AFTER TWO YEARS – 8^th grade

                A much taller and mature boy stood in front of a mirror. He leaned back, admiring his swag. He was wearing a Giants hat he had brought from America. He paired it with a black hoodie he got from joining the basketball team, and grey jeans which he sagged. His light brown hair stuck out of his hat. He nodded, satisfied with his clothes. He grabbed his grey Jansport backpack and began to walk towards the kitchen. His mother greeted him,” Morning Jerald.”

                She smiled at him and Jerald smiled back. She glanced at his jeans and shook her head with a tsk noise,” Jerald. What did I say about sagging?”

                Jerald grinned back but didn’t bother fixing his jeans. His mother shook her head but smiled. Jerald ate his breakfast and yelled from the door,” Later, mom.”

                His mom called out a bye from inside the kitchen as Jerald pulled on his black Vans and began to walk to school. Jerald glanced at his new iPhone, and smirked as his personality changed 180 degrees.

                Girls called out to Jerald when he entered the school. They screamed because of his cuteness,” Jerald! Jerald! Look over here!”

                Jerald only smirked and tipped his head to them as he wandered off to look for his friends. The girls screamed louder at his smirk, and Jerald mentally patted himself on the head. He walked into the school and into the hallways. He entered his homeroom class, room #103. Several heads looked up when he walked in, and they greeted him. “Yo man, wassup?”

                Jerald’s friends called out,” I heard that popular girl Min Yoon asked you out yesterday? Whatcha gonna say?”

                He raised an eyebrow, and replied with a goofy smirk,” What do you think? Do you think I would actually say yes to that Min Yoon girl? She’s not even pretty. She just got a big fat REJECTED on her forehead.”

                His friends howled in laughter and Jerald laughed along with them. The bell rang, silencing the boys. Students filed into the classroom and Jerald went to go take his respectful seat. The teacher walked in with his ruler. He was a short burly man who thought highly of respect. He smacked the ruler on the whiteboard and everyone stopped talking. Teacher Yoon coughed a few times, and spoke,” Good morning class 103.”

                The students rose and bowed. They all spoke in unison,” Good morning Teacher Yoon.”

                Teacher Yoon nodded in approval, but then spotted Jerald and his friends still sitting. Teacher Yoon scowled, as they were the troublemakers in his class. He smacked the whiteboard once more with his ruler,” Kim Taeyeol, Heo Youngsaeng, Lee Yijin, Choi Yongsae, and Lim Jaejun, you better bow right now or DETENTION!”

                Jerald’s group of friends rolled their eyes and bowed respectfully at the teacher. Teacher Yoon approved and told them to sit down. Teacher Yoon then walked up to Jerald, he smacked the ruler on his desk three times,” Now you, Park Taejin. You’ve caused me the most trouble since the start of school.”

                Jerald was about to send him back a witty remark, but Teacher Yoon held up his pudgy finger,” BUT. I’m letting you go for today. Your mother specifically requested I leave you alone at least for today. I think you should think about what day it is today, Taejin.”

                Everyone was staring at Teacher Yoon, bewildered. Teacher Yoon never let anyone go, even if their parents requested it. Jerald stared at the whiteboard. Then he realized the date- October 21^st. His fist began to clench as he glared at Teacher Yoon,” Did my mom tell you?”

                Teacher Yoon nodded,” She didn’t tell me the specific details, Taejin. It’s alright Taejin; I know what you’re feeling right now. It’s a shame that you couldn’t go back to America on this day.”

                Jerald scowled at Teacher Yoon and kicked his desk over,” I don’t need your pity Teacher Yoon. I forgot about her, okay!? I don’t need you to remind me what happened.”

                He walked out of the class in rage, feeling upset over the topic of Ailee’s death. The students in the class, including his friends, were shocked. Was Park Taejin, or Jerald, upset over a GIRL? It became the biggest news in an hour, with Jerald missing and his friends talking about it.

                Jerald sat on the bench with his legs brought up to him. He said out loud,” Hey Ailee, I’m sorry I couldn’t come visit you on this day. I know it’s your birthday today too, but it’s also the day you died. I’m still hoping you’re alive, but I’m not sure now. Even if you were alive, would we ever meet again? I don’t think about you at all sometimes, I guess that’s an achievement if you wanted me to move on.”

                A crack sounded behind Jerald and he spun around in surprise. Min Yoon stared at Jerald,” Taejin… Who is this Ailee girl?”

                Jerald raised an eyebrow,” Why should I tell you? What if you go and tell everyone because I rejected you?”

                Min Yoon frowned,” I’m not that low Taejin. Just tell me, please. I’m dying to know. If you tell me then I’ll stop bothering you. I do like you, but if you just rejected me then I won’t come ask you about it.”

                He pondered about it for a minute, and then nodded,” Fine. I’ll tell you about Ailee.”

                Min Yoon gave Jerald a small smile,” Okay. I won’t tell anyone Taejin.”

                Jerald spoke softly,” Ailee… She’s my best friend. I’ve known her since my Kindergarten years in America. I would always go to her house to play or my house. We thought of it as a platonic friendship. We didn’t like each other, well for me, at first. But then one day, I saw her crying at the park. She told me that she hated her family. She was adopted, an orphan. Her foster parents always preferred her older brothers more, even if they were also orphans. She lived with twenty-nine other orphans in a house meant for a family of eight.”

                He began to speak louder,” We talked about our families. And then after that, we were best friends. Fate seemed to want us to be friends, because our teacher made us sit next to each other in class too. Ailee and I, we were inseparable. But then one day, something bad happened to her. Her house exploded, I’m still not sure how, but Ailee went missing in the explosion. I don’t know if she died… or if she’s still alive. I miss her right now, I just want her back. I don’t care if we’re not a couple, but she was my first best friend ever.”

                Min Yoon stayed quiet during the whole story, and nodded at the appropriate parts. Jerald smiled at Min Yoon,” You know, I feel better when I talk to you.”

                She gave Jerald a smile,” I can be your best friend Jerald. I know I can never replace Ailee, but I can still be your best friend, or even just a friend. I can be someone you lean on. I want to meet this Ailee girl, but I know I can’t. I just wish that I can be her friend and your friend at the same time.”

                And that was the beginning of Jerald and Min Yoon’s relationship.