Initiation by Jessica Burkhart

microwave beeped.
    I dropped in the tea bag and stirred in a packet of Splenda. I put my mug on my nightstand and waited for the tea to steep. Khloe switched the movie to TV, pausing on a celebrity gossip channel.
    â€œDid you hear that Annalynn and Tate broke up?” Khloe asked.
    â€œNo! They just got back together!” The sixteen-year-olds dominated box offices this summer with their romantic comedy and the gossip mags boasted that they’d taken their sizzling romance offscreen, too.
    I leaned against my cozy pillow, not even realizing that my eyelids got heavier and heavier. I drifted off to sleep with my tea still steaming beside my bed.

MONDAY MORNINGS SUCK
    BEEEP! BEEEP! BEEEP!
    Faint sunlight filtered through the curtains. I reached over and shut off the alarm, almost knocking over the cup of tea I hadn’t gotten to touch last night before I fell asleep.
    I’d had nightmares all night. The worst one had left me sweaty and gasping for air. I’d buried my head under the covers, trying to calm myself in the dark. If I’d been at home, I would have climbed into Becca’s bed and she would have wrapped an arm around me until we both fell back asleep.
    But Becca hadn’t been there last night and it wasn’t like I could wake Khloe.
    The memory of the nightmare rushed back, making my heart beat a little faster.
    I’d dreamed that I’d gone to my riding test. Instead of it being a closed session, every single rider from each grade filled the arena. Even Sasha Silver and her friends. Mr. Conner told me that I couldn’t test. I asked him why and he said, “You may still be Lauren Towers, but you’re not the rider you used to be.”
    Out of nowhere, a giant TV appeared and footage I recognized all too well started to play. I was riding at the Red Oak Horse Trial. The announcer called my name and my mount’s—Skyblue.
    I begged Mr. Conner to stop the footage from playing, but it was if he didn’t hear me.
    No one heard me.
    They didn’t pay attention to anything but Lauren on the TV.
    â€œLauren,” Mr. Conner said. “You can’t keep secrets at Canterwood.”
    Once I’d woken up, it had taken me hours to get back to sleep, and when I finally had, it was almost time to get up.
    I looked at Khloe. She was sprawled on her bed, one of her tan legs dangling off the side. She’d set her own alarm to get up later, so I didn’t wake her.
    I hopped into the shower, lathering my long hair withBumble and bumble shampoo. The coconut-scented kind was my favorite. I rinsed, applied conditioner, and combed it through my hair before clipping it up. Once a week or just before special occasions, I let conditioner stay on my hair for a few extra minutes to make it as soft and shiny as possible. It was an EBT—essential beauty tip—that Brielle had taught me.
    I squeezed vanilla-scented body wash into my loofah sponge and scrubbed down to my toes. Once I finished my shower, I wrapped my hair in a towel and got dressed. The shower felt as though it washed away all the remnants and worries of last night.
    Now I was ready to focus on today. First thing this morning, Headmistress Drake was holding a meeting in the auditorium.
    After that, I had math. At least I was looking forward to that—Khloe and Lexa were in my class.
    Khloe hadn’t moved an inch since I’d showered. I giggled. Khloe had really meant what she’d said about sleeping until the last possible minute.
    I took inventory of my reflection in the mirror. One pale blue T-shirt with a tiny pocket. One flowy black knee-length skirt. And silver ballet flats with ruffles around the edges. I’d picked out my outfit the night before as usual.
    I unwrapped my hair and misted it with Bb Prep. I’d gone simple with accessories—tiny white-gold diamond studs and a matching necklace with a letter L dangling from a thin chain.
    I microwaved a cup of hot water and