“Did you just propose to Yazmin Guzman?” she asks.

I look back at the scene of the incident. “Oh, that?” I don’t know how to explain. “We were practicing a scene from class,” I lie.

I can tell she doesn’t believe me by the face she’s making. “I thought you and Anna were talking?”

“We’re just friends,” I say.

“Does Anna know that?”

I shrug. “I haven’t really gotten around to telling her.”

She laughs. “Maybe you should.”

“I looked at your Insta today. I like your food celebrities. My favorite is Chris Pine-apple.”

“Thanks,” she says, smiling. “I’m really proud of today’s post: Corn-teney Cox. And I don’t care what Anna says, I would rather be me and have no followers than be some fake version of myself.”

“You don’t have to be a fake version of yourself,” I offer.

“And you don’t either,” she says. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m late for my crystal knitting group at Starbucks.”

“Crystal knitting?” I ask.

“Yeah, we knit cozies for our crystals. See you,” she says, taking off.

I watch Meena cross the street. I admire her for being so self-assured. She knows what she likes, and doesn’t care what people think. Before getting on the subway, I walk through Times Square and snap selfies in front of Broadway signs. I take about a hundred pictures to get the right one, then spend the subway ride home writing a caption for my post.

Six

Six

Thursday, September 19

11:50 A.M.

I made the mistake of telling the lunch table that I was nervous about messing up my monologue. This confession has sparked a retelling of everyone’s most embarrassing stage moments.

“Remember when we did Singin’ in the Rain?” Juliet asks.

“With no rain,” Meena adds.

“I’m proud of my rain work,” Anna says, pretending to shield her hair from rain.

“August,” Jack says. Their hair has gone from pink to green. “Are you ready for the most embarrassing story of them all?”

“Does your hair change weekly?” I ask.

“I’m a mood ring, baby. I can’t hide my feelings. Anna, would you like to start the story?”

Anna crosses her arms. “No, and let the record show that it was Meena’s fault.”

“How many times do I need to apologize?” Meena asks, heavy on the dramatics.

“Who knows, and to be honest, I’m having trouble believing you’re actually sorry anymore.”

“And I apologize for that,” Meena says with an eye roll.

“Anyways, it was the freshman showcase,” Anna says.

Jack cuts in, “Everybody is there. You’ve seen the theater, August? It’s like a thousand hundred seats.”

“One thousand and twenty-three seats,” Meena corrects them.