‘A perfect opportunity for sneaking boys in,’ Rani always said, ‘and you’ve got the room right next to it.’ Then Rani would cross her arms and shake her head disapprovingly, even though the corners of her mouth were turned up in a smile. ‘What a waste!’ Seeing Rani’s impatient silhouette, Zee recalled what their empathy personality tests said about each of them and their likely relationship patterns. Rani could date and flirt with a lot of boys and never take their heartbreak seriously. Zee was another story. She wasn’t the flirt Rani was; her attachments, once formed, could run deep enough to cause distraction. ‘It’s something of a concern to us,’ the evaluator had said with a slight frown. Zee remembered the quick flush that had warmed her cheeks. She’d felt accused of something she hadn’t done, something she wanted to tell the evaluator wouldn’t happen in a thousand years. Instead she’d managed to listen patiently as the evaluator warned her that counselling might be necessary in the future.
