‘OK, now you’re being ridiculous,’ I say. ‘I understand why you might think I fancy Kellen … but Rhys?! When have I ever expressed interest in basic jocks like him?’

Chase cracks up. ‘It’s really easy to wind you up, you know that?’

‘Anyway, Kellen’s dead to me since he ditched us,’ I say. ‘He’s one floor up – it would take thirty seconds for him to come down and say hey.’

Kellen has a single room, making him one of the only Oakbrook students without a room-mate. Chase and I were very much his surrogates – he used to spend all his time in here – and now it’s like we never see him.

‘He could at least sit with us at lunch. Why does everything now have to be about Rhys?’

‘He’s just excited,’ Chase says. ‘He’s still in the honeymoon period.’

‘It’s been a year!’

‘He always wanted a boyfriend, Zach, and then he lands the hottest guy in school. I miss him too, but we’ve gotta let him have this. It might not be what you want, but at least try to be happy for him. That’s what friends do.’

‘I am trying,’ I grumble. ‘But Rhys is such a colossal meathead … and apparently nobody else sees it.’ I glance back down at my phone. ‘He got fifty-six votes, Chase. Fifty-six!’

‘Well, I’m not changing it. But if it’s any consolation, I didn’t vote for him.’

‘Who did you vote for?’ I ask, studying the results a little more closely.

‘Who do you think?’

‘Oh,’ I say. ‘Zachary Evans – one vote. Well, I appreciate the sympathy –’

‘No, you idiot,’ he says, laughing. ‘I voted for myself.’

‘You did?’ I check my tally to make sure I haven’t misread it. But no, it’s really there. Someone actually voted for me. ‘Maybe it was Bec?’

‘Nope, she also voted for me.’ He grins. ‘See: Chase Kwan – two votes.’

‘That can’t be right,’ I say, double-checking.

Did someone really vote for me? Over every other boy in school? That’s like voting for your favourite ice cream and deciding to go with vanilla. And not even the good kind. We’re talking about that bargain block at the back of the freezer that you forgot about until you were really hungry at 3 a.m.

‘Looks like someone has a secret admirer.’ Chase beams. ‘Who do you think it was? Josh perhaps? Maybe he wants to reignite the old flame …’ He nudges me as he says it.

‘There was no flame. I told you, we were just experimenting.’

‘With your pants round your ankles?’

‘Oh my God,’ I say. ‘We’re not having this conversation again.’