Mr. Linski cleared his throat at the head of the class.

“Sorry,” Jaya said as she forced herself to walk toward the door, her cheeks warm. She was the only person left in class. “I’ll see you later, Mr. Linski.”

“Have a good day,” he called.

And Jaya thought, That won’t be possible for me.

Jaya ran to her room to grab a book she needed to study for her calculus final, which was after lunch. Daph, Leo, and Rahul would all be in the dining hall already. Grey had said yesterday he was going to be studying in the library. Jaya found herself thinking of him again, of what he’d said to her in English class, of the way his eyes had looked. So blue, so bright. Seeing right through all her fortifications. Stop it, she told herself. You want this to be a clean break.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. Setting her book on her dresser, Jaya pulled the phone from her pocket. It was Kiran, trying to video-chat her. She answered. “Hi.”

“Hello, Jaya,” he said formally, his face lamplit. She could see a window behind him, and a dark sky beyond. “Are you finished with your exams?”

“I have three more after lunch,” she explained, “which is where I was just headed.”

“And then the Homegoing dance is tomorrow.” Kiran’s eyes were watchful.

Jaya cocked her head. “How did you know about Homegoing?”

“You told me before,” Kiran said. “Don’t you remember?”

“No,” Jaya replied, but it was possible she had. Things had been a little hectic the past couple of weeks. “Anyway, I was thinking about skipping it, but Daphne Elizabeth is forcing me to go. It’s our last big event before the winter break, so I acquiesced.” She thought about how Grey had asked if she was going, and felt a spark of something like anticipation struggling to catch. She stomped it out immediately.

“I see.” Kiran smiled, but it was a grim, flat line. “I heard about one of the students there. The Emerson boy.”

Jaya stiffened. This was the first time Kiran had ever mentioned Grey. And calling him a “boy”? They were the same age, for God’s sake, and Grey was twice his size. “Oh yes?” she said, keeping her voice disinterestedly neutral, though her heart was beginning to pound. Had Caterina said something else to Kiran?

“I heard he had… ideas… about the two of you.”

Jaya felt the blood drain from her face. “Kiran—”

“Don’t worry. I know how to take care of people like that. People who can’t take a hint. Is he still bothering you?”