Everyone got out of the car and walked towards Hendery's.

As the gang charged towards the party, Kun pulled Xiaojun aside.

"What the hell, Xiao? Yangyang won't stop flirting with Ryujin."

"I don't know what to tell you."

"Tell me you'll make him stop." Kun commanded, annoyed.

"How am I supposed to-" But Kun was already hurrying after Ryujin.

Xiaojun sighed.

●○●○●

The students of the Junior class danced, flirt(ed) and drank very cheap vodka.

Xiaojun, Yangyang and Lia entered, trailed by Kun who regaled Ryujin with more hyper-specific conversation.

"...but I think Gilda Radnor was the greatest SNL member of all time."

"Wow, you know a lot about sketch comedy." Ryujin answered politely with a forced tight lipped smile.

Ryujin spotted a friend across the party.

"Yeji, hi!" Ryujin took Lia's hand and dragged her away with her.

Kun considered for a moment then he followed after the girls.

Hendery approached Xiaojun and Yangyang.

Xiaojun automatically smoothed down his hair nervously.

"This party is crazy!" Yangyang exclaimed.

"I know. I invited like fifteen people and then Lucas invited the rest of the school. I think most of these people think we're at his house." Hendery turned his view to a drunk Lucas who karaoked to Beyoncè across the room.

"What's worse? Looking jealous or crazy? Jealous or crazy?~" Lucas drunkenly sang.

"Great party Lucas!" A random kid shouted.

"Thanks, Mark!" Hendery turned back to Yangyang and Xiaojun.

"How about a shot? To your party." Hendery spoke, his signature shy smile on his face.

"And to your aunt finding a man who isn't a con artist." Hendery smiled.

Yangyang grabbed a bottle of Fireball Whiskey and poured two shots, assuming that Xiaojun didn't want one.

"Uh, I'll have one too."

"Really? You couldn't even finish a glass of Manischewitz at Lia's seder." Yangyang informed, surprised.

"Just give me the shot Yangyang."

"I've found it helps not to breathe through your nose until it's all the way down. Then you pretend you loved it and go 'whooo!'." Xiaojun nodded, grateful for Hendery's candor.

Yangyang handed Xiaojun a shot glass.

They all downed their shots.

There was a crash in the next room.

"Oh god, I hope that wasn't one of my mom's porcelain owls. She does not have a sense of humor about those." Hendery hurried into the crowd and Xiaojun stared after him.

●○●○●

Xiaojun and Yangyang stepped out onto a deck overlooking partygoers in the yard below.

Yangyang couldn't take his eyes off of Ryujin, who crumped and popped with a group of girls which included Lia, who awkwardly snapped her fingers to the music, trying her best to cut loose.

"Ryujin is so hot, it's insane." Yangyang drank his can of beer.

"Yeah, she's... unstoppable." Suddenly, Yangyang looked worried.

"Wait, you're not, like, into her, are you?"

"Nah. She's hot but she's not, uh, my type. Not that I don't like women- I love all women." Xiaojun grimaced at his awkwardness but Yangyang didn't notice.

"The other day, she missed her bus to stay and help me make a list of all the colleges that have soccer scholarships and she's the only person whose eyes don't glaze over when I recap my dreams... I think I'm gonna ask her out." Yangyang looked over to Xiaojun for approval.

Shit.

Xiaojun glanced down at Kun who desperately tried to dance with Ryujin.

She was focused on her circle of girlfriends and had no idea that he was even there.

Xiaojun couldn't let Yangyang get in the way of Kun's pursuit of Ryujin.

"You can't ask Ryujin out."

"Why not?" Yangyang asked, surprised.

"Because..." Xiaojun racked his brain for a reason.

Unfortunately, the only one he could think of was a lie.

"Look. At her old school, Ryujin had kind of a reputation."

"What kind of reputation?"

"For being... experienced. She hooked up with a ton of guys."

"Oh. I didn't know that."

"And have you seen her old Instagram photos? It's like everyone at that school was a seven foot tall dude. So she probably has very high standards... sexually."

"But I've only had sex once."

"I know." Xiaojun said meaningfully.

"And I could barely figure out where my dick went."

"I know." Xiaojun said, now gravely.

"I mean, I knew where it went but no one tells you how dark it's gonna be. Or how slippery everything gets... And how parts that you think are the right parts are actually the other parts and then by the time I figured it out, it was over."

"I think she's used to guys who knows which parts are the right parts."

"I don't blame her." Yangyang said, self loathing.

"Don't tell her I told you about how many guys she's been with, okay? She'd be super embarrassed."

"Yeah, of course. I'm gonna go get another drink." Yangyang left, feeling overwhelmed.

Xiaojun watched Yangyang go and then glanced down at Ryujin who was happily dancing.

He felt like shit.