Every guy, whether they tell people about it or not, has a scale he rates women (or men, or both) on. Henry Green’s scale went to ten, but... Twelve was Henry’s favorite number, so he liked to liken really attractive women to twelves on the scale of ten. Before tonight, only one girl had hit that number, and she’d later been downgraded after he really got to know her.

Henry didn’t know how they did it. Women were kind of like magicians. When one combined mastery of /r/makeupaddiction and good genes, then you could make a six look like a ten out of ten. That was as far as looks could take you, though.

It took more than just looks to be a twelve. Riding on just looks alone, you could be an eleven or an eleven point five after a heavy makeover and wearing just the right stuff (in most cases, short dresses). You could even be a physical seven and be a ten on the scale if you were a good person. The scale didn’t rate just looks, but took personality and character into account. A twelve was a girl worth marrying — or at least dating and not just hooking up once.

If Henry had been asked to rate Min-seo on his scale before seeing the commercial on Parker’s phone, he would have comfortably given her a six and a half. It hadn’t really registered in his head that Min-seo was a viable sexual or romantic partner, because he’d only ever looked at her as a friend. But, Min-seo was a good friend. A very good one, in Henry’s humble opinion.

She was kind and patient with Parker, and that meant a lot to Henry. On top of that, she was nice to him and had even been happy to sell her soul for a night to work behind a bar with him, where he knew she’d struggled to figure everything out. Min-seo was also one of the few people that Henry trusted to watch Benedict and Arnold when he wasn’t around. She had a certain air of ‘awwww, that’s cute’ to her, mostly stemming from the way she hadn’t yet grasped all of the intricacies of American society. Even before the events of the past twenty four hours, Henry was of the opinion that Min-seo’s infatuation with ducks was a very cute quality. Her reaction to the Donald Duck stuffie he’d gotten her had made him smile.

Min-seo wasn’t perfect, nobody was, but she tried. She tried really hard, and Henry could see that — honestly? she probably tried harder than he did — and he appreciated it and in a lot of ways admired it. It wasn’t easy to jump across an entire ocean, and try to find your way with nothing but a family that had agreed to host you. Especially a family like his, headed by a sociopathic woman and her slightly less sociopathic partner, who had raised on sociopathic child, one child that was likely to end up in prison before he turned twenty-two, and one child who had been traded for Min-seo…

It wasn’t easy, and Henry knew it wasn’t easy. He’d been there with Min since the first day she’d landed at the airport. He wouldn’t have stood a goddamn chance in the scenario she’d thrust herself into, and it was cool that she did it! So, because she was such a nice person, she got a six point five by default, without Henry taking her looks into account — why would he?

Today, through the power of the internet, Parker Ashford had either made a mistake or she had accidentally played matchmaker. Henry had learned today that Min-seo looked pretty damn fine when she was dressed and trying to be hot, rather than trying to be unassuming. This made her a nine. Henry had asked her to the night’s party there, and then he’d dropped her off with the twins, the magicians who would wave their magic wands and turn Min into Cinderella for the night.

Henry hadn’t seen her yet, but he was excited! He trusted Stella and Luna to do her up right, especially since they were his sisters, and knew what he liked. He knew that they’d have done something truly magical, and whatever he saw here was the absolute top of Min’s looks — at least until she got married and got to wear a flowing wedding dress and all that jazz.

Henry’s sisters had texted him where they’d left Min. Per Henry’s request to leave her someplace private, the two girls had abandoned her at the empty dining area near the boat’s ballroom (which was more of a rave room tonight), and Henry had decided to get himself and Min-seo food. He was walking now, with a plate full of finger foods. He strolled into the empty room (people didn’t want to sit and eat a party, who knew?) and held the plate up, “Min, I brought us some food…” Henry was now able to see the result of the twins’s handiwork, and it made him stop in place, and nearly drop the plate. His breath taken away, Heny spoke in a voice that was oddly soft coming from him, and barely audible over the loud noises emanating from where the actual party was. “Oh, wow.”

There was now a second woman who was, in Henry’s opinion, a twelve out of ten.

There was an older show that used to air its reruns on a regular, near daily basis; the idea of the show was similar to many reality dating programs in that a bachelor or bachelorette had a series of suitors carted off a bus one by one. The bachelor could move onto the next suitor at the snap of his finger and often this was done as soon as a suitor stepped off the bus. Physical appearance mattered tremendously in this case. It was a silly show but it was fun to watch if only to get a sense for what certain people really were looking for in a date: namely someone that had minor to no actual imperfections. It was not a coincidence that many of the bachelors went home without a date because of their desires. For some reason, Min-seo found herself reminded of that show, along with many other dating shows that she often watched in the two months she’d been here.

The day had been a whirlwind. Moreso than usual and it started with that car ride. There was a whiplash of emotion going from ecstatic over the Donald Duck stuffy right into fear when Parker accidentally stumbled onto Min-seo’s biggest secret. That fear gave way to a whole plethora of emotion that culminated in Min-seo agreeing to be a date to a party. Not just any date, of course, but Henry Green’s date. Even in her brief time in America she had heard stories about her host family’s ‘favorite son’ though given the language barrier many of it had been lost in translation.

Min-seo had gotten to know Henry over the two months though she didn’t really have a clear opinion of him until the second month. That first month was still so overwhelming, but sticking around had allowed her to see a side of him that she doubted many got to see. The side that acted very mature given that he was sometimes like a cool older brother to Parker - when he wasn’t being an enabler - the side that had a fondness for animals. The side that surprised Min-seo with a gift of a stuffed Donald Duck. That the biggest slight against him that Min-seo could think of was his questionable choice in girlfriend spoke volumes; of course learning that Parker wasn’t his girlfriend was as much a shock as American culture.

Now she was sitting at an empty table in an empty area of an unfamiliar room on a boat, having been deposited there by people who had done their hardest in dolling her up. They were efficient and worked faster than the makeup team that had been on set of the commercial work she had done back home. Min-seo didn’t even have to say much at all, they seemed to have the girl well enough in hand. There weren’t any mirrors in the dining area but she trusted them enough to believe that they did their job well.

And certainly they had.

It started at the top. Min-seo’s hair had been brushed and washed, styled to be sleek black and volumetric, it practically bounced at simply turning her head; this stood in contrast to Min-seo’s often unruly hair that had a bit of bedhead to it as well as hanging on her head loosely, like someone who was stressed beyond measure. Her eyes had a smokey contour to them, a marked difference from the confused sleepy gaze she had so often rocked; the makeup brought up the most of her brown eyes and the lashes helped. There was makeup and lipstick on her face, but it wasn’t caked on or layered on to where she looked like she was trying to stand out on the street corner. Pink lipstick to bring out their already thinly perky shape, and her face was blemish free and her cheeks were rounded in line with her chin, hiding the stress lines.

Then there came the outfit. It was as if someone put Min-seo in a short dress and chopped off the middle half. The dress, or half-dress, was a slinky red number that worked well with her makeup. Sleeveless, the top stopped just above her navel, exposing the fit midriff that all but started it all. Below that was the lower half of the dress, a skirt that was light but had an elegance to it and was hemmed perfectly to rest above her knees. If there was one asset she had, it was her legs and her outfit made that rather clear, down to the chic flats on her feet - wearing heels all night would have been absolute murder.

She was in the room for what seemed like hours before finally she heard footsteps and heard Henry just as he arrived. Min-seo stood up, standing in front of the table and the full breadth of her makeover was on full display. She smiled towards Henry and waved with a demure fashion. ”Henry...hello. It is...good to see you.” She was still quite nervous, but she was owning it as well as she could.

Henry’s face had an initial mask of happy surprise as he took in Min-seo’s entire ensemble. He brushed it off though and replaced it with a genuine smile before he spoke. “It’s good to see you too. You look… amazing, breathtaking even.” He smiled wider and held up the food again, “I brought us some food.” He said, before he danced around Min and sat the food down on the table. He took a seat at the table, and looked over his shoulder, gesturing for Min to sit across from him.

“I thought it would be better for you if we didn’t like… jump straight into the deep end, I guess? The whole party, I mean. Since it’s your first date in America, I thought it’d be more special if we were, alone for a bit. So that it didn’t seem like I just dragged you to a loud party just to… well, y’know what I mean.”

It was impossible for Min-seo not to blush and look away with a smile at the response from Henry; she might not have been fluent but somethings were universal and even she knew a genuine compliment when she heard one. She just wasn’t used to hearing them. As far as first time experiences went, this first time date was off to a good start. ”Kamsa-hamnida” Min-seo found her response coming out in her native tongue before she could even catch herself; it only added to her flushed tone with a mild embarrassed turn of expression. ”Ah...I mean...thank you.”

She took a moment to collect herself, to take a breath, and most importantly to try and stop trying so hard to be perfect. Min-seo had it in her mind that Americans liked things a certain way when it came to dates and the last thing she wanted was her own lack of experience on the subject matter to be a detriment. But, as she reminded herself, this wasn’t like those dating shows she watched on the side. This wasn’t a blind date sort of thing. They knew each other, now it was just a matter of getting to know each other on a different sort of playing field.

Min-seo sat across from Henry and exhaled a small breath, nodding at Henry’s reasoning even if she picked up only about eighty percent of it which was, by her estimation, an improvement. Being around quick talkers while in a salon booth for a few hours had a few benefits to it where listening was concerned. ”I like it. Party is...fun but...loud.” Min-seo gestured with her hand by her left ear. ”I want you...to have...good time. I am too.” Min gave a smiling bow of a nod before reaching for a small bit of food. ”Jal meokgesseumnida.” Some habits of Min’s were unlikely to pass.

Henry was happy to see she was enjoying herself. In a moment very unlike himself, Henry had earlier found himself idly wondering if he’d be able to make sure the night lived up to what he assumed may be unrealistic expectations from Min-seo. He wasn’t sure how much she’d played up her first date, like in her mind. In a different place, under a different light, Henry was confident that he could meet and exceed those expectations, but in this place, with this many people surrounding them and denying them intimacy?

It was questionable, at best. Henry figured he had a thirty three point three-three (repeating, of course) chance, at best, of beating those expectations.

He would try his best though. Underneath the table, he reached out and put a hand on Min’s knee, giving it a squeeze and nodding. “I know I’ll have a wonderful time. There’s only one way tonight can go for me, and that’s up.” He assured her, using his free hand to grab a bite to eat himself, while the hand on her knee rested comfortably. “Were the twins nice to you?”

There was a brief moment of confusion when Min felt something on her knee and for the initial seconds she assumed it was some kind of bug or, worse, a rodent. She had every intention of slapping the creature from her knee until cooler heads - and senses - prevailed and she understood that it was the furthest thing from a gross insect. It still made her twitch, but not unpleasantly so; she would just have to get accustomed to such direct gestures of affection. She came from a place where dates were full of awkwardly cute pauses and difficult eye contact. Score one for American bravado.

”The twins? They...they are good with their work.” Her language was still choppy but it was sounding less robotic and sluggish every day. There was no mistaking her for a native speaker but it was clear she was putting forth effort where she could. ”But...I think...I won’t go back...unless...serious. It is very...in-tents there.”

Henry nodded. He could understand that. The whole Sunset Castle could be a bit much, if you were rushed in by someone who decided you needed a makeover right then, and given to the twins. Henry decided to fight the good fight for his second mom. “I understand where you’re coming from. The twins were a little rushed, by me.” It’s important to note that Henry’s speech patterns were slowed down a little at this point, and he was enunciating more clearly. This was to make it easier on Min-seo. He wanted to be able to talk to her, not just ramble and hope that she caught everything he said. “I promise it can be a lot better than that. Next time, we’ll give them a notice and I’ll make sure you’re relaxed, rather than rushed.”

Henry squeezed her knee again, trying to reassure her. Realizing that he wasn’t sure the gesture would be accepted positively, or even wanted, Henry did a quick once over on Min, to see if there were any obvious signs of confusion or discomfort. Seeing none, he instead munched on another snack. “Sorry that’s it’s kind of all snack food… They didn’t have much else. It’s still a party.”

It was the little gestures that mattered most of all and while she didn’t say as much, Min did appreciate Henry’s slower manner of speaking. When she was around people that spoke rapidly it often felt like the teacher from Charlie Brown, which was part of the reason why she’d still had trouble with some of the more simple concepts like articles. But she knew that Henry wouldn’t get on her case for her pronunciation and she truly did try to improve for her sake as well as others. ”Food is...food.” Min offered with an appreciative nod and an accepting bite of a little hot dog wrapped in a pastry.

”The food is...second. What is first is...time together, yes?” Min-seo all but tilted her head in response, but it was a genuine response. It didn’t matter to her if they were having a five star meal or bags of corn chips from the vending machine. As if to drive the point home, Min gave the hand on her knee a gentle pat before she took another nibble of the plate of food.

At this, Henry’s face lit up in a bright smile. It was reassuring to hear it from Min-se like that, and he turned his hand upside down and interlaced his fingers with the Min’s before she could pull her hand away. Holding hands under the table, Henry ate in silence for a moment, before he leaned toward the wall the music was leaking from. Later into the night now, he could hear that the music being played had shifted from the more intense and loud music of a rave, to something slower. Something that seemed to encourage slow dancing, as opposed to the fast paced grinding and sleazy dancing that Henry knew was going on.

He tilted his head at Min-seo, and thought about it. Was he a very good dancer? He was okay. He and Evelyn had taken mother/son dance classes, as a birthday present to her, and he was alright. So he wasn’t worried about that… It was just embarrassing, and he was certain Min-seo wasn’t aware that he knew how to dance. Oh well, all good things must come to an end. In the name of love, and doing it all for the nookie, Henry smiled at Min-seo.

“They’re playing slow songs. Do you want to go dance?”

Henry wasn’t sure whose idea it was to play slow songs and shift the mood below deck of the boat. It could have been Brian’s call, or it could have been that of the DJ. No matter who had made the call, the mood shift in the room that had just minutes before been a classic blacklight party was abrupt and apparent. Henry thought it fit the night, though, and he was happy to be on the floor with Min-seo.

Below deck of the ship was all glass, so they could look out into the ocean. No longer an explosion of color and harsh, flashing lights, the dance floor was lit by a soft blue, and the shadows of the ocean danced on the few pairs of people who’d stayed after things had calmed down. The music was quieter and less hype now, instead of a trap-heavy club track, a softer, more romantic tune played.

Henry and Min had taken the center of the dance floor. Henry had dragged her there, and now he was holding her close to him and they slowly moved on the dance floor. Henry was leading her in the dance, and he’d been uncharacteristically quiet. He was focused on the music, and keeping his feet moving in the right direction… and her. She was definitely a big part of where his mind was.

Henry had very much been a bit of a hit it and quit it boy so far, bouncing between one night stand and one night stand, but this was different! He hadn’t expected it to be different, but here it was. Maybe it was because he knew her, which was something he typically avoided. They were friends, and now they were becoming… more than that, maybe. Henry was still intent on having sex with her, but this intimacy was, for him, a breath of fresh air.

And it was welcome.

In a word, Min-seo was surprised; in a modifier to that word she was pleasantly surprised. Given her track record with parties that were somewhat grand in scale, she had expected the date to be loud and exhausting. Fun, sure, but still loud and still exhausting, especially given the experience that was still so fresh in her mind. She didn’t know if strings were pulled or if fortune was smiling on the pair of them but she was happy that she was able to both hear herself think and talk, such as it was, like any other normal date. Min-seo had ideas as to what her ideal date would be like, but given her first kiss from earlier today she found that it helped not to get hung up on the ideals and fantasies. Sure, her first kiss was surprising and not what she pictured for so long, but the second had gone above and beyond even her wildest imagination and would likely occupy the space in her mind for what a great kiss could be.

It was seeming possible for this date to share a similar fate.

The quiet little feast of snacks was a good way for the awkwardly cute portion to bubble to the surface. Light conversation, light compliments, light snack, all of which added up to a satisfying whole. Much to Min’s continued surprise, she didn’t expect there to be a dancefloor that seemed like it would fit right at home within the castle in Beauty and the Beast. When it came to dancing, Min-seo assumed that it would be dark and close and somewhat vulgar but such were the things one did when wanting a date to go well. But a slow dance? Henry might not have spoken Korean but he was speaking Min-seo’s language.

Given her father and step-mother, Min-seo attended many a fundraiser or social gathering in her time, and even when she was a little girl she found herself dancing - often just a playful sort of twirl with her father (or, most often, her father’s personal assistant) - but dancing all the same. She could tell from the start that Henry seemed a bit unsure, maybe he wasn’t an experienced slow dancer, but Min-seo still just smiled and went along with the leading rhythm. He was trying, and he was doing better than someone who would only use a slow dance as a means of grabbing a bit below the waist, and that was what mattered most to Min-seo. The effort. The sincerity. The fact that Henry cared.

It didn’t matter how short or long the song was, while they were dancing Min-seo had felt like they were doing so forever.

As the moved together slowly on the dance floor, Henry took his hand and slid it up her back to the back of her head. Rather than pull her in for a kiss, though, Henry just let his fingers run down through her hair, slowly gliding through locks of her hair. As they moved across the dance floor, Henry stayed quiet. He moved his head, to rest it against hers. He normally never stopped talking, but he wasn’t sure what he could say without the risk of breaking their moment, which he wanted to avoid.

He stepped back the slightest bit, and took Min-seo’s hand in his, lifting her arm up over her head and twirling her round in a circle, before he dipped her down backward. Did the move go along perfectly with the music? No, maybe not, but he wasn’t doing it for anyone but the two of the them. As the song came to a close, Henry leaned down and kissed her on the lips, pulling her back up straight while he kept their lips together. Once they stood up straight, and the room was quiet before the next song began playing, Henry finally broke the silence.

Henry slowly leaned down and forward, toward her ear, “...how was that?“ He asked her, in an almost whisper, directly into her ear.

Min-seo had never really been too conscious about her hair, it was straight excepting the days she opted for a different style, and long enough to rest past her shoulders. Yet now she found herself hoping beyond hope that there weren’t any knots, that it was smooth, that Henry’s hand didn’t caught in some unseen wayward curl. Of course the twins took good care of her and she knew that any worry was just in her head; given the situation, though, she felt it was warranted. Happily, it was a smooth transition from back to hair and Min-seo let out a sigh that almost got in the way of the rhythm they had been dancing to, but she managed to stay upright.

A highlight of her outfit for the evening came with the twirl. As she spun, the hem of her skirt lifted upwards with the rotation, and sewn into the frills were little stones that caught the light, making it appear as if Min-seo was glowing. Truth be told she was, though moreso in her face than anything else; the accoutrements were just a bit of extra flair thrown into the mix. For a moment, Min-seo twirled and felt on top of the world.

And then came the kiss.

She hadn’t been expecting it, but where she had felt on top of the world she now felt as if she was at the center of the universe. It was the kind of kiss, and the setting of it helped rather tremendously, that would make a person believe in magic. Min-seo’s eyes closed and in that moment there were only two people on the boat where she was concerned; it was like a Jack and Rose affair. When she was stood upright again one of her hands was resting, pressing almost, on Henry’s shoulder while the other was pressed palm-first onto his chest, just shy of grabbing his lapel and holding tight.

“It was...perfect.“ Min-seo whispered in response, the truth in her words tangible in her delivery.

As he listened to her response, Henry could feel his pride swell up. He had been called a lot of things in his adventures, but never perfect. Henry could feel her tugging at him, and it made a smirk pull at the edge of his lips as he pulled back to gaze into her eyes. A much more natural reaction of Henry came next as he winked at her, and reached out with a hand to gently brush some of her hair out of her eyes. Not knowing how long the moment would last, or if there would ever be a better chance to ask, so Henry shot his shot. “Min-seo… do you wanna go upstairs with me? So we can have a little more privacy.“

To emphasize his question, and to try and convince her just a little bit more, Henry cupped her chin in his hand and tilted her head back, leaning down to kiss her again. Henry again let it linger, and he would have used his tongue — if he didn’t want to save that for when the door closed.

The question wasn’t as much of a surprise as Min-seo thought it might’ve been. Going upstairs was a term she knew and one she had incorrectly attributed just a few days ago but there was no mistaking it this time. Several different scenarios played out in her mind but none of them ended in a way that would turn her off the idea. Henry wanted to go upstairs. With her. Out of everyone. He had pulled out several stops and made Min-seo feel like a genuine princess in a night that she was bound to never forget. There was only a slight pause from the transfer student that was interrupted by another kiss. She was getting used to those, and that was not at all a bad thing from where she was standing.

“Ne.“ She responded almost as soon as their lips parted, though she had to laugh at herself after the realization set in. She had responded in Korean in a way that sounded like she was saying ‘nay’. “That...that means yes.“ Min-seo was blushing as she explained herself but whether it was from the little bit of lost in translation or because she had agreed was anyone’s guess.

Min-seo was all smiles either way.

Henry could feel heat rising to his cheeks after her initial response. She didn’t want to? Then he just looked like a jackass. Luckily for him, the misunderstanding was quickly explained away and he could feel the same heat leaving. He nodded happily, and took her hand once more. He led her out of the room where they had danced, and up the stairs. Henry paused in front of one of the personal rooms, where the tablet next to the door indicated that it was not taken.

He glanced at the tablet and read the message on it: ‘Please sign the name of you and your partner, and the door will unlock. Thank you and have a beautiful night!’ Henry looked at Min-seo, and furrowed his brow. “Really? That’s weird, Brian… Whatever.“ Rather than question it or wait, Henry instead signed his name with the provided stylus, handing it to Min. “Sign your name.“ He explained.

This was something that wasn’t covered in the extensive amount of research done. It must have been a new thing; Min-seo likened it to a hotel check in only without the necessary payment and credit card information. It was odd, sure, but not something that would cause her to rescind her agreement. She had said yes, and she meant it, and this was just a rather strange part of the experience. There was only one question, did she sign in English or with her name characters?

It probably didn’t matter but it gave Min-seo a little pause as she held the stylus in hand. “So...weird.“ She shook her head and took stylus to tablet, writing out the Hangul characters of her name as she would have done back home. “Is this...normal?“ She had to ask as the stylus went back into the tablet’s holder.

Henry shook his head as the door made a noise to signify that it was unlocked, he turned the knob to let them in, pulling her in behind himself. He clicked the lock shut, and then explained, “nah, it’s definitely not normal. Brian’s kinda weird, though. I wouldn’t be surprised if he set that up himself.“ Henry wrapped his arms around her waist, “don’t think about that. Just think about… me.“ He said, smiling at her as he kissed her again.

This time, the kiss was different. It was passionate, yes, but it was less romantic and more… carnal. Henry lifted her up into his arms, keeping his lips pressed against hers. This time, Henry used his tongue, pressing it softly against her lips until she parted them to let him in. Henry pressed her back against a wall, and broke the kiss, instead finding her neck with soft, rapid, and feathery kisses.

Crossing the threshold of the door was like stepping out of the fantasy into reality. It marked a subtle change in demeanour that was picked up on by Min-seo who had expected a shift though was still surprised by its intensity. The feeling of being overwhelmed was a creeping threat, but this time she knew she’d be able to weather it out just fine given that she was with someone that cared and was making her feel special. There came a gasp of surprise when her feet left the ground but it highlighted the key difference in height and size; plus Min just found it to be another stroke in the plus column. Was it not within her rights to like a man that could sweep her off her feet and literally?

When the tongue came knocking at her lips she hesitated a moment out of uncertainty of what to do, but she figured it out well enough. When tongue was involved it was like an entirely different experience, one that lacked a bit of the romantic vibe of the dancefloor but contained a desire that made up for it in spades. Her back against a wall caused Min-seo to gasp again before she rolled her neck and exhaled a gentle breath as kisses were given like samples, a reaffirmation between parties that this was the desired outcome. Her lack of experience was showing as she didn’t quite know how to respond other than naturally, another exhale that came with her pressing her fingers onto Henry’s shoulder. The time for thinking and imagining the ideal was long past, Min-seo was just going to go with it.

It had been working so far.

The natural reaction was really all Henry needed. Hearing her little gasps, and feeling her move her neck was a good thing, and Henry was living for it. His hands finally went for the kill, slipping below the waist as he went underneath the skirt and squeezed at her thighs, going so far as to bite at her neck. Henry pulled away and looked directly at Min-seo, and he paused for a second, lifting her up and placing her bottom down on top of the dresser.

A sudden realization had washed over him. It was probably because he was stone cold fucking sober, but Henry was realizing that if they did this, it’d change their whole relationship. He wanted it, yes, but he had to be sure that she wanted it. This wasn’t like the rest of his one night stands, where he could chalk it up as a drunken mistake.

He wasn’t drunk, she wasn’t drunk, and most importantly, this was Min. He cared about her.

Damn feelings.

Henry was breathing heavily as he stared at her, leaning forward and resting their foreheads together. Henry put loving kisses on her lips, not the passionate, primal ones of moments before. “Min…“ Henry said in a breathless voice while he kissed her again and again, “You want this… right?“

Again Min-seo’s eyes closed to let the feelings wash over her, and they were strong feelings at that; with her closed eyes came Min-seo’s slightly increased breathing and fingers raking upwards before clutching down at Henry’s shirt as she braced herself following the teasing squeeze to her thighs. There was a brief moment of tension that worked itself out as quickly as a breath. And almost as soon as things had started, they came to a pause.

Min-seo opened her eyes, blinking once, then again as the kisses continued like droplets of dew. She had to give Henry a smile, a genuine curve of the corner of her lip as she instigated one of the kisses this time. It would have served as a reminder of itself, Min being the one to seek Henry’s lips out for a lingering lip lock, but she punctuated the gesture with a small, self assured nod. “Yes.“ Min-seo wasn’t fluent in the language, but it didn’t matter in the slightest.

“I want...this. Yes.“ A reiteration that was sealed, as many things had been that night already, with a kiss.

The deed was done.

Henry was laying on the bed now, resting on his back. He had fought a bit to pull himself from Min’s grasp, but she seemed satisfied after he got comfortable and pulled her back into her arms and into a tight hug. They laid there for awhile, together and in comfortable silence (if a bit weird for Henry, he wasn’t normally the snuggles afterward guy), before Henry kissed her, and insisted they take a shower, during which Henry expertly washed her, avoiding her hair and face so as to preserve her hair and makeup.

When they were done, Henry turned his back to her as he pulled his shirt on, bending forward and revealing the claw marks that Min had left on his back. From the hot water beating on his back in the shower, to the ferocious rubbing of the towel, the marks were now apparent: bright red against the pale skin of his back. They didn’t seem to be causing him much discomfort, but they were nonetheless there, right up until he tugged the shirt down and turned around.

“Hey, Min, after we get dressed, before we go out, there’s oneeee last thing I want to do.”

Min was certainly more content to cuddle after the fact and relished the opportunity to do so. She didn’t feel the need to say a word, they had said enough during their act and now was the time to relax and let the bliss carry them. Min-seo had been all smiles that night so far, which was a miracle given her initial apprehension towards a spa treatment, but as the pair lay in the comfort of one another Min’s smile was the widest - and brightest - it had been. Min-seo would just as soon agreed to staying like this until the sun came up if given the choice and opportunity to do so.

But a shower wasn’t the worst idea she’d heard. The water was cooling and it was nice to have someone there to wash her back which was always the hardest part. The shower signaled the end of their first cuddle session and though Min-seo was a little saddened she figured it wouldn’t be their only one and took comfort in that. Her good vibes wavered when she noticed the marks on Henry’s back; mild panic set in as she looked to her nails and back to Henry’s markings. Was that her doing? Should she say something? An apology? Did Henry even notice? Before she reached a decision, the shirt was on Henry and Min had missed the chance to point them out.

"One..thing?” She blinked and was just shy of tilting her head; her mind was still on the markings and the deep hope that he wouldn’t be mad when he found out about them. "What thing?”

Henry nodded, smiling at her. It seemed that for now, he wasn’t upset about the markings on his back, but instead had something else on his mind. Henry finished pulling his belt back on, then sat down on the bed. “Okay, so… I guess there’s no other way to say this: can I do cocaine off of your stomach?” Henry asked, reaching into his pants pocket and withdrawing a small baggie filled with white powder. “Like, off the midriff. See, I have a thing for midriff, like a real big thing. And then I have a smaller, but still pretty big thing for coke. Combine the two things together, and you have one happy Henry.”

There, it was worth a shot. Henry couldn’t remember a time when Min did drugs, or really even drank alcohol. He was hopeful that asking for something like this wouldn’t impact their relationship, but hey Henry had came inside like a hurricane warning and that didn’t seem to ruin things. Hopefully, all went well and he got his wish.

After asking what was on Henry’s mind, Min-seo used the opportunity to collect her clothes that were strewn about the ground. She was just finishing with the hooks and making sure everything was in place when the request was made. Her lower dress was in hand and it was as if she was paused in a moment in time, blinking both at Henry and at the baggie in his hand. Min-seo couldn’t claim to have done any illicit substances but she recognized the look of one; for a moment it seemed as if Min was going to say no. In the explanation of the request Min-seo only parsed about a third of it, but she focused on two particular words.

‘Happy Henry’.

Even though she was not someone who took things like cocaine, she was almost certain that he wasn’t asking her to do it and that putting it on her stomach didn’t count as taking it. Cocaine didn’t seep into the skin, right? Regardless, her mind was made up. "If you...happy...then...I say...okay.”

Success! It was a day of successes, as far as things with Min went, and Henry planned to keep it rolling for the foreseeable future. Once she was dressed again, he laid her down on her back again, and kneeled down by her stomach. He opened the baggie and carefully dumped some of it out. He pulled his wallet out and took out a credit car, moving the blow around to be more of a line. He smiled up at Min, “Thank you, Ducky.”

After speaking, Henry took a cut-in-half straw out of his pocket and press it against her stomach, snorting the line up quickly, and then blinking a bit as he leaned backwards and smiled. “That’s… good. Too bad Hana’s out of the game now, I dunno what I’m gonna do.” He said sadly, before standing up and holding his hand out to help her out of the bed.

She could safely say that this was nowhere on her list of expectations, the one she made on the long plane ride over two months ago. It was quite the unusual experience, but she was hard pressed to think of something that wasn’t the least bit unusual on a daily basis, especially compared to what she was used to at home. The weirdest part wasn’t when the white powder was placed on her stomach, but rather how...normal it all seemed for Henry. Min-seo could tell from the hand motions that Henry had done this before; not necessarily the ‘from a stomach’ part, but making lines and snorting them up.

The powder was kind of ticklish though Min-seo made sure not to laugh or move too much for fear of the powder falling and going everywhere. When it was over, she made sure to rub her hand over her stomach just to make sure she wasn’t going to be walking around with some white powdery stuff on her skin. "Hana?” Min-seo blinked as she was helped to her feet, adjusting her dress and getting out any unsightly lines. "Hana is...your...ex? Out of...game?” It wasn’t a question of jealousy but one of confusion. Americans had so many expressions and terms that all said the same thing.

Henry turned to look at her in surprise and shook his head. “Nah, not my ex. Hana is my drug dealer, but now she’s dating Hailey — or Hailey owns her, depends on who you ask — but anyway, Hailey told her not to deal drugs anymore. I can only assume, she was told that to spite me, because Hailey hates me and everything that brings joy to my life. So, I’ll have to go out of bounds to get drugs now. Which is shitty, but whatever…” Henry shook his head and looped his arm around Min’s waist, directing her toward the door and stepping outside, back into the hallway that led toward the main chunk of partygoers.

“Okay, Min. Where do you want to go next? Honestly, this party seems like it’s going way better than the one I threw… I guess that’s what happens when Hailey is distracted by someone, and doesn’t show up to ruin things.” Henry kept his arm around Min’s waist, and had her nearly glued to his side, as if he didn’t want to risk her getting taken by someone else. Henry couldn’t let that happen — after all, he planned to take Min back to one of the private rooms.

There was a lot going on with the people at this school and hearing news that Henry’s sister owned another person made Min somewhat glad she mostly kept out of the affairs of others. On the plus side it meant she wasn’t wrapped up in drama which might well have been too much to handle; on the other it meant that it took her a bit longer than most to find her first friend. Min-seo blinked as she reminded herself to thank Kit when she saw her next, if it wasn’t for the text message guidance it was likely Min would’ve had a vastly different night tonight.

Back out into the hallway, to the party, Min enjoyed how close they were walking and she had her head resting against him, her face locked in a seemingly permanent smile. "Go next?” She considered a moment, letting her eyes take in the wondrous sight of hallway and flooring. "Anywhere. It will be...good. We can...walk...together.”

Henry followed her eyes to the glowing floor, and he nodded in agreement. They could just walk together, and nothing could ruin their night. Henry was working hard to meet her expectations, and as far as he could tell, he was doing a fantastic job of it. He led her across the glowing floor, and again directed her away from the large masses of people, instead taking her to the stern of the boat. While not completely alone here, they were mostly secluded, and Henry was certain Min preferred that.

He took her to the very end of the boat, and looked out at the Los Angeles skyline, with the still lit up skyscrapers dotting the horizon. “It’s a nice view here, so I thought you might like it.” While they stood and stared, Henry wondered if he should have done more blow than what he did; he didn’t feel that high, but he figured the thrill really came from doing it off of your girlfriend’s body. Like when you eat sushi off of a naked woman.

Never done that before, maybe he’d have to see if she’d let him do that one.

The order was a little out of whack, but walking together through a boat and taking in what sights there were was definitely within the lines of a good date activity. In her head, Min-seo always imagined her first date being a bit more out of a fairy tale with the night ending in conversation while being escorted home, but the reality had been surprisingly like a fairy tale of her own making. She had the makeover, got to wear a dress, and even got to dance in the center of the floor. And now here she was, enjoying the comfortable silence of ambiance and being led to a rather scenic overlook.

She’d never had the chance to see the city at night like this, but as she looked at the skyline she could almost see home. The night sky, the buildings lit up, some faintly glowing neon. Back in Korea she could overlook the skyline from the penthouse her family often lived in; but it was different here on the boat. Here when she looked out at the city she didn’t feel isolated and alone or overwhelmed. Likely because of who she was watching it with, Min-seo just felt comfortable. The night may have gone differently than she had built up in her head, but that hadn’t mattered. Because as she looked out at the buildings with her arm around Henry’s back, she could only have one thought in mind.

"It is...perfect.”

The night was silent, and it was theirs.

That is, until a whirring noise came from Henry’s pocket, and Henry froze for a second as the music ramped up. He looked at Min and kissed her lips softly, “Uh, one second.” He said, before pulling the phone out and putting it to his ear, “this is Henry. ...Uh-huh. ...Yeah, I guess we could. ...Damian did what now? Sighhh. I’ll be right there. ...Yes I’m bringing Min! She’s my date, idiot. ...Well, it’s a thing that’s happening now. ...Nah, don’t trip. This is right up my alley.” He hung up and pocketed the phone, looking at Min.

“Hey, lover. We gotta go see Brian, okay? He wants my help, and I usually try to be a good friend, so I gotta go…”

At first Min-seo didn’t know what that music was or where it was coming from. It wasn’t loud and muted enough to be the music on the dance floor and it sounded closer; up until Henry pulled out the phone Min-seo was ready to assume it was someone that was playing a game or something. There was surprise when it turned out to be Henry’s phone, mostly because of the choice in ringtone. It...it wasn’t what she expected Henry to have for his phone but the surprises never stopped today.

Min-seo took a step back as Henry spoke. The last thing she wanted to be was one of those girls who tried to listen in on conversations with their dates and boyfriends. Had Henry not told her to trust him? When the call ended and Henry explained the situation Min-seo was understandably a little disappointed, but understanding. She had been taking up a lot of his time and she knew full well that his friends were important too. "I understand. It is okay. We can...go see...your friend. Okay.” Min-seo didn’t sound the most enthused but she did give a thumbs up and a smile just to ensure that it was clear she was on board.

"You are...good friend…Oppa.”

“A party on a boat? They must be upset that the stupid New Year’s Party went so south. I don’t know why you’d trap yourself on a boat with the student body of Beverly Hills High. They’re all awful people, and I don’t know why my family would subject themselves to such torment. Idiots.” Victoria Helmsley was sitting cross legged in the center of the four poster bed in her massive bedroom, with her friend Ivy Nichols and her sometimes friend Elliot Nichols close by. As was the norm, Victoria was throwing handfuls of popcorn in her mouth. In this case, she was eating it from a bowl, rather than Moose Munch from a container. Buttery, freshly popped in the popcorn maker beside her bed, and lightly seasoned with Himalayan pink rock salt and a dash of black pepper.

“Almost everyone we go to school with is near… dweebish. I can’t imagine a party with them going very well… I like partying in exotic locations, meeting new people and new playmates… Not boats in the pacific bay.” Victoria twirled some of her hair around her finger, and leaned back, staring at the ceiling. “Tomorrow, we’ll go to school, and hear nothing about anything except for how much people hated this party and how dramatic it was and how everyone hates everyone. Nothing positive. Guaranteed.” She reached a hand out and grabbed a piece of popcorn, flinging it into the air and catching it in her mouth as it came down, before turning her attentions to Ivy, “In fact, we could check Snapchat stories now and I’m sure it’d be terrible.”

She shook her head and rolled her body to look at Elliot, “Ellie, honey, do you think you could help me with my math? Of course, by help, I mean do it for me.”

Ivy smirked as her best friend ragged on the yacht party that was currently going down, her venom a familiar experience. Ivy was well aware that Victoria didn’t care much for her cousins, or their petty politics, despite Ivy and Becca’s friendship. “Well, you aren’t wrong,” she said, handing her phone over to Victoria, a video of Katie Callaghan and Scott Lyon engaged in a heated argument playing on the screen. A typical Tuesday for them. Towards the end, Ivy could see Noah pushing through the crowd that was gathered around Katie and her mortal enemy. “Ellie, come check this out, Noah’s at a party!” Ivy shouted to her brother, despite him being only a few feet away.

Elliot looked up from his worn copy of The Great Gatsby, a look of doubt on his face. Standing up from his spot on a bean bag chair in the corner of Victoria’s room, he walked over to the girls, looking over Victoria’s shoulder at the video. “Good to see you’re rubbing off on the baby, Ivy,” Elliot said, the sarcasm thick as he rolled his eyes at his sister. “Victoria, I’m not a slave, do your own homework,” he countered, going back to his perch in the corner, and taking up his book again. This argument was a familiar one, one that often ended with Elliot losing, and Victoria getting an A.

Victoria stared down at the phone, smiling to herself. She loved when those two fought; it was always loud, and obnoxious. It often drew crowd and they never made any sense, they were just yelling simply to yell. It was either pure, unfiltered hatred, or it was confused love. It didn’t matter to her, she just enjoyed the ride watching them. Verbal tussles that didn’t break out into physical violence were her vibe, especially when she could just watch them.

“Watching them fight is fun. One day, I’d love to tell Katie thanks for making Scott so angry all the time. Truly admirable. But, that’s for another time…” She turned her attention to Elliot again, throwing a piece of popcorn at him. “You’re not a slave. I’ve just paid you with popcorn, so really you’re more of a serf, or an indentured servant. If you don’t help me I’ll fail and my mommy would cry. Do you want to make my mommy cry?”

Ivy chuckled. Watching Katie and Scott fight was one of her and Victoria’s favorite past times. The two were quite the entertainment, and getting front row as they hurled insults at each other was always a treat. Ivy had even tried to get Scott to join Drama Club, just so she could see more of the Dynamite Duo. Unfortunately, that one hadn’t worked. Scott wasn’t as susceptible to her… usual methods of persuasion, as most boys were. If you asked Ivy, he was too preoccupied by one little blonde drama queen, but that was none of her business.

Elliot looked up at Victoria and Ivy, a few strands of dark hair falling out from under his beanie and over his forehead. “California state labor laws mandate a minimum wage of eighteen dollars an hour,” Elliot quipped.

“Elliot, stop being a prick and do Vivi’s homework,” Ivy said as she fell backwards onto the bed, looking up at her phone, the epitome of what the media thought it meant to be a teenage girl in this day and age.

Elliot sighed, rolled his eyes and went over to Victoria’s desk, snatching a binder off of the surface and bringing it back to his seat. Scanning the paper he let out a groan. “Good lord, Victoria, this is child's play,” he complained, pulling out a pencil and scratching down answers on the worksheet.

“You know what else is child’s play? Getting you to do my homework so I don’t have to.” Victoria retorted, eating more popcorn with a roll of her eyes. Boys… So easy, yet so annoying sometimes. “If I were as efficient as you at doing it, I would happily do it. But I’m not. This is the best way, trust me.”

She moved closer to Ivy, now ignoring Elliot as punishment for being so snippy with her. “Do you think this is the party where someone comes back home in a body bag? I wouldn’t be surprised if it were. Tensions are running high! Although, Owen isn’t there, and he should win most likely to kill someone. If that were an award high schoolers could win. Maybe Scott or AJ can make something happen, though, those two are the rowdiest boys I’ve ever met… Pity I’m related to them. It’s a curse on both fronts — I can’t take advantage of it in the bedroom, and I’m embarrassed by it in public.”

“Maybe Katie will get Scott to calm down, soon.”

Ivy laughed, rolling her eyes. “I think Katie would do the exact opposite of calm Scott down,” Ivy said. “But, speaking of people calming down, did you hear about Damian and Joy Darling? Of all the girls at this school, she was not the one I saw him committing to. Truth be told, I was rooting for Hailey or maybe Trixie, but whatever,” Ivy said, as Elliot scoffed, but kept his comments to himself.

Victoria stared up at the ceiling as Ivy spoke. Geeze, Damian and Joy Darling? Who the fuck even was Joy Darling? Victoria had to think for a moment, before it clicked in her head. Joy was Katie’s friend; Victoria had seen her around before. Speaking technically, Joy was family, but she slipped under the radar and for all intents and purposes, she seemed completely comfortable there. As a result, Victoria had to think about who she was: nerdy, quiet, looked up to Jericho Snyder.

That was who Damian chose? Damian O’Connor, the god among men. The one who could have whoever he wanted. He picked her? “Are you kidding me? Hailey was never the play, I don’t think. Hailey likes girls more than she likes boys — I have that on excellent authority. Trixie… Trixie should still be with Owen, in my opinion. But anyway… didn’t Hailey get a Korean or something?”

“Trixie can do so much better than Owen! Have you seen her? And have you seen him? Not to mention, once a cheater always a cheater. I should know,” Ivy said, smirking at the end as she recalled the many relationships that had ended because someone’s boyfriend couldn’t keep it in their pants. Oh memories. “The Korean thing is true. Becca told me about it the other day. Apparently she was Henry’s drug dealer, and now she’s Hailey’s sex slave or something. Good for her, we could all use a Korean in our lives,” Ivy said, hopping off the bed and strutting over to the popper, and scooping herself up a bag of popcorn. “Elliot, when are you gonna get yourself laid so me and Vi can talk about that?”

Elliot looked up from Victoria’s homework, arching an eyebrow, as if he was waiting for Ivy to answer her own question. “Unlike you Ivy, some of us don’t need to be constantly seeking the attention of others,” he said, going back to Victoria’s worksheet.

Ivy rolled her eyes and returned to the bed. “Oh what the hell!” Ivy exclaimed, after looking at her phone for a moment. “Vic they have a fucking liquor fountain! Like a soda fountain, for liquor! Remind me to never skip a Helmsley party again, no matter the dweebishness of those attending.”

“We probably have one of those on the estate… I’ll find it later. I want to talk about Owen and Trixie more.” Victoria straightened herself up, and — in a shocking display of seriousness — sat aside her bowl of popcorn. This slight against a Lyon was a slight against herself, and Victoria would not stand for it. “Owen is a very handsome young man who comes from a very nice family. He made a big mistake cheating on Trixie, yes, but come on. Trixie’s attractive, but I don’t think she could do better than him. He spoiled her.”

“So you’re telling me, that if a boy who was, of average attractiveness, with serious anger issues, treated you well, and by well I mean he did what is expected of any boyfriend, but cheated on you with some floozy, you’d take him back? Trixie could have any boy she wanted. Breaking up with Owen was probably great for her. Who wants to be tied down to the same person for that long anyway,” Ivy argued. Plenty of people would shy away from confrontation with someone as powerful as Victoria, but Ivy had long ago decided that she didn’t give nearly enough fucks to hold her tongue.

“I don’t think Owen is of average attractiveness, and I don’t think he had serious anger issues before all this stuff happened, but let’s talk about Trixie for a moment. She could have any boy she wanted, sure, for a night. She was lucky to have Owen stay by her side as long as he did, but Trixie grew from a wide-eyed girl-next-door to a demon queen bitch over the course of their relationship. Not to mention, she’s always been a wild ball of emotions. If Owen’s got anger problems, then so does she. She can flip from happy to sad to ballistic at the drop of a coin. Nobody would date her for very long, not with the state she’s in.” Victoria paused, leaning forward as she wagged her finger at Ivy, “but no, you’re right. Based on her looks alone — because if you ask me, as far as relationship viability goes — yes. She could have any guy she wants.”

“I like Trixie as a person, but with how wrapped up she is with Hailey, and how often she flips her script, I don’t think she’s worth dating. I’m not even remotely surprised she scared Owen off. But I think, if she split off from Hailey, fixed herself, and talked to him… yes. Maybe they could get back together. I don’t know. By the way, on your last point, not everyone is like us. Some people enjoy having a relationship and a significant other to depend on.”

“Everyone’s wrapped up in Hailey, whether they like it or not,” Ivy said matter of factly. “There’s no maybe, they’ll be back together by prom, guaranteed, unfortunately. Boring if you ask me, but then again, no one ever does,” Ivy said with an exaggerated sigh. “Y’know what’s bullshit? Joy Darling probably isn’t even putting out! And Damian is a damn good lay! That’s a damn good lay, being wasted on someone who doesn’t even appreciate it! That’s like, buying up every Vera Wang and burning them. It’s just wrong!”

At this, Victoria clicked her tongue. She gave it a thought, before nodding her agreement. “Yeah, it’s kinda awful. Maybe Damian got bored of all of us DTF preppy, cheerleader-y, top of the ladder girls, and decided he wanted a girl he could mold and groom into what he wanted? I can’t think of any other reason. Maybe he threw a dart at a board with every girl in school on it. It’s mind blowing. Do you think it’ll last? If she doesn’t put out, maybe he’ll text you.”

“Oh I hope so, it’s been too long since me and Damian got together,” Ivy said wistfully. “It’s bound to fail. Poor girl isn’t cut out for this world. I bet you Cassie or Becca get a smidge too close and she snaps,” Ivy predicted, chuckling at the thought.

“I don’t think it’s gonna be Cassie, but I could see it being Becca. Cassie… Well, I have a feeling that Ophelia might have a little crush, so that’s kinda shot. We’ll see what happens though, maybe she can make it. She best put out, though, before it’s too late.” Victoria rolled her eyes, wondering how long Damian would be able to hold out before his primal urges got the best of him. If personal experience was anything to go off of, males could not last very long.

“Poor girl, she’s barely even gonna know what hit her. Hey, did you hear about Quincy and A Double? The cutest, if you ask me. That whole fiasco last year with her and Hailey was so uncalled for. I’m glad she’s got someone to sleep with now. Plus, A Double’s cute, in a fun skater way,” Ivy said, continuing the gossip train that seemed to constantly run when she and Victoria began talking.

“Yeah, I’m glad she found her own. Trying to be Hailey? That was never her thing, I hope she learned that. Now she’s in like… the softest group in the school, it’s gotta be comfy. And… yeah, I’d kiss him. And her. Both of them together, if I could. She found a home, and hopefully she like… doesn’t leave it. Dating the skating king sounds comfy. Can you think of anyone that just dislikes him?”

Ivy shrugged. “Not anyone that I know,” Ivy said. A Double and his crew were a unique bunch. They were practically untouchable, at least for now. Everyone knew that A Double gave away weed, plus Hailey liked him, which still meant something to most of the school. “Hey, Ellie, you know Jamie right? What’s up with him and AJ?”

“No idea,” Elliot said, not even bothering to look up from his task.

Ivy rolled her eyes and turned back to ViVi. “Rumor has it that Jamie and Riley were fooling around, which is beyond wild because I was under the impression that Riley didn’t like boys, but then I saw him and Marshall talking today at school, and not just talking but talking, y’know? And then AJ walks up and macks on him. So the question I have here is, who the hell is Jamie Callaghan screwing?”

“Jamie Callaghan? Whatever guy he can get his hands on, duh du jour.” Victoria replied, shaking her head. “Jamie’s obviously just a slut for dick. And Riley? Definitely likes boys — did you see the way he was stealing glances at Brian during the morning show? There was more miring there than I’ve ever seen in my life… Riley likes boys. Loves them even. He’s just not telling anyone. Also, Marshall deserves better than Jamie, so I hope he realizes that before he makes a huge, emotionally turbulent mistake that ends in him crying.”

Victoria paused, remembering another thing that had happened recently. “Hey, did you see that video of Owen beating up those guys who were punching Jamie out?”

“Yeah, unfortunately. Let the record state, I still don’t like Owen, but that was cool of him,” Ivy said, grimacing. Owen Lyon didn’t mesh well with Ivy, she’d always been clear about that much. “I like Jamie. He wrote a glowing review of my performance last year, and as we all know, I live for that kind of praise.” Ivy grinned. “Rumor has it Trevor Wells is talking to that Savannah girl. A shame. I would’ve given anything to take that boy’s V Card.”

“Oh, really? That's bummer, I was hoping you'd get it! Those muscle bound boys are so your style. Not mine really, but hey. Everyone has their type, and yours is definitely the kind of boy that can throw you against the wall! Just pointing out that Jamie's slimey, before we her get too far, glowing reviews or none.” Victoria had issue with the way Jamie sometimes meddled in other people's business, using the newspaper to cause breakups and other turmoil. It was pointlessly adding fuel to a bonfire — the students of BHHS create enough drama and havoc without the help of others. “What about Brynnie? Didn't she get leashed?”

Ivy laughed. “Yeah, and you won’t guess who did the leashing. Y’know the guy who macked on Owen at the Elite’s party? That’s Selena’s twin brother, and apparently he has a thing for everyone’s favorite little Candy,” Ivy explained, grinning at the absurdity of it all. BHHS was easy to mistake for a soap opera at times.

“Seriously? That's Sean Sterling? He didn't look like that last time I saw him… Well, good for him. Brynn knows what she's doing, so he'll never thirst again. I can't believe he kissed Owen though. You gotta admit, that takes balls.” Victoria let out a whistle, thinking back to the edition of the Weekend Warrior that had the Owen situation in it. Explosive.

Ivy paused for a moment, squinting at her phone. “Hey, do you know who…Min-Seo is? Apparently she and Henry checked into a room on the yacht together,” Ivy said, showing a picture to Victoria that showcased a sign in sheet, tweeted out by one of the many BHHS students.

Victoria tapped her chin, and had to think about it, before a light bulb went off in her head and she scrambled for her phone. She pulled up Henry's Instagram, and scrolled until she found a picture of Henry, Min-seo, and Parker. “This girl!” She said pointing at Min for Ivy’s benefit.

“Oh wow. Looks like Hailey and Henry aren’t so different after all.”