I turn back to the stage and see him kissing Rhys. Everyone has taken their phone out to capture the moment, but I’m not sure I want to remember this part of the evening. I don’t know what it is, but something about this just doesn’t feel right. My stomach twists as they hold the kiss for longer than feels comfortable. Kellen raises Rhys’s hand in the air to thunderous applause before they descend back into the crowd to meet a sea of well-wishers and congratulations.

‘Two guys winning?’ I overhear Tiffany saying to Miss Madzikanda. ‘It’s misogynistic. How is it progressive to muscle girls out of their right to win Prom Queen?’

‘Because one year it might be two girls,’ she replies. ‘When I was a student here, we wouldn’t have even dreamed of seeing two boys taking the crowns. I think you’re maybe forgetting the significance of that.’

‘It’s just a pair of plastic crowns,’ Tiffany replies bitterly.

‘And yet you’re this bothered by not getting one,’ Madzikanda replies. ‘I know you’re disappointed, but try to be happy for them. Rhys is your friend, right? Besides, you got to be here to see them make Oakbrook history. Put that on your Instagram.’

Yes, Madzikanda! Drag her!

Tiffany looks increasingly irritated. ‘Where’s Mr Harrington?’ she finally huffs, realizing she’s wasting her time with Madzikanda. ‘I’m going to demand a recount. That’s my right! That’s how democracy works!’

‘You do that.’ Madzikanda shrugs, watching her walk away.

‘Rainbow confetti?’ I say as soon as Tiffany is out of earshot. A few stray pieces still float in the air around us. ‘Something tells me that was your doing.’

She chuckles. ‘I wasn’t actually looking to take the credit, but …’

‘Well, it was hardly gonna be Harrington’s idea.’

‘I’m sure I don’t know what you mean,’ she says, twinkling. ‘I’m just glad we finally got to use it. I ordered it years ago. There was a young lesbian couple who were in the running. They didn’t win, but I’ve been loading it into the backup confetti canons every year since. Just in case. I can’t believe it’s taken this long. It’s about time it finally happened.’

‘You made history, miss.’

‘No,’ she says. ‘They did. Look how happy Kellen is. Makes it all worthwhile.’

I look over. Kellen has a huge smile on his face as he shows off his crown. Rhys seems a little awkward, but then that’s his default setting if he’s not on a rugby pitch. I still don’t understand how Kellen managed this, though.

‘I guess I should go and give them my congratulations.’

‘You do that,’ Madzikanda says with a smile.

I wait until there’s a break in the crowd of people and pull Kellen aside. ‘All right,’ I say, ‘enough games. How did you do it?’

He beams with a big mischievous grin. ‘I just switched out the ballots.’

‘What? When?’