Xiaojun came down from the deck onto the lawn where Hendery was setting up a beer pong table with Ryujin.

"Ryujin says it's not a real party until there's beer pong."

"That's right. Words to live by." Ryujin nodded her head cheekily.

"You wanna play?" Hendery asked Xiaojun.

"Sure."

"Cool. We need one more."

"Hey, how about you and me versus Ryujin and..." Xiaojun fake scanned the crowd.

"Kun. Kun, come over here!" Xiaojun shouted over the loud partygoers.

"No, don't-" But it was too late.

Kun bounded over.

"Kun, you're on Ryujin's team." Ryujin shot Xiaojun an annoyed look and Xiaojun gave an innocent shrug in response.

"Have you ever even played beer pong before?" Ryujin asked, her annoyance barely hidden.

"Totally."

"Great. No blowing, two re-racks, two balls in one cup means you drink three. Cool?" Ryujin said to to everyone in a no bullshit type of way.

"Actually,  I was thinking of a different game. I've never played." Ryujin side-eyed Kun.

"We'll explain as we go." Hendery spoke gently.

"Xiaojun and Kun, shoot to decide who goes first. You can't break eye contact. Who ever gets their ball in wins." Ryujin spoke, not so gently.

Hendery handed Xiaojun and Kun each a ping pong ball.

He patted Xiaojun on his shoulder, his hand lingering on his shoulder.

"You got this." Xiaojun turned from the adorable soccer player to face the need threatening to ruin his life.

He was determined to win this shoot off.

Xiaojun focused, aimed, tossed and got his ball in a cup!

Kun's ball meanwhile flew across the yard in the complete wrong direction hitting a random partygoer.

"Ow! What the hell?"

"Sorry!"

"I got it in!" Xiaojun screamed happily.

"I saw!" And with this, their beer pong competition began.

Xiaojun thrived at the party as he emerged from his shell a bit and got extremely hammered.

"Drink, Kun! We need a handshake." Hendery turned to Xiaojun.

"We do need a handshake!" Xiaojun slurred happily.

●○●○●

Xiaojun did Ludacris' rap from Justin Bieber's "Baby" for a crowd of teenagers.

He was surprisingly good despite being stupid drunk.

"When I was 13, I had my first love. There was nobody that compared to my baby and nobody came between us or could ever come above. She had me going crazy, oh, I was starstruck~"

●○●○●

Hendery got a ball in a cup.

Xiaojun and Hendery did an elaborate handshake that they'd apparently just made up.

"Should we have a handshake too?" Kun asked Ryujin.

"You get one ball in, we'll make a handshake."

Hendery got in a shot and Kun had to chug a beer.

He swayed a little, already a bit drunk.

"Do you want me to drink for you." Ryujin asked.

"I can hold my own, kiddo." Kun tried for swagger.

He threw the ball.

"It's not your turn Kun-t!" The spectator laughed at his own "joke".

Xiaojun turned his head to the middle of the yard where he saw Lia before he walked towards her.

He grabbed her onto the grass where a bunch of kids were dancing.

She gave in and actually started having fun, dancing with Xiaojun.

●○●○●

Xiaojun watched as Hendery surveyed the snack table then popped a Reese's peanut butter cup into his mouth.

Xiaojun felt like Hendery was totally King Of Hearts.

Later.

Xiaojun and Hendery had one cup to go and Xiaojun was up.

If he made the shot, they'd win.

"You got this." Xiaojun took a deep breath, focused and shot the ball.

He got it in!

"Yes!" Xiaojun and Hendery shared a quick victory hug.

Xiaojun was totally feeling their chemistry.

"I'm gonna go make us victory drinks. Be right back." Hendery headed inside.

A wasted Kun approached Xiaojun.

"I think tonight is going well. She didn't want to see my ventriloquist act but that actually works out because I don't have my dummy with-" Before Kun could finish, he barfed all over.

A little of it splattered on Xiaojun's shoes.

"Damnit Kun." Xiaojun carried his barf-covered shoes as he drunkenly searched for the bathroom door.

He opened it.

Except it wasn't the bathroom.

It was a bedroom where Hendery was making out with a hot sophomore girl who was aggressively unzipping his pants.

Hendery started to unhook her bra.

Xiaojun stood there in shock.

Hendery looked up and noticed Xiaojun.

"I, uh- sorry. Bathroom. Bye." Xiaojun slammed the door shut.

He sighed.

Guess Hendery wasn't King Of Hearts after all.

Fuck.

=====
(a/n: i just noticed how this book is mostly dialogue bye-)