“That has nothing to do with why I am upset right now, but while we’re at it, yes! Yes, I’m still pretty pissed about last week, now that you mention it.”

He flinches at that. He really doesn’t understand, and I want to cry. Why is he bringing this up now? I can’t think about it on top of everything! I’ve never come up with a good reason why he would have run away from me that night, and I’ve never gotten brave enough to ask him. And now I’ve put it off too long, and I can’t do anything about that. But he’s still looking at me like he has no idea what’s wrong. And he really just said, I can see what they’re saying!

Deep breath. Another one.

“Okay. Look. Please. One thing at a time. Please.”

He reaches out his hand, but he drops it again.

“We’re getting an immoral-conduct hearing,” I say. “Me, and Nevaeh, and Katherine. We are being charged with immoral conduct. For the burlesque show. That you performed in.”

He pauses. “I wasn’t performing like that, though.”

“Like that? You were onstage with us! You had a microphone! You rehearsed! You rehearsed with us, and you put on two shows with us, and all you get is a slap on the wrist?”

“I wasn’t naked!” he snaps.

My head rockets back like he’s slapped me, and I stare at him. I don’t want him to have said that. I want to pretend those words didn’t come out of his mouth. He doesn’t get it.

“We weren’t naked, either, Jack,” I say, my voice surprisingly calm. “None of us were naked. Nothing about our bodies is lewd, or dirty, or any of the things they’re implying they are. Immoral, Jack. That’s what they’re saying. The thing that’s immoral, about this whole show, is our skin. And we’re going to get expelled for it.”

“It is terrible that they might expel you,” he says, and he reaches out again, but I step back.

“But you don’t see the double standard here.”

“Of course it’s a double standard—”

“But what you’re saying is that the double standard makes sense. Because they think we got naked and we shouldn’t have.”

“Of course not! I don’t care if you get naked, Addie—” And he stops when I laugh.

The shock of it. The hurt, burning bright. Irony.

“Well, that explains why you ran away when I pulled off my shirt, then, right?”

Ringing silence. I had not realized I was going to say it. I hadn’t meant to say it. His entire face has flashed red.

He picks up his bag, swings the door open, and leaves.

At least I have all my clothes on this time.