"New team rule." Matt mimed banging a gavel on the table. "Never again put 'Andrew' and 'mellow' in the same—oh my god."

"Does that still count as blasphemy?" Nicky asked, because Dan and Matt had come dressed as a pair of Greek gods. He turned to follow Matt's stare to a passing partygoer. The man had come dressed as a neon yellow oven mitt. Nicky's face contorted in incredulous dismay and he laughed hard enough he almost fell over. "I think that one wins grand prize, kids. No one's outscoring that one on the crazy meter."

He was probably right, but that didn't stop the Foxes from craning their necks and looking for any other weird costumes. They were in the middle of a couple harsh critiques when Andrew and Renee made it back. The arrival of more drinks slowed the conversation, but it was the packets of cracker dust Kevin produced that completely derailed it.

Matt, Renee, and Neil abstained. Andrew divvied up the rest, keeping the most for himself since his system could tolerate more than anyone else's. Dan took only one packet and dumped half of it into a drink near Allison's elbow. Nicky counted down from three and they knocked the dust back as a group. They raced each other through their third and fourth rounds before heading for the dance floor. Renee promised Allison she'd join them as soon as she finished her soda and stayed behind with Andrew, Neil, and Kevin.

Andrew stacked the empty cups on his tray and left again. He didn't need help this time, since he was only getting enough drinks for himself and Kevin, but Neil followed after him. He had to shove past two drunks in lopsided Carnival masks to reach the bar counter and he squeezed into the small space at Andrew's side. Andrew pushed his tray across the counter for Roland to retrieve when he had a minute and slanted a look at Neil.

"Stop hiding. This was your idea; deal with the consequences."

"It's not that easy," Neil said.

Explaining his discomfort wasn't any easier. Andrew had promised to watch Neil's back until May, but when he made that deal he said Neil's growing reputation could keep him safe the rest of his Fox career. Andrew assumed Neil could graduate from Palmetto as long as Neil played his cards right with Kevin. Neil hadn't yet told him plans had changed, which made it harder to say why tonight was making him unhappy. Finally he fell back on the half-truth he'd given Andrew that summer.

"I've never been in a position where I could get to know people. I know I have to let them in if we're going to make it through the season, but it'd be easier if they were just names and faces. How have you stayed so disconnected for so long?"

"They're not interesting enough to keep my attention."