All the teachers have come back out of the ballroom, ushering students outside through the lobby. Jarrod Price runs by me with the entire tray full of chicken. Mr. Harrison looks pale, his face drawn, and I feel a rush of guilt that I’m the one who did this.

Sophie Piznarski is by the concierge desk, holding her shoes in one hand, and when she notices me, she hurls herself toward me. “Keely! What’s happening? Is there a real fire?”

“Have you seen Andrew?” I ask her, which I realize is not a sensible response.

“What?” she asks, and suddenly her voice is high and wavering like she might cry. “Is he okay?”

“There’s no fire,” I say quickly, scanning the area behind her. People are rushing down the main staircase. Jason Ryder slides down the banister, laughing, and I can tell he’s drunk. Ava is with him, wearing his suit jacket over her bra, her purple hair all over the place.

“I have to go,” I say to Sophie, booking it over to Ava. “There’s no fire!” I call out again behind my back, hoping she’ll calm down. “Ava!” I almost crash into her.

“Everybody outside!” Mr. Harrison says, herding us toward the front doors. The crowd around us is growing and we get pushed through. The night air is warm and wet and things feel calmer now that the sound of the siren has muffled. I scan everywhere for Andrew but there are too many people and it’s too dark.

We spot Chase standing in the crowd and head over to him.

“Dude!” Ryder says. “Prom was so lit it caught on fire!”

“Were you smoking in your room?” Chase says, and Ryder grins.

“Is everyone okay?” Ava shouts.

“Everyone’s fine,” I shout back. “I pulled the alarm.”

They all gawk at me.

“What?” Chase asks. “Why?”

“Collins doesn’t break rules,” Ryder sputters to Chase, talking about me like I’m not even here.

“Where’s Danielle?” I turn to Ava. “Do you know what room she was in?”

“Is she trapped?” Ava asks, her eyes going big.

“She’s fine!” I say. “There’s no fire.” The crowd around us is growing and I know Andrew has to be out here somewhere, but I can’t see him through the mass of bodies. “What room were Danielle and Andrew in?”

“I can’t remember,” Ava says. “I can text her and . . .” She pulls open her purse and starts to dig through and then stops mid-sentence. “I forgot our phones broke when we fell in the lake. Sorry.”

“509,” Chase says all of a sudden.

“What?” I turn my attention back to him.

“Room 509, fifth floor,” he says. “She told me earlier. When we were dancing.” He looks slightly guilty. “It was like . . . almost like she wanted me to remember the room. She said it was her favorite number.”

“509 isn’t her favorite number,” Ava says.