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“But you guys got them into that closet. How’d you manage that?”

Halen bites her lip. “It’s best that you don’t know.”

“Seriously? You won’t tell me?”

“It’s like your boyfriend said, you’re better off not knowing—in case they try to throw you under the manatee.”

“Throw me under—? Never mind.” I jump up. “What do people wear to these dances? Is it formal? Casual? Semi-casual?”

She opens my closet. “Dresses for the girls, ties for the guys. Let’s see what you’ve got.” She spins around. “Who threw your clothes on the floor?”

“Me.”

“Why?” She throws me an incredulous look.

“It’s best that you don’t know.”

Halen snickers. “Nice. Let’s get them off the ground.”

We hang them back up and pick through the dresses. She holds up a ruffly red dress that looks tight enough to cut off circulation all over my body. “You should wear this.”

I shake my head. “Not a chance.”

“It’s so cute!”

“Then you wear it.”

Her mouth falls open. “Really?”

I pull out a loose dress with a high neckline. “I’ll wear this.”

Halen wrinkles her nose. “That thing looks like a tent.” She grabs a black dress just as revealing as the one she’s going to wear. “This will really catch Bash’s eye.”

I hold the tent up to myself. “Who said I wanted to?”

“Oh, puh-lease. The romantic tension between you is so thick I could cut it and eat it for dessert.”

My cheeks burn.

“See? You’re blushing.” She takes the tent from me and hangs it back up.

I yank it off the hanger. “He’s seeing that one girl, anyway.”

“What one girl?”

“Short black hair, tattoos. Sings with him.”

“Neva?” Her eyes widen. “No way.”

“What do you mean?”

“Neva Perry has been best friends with Bash since forever. They’re like siblings. Not a chance under the sea that they’re together.”

“Seriously?”

“Definitely, girl. If he kissed her, it’d be like kissing his sister.”

Relief washes through me. And I hate myself for being so happy about that. I’m supposed to be gushing over Roman Lewis at the pool party right now.