The first week into the summer, Mom and Dad proposed a trip out of town. It had been a while since we were on the road and they thought we could use the change of atmosphere for a week. Plus it coincided with Dad's off days.

I would have gladly gone if it weren't for the pottery class that Hannah and I had already enrolled ourselves into throughout summer. Chris, too, had his basketball training camp in the woods. So the proposed family trip turned into our parents' trip.

They were leaving that day, and I was combing my room for the list of things I wanted when a paper airplane landed on the floor beside me.

Raising my eyebrow, I picked up the plane, looked out my window and across the other house.

"Good morning, Yeonie," Lu Han greeted, giving me a little wave.

Ever since the rat incident, something changed with Lu Han. Sure he still managed to find ways to annoy me relentlessly with his words, but "prank-wise", Lu Han had been more subdued. In fact, when I thought about it, Lu Han had completely left my things alone.

"I don't think having a good morning is possible with you around," I said then, grimacing at him.

He grinned without missing a beat. "You're so sweet, Yeonie, as always."

"And didn't I tell you to stop calling me that?"

He pouted.

I had to avert my eyes to avoid his face. Because as much as I didn't want to admit, Lu Han was becoming more good-looking as we grew older. It isn't fair having someone as good-looking as Lu Han as a nemesis.

"Then what should I call you instead? Jiji? Yeonyeon? Yeonji?"

"Hey! Stop murdering my name!"

He laughed, wiping an imaginary tear. "I'll miss your cute expressions, Yeon." Then he moved out of the frame of his window, leaving me wondering what he meant.

Mom reminded us to remember our meals and closed all the doors before going to sleep and to never let any stranger in.

"Mom, we'll be fine," I told her gently, smiling at her. "This neighborhood is perfectly safe."

"I know, I know. Still, Chris, take care of your sister, okay? Check on her as much as you can."

"Mom," I whined. "I'm fifteen, almost sixteen. Perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"Says the girl who goes running to mommy for breakfast," Chris teased, pinching my cheeks.

"As if you're any different!" I elbowed his side.

Mom laughed and kissed each of our foreheads. "See you in a week."

"Enjoy your trip."

Dad hugged me and Chris, and then we watched them leave.

"So rat girl," Chris said, leaning his elbow on my shoulder, "are you going to be okay on your own?"

I swat his arms away. "I would survive better without you." I returned to the house and called Hannah. "What's the plan for the day? Pottery class doesn't start until Wednesday, right?"

"Not sure," Hannah said over the phone, her voice gruff. "I'm actually kind of sick."

"Aw, that !"

"Yeah."

"Let me come over then. We can do whatever in your house," I suggested, feeling sorry for my best friend.

"Sure."

So I spent the day there. Hannah had caught a cold and she was too lazy to do something outdoorsy so we stayed in their living room and watched all the decent movies we could catch on different channels.

The sun was already setting down when I decided to go home. The wind was unusually chilly for a summer afternoon, the cold air pricking my bare skin.

I went inside the house, turning on the light switches as I passed. I'm not particularly afraid of the dark, I just like the house well lit. Chris had left a note saying:

I'm off to camp. Call me if you get scared of being alone.

-your one and only amazing brother

Rolling my eyes, I rummaged the fridge for dinner. Too lazy to bother, I settled for ice cream since I ate too much food at Hannah's anyway.

I brought my "dinner" to the living room and watched more TV. And an hour later maybe, after spending the day with Hannah, I realized something. I'm lonely. It was even the first time that I had not heard of Lu Han for such a long time.

Curious, I returned to my room and coughed loudly as I turned off my lights and eyed his window. But as dark as my room, there was no sign of Lu Han from across. For the first time, there was no goodnight from him.

"Psshh. So what. I love the silence," I said to no one and collapsed on to the bed. The next thing I knew, it was morning.

I woke up with an aching head and it seemed that I had caught Hannah's cold. Forgetting for a moment that I was alone in the house, I immediately called for mom. My voice echoed back to me and I had the sudden urge to call and bother Chris.

Before I could embarrass and doom myself to his eternal teasing for being a wimp, I turned to the comfort of my bed and slept in, not even bothering with breakfast nor with turning all the lights off; I have to turn them back on anyway.

Three, five, maybe seven; I didn't really know how many hours I had slept. All I knew when I woke up again was that the light outside my window was turning orange and my body felt like it was on fire.

My hands immediately flew to my forehead, and the heat that pierced my palm right after confirmed my suspicion. Great, Hannah's cold had just transformed itself into an unwanted fever, I thought bitterly.

I tried to sit up but my head threatened to split into two. I groaned and fell right back on my pillow. I just woke up yet I could feel my strength leaving me, my body getting hotter. "I shouldn't have taken that stupid ice cream," I muttered, closing my eyes tightly in hopes of stopping the head-splitting ache.

A few moments later and my tummy rumbled in agony. "Great, what else could happen, huh?" I spoke out loud, challenging whoever was doing this to me.

And just