Apparently ~ wlw

She rests her chin on her arms, staring up at me through dark eyelashes. "Why would I want to help with whatever this is?"
"Have it all, lose it all," I respond carefully, turning to the row of shelves just to give my eyes somewhere else to look. The old books are an unhelpful distraction. My skin prickles. I can FEEL her stare, and he worst part is, I don't hate it. "If I figured this out alone..."
I don't need to go further. I hear the chair scrape as Aster stands. I hold my breath, waiting for the door to creak shut or her delicate footsteps to echo in the halls leading away.
"You've got a deal," she whispers from right behind me.
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Lia James is a genius. At least, in her small town in Washington everyone thought so. Sent by her parents to Orenwood Academy for Girls, she learns quick enough that it isn't like all the pamphlets claimed. And she isn't top of the curve... she's always coming in second to a mysterious girl named Aster Brownlow.
When Lia discovers a clue that could unravel the academy's secrets, she knows she can't solve it alone. But Lia's only used to the kind of danger that comes from a chess game, or reading a thrilling novel. This isn't a book, and Lia knows it.