The Believing Game by Eireann Corrigan Page A

watch you sleep.” Which was decidedly less creepy than Joshua saying it.
    And if Addison could make my time in adolescent lockdown feel like a vacation, what could he do with an overnight in the country? I let myself imagine us outside the confines of the academy for a whole two days. The luxury of falling asleep next to him in front of a television. Time away. Time together. Yes, Joshua would be there. But I could handle that drawback. The upside was a weekend with my friends. With Addison. After those first lonely weeks at McCracken, I felt like I’d earned it.
    It took some time to convince Sophie.
    â€œI can’t call my dad and ask to host my new friends from rehab at the family lake house,” she said. “Seriously, Greer.”
    â€œIt’s asking a lot of you.” I was inadvertently channeling Joshua’s way — acknowledging the obvious problem andwaiting for the other person to find a way to overcome it. He’d call it readying the path for goodness or something flaketastic like that.
    â€œToo much. And honestly, it’s asking something of the parental figures. Asking them for anything is too much right now.”
    â€œWhat if you didn’t ask?”
    â€œMeaning?”
    â€œDo you have a key?”
    â€œNo,” Sophie said. Then, shaking her head, she told me, “But I know where it is.” And I knew I had her on board.
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    Over the next week, Joshua continued to work his magic. I kept waiting for someone in one of the plush offices of Westlands Hall to notice that this middle-aged man had managed to insert himself into the daily schedules of so many McCracken students. But they didn’t. Instead, they lent him a van and allowed him to take us off campus.
    He told them we were going to build houses for Habitat for Humanity. To build character.
    Joshua assigned me the task of inviting Hannah Green.
    â€œWhy should I be the one to ask her?” We were sitting on the steps of the Walcott building. Lately I’d started waiting there until Addison and Joshua wrapped up the NA group.
    Joshua said, “It will make her happiest to know that you want her there.”
    â€œSee, that just shows how little you understand about girls. I’m the last person she cares about. Addison should ask her —”
    â€œHannah, like all the other young ladies at McCracken Hill, knows very well that Addison is taken.” Joshua thought that kind of bullshit line worked on me. That was supposed to get me all preening and pleased. Then I’d be so distracted panting over Addison that I’d just follow Joshua’s instructions. Okay, so those lines had worked in the past. But as soon as I realized it, I started working on it. Amending my vanity.
    I pointed out, “There’s Jared. And Wes. She’d be happier to be invited by them.”
    â€œFalse. You presume that other young women value each other as little as you do, Elizabeth.”
    â€œThat’s not true.”
    â€œWhich isn’t true?”
    I hadn’t heard a choice in the question. But I picked the point most important to me. “I value other women.” I looked back and forth between them. Addison said nothing. Joshua said less. “There are plenty of women who I admire. And if I’m such a terrible female, Joshua, why pick me to ask Hannah? I might influence her in some way.”
    Joshua stood up and looked out toward the parking lot. “Because I’m hoping she’ll influence you.”
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    I didn’t want to keep arguing, so I agreed to do it. I showed up at Hannah’s door as she was leaving for breakfast the next morning. When she heard me call out for her, she stopped in her tracks and darted her eyes around.
    â€œHas anyone talked to you about this weekend?” I asked. “You know — Addison or Sophie or anyone?”
    â€œIs there another party?” Hannah asked as if that would be the only reason people would get