CHAPTER 1: SNOW
I’d been in love with Bruce Lee since I was five.
I mean, who wouldn’t be? The man was a force. He was the King of Kickassery, a total beast. I didn’t want to kiss him. I wanted to be him. Kick, kick, block, upper block, punch. It didn’t matter how many times I watched this choreography. It got me.
“Snow-Soon Lee,” Mom yelled. “Min-Hee is waiting for you in the living room! If I have to call you one more time…”
“God, Omma, alright,” I tossed over my shoulder, turning back to see Bruce knock the bejeesus out of some unfortunate Enter the Dragon extra. The man was a force I tell you. A freaking cyclone mixed with a hurricane, an F5 tornado of pure, untouchable energy.
And the killer six-pack didn’t hurt either.
“Bye Bruce,” I said, tapping my door poster as I left the room. “Tell you all the gory details when I get back.”
When I got downstairs, my BFF shot me the stank eye.
“I can’t believe it took you that long to throw on a gray hoodie and jeans,” she said in disgust. “And your hair!” She came over, pulling a comb out of God knows where, smoothing the nest that was my usual coif. “It was Bruce again, right?”
I winced.
She shook her head. “Because of you and your obsession we’re going to be late for Girls Night. Again.”
Yeah, like that was some great loss?
“Chill out, Min. We’ll make it in plenty of time…unfortunately,” I mumbled.
“I heard that,” Min-Hee said, placing the comb in her purse and dragging me to the door. “Didn’t I tell you we needed to have a talk—an important talk—before this thing? Now, thanks to good old Bruce, there’s no freaking time.”
And right then I saw my out.
“Well,” I said, “if it’s that important, maybe we shouldn’t go—”
Omma hugged me then shooed us outside, foiling any plans of escape.
“Curfew’s 11:00 p.m.,” she said as if I needed reminding. “Not too late, okay?”
“No worries, Imo. I’ll have her back by then.” Min started pulling me to the car, her arm locked around mine in a death grip. Not like I couldn’t break her hold. At five feet three inches, Min was 110 pounds soaking wet, and I could take her down in a heartbeat. But it just wasn’t polite to flip your closest friend—even if she was dragging you to your own personal hell.
Omma waved at us from the porch. “Drive carefully girls, and have fun.”
I shot her a look over my shoulder. Fun? At Girls Night? An event I was only even invited to because Min-Hee was the Korean version of girl-next-door-who’s-instantly-friends-with-literally-everyone-she-meets, and I her trusty black-belt toting, hoodie wearing, none-too-feminine sidekick?
Mom knew me better than that. The way she was acting you’d think I was going on a cruise or something. Min had convinced her that Girls Night was the best thing since fried rice. It hadn’t been hard since Omma thought I hung out with guys too much anyway. But she couldn’t see it for what it was.
Girls Night: a gathering of vultures (aka teenage girly girls) in tight clothes, too much makeup and sharp heels that could take someone’s eye out.
Probably one of mine.
Sighing, I got into Min’s Crossover. If we drove separately, I’d be able to leave whenever I wanted, but I’d have to have a car for that. And Omma wouldn’t let me get one until I was eighteen. Koreans were so old school sometimes.
“Just so you know,” Min said, backing out and turning onto the main road, “I’ve already gotten five texts from Nara asking where the hell we are. She is super pissed.”
I shrugged. No big deal. Nara was always pissed.
“So, what’d you want to talk about?” I asked.
“Oh…” Min started drumming her fingers on the steering wheel, cleared her throat. “Well, like I said, it’s kind of hard to explain. I mean…there’s a lot to say. I really don’t think we have enough time to talk about everything.”
“Ooh, now I’m curious,” I said. “Does this have anything to do with that mystery guy you’ve been seeing?”
“Maybe,” she said, all evasive.
“What was it this time?” I smiled. Usually I wasn’t into this kind of talk, but Min’s secret boy toy had become one of the few true mysteries in my life. It’d been months, and she still hadn’t told me his name. “Did he buy you two dozen roses this time? Take you out to another awesome restaurant? After all this time, I’m thinking there might not even be a guy. Like maybe he’s made up, a figment of your crazy imagination.”
“Snow, believe me,” she sighed, “he’s realer than real.”
“So, are you going to finally tell me who it is or what?”
“I was actually, but…” she trailed off, biting her lip so hard it turned deep red. I wouldn’t be surprised if she broke the skin.
“What is it?” I said, frowning. Min usually told me everything—whether I wanted to hear it or not. For example, I knew her and mystery guy had made out for a full two and a half hours just last weekend in her driveway and had almost gotten caught by her dad when he’d taken out the trash. Why wouldn’t she just tell me who it was already? “Do I know him or something?”
“What?” She whipped around so fast the car jerked to the side.
“Aish,” I said, righting the steering wheel. “Is it that bad?”
Min’s nose scrunched up as she nodded.
“Oh, God,” I groaned. “It isn’t Koi, is it? I mean, you said he was Asian and that he went to The Academy, but I never thought you’d actually fall for someone so…well, Koi.”
Min laughed nervously. “No, not him.”
“Then who—”
“We’re here,” she said, sounding relieved.
“I’ll find out eventually,” I warned.
“I know. It’s just so…complicated.” We found a space near the back of the theater, and Min parked, turned off the car. “I do want to tell you—I do—but tonight, let’s just go enjoy the movie, okay?”
“Okay.”
My curiosity was eating me alive, but we didn’t talk again until after we’d bought our tickets. I’d been hoping they’d finally pick something decent to watch, but…
“Lovers At Last?” I read off the ticket stub in my hand. “What is this crap?”
“It’s supposed to be the most romantic movie since Titanic,” Min-Hee said.
“I guess we know how it ends then,” I muttered. “Couldn’t we go see the new action flick that just came out? It’s supposed to have cool stunt work, cars exploding, people flipping over rooftops, that kind of thing.”
Min clicked her tongue. “Don’t act like you’re not into this Snow. I know you love Bruce, but we’re best friends remember? I’ve seen your room a thousand times. Your collection of chick flicks rivals even my own.”
“Shhh,” I hissed, looking around.
“What, you don’t want people to hear?”
“Hell no.”
“Curse at me all you want, Snow. But face it: you’re a girl. Girls like romance. End of story.”
“That’s top secret, confidential info, Min. We don’t speak of it in public.”
“Alright, alright.” She rolled her eyes. “But I know you want to see this. Don’t pretend.”
I shook my head. Just because she was right about the “collection” didn’t mean I wanted to see this crybaby movie, which probably had one of those shitty endings where right as the two main characters get together one—or both—of them dies. Aish, if Min paid better attention, she’d have noticed that all of the films on my shelf have happy endings. All of them. Real life was messed up enough. Movies, especially romances, should end happy.
Before I could reply, Nara and her crew slithered up behind me.
“Finally!” she said, making me jump. Her obnoxiously high little girl’s voice was right in line with my ear. Running a hand through her waist-length black hair, Nara’s hot pink nails sliced through it like water. “We’ve been waiting forever. What took you so long?”
“We’re here now, aren’t we?” Min glanced at her. “You save us some seats?”
“Skank,” Nara laughed, and the two blondes beside her followed suit. Lisa and Lynn were basically carbon copies of Nara—except where she had naturally olive skin, those two got their tans out of a bottle. “What am I your seat keeper or something?”
As they teased each other, I made for the concessions line. We’d probably miss the previews, but no way was I getting through this night without at least one tub of popcorn and a box of Sourpatch Kids. The kid behind the counter took my order and filled it with all the urgency of a snail on pot.
“So, I see you brought the never-ending pit with you,” Nara sneered.
Ignoring her, to the theater worker, I said, “Excuse me, you do free refills?”
“Only on larges and up,” the kid said.
“Better make it an extra-large then.” Turning, I met Nara’s eyes with a smile. “Did you say something?’’
Nara scoffed. “You sure you don’t want to add more carbs? Maybe a box of nachos or a stick of butter?”
“Ooh, good idea. Extra butter, too, please,” I said to the kid just to spite her.
“You are so gross,” she said. “I can’t believe any girl can eat like that.”
“Korean girls have great metabolisms,” I explained as if she in her size 0s didn’t already know. “Plus, I work out enough that it wouldn’t matter anyway. When was the last time you even ate a carb, Nara?”
The she witch stared me down. “You know, I told Min-Hee to stop bringing you.”
“Shut up, Nara,” Min said as I clenched my teeth.
“No, she needs to know.” Nara leaned so we were nose to nose. “You’re not like the rest of us, Snow. You never want to do anything fun or spontaneous. You dress like a guy, you eat like a guy, all you do is train at your stupid Academy surrounded by guys. Jesus, if you didn’t have long hair and breasts, I’d think you were a guy.”
I didn’t know if she could see it, but that one hit home. My hands curled into fists. I really wanted to hit her. Break that perfect nose and ruin the beauty in her cruel face. All it would take was one good punch. Only my training, which she’d so recently scoffed at, held me back. Bruce wouldn’t have risen to the bait. He’d have let the insults slip right over him and stand tall. And so I did, too—though I was shaking inside.
“Nara, that’s crap and you know it,” Min said, stepping between us.
“I bet you’ve never even kissed anyone,” Nara laughed.
She was right. I hadn’t. But that didn’t mean I was going to tell her that.
I locked eyes with her. “Not everyone can be Miss Kiss and Tell. That’s your title, remember, Nara?”
“God, you’re boring,” she said in dismissal, locking arms with Lisa. “I’m done wasting my air. Are we going to the movie or not?”
As she and the others disappeared, Min stayed back while I grabbed my popcorn and candy.
“You okay?” Min asked.
“Yeah,” I said, popping a few pieces of popcorn into my mouth. My stomach revolted, but I didn’t care. I needed something to wash the vile taste of bitch out of my mouth. “Did she really ask you not to bring me?”
“Screw her.” Min grabbed a handful of popcorn herself. “It’s not like she runs Girls Night. I can invite whoever I want.”
“Yeah, but I hate Girls Night.”
“You hate Nara,” she corrected.
“You’re right. I do,” I said. “I totally do.”
“What she said was utter BS. You can’t let her win.”
“I won’t. It’s just…” I took a deep breath then tried to act cool. “You really think it’s BS? About me being boring, I mean?”
Min took the question seriously. “You’re disciplined,” she said finally.
“Which equals boring,” I sighed.
“No, it means you have goals,” Min tried again. “You train hard five days a week for hours and hours to be the best. That’s not a bad thing. Just because you haven’t kissed a whole bunch of guys doesn’t make you boring, Snow.”
“What does it make me?”
“It makes you you.”
And boring, I added silently.
“Ready to go in?”
I wasn’t, but it didn’t matter. With the pity party going on in my head, I wasn’t exactly looking forward to sitting next to Nara and the others. Once we got to our seats, Min being Min offered to let me sit inside, so I wouldn’t have to be next to any of them. As a thank-you, I let her swipe a few more handfuls of popcorn.
Was Nara right? Sure she was a first-class mean girl, and I couldn’t care less what she thought. But was I actually as dull as she made me out to be? Of all the words I could think of to describe Bruce Lee, “boring” would definitely not be one of them. I didn’t know why that bugged me so much, but it did.
We got there in time to see the opening credits. About ten minutes later, I was half-way through my box of Sourpatch Kids when a guy in a black jacket with the hood pulled up walked in and sat at the opposite end of the aisle in front of ours. He had a detail of two guards. Though they were trying to act all nonchalant, keeping a ten foot distance as they walked in, sitting four rows behind him, I’d recognize the tail a mile away. Mom had taught me to spot one at a glance.
Who was he, I wondered, that he’d need security? There were next to no celebrities in Crispin County, North Carolina—at least none that I knew of—and I’d lived here almost my entire life.
“Hottie at three o’clock.”
I caught Nara’s whisper though I was four seats away.
“Oh, yes please,” Lynn said quietly. “Blond and beautiful, exactly my type.”
“And mine,” Lisa agreed. With a hot guy only a few feet away, they’d completely forgotten about the movie. “Do you know him?”
“No, but I’d like to,” Nara grinned, and the three of them laughed. “Whatcha think Min? Is he hot or what?”
“Sorry girls,” she said. “I’m taken.”
“You are? Since when?”
“Since now.” Min shrugged, and I smiled. I was suddenly glad she’d told me and not Nara about mystery guy. “What do you think, Snow?”
Nara sniffed. “Snow wouldn’t know hot if it kicked her in the face.”
I flung a handful of popcorn in her general direction.
“Bitch,” she hissed.
“Oops,” I said innocently. “My hand slipped.”
Min chuckled as Nara tried to get the kernels out of her hair.
“Sooo,” Min said again, “what do you think?”
Looking back at hoodie guy, I shrugged. Though I was closest to him, I couldn’t make out much in the dark besides a set of nice broad shoulders and a few strands of dirty blond hair. “He’s hot, I guess.”
“Why don’t you go say hi after the movie?”
“Maybe I will.”
Nara snorted. “As if. She’d never do it.”
My temper spiked.
“You think I can’t talk to guys?” I whispered hotly. “I do it every day.”
“Not guys like that.”
I blushed. “There are plenty of hot guys at The Academy.”
She ignored me and laughed. “Besides even if she did, he’d probably mistake her for a dude.”
I stood up suddenly, needing to do…something. I knew what she was saying was total crap. I knew Nara was pure evil, and I didn’t have to prove anything to her. But right then I needed to prove something to myself. I was a girl dammit, and I wasn’t boring. I was a force.
Just like Bruce.
“Snow, what’s up?” Min asked, but instead of answering I headed in the opposite direction. While the others had been taking stock of hoodie guy, I’d been getting a read on his security. They were too far back to stop me. Part of me wanted to test them—to test me—and see if I could do this and still get away. I figured I had about a minute tops, but that’s all I’d need.
One last look over my shoulder told me all three girls were staring at me, mouths gaping, even Nara. Boring, she’d said earlier. I’d give her boring.
Taking a deep breath, I kept walking until I was almost even with hoodie guy’s seat, placed my hand on the chair back and swung my body over—right into his lap. Over his shoulder, I saw his security react. Too late.
He gasped, but I didn’t have time to explain.
“Sorry about this,” I whispered right before sealing my lips to his.
I’d taken him by surprise—that much was clear from the way his body tensed beneath mine. But he wasn’t trying to push me off. I’d intended it to be quick. A single brush with danger, a nod to teen girl impulsiveness, but the way his mouth melted under mine was unexpected. I fisted my hands in his shirt, pulling him closer. My lips, my entire body, went up in flames, but I couldn’t get close enough. It wasn’t until his hands came around my back that I remembered myself.
Pulling away, I came face-to-face with the greenest eyes I’d ever seen.
“I’m sorry,” I muttered again.
“I’m not,” he said.
And then his guards grabbed me.
I shook off the kissing daze, and my training kicked in. This was part two of my plan: The Great Escape. Using their weight as a counterpoint, I planted my feet on the armrests beside hoodie guy and launched myself backward. It was a risky move, too flashy that’s for sure, but it worked. I landed an aisle down from them, feet firmly planted on the ground, the guards looking at their hands as if I’d pulled a Houdini.
As they started to turn, I was already running.
Getting a grip on the wall, I launched myself over the side. It was a bigger drop to the theater floor than hoodie guy’s lap, but my landing was perfection. Straightening my knees, I looked up into the face of a theater usher, holding a broom and standing there with his jaw hanging down.
“Great movie, real entertaining.” I patted his shoulder then sprinted outside.
I’d have to hide out until Min came out to her car, but I’d done it. Thinking back, I went down my mental checklist.
1. Prove you’re a girl.
Check.
2. Escape angry-looking security detail.
Check.
3. Get an amazing first kiss from a total stranger.
Double check.
This was officially the best Girls Night ever.