I yelped and sat up straight so fast I almost careened forward out of the armchair. “What?”

“Yeah, like she’s doing a whole keynote thing then a workshop with everyone and you can do a meet and greet. You’d get to meet her!”

My mouth worked as I tried to come up with the words to describe how badly I needed to go. I mean, I had to be there, it wasn’t optional, Oriella who lived in Florida was going to be an hour’s drive from me. I’d never have an opportunity like this. And a meet and greet? She could meet me, and know I existed in the same realm as her, breathing the same air as her? I could tell her all the stuff I’d learned, and what I did at school, I could even run some advice I’d given past her to see if she thought I’d made the right call.

The room was floating.

Or I was floating.

Ainsley flapped the dress. “Have you chosen party or present yet? Because screw a party, this is Oriella.”

I only had to briefly glance at Mom, who was cringing and trying to subtly shake her head at Ainsley, to realize it was too late.

“We’ve already gotten you a present,” Mom said slowly.

Ainsley pulled the dress into her chest and gave Mom an apologetic look. “Oh, oops.”

“That’s totally fine,” I said at the same time.

“But we have the receipt,” Mom went on. “Would you like me to exchange it?”

Her face was open and kind. There was no trap here, she definitely meant the offer, and a part of me was tempted to jump at the opportunity and thank her through elated squeals. It wasn’t a critique of their present-buying skills; this was just poor timing. There hadn’t been any way for her and Dad to know this was about to come up.

But at the same time, there was something so dirty about asking someone to exchange a present they’d bought for me. Mom and Dad had spoken—in what was probably a civil conversation—come to a decision, shopped for me, and bought something special for me, from them. It was a little less weird than asking for a receipt after opening a present to exchange it … but I didn’t feel like it was less weird enough.

“No, no, no,” I said. “Definitely not. Don’t worry about it.”

“You can just buy it yourself,” Ainsley said. “Right? You have money.”

“Of course,” Mom said dryly. “Your mysterious income source I only recently became aware of.”