Hiding Pandora Read Online Free Page A

as.”
    “Lee Suel Ri is your Korean name?”
    I nod. “Yeah. I probably shouldn’t have told you that.”
    “Well, I won’t tell anybody.”
    “I know,” I say. “I don’t know why I trust you, but I do.”
    “Good. I really like you,” he says. “I’m glad we’re friends.”
    “Me, too.”

    11 p.m.
    Thumb ladder?

    Agent Kim gave me two rules that I absolutely have to follow while I’m at New Haven Academy. The first—don’t reveal my identity to anybody. The second—don’t do anything that could possibly get me kicked out of school. I’ve already broken both of those rules.
    I climb out of my dorm room window that is conveniently on the first floor. I’m short, so I have to jump. My feet land softly on the grass, and as I look around, I see another girl climbing out of a window. She doesn’t notice me, and I feel envious of her. She doesn’t have to be aware of people are her. She has no reason to be scared for her life.
    “Lee Suel Ri,” I hear somebody say and I jump. I look over to see Winston standing beside me.
    “You scared me!” I say, putting a hand over my chest. “And don’t call me that.”
    “You weren’t answering to Pandora,” he says.
    So much for being ‘aware’ of my surroundings.
    “Sorry,” I say. “I am so not used to being Pandora.”
    “It’s okay,” he says. “We should probably get out of here so we don’t get caught.”
    I follow Winston towards the wooded area, feeling a bit creeped out.
    “What if there is a wild animal in there?” I ask.
    He laughs.
    “I’m serious. Don’t you guys have wild animals in the US?” I ask. “Like bears and stuff.”
    “You’re safe,” he says.
    I hesitate.
    I’m used to being surrounded by millions of people in Seoul. This is scary.
    Winston holds out his hand. “I’ll keep you safe. I promise.”
    I look at his hand.
    “Hold my hand if you’re scared.”
    “It’s not appropriate,” I say. “Guys and girls shouldn’t hold hands in public.”
    “It is normal in America,” he tells me.
    I nod and grab his hand. I blush at the contact.
    “This party better be worth the anxiety it’s causing me,” I say.
    “Don’t get your hopes up,” he says. “It’s just a bunch of teenagers getting drunk, hooking up, and acting stupid.”
    “What does hooking up mean?”
    “You’re so innocent,” he says. “I’m not sure how I feel about being the one to corrupt you.”
    “Does it mean something bad?” I ask.
    “It’s just... well, there will be people making out and some of them will be touching each other in inappropriate ways. And I don’t mean holding hands,” he says. “Some of them go into the woods to have sex.”
    “Oh.”
    “Sorry,” he says.
    I decide to change the subject from touching and sex, because holding his hand is making me feel weird enough. “I’m a good drinker. The family I stayed with in Korea used to let me drink at home all the time.”
    “My parents let me drink wine,” he says.
    “I’ve never had wine. I usually drink Soju ,” I say.
    “Isn’t that really strong?”
    I shrug my shoulders. “I suppose.”
    “And you were allowed to drink it?” he asks.
    “Yeah,” I say, like it’s no big deal, because it’s not. “Everybody drinks in Korea.”
    “Some Americans consider drinking bad. I guess it’s a religious thing,” he says.
    “That’s weird,” I say.
    “What is the legal drinking age in Korea?”
    “Twenty...” I pause. “Well, if you measure age the way Americans do, it would be eighteen. I know Americans can’t drink legally until they’re twenty-one, which is weird. If you’re a legal adult, you should be allowed to drink.”
    “I agree,” he says. “But I doubt the legal drinking age will be changing anytime soon.”
    When we reach the clearing in the trees, I see a small campfire. People are walking around. Some are stumbling, which makes me nervous when I see how close they are to the fire.
    Out of the corner of my eye, I see a