I was born at San Fransisco, but my dad have some business at South Korea. So, me and my family move to Seoul. I life at Seoul since I was 2 years old. I’m happy because I have a precious family. They always take a good care of me. But, unfortunately when I was 7, my dad leave me, leave my mom, without reason. At first month, he usually send us a letter and tell us that he is forever ok, he miss us. But then in the third month until now, I am 15 years old, he never send us a letter again. Never call us again. I life at a small town in South Korea. Life in a small town like this, make me feels familiar, people familiar with the face, each word spread naturally, even the gossip which you did not really want to know though.

But, me and Stephy are different. I know her since childhood; pink ribbon little girl who always sits in the front row every Sunday Mass. She always sits beside her mother, held the Bible as she stared straight ahead. Sometimes, she catches my glance, but never bother to smile.

We study in the same school. She is one year younger than me, in the first of high school, i am who did not pass at the 7 grade, forced to repeat the school year, reunite me with Stephy. At the first day, she sat beside me, Stephanie looks much different from the girl who used the pink ribbon as I remembered. She have long thick black hair. And her body is taller than before. She put her bag under the chair and less talking.

Although we sat next to each other, me and Stephy never had a conversation. I’m sometimes hard to start a conversation, and I think Stephy doesn’t really want to do it. Just once, we accidentally bump at the classroom’s door, and she muttered “Sorry”. Just that.

Stephy is a popular student at school even she is talkless. Teachers and another students like her; Stephy frequently have a good score, actively in discussions and activities outside of school, and seems to know everyone. She has a good friend with boys in a sport team, and never had a trouble with the cheerleader.

I myself through years of middle school and junior high without much problem. I do not have many friends, but I did not mind. To me, passing the day by becoming invisible is a good thing –unfortunately, half of students disagree with that. Especially Yuri and her cheerleader team who like to make life most people become less fun.

I'm used to Yuri, his bestfriend Yoona, and another of her friends who always followed her like a pack of wolves seeking prey. However, I will never forget the day when everything changed.

***

That day, our class just finished one session of sport lesson which is run a marathon. My sport teacher  make in groups of four people, intend to relay race. Me, Yuri, Yoona and Stephy grouped together.

Game started by Stephy, followed by Yoona, and Yuri then I. Our team leads because both Stephy and Yoona is a pretty good athlete, as well as Yuri who spent God knows how long practice gym for cheerleading motions. I was more worried about me because I was a bad runner, plus my balance is not very good. Yuri looks closer at the figure, I stretched out my hands to receive the baton from her, and that's when she dropped. Baton was rolling, and reflexes, I press on. Then my body bump the other runners so we both slammed into the ground.

"She dropped it" Yuri stood hands on hips, looking at me with a very haughty. "She's always screwing things up"

Yoona and her friends laugh out loud, standing not far from there and make rude noises. “SHE IS TRULLY STUPID!”

“She is stupid and stink.” Someone added followed by painful laugh. I ever hear like that before. My stuff often smells like oil paint and kerosene. My mom is a painter; inevitably our house full of objects like that.

“Stupid, stink, and ugly”. Yoona and the others began to attack, they witnessed me who cleaning up dirty tracksuit pants by land. Yuri was smiling, and I don’t understand why she had to smile while like this.

“leave her alone.” Stephy, who don't know since when has appeared at my side says, "Stop it, guys, it's not funny”

Yoona laughing, “Oh, come on, Stephanie, don’t you feel it? You sit beside her everyday. Did she smell like we said?”

 Stephy doesn’t give any answer, she just looked at Yuri and Yoona calmly. "I said stop"

“If I say no, what will you do?” Yoona sneered. Imitate the pose surrendered by raising both hands high in the air.

“It’s okay” I say with a whisper, “It’s okay, Steph, I’ve got this. They often do that, and I’m okay”

“if I don’t want to stop, what will you do, Stephanie?”. Yoona replay her word, still with the same harassing expression. “You can’t answer it to save your lesbian friend ...” She didn’t  finish his sentence because a second later, she was slammed into the ground, not much different from my previous position.

Stephy've slapped him with her left hand, so hard that makes Yoona's nose has now shed blood. Yuri shouted "Oh my God!" with a high-pitched, while we were all quiet on the spot, mesmerized by what just happened.

“You ask me, right?” Stephy finally speaking, her hands clenched at his sides. "You asked, so I answered".

And then, she go.

I can’t do anything, except follow her.

***

She stopped in the school’s alley were empty, and drink water from the tap. When she saw me standing behind her, she looking at me straight in the eye.

“You are fool or what?!” She half-yelled at me, her voice loud. I'm surprised so take one step back. “when they mock you, do not be silent! If you keep quiet it makes you look stupid!”

I never seen her mad like this, and it makes me scared, a lot.

“Ugh!”. She shook her fist, and I saw it was red, “You….!”

“I am Jessica… “. I said lowly.

For a moment, she looked confused, her anger overflow at once. "I know your name is Jessica." Stephy said, as if I'm an idiot.

“Um… Yeah… I mean…” Such a fool you are, Jess.

Changed her posture relaxed, and for the first time she smiled faintly at me. "I know what you mean," she said.

I’m nodding slowly, still feel a bit ashamed.

“By the way, you’re not stink,” she said before walking away, “you smell of strawberry and something sweet.”

I looked her walking away, her hair is so dark and black and brown shiny this time under the sun. I hope she will not be scolded by the teacher for what had happened.

Thank you, Stephanie. That's what I wanted to say earlier. But I have a feeling she already knows.

***

We became friends after that. At least, we say good morning as we passed, exchanging notes during lessons, and occasionally sit at a table during the lunch hour. Over time, we started to go home together, in groups for school assignments, and did many things together.

Stephanie –who don’t mind me calling Stephy, is my best friend.