“You’re the most different.”

“How?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “It’s like we all left, and you let go—and you’re the one who drifted away.”

“That’s bananas,” Mags said. “I talk to you every day.”

“It’s not enough,” he said. “I’ve never seen this dress before.”

“You don’t like my dress?”

“No.” Noel shook his head. She wasn’t used to seeing him like this. Agitated. “I like it. It’s pretty. But it’s different. You’re different. I feel like I can’t get close enough to you.” He pushed his forehead into hers.

She pushed back. “We’re pretty close, Noel.”

He sighed, frustrated, and it filled her nose and mouth. “Why don’t you have a boyfriend?”

Mags frowned. “Maybe I do.”

He looked devastated and pulled his head back. “You wouldn’t tell me something like that?”

“No,” she said, “no—Noel, of course I would. I’d tell you. I just don’t know what you want me to say. I don’t know why I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“It’s going to get worse,” he said. “You’re going to keep changing.”

“Well, so are you,” she said.

“I never change.”

Mags laughed. “You’re a kaleidoscope. You change every time I look away.”

“Don’t you hate that?” he asked.

Mags shook her head. Her nose rubbed against his. “I love it.” They’d stopped swaying.

“Are we still dancing?” she asked.

“We’re still dancing. Don’t get any big ideas, Margaret.” He let go of her hand and wrapped that arm around her, too. “Don’t go anywhere.”

“I never go anywhere,” Mags whispered.

He shook his head like she was a liar. “You’re my best friend.” “You have lots of best friends,” she said.

“No,” he said. “Just you.”

Mags held on to his neck with both arms. She pushed on his forehead. He smelled like skin.

“I can’t get close enough,” Noel said.

Somebody realized that the song was on repeat and skipped to the next one.

Somebody else realized that Mags and Noel were gone. Natalie came looking for Noel. “Noel! Come dance with me! They’re playing our song!”

It was that Ke$ha song.

Noel pulled away from Mags. He grinned at her sheepishly. Like he’d been silly on the stairway, but she’d forgive him, wouldn’t she? And there was a party downstairs, they should be at the party, right?

Noel went downstairs, and Mags followed.

The party had changed while they were gone: Everybody seemed a little bit younger again. They’d kicked off their shoes and were jumping on couches. They were singing all the words to the songs they always sang all the words to.

Noel took off his jacket and threw it to Mags. She caught it because she had good hands.

Noel looked good.