CHAPTER TWO:

I couldn't take my eyes off those pictures. All throughout dinner that night I kept checking my phone hoping this was all a mistake. But there they sat grinning up at me with a what-are-you-going-to-do-about-it look.

I was talking about the pictures of Ariana and Thomas making out with each other. More like fucking each other on the steps of Hull (Hell) Hall. The ones some random number had texted me. The ones that haunted me for days. I don't know why I didn't just confront Ariana about them. I guess I didn't want it to turn ugly. Noelle Lange does not do ugly.

"Noelle? Are you ok?" Kiran asked in a slightly worried tone.

"Yeah I'm just stressed about this English paper on To Kill A Mockingbird."

"Do you want me to get Taylor to help?"

"Yes! Anything. I have a B+ and need that A and I haven't even had time to read the book!"

"Well you know Tay's magic?" She said coughing in a hint-hint sort of way.

"That I do." I said half talking half laughing.

"Thanks. By the way do you know where Ariana is?"

"I thought you knew."

"Knew what?"

"That she took a couple days off to see her parents?"

"Oh right! That. Totally forgot.' I said faking the fact that I hadn't even noticed where she was let alone cared where she was. "So wrapped up in planning this Alumni Bash!"

"Well she said to call her if anything came up."

"Alrighty then. Thanks Kiran for your help."

"Anytime Lange. Taylor will be at your door ready to quote-end-quote help you later!" I rolled my eyes and knew that that meant Taylor would be bringing a flash drive full of old, as in ancient, essays that I could use for Mr. Barbers English class.

I had to chuckle to myself as Kiran got up with Trey and Josh, who were talking sports at the other end of the table, and walked out the cafeteria. I looked down at my phone to a picture of Ariana and Thomas fully naked and on top of each other kissing. I breathed in and out almost terrified. I really needed to get a grip here. Lange's did NOT let pictures ruin them. At that exact moment Gage came over and plopped down right beside me at the table.

"You. Me. My room. Right now." Gage said with a very seductive wink.

"Hmmmmm as tempting as it sounds Gage..."

"Come on Noelle. Just one night?"

"Well..."

"Really?"

"NO!" He was so gullible. I sighed. This would never end. That boy had been trying to get with me ever since I set foot on the campus.

"Bitch!"

"Gage! That's no way to treat any girl you'd wanna fuck."

"Whatever Lange. I actually came here to have a serious conversation."

"Ok...? What's up?"

"It's about Thomas!"

"Thomas?"

"Yeah just hear me out?"

"No. Just stop. I don't need any more stories about how drunk he is, how high he is, or how many girls he's fucked in one day."

"Uhm it has nothing to do with that!"

"Oh" I said trying to calm my already raging emotions. I hadn't really even talked with him in the last week so I don't know why I was so upset. Maybe the fact he cared more about his cocaine and Jack Daniels than me. I didn't want to think about it, but he and alcohol had more of a relationship than we did.

"Yeahhhh...Thomas has been MIA for the last couple days and the guys in Ketlar are getting worried."

"Did you check with Cromwell to see where he was?"

"No we haven't. We thought he was staying at Billings with you?"

"He hasn't stepped foot into Billings in weeks" I said with raised eyebrows.

"Ok then..."

I stopped to think. He rarely signed out with Cromwell, but that could work. He had been gone more than two days. Crom would have started a search party for him by now if he hadn't signed out? He must have signed out then. But why?

"Ok Gage I'll go check with Crom."

"Thanks Lange. I just hope he's not dead in a ditch or something."

I gulped loudly. "So do I Gage. So do I." I knew he didn't mean literally, but the harshness of that sentence totally caught me off guard.

I got up and went to Cromwell's office at the other end of campus. I asked the secretary for the log out book and flipped through it to two days ago. The entries read:

Wednesday September 10th

Ariana Osgood: visiting parents, be back on Friday (APPROVED)

Thomas Pearson: visiting parents, be back on Friday (APPROVED)

There were a bunch of other names but those two stuck out in my head. For obvious reasons. The fact that it said the same reason for the absence for both of them was enough suspicion for me. But that both entries were in Ariana's sweeping cursive handwriting, was what sent me over the edge. I pulled out my phone and dialed Ariana's number breathing slowly trying not to get too riled up over this. It felt like centuries waiting for her to answer. WWIII could have happened and I would still be waiting for her to answer.

"Hey Noelle!"

"Hi Ari I know that you are visiting your rents but I was wondering if you could email me the recent updated alumni list with the addresses?"

"Oh sure thing. You planning for that party thing?"

"Yep. I'm onto the bitchy part: invitations."

"Damn well I'm sorry I can't be there to help!" It took all of my energy not to cuss her out right then and there.

"No worries. Tell your parents hi for me."

"Will do. Don't do anything too scandalous while I am gone."

"HAHA I won't!"

I clicked END CALL. Oh the irony of that last sentence. I took out my keys to my BMW and practically ran to the student parking lot. I got in my car and drove to the Osgood residence. I was seriously going to figure out what the hell was going on. I got out and walked up to the door and without even knocking walked in. I passed by the living room, the kitchen, and the piano room and right into the den at the southeast end of the house. And what to my wondering eyes should appear? Not reindeer like the line in the Night Before Christmas, but Ariana and Thomas flat out having sex on the red vinyl couch. I about puked in my mouth.

"Thought I would find you two here!"

I watched as they scrambled to get out of whatever nasty sex position they were in.

"Noelle?" They both said in unison their hair a mess and their bodies dripping with sweat. I could not believe that they got that hot and heavy. I shook my head in disgust.

"Sorry for barging in like this, but I thought I could run your parent's invite to the Alumni Bash by since I was out in the area."

"Oh?" Ariana said unsure of what to say. I looked directly at her and raised my eyebrows with a questioning look.

"I left it on the kitchen counter, but I'll go cause you're obviously busy!" I saw Thomas just sit there in silence. Typical.

"Noelle...I...I..."

"It's fine Ariana we'll talk back at school on Friday." I turned and headed for the front door. I heard Ariana get up and follow me. I got to the big, beautiful, mahogany carved door and was about to shut it behind me when Ariana stopped it. I slowly turned around to face her.

"Noelle?"

"Yes?"

"I can explain."

"No need to Ari."

"No hear me out Noelle. Please."

"There's nothing to explain. I can be forgetful Ariana, but I'm not dumb."

"Noelle please?"

"Ariana! Just shut the hell up!" I said getting right up in her face. The air between us was chilling even though we were inches apart. I heard her gulp. Serves her right. I took out my phone and pulled up one of the haunting, scandalous pictures and showed Ariana.

"You see this Ariana? That and the log out book at school don't lie. And you shouldn't either. But I guess that you wanted to fuck my boyfriend and go behind my back instead."

"Noelle I am so sorry..."

"You know what? No. I'm done. And you can tell Thomas we're over."

"Noelle..."

"Just. Stop. Ariana."

"No Noelle I need to explain."

"You don't. I hope you're happy Ariana."

At that moment I turned and got back into my car and drove down to the police headquarters downtown (which looked more like the New York FBI building if you ask me). I needed to trace a phone number and since I had my dads access codes and all I could do it without even needing to ask. As I drove down and parked in the underground garage I got a text from Josh.

Josh: Can u please let my sister have another shot at Billings?

Me: Why should I?

Josh: I know she messed up by not getting u the quizzes u wanted, but she really wants this.

Me: Then she needs to prove herself to me...

Josh: Why do ppl always need 2 prove themselves 2 u?

Me: That's just the way Billings works Hollis

Josh: You girls are fucked up, like really fucked up

Me: Be careful Hollis. I can make Brittany's life hell...

Josh: You wouldn't dare touch my sister

Me: Too late hun

Josh: What?

Josh: Wait?

Josh: Noelle?

Josh: What did you do 2 Brittany?

Josh: Bitch!

I remembered back to the night when Ariana, Kiran, and I were hazing some of the girls back during the Billings version of Rush Week. Brittany Hollis failed to get some quizzes from Mr. Wyatt, as one of her "tests," so Ariana and I had taken her to the woods and tied her to a tree and left her there and when she finally came to back to the house we made her clean the whole house top to bottom. She was our own little Cinderella Hollis. Josh loved his sister and wanted the best for her. I remembering peer editing an essay last year of his about why Brittany was so special to him. One of his sentences was "I don't know what I would do with myself if anyone hurt her." Well hopefully her wouldn't ever find out the extent of what we did to her. It was Ariana's idea mostly, but I happily played along. Ariana sure did have a dark side.

But right now I guess the only side she had was one that was being fucked by my boyfriend. That bitch. I snapped back to reality thinking of the two of them like that. I got out of my BMW, walked to the entrance, and into the elevator up to the 16th floor.

I had traced calls numerous times and thanks to so called technology the info I got from the mysterious number would give me an exact GPS location of where the phone was. I plugged in the cords and wires and numbers into the computer and waited for the info to generate. As I did I got a tweet and text from Ariana trying to apologize for that night and that we should talk ASAP and other bullshit like that. I didn't even want to think about anything Osgood right now.

It felt like an hour went by and I finally got a location. It was Ketlar Hall of Easton Academy Room # 215. I knew that number. It had to be one of the guys we hung out with? Gage? Trey?

I left and returned to Easton and headed for Ketlar. I looked at the time on my phone and it read 12:28 PM. It was way after curfew, but I didn't care. I needed to know where that phone was. I raced up the steps of Ketlar and dazedly tried to find room 215. I was greeted by the scent of Axe, body odor, Heineken beer, and dirty clothes. Not the most pleasant smell I can tell you that. I reached room 215 and opened the door and saw Dash sitting at his desk typing on his Mac Book Pro laptop doing his homework. Little butterflies fluttered to my stomach as I remembered his strong hand on my shoulder and quick eye flirt session in class the other day. I also saw that Josh was his roommate.

"Dash?"

"Noelle!" He said turning around shutting his AP Biology book. "What's up?

"I know this is going to sound crazy, but do you or Josh have an extra cell phone you use?"

"Yeah?"

"Cause I've been getting these random picture messages with some disturbing stuff and I've been going crazy, so I went down to the police station and tracked the number and it brought me here, but now I am thinking this is a totally insane idea and..."

"Noelle I sent you those pictures!"

"Wait...Why?" At this point Dash had stood up and had walked me over to the bed and sat down next to me.

"I had seen some racy texts between Thomas and Ariana and so I followed them the other night and I brought this cheap throw away cell phone with me." He said reaching over me and picking up a small black Wal-Mart flip phone and handed it to me. "I wasn't sure what I'd see but then I saw what the pictures showed and I knew you had to know, but I didn't want to have to tell you myself. But I guess that plan backfired." He chuckled a little bit to lighten up the mood.

"You did this for me?"

"Of course Noelle. You should know what is going on especially if it's your boyfriend and supposed best girlfriend."

"I don't know what to say?"

"Thank you?"

I laughed lightly. "Well thank you Dash for being honest and trying not to get involved, but letting me know."

"Sure. You deserve way better than a dickhead like Thomas."

"I know. I had no idea that the reason he was being distant was because of this."

"I have to say I think that Captain Morgan and some Absolut Vodka had to do with it too." He smiled his perfect Dash smile and squeezed my shoulders.

"Dash?"

"Ya?"

"You know you didn't have to do any of this?"

"I know Noelle, but I wanted to. Your an amazing and beautiful girl and you deserve the truth."

My heart did a million flops. I couldn't believe the things that Dash was saying. It was so different than what Thomas had ever said. I looked up at Dash and our eyes locked. I saw Dash slowly lean in and give me the sweetest, warmest, and most romantic kiss I had ever had. I didn't want him to stop. But he did.

"Noelle?"

"Hmmmmm?" I said still in a love struck daze.

"That was a taste of what's to come!"

"There's gonna be more?"

"When this whole mess blows over, yes lots more!"

After about a minute I finally came back to reality. Every inch of me wanted Dash and now I knew that every inch of him wanted me. But I'd have to wait.

"You should go but be careful walking back ok Noelle?"

"I will Dash. Thank you!"

"Sweet dreams Noelle. I'll see you in the morning."

"See you tomorrow!" I said smiling as I walked out into the musty smelling hall.

"I can't wait!"

I sauntered on towards Billings taking in my surroundings. The light mugginess, the glow of the old historic lamps over the campus, and warm summer air paired with my happiness from my visit with Dash could easily make me the luckiest girl tonight. I was on Cloud 9. I began replaying the kiss over and over again in my head when suddenly I heard Josh's voice.

"Noelle?"

"Yes?" I said shaking myself out of my daydream.

"It's kind of late for you to be out?"

I looked at my Fossil watch. 1:45 AM. "I know I went out to see if I could find Taylor, but she just called saying that she had come back to Billings for the night."

"Ok well here have the rest of my coffee so that you make it back safely."

I took the Starbucks cup from him. "Thanks. See you in Spanish tomorrow!"

"Goodnight Lange!"

I sipped at the delicious coffee as I walked the distance back to Billings. I soon felt light headed and dizzy. What was in this coffee? I tried to walk straight and found myself losing my balance. I stopped for a second to focus. All I could see in front of me were tiny white dots. What was going on with me? I took another sip to hopefully clear my head. Instead my head started pounding and before I knew it I had dropped the hot coffee and I was tripping and falling face first onto the concrete in what I assumed was the quad. I tried to grab the railing by a bench. It was too late.

The next thing I knew everything around me stopped.

Then I completely blacked out.