by Piper Bee
When he opens his front door, he greets me with a smile and I remove my flip-flops. Jin guides me up the stairs into a low-lit, pristine bedroom I haven’t seen yet. His parents’, probably. There’s a balcony through French doors that are draped with sheer curtains. I see the first firework sprinkling over the horizon before I step outside.
Pop!
The loud booms and soft shimmers are muffled by distance. Jin leans on the edge of the iron rail. He looks peaceful in the dim flashes of color. That warm, summer night wind finds me, my heart rate lowers.
It really is a good view. Of course, the sky is only part of it. I have to pull myself together. GOODNESS.
“I wanted to clear something up, Jin,” I start, all peace fleeing. “About yesterday.”
“Sure,” he says.
“If my brother found out you’d slept on the couch with me, he’d probably flip.” It’s easy to use Carson as an excuse. Easier than revealing Lena’s feelings, anyway.
“I won’t say anything,” he says, while looking at the view. “Don’t worry.”
“Like, not even to Lena,” I add, for posterity.
He smirks. “You don’t have to say that again.”
Okay. Good. He gets it. We’re cleared up.
Pop! Fireworks are like champagne, spritzing the stars. Happy Birthday, America.
I glance at Jin’s cast. “It’s too bad you missed out on Americanafest and Cabo.” I keep my eyes on the glittering sky. It’s too pretty to look away.
“I’d rather be here,” Jin says. I peek at his lit-up face, not expecting at all that he’d be looking at me.
But he is.
Oh man, I’m glad it’s dark and he can’t see me blush so hard. I land my eyes back on the sky, but I’m not really watching. I can’t look at Jin.
Bang! Pop!
But I do say, “Me too.”
TRACK 12 - SPACE AGE LOVE SONG
JULY 13TH
So far, my tactics for avoiding Jin have mostly succeeded. I pretend that the call feature doesn’t work on my phone with Jin’s contact. I have no reason to call him. Except that I want to.
When food or music aren’t enough to distract me, I look at the listing for the beach house I booked for this weekend. Sometimes that helps. Mostly not.
The night of the Fourth, I acknowledged that I’m catching feelings for him. Which means I also have to avoid him. I’ve spent this week with the bulk of my focus on scheming again, even though I’m sure it’ll fail. Given my own feelings about Cale’s competition and all.
Jin has texted me a few times. More than a few.
But that’s beside the point. The point is that I had to try really hard to accomplish three things:
1. Find some event that worked with both Lena and Cale’s schedules,
2. Try to get them to cozy up at said event, and
3. Keep Jin away.
I expected the third would involve making him sit apart from Lena. I was wrong.
The first was simple. There’s an 80s double feature night at the old Main Street Theater tonight, and they both are free. And so is my mopey brother. I invited him because he loves Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Also, he whined about being bored and wanting to hang out with me all day.
Dressing up for 80s night is encouraged, so I went with a simple Jennifer Grey Dirty Dancing look. High-waisted jean shorts and a white crop top. Lena showed up with a flamingo pink off-shoulder sweater, leggings, and a side ponytail. Even that doesn’t look dumb on her.
The second task remains to be seen since we haven’t seated ourselves yet. I just have to get them seated next to each other. I’m currently scanning the wine-colored velvet seats and formulating possible seating arrangements.
The third task turned out to be easy because even though I fully expected Lena to invite Jin, she didn’t. I don’t know why. It’s taken a lot of mental energy for me not to ask where he is tonight. I might’ve been looking forward to having an accomplice, even if he’s counterproductive to Cale’s relationship goals.
I’ve limited texting with Jin. He told me more than once how impressed he was with my singing. Even though a lot of people tell me that, my heart still flutters with him. I’ve been really careful to keep responses to a single word or emoji. But not the winky emoji. Never the winky emoji.
Oh, I have an idea for how to arrange the seats!
Lena, Cale, and Carson are beside me in the aisle, the lines of each of their faces lit by the track lighting by our feet.
“Hey, I’m gonna use the bathroom real quick,” I tell the others. “Squeeze in, I’ll take the edge.”
“I’m coming with you,” Lena says without skipping a beat.
I deflate, hopefully not visibly. But my mission hasn’t failed yet. I just hope that my bladder is full enough to keep up my deception.
We walk into the green tiled room with fluorescent lighting, but before the door fully shuts Lena says, “What’s going on, Joy?”
I whip around. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, are you happy in your relationship?”
I frown. “Yeah, why?”
“Because… I don’t know. I’m starting to wonder about you two.”
Oh no oh no oh no.
“We’re fine,” I try to assure her.
“Was Cale really fine with inviting Jin to Americanafest?” She folds her arms. “I saw his neon green cast in your picture.”
I freeze, looping between guilt and irritation. “Was there something wrong with that?”
“You told me nothing happened!”
Guilt is winning at the moment. “He had no plans, so I invited him. Cale didn’t have a problem with it.”
Her jaw tightens. “How did you know he had no plans?”
Irritation is winning now. “He told me. Was I not allowed to talk to him?”
She doesn’t answer for a second. Her brow turns up and she releases tension. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have thought you wouldn’t even talk. It’s just…” She looks at herself in the mirror. Even under fluorescent lights, she’s stunning. But past all that, where people don’t often see, she’s conflicted.
“I asked him to come. I didn’t say it was a group thing, but he wasn’t interested.” She sighs. “Things aren’t really happening between me and Jin. And I can’t decide if I’m, like, scared it’ll never happen, or if I’m fine with it because romance could wreck what we have.” Lena looks at me, and then groans into the universe. “Ugh! But I want to kiss him so bad.”
For once, I understand the feeling. I watch her eyes shift on her own reflection. I don’t want to hope that she won’t be with him. She’s moving up to Seattle for him. I doubt he’s told her about Korea, though. For once, I kind of pity Lena.
“By the way,” she segues, “you and Cale have gone further, right?”
I look away, flush with nerves. “You have photo evidence of how far we’ve gone.”
She puts up a judgmental finger. “Wait, that forehead kiss is how far you’ve gone? How can you hold back like that?” She grips her glittery phone and pulls up the picture. “Cale’s so awesome. And he has such nice kissing lips.”
I raise an eyebrow at her and turn to lean my hip against the garish bathroom counter. “Are you jealous of my boyfriend’s nice kissing lips?”
To my surprise, Lena’s eyes go wide. She blinks rapidly but says nothing.
My heart leaps for a second. What if she actually is?
“I’m not jealous,” she finally says, “I just don’t get how you can be so slow. It’s torture!”
“Well maybe I’ll invite him to my beach house this weekend,” I say. Entirely joking. The mocking inflection and goofy expression convey it. There’s no way I’d invite a boy to stay over with me.
I only do that by accident. Guilt wins again.
“You can’t do that!” Lena says with an odd urgency.
It startles me. “Obviously I was joking.”
“No! I mean, we have our lake trip this weekend.�
��
I frown. “What lake trip?”
“Carson didn’t tell you?”
“Carson? You made plans with Carson?”
“He texted me out of the blue and said we should book my cabin when he goes back to working at Victoria Lake. Our moms worked it out. They never told you?”
All at once, I’m fuming. It’s suddenly very clear what happened. I storm out of the bathroom and head across the geometric carpet to Theater 1.
Carson whined about being bored all day. Carson texted Lena. Carson saw my beach house booking. Carson planned a family trip behind my back.
Carson definitely jacked my phone.
In the low, shifting light of the trailers, I find his spirally hair and bolt to him. He’s shoveling popcorn in his mouth completely unaware of my fury. I reach the row.
“We need to talk,” I say, not bothering to keep my voice or anger toned down.
He furls his eyebrows at me like there’s no way I should be as mad as I am. Prick.
I yank him by his buttery hand out of the theater and into the hall, passing Lena as she sits next to Cale.
“So what’s this I hear about a lake trip?” I accuse.
There’s zero amusement in me, but he chuckles anyway.
“Damn. Lena ruined the surprise.”
I roll my eyes. “You did it on purpose!”
He scoffs. “How could I do that when you never talk to me anymore?”
“I know you searched my phone. Find anything interesting?”
His brow goes up like he’s the one who caught me in a lie. “Yeah, actually.”
My stomach sinks. “What?”
He narrows his amber eyes at me. “Who’s Jin?” He pronounces his name like gin instead of gene, which makes it more irritating. “You seem pretty cozy with him, for a girl with a boyfriend.”
I can’t tell if he’s figured out that Cale and I aren’t really dating or if he thinks I’m cheating.
Carson rubs the back of his neck, looking smug like he has me pegged. “Then you plan some secret trip to the beach. I know you didn’t tell Mom about it.”
I go slack-jawed. So he thinks I’m cheating. “Are you seriously trying—”
“Guys!” I hear, in a partial whisper coming from the entrance to the theater. It’s Cale. My throat constricts. “You’re missing the movie!”
Carson turns around, positioning himself directly in front of me. “We’re fine, Cale. Be back in a minute.” Carson doesn’t exactly sound intimidating, but he is. It’s all under his breath and in his stance. Cale definitely catches on.
“Okay, see you in there!” Cale flees, and I don’t really blame him.
Deep breath. Carson turns back around.
“You had no right to go through my phone,” I say. I keep almost all of my rage controlled, but there’s still a tremor in my mouth and a worm in my chest.
He sighs, as if he’s the one being reasonable. “Joy, when you don’t tell me what’s up, what choice do I have?”
He’s infuriating! “You didn’t even call me when you lost your freaking job, Carson!” I’m so exhausted trying to keep his feelings in check while weighing the risk of having my choices used against me. “You could have just asked me! I didn’t think I had to tell you that I wanted a weekend to myself! You didn’t have to sabotage it.”
A tear rolls down my heated face. Normally I wouldn’t unleash like this, but I’m so done with his games.
He throws up his hands as if he’s tired of this. As if he’s the victim. “I’m going back to the movie. We can do this later,” he says.
As he swaggers back into the theater, it hits me. I’m not afraid he’ll have an outburst. He already did all the damage he wanted to do.
No. I’m not staying in proximity to that jerk for the next four hours. Cale’s romantic exploits be damned. I’m leaving.
I pass the muffled sounds of screeching brakes and explosions in some other movie. My stomach turns at the saturated smell of popcorn.
I don’t look back even for a second when I walk into the parking lot. I slide into my car and drop my forehead onto my steering wheel. For once, I thought my brother and I might actually have a nice time. How idiotic of me.
I don’t even know all of what Carson found out from stealing my phone, but I know I have to change my passcode. And worry a little bit about him texting Lena, now that he has her number. I seriously doubt she’ll fall for his games (since she plays with the best of them), but I am worried he might make her think that I have a crush on Jin. Which is true, but I don’t want her to know.
Honestly, I wonder if that would even matter anymore. In the short seconds between her doubting her own feelings and asking me about Cale, I was almost… happy.
You know, right up until I found out my brother purposely stole my phone and sabotaged my beach plans.
I sigh as I insert my keys into the ignition, but I pause before turning the beater on. The old-school theater lights flash into my car. It’s not that I don’t want to go to the Garcias’ cabin at Victoria Lake, but I wanted some event to call my own. To think. I’m facing the drastic life change of starting college, with Carson around all the time.
The truth is, I’m likely to give in and go to Victoria Lake. Not to appease Carson, though. I’m really struggling to care about him right now. More because I want Lena and my mom to be happy. Canceling my solo trip isn’t that hard. It’s the kind of painful that’s intense for a second, like ripping off a bandaid.
I try to start my car, but it just shudders.
My phone buzzes.
CB: You better come back soon
Jerk. I don’t text him back. Instead I slam my phone on my passenger seat and groan in frustration. If I have to deal with him for at least the next week and half, I’m seizing this night for myself.
I try my engine again, but it just sputters and never lights.
I stare at the FredU phone case that sits in a flashing stream of yellow light.
I know I shouldn’t call him. I was doing so great with all the avoiding.
Screw it. I call Jin.
The phone rings. He picks up right away.
“Hey, Joy,” he answers, his voice as pleasant as ever.
I stifle the edge left in my voice. “Hey! Um, you aren’t by chance up for giving me a ride, are you?”
It’s quiet for a long second, but it might just be that my heart is pounding extra fast.
“Sure! Where are you?”
Wait, really? “Uh, at the movie theater. The one on Main Street.”
I sniffle. He heard it. Great.
“Are you okay? Is something wrong?” I look out my windshield at the flashing bulbs of the vintage movie sign. 80S NIGHT DOUBLE FEATURE.
“Yeah, I’m fine. My dumb car just won’t start.”
“Oh, bummer. Well, I’m already downtown so I’ll just be a few minutes.”
“Oh. You are?”
“Yeah. I had a late dinner with my parents. See you soon, Joy.”
“Bye.” I hang up. Stare at my phone. Did that just happen?
I put my phone in Do Not Disturb. I don’t really feel like dodging notifications tonight.
I get out and slam my door with residual anger. Then I see a glimmer in the driver’s seat.
My keys. I locked them inside. Well, at least I’ll have an excuse for why I left it here overnight.
Ugh. This is so me. I lean against the car and kick her with my heel.
A loud engine rumbles nearby. The kind that you know can’t be an economical car.
Or a car at all.
I catch sight of the Harley that rolls into the parking lot, ridden by some guy covered in black leather and blue jeans, like James Dean. It’s not until the motorcycle stops right in front of my car that I realize it’s a Korean James Dean. Of course it is.
He cuts the engine and takes off his helmet. That does it. Jin’s the sexiest guy I’ve seen in my life, no holds barred.
“Hi,” I say, still dazed. �
��You didn’t mention you’d be on a bike.”
“It was the first day I could take it out after my cast came off. Oh, crap! Are you afraid of motorcycles?”
I shake my head, despite the fear that clearly grips me.
But that’s not any worse than the dread that punches my gut when I see Carson jogging my way.
“Hold on,” I say to Jin.
I meet my brother halfway. Oh, how I loathe his stern look of disdain. “What’s this?” he accuses.
Any other day, I swear I would keep the peace. Not today. Not after what he did.
“Jin’s taking me home,” I tell him. I’m high-key frustrated. “I locked my keys in my car. And believe it or not, I don’t want to go home with you right now. So let it go, okay? Go and enjoy the movie you were dying to see all day!”
“Hey!” He’s offended. “I wanted to spend time with you! I should be the one to take you home!”
“Carson! Will you listen?! I don’t want to go home with you!”
“What’s the matter?” Jin says. He’s off his bike. I’ve never seen him look this serious.
“He’s my brother.” It’s not an answer to his question, but it also is.
“Is this that Gin guy?” Carson almost seems amused.
“Oh my god! It’s Jin! He’s my friend.” This is so juvenile.
“No, no. I wanna meet the guy who begged my sister to come watch fireworks, even though she has a boyfriend.” Carson steps forward. What an ass.
Jin doesn’t shrivel backward like Cale did earlier.
I put my hand against Carson’s chest. “Be cool! He’s just my friend, okay?”
Carson looks down at me. “I can’t let you go with him.” He looks up at Jin. “Sorry.”
“Shouldn’t she decide that?” Jin asks, a small flame in his words.
“She’s my sister,” Carson fires back.
“Yeah, not your dog. You don’t own her.” Jin shakes his head like he shouldn’t have to make that argument.
Carson presses his chest against my hand. I panic. “Carson. Carson! Please, don’t.”
He looks back at me, seeming at a loss for what to say. He’s not angry with me. “You’re not going, right?”
