“Hostile execution of a certain world-conquering tyrant got me my current position. A kind of diplomatic immunity,” Chris said. “Hostility is great, if you have good timing.”

“There are more than a few hostile things I could say to you,” Ashley said. “The mildest of them is that you’re tiresome.”

The guards moved on from Vista to Ashley, taking the dress from where she’d already hung it over the same divider that made it so I could only see her head, and made it impossible to see Kenzie at the far end of the row.

“Tiresome, says the wannabe villainess who can’t drop the same old act. Nobody’s impressed, Ash.”

“Hey,” Kenzie said. “Leave her alone.”

“I almost had a morsel of respect for you, tidbit,” Chris told her, his voice echoing just a bit more in the room with its open area and hard surfaces. “Leaving this trainwreck was a good idea.”

“I didn’t want to leave.”

“Okay, then I’ve changed my mind about the morsel of respect. You could be so great, so powerful. And what are you doing? You’re obsessing over making friends, the one thing you’re worst at.”

“Like you’re any better?” Tristan asked.

“Don’t say it like that,” Sveta said. “She does have friends.”

The guards were looking a little anxious about the chatter and debate, all in a language they didn’t understand.

Marquis stepped forward, to put a hand on Chris’s shoulder. He leaned in close to say something, but Chris didn’t really stop, shrugging it off.

I made a short, small whistle, and when they looked my way, I had my hand at the side of my head, at my left ear, fingers in my hair. Our signal, meant for me to calm down.

My team, at least, chilled out, with emphasis on the bitterest sense of chill. Some turned their backs. Kenzie had hopped up onto the bench in her stall, and peered over the wall at Chris. She’d removed her headband and pin.

“So you have friends,” Chris said. “Tell me when you keep them for more than a month without fucking it up.”

Fuck me, I thought for a second Marquis might have said or done something. He certainly tried to get Chris to quietly leave. The rest of my team, myself included, held their tongues while simultaneously wanting to backhand Chris.

Kenzie smiled at him, “It’s been a little while, actually. Um. I’m sure I’m wearing on them—”

“Imagine that,” Chris said.

I still had to talk to her. There hadn’t been a great chance. Too many red flags had popped up. I wanted to do it while out of Teacher’s sight, and with this circumstance, I couldn’t.

“Um! Hm. But I kind of really love them, like, crazy friend-crushing on some of them and crush-crushing on Chicken Little. My first ever crush-crush.”