The Other Girl: A Midvale Academy Novel Read Online Free Page A

cry because I don’t think Mrs. Gwynne-Vaughan did a lot of crying. But she looked upset and frustrated. “Molly,” she said, “teaching at this school is…well. Let’s just say that the level of intellectual engagement is underwhelming. You…you and your friend Edie are very smart girls. Of course, Edie is still doing very well. Surely she must have noticed you’ve been slacking off a bit.”
    Edie, my best friend and roommate. Roommate for sure. Perhaps erstwhile best friend. We hadn’t had a falling-out per se, but she didn’t know I was in Gid’s head, so there was only so much we could share, seeing as I didn’t care about anything else.
    “Has Edie not said anything?” Mrs. Gwynne-Vaughan pressed.
    I really just wanted to get out of here and get back to Gideon.
    I made myself look as contrite and grateful as I could and said, “Mrs. Gwynne-Vaughan, I am totally flattered that you would think of me, and I so totally promise—”
    “You so totally promise?” Mrs. Gwynne-Vaughan asked. Her blue eyes were cold. “Ms. McGarry, I’m sure you’re aware that ‘I promise’ is a performative speech act and hardly requires adverbial qualification. But, as long as we’re speaking that language, I so totally promise that I am going to make you hear me out on this, and I am going to so totally hope that just a shred of the importance of this makes it into your head.”
    Even though I was newly willing to make adults displeased with me, the good girl in me still squirmed when it happened. I turn my head away from her, and there, outside the window, stood Gid, hand shielding his eyes, the Hat That Changes Everything on his head but unbuckled under his chin, looking up hopefully. He was waiting for me. He thought, Molly is all I care about sometimes, and my heart flip-flopped, because that was great, but why didn’t he think that all that time, like I did with him?
    Then I felt that connection, that actual thing between us, like a wire. It was buzzing and warm and I loved it and I loved him, and Mrs. Gwynne-Vaughan and ATAT could, with all due respect, suck it.
    I was seriously contemplating just getting up and running out of the room, but Mrs. Gywnne-Vaughan held me with her glance. In truth, she was staring at me, and she didn’t look frustrated or annoyed anymore, she just looked kind of obsessed.
    “Mrs. Gwynne-Vaughan?” I said. “Are you OK?’
    She ignored the question. Maybe she was having one of those senior-moment things, but then the spell seemed to break, and when she spoke, her tone was brisk and businesslike. “Molly, there is a scholarship attached. There is always an ATAT scholarship…and I happen to know that if the team wins this year, Ross Volker, who used to be on ATAT, is doubling it. It’s worth four years of college tuition. The expensive, fancy, worthwhile kind.”
    I nodded with mild appreciation, as if she’d just said there was a nice print in the hallway and I should look at it on my way out. Ross Volker was a big computer billionaire. A nerd. Ithought about his wormy face, his stupid letters to the alumni magazine about innovation and the importance of always pushing yourself.
    That dude was so clearly not getting laid.
    “Molly,” Mrs. Gwynne-Vaughan said, “did you hear me?”
    “You just said that there’s an ATAT scholarship. That’s great. But how do I even know I would get it?”
    “Because I would make sure you did. I know how quick you are. I know how you absorb information. You will be the best one on ATAT, and, frankly, I don’t want to be rude, but it’s a lot of money, and aren’t you…”
    “On partial scholarship? From Buffalo? White trash, compared to most people here? Yes to all three. But I still don’t know that I want to give up every single night of my life to ATAT. I have a lot going on.”
    She didn’t look mad. She just gave me that weird, trancy look again, like she was mystified by my reactions.
    “Can I think about it over break?” I