Reed Brennan

**Reed Brennan** is the main protagonist of the *Private* series. Though an outsider at first, Reed quickly rises in status as the series progresses, winning a coveted place in Billings House and eventually becoming its leader.

## Biography

The series opens with Reed entering Easton Academy on a scholarship for her sophomore year. Reed is immediately awed by the prestigious and exclusive school, which provides a much-needed escape from her dreary hometown and alcoholic mother. Although she fails to connect with her new housemates, she quickly becomes intrigued by the residents of Billings House, the most elite dorm on campus. On her first night at Easton, Reed spies four glamorous girls through her window, dancing and having fun. Reed learns that these girls - Noelle, Ariana, Kiran and Taylor - are the most popular students at Easton, and as members of Billings, have access to luxuries and privileges the rest of the school can only dream of. Reed is utterly fascinated by their lifestyle, and becomes determined to join their ranks. Her obsession with the Billings Girls draws their attention, and, amused by her interest, they form a series of initiations to test her suitability as a potential Billings Girl.

Meanwhile, Reed enters into a relationship with a rebellious and troubled student named Thomas Pearson. Attractive and charismatic, Thomas is one of the most popular guys in school, but has problems with drugs and alcohol. Thomas, who despises the Billings Girls (a sentiment they return), entreats Reed to stay away from them, and Reed is constantly torn between both sides. Reed eventually loses her virginity to him, but their relationship remains turbulent, and is weakened further when Thomas disappears. The novel ends with Reed being inducted into Billings.

However, despite her seeming acceptance, Reed's hazing continues, and she is forced to perform chores for her new housemates. To make matters worse, she is blackmailed by her roommate Natasha Crenshaw into helping her get Noelle, Ariana, Kiran and Taylor expelled from the school. Reed struggles between her loyalty to her friends and her desire to stay at Billings, but eventually decides she cannot betray them and comes clean. Noelle reveals that the blackmail had actually been orchestrated by her as yet another test, and, having passed, Reed finally becomes a full-fledged Billings girl. Meanwhile, as Thomas remains missing, she is encouraged by Noelle and the others to involve herself with Walt Whittaker, a wealthy and influential student who can gain her access to the exclusive Legacy party. She does so in the hopes that Thomas will attend, and eventually gives up on him when he doesn't show. The group return from the party to discover that Thomas's body has been found.

As the mystery surrounding Thomas's death deepens, Reed finds herself growing closer to Josh Hollis, Thomas's former roommate and best friend. Their tentative romance is complicated by Josh becoming a suspect in Thomas's murder, particularly as Noelle seems keen to pronounce him guilty. Fortunately, Reed is able to exonerate him, but becomes suspicious of the Billings Girls' increasingly anxious behaviour when his name is cleared. Taylor, in particular, seems emotional, and ends up leaving the school altogether.

Reed discovers the truth about the Billings Girls' involvement in Thomas's death when she happens upon some pictures of his naked torso on Kiran's camera. Noelle reluctantly confesses that they had decided to take revenge on Thomas after he treated Reed abusively at a party, and had tied him up and left him in an empty field while he was drunk. She explains that the ropes were tied loosely enough for him to be able to escape, and so they weren't responsible for his death. Nevertheless, Reed is horrified, and refuses to speak to them. Later that evening, Reed goes onto the roof of Billings to make a phone call, where she is cornered by Ariana. Ariana reveals that she killed Thomas, as she had been in a relationship with him that had ended due to Reed's arrival at Easton. She then prepares to kill Reed, but is knocked over by Noelle, who had crept up behind with her lacrosse stick. The police arrive to take Ariana away, and Noelle convinces them to take her too, confessing her part in the events that lead to Thomas's death. After the traumatic events of the term, Reed decides not to return to Easton after Christmas. However, Noelle calls her from a rehabilitation centre and convinces her to change her mind.

## Physical appearance

Reed is a brown-haired, blue-eyed girl with an athletic figure. At 5'9", she is taller than most of her friends, with the exception of Noelle. She is described as beautiful by several characters and is evidently viewed as very desirable.

## Personality

Reed is intelligent, driven and capable. Her most prominent trait, however, is her ambition, which leads her to seek the approval of the Billings Girls and rise to the top of the student body. Though from a humble background, Reed is enamoured with the glamorous lifestyle of the Billings Girls and will do anything to partake in it.

## Appearances

* *Private*
* *Invitation Only*
* *Untouchable*
* *Confessions*
* *Inner Circle*
* *Legacy*
* *Ambition*
* *Revelation*
* *Paradise Lost*
* *Suspicion*
* *Scandal*
* *Vanished*
* *Ominous*
* *Vengeance*
* *Pure Sin*
* *Cruel Love*