“Haruna! Your hands are red!”
Haruna looked down to see the way her fingers had become pink and her knuckles white. She had been gripping the envelope. Tight. It wasn't until Tracy brought Haruna back to reality that she realised it. She must have been more petrified and anxious than she thought. She exhaled deeply and leaned her head against the cool, hard surface of a locker door.
The wait was excruciating.
“Do you think he would actually come?” Angelique wondered aloud, eyeing Haruna uncertainly.
“I don’t know,” Haruna admitted.
“I bet he will!” Tracy exclaimed, hands on her hips. “I’m psyched—this party is going to be awesome! To think I’ll even have the elusive, hard-to-get Ryu Debiru there. A Shady Glenn Academy first, definitely!”
Angelique glanced over with a raised brow.
“Uh, Tracy, you sure you don’t have a crush on him?”
Tracy scowled. “Are we going to bring this up again?”
Haruna offered a kind look to her friend. “By the way, how are things with the Drama Club?”
Tracy rolled her eyes. “Oh that. Forget about it. They can’t bother me anymore. I think I’ve heard just about everything. None of them are invited to my party anyway.”
“I really hope that’s true,” Angelique muttered.
Before Tracy could continue on, there was a sound of feet shuffling, and the girls could see the ominous group of four skulk through the hall. Haruna glared. Ryu’s old friends. They passed by, slow, taking their time. One of them casually looked in her direction before prodding another. A second made a kissy-face. Haruna turned away in disgust. Those guys were gross.
“It’s crazy that they’re not friends, anymore. He was, like, their boss.” Angelique said what had crossed all of their minds at some point.
“The guy with the thick eyebrows is the boss now. His name's Jackson,” Tracy whispered. “To me, the real shocker is that Ryu and Seth aren’t talking anymore.”
Right on cue.
Ryu ambled around the corner. He walked with his usual bold swagger, head up but uninterested in making eye contact with anyone. That was until he found himself confronted by the three of them. He came to a jarring halt.
“Gotta go!” Tracy declared. Angelique nodded. The pair linked arms, twirled, and scampered down the hall, leaving Haruna alone with him. Haruna smiled awkwardly. She must have looked foolish, frozen as though under Medusa’s spell.
It was the tail-end of their lunch break.
As had happened of late, Ryu was a no-show in the cafeteria. Haruna had casually mentioned to the girls that she “might have” invited Ryu to the party—as friends. Angelique and Tracy reacted with squeals and high-fives, but Gabrielle remained silent and later excused herself from the table, because she “had to return something to the library.” Gabrielle was still upset with Haruna, though she pretended not to be.
In a few minutes, the bell would ring for their 4th period classes; until then, however, Haruna had taken it upon herself to wait by Ryu’s locker. Well—it was more that Angelique and Tracy had convinced her to do it, insisting that they would stand there with her until Ryu showed up. They wouldn’t allow her to change her mind and chicken out. Good thing too. If it weren’t for them, she just might have.
“What’s up?”
Haruna shut her eyes and mustered her last remaining bit of courage. “Tracy’s party. You’re coming… right?”
She reopened her eyes to see Ryu’s shoulders slumped. He rubbed the back of his neck.
“Yeah, about that. Seth will be there, so I was thinking it might be awkward.”
“He and Elle broke up.”
“Right. Okay, well I’m not—”
“I want to give you something. You’ll get it if you come.” She added a quick smile, much like the one she had given when she’d successfully convinced him to come to her house for their English project. Ryu tensed. His arms dropped.
So what’s the ‘something’?”
“It’s a secret, obviously,” Haruna chirped. She marched towards him, brandishing the envelope. Ryu stared at it with pleated brows. He cautiously accepted it.
“This—?”
“It’s the invitation to the party. So it’s official. You’re invited,” Haruna blurted, speaking to his chest and then the floor. “Also, since you have a car I was hoping maybe you could pick me up… we can go together…” She looked up and met his eyes. She felt some of the tension leave her. His stare softened. He had come around.
“So, I meet you at your house—”
“NO!” Haruna shrunk, mortified by how loud and snappish her voice sounded. Ryu regarded her strangely, and she found herself groping at the folds of her skirt. “I mean, I will be at church that day. For a concert thing. So you can meet me there. The address is inside.”
She stepped back. “Quarter to seven, sharp. Make sure no one sees you.”
Ryu arched his brows, looking stunned or confused. Taking this as her cue, Haruna dashed away. It was at that precise minute, just as she had planned, that the bell rang. Haruna made off to her class with great big strides, exchanging waves and greetings to classmates as she passed them. She didn’t feel calm, even when she had taken her seat. She only became more paranoid, more aware of her own racing heartbeat and everything she had just done.
On one hand, she was sort of relieved. She felt lighter.
But all of that would change on Saturday, ten days from this one, when she would do the scariest, most daring thing she had ever attempted in her entire life: disobey the Red Queen herself, her grandmother. This wasn’t the usual rebellion. It wasn’t telling her grandmother she was tutoring late so she could go have ice-cream and pizza with her friends. This wasn’t going for dinner with Mani before Friday church meetings, although she wasn’t allowed to socialise on school days. This was much worse. Haruna's grandmother disliked Tracy. Loathed Tracy. Haruna's grandmother abhorred the idea of Haruna looking at, speaking with, and so much as being in the same vicinity of Ryu. And now, Haruna was grounded. But despite all of this, Haruna was doing what she wanted, with the help of the boy her grandmother hated—attending the party of “that Muslim girl” her grandmother loathed. Haruna was nervous. Terrified. But revenge sure was tempting, and it was the sweet forbidden fruit of which she was more than eager to get a taste.
Haruna watched the roll of the city streetlights from the car window, its glass dotted with the droplets of an earlier rainfall. As her on-and-off anxiety would have it, every push on a brake pedal or stop at a traffic light, the mere passage of time and the accompanying hum of rustling leaves, branches and winds, made Haruna queasy. She lifted a finger to the glass and drew circles in the mist. Happy faces. Figure eights. Ryu’s name. Haruna hastily rubbed it out with her fist. She straightened and gathered her hands in her lap.
Her eyes darted to the driver’s side.
Stupid! What if Grandmother saw?
Haruna’s mind began its games: the taxing exercise of brainstorming all the ways her plans could go wrong. Haruna clutched the handle of her handbag. Everything is going to go just fine. There’s nothing to worry about.
“You look lovely, dear,” Marie stated.
Haruna beamed. She had piled her hair back into a bun. She chose to wear a chiffon blouse—not sheer—buttoned to its highest point to preserve modesty. Even her pencil skirt was knee-length. Legs covered in flesh-tone tights. Ankle booties, heels not too high. In her mind, she had nailed the fine balance of mature, flashy, and conservative. Good enough for a party, without arousing the suspicion of her grandmother. So, success?
“Thank you,” Haruna replied, mildly relieved.
The car arrived at Holy Eternal Sacrifice Catholic Church at 6:37. Out Haruna went, and she waved as the car pulled away. She manoeuvred on towards the Church entrance, but didn’t go inside. Instead she peered around, bobbing her head like a pigeon. She looked down at her phone. It wo
uld be a few minutes still before Ryu would show and attendees were arriving. What if someone, especially one of the Youth Ministers or Father Blake, saw her? What if Mani saw her? Shuddering, she craned her neck, again scanning the parking lot. Still no sign of Ryu. She shifted back to the side. Haruna checked the time again. Six-fifty. She scowled. Great. He was late again. It must have been another five minutes before she finally saw the black Mazda creep along, circling around the front, rap music blaring. Haruna scampered for it, plunged inside, and hurled the door shut.
“Could you be any later?” she cried.
“Yeah, I could have been here at seven-thirty. Considering that, I think I did my best,” Ryu said.
“Your best shouldn’t be so…” Fumbling with her seatbelt, she whipped her head to glare, but instead fell into a trance. Ryu had attempted to do something with his hair and the slightest hint of hair gel, though it wasn’t clear what. His hair troubles must have been like hers, since once defined it seemed wavier than it often looked—but it suited him. He had traded his usual hoodie for an oversized varsity jacket zipped low enough to show a silver chain and the pale green button-up underneath. Against the glow of church lights in the dark evening sky, she could just make out the subtle glimmer of studded crystals in his ears. Ryu looked like a pretty cool guy. He looked pretty hot.
Ryu’s hot.
Not kind of. Not a little bit. But seriously super-freaking-hot.
Haruna gulped as he crooked his neck, dark eyes drawing into a sly squint and pout transforming into a definite smirk. She felt a hard tug at her insides. In the past, that grin signalled trouble… but on this night, Haruna was beyond thrilled to see it.
“You look nice,” he said. He faced forward, hit the gas, and the car shot through the parking lot like a comet through the stars.
They arrived at the Hasan family estate at roughly twenty after seven, forced to park further down the street from the actual house. Though Ryu was good with directions, he had nearly missed the secluded turn onto the boulevard. Thankfully, the number of balloons leading to the front porch had pointed them in the right direction.
So this was it. This was happening.
Haruna continued to feel the nerves pile on as they walked along the footpath towards the residence. She began parting, resetting, and smoothing her bangs that somehow never seemed to sit right.
“Still nervous?”
Haruna turned to see Ryu at her side. He peered down at her, scrutiny clear on his face as he pressed a finger to the doorbell. She envied his ability to be so laidback. Rebellion was something he was too used to.
She cleared her throat. “I’m… I’m not…”
“Hello? Tracy’s friends? Come right in!”
Haruna spun at the sound of a woman’s voice. Haruna was welcomed by her curious but polite smile, her hair hidden under a deep mauve scarf. For a moment, Haruna wondered if she were in the right place.
As the woman manoeuvred to allow Haruna and Ryu to pass her, Tracy sailed over with a scowl. “Mom! I said I would answer the door.”
“Okay okay!” Tracy’s mother said, though she didn’t look too pleased with Tracy’s rudeness.
Once inside, Haruna and Ryu removed their shoes. Haruna looked confusedly at Tracy whose tone shifted at the sight of Ryu.
“Glad you made it.”
Ryu offered a weak nod in response. Before further discussion could be had, Gabrielle and Seth strolled up to them.
“Oh. Gabrielle… Seth,” Haruna's eyes shifted to Ryu as she finished, “You’re both here.”
Seth nodded as Gabrielle grinned toothily. “We got back together,” she declared.
The two twirled and toddled off, hand in hand. Haruna looked back at Ryu who appeared beyond agitated. Before he could ask, she whispered, “I didn’t know he’d be here.”
Ryu’s focus was strained. Frigid. It was like he hadn’t heard her. Haruna tapped his shoulder. He jerked his head, and the scowl faded.
“What happened between you and Seth, anyway? The other guys too?” Haruna asked. “You were their main guy, now all of a sudden none of you are talking?”
Ryu’s lips parted open to speak. Even if his thoughts were far away, his gaze was thoughtful. Lingering. He turned, severing eye contact.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“But…” Haruna paused. Tracy was now darting around, scrambling to get things in order and looking worn-out. Haruna quirked a brow. Wasn’t the place well-decorated, already? Actually, it didn’t need decorating. It was a modern luxury house, as roomy and chic as any on the city’s West Side. Marble counters, white walls, high ceilings, and impossibly clean floors. Indoor pool and an actual working stone fireplace. Everything open concept, of course. On the outside was the kind of postcard–worthy landscape B.C. was famous for—deep green pines and a tailored garden that would bloom every possible colour of flower in the spring.
So why freak out?
Haruna checked for the time, wondering when the others would come. Despite being as late as she and Ryu were, only four of them had arrived.
The doorbell chimed. The group looked on as Tracy bounded through the halls, intent to get to the door before her mother did. From the sound of the voices, they knew it was Angelique and Damon. Haruna beamed as they appeared. Angelique was dressed in a chic sweater dress and leggings, her hair out in a curly 'fro that hung loosely to her chin. Damon’s was in its typical dreaded style, and he was stylishly put together, having donned loosely fitted pants and a dress shirt with a golden lion insignia embroidered on the front.
Seth’s arms found their way around Damon in a great big bro-hug. Haruna greeted Angelique with a hug of her own. She pulled back and caught the way Angelique had peered over her shoulder.
“He showed up,” Angelique said, grinning.
Haruna turned to see Ryu stationed behind her, stock-still. Then she noticed something else. Both Ryu and Damon were silent and staring at each other.
“Ryu…” Damon murmured.
“So your ‘girlfriend from the Academy’… is Angelique,” Ryu said flippantly, as though merely airing his thoughts.
Haruna blinked, in slow-motion it felt like. The others looked as confused as she was.
“You two know each other?” Tracy asked.
Ryu was slow to answer.
Damon flashed a small grin, seeming to recover from a moment's speechlessness.
“Oh yeah. Ryu’s a regular at Long’s.”
“Is that so?” Seth asked.
“Yeah. It is,” Ryu snarled, his glare fatal.
Deciding not to crowd around the door indefinitely, the group moved to the living room where they all took their spots, coupled off. Angelique was still hung up on their new discovery.
“I can’t believe you two are actually friends.”
“Why not? He’s my brother. One love, you know…”
“Spoken like a true Rasta,” sighed Angelique.
“Hold up—you’re Rastafarian?” Seth enthused with a lopsided grin.
Damon wagged a finger. "Rastafari." He then affixed his hands importantly at his hips, like some caped crusader. “And I tend to think of myself as a casual follower of Taoist-Rastafari principles. But those are just labels, you know?”
Gabrielle appeared as perplexed as the rest of them. “What is—?”
“Don’t ask. He’ll never stop talking and even when he’s done you still won’t get it. Trust me, it’s just his excuse for being lazy,” Angelique mused.
“You say that like being a flexitarian isn’t an excuse to eat Mum's jerk chicken,” Damon quipped.
Angelique pouted. “Let me win an argument, just once maybe?”
Damon winked, then kissed her on the cheek. “Love you, Gels,”
Haruna swooned. Even when they argued, they were still so cute together. Giddily, she looked to her other friends. Tracy didn’t look quite as pleased. In fact, Tracy had seemed underwhelmed the
entire evening thus far, and Haruna couldn’t quite place a finger on why. That was when Ryu stated the obvious.
“Party’s a bit small,” he murmured, stowing his hands in his pockets. “Doesn’t bother me. Just, I kinda thought popular people had bigger guest lists.”
Tracy rejoined them, her arms filled with a platter of hors d'oeuvres. She shouted back something indiscernible to her mother. They sprang to their feet to assist, and as they passed the trays around and began to snack, Tracy finally let it all out.
“No one else came.”
The girls exchanged glances.
“Um, maybe they’re just late?” offered Gabrielle with a hopeful look.
Haruna nodded, eyes flitted to a clock on the wall. “That must be it! It’s only eight-thirty.”
Tracy’s frown deepened. “Don't you see what’s happening? No one is coming. Debbie told everyone not to, and they listened.” She lowered her eyes. “I kept it small. I only told thirty people, but it was an open invite. And no one else…” she sniffed.
“Who cares? We’re here!” said Angelique.
Tracy didn’t seem to hear her as she continued, “My parents won’t leave. I tried to tell them, but they don’t trust me to have the house to myself.” She looked up with watery eyes and her voice became gravel. “It’s a disaster.”
“That’s not true!”
“We’re going to have fun! We don’t care that they’re here too.”
“Yeah. Besides, more horses for us,” Damon said with a grin.
Tracy deadpanned. “There are no horses.”
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