Private is a series of novels by American author Kate Brian. The cast of characters is as follows.
Reed Brennan[]
| “ | Some girls see themselves walking red carpets with movie-star boyfriends. Others, I'm sure, go the princess route. All I imagined my entire ninth grade year was this: Easton Academy. | ” |
The protagonist and narrator of the series, Reed Brennan is a collected outsider from Pennsylvania who, at the beginning of Private, enters Easton Academy via scholarship. An attractive honors student, 5'9" with straight chestnut hair and ocean blue coloured eyes, admirable athletic skill, and the eventual romantic attentions of more than one suitor, she seems destined for success in the high-profile school; however, her primary failing is being overeager to escape a troubled family past and mundane everyday life, which soon lends itself to her quest to gain acceptance into the school's premier dorm, Billings House. On her first night at Easton, Reed looks out her dorm room window and notices four beautiful girls in a dorm room in the opposite building — Billings House — drinking wine, dancing, and enjoying themselves. Fascinated by this sight, she learns that these were the four most popular girls at Easton, and begins to cherish a desire to live amongst them and be a part of their circle. Upon being introduced to these girls — Noelle, Ariana, Kiran, and Taylor — a series of initiations to test her credibility follows.
Reed is put through a lot throughout the series, what with the murder of her boyfriend, the murder of a dorm mate, being kicked out of her prestigious dorm, being shunned by all of her friends, navigating romantic relationships, her mother's less-than-sober state, and more than three people (Ariana, Sabine, Mrs. Ryan) making attempts on her life. She remains relatively unaffected, though the others firmly believe she has been made paranoid.
By Suspicion, Reed has gone through at least four boyfriends. She also develops a close friendship with Sawyer Hathaway, though it is suspected by some readers that he is beginning to have a crush on her, as evidenced by his readiness to talk down about her current boyfriend, Upton Giles, and the fact that he was near the bathroom when Reed was about to take a bath (though that turned out to be a good thing, as he was able to save her when Mrs. Ryan made a final attempt to kill her).
As the series progresses, Reed rises in status, but experiences several personal costs and challenges along the way.
In a survey conducted via the Website polldaddy.com,[1] readers of the Private series voted Reed Brennan their favorite Billings Girl. In addition, a review from Publishers Weekly called the character "more complex than most of this genre's narrators."[2] Conversely, a more critical review from School Library Journal claimed that in the first book, several elements of her personality were left underdeveloped, including her apparent lack of ability to "empathize at all with her mother's pain-killer addiction."[3]
Noelle Lange[]
Widely recognized as the "leader" of the Billings Girls, Noelle is a tall, brown-haired, dark-eyed senior, and the implied counterpart to Reed. Like Reed, she is a very good skilled lacrosse and soccer player .She also suggests that she, like Reed, comes from an unhappy household. However, Noelle is known for her blunt, insensitive tendencies, and often looks down on students and even faculty members outside of her inner circle. She is notable for a mysterious "long, red scar along her stomach, just above her hipbone." Like Ariana, Noelle is a senior, and the two of them are best friends and roommates. Noelle's long-time boyfriend is Dash McCafferty, also a senior.
Upon encountering Reed for the first time, Noelle not-so-subtly suggests that she knows Reed had been spying on her and her friends on the first day of school; after introducing herself and the others, she loudly says, in front of everyone, "Now that you know you we are, maybe you can have a little respect and quit licking the glass." Noelle then dubs Reed "Glass-licker", a demeaning nickname that she — and many of the other Billings Girls — often address Reed with from then on.
In the third book, Noelle tries to convince Reed that her boyfriend Josh Hollis murdered her ex-boyfriend, Thomas Pearson. At the end of the book Noelle calls the police and has Josh arrested under suspicion that Josh had murdered Thomas, using a baseball bat that had Josh's-and only Josh's-fingerprints on it. Reed notices that the Billings Girls, and Noelle in particular, seem anxious to find Thomas's murderer and are keen to blame Josh. Reed also witnesses a spat between Noelle and Taylor, who had been constantly in tears since Thomas's death; Noelle, becoming irritated with Taylor's continuous sobbing, yells at her, and loudly questions why she was ever let into Billings in the first place. In Confessions, Noelle finally explains to Reed the reason behind Thomas's disappearance, and how she and the other girls were involved.
On the way back to Easton from a party, Reed and the Billings Girls pause to look at pictures; when Reed leans over Kiran's shoulder, she happens to see a picture of a man's naked torso in Kiran's camera, and immediately recognizes Thomas's body. Frightened and suspicious, Reed demands an explanation and threatens to have the girls arrested. Noelle manages to calm her down and explains that the day after Thomas treated Reed abusively at a party, the Billings Girls tied up and blindfolded him while he was in a drunken state. Using Josh Hollis's car, they took him to a field near Easton and tied him to a tree, naked (thus explaining the pictures in Kiran's camera, which she thought she had deleted). There they changed their voices and taunted him, then went back to Easton when he passed out. Reed, horrified, then accuses the girls of killing Thomas by leaving him in the cold, while Noelle insists that they loosened the ropes binding him to the tree before leaving, so that he could free himself when he woke up. Noelle assures Reed that they never killed Thomas, and had only treated him so because of the way he acted towards her at the party ("We did it for you, Reed."). Fearful of being blamed for Thomas's death, the girls beg Reed to believe them and not to call the police on them. Reed agrees at first, but inwardly promises herself to never speak to them again.
Later on Reed, who has had enough, finally decides to call the police and have the girls arrested. She discovers that her cell phone is missing and borrows her roommate's phone, realizing that she'll get reception only on the roof. Ariana manages to corner Reed on the roof of Billings; there she admits to murdering Thomas, whom she had been involved with prior to Reed's arrival at Easton. She then brings out a knife and uses it to try to push Reed off the roof, before Noelle appears from behind and knocks Ariana down with a lacrosse stick. She lividly confronts Ariana and says that she had suspected her of murdering Thomas all along, and she had seen Ariana steal Reed's cell phone knowing that Reed would have to use Natasha's phone on the roof, where she would be most vulnerable. She says that she has covered for Ariana the whole semester, but that she has had enough. Noelle threateningly holds the knife against Ariana's throat to hold her at bay, and orders Ariana to tell her the truth.
The police arrive within minutes, and when they read Ariana her rights and handcuff her, Reed breaks down crying. Noelle, who in the previous novels had expressed little tact or sympathy for others, puts her arms around Reed and comforts her. As the police are about to leave, Noelle insists that they arrest her, too, and states that while she did not kill Thomas, she is not entirely innocent, either.
At the end of the fourth book, Reed decides to go home for winter break and return to her old high school, deciding she has had enough drama. It is Noelle who calls her, from a juvenile rehabilitation center, and confronts her about her decision. She tells Reed that she would be better off at Easton, where she could get a world-class education and get all the things she wants. Noelle encourages Reed not to let her bad experiences with the Billings Girls ruin her shot at becoming the best she can be ("Don't let our mistakes screw up your life, Reed."). At this point it is apparent that Noelle cares more for Reed's well-being than Ariana's, and she manages to convince Reed to go back to Easton and complete the year.
In Inner Circle, Noelle does not return to Easton for the new semester. Reed notes that Noelle and the other girls have changed their email addresses and phone numbers, and that she has not heard from any of them since Ariana's admission and has no way of reaching them. Reed receives emails from Noelle's boyfriend Dash McCafferty, asking her how she is; Reed is surprised that Dash is emailing her and even more surprised that he seems to know all of the things happening at Easton. Not long after Cheyenne Martin's suicide, Reed receives another email from Dash reassuring her and stating, "Everything happens for a reason, Reed." Later on Reed goes out to a restaurant and runs into Noelle, who states that thanks to her father, she is free of all charges; she and Reed embrace and share a happy reunion, and Noelle reassures Reed that everything will be fine. When Reed asks how Noelle could be so sure, Noelle smiles and replies, "Everything happens for a reason."
In the first chapter of Legacy, Reed notes that Noelle had informed her she was no longer seeing Dash. Much to Reed's shock, Noelle turns up at Easton a few weeks into the new semester and states that she has returned to graduate. When Reed is voted President of Billings House by all the other residents, Noelle (who had previously held the position) appears taken back but ultimately admits that Reed is the best person for the job. She then begins to help and advise Reed on making sure that all of Billings House receives invitations to the Legacy party (which, in a surprise twist, is revealed to be closed to all Easton students and forbidden by the new Headmaster of Easton).
Shortly before the Legacy, Noelle informs Reed that Dash will be at the Legacy and that she is certain they will be back together soon. Reed, who has already began to fall for Dash and who has consistently been flirting with him via email, is guilty and shocked to learn that Noelle and Dash apparently have kept an on-off relationship for the past four or five years. At the end of Legacy, after a very drunk Reed has just had a heated make-out session at the Legacy party with Dash, she returns to her friends and finds Noelle to be in a very happy mood. Reed, who had originally intended to tell Noelle the truth about her and Dash no matter how angry Noelle would become, is left stunned when Noelle reveals that she and Dash are back together. Reed is aghast by this news but doesn't say anything.
In Ambition, Noelle reveals that she is aware of Reed's flirtation with Dash through email, and states that she has known Dash's account password for years and always "checks up" on him whenever they break up. Noelle, however, does not appear angry with Reed and states that she knows that flirting aside, Reed and Dash would not have the guts to go further (which makes Reed feel guilty). She confidently says that she and Dash are meant to be together, and that Dash only flirted with Reed because he was pining for Noelle after their break-up.
Reed, who had previously thought that taunting and condescending comments were simply part of Noelle's nature, begins to feel that Noelle needs to stop treating her- and everyone else- so insensitively. When she brings it to Noelle's attention, Noelle states that she'll ease off on the insults if Reed wants her to, but also adds that she has come to view Reed as her little sister and so enjoys messing with her as an older sister would.
At the end of Ambition, someone sends a video of Dash and Reed's sexual encounter at the Legacy to everyone at Easton, including Noelle. Noelle is furious with Reed and tells her that its over between the two of them, that Reed is no longer welcome in Billings, and that Reed should go home unless she wants to see what Noelle can do to her.
In Revelation, Noelle kicks Reed out of Billings. At the Christmas party, everyone has a secret santa. Noelle was Reed's and gave her an invite to her party. Reed takes it and smiles at her and Noelle nods in acknowledgement. During the party Noelle was holding, she tells Reed she wants to talk to her but Reed has to do something. In the end, Noelle sticks up for Reed and protects Reed.
In "Paradise Lost" Noelle invites Reed back to Billings. They go to St Barts for Christmas during which Noelle has a short fling with West, though in the end she starts warming up to Dash again. She goes back to being the one who explains away Reed's paranoia.
Ariana Osgood[]
A quiet bookworm, Ariana possesses wavy, almost white-blond hair and piercing, cool blue eyes. Upon seeing Ariana for the first time, Reed thinks her to appear "...almost ethereal, like she could float away any moment with the help of a light breeze." She is considered to be Reed's first friend in Billings, as it was Ariana who introduced Reed to the others girls. Reed observes that Ariana is often the most motherly and caring of the group, and most likely to comfort others in distress. Her tactfulness is apparent next to Noelle's blunt nature, as Ariana often reprimands Noelle and Kiran when they are being insensitive. Throughout the novels, Reed notes that Ariana is able to unhinge anyone — Noelle included — by simply staring at them, and Reed often feels chilly and uneasy when under Ariana's penetrating stare. Like Noelle, Ariana is a senior, and the two of them are best friends and roommates.
Ariana is also the sister of Sabine Dulac, who also tries to murder Reed, so that she can finish the rest of her sisters job that was never accomplished, in the end of the book Revelation. Reed says to Sabine " You belong in the same padded cell as your sister...". and that is where Ariana ends up. Everyone finds out that it was her who murdered Thomas Pearson, in the very end of Confessions.
Ariana is nice to Reed upon her first encounter with the Billings Girls, and apologizes for Noelle's rude comments. The next day, she corners Reed and, while making small talk, mentions that she had seen Reed talking to Thomas Pearson earlier that morning. With a serious, almost accusatory look on her face, she asks Reed if she likes Thomas, and when Reed replies (untruthfully) that she doesn't, Ariana smiles happily and seems to "glow from within." She then invites Reed to breakfast with her and her friends, which marks the start of the hazing rituals Reed is forced to perform for much of the first two novels.
In the first book, an issue of The Quill, the Easton literary magazine, notes that Ariana had a piece of her poetry published in The New Yorker. Ariana is also known to be a staff member of the Easton Academy newspaper and to have published many of her poems in it; Reed noted that many of Ariana's poems have a distinctly dark tone to them.
The truth surrounding the murder of Thomas Pearson arrives in the fourth book, Confessions. On the way back to Easton from a party, Reed and the Billings Girls pause to look at the pictures they had taken from the party. Krian is asked to show the pictures and she happens to stumble on a picture of a man's naked torso in her camera, and immediately Reed recognizes Thomas's body. Frightened and suspicious, Reed demands an explanation and threatens to have the girls arrested. Noelle manages to calm her down and explains that the day after Thomas treated Reed abusively at a party, the Billings Girls tied up and blindfolded Thomas while he was in a drunken state; using Josh Hollis's car, they took him to a field near Easton and tied him to a tree, naked. There they changed their voices and taunted him, then went back to Easton when he passed out. Reed, horrified, then accuses the girls of killing Thomas by leaving him in the cold, while Noelle insists that they loosened the ropes binding him to the tree before leaving, so that he could free himself when he woke up. Noelle assures Reed that they never killed Thomas, and had only treated him so because of the way he acted towards her at the party ("We did it for you, Reed."). Fearful of being blamed for Thomas's death, the girls beg Reed to believe them and to not call the police. Reed agrees at first, but inwardly promises herself to never speak to them again.
During and before Noelle's explanation, Ariana appears uncharacteristically angry, and directs her anger toward Reed. Unlike Noelle and Kiran, Ariana is unwilling to tell Reed the truth and she initially urges Noelle not to tell Reed anything.
Later on Reed, who has had enough, finally decides to call the police and have the girls arrested. She discovers that her cell phone is missing and borrows her roommate's phone, realizing that she'll get reception only on the roof. Ariana manages to corner Reed on the roof of Billings; there she admits to murdering Thomas, whom she had been involved with prior to Reed's arrival at Easton, and accuses Reed of stealing him from her. She claims that at the start of the year, Thomas had promised to reveal their long-time, secret relationship to everyone at the school; she implies that in previous years, Thomas had been seeing various other girls while dating Ariana, but he had promised her that this year would be different. Thomas, however, broke up with Ariana upon meeting Reed. This drove Ariana mad with jealousy, though she claims to have loved Thomas and regretted killing him when she should have killed Reed in the first place.
On the rooftop, Ariana uses a cell phone to call the police and frantically claims that her friend Reed has just thrown herself off the roof. She tells Reed that she has forged a suicide note — in Reed's handwriting — in which Reed confesses to killing Thomas after seeing him cheat on her with another girl. She then brings out a knife and uses it to try to push Reed off the roof, before Noelle appears from behind and knocks Ariana down with a lacrosse stick. She lividly confronts Ariana and says that she had suspected her of murdering Thomas all along. Noelle claims to have seen Ariana steal Reed's cell phone earlier, knowing that Reed would have to use Natasha's phone on the roof, where she would be most vulnerable. Noelle then picks up the knife, and, using it to keep Ariana at bay, demands that Ariana tell her the truth. Ariana breaks down crying, and confesses that on the night she and the other girls tied Thomas up in the field, Ariana felt bad about leaving him out in the cold and later went back to free him. When she reached the field, a drunk, enraged Thomas started yelling insults at her and abusively calling her names. Ariana claims that she couldn't take it and did the first thing she could think of to make him stop: she picked up Josh Hollis's baseball bat and bashed Thomas on the head until he was dead. Wailing, Ariana claims that everything was Reed's fault, and that if Reed hadn't come to Easton none of this would have happened.
The police arrive within moments, and a sobbing Ariana is arrested.
Last Christmas, the prequel to the private series, is narrated by Ariana in the third person. It tells the story of how she fell in love with Thomas the year before Reed came to Easton Academy. Thomas and Ariana stayed at Easton unbeknown to the staff during Christmas break, and get up to a lot of trouble. At the end of the book, there is a chapter where Ariana watches Thomas give Reed a necklace he had given Ariana before the summer. She wonders if anyone would miss Reed if she just disappeared.
Kiran Hayes[]
The most beautiful Billings Girl, at sixteen Kiran is a famous model with tan skin, brownish-gold eyes, and light brown hair. She is notorious for her good sense of fashion, and uses her abilities to update Reed's look. Kiran often receives packages of clothes and accessories from designers, stylists, and the companies that she models for, and Reed describes Kiran's wardrobe as "Kiran's Closet of Dreams." Kiran, like Noelle, also tends to be insensitive and blunt, and is notably the most shallow of the Billings Girls.
In Private, Reed notes that Kiran is very susceptible to peer pressure when Kiran is caught dating a boy named James from Dreck House (the dorm which houses the boys who are lowest in social class). Noelle forces Reed to break up with James for her, even though it is apparent that Kiran truly cares for him.
Beneath the surface, Kiran is troubled by alcoholism, which can lead to repercussions for herself and the others. This is apparent in Untouchable, when the news of Thomas Pearson's death arrives; out of guilt for what she had done and fearful of the consequences (Kiran, along with Noelle, Ariana, and Taylor, had blindfolded Thomas then tied him to a tree in a field while he was drunk, and left him there as payback for the way Thomas had abusively treated Reed), Kiran deals with the ill news by drinking excessive amounts of alcohol. Kiran, like Noelle, has also implied that she comes from a troubled household. In Untouchable she mentions to her friends that her mother had insisted that Kiran get plastic surgery at the age of twelve (to which Noelle, Reed, and the others appear shocked), stating that Kiran would never become a model with her "witch chin." Also, Kiran implies that her mother is neglectful and indifferent toward her daughter.
Also in Confessions, it is apparent that Kiran is not as strong in nature as she pretends to be; while posing for pictures, Kiran hands her camera to Reed, who when fiddling with the buttons comes across a picture of Thomas's naked torso. Kiran admits to have taken the pictures when they had tied Thomas up — much to Noelle and Ariana's chagrin — but claims that she thought she had deleted them afterward. Upon realizing the pictures were still there, Kiran collapses, sobbing and in near hysterics, while Ariana and Noelle remain calm.
Kiran is arrested along with Noelle Lange and Ariana Osgood at the end of Confessions.
In Ambition, Noelle informs Reed that Kiran is doing fine and is living with her boyfriend in New York; Reed also recalls seeing several pictures of Kiran in magazines and notes that Kiran is continuing with her modeling career around the world. She was called "International It Girl". Reed also receives an invitation to Kiran's eighteenth birthday party, in which Kiran states that it has been too long and that she can't wait to see her.
Taylor Bell[]
The brainy, sensitive member of the group who possesses messy dark blond curls and blue eyes; Reed's first impression of Taylor is of a "cherub." She is extremely smart, and known for finishing homework at a speedy pace, be it her own or a friend's. Taylor is often visibly guilty when Reed is treated unfairly and forced to participate in initiations, and, like Ariana, she is sensitive to others' feelings. Reed observes that Taylor's nature is sweeter and more innocent than that of her three friends, and she willingly and happily offers help to anyone who is struggling with homework. It is widely known that Taylor aspires to attend Harvard more than anything.
In Untouchable, Taylor seems to be affected more by Thomas Pearson's death than the others are; she repeatedly has meltdowns, and Reed suspects that Taylor might have had a secret crush on Thomas after seeing her constantly in tears. Taylor soon has a spat with Noelle, who becomes frustrated with Taylor's continuous sobbing and yells at her. Reed's suspicions eventually prove to be untrue, when Noelle finally explains the conditions under which Taylor and the others girls were — indirectly — involved in Thomas's murder (Taylor, along with Noelle, Ariana, and Kiran, had blindfolded Thomas then tied him naked to a tree in a field while he was drunk, and left him there as payback for the way Thomas had abusively treated Reed), and it turns out that Taylor's breakdowns were simply out of guilt for what she had done and what it had led to.
Taylor leaves Easton near the middle of the third book,Untouchable, and returns to her old public high school in Chicago. To explain her sudden departure, Noelle, Ariana, and Kiran tell Reed that Taylor was just under stress from the loads of homework and needed a break. At the end of the novel, Taylor instant messages Reed from her hometown, simply states that what Noelle and the others were saying about her wasn't true, then ends the conversation. Taylor appeared again in Paraidse Lost, explaining that Arianna had forced her to leave Easton, afraid that she would tell the police of what they had done, and Taylor admits, "I probably would have, too." Natasha Crenshaw, after hearing a few rumors, later explains to Reed that Taylor's parents withdrew her from Easton because they felt she was under bad influence there; they then changed her phone numbers and email addresses, thus explaining why Reed was unable to contact her.
At the end of the fourth book, Confessions, Reed learns that Taylor was arrested shortly after Ariana's admission.
In Inner Circle, it is revealed that Taylor used to be Ivy Slade's roommate before the latter left Easton.
In "Paradise Lost" Taylor also makes an appearance acccompanying Kiran.
Cheyenne Martin[]
A series antagonist, Cheyenne is a power-loving, controlling girl whose ambition is more aggressive than Reed's. She has a known and mutual dislike for Noelle, and seeks to take her spot as "leader" of Billings House. Cheyenne has blond hair and light eyes, and like most of the Billings residents, she is attractive. Reed's first encounter with Cheyenne is in Invitation Only, when Reed is forced to serve as a maid for all the Billings residents and finds herself cleaning Cheyenne's room. Cheyenne demonstrates her controlling personality by ordering Reed around and insisting that Reed attend to every little detail in her cleaning; when Reed makes a sharp retort, Cheyenne purposefully drops her face powder onto the carpet and orders Reed to clean it up. Reed notes that since then there was no love lost between her and Cheyenne.
In Confessions Cheyenne beautifully decorates the Billings lobby for Christmas, much to Reed's appreciation and Noelle's fury. Reed thanks Cheyenne for doing it, and it appears that the two of them have settled their dispute. Cheyenne also arranges a holiday party at her father's large summer home and invites the other Billings Girls, their boyfriends, and students from Barton Academy (another private boarding school, much like Easton) and manages to impress everyone with the fancy decorations and services. At this point in the series Cheyenne seems to like and be liked by everyone- except for Noelle- and she and Reed become friendly. Cheyenne shows concern for Reed when Reed is visibly overwhelmed by Josh Hollis's arrest and Thomas Pearson's death, and agrees when Reed firmly states her belief that Josh is innocent.
However, Cheyenne and Reed are thrown into conflict during the events of Inner Circle, when the new year at Easton begins. Intitiations become forbidden at the school at the start of the year; the headmaster assigns the new Billings residents — Missy Thurber, Constance Talbot, Sabine DuLac, Lorna Gross, Astrid Chou, and Kiki Rosen —instead of allowing the Billings Girls to extend invitations. Therefore, the Billings Girls no longer have any control over who gets to live in Billings, something that Cheyenne cannot accept.
Cheyenne disregards the rules and continues to hold hazing rituals for prospective residents of Billings House. She openly states that the newest residents are not fit to live in Billings, and starts doing everything she can to make three of the girls — Lorna, Constance, and Sabine — want to leave. She favors Astrid and Missy (Missy is a legacy- meaning her mother and sister were in Billings- and Astrid was already an acquaintance of Cheyenne's) and helps them with the hazing by giving them easier tasks and pointers.
When Reed protests the hazing and the way Cheyenne unfairly treats the new girls, Cheyenne insists that Billings traditions must be maintained and becomes ruthless. This makes Reed determined to stop Cheyenne from mistreating the newest residents, and a series of small battles between the two of them follow.
Ivy Slade makes her first appearance in the series in Inner Circle, and Reed learns that Ivy and Cheyenne have a mutual dislike for each other. Reed once glimpses a wordless encounter between Ivy and Cheyenne, and observes Cheyenne looking abashed and guilty as she walks away from Ivy.
Another factor that contributes to the enmity between Reed and Cheyenne is Cheyenne's flirtatious behavior toward Reed's boyfriend, Josh Hollis. Josh reassures Reed that there is nothing between him and Cheyenne, but toward the middle of the novel Reed catches Josh and Cheyenne as they are about to have sex. When Reed bursts into the room, Cheyenne attempts to be snippy about the situation and dismissively orders Reed to calm down. Distraught and outraged, Reed slaps Cheyenne across the face and tearfully breaks up with Josh, who appears to be disoriented.
The next morning, Josh manages to catch up with Reed, who is furious with him; he tells her that he had a seizure the night before and has just returned from the hospital, and that he could hardly remember what he was doing when he was with Cheyenne. Josh — who suffers from a mood disorder and must take a variety of medications daily — says that he suspects someone had drugged him by slipping something into his case of medications; he recalls seeing an odd blue pill with spots on it among the others, but had taken all the medicines in one gulp before noticing the pill. He suspects that the blue pill was what drugged him and made him unaware, and begs Reed to believe him; she refuses.
A downward spiral eventually follows, as Cheyenne is soon exposed by an unidentified resident of Billings, and is expelled from Easton as a result of her disobeying the rules. Distraught by her expulsion and accusing Reed of exposing her, Cheyenne is later found dead in her room, having committed suicide by drug overdose; she leaves behind a note in which she states that she just couldn't go home. Reed notices that there are pills matching Josh's description on the floor near Cheyenne's body, and concludes that these are the very pills that Cheyenne used to first drug Josh and then kill herself. Hours later, Reed receives an email from Cheyenne that was sent prior to her suicide, in which Cheyenne states: "Ignore the note. You did this to me. You ruined my life."
In Legacy, Reed is haunted by e-mails that are sent through Cheyenne's email address several times a day; each of the emails states the exact same message Reed had received on the morning after Cheyenne's suicide. After Reed changes her e-mail address, she stops receiving the emails but finds herself seeing Cheyenne in different places throughout the novel: once at Cheyenne's own funeral, and once at the Legacy.
At the Legacy, a very drunk Reed finds herself in Ivy Slade's room (since the Legacy was being held at Ivy's mansion) and discovers pictures of Cheyenne and Ivy ranging from elementary school age to high school age, looking like the best of friends. Reed is frustrated by this, since the two girls had made it clear that they hated each other. From that moment on, Reed stated that she was sick of lies.
In Ambition, Ivy informs Reed that she and Cheyenne were best friends since early childhood; she explains that in their sophomore year, Cheyenne expressed her desire for the both of them to get into Billings together, and Ivy went along with it only for Cheyenne's sake. As part of a hazing ritual, Cheyenne, Ivy, Noelle, Rose, Kiran, Ariana, and Taylor were all told to sneak into Ivy's grandmother's house and steal a valuable heirloom. When they broke into the house, the burglar alarm system went off, waking Ivy's grandmother up and causing her to have a heart attack. Cheyenne and the others went into a panic and urged Ivy to leave with them before the police arrived, but Ivy wouldn't leave her grandmother to die so she stayed behind with her and was arrested. Ivy explains that her hatred for the Billings girls- Cheyenne, Noelle, and Ariana in particular- arose from the fact that they cared more for themselves than for her grandmother's condition, and that they left her behind to deal with the police alone. Her friendship with Cheyenne subsequently went sour.
It is also revealed that Cheyenne had kept the stolen heirloom- a valuable, decorative jewelry box belonging to Ivy's grandmother- and Reed recalls seeing it in Cheyenne's possession. Reed wonders how Cheyenne could have been so selfish and how she could have kept the box, knowing what she had done.
In Revelation, we officially learn that Cheyenne's death was murder, not suicide, and Reeds takes comfort in the fact that Cheyenne doesn't actually blame her for her death as stated in the emails that were on auto-send to her email account. We discover that Cheyenne was forced to kill herself by Sabine, who held a gun to her head and told her to take all those tablets to kill herself. We also find out that Cheyenne was having an affair with Dustin Carmichael - father of Amberly - two weeks before school started.
Thomas Pearson[]
Reed's first boyfriend at Easton, is a mysterious bad-boy with strikingly deep blue eyes and dark hair. Thomas comes off as a player yet also has a sense of recklessness and danger about him, which automatically draws Reed — as well as other girls at Easton — to him. He openly tells Reed that he disapproves of her spending time with the Billings Girls; however, he soon appears to have accepted her friendship with them upon seeing how important it is to Reed that she befriends them. He and Reed have a two to three-week fling — in which Reed loses her virginity — before trouble surfaces.
In Private, Reed quickly discovers that Thomas comes from a wealthy yet dysfunctional family, one that is devoid of affection and love. She also learns that Thomas is a drug dealer, a fact that all the students, save her, seemed to know. Shocked and upset that Thomas had kept this from her, she attempts to end things with him while he begs her not to and insists that he loves her. As penance, he invites her to a secret party in the woods later that night; upon her arrival, Thomas appears drunk and tries to force himself on Reed. Embarrassed and aware of the Billings Girls' presence, Reed rejects Thomas and frees herself from his grasp. He, in turn, abusively yells at her, pushes her to the ground, and mocks her for her wanting to befriend the Billings Girls. Noelle and the others, who have seen everything, come to Reed's aid and angrily reprimand Thomas for his behavior. They escort Reed back to her dorm and warn her to stay away from Thomas from then on, which she agrees to do.
The next morning, Thomas comes to see Reed in her room. Though at first she expresses her anger for how he'd treated her, she soon comforts him upon seeing him break down and cry. He apologizes for his behavior and admits that he has a problem with alcohol. He begs for Reed to stick with him and help him get through it. He invites her to brunch with his parents, who were coming to visit him later that day, and says that he had told them all about her and they couldn't wait to meet her. When Reed goes to wait for him outside his dorm later on, she happens upon Thomas's parents; she introduces herself but quickly realizes that they have no idea who she is. After waiting for Thomas for several minutes, Mr. Pearson goes inside his dorm to try to find him, but comes out a few minutes later alone and is furious that Thomas is nowhere to be found.
Thomas disappears at the end of the first book, a deception that Reed does not take kindly. Suspicions and shocking evidence related to his disappearance lead up to the events of a three-month scandal at Easton.
In Invitation Only, Reed finds a note from Thomas in her room; in it, Thomas says that he loves her but that she deserves better than him. He states that he is going to stay at a rehab center and get better, but doesn't mention the name of the place, saying that he doesn't want to be found. The police arrive on campus and begin questioning Thomas' friends about him. Reed, wanting to protect Thomas, does not mention the note when she is brought in for questioning.
At the end of Invitation Only, Thomas' dead body is found in a field near Easton, and in the third book authorities begin to question students about the murder. After handing the note from Thomas over to the police, she learns that Thomas had been killed several weeks before. Although some students speculate that, with Thomas being a drug dealer, a druggie had had something to do with his death, Josh Hollis- Thomas' roommate and best friend- soon becomes a suspect. Noelle, Ariana, and Kiran attempt to convince Reed that Josh has all the right motives, and that all the evidence points to him. Reed, who by the third book has already become Josh's girlfriend, refuses to believe them; Josh, however, is arrested at the end of Untouchable when the murder weapon- his baseball bat- is found with Josh's fingerprints all over it.
At Thomas' funeral, Reed angrily observes that Thomas' parents don't seem to be particularly upset by his death and are treating the funeral as an event. She also notices a dark-haired young man staring at her, and observes that he looks vaguely familiar. The Billings Girls confirm that the young man is Blake Pearson, Thomas's older brother, who so resembles him in looks. They matter-of-factly state that the two of them had hated each other, and that hatred had culminated into a huge fistfight at Easton two years before. Upon meeting Blake in Untouchable, Reed is unhinged when she realizes that Blake's voice sounds exactly like Thomas's.
Reed learns from Josh that Blake had an ongoing affair with the school secretary, Ms. Lewis-Hanneman, that had been widely known among the students for years but was kept secret from the school staff and board; during his sophomore year, Thomas had threatened to expose Blake's relationship with Lewis-Hanneman to their parents, which had led to their scuffle. When Reed learns that Blake and Lewis-Hanneman had met at Easton on the night Thomas disappeared and had proof that Josh was innocent, she tries to convince them to testify in court and have Josh freed. Lewis-Hanneman soon acquiesces, and Josh is freed.
After the news of Thomas's death arrives, Reed learns things about Thomas that he had never bothered to tell her. While speaking to Josh in Invitation Only, she mentions the note from Thomas; Josh tells her that the last place Thomas would go was rehab, and that he had been totally and completely drunk on the night he disappeared. Reed begins to realize that all Thomas had ever done was lie to her.
In the fourth book, the circumstances behind Thomas' sudden disappearance are revealed. On the way back to Easton from a party, Reed and the Billings Girls pause to take pictures; when Reed is asked to take a snap of the others, she happens to find a picture of a man's naked torso in Kiran's camera, and immediately recognizes Thomas's body. Frightened and suspicious, Reed demands an explanation and threatens to have the girls arrested. Noelle manages to calm her down and explains that the day after Thomas treated Reed abusively at a party, the Billings Girls tied up and blindfolded Thomas while he was drunk; using Josh Hollis's car, they took him to a field near Easton and tied him to a tree, shirtless (thus explaining the pictures in Kiran's camera, which she thought she had deleted). There they changed their voices and taunted him, then went back to Easton when he passed out. Reed, horrified, then accuses the girls of killing Thomas by leaving him in the cold, while Noelle insists that they loosened the ropes binding him to the tree before leaving, so that he could free himself when he woke up. Noelle assures Reed that they never killed Thomas, and had only treated him so because of the way he acted towards her at the party ("We did it for you, Reed.").
In Confessions it is revealed that it was Ariana Osgood who killed Thomas. Ariana manages to corner Reed on the roof of Billings House, where she admits to murdering Thomas, whom she had been involved with prior to Reed's arrival at Easton. She claims that at the start of the year, Thomas had promised to reveal their long-time, secret relationship to everyone at the school; she implies that in previous years, Thomas had been seeing various other girls while dating Ariana, but that he had promised her this year would be different. Thomas, however, broke up with Ariana upon meeting Reed, even though he had professed his love for Ariana. It is also revealed that the note Reed found in her room - which was supposedly written by Thomas- was actually forged by Ariana.
Ariana confesses that on the night she and the other girls tied Thomas up in the field, Ariana, who insists that she really loved Thomas, felt bad about leaving him out in the cold and later went back to free him. When she reached the field and removed his blindfold, Thomas- who was still drunk- began insulting her, calling her hateful names, and telling her that she would never be good enough for him. He also threatened to turn her and her friends in for what they did to him. Ariana claims that she couldn't take his abuse and picked up Josh Hollis' baseball bat, intending only to threaten Thomas with it. When he continued to insult her, she did the first thing she could think of to make him stop - she bashed Thomas on the head until he was dead.
Josh Hollis[]
Josh is the blond-curled, blue-eyed roommate and best friend of Thomas Pearson. Although Reed's contact with Josh is minimal in the first book, at the beginning of Invitation Only Josh appears to be grim upon seeing Reed with Walt Whittaker, and by the end of the book his attraction to Reed is confirmed. He becomes Reed's boyfriend in Untouchable, when at the same time, the Billings Girls try to convince Reed that Josh is the guilty party in Thomas' murder.
In nature, Josh proves to be a caring and sensitive boyfriend to Reed; he finds ways to distract her from the pressures of Thomas' murder and the scrutiny of the students, and while in his company Reed finds herself relaxed and content. Josh, like Thomas, cannot understand why Reed spends time with the Billings Girls and why she's so desperate to please them; this drives them apart in Confessions, though they soon reconcile.
At the end of the second book, Thomas' corpse is found in a field near Easton, and in Untouchable authorities begin to question students about the murder. Noelle, Ariana, and Kiran attempt to convince Reed that Josh has all the right motives, and that all the evidence points to him. The evidence eventually turns against him at the end of Untouchable, when Noelle and the others call the police and have Josh arrested.
In Confessions Reed learns from Josh that Thomas' brother, Blake, had an ongoing relationship with the school secretary, Ms. Lewis-Hanneman. Josh reveals that he had seen Lewis-Hanneman and Blake together at Easton on the night that Thomas disappeared, and they could therefore testify in court on his behalf in order to prove that Josh couldn't have killed Thomas. Reed enlists Dash McCafferty's help to try to convince both Lewis-Hanneman and Blake to testify and have Josh freed; but the task proves to be difficult when Lewis-Hanneman states that by testifying she would have to reveal her relationship with Blake, and risk losing her job at Easton and ruining her marriage. She soon acquiesces, however, and Josh is freed. He returns to Easton later in Confessions and resumes his relationship with Reed.
In Untouchable Josh reveals that he suffers from a mood disorder, which requires him to take various medications each day. This controls his mood swings, but also causes him to have the wrong reactions to certain situations (for example, Reed notes that when Thomas's body was found, Josh seemed oddly calm instead of devastated, as he should have been).
In Inner Circle Reed and Josh confess their love for each other. However, Reed soon becomes jealous when she notices that Josh has been spending time with Cheyenne Martin, Reed's nemesis, and that Cheyenne is openly flirtatious toward Josh. Josh reassures Reed that there is nothing between him and Cheyenne, but toward the middle of the novel Reed catches Josh and Cheyenne as they are about to have sex. Distraught, Reed slaps Cheyenne across the face and tearfully breaks up with Josh, who appears to be disoriented.
The next morning, Josh manages to catch up with Reed, who is furious with him; he tells her that he had had a seizure the night before and just returned from the hospital, and that he could hardly remember what he was doing when he was with Cheyenne. He says that he suspects someone had drugged him by slipping something into his case of medications; he recalls seeing an odd blue pill with spots on it among his other pills, but had taken all the medicines in one gulp without thinking anything of it. Josh swears to Reed that he loves her and that he would never cheat on her, and begs her to believe him; he suspects that that unknown pill was what drugged him and made him unaware of what he was doing with Cheyenne. Reed is reluctant to believe him, even though it is obvious that Josh is still in pain from the seizure, and refuses to get back together with him.
At the end of the novel, Cheyenne is found dead in her room after being expelled from Easton. Reed notices that there are pills matching Josh's description on the floor near Cheyenne's body, and concludes that these are the very pills that Cheyenne used to first drug Josh and then kill herself. In the flurry over Cheyenne's suicide, Josh concernedly asks an emotional Reed if she is alright; she in turn apologizes for not believing him, and the two of them patch things up.
In Legacy, there are a series of arguments and a few fights that go on between Josh and Reed, mostly centered around Reed becoming president of Billings House and becoming as conceited as the other Billings Girls. Josh invites Reed to the Hollis family reunion in Maine, and Reed says she will go, even though attending the reunion doesn't appeal to her. Reed forgets about the reunion when she agrees to go on a road trip with Noelle, and Josh admonishes her when she decides to go with Noelle instead. When Josh gets back, however, Reed feels guilty for blowing Josh off and they reconcile.
During the Legacy party, Josh asks Reed to leave with him a little early, and when Reed refuses, Josh gets mad, saying that Reed knew he didn't even want to be at the Legacy (he had stated earlier that he was bored of getting drunk and fooling around every year). He also says that he thought Reed would want to leave a little early considering that they were supposed to be in love. Reed, who has worked hard to get Easton students to the Legacy, gets angry with Josh for not understanding that she wants to stay and have fun with her friends, and for not feeling proud of her for all her efforts to secure invitations to Easton students. Josh appears let down and hurt, and points out that he thought Reed had been different from Noelle and the others and that he now sees that she is becoming just like them. With a tone of finality, he states that Reed must now make a choice: it's either him or the Billings Girls. Before Reed even has a chance to answer, Josh walks away, giving Reed (who is very drunk) the impression that he has dumped her.
Reed becomes very distressed at this, and her fun ends there. Shortly after, Reed ventures up to the roof and comes face-to-face with Dash McCafferty. Reed, who wants to let go of all the hurt caused by Josh, lets Dash kiss her. They are about to have sex when Josh walks in on the tent they are in and walks away. Reed chases after him and tries to explain that she didn't know what she was doing. Josh says that he came up to the roof to apologize to Reed because he felt bad about what he had said, but that he takes it all back after seeing Reed half-naked under one of his best friends. He officially breaks up with Reed and says that as of right then, he never wanted to see her again. He walks away with Reed calling after him, but he doesn't look back.
In Ambition Reed and Josh have broken up, and Reed is not taking it well. Josh begins to treat Reed coldly and indifferently; at the beginning of the novel, when she approaches him and tries to apologize for what happened at the Legacy, he rejects her. Reed asks him if he will tell Noelle what happened between her and Dash, and Josh, though apparently disgusted that Reed would dare to ask that question, replies that he won't.
Josh also appears to be growing closer to Ivy Slade. He flaunts his relationship with Ivy in front of Reed, and out of jealousy she starts to date other guys but realizes that none of them are like Josh. After an encounter with Dash toward the middle of the novel, Reed realizes that she truly loves Josh and not Dash, and she becomes furious with Josh for being with Ivy. Though he notices that Reed is seeing other people, Josh chooses to ignore it and never even glances at Reed whenever they cross paths, which hurts her feelings.
At the end of the book, Josh is seen holding hands with Ivy, thus confirming that they are together.
In Revelation, Josh finally confronts Reed and apologizes for his recent behavior. Though he seems to have moved on, it is evident that he still cares about Reed and finally accepts her apology for what happened at the Legacy. At Kiran's pre-birthday bash, Josh finds Reed and tells her that he received her Christmas present (Reed was his Secret Santa) and wants to go somewhere to talk. Reed brushes him off because she is in the midst of outing Sabine, and so Josh goes over and overhears Sabine's confession. He finds out that it was Sabine who drugged him back in Inner Circle and that Reed too had been drugged when she cheated on him with Dash. When Sabine brings out her gun and points it at Reed, Josh shoves Gage and jumps in front of her, but Sabine closes her eyes and fires anyway. The cliffhanger suggests that someone was shot.
In Paradise Lost it is revealed that Josh pushed the gun away from Reed, but it then hits Ivy. It is also revealed that at this point of the story there is no hint that Josh and Reed will get back together, but it is hinted that they both, even through all the things they have been through, still love each other.
At the end of Suspicion, he greets Reed, Ivy still by his side. Reed looks to him for some kind of sign, but all he gives her is a blank expression. He hadn't contacted her over winter break at all. He is curious when he sees Reed smile at Sawyer though, showing that he is not over Reed.
In Scandal, Josh is still going out with Ivy. When Headmaster Hathaway makes the students go to a dance, Josh and Graham Hathaway, the headmaster's son, get into a fight over Ivy dancing with Graham. The next day, Josh and Graham are no where to be found. Later that night, Josh shows up to Reed's door instead of Ivy's - who is next door - and tells Reed where he was. It turns out he spent the night in the infirmary and Headmaster Hathaway woke him up at 5:00 a.m to start his all day detention. He was sweeping the basement rooms of "Hell Hall" alone with Graham all day in silence. Josh also explains that he loved Ivy, but not like how he loved Reed, by saying that Ivy will never be Reed. Josh and Reed touch foreheads and he tells her he loves her, even with Ivy sleeping next door, and Reed tells him the same in reply. Then, they kiss. Josh and Ivy break up and Reed and Josh go out.
Constance Talbot[]
Reed's talky, informative roommate during her stay in Bradwell Hall, with emerald-green eyes, curly red hair, freckles and is of Irish descent. Though her bubbly personality initially irritates Reed in Private, in the subsequent novels Reed observes Constance's kind, sweet nature and feels guilty for the cold and indifferent way she had treated her previously; the two of them soon become close friends.
Constance confides in Reed about her long-time crush on Walt Whittaker, her parents' friends' son. When Whittaker begins to show interest in Reed, Constance becomes upset and jealous, though Reed insists that there is nothing between her and Whittaker. Upon seeing Whittaker and Reed on a date, Constance accuses Reed of backstabbing her and says that she was sorry she ever tried to be friends with Reed. Reed, who feels guilty about both betraying Constance and leading Whittaker on, openly tells Whittaker that she would just like to remain friends with him and that there is someone who might better suit him.
Despite her anger, Constance shows concern for Reed when the news of Thomas Pearson's death arrives, and the two of them forget about their earlier scuffle. Constance and Whittaker begin dating in Untouchable, and Constance becomes a Billings Girl in the fifth book Inner Circle, at the start of her junior year.
Sabine DuLac[]
A newcomer in the fifth book, and a junior. She transfers to Easton from Martinique, but despite her French accent she is fluent in English. Like most of the Billings Girls, Sabine possesses physical beauty with light brown skin, dark hair, and green eyes; she is Reed's new roommate, and the two of them become friends. Sabine is attracted to Gage Coolidge and tries desperately to get his attention, despite warnings from Reed to stay away from him.
After hearing a lot about Noelle from Reed and the other Billings girls, Sabine is- like everyone else at Easton- eager to meet and impress Noelle. However, Noelle takes little notice of Sabine, which disappoints her; when Reed begins to spend more time with Noelle, Sabine feels left out, hurt, and jealous and develops harsh feelings for Noelle. When Reed becomes President of Billings and begins to work hard to please the other residents (namely Noelle), Sabine firmly advises Reed to take a stand as leader and do what she feels is best instead of what Noelle feels is best.
In Ambition, Sabine tries to convince Reed that Noelle, who takes an open dislike to her, is trying to take leadership of Billings away from Reed and possess it for herself. Though Reed does not believe her, Sabine's suspicions ultimately prove to be correct.
In Revelation, Sabine appears to be Reed's only true friend. But, when Reed and Ivy team up to find Cheyenne's true killer, they discover that there is much more to innocent Sabine than anyone every knew. The two go into Sabine's room because they think Amberly - her new roommate - killed Cheyenne, since Cheyenne had an affair with Amberly’s dad. While in there, Ivy knocks over a picture of Sabine’s in which she is posing with her mother, Ariana Osgood and what appears to be Ariana's father. Reed is stunned that her "best friend" knows and apparently is friends with the girl who almost killed her and murdered Thomas Pearson. In a rage, Reed leaves for Kiran's pre-birthday party bash, where she knows Sabine is waiting for her. It is revealed that Sabine is Ariana Osgood's sister and has been out to get Reed ever since she arrived at Easton. She forged the note that was supposed to be from Dash, took the video of Reed and Dash, slipped ecstasy into their drinks during the Legacy, and stalked Reed. She also murdered Cheyenne. At the end of the book Reed says that Sabine is just like Ariana and Sabine says, "Maybe I am just like my sister, Reed." She then points a gun at Reed and says, "But unlike Ariana, I am going to finish this." Before she can pull the trigger, Josh Hollis jumps in and tries to knock Reed out of the way, resulting in a cliffhanger ending to the book. She murdered Cheyenne by holding a gun to her head and making her overdose on pills with a blue, speckled design on them. Also, Sabine made Josh take blue-speckled pills as well on the night when he and Cheyenne hooked up.
It is also found out that Sabine was Reed's stalker. Ever since Cheyenne died, Sabine has left little "presents" for Reed to find in remembrance of Cheyenne, to make people think that it was Reed who killed Cheyenne, when it was really Sabine. She leaves Reed forged e-mails the night that she died and so on and so on. Then, she leaves Reed the black marbles from the vote. Next, she pins up Reed's only photo of Cheyenne up on her wall. After that, she puts some of Cheyenne's clothes into Reed's closet. And after that, she switches Reed's perfume with the scent that Cheyenne used to wear. Then, she destroys Reed's dorm in Pemberly. Later in the book, Sabine also started to stalk Ivy Slade.
Natasha Crenshaw[]
A Billings Girl, and Reed's former roommate at Billings. Natasha is African-American, and is described as having a body straight from a Victoria's Secret catalog. Reed notes that like most of the Billings Girls, Natasha is beautiful. Though they clash at first, she and Reed become good friends in the third and fourth books, when Natasha becomes a source of comfort for Reed and helps her cope with Thomas Pearson's death and Josh Hollis's arrest. Natasha is revealed to be a lesbian in Invitation Only, and to have had a longtime relationship with fellow Billings Girl Leanne Shore. She graduates at the end of Reed's first year and matriculates to Dartmouth, but the two spend the summer at her family's ranch at Martha's Vineyard.
Dash McCafferty[]
Noelle Lange's tall, blond, handsome long-time boyfriend. Dash appears amused at seeing Noelle and her friends force Reed into initiations. Though his contact with Reed is minimal in the first three books, in Confessions Reed goes to Dash for help when she tries to prove Josh Hollis's innocence, and from then on she and Dash are sort-of friends. Unlike the Billings Girls, Dash believes that Josh is innocent and reacts angrily when Noelle and her friends condemn Josh. He graduates from Easton before the events of Inner Circle and attends Yale.
In Inner Circle Reed notes that she had seen Dash over the summer, and guiltily recalls a moment in which Dash leaned down to kiss her, before Reed remembered that she "had a conscience" and pulled away. When the new year begins at Easton, Reed receives emails from Dash, asking her how she is; Reed is surprised that Dash is emailing her and even more surprised that he seems to know all of the things happening at Easton. Dash does not mention Noelle in the emails, and Reed, who has not heard from Noelle for nine months, follows suit. The two of them continue to flirt via email for the next several weeks.
In Legacy, Dash arrives at Easton for the Alumni Driscolli Dinner and informs Reed that he and Noelle are not together; he asks her if this means something to her. When Reed replies (untruthfully), that it doesn't, Dash appears hurt and upset, confirming that he has fallen for Reed. Reed (who has also developed feelings for Dash) doesn't want to hurt Dash's feelings and asks if they can still be friends. Dash smiles grimly and leans down over Reed as if he's about to kiss her; when Reed doesn't pull away, Dash replies sarcastically, "Yeah. We're friends." He later emails Reed and gives her information relating to the Legacy, and remains friendly with her.
At the Legacy, after Josh has seemingly broken up with Reed, Sabine DuLac passes Reed a note that says, "Meet me on the roof." Reed has no idea who wrote the note, but she ventures up to the roof anyway, and comes face-to-face with Dash. Dash gazes at her longingly and states that he had been watching her all night. He pleadingly says that Reed is all he thinks about and that he can't keep up the "friends" charade anymore. Reed, who wants to forget about all the pain of her break-up with Josh, lets Dash kiss her. They almost have sex before Josh walks in on them and Reed runs after him.
After this, Reed intends to go to Noelle and confess everything that happened between her and Dash. When she pulls Noelle aside, Noelle states happily that she and Dash have gotten back together. Reed is aghast by the news and is left wondering what Dash's intentions had been toward her.
Reed's first encounter with Dash in Ambition is at a New York restaurant, where he arrives to have dinner with Noelle and his parents; he appears jittery and nervous upon meeting Reed, who happens to be on date at the restaurant. By this point Reed has realized that she truly loves Josh and not Dash, but she, too, is nervous to meet him and worried that Noelle might found out about what happened between them.
At a benefit party for Billings, a video of Reed and Dash at the Legacy is text-messaged to Noelle and other Easton students by, later revealed in Revelation, Sabine. After a heated confrontation from Noelle, Reed leaves the party and comes face-to-face with Dash, who has come to join Noelle at the party. She tells him that Noelle has found out about them; concerned, he offers to drive her back to Easton, but she declines and states that they should not be seen together. They wish each other good luck on dealing with Noelle and Dash leaves.
Walt Whittaker[]
A well-spoken senior who returns to Easton in the second book, fresh from a tour of East Asia with his family. Friendly in nature, Whittaker (a.k.a. Whit) is known for his old-fashioned way of speech and gentlemanly ways. He frequently spends time with Dash McCafferty, Gage Coolidge, and Josh Hollis, who are nice to him but don't consider him a part of their circle — a fact that clearly hurts Whittaker, though he keeps his feelings to himself. He stands at six-foot-four and is slightly overweight; Reed befriends him, to the encouragement of the Billings Girls, in order to get an invitation to the Legacy party. He is initially attracted to Reed, and pursues her by openly giving her gifts and asking her out on dates. However, things don't work out between them, as Reed was just using him to attend the Legacy. They part on good terms, and he later starts to date Constance Talbot, the daughter of his parents' friends, whom he had known for years. He graduates from Easton some time between the events of Confessions and Inner Circle, and matriculates to Harvard.
Whitaker helps Constance during the first task of Cheyenne's cruel initiations in Inner Circle by sending her an old Easton uniform, which only gets Constance in more trouble for accepting help from an outsider.
Gage Coolidge[]
Gage is a tall, dark-haired boy with a large ego and a known appetite for food and women. He is shamelessly self-centered and tends to be loud and blunt. He frequently spends time with Josh Hollis, Thomas Pearson, Dash McCafferty, Walt Whittaker, Trey Prescott and the Billings Girls. When Josh is arrested for killing Thomas Pearson, Gage, along with Dash McCafferty, refuses to believe that Josh is guilty and remains loyal to him (which is, according to Reed, his one redeemable quality). Though Reed — and indeed, everyone else at Easton — isn't particularly fond of Gage, she is apparently used to him being around.
In Inner Circle it is revealed that Gage had kept an ongoing physical relationship with Ivy Slade before the latter left Easton. When Ivy returns to Easton, she and Gage resume their relationship, which appears to be based on little more than physical attraction and sex.
The "Twin Cities"[]
London Simmons and Vienna Clark - nicknamed the "Twin Cities" by the Billings residents- are two brunette, ditsy Billings Girls with ample cleavage and questionable intellect. Known for their shallow, ignorant natures, the two of them are best friends and are often indistinguishable from each other.Vienna is said to be a bit smarter than London, but neither are very smart. The two seem incapable of real emotions and focus on cheering up everyone else around them.
Melissa "Missy" Thurber[]
A blond, stuck-up, condescending girl with large nostrils, she becomes a Billings Girl in Inner Circle. She is friends with Lorna Gross and her mother and sister are alumni of Billings, which in the first four novels makes Missy confident that she will be invited to live in the dorm. In the first four books Missy lived in Bradwell Hall — where Reed also lived — until she receives an invitation to Billings. Out of the six new Billings residents in Inner Circle, Astrid Chou, Kiki Rosen and Missy are the only three whom Cheyenne Martin deems worthy of living in Billings. Upon meeting Missy, Reed immediately picks up on her stuck-up attitude and both girls have a mutual dislike for each other. Like many other students, Missy has also shown a certain fear of — and respect for — Noelle Lange.
Lorna Gross[]
A girl who becomes a member of Billings in Inner Circle. She is best friends with Missy Thurber and copies Missy in every aspect, often out of desperation for Missy's approval. Lorna is described as having small features, bushy eyebrows and kinky brown hair. During the summer before Junior year, Reed notices that Lorna has gotten a nose job.
Astrid Chou[]
A quirky new girl who becomes a member of Billings Hall in Inner Circle. She has short black hair and dark eyes. Astrid is British; she transfers from Barton Academy — which is another private boarding school — to Easton because she got kicked out of Barton for smoking. Astrid and Reed meet through Cheyenne Martin at a party in the fourth book, Confessions, and become friends. Reed initially observed, upon meeting Astrid, that Cheyenne and Astrid were best friends. Astrid later tells Reed that she and Cheyenne are merely acquaintances and hardly know each other. However, out of the six new Billings residents in Inner Circle, Astrid, Kiki Rosen and Missy Thurber are the only three whom Cheyenne deems worthy of living in Billings.
In Revelation, Astrid is one of three Billings Girls who remains friends with Reed after Noelle kicks her out of Billings (The other two being Sabine and Constance). Also in the novel, Reed learns from Josh that she was kicked out of her old school because she slept with her history teacher. However, she is sworn to secrecy on this, because Astrid doesn't want Trey (her secret boyfriend) to find out what she did. Astrid claims that it would be too weird if anyone found out, as Trey was Cheyenne's boyfriend before she was killed.
Kiki Rosen[]
A girl with pink and blond hair who becomes a member of Billings in Inner Circle; she previously lived in Bradwell Hall, Reed's old residence, along with Missy Thurber, Lorna Gross, and Constance Talbot, and she and Reed are friendly. She is known for almost always having her iPod in her ears and playing her music at a deafening volume. Her father is a wealthy computer magnate.
Rose Sakowitz[]
She is the red-haired, petite, freckled roommate and best friend of Cheyenne Martin. Rose is kind to Reed during her hazing period in Invitation Only, and unlike Cheyenne, who turns against Reed in Inner Circle, Rose remains friendly with Reed. She has a skilled at tennis, but is also known for her sloppy habits and knowing how everything works around Billings, a fact proven when Reed asks Rose where the black marbles used in the initiation ceremonies are, after she finds them in her room (planted by Sabine).
Portia Ahronian[]
An olive-skinned, dark-haired, green-eyed Billings girl with a fondness for acronyms, texting, and gold jewelry. She likes to wear green, which is her signature colour. She is of Middle Eastern descent and her father is a multi-millionaire with a shady background.
Tiffany Goulbourne[]
A Billings girl with ebony skin and short black hair; author Kate Brian based her character on the winner of the "Be a Billings Girl" contest. Tiffany has a passion for photography and makes her first appearance in the fifth novel, Inner Circle. She gets along well with Reed, and is notorious for always having her camera on hand. Tiffany is often envied by the other Billings Girls for the close father-daughter relationship she shares with her famous celebrity photographer father, Tassos.
Blake Pearson[]
Blake is Thomas Pearson's older brother by two years. In the beginning, Blake started out as a college student. At Thomas' funeral, Reed notices a dark-haired young man staring at her, and observes that he looks vaguely familiar. The Billings Girls confirm that the young man is Blake Pearson, Thomas' older brother, who so resembled Thomas in looks. They matter-of-factly state that the two of them had hated each other, and that hatred had culminated in a huge fistfight at Easton two years before. Upon meeting Blake in Untouchable, Reed is unhinged when she realizes that Blake's voice sounds exactly like Thomas'.
In Confessions, Reed learns from Josh that Blake had an ongoing affair with the school secretary, Ms. Lewis-Hanneman, that had been widely known among the students for years but was kept secret from the school staff and board. During his sophomore year, Thomas had threatened to expose Blake's relationship with Lewis-Hanneman, which lead to their public fight. Reed also learns that Ms. Lewis-Hanneman and Blake had met at Easton on the night Thomas disappeared; they had run into Josh as well, and could therefore testify in court and have Josh freed from jail.
Reed finds Blake's email address at Columbia University and emails him, stating her condolences for Thomas' death and asking him to help free Josh. When Blake doesn't reply, Reed enlists Dash McCafferty's help and together they come up with a way to get Blake to come to Easton so that they can talk to him face-to-face. They break into Lewis-Hanneman's computer and, pretending to be Lewis-Hanneman, send an urgent email to Blake asking him to come meet her. When Blake arrives, Reed and Dash confront him. Blake's hatred for his brother is obvious in his attitude, as he states that Thomas was a good-for-nothing drunk who constantly embarrassed Blake and their parents. He tells Reed and Dash that Ms. Lewis-Hanneman was the love of his life, and that she refused to speak to him after the night of Thomas' disappearance and wouldn't take his phone calls or messages. He states that even though Thomas was dead, he still managed to mess up the one good thing in his life (Lewis-Hanneman). When Reed angrily asks him whether he cares enough to want to help identify his brother's killer and help an innocent person, Blake says that he couldn't care less and that Thomas was better off dead. With that, he storms off.
Ivy Slade[]
Ivy is a girl who returns to Easton in Inner Circle, having left during her junior year. She is the first known person to have ever turned down an invitation to Billings, and carries an obvious vendetta against the Billings Girls. She is described as having long black hair and blue eyes, and, as is common with most of the Billings Girls, physical beauty. Upon encountering Reed for the first time, she surveys Reed coolly and tauntingly states that she knows all about her.
The Billings Girls, who all heartily dislike Ivy, inform Reed that Ivy had kept an ongoing physical relationship with Gage Coolidge before she left Easton. When Ivy returns to Easton, she and Gage resume their relationship, which appears to be based on little more than physical attraction and sex. Reed also learns that Cheyenne Martin and Ivy have a mutual hatred for each other but does not discover why.
In Legacy, when all Easton students are denied invitations to the Legacy party, Reed discovers that Ivy is behind it and that the Legacy is being held at Ivy's mansion, with Ivy as host. Upon seeing that Reed and the Billings Girls have arrived at the party, Ivy appears livid. When Reed finds herself in Ivy's room hours later, she discovers pictures of Cheyenne and Ivy ranging from elementary school age to high school age, looking like the best of friends. Reed is frustrated by this, since the two girls had made it clear that they hated each other. From that moment on, Reed states that she is sick of all the lies.
In Ambition Reed and Josh Hollis have broken up, but Reed is not taking it too well. Josh appears to be growing closer to Ivy, and by the end of Ambition, Reed sees Josh holding hands with Ivy, who appears triumphant and gloating, and realizes that they are together. Reed also begins finding some of Cheyenne's possessions in her room but has no idea how they got there; she soon begins to suspect that Ivy has planted these things in her room in order to mess with her head, and also gets the feeling that Ivy is stalking her.
Reed learns that Ivy left Easton for a year to be with her grandmother, to whom she was very close, because her grandmother's health was deteriorating; she returned to Easton when her grandmother died.
When the police and Cheyenne's parents begin to suspect that Cheyenne's death was not suicide, Reed is pulled in for questioning and notifies the police of Cheyenne and Ivy's hatred for each other. Ivy confronts Reed later on and tells her that she knows Reed had been in her room at the Legacy and that she knows Reed told the police to question her. When Reed demands to know why Ivy is treating her with contempt since they barely know each other, Ivy implies that she hates all Billings Girls and that she is going to make sure Billings is brought down.
At a benefit that Reed hosts to save Billings, a video of Dash and Reed together at the night of the Legacy is text-messaged to the entire Easton student body. Noelle and all the other students see it and they turn against Reed. Reed assumes that it is Ivy who took the video and sent it to everyone.
Later on, Ivy informs Reed that she and Cheyenne were best friends since early childhood; she explains that in their sophomore year, Cheyenne expressed her desire for both of them to get into Billings together, and Ivy went along with it only for Cheyenne's sake. As part of a hazing ritual, Cheyenne, Ivy, Noelle, Rose, Kiran, Ariana, and Taylor were all told to sneak into Ivy's grandmother's house and steal a valuable heirloom. When they broke into the house, the burglar alarm system went off, waking Ivy's grandmother up and causing her to have a heart attack. Cheyenne, Noelle, Ariana, and the others went into a panic and urged Ivy to leave with them before the police arrived, but Ivy wouldn't leave her grandmother to die so she stayed behind with her and was arrested. Ivy explains that her hatred for the Billings girls—Cheyenne, Noelle, and Ariana in particular—arose from the fact that they cared more for themselves than for her grandmother's condition, and that they left her behind to deal with the police alone. Ivy's grandmother survived the heart attack but was never quite right afterward, and Ivy turned down the invitation to Billings and left Easton to stay with her; her friendship with Cheyenne subsequently went sour. Though Ivy does not directly state it, it is implied that she killed Cheyenne and is now planning to kill Noelle, and this is assumed by Reed.
In Revelation, Ivy occupies the room next door to Reed after she is kicked out of Billings into a single at Pemberly. At first, Ivy and Reed continue their dislike for one another, yet towards the end of the book, the two girls unite in trying to solve the mystery of Cheyenne's murder; Reed as it's the only way to clear her name, and Ivy because she still cares for Cheyenne, as she was "the best friend I ever had". It is soon revealed that she is very handy with a computer, earning her the title of "Computer Diva". When the two girls unite, Reed feels stupid because she destroyed the Billings disk without making a copy. Ivy then takes on her "Computer Diva" role and finds the temporary file stashed on the computer. This is how they come to suspect Amberly Carmichael of killing Cheyenne, because she had an affair with her father, Dustin Carmichael. They went to Sabine’s room because they think Amberly—her new roommate—killed Cheyenne, since Cheyenne had an affair with Amberly’s dad. Ivy knocks over a picture of Sabine’s. Ariana was in it, along with her dad and mom. It is revealed that Sabine is Ariana's sister, and that she was the one who took the video, sent it to the student body, and forced Cheyenne to kill herself.
In Paradise Lost it is revealed that Ivy was injured by Sabine, who had shot at Reed. Ivy then begins recovery in a hospital.
Trey Prescott[]
In the fourth novel, Trey is introduced as the squeaky-clean but hot new boyfriend of Cheyenne Martin. The beginning of Inner Circle reveals that he and Cheyenne have broken up, and Trey, unlike Cheyenne, is still visibly upset over that and is moody and cold toward Cheyenne. Trey is just as irritated as Reed when Cheyenne begins to flirt with Josh Hollis, who also happens to be Trey's new roommate.
Revelation reveals that Trey has been secretly dating Astrid Chou.
Amberly Carmichael[]
Amberly is the daughter of the owner of 'Coffee Carma'. She comes to Easton during Legacy and is very friendly to Reed; she gives Reed a 'Carma Card' (for free coffee) and claims that she and Noelle are old friends. After the latter returns to Easton, Reed and Noelle need a way to sneak the Legacy party crowd off campus. Amberly and her friends stage a fight, creating a diversion that gets everyone off campus with out getting caught.
In Revelation Reed gets kicked out of Billings and Amberly squeezes her way in, becoming the youngest girl to ever live there. Amberly's behavior towards Reed changes dramatically, and she asks Reed for the Carma Card back. She is nasty to Reed in the Dining Hall, leading Reed to say that she wanted to keep the Carma Card as a souvenier, because it might be a collectable after Starbucks destroys her Dad's business. Amberly then asks Reed for the copy of the Billings Disk, which doesn't actually exist. Reed refuses to give it to her, and so Amberly trashes Reed's room in Pemberly Hall looking for the non-existent disk. She does find the Carma Card and the remainder of Reed's stash of Billings cash.
At the beginning of the book Reed suspects Amberly, but it is revealed by her two best friends that she had an alibi. Reed also notices that Amberly is starting to look more and more like Ariana. When Reed and Ivy team up to find Cheyenne's murderer they find out that Cheyenne had a short affair with Amberly's father, which leads them to believe that Amberly was the killer after all. However, in the end Reed realizes that Amberly is innocent.
Marc Alberro[]
Marc makes his debut in Ambition as a potential candidate for Reed to date. In "Revelation" it is revealed that Marc had a huge crush on Cheyenne his freshman year. He sent her presents and watched her as a secret admirer. The Billings Girls found out who it was when he sent her 14 roses in 14 vases, earning himself the nickname "Fourteen-in-Fourteen Flower Boy". Cheyenne then confronted him about it at his dorm, in front of all his friends. He said it was the most embarrassing thing in his life.
Upton Giles[]
A popular British boy who Reed meets in St. Barth's, Upton is described as a highly attractive, well-muscled young man with light-brown hair. Confident and witty, he is pursued by many young women, including Reed, who initiates their romantic relationship after he takes an interest in her. However, Reed eventually questions Upton's ability to commit following a string of incidents involving other people in his life, along with several matters which lead her to label him a social player. He was, and still is according to her, still dating Poppy Simons. At the end of the book, Paradise Lost, Poppy finds Reed and Upton in bed together, and runs off in tears. Upton, being the gentleman/jerk he is, follows after her, leaving Reed alone. In Suspicion it is revealed that he ran after Mrs. Ryan because they had an sexual relationship in the past and he was worried she might have been upset seeing him with Reed.
Paige Ryan[]
A girl introduced in Paradise Lost who harbors a dislike for Reed throughout the book.She is described as having auburn hair and green eyes.She has a twin brother, Daniel Ryan, who was revealed to be Ariana Osgood's boyfriend in Last Christmas.In Paradise Lost, As the novel progresses it is shown that the more Upton Giles seems to have an interest in Reed, the more Paige continues to dislike her. Paige is the grand-daughter of Jessica Billings, who founded Billings House. She was the president of Billings before Noelle.
Poppy Simon[]
Poppy first appears in Paradise Lost. She was a gorgeous British girl with short, curly golden hair and carefree nature. She is described as "wacky" and everyone loves her for her changeable and brilliant charms. She is also very brave and adventurous; going off alone, sailing and hot-air-ballooning. Poppy loves Upton and believes him to be hers hence the reason she hates Reed who Upton takes an interest in. Half way through Paradise Lost Poppy, broken-hearted by Upton's rejection, runs away. Most people on St. Barths were not worried as she apparently often left without warning to do whatever she wanted. The longer she was missing however the more everyone gradually worried. She did turn up again though and said she had gone to one of the other islands for a break. During this whole time, Reed had been getting gradually more afraid that she was being stalked again and she suspected Poppy. None of her other friends took her seriously though and said it was natural after every thing Reed had been through she would be a bit paranoid. Reed continues to suspect Poppy though and after Poppy walks in on Reed and Upton in the Ryans bedroom Reed is pushed off the boat by someone. Naturally, Reed suspects Poppy and publicly accuses her, but it is revealed to have been Mrs. Ryan.
Sawyer Hathaway[]
Sawyer Hathaway first appears in Paradise Lost, A quiet, moody bookworm Sawyer is the odd one out of the St. Barths crowd. He,unlike his brother Graham, seems to be taking his sister's death, which occurred a couple of months previously, particularly badly. Reed feels sorry for him and at one stage of Paradise Lost tries to get him to join in. He, quite rudely, turns her down. In Suspicion it is revealed that Sawyer was the one who saved Reed after she was pushed off the boat by Mrs. Ryan. Through the book Reed and him gradually become friends, and Reed finds he can understand her more than anyone else because he has known tragedy and knows what it's like to feel alone. At the end of Suspicion, Sawyer saves Reed again after Mrs. Ryan makes one last attempt to kill Reed. At the end of Suspicion it is announced that Mr. Hathaway decided to take the job of headmaster at Easton Academy and Sawyer and Graham would also be starting at Easton that term.
Footnotes[]
- ↑ 'Private' poll behindthepulse.com. Retrieved on January 18, 2007
- ↑ 'Private' Review from 'Publishers Weekly' powells.com. Retrieved on August 23, 2007
- ↑ 'School Library Journal' Review schoollibraryjournal.com. Retrieved on March 10, 2008