Noelle Lange

Noelle Lange is a main character in the Private series.

Background
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.

Biography
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.