“Nope,” Minzy winced, pulling awkwardly on her shirt, “I cant do this, take me home. I need to change.”

            “No,” Seunghyun pinched his brow, “don’t suddenly lose your nerve. You look fine, great even.”

            The dark haired girl pouted and tugged at her shirt again, it was a tad shorter than she was comfortable with, if she raised her arms too much her midriff would definitely show. Todays outfit was mild compared to the clothes Key wanted her to get, granted she did buy one outrageous outfit but there was no way in hell she would wear that to school. Ever.

            It wasn’t that the outfit wasn’t comfortable to wear; it was just out of her comfort zone. Thankfully Key came to dress her this morning and picked out something docile; a loose, sleeveless, patterned shirt, a white gathered skirt and black peep toed heels. Key made her walk around in heels for hours, so even if she hated it, her body remembered how to balance in heels.

            Minzy turned back to her brother, “I don’t want to… I look weird.”

            “Nope,” he shook his head, “I drove you to school so you couldn’t run away. I’m not driving away until I see you walk through those doors. Understand?”

            Minzy puffed out her cheeks and glared angrily at him before popping the door open and sulking up the sidewalk.

            “That stride doesn’t suit you!” Seunghyun called after her.

            Sighing Minzy paused and took a deep breath, gathering all her courage she lifted her head and sauntered up the walkway. He was so going to get beaten up when she got home.

            Minzy forced herself to keep from staring at her feet as she walked through the school to her first class. She’d felt awkward for most of her life but none of it prepared her for the sidelong glances of the judgmental teens as she passed through the door and sat at her desk. Fiddling with her thumbs she tried to keep herself occupied Minzy tried to ignore the figure making its way towards her.

            “Hey Minzy!” A voice piped happily.

            Minzy blinked up at the red haired boy, “Oh, hi Taemin.”

            “Key did a good job again, eh?” he smiled and squatted next to the desk, “you’re definitely gathering some attention.”

            “I didn’t really want attention. I just want to be pretty and happy with myself… I’m just not comfortable enough yet.”

            “You’re gorgeous. Just act like the world belongs to you and everyone is there to serve you.”

            “What?” Minzy furrowed her brow, “I cant do that. I don’t want to be like that anyway.”

            Grinning Taemin stood back up, “I know, you’re too nice to be one of those y pretty girls. Just remember, no matter what anyone says, you look great.”

            “Thanks.”

            “Come see me later,” Taemin waved and stepped out of the classroom.

            Minzy sighed and stared at the whiteboard as the teacher shuffled papers around before clapping her hands to gather the attention of her students.

            “I hope you all studied for the test,” The teacher walked along the first row of desks handing out test booklets, “put everything away. You have forty minutes.”
            Crap, Minzy sighed, what’s this test on again? Ugh, screw it. The student in front of her passed back the cluster of tests, after handing the remaining papers back Minzy sighed and dropped her head onto the desk in defeat.

            “Hmmm. Math, math, math… X…Y… letters have no place in math… the hell? I should start paying attention. Mmm, is this right? Bleh, whatever.

            Minzy tapped her pencil anxiously against the desk as the teacher walked around the room collecting the tests. Ugh, Minzy stretched her arms out, I hope I at least pass… Seunghyun will kill me. Minzy shook her head, Nooooo!

            Sighing she pulled her self from the desk and trudged down the hallway; remembering Seunghyun and Key’s nagging Minzy growled and forcefully lifted her head. The hall, like always, was riddled with teens doing various things; some preppy girls were staring into a locker mirror touching up their makeup, a boy was sliding his skateboard back and forth as he leaned against the wall, and a teacher was reprimanding a few students for talking on their cell phones during school hours. 

            Behind her Minzy could hear faint snickering and mumbling as she rounded the corner, I’m doing this for myself. I’m doing this for myself. Right? I look alright don’t I? I can have some confidence… Key said I look good and so did Taemin and even Seunghyun. Shaking the thoughts away Minzy passed through the door to her next class and plopped her lifeless body onto a desk.

            Pre-calculus was over, that’s a plus. What class is this again? Uh, History? No, that’s my last class…. Mmm… Minzy pinched her brow, Language or Biology? Glancing around the room she noticed the beakers, pipettes and a jar of drugged up worms. Awesome, Biology it is… and we’re dissecting worms today.

            “Uh, Mr. Um… uh,” Minzy pursed her lips, “I’m not feeling well. I’m gonna be sick.”

            “Go on then Miss Gong,” the teacher waved at her dismissivly, “now then, everyone get your lab partners and grab a worm to share.”

            Minzy hurriedly grabbed her bag and retreated from the room as various squeals sounded from the girls in the class. Animal dismemberment and dissection was not something she wanted to be a part of.

            As expected, the halls were empty and littered with discarded paper and misplaced notes. Minzy tapped down the epoxy coated floor towards the nurses station. As she passed the auditorium laughter erupted followed by very swift and rehearsed lines. Poking her head into the room she saw the performing arts class scattered on the stage and a few students and the teacher seated in the first row.

            The group stopped for a moment as the scene ended; one of the boys on stage with his hair pulled into a tight bun spotted Minzy and waved enthusiasticly at her. The redhead bounded up the aisles happily before tackling Minzy in a warm hug. “Minzy! Lookin’ as gorgeous as this morning!”

            “Aw, thanks. Was Key having a heart attack after he left thinking I would change my clothes?”

            “A little bit,” Taemin giggled, “he’s fun to mess with. Should I tell him you changed in the school bathroom?”

            “No,” Minzy snickered, “he really would keel over and die.”

            Smiling Taemin squeezed Minzy’s arm, “that’s true. Key told me you ‘weren’t doing this for a boy’ but something must have happened. Am I right.”

            “Ah… Um aren’t you in the middle of class?”

            Taemin blinked and turned around towards the stage, “Crap, you’re right. But don’t think this gets you out of explaining yourself. I’ll be seeing you later whether you like it or not.”

            Taemin pointed at the girl as he backed his way down to the stage; chuckling at the idiotic boy Minzy exited the noisy auditorium and went to the nurse’s office.

            “Minzy,” the nurse sighed, “Honestly, what now?”

            “Sorry Nurse Dara,” Minzy exhaled.

            Dara glanced up from her medical tablet, “Oh darling, you look fantastic. What finally brought you out of your shell?”

            “A man named Key and my years of spite and anger at my generation,” she grimaced, “And you? How is your newborn and annoying husband?”

            “Oh you know, crying, pooping, eating, the usual.”

            “And the baby?”

            snickered, “Honestly though, did something happen?”

            “Just teenage girl stuff, hormones, you know,” Minzy waved her arm excessively.

            “If you say so…”

            Minzy stared at the wall as the nurse shuffled over to one of the sick beds urging the inhabitant to get up.

            “Up, up,” Dara stomped her foot, “It is not my responsibility to attend to you. It’s your own fault if you don’t sleep, whatever the reason may be. Out. Out!”

            “Urg, fine,” the voice groaned, “you shouldn’t be so rude to students. I’m leaving ok, just don’t hit me.”

            “I would never,” Dara faked disgust and settled herself back into her chair as the groggy voice was matched with a face. A face Minzy didn’t want to see. The platinum blonde man sat up and shook his head out of his post sleep daze.

            “Oh, hey Minzy!” he grinned.

            Minzy pressed her lips together in a tight, thin line and balled her hands into tight fists.

            “You!” Minzy fumed, “You! Don’t you act so friendly with me you giant ! You have no right to act like you know me! You think you can win everyone over with your fake smile and ty personality! Well you don’t fool me so go eat and die!”

            Minzy huffed and glared at him for another moment before turning on her heel and letting out a shrill scream. The nurse watched as Minzy angrily stomped out of the room, her heels clicking and resounding throughout the wall as she continued stomping and shrieking down the hall.

            “What did you do to her?”

            “Heh,” Jiyong winced and scratched his neck, “I played the stereotypical popular douche?”

            Dara sighed and rubbed her temples, “God, you teenagers are so, so, very dumb.”