“We need to go finish a thing before curfew,” I say, waving toward my friends.

“Finally!” Taylor says.

“And it’s rude to leave Ellory waiting,” I add, because I can’t resist.

“That’s the thing,” Gavin says. He reaches out for my hand, but I pull it back with a snap. His nothing words give me a whisper of, a hint of—something in my stomach. Which is ridiculous. “Can you give me just a minute?”

“For you? Never.” Obviously I am lying, though, because I’m still standing here.

“Still beautiful, still stubborn,” he says.

“Still leaving now,” I say, and manage to spin, but he stops me with a touch on my arm, which ruins my flounce.

“Meet me tomorrow at the end of the arts block?” he says in a low voice, quickly. “Before lunch.”

I shake my head. “Busy,” I say, and I turn away, tossing my hair, ignoring him, not looking back over my shoulder as if I am cool and calm and confident and self-assured and not at all rattled just because he smiled at me, and I still really like his smile, and I still really like when he smiles at me because he’s paying attention to me, because he’s acting like he wants to pay attention to me, because I am, what would Katherine say? A dingbat.

“What did Gavin the Jerk want?” Nevaeh demands as we get back in the elevator. She stabs the CLOSE DOOR button. I am positive that he winks at me from across the lobby as the door glides shut.

“Ugh, he is so cheesy,” Taylor says.

“That was an actual wink, wasn’t it?” I say to him.

“Of course it was,” Taylor says.

“At least it wasn’t finger guns?”

“Was he mean to you?” Katherine demands.

Was it mean that he just waltzed up to be mysterious? To be all, Oh, Ellory? That’s the thing. I know so much better than to get tangled up with him again, any worse than my brain is already stuck on him, wanting the kind of closure you get in romantic movies. No, wanting to win at the end, me triumphant, my foot on his back and my sword in the air and hearts in his eyes.

“Well, he was all charming at me,” I start.

“He’s such a louse,” Nevaeh says.

“Hot cream pie on the outside and maggots inside,” Taylor says.

“Taylor,” Katherine says.

“Not maggots exactly,” I say.

“Addie,” Nevaeh says.

I blow my hair out of my face. “He claims he wants to talk,” I say. “He made noises about Ellory.”

They all glance at one another. The elevator dings again for the next floor, and a group of theater kids get on. I can tell by the completely smooth, completely blank white masks they’re all wearing.

“Hi, creepy,” Taylor says to the one standing next to him. They raise their hand.