Molly’s eyes are practically bursting out of their sockets. She begins to pace back and forth, waving her hands. Eleanor and I follow her frenzied pattern with our eyes. “No,” she says. “Nope. Bad idea. Terrible idea. Rose, you’re a lesbian.”

“Am I really? Why didn’t someone tell me earlier?”

“You can’t get married to Alfie! You can’t undo that kind of stuff. Not easily.”

“Is that so? And here I was thinking marriage was one of those easily reversed binding legal contracts.”

Molly gives me an exasperated glare. “I’m glad you think this is so funny,” she says. “Rose, seriously, don’t do this. Call William and tell him you aren’t marrying Alfie. Now.”

“I feel like you’re more upset about this than I am,” I say.

“I just found out my best friend’s sold herself off as a child bride, so yeah, I’m a bit upset.”

Eleanor snickers at this. I just lean against the mirror, my elbows resting on my knees. “That’s a little bit sensationalistic, don’t you think?”

“Don’t be a martyr.” Molly stares me down. She looks as though she’s about to cry.

I give a helpless shrug. “Does it really make a difference? Really? I was going to have to marry someone I don’t love sooner or later.” I can’t help laughing a little as I finish that sentence, and Molly looks even more alarmed. I get ahold of myself. “Danni will lose Bramppath if I don’t.”

“Which sucks. Of course it sucks. But, come on. Think about what you’re saying.”

“Does Alfie even want to marry you?” Eleanor asks.

But I barely hear Eleanor. Something about Molly’s words caught my attention. “So what you’re saying is it doesn’t matter if Danni gets expelled?” I ask slowly.

“I didn’t say it doesn’t matter—”

“Because it sounds like you’re saying you don’t want William to help her,” I continue.

“I don’t think it sounds like that,” Eleanor says meekly.

I ignore her. There’s something about Molly’s expression that’s bothering me.

“Not if it means you have to get engaged to someone you don’t want to be with,” Molly says, folding her arms.

“I have to sooner or later. Why not sooner?”

“We’re all gonna die sooner or later, too, but do you think we should hurry that up?”

“Danni’s supposed to be your friend,” I say. “Shouldn’t you be all for something that could stop her from getting expelled?”