“Queen-bee status?” Ed lets out a loud bray of laughter. “No, she’s just naturally weird and uptight. She barely talks to anyone that isn’t Mr. B if she doesn’t have to.”

Huh. I assumed she was popular. It’s true that I’ve never seen her talking with anybody during any of our breaks. Maybe I just assumed that because she’s tall, blond, white, and thin. Basically, she looks like what every teen movie says the popular witch looks like.

“Guess I don’t have to worry about her sending minions after me, then.” I say that like it’s a joke, but I would be lying if I said the possibility hadn’t been a legitimate worry of mine.

“Minions? Who do you think she is?” He lands on the floor with a weighty thump. After he bounces up and down a few more times, it becomes clear that the potion has finally worn off. “Damn. I was into that antigravity shit,” he says, settling into a disappointed stillness. “Well, I gotta take a leak before Her Majesty starts rehearsal again. Later, skater.” He salutes me and jogs away.

A wave of exhaustion passes over me. Coffee. I still need coffee. My parents shared magic with me this morning so I had a little extra for my AP Transfiguration test, but the energy boost isn’t lasting enough to erase the fatigue I’m feeling right now.

A few minutes later, Mr. B, who has returned from the smaller music rehearsal he was running in his classroom, calls us all to gather at the front of the auditorium.

“Brittany tells me that you guys have been kicking this choreography’s butt,” Mr. B says, glancing around the circle of students.

Brittany harrumphs. “I definitely didn’t say that.”

“Yeah, she thinks we suck,” Ed calls from the seat he’s slumped into sideways. Mikey guffaws, then covers his face with his hand to hide it.

“Dang, Brittany, lower your standards,” Mr. B says, tapping her playfully on the shoulder with the back of his hand. “As for the rest of you, suck less. Sound good?”

Someone boos quietly from the other side of the group, and everyone chuckles, including Mr. B.

“Okay, so in the pursuit of you all sucking less,” Mr. B says, “we’re going to take some time to demonstrate parts of the choreography Brittany thinks people are confused about. Ana, can we borrow you for a minute?”

“Sure.” Ana hops up onstage, and then she and Mr. B demonstrate several chunks of the partnered choreography from “The Block Party.” Meanwhile, Brittany shouts commentary at the rest of the cast.

“See how her leg is straight there?” Brittany says, giving us all an accusatory glare. “That’s what I want.”