As Tao wiped the boards back and forth, back and forth, Luhan did his own thing, wiping down the wooden desks with a damp rag.

“So, Tao, where are you from?”

The question caught Tao by surprise. “Qingdao,” he said quietly, still continuing his work.

“Ah, really? Does your family still live there?”

Tao froze up. When he didn't answer, Luhan took a glance and saw that family wasn't a very good thing to talk about with him.

“U-Um, you don't have to answer that, I was just...”

“No, it's okay,” Tao said, smiling at him and then turning back to the board. “I shouldn't be hung up on things in the past anyway. My family still live in Qingdao, so it's just me and a friend living together not too far from here.”

Although he could tell Tao's smile was fake, Luhan decided to just go along with it.

The classroom was quiet, save for the sound of wipe, wipe, wipe. When Tao found himself whisking back and forth on an already cleaned board, and Luhan staring at his reflection in one of the desks he cleaned, both met each other's eyes.

“You done?” Luhan asked. Tao nodded in response.

“What's your next class?”

“Ah, um...Give me a second,” Tao pulled a folded pink paper out of his pocket, and unfolded it, looking closely on whatever was written there.

“Gym,” he answered, then refolded the paper and put it back in it's initial spot.

“Cool, me too!”

–

The two walked through one of the many halls of the school, toward the gym.

“You know,” Luhan started, “Although you've been here for like, what, 3 weeks or something? I hadn't noticed you yet!”

Tao fake-laughed. “Haha, it's okay, I'm used to people not noticing me...”

Luhan sighed, “Ah, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound like that!”

“No, really, it's true. It mostly saved me from being bullied in my other years, except for a few times, but that's beside the point.”

Bullied? Luhan thought. He's been—hey, isn't that...

Two figured walked down the same hall they were, in the opposite direction. One was short, and the other was quite tall. Luhan recognized them as Prissy Eyeliner and Prissy Eyeliner 's Creepy . Byun Baekhyun and Park Chanyeol.

“Oh great,” he sighed under his breath. As they approached, Baekhyun locked his eyes onto Tao, and sweetly smiled. When he came close enough, he made a small girly wave.

“Hi...Tao, right?”

Tao nodded and smiled. He looked at Chanyeol and smiled to him as well, earning a toothy grin back.

Then Baekhyun switched his gaze over to Luhan. “Hello Luhan,” he said almost coldly, smiling so sweet. “I'm glad you found your violin.” Tao could sense that there probably wasn't a great relationship between his friends. Before he knew it, Luhan's happy and nice side disappeared, and his more dark one appeared.

“Hello to you too, Baekhyun. Skipping class again? You know the teacher will think you're even more stupid if you keep doing that,” he said snarkily.

I thought only girls acted this way, Tao thought.

He was wrong.

“Really? I heard that you were talking about me and ended up getting yourself and your sweet friend Tao here in trouble, and had to stay behind and wipe the dirty desk and board. Isn't that unfortunate, Chanyeol?” Baekhyun replied just as snarky, looking up at Chanyeol for back up, crossing his arms.

Tao squirmed upon hearing his name. He really didn't want to be involved in this.

Chanyeol laughed nervously. “Yeah, sure, Baek,” he said, not really wanting to get into Luhan and Baekhyun's fight.

“Wow, I sure feel bad for your friend here, Baekhyun. He has to put up with all the arguments and trouble you cause, and bail you out, because you can't do it yourself.” Luhan countered, with a fake smile.

Baekhyun's expression fell and turned angry. “Look here, deer boy, I don't have time for your --”

“Really? That's a surprise considering you're skipping class,”

“Are you trying to pick a fight?”

Chanyeol looked down at Baekhyun brows furrowed, hoping he would stop. He usually stopped on his own, but once in awhile...

At that moment, Tao's mind squeezed out only one thought.

It's like real life Mean Girls.

“Why fight? You probably can't even punch hard,”

“You want to find out, you--”

“Byun Baekhyun, stop right now.”

All eyes turned to Chanyeol, who was now glaring at Baekhyun, disappointed. Baekhyun stared back in surprise. Chanyeol never went against him. Or was even serious, for that matter.

Luhan stared in awe. Park Chanyeol, Prissy Eyeliner 's Creepy , going against Byun Baekhyun, his best friend, since forever? Tao stayed quiet as usual, not knowing what to do, whether to run away and go to class without Luhan, or stay and watch something possibly nasty unfold.

“Yeol?” Baekhyun said back, a little scared.

“I don't want you to get in trouble. Let's just go to class, please?”

“But--”

“Baekhyun, just—please?”

Scared of what would happen if he disobeyed, Baekhyun nodded his head. Chanyeol smiled apologetically and grabbed his hand, leading him down the hall. As they passed the remaining two boys, Chanyeol nodded at Tao, signaling some kind of secret friendship. Tao nodded back and waved.

“I'm sorry Yeollie,” Baekhyun whispered softly, squeezing Chanyeol's hand.

“It's okay Baekkie, but don't do it again, alright?” Chanyeol returned, bending slighty to kiss to his lover's cheek.

“Okay, Yeol.”

“God, he makes me so ing mad...” Luhan grumbled, staring so intent at Baekhyun's figure that he could even burn a hole into him.

Tao nervously swallowed. “Ca-Can you tell me why? He seemed nice when I met him,” he asked, beginning to walk again, Luhan following.

Seeing Luhan's glare made him realize he probably shouldn't have said that.

“Well, first of all, in first grade, he pulled my hair and pulled my pants down in front of everyone, claiming it was an 'accident'!” he started, making air quotes on his last word. Tao squirmed again.

“Then, we just so happened to go to middle school together, and he spread a rumor that I was gay! When he's the gay one!” He stomped his foot in anger.

“Ooooooooh, just thinking about it makes me mad! And it got even worse when Park Chanyeol came to the school! They talked and laughed and giggled non-ing-stop!”

“And about him being nice? He's just faking it so you're on his side, but I'm telling you, he's just a big phony faker!”

Yep. He really shouldn't have asked.

Real life Mean Girls indeed.