New Girl in Town

THE END

When I get to Jisoo's street that afternoon, I'm already having to talk myself into it.

Maybe this isn't the greatest idea, but I'm on the street. I can see the '70slooking house that has to be hers at the end of it, so I bike over and leave my bike leaning against the fountain in her driveway. Who the hell has a fountain in their driveway?

I can hear the thump of bass and the hum of voices all the way out here.

You can just make an appearance, I tell myself as I walk up the driveway. See if you can talk to her. Then you can get out of here.

I ring the doorbell and the door jerks open way too fast. I've got no time to prepare. And there she is. It's like light floods into Jennie's eyes that were only darkness before.

"You came," she says as she breathes out. She leaps forward, going for a hug and then stopping, her arms half-outstretched for an awkward beat before she snatches them back.

"Yeah. Um. Thanks for inviting me."

"Everyone's in the living room," she tells me as I step inside.

It's a sweaty summer shit show of bodies and beer as we move toward the living room.

"Do you need a drink?" she asks.

I shake my head. "Not today."

She smiles. "I'm not really in the mood, either. Do you want to sit?"

I nod, sitting down next to her on the love seat with my knee up on the cushions, keeping as much space as I can between us. This isn't the right place to talk to her. We need to be somewhere quieter. The living room is full of people.

The music switches from thumping and fast to slow and languid, and the people who are dancing shuffle to change with it. Jennie giggles, nodding to the dancing couple closest to us.

"They've got nothing on us," she says.

I laugh. I can't help it. But it dies quick, because his voice booms out across the room, shattering the moment.

"Jennie! Babe, come on!"

Her face clouds instantly at Kai's almost-order as he comes over to us, sitting down on the arm of the love seat, looming over her. He strokes his hand across her shoulder and she shakes him off.

"Come on," he says again, grabbing her hand and pulling her up against him.

"Kai," she scolds. "You're drunk."

"You should be, too! C'mon. There's tequila." He drags her away as she protests.

I get up off the love seat, too. I refuse to let my heart sink as this plays out again. I'm not going to be part of this endless circle of shittiness. I tried to talk to her. It didn't work. That means it's time to go.

I slip out of the living room and into the hall, which is almost as crowded. I think about finding Jisoo and thanking her before I leave, but I decide it doesn't matter much. I'm out the front door and almost safe when:

"Hey!" someone calls behind me. I almost ignore it, and then: "Lisa!"

I turn on the steps to see Rosie closing the front door behind her and jogging down them to meet me. I wince as I remember the humiliating display in her driveway, and my cheeks turn red as I realize I know a lot more about Rosie than she probably realizes.

"Hey," I say. "I was actually about to head out."

"So soon?"

I shrug, glancing at the ground. "Just not really into it, you know."