I felt stiff. Like a piece of old leather when I got up this morning. I groaned and lay on the bed heavily. What time was it? 7am? 8am? 9am? 10am? 11am? 12pm? 1pm? My phone had been buzzing like crazy but I’d ignored it thinking it was completely pointless to see. I reached for it on the nightstand with a groggy arm. 5 missed calls from each of the guys. Crap. How had I slept so much? I must have been super tired...well I had to thank the damn stupid textbook for that. Maybe I was subconsciously avoiding it. I picked up the phone and dialled Youngbae’s number.  I didn’t need one of the crazy ones to give me answers this early in the morning.

“Hello?”

“Hey! Ara! Are you coming out with us then?”

“Hmmm....not sure...when are you leaving?”  I said while detangling my hair with my fingers. A half-frown, half-scowl fitted on to my face. It felt like there was a brick on my head. I squinted tiredly and rubbed my temple with my free hand. Waking up had never suited me.

“Please come! We’re going in an hour...” His chirpy voice slightly annoyed me.

“I don’t know....4 guys and a girl has always looked awkward...” I muttered, it always had. It made me look bad and put me off. Especially, when girls whispered and laughed about me, giving me dirty looks. My head hurt just thinking about it.

“Ugh! I thought you were over caring what people thought...”

“Yeah. You’re right. Where are we going?” I sat up straighter and tried to get his words into my head. He was right, why on earth was I going back to what people thought? I didn’t need them. Like I was once told, “The only opinions that matter are the ones that make you happy.”

“Yes! You’re parents are out right?”

“Duh. They don’t care how long I’m out anyway.” I think my parents trusted me enough to be able to handle myself in the big wide world. They were happy to let me just get on with it and I’d learnt to be independent.

“Awesome! We’re staying at the forest till night.”

“Sounds good, apart from all the studying I’m going to have to do.” I grumbled. I was going to have to catch up big time. However, I needed this. I would go insane if I carried on studying like this.

“Oh come on! You can’t give up studying for one day?”

“Fine...I’ll see you all later.” I said sighing. The amount of work I’d have to do...

The forest was my sanctuary. My personal heaven. Full of awesome smelling trees at a mysterious height .It was always there for me, when I needed to be alone, when I needed to think, when I needed to release the aching lump in my throat after a horrible day. I was a great climber but I still wouldn’t be able to tackle those things. They were giant oaks.  I could only get about halfway up before it got too much for me to handle. There was also that fresh air feeling and the smell of pine. It was beautiful, it left me speechless.

People my age didn’t pay attention to nature, people my age didn’t want to.  Video games, drinking till drunk and partying. All the things I loved in my old life. All the things I regretted like hell. All the things I now hated. That’s how I came to know the forest. I was another teenager not caring about anything but my amazing freedom, and then when it was all taken from me. I saw the forest and I had the intention of getting lost in it and never coming back. The first time I was scared as hell. It was dark and creepy and I was alone. I avoided it after that, yet it called to me. I went again in the day and I regretted taking so long to come back to it. It became my place to go to when I felt alone. It was peaceful and quiet. And no one else came here; apart from the odd dog walker but we barely acknowledged each other.

I wore my comfiest clothes, and flicked through my study notes as I changed. Might as well get all the studying I could right? I slung my favourite yet scruffy and torn satchel on my shoulder. I’d filled it with anything I’d need. My inventory was a notebook, a pen, a drawing pad, my phone, a book and my trusty iPod. There was always the high chance of my sanctuary inspiring me to create something beautiful. Something I could express myself with in art.

I packed a picnic basket with food, knowing all too well the boys would rely on me to get their source of food and plus, who didn’t like picnics? Chilling with the guys in the forest with a picnic basket. Ten times better than getting drunk in an obnoxious party full of hormonal boys and y girls. Yeah, I loved my new way of doing things.