Runa stepped through the doorway without making a sound. Silently she closed the door behind her and took off her shoes placing them neatly in the closet and out of sight. All she wanted was to find a way to get up to her room without anyone noticing her presence.

"Please don't be in the living room, please don't be in the living room," she repeated in her head over and over as she walked toward the room. The second she stepped through the threshold, she knew her wish had not been granted. Both HyunJi and HyeNa were sitting on the couch watching some old cartoon. Runa braced herself.

As they turned to look at who had walked in, their faces went from bright and excited to death glares. Each gaze was as cold as ice threatening to freeze Runa to death. As Runa stood there, neither of her siblings moved a muscle, steadily increasing the tension that circulated around the room.

"Your back from college, sis," Runa said trying to ease the situation.

"No , " she said sticking her chin up in the air making her look proud and self-important though Runa knew that wasn't how she was feeling.

"H..how was it?" Runa stuttered not knowing how else to avoid the death trap she had walked into.

"Same as last year: boring but better than being stuck here with you. All you do is bring me bad luck, I've been doing so much better since I left for college. But now I'm stuck back here for the summer and things have already started getting worse," she rolled her eyes and put on an 'I won, haha' face as if what she accused Runa of was actually valid.

"Well I'm going to Korea in a week and I'm staying there for about a month so maybe things will start looking up for you while I'm gone." Runa couldn't think of anything else to say. She knew her family was intent on the accusation that she was simply a jinx that did nothing but bring them bad luck. There was nothing she could do about it. But it still hurt. And it still made the anger boil her blood.

"Just go to your room and stay there," HyunJi commanded as if he were her dad. Runa wanted more than anything to set him straight and make him learn his place as the youngest, but he had so much more power and more leverage in this family. He just didn't happen to be born the day their grandmother died. Unlike unlucky Runa.

Runa walked past the couch, making sure to go behind it so she didn't block her siblings' view of the TV and start a whole new conflict. She tip-toed up the stairs, not wanting to draw out her mom from wherever she happened to be and closed the door to her bedroom without making a sound. She could feel the anger gathering in her fists as they longed to beat the crap out of something, anything, though they would prefer it be HyunJi and HyeNa's faces.

Running over to the sand sack in the corner of her room she took a deep breath. Letting it out, she started punching, and punching, and punching. It had been a while since she had been able to let her anger out since she had been so busy with finals and graduation and, of course, the trip. She couldn't wait to get away, away from this house, away from the family that never loved her, away from the stress and tension.

Slowly, Runa's thoughts began to drift to her trip to Korea, her friends, the good times they were bound to have, and the idols she wanted nothing more than to meet. As her mind clamed, her punches slowed until she found herself walking to her bed and laying down on it, one aching and bruised hand in the other.

'Why do things have to be like this? It wasn't my fault grandma died. I had nothing to do with it," Runa asked silently the questions she had asked ten million times before. Life wasn't fair. Her family wasn't fair. None of it was fair. Again, she began to feel the anger building up, but she set it aside. If she broke her hands she wouldn't be able to go to Korea and that was the one thing that kept her going. From the day they had made that promise freshman year it was the one thing Runa had truly been able to look forward to and hold on to. That was her dream and her goal, but she had no idea what would happen afterwards. There would be nothing, besides her friends that is, to make life worth living. She knew she'd have to find something new to enjoy, look forward to, and keep, but Runa had no idea what that would be. What could it be?

"I'm home!" Jennifer shouted as she opened the door to their apartment and walked in.

"It's about time!" Her mom, Kasey, shouted walking into the entryway from the kitchen. "She's been waiting forever to see you!" She said pointing with her chin to the door that lead to the family room. Jennifer looked at her sideways.

"For me?" Jennifer asked still confused. This wasn't normal. Was something up? Did something happen?

"Are you gonna go in or not?" Kasey asked obviously amused at Jennifer's reaction.

"I don't know, are you gonna tell me why there's someone here?" Jennifer retorted trying and failing to keep the sarcastic tone out of her voice. Her mother rolled her eyes. This was typical. But before she could throw some snide comment back, Jennifer turned the doorknob and pushed through to discover who her guest was.

"I've been waiting for you," A familiar but barely so voice called as the woman on the couch wiped her head around. She had a big grin on her face, probably from seeing Jennifer's reaction. Her jaw was on the ground.

"Nina?" she said as if she couldn't actually believe she was there.

"What? Having trouble recognizing your own sister?" Nina asked in the same sarcastic tone that was labeled as the Xayavongsy tone. Everyone had the same exact sarcastic tone and each used it well.

Without saying a word, Jennifer ran over and hugged Nina tight holding her for a good 10 seconds before finally letting go. "I thought mom and dad said you were going to Switzerland for two months!" she said excited and confused at the same time. Had something come up? Was there bad news? Was that why she was here?

"Really? I don't remember saying that," Nina looked up at the ceiling as she spoke as if her memory was drawn out up there.

"Well I do... I'm sure of it." Jennifer mimicked her sister putting one hand on her chin and looking up toward the ceiling.

"Oh well, I'm here now. Are you not happy to see me or something?" Nina said as she tilted her head back down and gave her little sister a questioning look. Jennifer just shook her head. Nina knew it wasn't that.

"So do you know where anyone else is?" Jennifer questioned as she pulled Nina to sit on the couch.

"Hmmm" Nina looked back up at the ceiling and Jennifer rolled her eyes. "Seng I'm pretty sure is somewhere in Japan and Bomi went to Washington I think. Nai and Kevin met up a few days ago and are headed to Alaska, but I have no idea about David and Stephanie."

Jennifer nodded. Seven siblings traveling the world, making money, meeting people, and having a great time and she was stuck here. Of course, she could never abandon her family. They were everything to her and this was where she could see them most often, however rare that was. But still, with the lack of money in the family she had never even been out of the country much less traveled the world. Hell, she had barely been out of the state. That was going to change in a mere week, but only for a month. After that it was back to meager meals, odd jobs, and studying.

"Better make the most of it while I can," she whispered as Kasey called the two girls in for dinner. "Cause it's gonna go by way to fast."

Authors Note:

This is your awful author here. I'm so unbelievably sorry for not updating this fic... I'm a very unmotivated writer so I need inspiration to get me to start typing.... and inspiration doesn't come too easily to me. I know this chapter and hopefully the writing and the story will get better once they get to Korea... key word "hopefully". Anyway, next chapter is for Elle's home life and then they're on the plane to Korea!!! Finally LOL

Side Note: CaramelBee, I'm sorry I changed the part about your family moving to Korea, but I have a lot of plans and I don't think that would work with my plot. I'm sorry!!!

If you want me to update sooner, could you please inspire me with your comments? I'm not sure about you, but this author loves comments =D

I'll hopefully update soon!!!

<3 Chelly and Scar