“Harris likes playing bartender,” said Lolly. She turned to Trevor. “So where are you from, Trevor?”

“Ohio.”

“Shut up,” said Adrienne, pulling out her phone. “What’s your Insta?”

He told her and she searched him. He’d only posted three times since leaving home: an NYU banner; a selfie with his three suitemates; hippie musicians playing beneath the arch in Washington Square Park. The rest of his feed was high school. Church and dances and track meets and cast parties and camping. After a few seconds of scrolling, Adrienne turned her phone around and shoved it toward her sister’s face.

“Oh my God, he was Homecoming King?!”

Lolly plopped down on the sofa and patted the seat next to her. “Come sit, King Trevor. Tell me more about yourself.”

“I’m studying business.”

“No!” Lolly squealed, simultaneously feigning disappointment and delight. Ben nodded his head, amused. Even Claudia smiled.

“Is that true?” Claudia asked.

“No,” he said.

“OMG, you’re awesome. This guy is hilarious, Claudia.”

There was a knock at the door and Adrienne flitted away to answer.

“Who else is coming?” asked Harris as he handed Trevor the beer.

“I told everybody they could come by or meet us at the club,” said Ben. “The set starts at eleven and I’ve got Ubers coming at ten thirty.”

Adrienne squealed at the door and Lolly went to see who it was. Trevor drank his beer and asked Harris for another. Over the next hour, half a dozen more people entered the house. Everyone was up and hugging, dropping purses, finding drinks, taking selfies, sending messages. Ben opened a box that looked like a chess set but inside were weed vapes: “Party favors,” he announced, and passed them around. Harris shattered a wine glass, prompting applause. Finally Ben whistled—an impressive, practiced call—and it was time to get into the Ubers.

On the sidewalk, just as they were about to climb into the SUV, Claudia grabbed Trevor’s hand and said, “I’m so glad you’re here.”

She looked him right in the eye. He thought: She needs me. And though he knew it was not the same thing, he allowed his mind to think—to hope: She wants me. Lolly and Adrienne got in the far back seat with another girl whose name Trevor didn’t catch, and Claudia and Trevor sat next to each other in the middle row. The nameless girl pulled out a Juul and started to puff. In the rearview mirror, Trevor could see the driver watching her. But he didn’t say anything.

“Did you tell Claudia you invited Chad?” Adrienne asked Lolly.

“I invited Chad,” said Lolly. “I saw him yesterday at the gym. I figured you guys were cool again after Friday.”

“Friday?” asked Claudia.

“When we left Down Under you two were hanging out.”

“Oh, right. Yeah, cool.”