The room erupts into applause as a girl in a brightly colored toucan costume stands to shake her tail feathers. Asad holds up his hands in disbelief. I sink against the wall.

It doesn’t matter, I tell myself.

I turn to tell Piper the same thing, but she’s already halfway through the crowd, pumping her wheels toward Kenzie. I want to yell at her to let it go, but the red in her cheeks tells me the Piper ship has already sailed.

“Liar!” she yells.

“Excuse me?” Kenzie answers demurely, adjusting her kitty ears. “Last time I checked, you quit the drama club.”

“Kenzie, don’t play with me. I know Ava won.”

“And how do you know that?”

“Asad told us.”

Her head snaps toward Asad, who appears to be trying as hard as I am to melt into the drywall. Kenzie narrows her eyes at him and then turns back to Piper.

“Ava was disqualified.”

“Why?”

Kenzie toys with her long black tail, letting it slide between her fingers.

“Because it’s a costume contest. She already looks like that.”

A low murmur passes through the crowd as everyone in the room turns to look at me. I shrink as far back as I can, the normal in tonight’s normal high school party fading fast. I inch behind the drinks table, feeling like I might choke on the suddenly thick air.

“Are you really going to take out our problems on her? Are you that selfish?” Piper is seething.

Kenzie’s face flashes red as she drops her tail.

“I’m selfish? You’re the one using her to get back at me because you think I ruined your life.”

“You did!” Piper yells back.

Kenzie scoffs. “Sure. Blame me for everything. Convenient how you always forget who was supposed to be driving that night. Why didn’t you, again? Oh yeah, you were too much of a drunken coward.”

In one move, Piper reaches up and grabs the votes bowl from Kenzie, who yanks back on it hard, pulling Piper forward in her chair. Kenzie gives it one more strong tug, lifting Piper up like she’s sitting on a spring, and onto the carpet. The bowl flies out of both their hands, shattering on the stone fireplace.

The low back of Piper’s dress reveals her entire phoenix as she lies motionless on the floor. I want to help her, but I have become one with the wall. Asad has managed to break free, though, and reaches for Piper.

“I’m fine!” she screams. “Leave me alone!”

He lifts her anyway, placing her back in her chair. Kenzie steps toward her, but Asad wedges himself between them, pushing Kenzie back by her shoulders.