“Are you happy? Are you feeling okay?”
When she didn’t answer, I closed my eyes, filled with guilt. She needed me and I was thousands of miles away.
“I’m okay,” she said finally. I hoped she wasn’t just saying that.
“If something happens, you can tell me. I promise I won’t be mad.”
“I know.”
“I love you, you know that, right?”
“I know.” There was a sadness in her voice.
“I’m going to figure out a way for us to be together really soon,” I said. “I promise.”
“Miss you, Maya,” Naomi said.
“I miss you too.” I kept the phone pressed against my ear until she hung up the line.
I was slowly lowering the phone from my ear when in the distance, walking quickly with her hood over her head, there she was. The person I’d been looking for: Lila.
—
I’d been tryingto find her since the conversation the girls and I had had over dinner the other night. The angry look on Cecily’s face. “I heard Lila is trying to get Greystone shut down.”
My hand had covered my mouth.Oh my god.Lila had warned me against joining Greystone…but I had no idea she’d take it this far.
“I don’t know what she’s thinking,” Cecily said. “But we have to do something to stop her.”
I watched as she cut into a rare piece of steak, bright red oozing onto the white plate. Greystone meant a lot to her. Not only was she president, but her family had founded the Society.
Kai looked at me. “Maya, you should talk to her, you’re closest to her.”
I nodded. “I’ll do it.”
—
Hidden under thefur hood of my jacket, I followed Lila as she cut down a cloister of Rockefeller College. If what Marta had warned me about was true, Lila might have fallen out with Professor DuPont…but still, she couldn’t really want to bring the whole club down. Did she realize how much was at stake for all of us? For me? If something happened to Greystone, that would mean the end of my lifeline to my sister. Maybe if I could explain this to her, she would understand. I watched her go into the library, and I hurried to catch her.
—
Lila’s things werestrewn about her usual study spot, but there was no sign of her. I was about to turn back when her laugh echoed from down the hall. Careful not to be seen, I followed the sound until I was deep within the stacks.
There it was again: her laugh, from the other side of the shelves. And another voice. She was with someone else.
“What are you going to do now?” The voice sounded familiar…where had I heard it before?
“I told Professor Williams what I knew. She said an internal investigation is under way. I have enough evidence to take to the police,” Lila said, barely above a whisper.She was going to the police?
I pressed my ear against the books but could only make out a few words.Matthew DuPontandthe Society.
I crouched down lower, finding a natural crack between the spines where I could see the hem of her skirt and her friend’s jeans.
I craned my neck farther. Standing next to Lila was Austin, the drummer whom I had met at Terrace.
“I was able to get ahold of some of the Legacy Foundation accounting spreadsheets,” Lila said. “They’ve got millions of dollars from funds linked to Greystone, and they’re funneling them to Marsden.”Marsden…the dean of admissions?“It’s like corporate money laundering, but for spots at Princeton. Usually wealthy alumni just donate a building or something. But this is different. These donations are from Greystoneon behalf of their members.” Lila’s tone gave me chills.
“This’ll be the biggest storyThe Princehas ever seen,” Austin said.The Princewas short forThe Daily Princetonian,the school paper, which was known for reporting the truth, no matter what. The blood had left my face and pooled at the base of my stomach. Was Calum Fuller one of these “laundered” applicants?
