Priti bats my arm away with a small glare. “I’m not delusional, Apujan. Oh my God. Just … Chyna … invited me and Ali to her birthday party next weekend. It was nice of her to invite us.”

My eyebrows shoot up. “So … from the fact that you’ve suddenly decided Chyna is your best friend, I guess you’re going?” Priti looks away, like she’s really thinking about it very hard.

If you have to think about a party that hard, you probably shouldn’t go. Although that’s not worth much coming from someone who never gets invited to parties.

“I think so,” she says finally. “I mean … Ali’s going. And it sounds like it’ll be fun … plus!” She suddenly turns to me with a smile and bright eyes. “It’s like … she’s extending a … what’s the word? A hand and—”

“You forgot the word hand?”

“Shut up!” She hits me lightly on the shoulder and sits back, the smile still on her face.

“I just feel like … I don’t know, she’s changed from back then—”

It wasn’t that long ago.

“And she’s making an attempt, you know? To make amends. I have to meet her halfway, don’t I? Isn’t that my responsibility?”

Personally, I think Priti is blathering on about nothing to justify going along with Ali, but I know better than to say that.

“Did she say she was sorry?” I ask instead.

“Well, no. But it was a long time ago.”

“Priti … remember the other day when you told me I should be careful? About the Flávia stuff?”

“This isn’t the same. It’s completely different.” Her words tumble out so fast that they run into each other.

“Did you know that Flávia and Chyna are cousins?”

That seems to stump her because she looks up at me with wide, disbelieving eyes.

“You’re lying.”

“I’m not lying, Flávia told me.” Which is obviously the wrong thing to say, because Priti narrows her eyes in a glare.

“You know that makes it worse, right? You hate Chyna, so by extension shouldn’t you also hate her cousin?”

“You’re the one going to Chyna’s birthday party.”

“Yeah, but that’s a party, there’ll be lots of people there. I’m not fantasizing about kissing Chyna.”

“I’m not fan—”

“Look, I’m only going because Ali is going, okay? And she’s going because her boyfriend is going and—”

“You didn’t tell me Ali had a boyfriend,” I say. Her first boyfriend, in fact. Priti looks away, like this isn’t something she wants to discuss any further. She picks up her English book and begins to flick through it like it’s the most exciting thing she’s ever come across.

“You should have told me. I know it can be weird when—”