The room was silent for a long moment. On Lily’s side of the room, the candle flames danced in the darkness.

“Did you make that up?” Caitlin finally said.

Maria shook her head, though she couldn’t remember where she’d heard that story. She hadn’t realized she’d known it until just now.

Huh. Something didn’t feel right.

She took another long drink. Half a can, gone. Still, her alcohol haze was fading as quickly as it had come on.

Lily looked at her pointedly. Telling her to act normal. She was right. Maria blinked fast, trying to shake off this feeling.

“This is dumb,” Austin said. “Enough stupid stories. I dare two girls to make out with each other.”

Everyone laughed, louder than they should have.

“Which two?” Emily asked, giggling.

“Any two!” Austin looked hopefully up toward the bed where Lily and Tamika were sitting.

Maria and Lily locked eyes again. This was the only thing they still disagreed on.

Maria had wanted to tell everyone the truth from the beginning. From the earliest days—those first kisses at the end of long nights of talking; the startling discovery that yes, she really did like girls, too, and this girl in particular—Maria didn’t see the point of keeping it a secret.

Maria didn’t want her parents to know yet, obviously. Her mother was a state senator, and Maria didn’t think she’d take the news well, at least not until she quit politics. But no one bothered keeping secrets at Acheron. It was basically impossible when you lived on top of everyone you knew.

Besides, this was good news, wasn’t it? Weren’t you supposed to share good news with your friends?

Lily didn’t think so. After their fourth straight night of fooling around after lights-out, Maria mentioned that she’d told Brandon, and Lily freaked. She was positive word would somehow get back to her very conservative parents. She thought the guys at school would tease them and the girls would be grossed out. She was afraid Mateo would make them join the GSA and sit around every night talking about boring gay political stuff. She even worried it would hurt Maria’s mom’s reelection campaign.

Maria didn’t think it would be so bad if their friends knew. No one outside of school would have to find out. But she’d agreed to keep the secret since it was so important to Lily.

After all, it wasn’t as if Lily was being this way just to upset her. She knew how much Maria wanted to tell everyone the truth. There had been more than one night already this year when Maria had held Lily while she cried. Lily always said she wished she could come out, but she wasn’t ready. Maybe next year.

Maybe in a few years.