet again, and he’s just told me the most childish thing ever.
I’m praying that my tactic works, and he backs off.
No such luck. Astor only chuckles and removes his arm from me.
“If you want in then, yeah. That’s your ticket. It sounds like a fun night to me. Just don’t get caught.”
Victoria tugs on my arm. “Oh come on, it’s either comply or commit social suicide darling. And you don’t want to know where that’ll take you.”
Alisha breaks her lips away from her boy toy and takes a second to re-apply some sticky purple lip gloss. “Just don’t go looking for any good jobs out of college,” she says with a laugh that can only be described as a cackle, “Because we aren’t the forgiving type. And if you’ve heard rumors about a blacklist … they’re true.”
“Blacklist?” I look from Alisha to Victoria, and then finally over at Astor.
There’s a dark spark in his eye. “I don’t think I have to explain to you what that means, do I?”
Of course I know what a blacklist is. I re-evaluate the people standing around me. These are the heirs to some of the biggest fortunes, biggest companies, in this country if not the world. Now that they know my name I have so much to gain, so many opportunities … and also, as they’ve so kindly pointed out, so much to lose.
Reality is crashing over me just like the waves on the rocks under our feet.
Even if this supposed ‘blacklist’ isn’t real … who’s to say the couldn’t ruin any chances at a career in the future. And college. There’s no telling how far the sway of these families may reach.
Maybe these losers think I need to prove myself to them or something, but no matter how stupid it may be, there’s no way around it. I try to justify it to myself somehow because I know it’s the way it’s going to be. I’m already here, on the beach. I’ve already followed them up to the lighthouse after all.
It’s only a lamp. How hard could it be to go in and find a lamp and take it out? It’ll be so fast. I can do it. I just wonder what the hell any of us are going to do with alamp.
Well, I’m not about to do this sober. I snatch the wine bottle from Astor and take a pull of my own.
“Fine.” I say, wiping my face with the back of my hand. Everyone around me cheers except Astor and Wills, who just laugh darkly.
Astor slips off his coat and tosses it at me. “Put this on. I can hear your teeth chattering from here.”
Reluctantly, I slide into his coat. It’s so warm, and it smells like him. This must be what it’s like to feel a hug from him. I push it away the moment the thought crosses my mind. But it’s too late. The effect is already there. My body warms from the inside, and it isn’t entirely because of the wine.
