Pulling up to the school in my new car was more embarrassing than I'd anticipated. Lots of people drove expensive fancy cars at my school, but apparently not quite as expensive and not quite as fancy as mine. Seconds after parking, I had a crowd around me. Half the kids were talking about my car, half were asking about the yacht party. I was trying my best to answer both sets of questions when Jennie infiltrated the group, grabbed me by the elbow, and led me away. She took the keys out of my hands and pushed the button, causing my car to let off two short beeps. Then she turned to the others and said, "We'll see you all Friday, no more questions."

"Thanks," I said, a little winded as we left the crowd behind.

"No problem." She looked me up and down. My hair was pulled up in its standard messy bun and my glasses were slipping down my nose. "But seriously," she said. "You need a look to match the car. We're still on for Wednesday, right?"

"Yes."

"Cool."

"Do you know someone named Jae?" I asked.

"Jae? Jae who?"

"I don't know his last name."

She shook her head. "I don't know a Jae."

"I thought you knew everyone." I probably had that backward. Everyone knew her, not the other way around.

She furrowed her brows at me, then asked. "Why did you want me to know Jae?"

"He has a band. I was hoping to book him on the yacht."

"Excellent idea," she said.

I thought so, plus it would help him out. One of the things he said he needed to get his band out there was a good gig. I thought this was a good gig."

Jennie dropped me off by the lockers with my friends. I waved as she walked away. Jisoo looked after her. "What was that about?"

"She just saved me from the crowd."

"What crowd?" Irene asked.

"I got a new car. They wanted to see it."

"You got a new car?" Jisoo asked. "Tell me it's bigger than your last oen."

"It's bigger, but it seats fewer people."

Jisoo sighed.

"Did you want me to get a minivan?" I asked.

"That would've been the most practical," she said with a smile.

"I didn't exactly go for practicality here."

"Really?" Irene said. "I can't wait to see it."

"For sure. I'll show you later."

☘ 𝔏𝔬𝔱𝔱𝔬 𝔏𝔬𝔳𝔢 ☘

It took me all day to track down Jae. Apparently when you've only met a guy once, didn't remember exactly what he looked like, and didn't know his last name, it's not that easy. But after asking what felt like five million people, he was finally pointed out to me after school on my way to the parking lot. He was sitting on a bench by a group of other guys who at the moment were throwing some sort of food at his open mouth.

I stood to the side, waiting until he noticed me.

"Oh, hey," he said. "I hear you've been asking for me."

"You heard I was asking for you but didn't think to come find me?" I asked.

A candy piece hit him on the side of the head and he scowled at his friend. "No, I didn't," he said back to me.

"Well, I was hoping you and your band would play at my party this weekend."

"That's short notice."

"Do you have another gig?"

"No."

I was trying to be nice, but if he didn't want to, I could just use the sound system in the yacht. I'd talked to the lady who owned the yacht and she'd said it had one. "Do you want to or not?" I asked.

"How much does it pay?"

I had thought he'd just want the exposure, but he was right, I was asking him to do a job, I needed to pay him. "I don't know . . . how much do you normally make when you play?"

"A thousand dollars."

"Really? That much?"

"Yep," he said.

"Okay. Then that's what I'll pay you."

He high-fived the guy sitting next to him. "Cool."

"So you can do it?"

"Yes. We'll be there. Eight o'clock, right?"

"That's the time we're leaving. Be there at seven thirty so we can get all your equipment on board."

"Sounds good, boss," he said.

I wondered if this was a mistake.

"Hey," he added before I turned to go. "Can we get half the money up front?"

"No," I said. "You show up, you'll get the money."

He gave me a salute and I walked away. I headed for the parking lot. Irene and Jisoo were already at my car when I arrived. Irene was slowing walking around the car, her hand trailing lovingly over the shiny paint.

"How did you know this was mine?" I asked.

"Really?" Jisoo asked. "How didn't we know?"

"Is it too much?"

"It just didn't seem like you," she said.

"Well, it is."

"That's good then. It's pretty cool," Jisoo said.

"Thanks."

Irene said a quiet, "Wow," after she completed her lap around my car. "I want to drive this later."

I smiled. "Yeah. Okay."

"Maybe I'd a be a racecar driver. Do they have that major in college?"

"Probably not," I said.

"My friend is totally awesome and rich!" Irene yelled to the parking lot.

A couple of people lingering in the lot answered with appreciative whoops.

I looked down, embarrassed, and hissed, "Don't do things like that."

Irene just shrugged.

Jisoo hitched her backpack higher on her shoulder. "See you both tomorrow." And then she left.

"She's just jealous." Irene pretended to whisper but really said it loud enough for Jisoo to hear as she walked away.

"Not jealous," Jisoo called back. "Cars just don't do it for me."

"What does it for you?" Irene asked her retreating form.

"Beating Suzy on tests."

I laughed and so did Irene.

"I don't think she was kidding," Irene said after a minute.

"I know she wasn't."

Irene hugged me. "See you tomorrow, Superman."