“You need to change,” Eleanor says, apparently taking pity on Danni. That’s no fun at all, though.

“You have a stain on your shirt, Eleanor,” I say without glancing at her. “I’m not interested in your fashion opinion. Danni, on the other hand, could hold an audience with the prime minister herself right now.”

Danni studies me, and I’m certain I spot an air of suspicion. “I didn’t want to make a bad first impression,” she says finally. “I know I don’t … it’s just, the handbook said we have to dress up.”

“Well, you certainly did that,” I say evenly, biting back a smile. Her suspicion crosses into outright wariness, and Molly looks fit to strangle me, and I realize I’ve taken my teasing a step too far. “I’m obviously changing, Eleanor, don’t get your knickers in a knot,” I say, moving to close the door. Then, my conscience winning against my crabbiness, I pause and lock eyes with Danni. “You look nice, don’t fret.”

I pull out my most comfortable pair of cotton trousers—my dinnertime uniform—and a soft jumper. I glance in the mirror and discover I look how I feel, and I feel like a slug in salt.

“Rose, you better not have gone back to sleep! We’re going to be late!”

I dress and run my fingers through my hair in an attempt to smooth down the flyaways that formed in my nap. It is a categorically unsuccessful venture, but there’s little to be done about it now. I apply some deodorant, drape my gown over my arm, and throw my door open, just in time to see that Molly has started off toward the staircase, Eleanor and Danni watching after her. Fresh out of patience with me, it would seem.

I let my door fall shut behind me and trot after Molly, shuffling my gown on as I go. “Let’s go, then,” I say over my shoulder to Eleanor and Danni, who scramble to catch up with my brisk pace.

The four of us—five, if you include a recently roused Sidney—walk through the brisk cold of the evening to the dining hall and arrive, despite Eleanor’s fears, bang on time.

In the dining hall I end up seated between Harriet Tomas and Molly, with Danni and Eleanor directly across from me. It’s certainly not on purpose on either Molly’s or my end—I think she was angling to sit where Florence Chan is, a few seats down from me, but in the shuffle for places, she somehow ended up jostled in my direction. I nod at her while the headmaster leads the prayer, wondering for a brief, misguided moment if Molly at least plans on making polite small talk with me for appearance’s sake. Instead, she pretends not to have noticed my gesture, and fixes her gaze on the table.