Almost V

열넷

"I have to find Anna," I shout at him as we're running across the sand.

It's total chaos, everyone is scattering, half of them clogging upward trail to the parked cars - but that's where the police lights are.

"Anna knows how to take care of herself," Taehyung yells back. He's got my hand locked in his, and he's shouldering his way across the main path, heading toward the dark area of the beach, away from the bonfire. Away from the people. "She's been in this situation before, and she's got million of friends who can get her home."

That doesn't feel right to me. I try to tell him that, but it's so loud, I can't even hear my own voice. Now it's two cop cars - not one. Ad it strikes me just now: What if it's Jacqueline? Would she arrest me, even if I hadn't been drinking? I picture Appa having to come in and pick me up and my stomach twists.

"Monetery Police Department," a booming male voice says over the squad car speaker. "Hands up where I can see them."

Holy shit. They're arresting someone. Hopefully it's RM and his shotgun.

Taehyung gets past the crowd. We jog around a rock and he spots a secondary path through dry coastal bush that a couple of partygoers are climbing. It's dark but serviceable. "Stay low," Taehyung tells me, and we head that way, sneaking through dry grass. Just before we climb the hill, we have to stop and wait for the cop car with high-beam spotlight to finish sweeping the area. When I'm halfway a second away from a stroke, I get a text from Anna: Where are you? To which I respond: Escaping with Taehyung. Are you safe? She answers: Yes, okay. Was worried I lost you. Tell T to go N on Big Hit to JYP Farm. Text me when you get home.

I show Taehyung the texts. He nods, and when the coast is clear, we jog past a million parked cars until we get to a van. Surfer van, appa calls them, because they're big enough to carry surfboards on top. Taehyung opens the passenger side and slips into the driver's seat from there, then gestures me in after him.

"Shit!" He's shoving the keys in the ignition as flashing lights head in our direction again. The engine protests and doesn't want to start, and it's like a bad horror movie. "Come on, come on." And then - finally! - it rumbles to life, loud as you please. Wheels spin, kicking up sand, and then we're off, turning away from this nightmare. The whole nasty scene is in Taehyung's rearview mirror.

I click on my seatbelt and immediately melt into the seat.

"Are you okay?"

"I don't know."

"Do you want to talk about what happened back there?"

"No."

His brow furrows. "I'm sorry about all that . . . about RM."

"Yeah. He's a complete dirtbag. No offense, but why are you friends with him?"

Fingers lift and fall on the steering wheel.

"We grew up surfing together. He used to be my best friend. His family life is gone, so my dad took him under his wing for a while, trained him. Eomma felt sorry for him. he practically lived at our house for a while. Then he got hurt surfing a few years ago. Has a leg full of metal and pins."

The limp.

"He's in a lot of pain, and it screwed up any chance he had of surfing seriously. Made him bitter and angry . . . changed him." Taehyung sighs heavily and scratches his neck. "Anyway, he started screwing up, and I told you about how appa is. He wouldn't tolerate RM's BS, so he stopped training him until he gets his act cleaned up. And on top of all that, RM basically thinks I'm an idiot for not wanting to go pro, because he says I'm privileged and throwing it away. Also . . ."