小说园

第26部分（第2页）

iPod　listeners　was　muttering　to　herself；　and　Jenny　realized　she　wasn？t　listening　to　the　latest

downloads　but　rather　memorizing　Spanish　conjugations。　A　petite　Asian　girl　with　thick　pigtails　who

Jenny　had　thought　was　reading　a　fashion　magazine　was　actually　pletely　engrossed　inScience

Digest　。

Uh…oh。

I　probably　wouldn？t　get　in　anyway；　Jenny　scribbled　back。　She　tossed　the　note　to　the　girl；　then

stood　up。　Applications　for　boarding　school　were　supposed　to　have　been　done　in　the　fall；　so　she

was　pushing　it　timewise　wherever　she　decided　to　go；　never　mind　who　would　have　her。　But　surely

there　were　other　schools　that　weren？t　quite　as　strict　as　Hanover　clearly　was　now。

She　went　outside　and　wound　her　way　back　to　the　school　gates；　wishing　that　she　hadn？t　sent　her

father　away　in　such　a　hurry。　Heading　down　the　path　toward　town　she　came　upon　a　blond　boy　in　a

red　Ralph　Lauren　baseball　cap；　a　white　V…neck　T…shirt；　and　floppy　aqua…colored　J。Crew　linen　pants；

smoking　a　Marlboro　as　he　shuffled　slowly　back　toward　campus。　He　was　pletely　adorable。

Jenny　smiled　shyly　at　him　as　he　approached；　mustering　up　the　courage　to　ask　him　if　Hanover　was

really　as　bad　as　that　short…haired　girl　back　in　Riley　had　made　it　out　to　be。

？You？re　not　going　to　tell　on　me；　are　you？？　the　boy　demanded；　glaring　at　her　with　more　hostility

than　anyone　deserves。

？N…no；？　Jenny　stammered。　Was　everyone　at　Hanover　totally　paranoid？

？Right；？　he　sneered　back；　still　glaring　as　he　shuffled　away。

When　she　arrived　at　the　coffee　shop；　her　dad　was　behind　the　counter　whipping　up　a　soy　milk　chai

latte；　even　though　he　and　Dan　had　spent　an　hour　one　day　lecturing　Jenny　on　how　chai　was　just

some　made…up　Starbucks　bullshit　and　how　the　only　real　hot　drink　on　the　planet　was　Folgers　instant

coffee。　？The　air　is　so　fine；　I　was　thinking　I　might　move　up　here。　They　even　offered　me　a　job　here

in　the　caf？；？　he　crowed；　beaming　at　her。　？Dan？s　off　to　Evergreen　in　the　fall　anyway。　We？ll　sublet

our　place？make　a　fortune！？

？Sorry；　Dad；　but　I　don？t　think　so；？　Jenny　sighed。　？I　mean；　I　don？t　think　I　want　to　go　here。？

Rufus　carried　the　paper　cup　of　frothy　hot　liquid　around　the　counter　and　handed　it　to　Jenny。　？You

mean　you　want　to　stay　home　with　me？？　he　asked；　his　bushy　salt…and…pepper　eye…brows　arched

hopefully。

Jenny　smelled　the　drink；　made　a　face；　and　then　handed　it　back。　？No。　I　just　have　to　keep　looking。

Croton？s　on　the　way　home　anyway。？

Rufus　winked　at　the　big…hipped；　hemp…dress…wearing；　frizzy…haired　woman　ing　out　of　the

kitchen　with　a　tray　of　buckwheat　scones　in　her　hands。　He　sighed。　？You　sure？？

From　what　Jenny　could　remember；　the　prep　school　guidebook　she？d　read　from　cover　to　cover　in

the　corner　by　the　window　upstairs　at　the　Broadway　Barnes　&　Noble　had　listed　Croton　Academy　in

Croton　Falls　second　on　the　list　of　party　schools；　right　after　Hanover。　Croton　was　supposed　to　be