New Girl in Town

Chapter 26

I almost don't go. In fact, I tell myself I'm not going to.

Jisoo was being nice when she called me up to invite me to the kickback she was throwing at Jennie's. It's payback for saving her at the barn party; she doesn't really care if I'm there. And Irene definitely doesn't want me there. She and Kai could form a club at this point. Rosie ... maybe.

Jennie's not avoiding me. That's what's driving me crazy. She messaged me on AIM right after Jisoo called, making sure I was going to come. And she had to be the person who gave Jisoo my number. So they talked about it.

Oh my God, did they talk about it? No. Right? She wouldn't dare.

No. Definitely not. If she can't even talk about it with me.

I turn over in bed, staring at the ceiling. That's why I should go. I need to talk to her in person. None of this "sorry for being weird last night" shit through AIM. We need to be face-to-face.

It's so much harder for her to hide when we're close. When I'm right there. Her friends can't see her, but I can. She let me in, gave me a key, and she can't just lock me out now. I can't let her. Not without telling her.

So I go. I bike over there as the sun starts to sink, and there are already a few cars I don't recognize parked in front of her house. There's splashing and shouting coming from the pool area as I ring the doorbell.

"Lisa! Hi!"

To my relief, it's Jisoo that opens the door, not Jennie. She's positively beaming at me, and it makes me hesitate. I know I did the girl a favor, giving her my shirt, but she's never smiled so brightly at me before.

Be nice, I tell myself. I smile back.

"Hi, Jisoo." I hate how fake my smile feels. I hope it doesn't look as bad. "Thanks for making sure I got the invite."

"Of course!" She lowers her voice. "I owe you!"

"You really don't," I assure her.

"You looked out for me. I appreciate it when girls have other girls' backs," she says, and she seems so earnest, but there's something in her eyes that sends a shiver of suspicion down my spine. I try to shake it off. I need to get better at making friends—stop being so guarded. My mom used to tell me I liked to build brick walls around me, and I hate it, but she was right. I need to knock some of the bricks free. Not all of them. But enough to create some gaps or something.

"So ... remember that guy at the party?" Jisoo asks.

"The one who ditched you?"

"He texted to say he was sorry," she explains. "So I invited him to come today. He's out by the pool with Roro and some other people."

"Are you going to go for it?" I ask as we walk toward the media room. I can hear the jabber of voices and the crinkle of chip bags. There's no music, but the telltale clink of glasses tells me that Jennie's parents must be out again, if everyone's drinking.

"Irene and Jennie say I should," Jisoo says. "What do you think?"

A flash of surprise hits me. "You want my opinion?"

Jisoo nods.

"I mean, he ditched you," I say. "Did he seem really sorry?"

"I think so."

"Maybe don't decide until you spend some time with him? Things can be easier to decide when you see the person face-to-face." Which is why I'm here, trying to find Jennie. I glance casually over Jisoo's shoulder, toward the media room.