Don’t let it throw it you off too far

Cause I’ll be running right behind you

Anastasia and I have been hanging out at lunch for a week and a half now. “Ana, how long has it been since you moved from the states?” I asked.

“Ummm… I think about 2 months.” She took a sip from her juice box. She brought one every day, sipping it slowly each day so it would last till the end of lunch. 

“You’ve been here for 2 months! When did you start coming to school?” I hope not 2 months ago.

“I started about a month ago.”

“How come I didn’t notice you till last week?” I mean how could I have missed her?

“Cause you sleep all day in class you dunce!” She hit me on the head lightly. I started laughing and she joined in.

“How are you getting around Seoul?”

“I know how to get to my apartment from school and how to get to the conveyance store on the corner by my apartment, but that’s about as far as I can go without getting lost.” She took another sip from her box. “Do you realize Seoul has, like, the best juice ever?” She had a little smile as she took another sip. “I’m completely addicted to it now.”

She has a cute smile. “Do you want a tour of Seoul like the tour I gave you for school?”

She thought for a second. “Well, I do know pretty much everything there is to know about this school since the tour so… sure!” She gave me a warm smile. “When’s a good time to do it?”

“What about Saturday? We’ll take the subway so you learn the different stops and what they hold.”

She nodded. “Sounds good, where are we meeting?”

“Do you know the stop nearest your apartment?” She nodded. “Good then we’ll just meet there.” The bell rang for the end of lunch. Anastasia took her last few sips of her juice box and threw it away. I smiled to myself as she went up to throw away the box. Another tour with Ana…

~~~

Anastasia and I got on the subway line 3 and rode in silence most of the way. She had dressed in a sweatshirt and jeans but they were still baggy on her like her school clothes. She had her hands in her sweatshirt pocket the whole time. “What’s so important that you can’t keep your hands off of it?”

She looked over at me, a little puzzled at first then she looked down and laughed. “Sorry, I have a habit of making sure I still have my phone and IPod with me. I keep thinking it could have dropped out of my pocket or something.” She removed her hands from her pocket and laid them on her lap, but she had them so close to her pocket that part of her palm laid on it. I stared at her hands before pushing them off to her side.

“Don’t be paranoid. Nothing is going to happen to your stuff.” I saw her hands moving back to her pocket but I pushed them away again. “No, bad Ana,” I scolded her like a little kid and she began to laugh.

“Fine, I’ll try to stop…” She held on firmly to the subway seat to keep her hands from her pocket.

We arrived at the first stop of the tour which is a big tourist area with lots of shops and restaurants on each block. “This is kind of a nig place of tourist.” I explained as we walked down the block. I pointed out different sights. We stopped in front of a huge entrance that spelled COEX on its sign. “This is the biggest mall is Asia.”

“Holy Jeezums, this place in huge!” She stared up at the place. “I’m gonna have to come back a few times so I can explore it.” She turned back to me and we continued back to a subway entrance and caught it to the stop the N Seoul Tower.

I pointed out the tower from the ground. “It gives you an amazing view of Seoul especially at night.” We continued the tour to the stops of parks, restaurants and the amusement park Lotte World. It was getting late when we got to the last stop of the tour.

Ana was carrying a bag of new juices she hadn’t tried yet and sipping on one as we walked. “I’m getting hungry… Juice is good but it doesn’t do anything for my empty stomach.” She started to run ahead of me into a coward of people, disappearing within them.

“Ana! Wait! Don’t go too far!” I yelled trying to keep up with her. Please, please don’t let her get kidnapped… I started to push people as I ran yelling sorries and excuse me’s behind me. I caught sight of Anastasia’s sweatshirt and sprinted to it. She stood in front of a pojangmacha (Street Vendor), drooling over all the food out. I grabbed hold of her hood. “DO NOT DO THAT AGAIN.” I told her.

“I’m sorry, it’s just this place smelt amazing so I kind of followed my nose.” She walked forward, eyeing the food, trying to figure out which one she wanted. “So many choices…”

I held onto the sleeve of her sweatshirt for good measure. “Just pick something, it looks all good.” She moved to circle the vendor and I moved with her, still with her sleeve in my grasp.  We stood there for another few minutes before I started to get impatient. “Ana, we can come back another day if you want to try everything.” She looked at me, her eyes sparkled with the promise. She quickly ordered something that looked deep fried on a stick.

I held onto her sleeve and lead her to the bridge. We stood on the sidewalk overlooking the water. Car zoomed past us, not paying us much mind. “What are we waiting here for?” She had finished her snack.

“Just wait a few more minutes; it’s going to start soon.” As soon as I spoke the water shot from the bridge into the river. I heard a yelp then a awww from Anastasia.

“That’s so cool. We don’t have any bridges like this back home.” I looked at her face. Her eyes were glittering, open into Oh shape, and her hand holding onto the railing as she watched the water.

When it finally ended, we went back to the subway. “Did you have fun today?” I asked.

She turned her head towards me and nodded. “Fer Sure, Seoul has so many places to see and visit. I’m really excited about the mall too.” She was practically bouncing up and down in her seat.

“I’m glad.” I smiled at her.

“Can we do another day like this? But instead of just telling me about the places can we go inside them and explore?” Her eyes were begging me to say yes. Aish, what is going on with my heart… I thought she could hear it pound in my chest.

“Of course, whenever you want.” I smiled and tried to settle my heart. She smiled at me and hugged my arm closest to her.

“Yay! More fun days to look forward too.” She squealed. This intense heat flooded my arm. What is this girl doing to me?