“No, it does. I get what you mean.” We’re both putting ourselves in boxes for our families. They’re slightly different boxes, but still.

“I’ll tell them someday,” she says. “Just not right now.”

“That’s fine.”

“You still want to be my girlfriend?”

“Yeah,” I say, my grin splitting my face again. “Yes. Definitely. I definitely want to be that.” I giggle, for no other reason than that I’m absurdly happy. “Hey, do you remember when we were enemies?”

She laughs, rolling her eyes at me good-naturedly. “No. I do remember when I was really into you and you hated me, though.”

“Sorry I’m so dense.”

“It’s kind of cute,” she says. I close my eyes and hide my face in my hands because I think I’ll explode if I look at her for one more second. She laughs again, which I’m sure is because I look ridiculous with my camouflage hands. “I think . . .”

Nothing immediately comes after that statement. I slowly drop my hands from my face so I can see her again. “I think we shouldn’t talk about scholarship stuff,” she says seriously. “Not until after the ceremony.”

That brings me back down to earth a bit. “Are you sure?” There’s stuff I should tell her. Stuff about Mr. B, and how he’s been treating me, and how he’s given me special favors. Part of me wants to take this way out, and part of me recognizes that it’s a bad idea. “I know I told you a little bit about what’s been happening with me—” My throat tightens up so it’s hard to even say this. “But I should probably tell you more.”

“I don’t want to ruin this,” she says, and her expression is deadly serious. “We’re both trying to win, and if we talk about it, we’re only going to hurt each other.”

I chew on my bottom lip, contemplating my response. She does seem pretty certain about this. “You’re sure?”

She nods. “I’m sure.”

Relief washes over me. This will be okay. Future me will explain everything to her once the scholarship has been awarded. I’m wondering whether I can subtly take her hand, since my hands are still chameleon-ing, when Lina Gregory’s potion catches fire at the table next to us.