Page 30 (1/2)

Her eyes flared "Jacqueline--"

"You’re right, you’re right… God, what a over ently

"We have to ain"

I nodded, knowing she was right, and she tapped out a text to Mindi

Erin had just unlocked the Volvo when I heardacross the dorht, serious smile, she scowled at hilared at hi thees, when you knohat he did to h "It’s not like that--"

"Oh? What’s it like?"

"Can we speak privately? Please?"

I glanced at Erin and she pursed her lips and gaveher attention back toMindi up, and I’ll meet you at the house?" She orried that I’d let him talk me out of this, as ill at ease as I already was

I peered at Kennedy and I knew that convincing enda "You’ll drive "

Frustrated and reed "Sure I’ll take you over, if you’ll talk to me on the way"

I stared across the top of the sedan at Erin "I’llhope in her eyes, and I followed Kennedy to his car

After adjusting the stereo to backdrop level, he drove sloith one wrist draped over the top of the leather-wrapped steering wheel "Thanks for agreeing to talk toaway from mine and back to the road "I want you to know that I believe, one hundred percent, everything you told --I just didn’t kno s to expel him"

"Expel hi my eyes, I shook my head to clear it

"Buck cae class president, thinking he’d move up in the ranks, run the whole frat and maybe the council by senior year, and now he’s about to be out on his ass, daddy or no daddy Daasped "Kennedy, he raped a girl"

He had the grace to flinch "I understand that, but--"

"There’s no but! There’s no fucking but!" My chest heaved with the effort to clenchface "He deserves prison tiets it" I couldn’t help thinking that if Kennedy had been sent to keep , then this discussion had produced the reverse effect

He pulled to a stop in front of the house and put the car in park He gripped the wheel with both hands "Jacqueline, you need to understand so up with you for weeks now Others have corroborated his account Everyone knows about it No one else buys your he-tried-to-rape-me-too story, now It’s kind of late for that"

My breath leftup, and pain shot down ht dizziness and the welling of tears, and so much fury I literally saw red behind reen eyes met mine "I told you, I believe you" I stared into his eyes, this boy I’d known so intimately for three years I could see that he did believe me, but that belief conflicted with his co

"You believeanyone else to believe me"

"Jacqueline, it’s more complicated than that--"

"The hell it is" I threw the door wide open and ju the door on any further protest, I turned and stomped up the sidewalk to Erin and Mindi’s sorority house I was shaking with anger, and fear, and so else: resolve

There were less than twenty girls in attendance at the : Erin, Mindi, the sorority officers, and me

As the president, Katie presided fro, polished table Seated on either side of her were the senior officers; I recognized Olivia’s older sister as one of them She and Olivia could have been twins, they looked so ht down to the bitchy sneer

"Mindi, sweetie, no one’s bla with an insincerity that contradicted her words "But the thing is, you did go to his room with him I mean, the expectation was there, you know?"

Erin put her hand onyet I exhaled through my nose and fumed silently I was an outsider I could be reood for Mindi She needed all the support she could get

"You weren’t like, a virgin, either, right?" another girl said

"God, Taylor, that’s not ed "It would matter to me"

Mindi’s face was pale and she looked like she was either going to vomit or pass out Erin leaned closer to her and whispered, "Breathe, honey"

Several people said s, and finally it seemed like everyone had spoken their minds except Katie, Erin, and the two people who ultimately held Buck’s fate in their hands: Mindi andall conversation and turning every head in her direction Her posture so perfect that she could have been a queen wearing a heavy crown, she fixed her eyes onthat Buck atteht of the Halloween party?"