Steven agreed, but he couldn’t help but point out that Lolly often refrained from laughing at his dirtier and meaner jokes, always calling him out when he said something in poor taste. “I keep telling her since I’m half a minority I’m allowed to say off-color things.” Anna swatted her brother even though she had heard him say this type of thing plenty of times as well.

“See, you do it, too. You can’t help but correct me, but here’s the thing. I’m just talkin’ shit. I’m not racist, so what’s the big deal? Comedians do it all the time. I know I said Marcella seemed so free, but maybe it’s me. Maybe what I liked about her was she allowed me to feel free. Don’t you just want to be yourself sometimes, Anna? Flaws and all?”

Though Anna did understand her brother’s feelings, she also didn’t want to encourage his way of thinking at this moment. She knew this was a reaction to how hard their father was on him, all this talk of wanting to be free. Their father kept her on a short leash, too, but with her it seemed overprotective and endearing, almost. With Steven, it was different somehow. Steven never talked about it with her, though she often wished he would. So now she stayed silent and motioned for him to continue, because it was clear he had more on his mind.

“I’m so fucking tired of everyone having to be so PC all the time,” Steven said. “Why does everyone get offended over every little thing these days? I’m eighteen, why can’t I just have a little fun when I want to? I didn’t ask to be born into privilege.”

It was here that Anna spoke up, reminding her brother that having fun had never once been his problem, though she conceded it was certainly difficult to deal with the high expectations placed upon them by their parents. And since Steven was the only son, which in Korean culture meant that the responsibility to step up and take care of the family would fall on his shoulders when he was older, Anna knew he had the tougher road. “I know you’re upset, and I know it sucks for you, how Dad can be so tough.… But we’re getting off track, Steven. Can you finish telling me about the girl?”

Steven told her that after pizza, they had gone to Ace Bar in Alphabet City and played arcade games. Marcella’s cousin was the bartender there and let them drink. At the end of the night, Marcella dragged him into the girls’ restroom, took him into a stall, and …

Anna nodded. “I’m pretty sure I can guess what happened next.”

Her brother was totally hooked after that, and he’d been seeing her in secret now for the last two months or so.