Jin had refused to go to the party a hundred times. He was already teased and humiliated in school--he didn’t want to make it an extra-curricular activity. Still, his only two friends -J-Hope and Rap Monster-  had managed to get him out of the house that night.

Now he stood in the crowded living room, nursing a warm cherry cola and looking around. His friends had ditched him as soon as they had crossed the threshold of the front door. Now he was alone in a sea of people.

“Why aren’t you wearing a costume?” a girl who bumped into him asked.

“He is! He’s dressed as a geek!” her boyfriend answered, laughing hysterically as if it was the funniest thing in the world.

A few more people joined in the laughter.

Jin didn’t care. He was used to it. Actually, he was bored of it. People who picked on him were like skipping CD’s repeating the same geek jokes over and over. He walked away, checking out everyone’s costume as he headed toward the back porch. 

He realised he was literally the only one who didn’t dress up. He’d been dragged out of the house in such short notice that he didn’t bother. Besides, he was a sophomore--surely too old to dress up for Halloween.

The October air felt comfortably cool as he stepped out onto the back porch. The dim light fell on a couple making out in a dark corner and a few people chatting on a raggedy old couch. Jin took off his dark-rimmed glasses to wipe off the moisture that fogged his glasses with the change of air.

“Jin!” he heard a giddy female voice approach. He turned to see the blurry figure of a girl. As far as he could see, she had blonde hair and a puffy ballerina skirt. He tried to make her out when she was near him, but it was no use.

Please log in to read the full chapter