“My most embarrassing moment actually happened about a week ago, so it’s funny you should ask me that, Mike,” I say, smiling confidently. I read in a magazine article that using someone’s name makes you seem like you’re connected to them in some way, even if you’ve just met them. “See, my boyfriend Corey is away at school already. He actually had to leave about two weeks ago—he’s a basketball player at the University of Miami, and his team had to go early for practice.” I smile, like I’m totally cool with the fact that Corey’s far away, even though I’ve cried myself to sleep every night since he’s been gone. “We’ve been spending a lot of time on the phone, of course, but when you’re used to seeing someone every single day, the phone just isn’t the same. So about a week ago, I was feeling a little, um, horny.” I almost stop myself. There’s something about saying the word “horny” out loud to a bunch of strangers that’s kind of sick. Especially if you’re using it to describe yourself.

“Yes?” Mike says, leaning forward. I look around the group and see they’re all hanging on my every word, even Grant, who’s never heard this story.

“So, um, we were on the phone,” I say, “and we started, you know, having phone sex.”

Mike looks amused, and I gain some confidence. “So I was getting kind of, um, you know, loud, and my mom heard me. So she called from her room, ‘Ally, are you okay?’ and I was, like, ‘Um, yeah, Mom, I’m fine,’ and she was all, ‘Okay . . . are you alone?’” By now, everyone is laughing. Except Jill. “She never mentioned it the next day, but it was still really humiliating.”

“How long have you and your boyfriend been together?” Mike asks.

“Almost two years,” I tell him, and he writes something down on his clipboard.

“How does he feel about you trying out for In the House?”

“He’s cool with it. He’s usually really supportive of everything I do,” I say. Which is true. Corey is usually supportive of everything I do, but Grant and I just found out about the casting call yesterday, so it was kind of spur of the moment. When I mentioned it to Corey, I don’t think he really expected me to get out of bed so early. “He’s been pretty busy with basketball practice and everything, and this was kind of a last-minute thing.”

Mike nods, looking at me with interest. After Grant and another boy tell their most embarrassing moments (having an Internet blind date ditch him after they met in person and tripping in front of everyone at graduation, respectively), Mike thanks us for our time.