“Oh, right, you guys are twins.”
Jason’s birthday? My brain attempts to comprehend what this means, but I can’t come up with any significance. We’re hardly friends. I have no responsibility toward him, including getting him a birthday present or being a part of the planning committee for a party. I should, however, have been part of the planning for Sophie’s sake. I’m the worst roommate ever.
I crawl out of bed and search my wardrobe for something clean to wear. “So if we’re not leaving until six, what are you going to do until then?”
“Probably study. I have a test on Monday.”
“Okay, well, I need to run a few errands before we leave.” I snag a pair of cut-off jean shorts and a Twisted Sister T-shirt, which I pair with combat boots and the largest sunglasses I own, to hide the fact that I’m wearing no makeup.
“You need to go buy me a present?” Sophie guesses.
“What? No!”
She laughs. “I’m not offended. Just make sure you don’t get lost. Maybe you should take one of the boys with you.”
I tie on my boots and steal Yoon Jae’s number from Sophie’s phone. He picks up after the second ring, and we make plans to meet in front of the dining hall. After brushing my teeth and fluffing my hair as much as humanly possible, I head out.
Yoon Jae’s leaning against the stair railing that leads up to the dining hall, and a grin brightens his face when he sees me.
“Where are we going?” he asks.
“Anywhere on this island that I can find a present for Sophie.”
We end up in the town at the bottom of the mountain, at the Korean version of Walmart. Yoon Jae follows me around the store without complaint, but as I keep wandering, unable to find anything, I can see him mentally checking out.
At least we haven’t been assaulted by fans. Yoon Jae told me the locals on Ganghwa Island are used to seeing famous people or kids of famous people who go to the school. Plus, most everyone we’ve seen in town has been over fifty, and I doubt any of them are big Eden fans.
Finally, I find a pale pink mini-dress with a tulle skirt and a lace bodice I think Sophie will like. Then I pick out a faux pearl necklace and I’m done.
On the way out, we pass a music section. I should walk by, but I find myself heading over and buying a pack of guitar picks with the American flag on them. Just because it would be hysterical to see Jason play with them. Also, I’m a nice person who buys birthday presents for people who irritate me.
When we get back on the bus to head to school, it’s three thirty. Before Yoon Jae and I part ways back on campus, I ask, “What exactly is the plan for tonight?”
“I don’t know. Tae Hwa planned everything. But you should wear something nice. Like what you bought Sophie.”
I climb the steps to the dorm laughing, but my mind rifles through my wardrobe for potential outfits. When I get to our room, I find Sophie vamping herself up with lots of eyeliner.
“So, what did you buy me?” she asks with a grin.
I pull the dress and necklace out of the bag, and she squeals. A stream of Korean spills out of her mouth, and she bounces up and down with the dress pressed against her chest.
“Can I wear it tonight?” she asks.
“Of course!” I laugh. “Why else do you think I bought it?”
We spend the remaining time primping to our hearts’ content. I settle on a thigh-length black dress with an empire waist and bell skirt, which I pair with neon yellow heels that make my legs look maybe half as skinny as Sophie’s. Absently, I wonder what Jason will think of my dress. At least I know Yoon Jae will appreciate it.
By the time Tae Hwa calls Sophie to let her know they’re waiting downstairs, my insides are squirming with excitement. We could be riding around on the subway for four hours straight and I think I would have fun—amazing, what some mascara and high heels will do for your outlook on life.
The boys congregate just outside the building. Tae Hwa’s attention attaches to Sophie like a magnet, and my heart melts a little just seeing the way he looks at her. If they don’t start dating tonight, I’m going to shake her until she snatches him up.
Yoon Jae greets me with, “You look great!”
But I find my gaze sliding to Jason. Despite the warmth in the air, he’s dressed in black jeans, a white graphic tee, and a hoodie under a caramel-colored leather jacket, his tousled black hair almost hanging in his eyes. My chest constricts just looking at him.
Get a grip, Grace. This is Jason. Condescending. Arrogant. Snobby. Sexy.
And that sexiness is obnoxious.
As a group, we head down the sidewalk, our voices and laughter surrounding us like a protective bubble that nothing can penetrate to kill our buzz. Instead of catching a bus, Tae Hwa leads us to a shiny black limousine sitting in front of the entrance to the school.
Sophie squeals as we all pile in, but the leather seats and minibar only remind me of riding with Nathan to the Grammys a couple years ago. But Yoon Jae starts taking drink orders, and I refuse to think about home tonight.
We drive into Incheon, and the limo drops us off at a nightclub. We zip past the line outside, and when the guys at the door recognize the boys, we’re let in immediately, without showing IDs or anything.
I’m expecting the typical bar, but instead of the usual hip-hop music and cocktails, the club has a more indie vibe, with dark wood paneling and Korean rock wailing through the speakers. The bass buzzes up through the scuffed floor and into my body, and I wonder why Jason and Eden don’t just play this kind of music, if it already exists in Korea.
We make our way around the crowded dance floor to the bar, where we snag two barstools. Immediately, a crowd of fans forms a crushing circle around us. Yoon Jae and Tae Hwa pose for pictures, and Jason even signs a few autographs. But Sophie shoos the people away a few minutes later.