‘What are you doing?’ Baekhyun snapped, his voice tense.

Sehun turned to find his friend off the phone. ‘Sorry,’ he said again. ‘I fell over your hoodie and almost kicked your pills across the room.’ He tossed the bottle to Baekhyun. ‘I didn’t want you to lose them.’

‘Thanks.’ Baekhyun quickly shoved the bottle into the pocket of his jeans.

‘What are they for?’ Sehun asked. ‘You sick?’

‘No, they’re just, uh, painkillers,’ Baekhyun replied, frowning.

‘For the bruises?’ Sehun pushed. He knew Baekhyun didn’t appreciate the questions, but he wasn’t about to back down. His friend was walking around with someone else’s pills, hitching across the country with no supplies, and covered in bruises. He’d have to be blind or stupid not to have noticed something was wrong.

‘Yeah.’ Baekhyun clearly wasn’t intending to say anymore, but Sehun held his gaze until Baekhyun finally sighed. ‘I got banged up a week or so ago and the doctor gave me some pills for the pain.’

‘Banged up how?’ Sehun asked.

‘Playing football,’ Baekhyun said. ‘You know how it is.’

‘Not really,’ Sehun replied. ‘I don’t play football. Neither do you.’

Baekhyun just stared at him for a moment, and Sehun knew he’d busted the guy. Baekhyun was a swimmer, not a football player. It was one of the things they had in common – both liked watching a good game on the weekend, but neither one of them liked to play. ‘Yeah, well, that’s why I got banged up,’ Baekhyun said at last. ‘I .’ He smiled nervously, clearly wondering whether Sehun would buy it.

Sehun frowned. He knew Baekhyun was lying about the bruises, and lying about the pills being prescribed for him. The question was, why? He’d come all the way to Malibu to see Sehun – why not tell him the truth? ‘Look, Baek-’ Sehun began.

‘Do you seriously have a shirt from Disneyland?’ Baekhyun interrupted, grabbing one of the T-shirts from the bed. ‘What are you, five years old?’

Sehun stifled a sigh. Clearly, Baekhyun was determined not to talk about anything serious. But then, maybe that was just what he needed: a break – a vacation from whatever was going on in his life back home. It kind of worried Sehun that his friend was taking medication that was prescribed for someone else. But he felt that it wasn’t any of his business – unless Baekhyun wanted it to be. And right now, it was obvious that he didn’t.

They were giving them out for free at an Angels game.’ Sehun explained. ‘Besides, that shirt would be pretty big on a five year old.’

Baekhyun chuckled. ‘Thanks for the loan. Guess I better shower before dinner, huh?’

‘Good luck getting in there before Luna!’ Sehun laughed, heading for the door. ‘See you downstairs.’

‘Everything looks amazing, Mrs Oh,’ Baekhyun said as they all sat down around the dining-room table. Sehun had to agree. His mom made the place look like a TV special on the perfect Thanksgiving holiday.

The table was decked out with all the new linens and china Sehun’s mother had bought when they moved to California. It had less of a wintry feel than their dining room in Michigan had. Here everything was a shade of light green or blue and felt summery. Even the candles in the middle of the table were blue and smelled like the ocean.

‘Thank you, Baekhyun,’ Mrs Oh said. ‘I only hope the food lives up to it.’

‘Don’t pretend to be all modest,’ Aunt Boa told her sister with a smile. ‘You know you’re a great cook.’

‘I’m sure it’s not up to your standards,’ Mrs Oh replied. She turned to Baekhyun. ‘My little sister only eats in the best restaurants in New York and L.A.’

Boa rolled her eyes. ‘I just don’t see the point in cooking myself when other people do it so much better.’

Sehun knew his mom and his aunt always bickered to some degree, but the sisters seemed to be getting on each other’s nerves a little more than usual during this visit. Sehun glanced at Luna, and she shrugged.

‘Here’s the main event,’ Mr Oh said, coming in from the kitchen with the turkey on a platter. He placed it down in the center of the table. ‘Should I carve now or wait until everyone’s had their salad?’

‘No salad for me,’ Sehun said. ‘I like to get right to the meat.’

‘Me too,’ Baekhyun seconded.

Sehun’s dad nodded. ‘Okay, I’ll carve now.’

‘Why don’t we let Sehun carve?’ Boa suggested. ‘He’s a big, strapping man now. Let him take over the carving duties.’

Luna almost spit out her mouthful of water, and Baekhyun laughed out loud.

‘A big, strapping man? Oh Sehun?’ he teased.

Even Sehun had a laugh. ‘That’s okay, Aunt Boa. I don’t need to carve a turkey to feel like a man,’ he said reassuringly.

But Sehun noticed that Boa actually looked a little put out at having her suggestion dismissed so lightly.

Maybe that was why, with a slight tone of irritation, she said, ‘I just think it’s time we stopped treating you like a child. You’re almost done with school. Soon you’ll have to start making your own decisions.’

‘Well, that’s true. I guess you’re right and I’d better get some practice in by carving the turkey,’ Sehun said with a smile. He knew Luna and Baekhyun would make fun of him for the rest of the weekend, but he was anxious to calm things down and lighten the atmosphere. He stood up, took the carving knife from his dad, and got to work.

Aunt Boa shook her head. ‘Can you believe how grown up he is?’ she asked Sehun’s parents. ‘Luna too. In a few years they’ll be off at college.’

‘Off at college,’ Luna repeated, nodding. ‘College – where there are lots of parties!’

Mrs Oh sighed. ‘Luna-’ she began.

‘Mom,’ Luna interrupted. ‘Your guru, Dr Phil, would say to let me go to Kris’. He’d say that I need experience dealing with parties while I’m still in the safety of my home, with my big brother to look after me.’

Sehun chocked back a laugh. So Luna had resorted to involving Dr Phil! Well, it just might work.

‘Dr Phil doesn’t have all the facts in this case,’ Mrs Oh answered.

‘What facts does he need that-?’ Luna began.

‘End of discussion,’ Sehun’s mom said firmly.

‘I’m getting flashes of us and Mom,’ Boa commented lightly to her sister. ‘Remember how overprotected she always was? Remember how we used to have to sneak out and-?’

‘Looking back, I think she might have been right,’ Sehun’s mother said, cutting Boa of sharply. Then her voice softened. ‘Maybe it’s something you don’t realize until you’re a parent yourself. It wouldn’t have hurt the two of us to listen to Mom a little more back then.’ She grinned. ‘Not that I’ll tell her that any time soon. I don’t want to face an attack of the I-told-you-sos.’

‘You know, Yoochun was friends with the Wus for years,’ Boa put in soothingly. ‘I’m sure you don’t have to worry about Luna at their son’s party.’

Sehun figured Boa was just trying to help Luna out, but he knew she had just pushed his mother a little too far.

‘That’s it,’ Mrs Oh snapped. ‘Luna, I told you – no. Boa, this is none of your business!’

Sehun glanced at Baekhyun. His friend looked seriously uncomfortable. The last thing he needed was a family feud at dinner – he’d had enough of that in his own house. Sehun hope Boa would just let the party thing drop.

‘You want Luna to make friends with the right people, don’t you?’ Aunt Boa pressed. ‘Well, the Wus do more charity work than anyone else in Malibu! There are some valuable contracts to be made. You have to want that for Luna and Sehun.’

‘Don’t tell me what I “have to want”,’ Mrs Oh said, her voice rising. ‘The answer is no. Those parties are too wild, and Luna is not going.’

Nobody spoke for a moment, and Sehun was afraid that the day would be completely ruined. There was a weird energy in the air, and he didn’t know where it was coming from. But everyone was on edge.

Boa opened to say something else, but Luna jumped in. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll just go to the movies or something on Friday,’ she volunteered quickly, her eyes darting between her mother and Boa. Sehun could see that she was clearly wishing she’d never brought the party up at all. ‘It’s no biggie. It’s not like I refused the last scoop of mashed potatoes. They look great, by the way, Mom.’

‘Everything’s great, honey,’ Sehun’s dad agreed. ‘Let’s enjoy it. It’s Thanksgiving.’

That was enough for Boa to think better of whatever she’d been about to say. She nodded and fell silent.

‘Well, I for one have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving,’ Baekhyun said, raising his glass of apple cider. ‘And I’d like to propose a toast to all of you, the Ohs. Thank you for including me in your Thanksgiving. You’ve always made me feel right at home, and today is no exception.’

Sehun’s mom smiled and Aunt Boa chuckled. ‘You mean because we’re willing to argue in front of you just like you’re part of the family?’

‘Exactly,’ Baekhyun said with a grin. Everybody laughed, relaxing for the first time since they’d taken their seats.

Sehun shot his friend a grateful look. Baekhyun had always been able to charm anyone – from senior citizens to toddlers. This time he had saved Thanksgiving.

‘Okay, pass your plates for turkey,’ Sehun announced. ‘And let’s eat!’

‘Sorry I mentioned the P word at dinner,’ Luna said later that night, She, Sehun, and Baekhyun were heading upstairs for bed after they’d finish cleaning up the kitchen. ‘I didn’t know it would set things off like that.’

‘You always used to go out to parties back in Michigan,’ Baekhyun said. ‘What’s the difference?’

‘The parties are more out of control here. But I’ll deny saying it if you try to quote me. Mom’s parent-noid enough as it is,’ Luna answered, pulling her cell phone out of the pocket of her trendy shrunken blazer. She changed the case every day, and today her cell was zebra-striped. ‘I’m going to call Billy. He’s the only one I know who isn’t going to Kris’. He’ll come up with something fun for Friday night.’

‘Ooh, Billy,’ Baekhyun teased. ‘That your boyfriend?’

Luna rolled her eyes. ‘I still haven’t picked out the lucky guy who gets to be my boyfriend,’ she answered. ‘But it definitely won’t be Billy, because he’s gay.’ She hit a speed dial number on her cell. ‘What’s shakin’, Billy?’ she asked, wandering toward her room.

‘See you in the morning,’ Sehun told Baekhyun. ‘Thanks for putting up with my family.’

‘You kidding? Your family should get an award for Most Functional Thanksgiving. Nobody even got close to throwing food or crying.’

Sehun laughed. ‘True. Although I think my mom might’ve lobbed the gravy at Aunt Boa if she hadn’t spent so much time making it.’ He slapped Baekhyun’s hand and headed down the hall to his bedroom.

The basketball combined with the huge dinner had made him sleepy, and he flung himself down on the bed fully dressed. He’d rest for a few minutes, wait for Luna and Baekhyun to use the bathroom, and then go brush his teeth.

But he’d only been lying there for a minute or two when a noise at the window startled him. It was a soft bang, followed by silence, then another little bang. Almost like someone was tapping from outside.

Sehun got up and went over to peer out.

The moon was almost full, and it cast an eerie silver light over the backyard, reflecting up from the still surface pool. The carefully spaced potted trees around the back deck threw distorted shadows onto the ground.

As Sehun watched, one of them moved.

He leaned closer to the window, staring into the darkness as someone stepped out into the moonlight.