Over the next week, I got used to being around Wendy. She even started sitting with us in class and I was able to pay attention, mostly. At lunch, I could look at her. I liked looking at her. Her hair looked soft and her smile was infectious. I could talk to her, but every time I spoke I seemed to stumble or make some stupid joke. I stuck mostly to answering direct questions and laughing when it seemed appropriate.

“So Wen, you going to the party tonight?” Joy asked before first period on Friday.

Wendy looked from Joy to me. “Party?” she asked, not sounding enthusiastic.

“Yeah, me and Irene are going. You can come too if you want.”

“No thanks, I don’t really like parties,” Wendy said.

“I’ll give you the address in case you change your mind.” Joy snatched the notebook off of my desk and scrawled on a blank page, handing it to Wendy. Wendy smiled noncommittally and stuffed the crumpled paper into her bag.

Joy took her shirt off yet again and rifled through her closet. She pulled out a tank and held it against her torso as she looked in the mirror.

“J, a tank top? It’s November.”

She looked at me for a few seconds, then back at the shirt. “I think it’s the skirt anyway. It’s wrong.” She stripped off the skirt she’d been wearing, leaving it in a heap on the floor and heading back into the closet.

“Why do you even care anyway? It’s just a bonfire thing,” I called from the bed, where I’d been laying for the past hour, watching Joy fuss over her hair and clothes.

“I just do, okay?” she said as she emerged with another pile of clothes. “Are you sure you don’t want to borrow anything?” She looked me up and down, eyeing my old jeans and Michael Jackson tee.

“No thanks.” I sighed and stretched my arms over my head. I didn’t see how going to some random person’s house to hang around a bunch of drunk kids would be fun, but Joy seemed pretty excited about it. I’d much rather hang out like this, in her room watching bad movies and eating junk like we’d always done.

Joy knocked on the front door. She was wearing a striped sweater and high-waisted shorts. I’d tried to talk her into long pants but she wasn’t biting.

We could hear the heavy bass bumping from outside the house. We waited at least a minute and no one came to answer the door. Joy tried the doorknob. It was unlocked. As soon as we stepped in the door, all I could hear was the deafening music and all I could smell was beer and sweat.

We wandered from room to room for a while, and I thought that it seemed like Joy was searching for something.

I tugged on Joy’s sleeve.

“I’m gonna go find some water,” I shouted.

She narrowed her eyes and shook her head, not hearing me over the music. I motioned for her to come with me and we made our way to the kitchen.

I flung open cupboards until I found the glasses. I filled a glass in the sink and turned to ask Joy if she wanted any. Before I could speak, a pair of arms s around Joy’s waist from behind. She jumped and pulled away, laughing when she saw a ponytailed Seulgi grinning slyly at her.

“Come with me,” Seulgi yelled into Joy’s ear. Joy went to grab my hand but I shifted and shook my head.

“I’ll wait here.”

She nodded as Seulgi took her by the hand and led her out of the room.

I stood there, leaning against the counter for a good half hour. After finishing the last of my water, I decided to find Joy and convince her to leave. I pushed my way through groups of teenagers, none of them paying any attention to me. It didn’t take me long to spot Joy, sitting next to Seulgi in the living room, laughing and touching her arm. I sighed and headed for the front door. So much for being with me the whole time.

I sat down on the curb near where I’d parked my car, about a block away from the house. I could feel the cold concrete through my jeans. I wished I’d brought a jacket with me. I picked up a few pebbles and tossed them out onto the road.

I heard soft footsteps approaching me. I turned, hoping it was Joy ready to go home. Instead I saw Wendy, a baseball cap on her head and a blanket around her shoulders.

“Hey,” she said to me, smiling. I smiled back and looked away, my palms starting to sweat even in the cold air.

“Mind if I sit with you?” she asked, taking a few steps closer.

“Uh yeah… I mean no…” I took a breath, trying to collect myself. “Yes. Sit.”

She let out a small chuckle and sat down on the curb next to me. There was a long, awkward pause. I jiggled my leg, restless.

“So, uh…” I stuttered, “Having fun?”

She sighed. “Not really. I don’t even know why I came.”

“I didn’t see you. In there, I mean.”

“Yeah, I was out back by the fire. I thought it would be nice but really all I was doing was watching people make out.” She shook her head.

“Well… if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” I reached for her hand and feigned getting up. She laughed, covering with her hand and leaning away from me.

We were silent again and I worried that I’d made her uncomfortable. Did she think I meant it? Why did I have to make stupid jokes? Why couldn’t I just act normal, have a normal conversation with her?

“Are you cold?” her voice broke through my racing thoughts. I looked at her, seeing her eyebrows furrowed in concern. Her brown eyes looked especially deep under the stars and the streetlights. I hadn’t noticed how dark they were, how beautiful.

Suddenly I remembered she’d asked a question.

“Cold?” I blurted out hurriedly.

“Are you?” she asked again.

“Uh, yeah, I guess, yeah.”

She shifted closer to me, reaching her arm around me, draping the blanket over my far shoulder. For a moment I had the urge to lean in even closer, to kiss her cheek, her lips. Instead I swallowed and looked straight ahead.

“Better?” she asked.

I nodded, my ears burning.

After yet another long silence, Wendy started talking again. She told me about Toronto, why she’d moved here, how hopeful she’d been to make new friends. She told me about her sister who stayed in Canada. She smiled as she talked, and I couldn’t help but smile too.

I wasn’t sure how long we’d been sitting there when I heard Joy call my name.

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” she said as she jogged up to me. “Just had to get Wendy alone, didn’t you?” She grinned playfully.

My cheeks flushed. Joy patted my head as she walked by on her way to the car. “Come on, ia Woolf, I’m beat.”