‘No,’ I say. ‘It’s not that I don’t want this to be our final day. Of course I do. Being asked to prom by you, Kellen? That was perfect. It’s just … I don’t know if I feel it yet? That feeling you’re describing. It’s like everything doesn’t quite make sense. Almost like I still have unfinished business?’

‘OK,’ Kellen says. ‘I’m listening …’

‘I still don’t know who kissed me. On that first night. The person in the mask.’

‘So you figured out it wasn’t Owen then?’

That brings me up short. ‘You mean … you knew?’

‘I wasn’t sure.’ Kellen sighs. ‘Not a hundred per cent anyway. But yeah, I suspected. It … it was his room-mate, right? That’s who the suit belonged to?’

‘I think so,’ I say. ‘But I still don’t know who that is.’

Kellen gives me a tight smile. ‘Think about it, Zach. Really think about it. How come I had a key to their room? Why would I have that?’

‘I don’t know,’ I say. ‘I just assumed you swiped it.’

He shakes his head. ‘You know how Rhys usually sleeps in my room?’

‘Yeah?’

‘Where do you think his actual room is?’

‘Oh my God,’ I say. ‘You mean … No, it can’t be …’

‘It is, Zach. I suspected it from the very first time we went in there.’

‘Then why didn’t you say something?!’

‘Because if I said it out loud, that would have made it real.’

‘So it was Rhys who kissed me?’ I wipe my mouth with disgust. ‘But why? Why the change of clothes? Why any of this?’

‘That first night? When he broke up with me? I was so upset that I threw the entire punchbowl all over him. Completely ruined his outfit.’

Now he says that, I do remember seeing the bowl on the ground just before the pig’s blood incident. I didn’t think anything of it until now.

‘So he went to change, then ran into me on the way back down? And thought what? That he could use me as his rebound? This whole time I thought it was some big romantic moment? And it was just … this?’

‘I don’t like it any more than you do, but yeah.’

‘Kellen, I’m so sorry. You know I would have never –’

‘I know, Zach. But he would. In fact, I think he’s always secretly had a crush on you.’

‘What makes you think that?’

‘How could he not? Have you seen yourself, Zach? You’re beautiful. Josh. Cameron. Rhys. I think Chase is just about the only queer kid at this school who hasn’t had a crush on you.’ He takes out his phone. ‘There’s also this. The school poll. Someone voted you for hottest boy, but it wasn’t Cameron, or Josh, or Owen. It was Rhys. It had to be.’

‘How can you be so sure?’