“I never even read for Cordelia!” Stevie exploded. “The only reason he cast me was to mess with Kat, to hurt her.…”

“Why would he want to do that?” Erik asked, sounding baffled.

Everyone looked at me, and I could tell that they were all waiting for something. Some explanation, something to put this in context, something that would let them know that there was still order in the world as they understood it. Because, I realized as I looked at the list, at my name on the bottom like an afterthought, they still thought that the emperor was a great guy, wearing a really nice suit.

I let my eyes roam over the paper one last time and felt a pang—not a huge one, but it was there. The kind you get whenever you say goodbye.

And then—because there was no other reaction, really—I threw my head back and laughed.

“Kat?” Stevie asked. I could hear in her voice that she clearly thought my disappointment had caused some kind of psychological break.

“I’m fine,” I said, shaking my head, trying to get control of myself. But I was, I realized. I was fine. And what’s more—I was free. “Really, I’m good,” I assured my best friend, looking right into her eyes so that she would know I meant it. “Anyone have a pen?”

Jayson handed me his, and I took a breath and stepped forward. There, at the bottom of the list, right next to my name, I carefully wrote, I would prefer not to.

I took a step back and smiled as I looked at it, then handed Jayson his pen. “Thanks,” I said, and he nodded, still staring at me like he wasn’t sure who I was or what was happening.

I headed toward Stevie’s car, and she fell into step next to me. I glanced back at all the other seniors, most of whom were still looking gobsmacked. I had a feeling that as soon as we drove away, the speculation would begin—and I had no doubt a new group thread, but this one without me, was already being put together. “Congratulations,” I said as we both got into Nikola. Stevie paused, hand hovering near the ignition, and gave me an anguished look. “I mean it.”

“I didn’t want it. You know that—”

“Of course I do. But he didn’t give it to you just to mess with me.”

“Partially, at least.”

“Well, maybe a tiny bit. But you’re going to be great. You’re going to be so good. And I’m going to be cheering you on.”

Stevie nodded, and looked at me for a moment, then smiled.

I smiled back at her. It was going to be okay. We would make it okay.

Stevie started the car and I folded my legs up underneath me. “Breakfast?” she asked.