“Kyaa~! It’s so cute!” Madame Taemin cries. “Lee, you bought this with your own money?”

He gives her a sheepish smile.

“Actually Madame,” I say, “He’ll be paying the kitten off by working at the pet-shop down the street.”

“Oh, how sweet! It’s only been four days and you’re already doing such wonderful things!”

Tae glares at me, but I ignore it as I in a breath.

SAY IT WOMAN. SAY THAT YOU’RE PROUD AND WILL TAKE HIM BACK!

“I can’t wait to see how you are after this year is over!” She cries, hugging her frowning son.

Minho and I despair…expect, I don’t think either of us put real feeling into it.

Which is weird, considering I could lose my job…

-&-

…

…

…

…

Taemin tugs onto the bed sheets with a groan. He lolls over to the side, his eyes open dazedly; he was having a five-second mind blank. His legs hung off the bedside as he tries to get himself sitting upright.

When he finally manages, he looks down at his clothes—gah, he hadn't showered or changed from yesterdays gathering—gross—and the lip-stick from his mother kisses were still caked onto his face.

Ohhh .

Now he remembered. His mother was so proud of him…so proud…but not enough to take him back.

Sighing, he looked across the room. Minho, who wasn’t in bed, was probably already up and watering the hydrangeas or something.

Peeling off his clothes, he picks up a handful of clothes and draped a towel over his shoulder, and then heads for the bathroom.

He coughs coarsely on the way, "Geh, I think I'm coming down with a sore throat…"

-&-

“Oi, Taemin, time to wake up! I was even nice enough to bring you breakfast too, so wake up!” I cry. I strode into Taemin's side of the room, placing a plate full of bacon and eggs on the itsy table beside the bed, I frown. “Dude, we’ve got school today. Wake up—”

Realizing he wasn't even there, and hearing the heavy drumming of water, I peer down at a pile of stuff in an open bag.

I might get my whopped because of this, but oh well. I kneel down and begin prying around his belongings. I decide to take a lucky dip, heaving out two things at once – no dirty intentions whatsoever. In one hand was a plastic bag filled with a white substance, in the other was an aced test—not quite what I expected. The bathroom door swung open.

"Ah I forgot my—WHAT THE HELL?" Tae screeches, a damp towel was wrapped around his waist tightly, his wet hair dripping a trail of dark spots behind him.

I shoved the plastic bag in my pocket quickly, and throw the test into the bag.

I smile, mentally preparing for his worst. “See? All it took was you to be half-, but you‘ve never looked manlier, Taemin!”

"You ic son of a—" He freezes.

I look at him, cautiously.

Cough. Cough. COUGH. Cough. Cough. He begins gagging hoarsely. He drums his hand against his chest.

“Hey, are you okay?” I bounce up to him, thwapping him on his back. For medical reasons, of course. Or, uh, not.

He shoves me away, and then opened his mouth….but nothing comes out. He tries again, but the only sound he could make was a grunt.

"You okay?" I say.

He begins waving his arms about hysterically. The I've lost my ing voice you idiot! went unsaid, but I still somehow heard it.

God, I’ve been spending too much time with this guy.

“You’ve lost your voice?” I say, and he nods. “Well, I’ll grab you a white board and marker, go get dressed.”

With that, I leave. Thankfully he doesn’t notice what I’ve taken.

-&-

No freaking way.

I stare at the plastic bag. ? Seriously. Is this kid stupid or something? No, he’s not stupid. He’s retarded.

God, when I get my hands on his stupid little rich neck—

“DON’T DO IT!” I hear Minho scream. “DON’T TAKE THOSE DRUGS. I THOUGHT YOU WERE BETTER THAN THAT!”

I snort. “Oh please, these aren’t mine. They belong to that idiot, Tae. Speaking of him, he lost his voice. I’m suppose to give this to him." I hold up the white board and marker.  "Where’d he go?”

Minho shrugs. “He left without us.”

“Okay, we’ll talk to him at lunch then,” I say and shove the plastic bag and a white board with marker in my bag. “Let’s go.”

-&-

“Oi, Taemin!” Onew says, tapping the younger boy on shoulder. “What’s up? Did you bring it?”

He nods.

“What’s wrong?” Onew laughs. “Cat got your tongue, or something?”

Taemin manages to indicate he lost his voice.

Onew winces. “Oh, I hope you feel better.”

Taemin mouths a thank-you and searches his bag. Tests, pencil case, lunch, cough-medicine…but where was that bag of Mary-J?

“Oh, god, please tell you have it, Taemin!” Onew cries. “You’ve been telling me you would bring for weeks, my seniors aren’t going to be happy about this, and I can’t guar teen you’ll get out of this easily.”

Taemin snorts. What the hell are they going to do to me? Kick my ?

And as if to answer his question, a flurry of punches hits him from behind.

Onew frowns. “I’m sorry, man. I told you they weren’t going to be happy.” He looks toward the person behind Taemin. “Oi, at least one good thing came out of this. He can’t call for help!”

He lets out an empty groan as he‘s lifted from the ground. Why of all days did he have to lose everything today?

-&-

Taemin had expected this. He expected everything life. His father didn’t care for him, his mother did, but she really didn’t know how the hell to raise a child…

Then there was Minho and Lin. He had to admit, the were the definition of fun and basically everything his mother wanted in kids. Minho was athletic and, yeah, he was stupid at times, but he was mostly those people who no matter what, always seemed to do good and you to easily like them.

Minho was likable.

Another failed quality of Taemin’s that his mother adored.

Then there was Lin. She worked hard, she did was she was told, and she was smart – even if she didn’t act like it. She was kind at times, she was caring, she did wonders with cleaning supplies (it sometimes scared Taemin how resourceful she could be), and sure, she acted mentally retarded – but that was the fun side of her.

She was someone her mother who love to say, “yeah, that’s my kid.”

Lin was someone Taemin could never be.

Mainly because she was female and stuff…but still.

Ew, was he jealous?

He frowns. Of course he was jealous…they were such good people. They made perfect friends…

No. No, friends are just people who can help you in life, as dad says. They’re nothing more than that. They’re just building blocks on your way to success. He buries his face within his hands, not caring how fast they are covered with blood. Friends are just tools. Just tools. Do you want to go through that again, Taemin? Do you? Do you want to just be betrayed yet again? No, you don't. Every person in this world is against you.

His head was beginning to spin. Don’t trust people. That’s how you screw up in life. You can only trust one person: yourself. Yes, you don't want to screw up in life do you? Remember? Remember those times those stupid s messed with your head…remember this time.

But they’re not like these people.

No hell what am I saying, they're EXACTLY like them. They're all the same, pretending to be your friends.

Minho and Lin would never do that.

Shut up SHUT UP. They’re probably mocking me anyway, yeah, look at them, all they care about is making money.

You know that's a lie.

No it's not a lie, they’re all the same. ALL OF THEM. They’re just money hungry asses.

Keep denying everything and you'll regret it in the future.

I'm turning schizophrenic, you don't exist, get out of my head.

He felt a hand rest gently on his shoulder, ", you look horrible. What the hell happened to you, Tae?”

Screw it. It was inevitable, he knew it would come down to this. He couldn't help it, and avoiding it wasn't going to help. Damn it. Damn it. Damn it.

You , I think I might –

"Hey, do you want to die or something?” She mutters. “Get on my back or something, I’ll take you to the hospital.”

I don't want to, and I'll hate you for it but –

“Jesus, Tae, do you want to become as blue as my hair?” She says. Tae. A horrible, horrible thing to call him…but…he didn't want to admit it, but it was, it put him at ease. “Because if you do, you’ll be dead. Let's go," She holds her hand and pulled him off the ground, him using her for support as the make their way to the nearest hospital.

I think I do, I really do –

"Oh, god, you‘re so heavy! Damn, what the hell do you eat? You look skinner than me!”

Shut up. Stop being so nice to me.

"Eh, are you alive up there?" She looks up at him. “Grunt or something, ‘kay?”

I hate that like you. I like you and that stupid idiot, Minho. You’re…people I want to be friends with. You’re people I want to hang out with, joke with, have fun with….but I don’t want friends. I hate that I even consider you guys some…

And for the first time in three years, Taemin broke down into tears.

"HEY WHAT THE—?" Lin leads him to a bench, where she sits him down.

you. Screw you. I hate you. He cries louder, his soundless voice emitting hiccups and blubbers. His tears ran down his cheeks like a tap on full blast, his hands uselessly wiping them away. This was pissing him off, she was pissing him off, everything was pissing him off.

Friends were a form of weakness. They were like a bullet wound. In books, the heros will do anything for them, proving how weak they are in the first place.

Friends were people who did things like beat the out of you for not bringing something that’ll kill you later in life.

Friends were people who acted nice to your face.

Friends were liars.

"I don't like seeing people like you crying.” Lin mutters. “’specially my boss’ kid.”

My pride, my pride – urgh – my pride. It's gone…I was right. You’re just money hungry . I hate you! I hate you!

"Alright, I get it." Lin says.

Get what? This is all your fault –

Suddenly, she turns around and squats, she grabs his legs, carrying him in the utmost embarrassing position yet. Pig-back ride? Seriously? Was he six or something?

Oddly enough, he didn’t protest. He actually felt safer….

Taemin cries even louder. Gah I'm such a crybaby.

He wraps his arms around her neck, weeping in her sweater, or whatever hell it was she was wearing.

“I know what you think of Monkey ears and I,” she says suddenly as she heads towards the direction of the hospital.

No you don’t. You don’t know anything –

“You probably think we don’t give a about you, and only want you out of our lives for good.”

Shut up, shut up –

“Funnily enough, I use to think that way about you. Your just Tae, my kid’s boss. The boy who terrorized me for four years and brought over what I now know is rich druggies to the main house.”

YOU! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU STOLE MY MARY-J YOU STUPID . YOU STUPID –

She reached out and ruffles Taemin's hair in a messy lot, smiling at him with every last ounce of sunny radiance she had. “But you know? I don’t think that way anymore about you. Neither does Minho. Actually, you’re one of the 14 lucky people who are currently in an imaginary relationship with him. Nice to meet you, I’m number lucky number 13. My dearly beloved Monkey Ears is cheating on me with you.”

He grip around her neck became tighter, his rapid breathing finally calming down. Lin was a good person, and that was a fact. This was a misunderstanding. She probably didn’t even know that he was being forced to get drugs for his seniors…

Finally, I've stopped crying. After I get my voice back, I swear I'll –

"AYO, when it gets tough ~!” She randomly hummed. “Brush it off & lean on the rhythm, oh ~! With our song for you, oh! Everyone, AYO, everyone, AYO! AYO, when you can't sleep~! Brush it off & leave it to the rhythm, oh~! For the anticipation of the unfolding tomorrow, oh~! Everyone, AYO, everyone, AYO!” She laughs. “Sorry, that’s this real old song from this boy band in the 80’s. My mom use to sing it to me when I’d feel down or something. I know you don’t consider Minho and I as your friends, but know that we aren’t as horrible as you think we are. If you’re willing, I think all of us right-winger and you would make great friends.”
 

He burst into tears again, this time howling twice as loud. That was his song. The song he danced to when he younger. The song that kept him going.…

I just stopped crying you , great. He soaked his tears in her clothes; the constrict of his arms around her were choking him. She was beginning to suffocate, but she let him.

“Side to side, your sad tears. Side to side, all your pain. Tap, brush it off! Leave it to the rhythm, oh~! Everyone, AYO, everyone, AYO!” She sang.

You sound like a deranged ape!

They kept like that as they made their way to the hospital. He cries louder every ten minutes, and would soften down after five.

Drowning his tears in one of the people that caused this all in the first place hadn't made him feel any better, but just for the trip to the hospital, he would tell himself, because it just felt so darn good, letting it all out. Crying was for losers, according to Taemin's logic, and he was going to enjoy being a loser just for now.

Finally, having succumbs to a state of hiccups, Taemin took a few deep breaths, then loosened his grip around Lin's neck.

Lin grins. “Look, you’ve finally stopped crying just as we’ve arrived.”

-&-

She glares at the online articles already spreading like wildfire. First her son was a saint, giving her the adorable cat for her birthday…but now this?

This wasn’t change.

This was anything but change.

He wasn’t learning a thing.

But he would. Oh, she’d make sure of it.

And just to ensure it, she’d lessen his span of one year to six months.

And now, all of those underage folk living in the right-wing of the servant’s quarter would aid her poor son.

Less time.

More help.

She smiles, twirling a lock of hair.

Perfect~!

—end of DAY IV—

A/N:

EDITED IT, because, DAMN, there was a lot of retarded mistakes. X)

Again, thanks to all the readers! :D

I’m sorry this was so loooong and probably uninteresting…X( I think you guys know the Point Of View. Well, if not, let me know so I can clear things up.   

Oh, and peoples, if you have the time, I suggest you got listen to SHINee's AYO! Such a nice song! :)