“Who are you waving at, Celia—oh,” said Touchstone. “That guy. Fish Eyes.”

“It’s Blade!” said Jess. “Celia, wait—you really know him? I thought Touchstone was making it up!”

“I sort of know him,” I said.

“Really?” said Audrey. “Do you think you could get me like ten minutes with him? I’ve seen him around Arden, but I never want to interrupt him, and I want to ask him some questions about agents.…”

“He’s coming over here!” said Jess.

I sat on my towel and pulled out my copy of A Tale of Two Cities. I wondered, again, if it would be strange to put my overalls back on. Oliver was getting closer. I opened A Tale of Two Cities to a random page. I was going to talk to Oliver Teller in my bathing suit. And he was going to be in his bathing suit. This was fine. This was all fine.

“Hey! Celia. Funny running into you here,” he said. He was shirtless again, which I tried not to notice and failed miserably. His bathing suit seemed shorter than a usual men’s bathing suit. It was black, printed with funny shapes—squiggles and doodles in shades of lavender, mint, and pink.

“Oh, hi,” I said, and stood up without putting my book down, just in case I needed it for an emergency in the middle of this conversation. “What are you doing here?”

“Our director thought it would be good cast bonding for us,” he said. “Unfortunately, she brought a lot to drink, and she’s just been fighting with her ex-husband, so it’s not exactly going the way that I wanted. What about you?”

“Just… here with some friends,” I said, as though they weren’t all staring at us like drooling dogs. At him, rather. “These are they,” I said.

“Hiya,” said Oliver, waving hello politely.

“Hi,” said the chorus back to him.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Audrey said.

“I’m a big fan!” said Jess. “Go, Soul Crushers!”

That was exactly how I’d greeted him from inside the tree, but of course, when Jess said it, it sounded totally normal.

“Thanks so much,” said Oliver. “That means a lot!”

There it was: the completely normal human interaction I was incapable of having with him.

“Does anyone want to get in the water?” said Touchstone. “Celia?”

“I need to warm up a little more,” I said.

“I still have lines to learn,” said Audrey.

“I want to go in,” said Jess, who helped Ros to their feet.

“I heard there was a snapping turtle in there, so I’ll pass,” said Oliver.

“So much for living on the edge,” said Touchstone, and jumped in with a splash.