“That’s Maia Ledford. Her father walked out a couple months ago. She hasn’t spoken since. That’s Caroline Miller. She’s first in the class and plans to go to Oxford when she graduates, but she’s really intense. I think she had a breakdown trying to keep her grades up, which is why she came here. I’m convinced she’ll kill anyone who threatens her GPA. And that…” She points to a boy sitting against the wall. His hair is dark, coming to rest on his shoulders, and his lips are curved in a classic smirk. He doesn’t look interested in anything going on around him. “That’s Thane Treadway. He’s super rich and a troublemaker.”

“He looks pissed.”

She leans toward me, her chin resting on her hand. “He’s just bored.”

I glance at the boy again and find him looking at me. His face remains blank, like I’m the color beige or Mr. Val’s math homework. As quick as he glances in my direction, he looks away, and I might have taken it for disinterest if I didn’t recognize the expression. It’s one I’ve been wearing the last four months. It’s grief.

Thane has just become ten times more interesting.

“Speaking of homecoming, you have to go to the dance!”

I refocus my attention on Lennon, whose eyes have brightened at the topic. I shake my head. “I don’t really like dancing.”

She shrugs. “It’s not really about the dancing—it’s about the dresses.”

I try imagining Lennon’s lithe frame, swallowed by that huge cardigan, wearing a snug-fitting gown and can’t.

“Besides, it might be a requirement for you. Rumor is the football team’s considering making you their princess.”

“Their what?”

“Princess…for queen’s ransom,” she says. “Every homecoming, they nominate one girl. It’s a tradition.”

I have so many questions.

“What’s queen’s ransom?”

“It’s like…capture the flag. We play with our rival, Rayon High. Each school offers up one girl to be exchanged and hidden by the other team. Whoever finds and rescues their princess first wins the homecoming seat, and the girl becomes homecoming queen. There’s a huge risk. I mean, Rayon’s princess could win.” She offers a small laugh. “But that hasn’t happened in over twenty years.”

I don’t like the idea of being exchanged or hidden, and screw waiting to be rescued. I wanted a normal high school experience, but this is not what I meant.

“Why would they nominate me? No one knows who I am.”

“Everyone knows who you are. Roundtable, remember?” Lennon says. “Your new-girl status makes you the perfect choice for queen’s ransom. They think of it as offering up the virgin for sacrifice. It’s kind of a rite of passage.”

Sounds more like hazing.

“Can I refuse?”