‘Oh,’ Owen says. ‘Shit, you caught me. Been fantasizing about you this whole time. And now you’re dressed as the Joker? I’ve always had a secret Batman kink.’

‘I knew it!’ Josh teases. ‘Boathouse in ten minutes?’

‘See you there.’ Owen’s deadpan delivery is impeccable.

‘Honestly, Owen.’ Chase grins. ‘You better not come out as gay. You’re our token straight guy. We need you for diversity points!’

‘It’s true,’ Josh says. ‘I explicitly forbid you from kissing any boys!’

‘I’ll try my hardest,’ Owen says.

I catch a glimpse of Ethan out of the corner of my eye. I’d almost forgotten what’s about to happen to him, but now, knowing that moment is coming, it’s hard to focus on anything else. In just a few minutes, he’s going to find out that his private pictures are all over the internet. It feels wrong to just stand here, knowing it’s coming, and do nothing.

Maybe I should do something. My gaze drifts across to Kellen.

Maybe we should do something.

I know I said I was gonna stay out of his way and do my own thing, but this feels important. This definitely warrants calling a temporary truce. I excuse myself from the others and head over. Rhys is loudly talking about tax breaks, and Tiffany and Ethan are hanging on every word like he’s their actual messiah. I hadn’t noticed before, but Kellen has toned down his look from last night. He’s swapped the bare chest for a plain white shirt, and he’s swapped the heels for flats. His suit still has a little sparkle in it, but that feels like just about the only part of his personality still showing. He’s clutching Rhys’s arm maybe just a bit too tightly. And Rhys’s body language seems off. As if he wants Kellen to let go.

‘Can we talk?’ I ask. Tiffany scowls as if disgusted by my presence.

‘I’m kinda busy,’ Kellen says dismissively.

‘It’s important,’ I say. ‘It’s about … you know.’

‘OK, fine,’ he says, breaking away from the others. ‘I’ll be right back.’

Tiffany looks at him as if to say don’t hurry.

‘OK, what is it?’ he says as soon as we’re out of earshot.

‘I think we should talk about what’s about to happen.’

Kellen sighs. ‘I already know what’s going to happen, Zach. I messed up yesterday. Now I’m gonna fix it. That’s it. I don’t know why you’re caught up in this too, but I need to focus on myself. I want this night to go perfectly, and right now you’re messing with it.’

‘By talking to you?’

‘By interrupting me,’ he says. ‘I was in the middle of a conversation.’

‘About tax breaks,’ I reply. ‘Do you even know what those are?’

‘I’m not an idiot, Zach.’

‘I’m not saying you are. I’m just saying you’re not a part of that world.’

‘Because I’m on a scholarship? You sound just like them.’

‘I’m just saying you don’t belong with them. You’re better than they are.’