Grey opened his mouth, to say what he didn’t know, but nothing came out. He put a hand out to balance himself against the cold, rough bark of a towering pine. “I don’t believe you,” he said, his voice sounding distant and strange even to him.

Kiran chuckled again, and the raspy, superior sound made Grey want to crumble his phone with his bare hands. “I thought you’d say that. So I’ve sent you something via email. Why don’t you check it? I’ll wait.”

“How do you have my phone number? My email?”

“We have a mutual friend,” Kiran said, clearly enjoying this.

Jaya

Jaya had just braced herself for a full-body attack—trust Rahul to get it right—when Caterina’s face and shoulders sagged, like she was deflating. “I’m sorry too, Jaya. I’ve been fairly antisocial to you.”

Jaya studied Caterina’s miserable, remorseful face and realized she was telling the truth. “It’s okay. I understand.” Taking her arm, Jaya gently led her away, past the lanterns, into a dark corner. None of the dancers noticed them; it was like they were completely invisible. They sat on an extra table that wasn’t being used.

“You know what’s weird?” Caterina said finally. “Part of me is upset because Alaric dumped me, but the other part is just upset because he took something—some power—away from me by doing that. I was vulnerable, and he hurt me because of it. I don’t want other people to think I’m weak. I wish I didn’t care, but the truth is, I do.”

Jaya put her arm around Caterina. “Of course you care. It’s how we’re raised, isn’t it? We’re expected to keep up appearances no matter what. The pressure’s ludicrously exhausting. It’s really not fair when you think about it. We have more pressure on us by the time we’re six than most adults do their entire lives. And it’s only because of who our parents are. So yes. I understand.” Jaya paused, considering. “You should take up kickboxing at the athletic center, take out all your frustrations with Alaric in a socially acceptable way. It feels good to blow off some steam sometimes—to let your id show, as Ms. Rivard might say.”

Caterina glanced at her, a small smile at the corner of her lips. “Kickboxing does sound fun right about now.”

“So where’s your date, whatever his name is? I don’t think I have any classes with him.”

Caterina sighed. “Connor Davids. He took off with some of his friends. Apparently, I was being ‘boring.’ ”

“Wanker.” A brief thought flitted across Jaya’s mind: Whatever would Amma say?