I wish we hadn't agreed to go out and eat with Sunny. I'd rather go to her house, but she decided we eat at Hometown Buffet. There's nothing wrong with that, I love eating there. But they were playing Christmas music there... you couldn't run away from it. Everywhere you went, the store, a restaurant, someones house, it was everywhere!

I would ususally eat my face off, especially when I'm depressed, but I decided I let Vernon see enough of my crazy side for one day. We didn't know each other well at all, and I didn't want to give him a bad impression.

Since I didn't know him too well, I decided after I sat down to eat to ask him a few questions about himself.

"So, Vernon... You said you're from New York?"

"Ah, yes. But I go back and forth from South Korea."

I nodded. "What city?'

"Seoul."

I nodded. "I should have guessed, haha. My family's from Jeju."

"Oh, really? You're Korean?"

I laughed. "Yes, I am. Well, half. My mother's family is from Egypt."

Vernon laughed. "Still, that's really cool. I didn't think I'd meet many Koreans or halfers in St. Louis."

"Oh, yeah, there's a lot in Chesterfield." I said. "Go to the mall, they're everywhere."

He laughed. "Ok, ok."

I slowly ate my salad, but I was eying the rest of the buffet. I was looking at the one in the middle, not so far from the table, with the good stuff. The pasta and corn and mashed potatoes and chicken and dumplings and cornbread and rolls...

"Are you okay? I don't think that salad is doing enough for you there." Sunny, who had just come to the table, laughed at me, and so did Vernon.

"Oh, uh... yeah, I'm fine."

"You don't usually eat like this." Sunny sat our coffee on the table and sipped from her cup. "Not here, anyways."

"I'm not that hungry..." I lied.

"Even if you're not hungry, it's better for you to eat more in this type of weather." Vernon said.

All these people pressuring me to eat more than I should... I had to get up and get some food!

After I came back with my plate piled, Sunny nodded, seeing that her cousin was back to normal. But Vernon looked in awe.

"How can you eat all that...?"

Again, I got self-concious, and wished I hadn't gotten up to get some food.

Then he laughed. "I'm surprised. Your able to eat all that and keep the weight? Good for you."

I sighed in relief. I guess it was all right.

"Ooh, guess what?" Sunny smiled at me in excitement. "They're checking out the lake to see if it's safe enough to skate. If it is, we'll be able to go next Wednesday. Wanna go?"

"I don't know..." I quit skating a while ago.

"Come on, I haven't seen you skate in a while since I moved to Cali."

"Well, I haven't been skating since then, so I'd look terrible anyways."

"I wanna go!" Vernon said. "I like skating, I wanna see you skate, Myra."

"Eh..."

"You're going, Myra. You don't think so right now, but you will when Wednesday comes."

"Whatever," I said. I stuffed my face so the conversation could be over, then stood up to get some carrot cake and chocolate cake.

Sunny dropped me back off at my house, and when she pulled out the driveway, I went to the door. Inside was the decorations and the music and my mother and Jihoo, but there were also friends and family over.

WHYYYYYYYYY

I had enough for one day, really.

My sister, SeoHyun who had been in Chicago for the last month, greeted me at the door. "Myra, I missed you so much!" She forced me into a hug before letting me into the warmth of the house.

"What is all this?" I looked around, slightly upset at the scene.

"So much for a welcome, kid. What do you mean? It's your birthday!!" Clearly, she was slightly drunk. "Oh, yeah!" Her eyes widened. "Everyone, Myra's here!"

So it's a surprise party. And everybody knows I hate surprises, let alone my own birthday. Ughhh

"Oh, uh... Happy birthday to you!!" Everyone began to sing, just realizing I had come in and failing in the effort of making it less awkward. They had probably planned on hiding when I came in, and I'm glad they didn't because this was surprise enough.

When they were finished singing, I just smiled and said, "Thanks, have fun!" I rolled my eyes and went towards my room, but Kyungsoo, Jihoo's babysitter's brother, stopped me. "Come on, Myra, don't run away. It's your party."

"I've had enough to do for today, and this is the last straw. So, you go enjoy yourself."

"Yah, Myra!" It was Jin.

When will I get awayyyyyy?

"Myra, come on, lets eat at least." He smiled at me.

I huffed. "But I already ate with Sunny." 

"You did?" Kyungsoo was confused.

"She probably took you out for your birthday and didn't say since you would turn it down otherwise." Jin chuckled.

I did a mental facepalm. Ugh, she did!! I hadn't even known it was my birthday, but she did. Everyone did, ughh

Just then, the doorbell rang, and I was getting irritated that all these people were coming.

SeoHyun answered the door again. "Hello~. Who are you? Are you a friend of Myra's?" She definitely had too much to drink. She was too loud and her words were dragging.

"Um... something like that. I have something that I believe is hers."

Wait... Is it that kid again?! Why is he here?!

Sure enough, when I walked into view of the doorway, I saw Vernon smiling and waving at me. He let himself in and came towards me.

"Hey, Myra, I believe this is yours." He handed me the small booklet, which I used to write poems. I hope he didn't read it, even though it was possible since my name, address, and phone number was written on the first page. He had to have looked in it.

"Thank you so much, I didn't even know it was gone..." I nodded towards the door, but he didn't get the hint.

"What's going on?" He smiled, looking around. "It's very festive in here."

Jin came over and stood next to me. "Who are you?"

Vernon looked at my friend, excited to meet another kid, I guessed. "I'm Vernon Hansol Choi. Nice to meet you. I moved in this neighborhood last week from New York. And you?"

"Kim Seokjin. You can call me Jin. When did you meet Myra?"

Jin was about to scare Vernon away, I knew it. He happened to succeed doing it everytime I had a new guy friend. I don't know why he felt like he needed to fill in as the role of the older brother I never had, but sometimes it was iritating.

Vernon continued to smile. "I met Myra today at the park while she was waiting for her cousin, and we went out to eat too." He nodded as if that's completely normal. Well, maybe it is in NYC or Seoul, or maybe everywhere, but not in my world. To eat out with a complete stranger is kind of strange, even though I didn't think he was strange... just too happy. He continued talking, facing me. "Is this a holiday party or something?"

"It's her birthday." Jin said. I slapped him on the shoulder. There was already enough people who knew, and this jolly stranger was the last person I wanted to know.

"It is? Happy birthday! Why didn't you tell me?" Vernon looked so excited over nothing.

"Because I don't care for it. I'm going in my room now, please keep the music low. Bye!"

But the two guys wouldn't let me.

"Stay out here, at least until we get cake."

"It's your birthday, after all."

"This is not a birthday celebration! It's a pre-Christmas party! So, I'd rather not."

I tried to walk down the hall to my room again, but Jin blocked me. "Myra, come on. Just wait a little while, we brought presents for you."

I'm not sure if Jin ever knew, but it was never what he said that convinced me. It's always the look in his eyes and his smile that makes me give in. So, I sighed and sat on the couch in between my best friend and my new... neighbor. Let's try and be festive for once, I told myself.