It was a loud, wild bash and music was blaring from stereos placed in every corner. People were laughing and everywhere, there were spills of drinks and food. People crowded and spilled through the doors into the hallways. There was dancing, and glowing lights, all things that were typical of every college party.

            You pushed through the crowd in a vain attempt to find someone you knew but only saw dark shadows. You bumped into people as you weaved through the mesh. A hand came out of nowhere and pulled on you. You jumped a little and saw a familiar face smile at you.

            “Where did you think you were headed, birthday girl?” Soonmi grinned brightly at you and you saw that the plastic cup in her hand was already half empty. Her eyeliner was smudging and she was smiling indulgently at you.

            “Trying to leave,” you told her. “And you can’t hold your liquor, you shouldn’t be drinking.” You scolded her and reached for the drink.

            She pulled it out of her grasp and frowned at you. “Why would the star of the party leave her own celebration?”

            “You know the whole frat party thing isn’t my style, Soonmi.”

            The girl in front of you pouted and stuck out a hand to keep you from walking further. “Not even when your best friend planned it? Come on. Your boyfriend even goes to some parties. Why don’t you just relax, drink a little. Here, take my drink. It’s vodka and orange juice. It’s pretty diluted so you don’t have to worry about being drunk.”

            You waved the beverage away. “Speaking of Zelo, where is he?”

            She shrugged, bringing one shoulder all the way up to her ear. “No clue. I thought he came with you.”

            “No, he said he had a project and was coming later.”

            Soonmi grabbed onto your arm and pulled you into the dancing. “Then you have fun until he comes.” She paused in the middle of the dance floor and jumped, waving her arms about, a feat considering how packed the place was. “Guys, we’re here to honor the birthday girl. Everybody put your hands up for my best friend!” She tossed her drink in the air, splashing people with it. There was a drunken roar and everyone surged around you, jostling you this way and that, as they congratulated you.

            You nodded in acknowledgement and tried to thank them, struggling to breathe. A couple of guys picked you up and you rode the human surf through the crowd. Soonmi waved excitedly at you and when they finally placed you down, you excused yourself.

            You locked yourself in the bathroom and called Zelo. His phone rang continuously but he never picked up. You sighed and hung up, deciding whether you should just go out there and have some fun or leave. But you distinctly remembered Zelo telling you to wait for him. How could you wait if you didn’t even know his whereabouts?

            In frustration, you kicked the door, stubbing your toe. You decided you were going to go out and drink a little. That way, it could give you more courage when Zelo comes to scold him for abandoning you to such a lethal crowd.

            You walked out and went straight to the beer kegs. You poured yourself a cup and winced at the disgusting taste. Soonmi was grinding against an unknown male and you rolled your eyes as you took a random shot of tequila someone had just poured you. You surveyed the crowd and decided that maybe some of your birthday cake would make you feel better.

            You took the dessert with you as you walked out to the porch. You stared out at the streets, feeling the air take away some of the annoyance that had built up in you. Your eyes caught on something familiar and you felt something tug on your heart. Zelo’s car was parked right in front of the house.

            You reached into your coat pocket and called him again. There was again no response. That was understandable, given the amount of people and the loudness of the music. Nothing was audible in the house. You abandoned your food and headed upstairs to look for him. You asked people if they saw him, only getting confused looks or shakes in response.

            You yelled his name and then decided to search the other rooms. Maybe he was looking for you upstairs. Soonmi was coming down the steps and when she saw you, her eyes widened. “Where are you going?”

            “I’m looking for Zelo. Did you see him.”

            She managed to look sober enough when she responded. “He’s not there. I don’t think I saw him. Why don’t you go downstairs?” But there was something off about her actions, the way her eyes keep darting past you and you noticed that one door in the hallway was closed while the others were swung wide open.

            “What’s going on in there?” you demanded.

            Again, she tried to stop you, but you were less intoxicated than she was. You pushed past her easily. Even without having to see what you knew you were going to witness, you could feel your world falling apart. Of course, it would be your birthday, and your boyfriend, where you had to relive the clichés of what was thought to be high school drama, a thing of the past.

            You pushed open the door and found him, lying on the bed with someone on top of him. You stared at him for a good moment before he realized it was you. And by the time he got the girl off him, you were already off, pushing your way past the crowd of people, struggling to hold in your tears and leave the whole nightmare behind you.

this is for KoLiSong