Jamie power walks away from the cafe and back towards the direction where his friends are in the bar. He brushes his hair back, still in shock about what happened in the cafe. He doesn’t stop walking and he doesn’t turn back to look.
Jamie finally arrives back at the bar; he looks around for Shawn and Kevin. He hears Kevin call out from him a couple of tables down from where he was. Jamie tries to return back to his friends as unbothered as possible.
Kevin: Hyung, where were you? We gotta get Shawn back home before he makes a dumb decision.
Jamie: When doesn’t he make a dumb decision? *looks around* Where is he anyway?
Kevin: I don’t know, somewhere on the dance floor.
Kevin gets up from his chair and tries his best to get Shawn out of the crowd of people. When he successfully does so, Shawn notices Jamie.
Shawn: Hyung! We were supposed to mingle with the ladies tonight! Where were you?
Jamie: I had to grab a coffee, get some fresh air.
Shawn: For an hour?
Jamie was shocked that Shawn was well-aware enough to notice that he was gone for that long.
Jamie: *dismissive* Come on, let’s go back to the house; it’s getting late anyway…
Shawn agrees and leaves the bar with both Jamie and Kevin.
…
Back at the house, Jamie is in his room for the night; his glasses are back on and his hair isn’t brushed back anymore. He unscrews a pill bottle and takes two pills from it; his head is pounding. He looks back up towards his nightstand and still sees the Iced Americano that he bought from Grace. He holds his head in his hands and shuts his eyes; all that he sees is Grace back at the cafe from earlier.
Jamie: *to himself* What the hell is she doing in California? What are the fucking odds she would just be there and–
A knock is heard on Jamie’s door, in which he stops talking and looks up. He sees that it’s Kevin.
Jamie: Kevin-ah?
Kevin: *walks in* Hey, Hyung…
He sits on Jamie’s bed next to him. Jamie looks at Kevin.
Jamie: Everything okay?
Kevin doesn’t say much. He takes in a deep breath.
Kevin: Joo-Ah’s mad that I went out tonight to the bar.
Jamie: She told you she was mad?
Kevin: Not exactly… she just seemed like she was annoyed like I went out…
Jamie takes a sip from his coffee and places it back down.
Jamie: I don’t think she’s mad at you. I think she’s just worried about you being in a foreign country. She means well.
Kevin: Was Seohyun the same way when you first came to America?
Jamie looks at Kevin, exhausted and not wanting to get in with Kevin. Jamie has learned that Kevin sometimes will say things to piss him off, but other times he just genuinely says what’s on his mind.
Jamie: *nods* She was. She even told me that nothing good ever comes from being in America…
Kevin starts to laugh. Jamie looks back at him, not realizing why she all of a sudden started to laugh.
Jamie: What?
Kevin: I mean, I guess she was right.
Kevin gets up and walks out of Jamie’s room. Jamie, now annoyed, gets up from the bed and grabs his iced americano. He throws it into the garbage bin.
…
Lights turn on in a small condo. Keys are heard being put in a tray next to the door. Grace takes in a deep breath and sighs. She drops her bag on the floor and sits on the sofa. Moments later, she hears a door open from upstairs. Grace turns around and looks towards the flight of stairs. A younger woman walks downstairs towards the living room. She has blonde hair and a fresh tan.
Skylar: You’re home early tonight, Grace!
Skylar is Grace’s cousin from her father’s side. She resembles the family a lot more than Grace does, considering Grace’s father is a twin and Skylar looks like her father.
Grace gets up from the sofa and tiredly rubs her eyes.
Grace: Sky, I always get out at 10pm…
Skylar: On a Friday?
Grace turns her head to the side, questioning Skylar’s jumpy behavior. Skylar isn’t that much younger than Grace, but Grace definitely looks out for Skylar in the way Skylar looks out for her.
Grace: You’re acting really weird…
Skylar: *defensive* And you’re weird for being home at this hour all of a sudden!
Grace: *suspicious* Is there a boy in your room?
Skylar: No?
A man’s voice is heard on the second floor; he calls out for Skylar. Grace raises her eyebrows and looks at Skylar. She stands there, busted.
Skylar: He was going to be out of there before you got home!
Grace: He shouldn’t even be here, Sky!
Skylar: Sheesh, just because you don’t invite a man into the condo, doesn’t mean I have to live like you…
The man comes out in a bathrobe. Grace widens her eyes at the sight and then quickly back down and away.
Man: Oh! I didn’t know you had company, Susie…
Grace blinks in shock, just watching the interaction happen.
Grace: *confused* Susie?
Skylar: *looks up* Sorry. You gotta go now that she’s home.
Man: *confused* Oh… she doesn’t want to join?
Grace coughs in shock. Skylar turns her entire body and looks upstairs.
Skylar: Boy come downstairs and leave!
He comes downstairs and Skylar’s pushing him towards the front door.
Man: But my clothes!
Skylar grabs a pile of clothes from the floor and tosses it to the guy. Without saying anything else, she closes the door on him and turns around towards Grace. Grace stares at Skylar back.
Grace: Where’d you meet that one?
Skylar: At the club on Terrance.
Grace shakes her head and begins to walk upstairs until Skylar calls for her. Grace turns around.
Skylar: You never answered me! Why are you home so early on a Friday? You’re never this early.
Grace: I just wasn’t feeling good.
Grace turns back around and walks back up the stairs into her room. Once she gets into her room, she goes into her pants pocket and pulls out the phone number Jamie put in her apron earlier. She looks at it once more, then throws it on her nightstand.
Grace: *to herself* He can’t be here. Why the fuck would he be here? How would he know to be here?
She can’t muster up the energy to take off her work clothes. she just lays back on it and rolls over to her side. She just stared at the piece of paper on her nightstand until she falls asleep.
Letters From Liz. 