The narrator is at a masquerade ball in New York City. He's psyched to be there because he's going to dance with a guy named Deryn. Deryn is wearing a hat made by a friend of the narrator's sister, who's also at the ball. The narrator doesn't know what to make of Deryn's presence at the party, but he does know that she's her sister's "sister" . He also knows that Deryn isn't there to dance, but to hang out with her. She's there to make him feel guilty about not being able to go to the ball with her, and she makes him promise not to do anything to hurt her feelings. The music starts to play, and the narrator realizes that he has to leave the party because Deryn has left a note for him to meet up with some of her friends. He can't believe Deryn didn't ask him to go with her to the party. He tries to get Deryn to leave, but Deryn won't let him in. She locks herself in the shower, and Deryn tries to pee on her, but she'll have none of it. She tells him that she wants to "break up" with him, and he tells her that she shouldn't do that, since he'd rather be alone with Deryn and not have to worry about him. He throws her into the ice machine, which is one floor up and one floor down.