My lungs were raw from inhaling tons of smoke in the underground tunnel outside Gwendolyn Hall, the remnants of the charred building still billowing plumes into the air at the edge of Easton Academy’s campus. And as if the vociferous organ-muncher wasn’t enough, I was also in pain.

I could feel it, right in the pit of my gut-this torturous sensation like some large rodent was kicking in my stomach, gnawing greedily at my heart and lungs. The gray faces that would decide my fate. I sat in the front row of folding chairs in the Great Room of Mitchell Hall and stared at the gray, unfeeling faces that hovered over the long table before me. And they will do anything to make it happen. Excited party buzz quickly turns to whispered rumors and dark moods, and one thing becomes clear: There is someone who wants to see Billings, and Reed, go down. Reed has never felt so popular or powerful - until the police start asking questions about Cheyenne Martin's death. All of Easton's hottest boys are angling to take her out, and for once, Reed's biggest problem is which one to choose. What better way to win over the headÂmaster than to host a glam fund-raising event in New York City? Everyone needs a date, and the newly single Reed is the most eligible girl on campus. Forever.Īs president, it's up to Reed to save Billings Hall. What she didn't count on was being dumped by her boyfriend, Josh Hollis, or being held responsible for a fire that destroyed Easton Academy's oldest building.Īnd now the administration wants to shut Billings down. Reed Brennan knew being elected president of exclusive Billings Hall would change her life. The higher you climb, the farther you have to fall.

Private by Kate Brian