I knew something was wrong the moment I woke up. I didn't know what it was but I could feel it in my bones. The familiar sounds of my mother making an espresso while my father sat and read the newspaper before work were missing. That was the first sign. The house was too quiet.

The four poster bed that should have comforted me was suddenly too hard, the blankets and pillows too hot and scratchy. I laid in bed, bare but for an oversized shirt that lay limply across my frame. I couldn't put my finger on it but the whole house was uneasy. The house felt as it if was holding its breath, too scared to let go incase the walls came crashing down.

Sliding my feet into my slippers and dressing gown, I pushed my bedroom door open slowly, barely daring to make a sound. I could smell the faint scent of smoke slinking up the stairs. Another sign. Neither of my parents smoked. Ever. It was the undying rule in our house. "We're lawyers!" My parents would chant, sipping whisky on the rocks, "We drink when we win cases. Smoking is for blue collar workers"

Maybe they left early for work, I wondered. The smell had to be coming from outside. I couldn't imagine my parents lighting a ciggie up at all, let alone in the house. It just didn't sit right. Checking the watching Kai had given me for my 18th birthday I knew that wasn't the case. It was way too early. Passing a window, I looked out to see the mercedes still sitting in the driveway. I furrowed my brow and continued down the stairs. The sinking feeling in my stomach was growing as I got closer and closer to the kitchen. I could hear my parents now, speaking in hushed tones. As I reached the ground floor, I snuck a glance into the kitchen.

My parents were huddled together, mother clutching her mobile to her ear with one hand, a cigarette held shakily in the other, as father rubbed her back reassuringly. Something was definitely wrong. I pressed my back against the wall and craned my neck to listen it.

"I know Sophie, I know....Why don't you come and stay with us for a while?....Mhmm....I know...."  

My sister was involved. I had to know what it was. As I leaned in to listen, I slipped and the slap of my heel echoed throughout the hall. I looked up, so slow it was almost comical to see my father staring back at me, peeping out from behind the wall. My mother barely glanced at me over my shoulder, her lips a straight line, and strode off deeper into the house, the phone her precious cargo. My father frowned at me,

"Rose, shouldn't you be getting ready for school? It's your first day?" I wrung my hands together. How was he acting as if everything was ok?

"Dad what's wrong with Sophie?" 

"I said, shouldn't you be getting ready?" He looked tired, rings around his eyes as if he had been crying. 

"But dad..."

"Rosalie please!" The full name was enough to shut me up, but it also made me feel shut out. Something was going on, a crack had emerged in the foundations of my family, and no one was telling me anything.

"Can you please just get ready and go? It's your last year. You don't want to be late" he begged, turning away from me and pressing his hands into the island kitchen table. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I started to head back up the stairs. I was angry, angry that my dad would keep me out of something that was clearly important. What if Sophie was hurt? Why wouldn't they tell me?

"Dad?"

"Yes Rose?" He had calmed down but I still hadn't. My stomach was in knots and my chest was hot. I couldn't stop myself.

"I would never keep secrets from you!" I sneered, retreating up the stairs to my room and slamming the door. I realised almost immediately how childish I was being and pondered heading back downstairs to apologise by forced myself against it. He promised he would never keep secrets from me.

"Can I kiss you?" I snapped to look at Kai, who had sat next to me on the bleachers and studied him. I hadn't seen him since the end of the previous school year. He had changed a lot over the summer. We usually spent the summer together but this summer he had been a bit distracted. Kai had been dividing his time between a trip to America with his family and the new girl he had picked up just before the year ended. That left very little time for us. I laughed softly. 

"Why would you want to do that?" He ran his fingers through his silver blond hair. Kai really had changed a lot over the time I hadn't seen him. He was taller than before, almost a foot taller now compared to the measly few inches that had seperated us in height at the end of the school year. He had filled out too, his muscles more obvious. Never skipping leg day was apparently a real thing that had to be followed. His muscles sat impressively in his clothes. He laughed back at me, his bottom lip gently. 

"You looked like you need it" I hastened a look at him. He was watching me, carefully, reading my face to see my reaction. I looked away, glancing down the field as a gaggle of girls crossed the concourse. I wondered if they were watching us.

"What about Hani?" I asked, letting his initial question slip away. Hani was the girlfriend. I hadn't gotten along with her on the best of times but when Kai took an interest in her, my dislike took the backseat. Who was I, best friend or nothing, to speak ill of the person who had captured his heart? Regardless of whether I liked her, I doubt she'd approve of her boyfriend kissing me. Kai smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck as he gazed out across the field.

"We broke up" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Just a few months ago I had watched as Kai bounce from foot to foot, waiting for Hani to meet him at the gate. I had stood a few feet away with Baekhyun and Chanyeol as she bounded up to and wrapped her arms around his neck. Long dark hair, pale skin and a slim figure. Just his type. I had felt a pit in my gut form that day that never really went away.

"When?"

"Three weeks ago" I pelted him hard in the shoulder. My anger at him leaving me out was overshadowing the weird feeling that had travelled with me to school. So much for being best friends. 

"OW!" He rubbed his arm and pouted at me. 

"Three weeks! I can't believe you waited three weeks to tell me" I moved to punch him again but he dodged and grabbed my fists, holding them down on my lap. He pulled a face.

"I didn't think you'd be interested. You were too busy making eyes at Yongguk to notice" I scoffed. 

"Yongguk and I were barely a thing. It was over between me and him since before you started dating Hani...you were just too busy to notice" I slowly pulled my hands away from his grasp. His hands were warm against my legs. I could feel eyes watching me. Turning to look behind me I saw the gaggle of girls had moved closer to us now. They were definitely watching.

"You never liked Hani anyway"

"That's so not true!" I objected, pushing his hands off my lap. I could feel my ears heating up at all the attention. Kai tilted his head to look at me,

"Such a liar" We sat in silence for a bit, looking anywhere but at each other. The atmosphere was off. My stomach was still twisted in knots from this morning and Kai was throwing me off.

"I bought you a souvenir from the US"

"Really?!" Kai reached into his backpack that was resting on the floor beside his feet. He rustled aorund in it for a moment before removing an object wrapped in brown paper. I could see a small layer of bubble wrap peaking through. Kai was not an expert gift wrapper but his gifts were always thought out. He placed it into my hands slowly.

"You can probably guess what it is but I know you're gonna like it. I had it made specially" Kai pulled away and sat watching me as I unwrapped it slowly. I pulled off the brown paper, then picked at the bubble wrap. Whatever it was had to be fragile. As I pulled the last piece away, I stared at the object in my hand. 

A beautiful snowglobe nestled in my hands. Settled on a gold base, a figurine couple stood facing each other, locked in a kiss. As I leaned in, I realised how intricate the girl truly was. The characters had been individually carved, even details as fragile as eyelashes had been made for this masterpiece. A warmth I had not felt before spread in my chest.

"Kai" I breathed, "It's beautiful"

"So you and Yongguk are over" he murmered, to himself more than me. He had returned to looking at my legs. His reply was so out of place I had to stare at him, placing the snowglobe back in my lap. Why was he acting so weird?

"Hani and I are over" He was looking just past me now, at a space next to my head now. Bringing himself back to reality, he grasped my hands in his, making me jump slightly. His dark eyes looked into mine, intense. Something was rattling around in his head. 

"Kai?"

"Ro...have you ever thought about me an-"

"HEY ROADRUNNER!" We jumped and Kai dropped my hands back into my lap, shooting up and away from me. The snowglobe leapt from my lap and began to tumble downwards but Kai caught it expertedly. He looked visibly shaken and palmed the snowglobe nervously. He swallowed hard and looked away from him. 

"Roadrunner! Roadrunner! Roadrunner!" The entire girls track team were standing at the bottom of the bleachers, chanting my nickname. I had been so engrossed in Kai I hadn't heard them approach. And they were a noisy bunch. They were beckoning for me, their captain, to join for the annual 'First Run' of the season around the pitch but I couldn't be drawn away. I looked at Kai who was standing a foot away, rolling the globe from hand to hand slowly. 

"Kai...I've got to go. Will you...will you meet me after last period?" I trotted up to him and stood a few inches inches in front of him and touched his arm. He looked at me, smiled that familiar smile and nodded. He threw an arm around my shoulders and pulled me in for a brief hug.

"I have a head to homeroom anyway"

"Take my bag for me?" I whined playfully, pouting and making goo goo eyes at him. He flicked on the forehead HARD before scooping down to pick up. 

"You're such an idiot Ro"

"But I'm your idiot" I cried, planting a kiss on his unsuspecting cheek. His skin was soft beneath my touch, his hair tickling my face. I heard his breath hitch and I wondered why. As I pulled away, the cheers from my team brought me back to my sense. Kai had gone pale and a blush was creeping up his cheeks. I floundered, making every single noise in existence except any that resembled a word. Kai and I were close, really close, but not that close. My head was still scrambled from this morning with my parents and the gift he had given me. Trying to get myself together, I slipped and would hae tumbled down the stairs were it not for his snake like reflexes grasping my arm. My life was literally in his hands. I yanked away and semi-ran down the stairs.

"I have to go now. Byeeeeee" I fled towards my team who were whooping and hollering. They had all been watching.

"Ro!" he called after me, but I was getting faster now. I had crashed into my team who already knew the drill. Captain arrives and all stations were a go. Hearing the sounds of their feet pounding the tracks besides me, I pulled forward, urging them to show me their best. The louder they got, the easier it was to drown out Kai's voice calling after me. I was exercising,  not running away. I mean, why would I run away. I'd only kissed my friend.