Flora is sitting next to me on my bed, and I’m trying not to freak out that there’s a girl on my bed. I can’t believe I almost said her nose wrinkles were cute. Are cute. They’re adorable. I’ve never been able to compliment a girl on anything, and the first thing I go for is nose wrinkles. I can’t believe how easy it was to say it. To almost say it. She looks up from her phone, flips it to show me the screen, and I jump.

“How about this?” She shows me the invitation, and it’s just a simple You’re invited … written on little flags. She clicks to the next page, and it says, … to visit me in quarantine! Hazmat suits will be provided. :)

I tap the screen, looking for more. “That’s it?”

“What do you mean that’s it? It’s perfect!”

“I dunno. Don’t you think it needs more?”

“More what?”

“I don’t know! More … pizzazz! More—”

“More baseball jokes?” She lightly jabs me in the side with her elbow.

I jump again. This time she notices. “Sir Jumps A Lot,” she says, jabbing me again. “Don’t be nervous. Just trust me—we should keep the invitation simple.”

“Yeah, that’s what I’m nervous about, the invitation.” I mean to say it quietly, but Flora hears it. She doesn’t say anything for a second, and I worry that she’ll hear my heart thumping in my chest.

“I think you’re overthinking it, Oliver,” she says finally.

“Overthinking what?” How does she know I’m thinking about her? Trying not to think about her.

“The invitation? What we were just talking about? And what we’re working on?”

I laugh, trying to clear the air. “Right.”

“Anyway, I think this is the one. Keep it simple. Don’t overthink it.”

“But you’re making me overthink it!”

“No, I’m not. I’m telling you to make it look simple. Keep it simple.”

“Right. Simple.” Then why does everything feel so complicated?

“So you’ll send it?”

“Send what?”

“Oliver! Focus!” She taps me on the head, and I jump again. “Just type in her email address and we’ll send it and be done with it.”

And with Flora watching me I tap in Kelsey’s email address, inviting her to visit me, though I’m not sure anymore that I actually want her to visit me.

“There.” Flora stands up, and I realize the left side of my body is warm from how close she was sitting to me.

My phone makes a noise, which it’s been doing a lot since Flora created the hashtag, and I see a text from Kelsey: OMG, looking at tickets now 4 real! I check Twitter and see Kelsey has tweeted a picture of Flora’s invitation with #quaranteen and #VIP and #2days.

Flora’s hair tickles my neck as she leans over to look at my screen, and I smell coconuts and mint. “Well, that was fast!” she says. “Her parents are okay with it? I mean, isn’t it expensive?”

“No, her aunt is a flight attendant, so she gets really cheap airfare.”

“But aren’t they worried about her getting sick?”

“She told me her dad thinks the media is overhyping it, that we’re a country of germaphobes.”

“You didn’t mention that before.” Her smile looks strained again.

“I didn’t think it mattered?”

“Right, of course not,” Flora says. She seems a little frustrated, almost like I’ve offended her.

But before I can question it, my phone pings with a text message from my mom. Can’t wait to see you tomorrow!!

Then, another text, this one from Kelsey. Just got ticket! See you in 2 days!

I can’t figure out why I’m not more excited. And I can’t figure out why I don’t immediately tell Flora.

She doesn’t bring up Kelsey’s name the rest of the day, and neither do I.