I THINK I should blame Hyun. Without him, I'd never have met her.
Hyun, Ayah and I had this pact—if any of us had to attend some party, we'd all go together. All for one, and one for all. We'd all go together and leave together, always before things got too wild, before someone turned up the god-awful electro music too high or before voices got too drunk or before someone started doing body shots off some poor kid. We always left at the right time.
Not this time.
Ayah had pulled out at last moment—down with the flu, sorry guys, you're going to have to go without me, cough, cough—which meant that Hyun would have to pick me up in his shitty Nissan, the one with the scratched up paint job and rusty bumper and an engine that didn't work properly, which meant that we'd be late because Hyun's Tiida couldn't go over fifty miles per hour or "this car would fucking blow up, dude" which meant we were going to be late because Genevieve Huey—birthday girl with the ugliest name in school—lived on the other side of town.
"Can we just not go?" I asked, for what had to be the fifth time. "I'm telling you, by the time we get there, party's going to be over."
"If the party's going to be over," Hyun said, "then consider this a leisurely drive."
"No one's going to be there."
"I got a birthday present for Gene-whats-it."
"Dude, you're not going to get laid tonight."
The car gave a violent jolt. Hyun and I both swore out loud.
"Look," Hyun said, finally fastening his seat belt, "I'm not trying to get laid tonight. I'm going to give Gene-vava her birthday present. If I happen to get laid—" he looked me right in the eye—"so be it."
"Eyes on the road, jackass."
"Shut up. I'm driving."
"Christ," I said. "Christ. I bet everyone's getting wasted right now."
"For God's sake," Hyun said, "can you please shut up?"
"No."
Hyun let out a noise of frustration. "God, I hate you so much."
I didn't say a word.
We arrived at Genevieve's house and Hyun parked the car a little way off. His shitty little Tiida looked out of place on the street, filled with shiny SUVs and glistening Cadillacs. Genevieve lived in a new part of town, recently constructed and filled with white American citizens looking for a nice, quiet suburban getaway.
Which is to say, she lived in a McMansion.
We came too late. Even though we were parked a street away, I could hear the music thumping throughout the street, shaking the trees and juddering Hyun's car. Inebriated kids were yelling, singing and milling all around Genevieve's house. The light came through the windows in flickers, as body after body blocked the light then let it pass through.
I looked at the house. Hyun looked at me. I looked at Hyun.
"We can always pull out," I said.
"I wish your father pulled out," Hyun said. "We're going. I don't care if I have to drag you kicking and screaming, but we're going."
