Poor Little Dead Girls Read Free Page B

important enough to have bodyguards, and that their daughters are my roommates.” She held up the clipboard. “And apparently they don’t want anyone to know whether or not they wear embarrassing jammies?”
    Ellen nodded gravely, ignoring her sarcasm. “Yes, Ms. Marlowe. They are important. His Grace is a very, very important man.” As she said this, she puffed out her thin chest and squared her shoulders, as if she were expecting Sadie to be floored by the prestige of her position. “And privacy is of the utmost importance to the Everleigh family. Keating’s code of sisterhood does not permit transfer students to live in private rooms, so we have been faced with a difficult situation.” She looked hard at Sadie before continuing. “The Everleighs want some reassurance that you will appreciate the gravity of this situation, and respect their privacy as public figures and members of the English nobility. Do you understand?”
    “Okay,” she said slowly. “But I can’t guarantee I’m never, ever going to talk about my roommates. I mean, I can’t tell my friends what music they listen to or what we talk about? This is high school. That’s kinda what we do.”
    “Well, you’ll find a more worthwhile way to spend your time if you want to continue living in this room, and if you want the pleasure of the company of some of the most celebrated young women in England. I might suggest poetry or classical piano. Beatrix and Gwendolyn excel at both of those pursuits.”
    Sadie focused every bit of her energy on keeping her eyes from rolling into the back of her head. Her roommates were celebrated — celebrated, piano-playing, poetry-reciting British freaks who were definitely not going to be down for scarfing Cheetos and watching
Diva Divorcées
reruns after lights out. She could feel disappointment settling into her stomach like day-old Chinese food. If you couldn’t OD on trans fats and trashy TV with your roommates, what was the point of boarding school at all?
    Ellen paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately, her eyes never leaving Sadie’s. “I would hate to have to request a transfer so early in the term,” she said, cocking her head to one side. “It would be quite arduous for the administration, and I know they frown upon students who make trouble regarding the roommate system. The code of sisterhood is such an important principle for the Keating community.” She paused again. “You’re a scholarship student, aren’t you?” She smiled sweetly, and her message was clear: You are expendable. You should think twice about making waves.
    It was Sadie’s turn to sigh. She flipped to the last page on the clipboard, uncapped the pen with her teeth, and signed her name. There was no turning back now, anyway. And if they were truly horrible, maybe she could sleep on a cot in the broom closet. That’s probably where she belonged, anyway.
    As soon as she lifted the pen off the paper, Ellen was all business. She grabbed the clipboard and clacked her way back across the floor in her impossibly high heels. She turned in the doorway, busily wiping the pen cap with a handkerchief she had produced from another pocket.
    “My team will need another few minutes to sweep the room,” she said with another icy smile. “Perhaps you and your friend should take this opportunity to have supper? They should be finished upon your return.” With that, she turned and strode out of the room.
    Sadie sat for a minute, a little stunned, as Ellen’s muffled footsteps moved away down the hall. Her roommates were going to be two famous girls — not famous, royal — and she had just legally signed away her gossiping rights. In the high school hierarchy, she was pretty sure that made her just a hair above completely worthless. The twin giants were starting to throw stern looks in her direction, so she stood up and headed off towards Jessica’s room. Contract or not, Sadie couldn’t wait to see what she had to say about