Then Andrea is making her way around the room, saying, “You’re no fun. You’re no fun. You’re no fun,” tapping each of us on the head as she goes.

The volunteers step forward and lift us up and make us bounce, and Saffron says, “Don’t be scared.”

Pav is still doing it, laughing now, and following Andrea around the room.

Emily shrugs and says, “Why not?” and she jumps, and I try it, just once, and feel awkward for stopping.

It feels like the first few moments of dancing when you know everyone is watching. And then it feels like the next few hours, when you don’t care.

Before we realize it, we’re bouncing all over the place, and I’m laughing, crashing into walls and sofas and people. After the last few weeks, it feels like a weight has been lifted. It feels like I’m floating.

And then Andrea yells, “Stop!” and we do, and I’m clinging to Jennifer’s shoulders, and we’re both gasping and giggling and smiling at each other.

“Okay,” Andrea says. “Stop where you are and talk to whoever is next to you. Stop acting like kangaroos and start acting like people.”

Chapter 64

“That was clever,” Jennifer says.

We’re all sitting down again, everyone talking to someone they used to do their best to ignore.

I look over at Emily, who is chatting with the Slovakian girl, Maya, and they are laughing like they’ve been friends for years.

Mr. Humphries is talking to Yinka, Andrea to Pav, everyone to someone outside their clique.

“I can’t believe we did that,” I say, then I catch Jennifer looking at my head cam. “Can they see you?”

What I mean is did her parents sign the permission slip to unblur her face?

She nods. “I’ve watched some of it. I saw what happened to your window.”

That’s all anyone wants to talk about now, and I hope it’s not what I’m remembered for.

“What do you think of this place?” I ask, trying to change the subject.

Jennifer looks around and smiles. “It’s magical.”

I think back to dinner when she called it “orgasmic” but don’t mention that.

She seems different now, and if Emily’s right and she is pretending, I wish she’d drop the act. I like this version of Jennifer a lot more.

Later, Andrea tells us to mingle, and by the end of the night, I’ve spoken to practically everyone here. Even the boys, who rarely say anything in class, can’t stop talking. Forgetting to act cool, they are just normal.

When we go to our rooms, I push my bed in front of the door, because there’s no lock, and Emily says, “I don’t think you need to do that here.”