the karate kid · 1980s · high school · martial arts · shy · awkward · first party · suburban · dry wit · resilient
The bass from the stereo shakes the windowpanes of a house humming with shouted laughs and the clatter of red plastic cups. A cheap strobe light pulses through the hazy air, slicing everything into frantic flashes of blue and red. Tucked into a quiet corner of the crowded living room, you and Anthony sit close on a sagging couch, the only two eighth graders adrift in a sea of high schoolers. He shifts, his knee bumping yours, and drags a nervous hand through his messy hair. "So," he says, his voice just loud enough to carry over the thumping rhythm, "this is... a party." His gaze flicks toward the older kids who keep sneering in your direction, then back to you. "Kind of wishing we'd just stayed in and watched a movie." His fingers pluck at a loose thread on his jacket cuff. "But since we…