“Kids in the States are harsher than the kids here. You’re lucky you didn’t get dumped in the garbage like I have. Had to go home smelling like a hobo because of it.”

I stared at her. Why was she even laughing? If I had been in her place, I wouldn’t have laughed at that memory. Yet she continued her story as if it was nothing more than a casual bedtime story. I envied her for that.

Amber was bullied for her boyish looks. In middle school the girls in her class asked her to use the boy’s locker room. In the end she used the bathroom. This went on for a couple of months until their talent show. She was made to wear a dress by her mom. She was made fun of that she developed stage fright and the fear of speaking to people.

They moved to America after this because she was accepted at the NYU to teach Computer Science for a few months (which eventually turned into years). In America, she was closed off and didn’t talk to anyone except this one girl in her class who was part of the basketball club. She joined a few months and got appointed as a point guard.

Because of this, her fame sky-rocketed and she was accepted into the cool crowd. She became more outspoken, and her friendly nature surfaced. Because she was accepted by people around her, she grew more confident.

But at the end of her third year of high school, she had to move back to Korea.

In the past six days, that was what I learned about her. She added random events here and then and her story would get cut off by the school bell. All the while, I didn’t ask Amber anything. We weren’t close enough for me to casually question her about her life.  And it wasn’t as if she needed to be asked. Most of the questions that I thought about, she already answered without me voicing it out.

We were undisturbed by people. Yet I knew that those who are curious enough made sure to study us carefully. Some of her fans gave me harmless glares wen they saw me walk with her. Seeing the both of us together was a huge commotion at school. Our schoolmates were talking about us as if we couldn’t hear them. But no one dared approach me all this time Amber had been with me.

“I just asked them to stop,” she said simply when I had asked her if she had anything to do with everyone treating me so differently all of a sudden.

“Seriously?” I asked her, shocked.

She just smiled at me, nodding and stood up, dusting her pants. The bell rang. I pushed myself up, and saw Amber extend her hand to me. I looked up at her curiously for a brief second before I took it. Her hand was surprisingly soft and warm as she pulled me up.

I held my breath.

Blinked.

Her face was just inches in front of mine, our noses brushing against each other, lips ghosting against the other’s. My eyes were wide but hers were calm. It was like one of those cheesy moments in movies where time stood still. But I didn’t let it. I pushed her away, walking past her and opened the door, running down the stairs and almost tripping. I ran to the bathroom, closing the stall and leaned heavily against the door.

My heart was beating way too fast for my own comfort. How could she be so calm? How can she look at me like that?

Like what exactly?

I didn’t know. I didn’t know the meaning behind that look of hers. But it made me nervous. I unlocked my stall door and walked to the sink, letting the cold water run and splashed some on my face.

What the hell was happening?

When classes started, I couldn’t focus. I couldn’t even write properly in my notebook. My head was a mess. I was thinking about nothing and then suddenly Amber pops up. All the things she said about herself replayed in my mind. Her laugh, her smile. How even if she was laughing and smiling, I saw a hint of sadness in her voice, a flash of it in her eyes. I denied noticing these things because it meant…

That I was starting to care for her?

“No.”

“Yes, Ms. Jung?” My teacher asked in English.

I blinked, looking up. “Nothing, Ma’am.”

She raised a brow. “Perhaps you should read us the next paragraph, then. Paragraph seven. ‘If I…’”

I nodded stiffly, standing up and flipping the page and started to read.

After class, I was walking down the hallway with my head down. My head was empty and it felt as if someone else was steering my body towards the shoe locker. I stood in front of it, lazily opening it and was greeted by a single letter.

Walk home with me or you have to go barefoot. In the rain.

-         Amber

I rolled her eyes. I could use her inside shoes but my mother would to me about it. She won’t buy me a new pair until I wrote an essay about how to better care for my belongings. With a sigh, I crumpled the note and looked outside.

 It was raining really hard. I could barely see the trees and the school entrance. The rain was unexpected so I didn’t bring an umbrella with me. If I didn’t know better, I would say that Amber planned all of this. But she couldn’t have. She’s not that cunning. I hope.

“Soojung ah!”

Turning around, I watched as Amber walked towards me, waving an umbrella large enough for the both of us. She was smiling  despite the crappy weather and I almost returned her smile but turned away quickly, walking towards the entrance of the school.

She caught up with me, placing a hand on my shoulder and stopping me. “You shouldn’t go out in this weather. You’ll get sick.”

I rolled my eyes, looking away. “If you wanted to go home with me so badly, you could have just said so. But the answer will be no.”

She frowned, soon pouting and looked at me.

I.  Hated. That. Look.

“Can’t you?” She asked, blinking.

For a moment I couldn’t speak nor look at her. We just stood there when she suddenly grabbed my arm, tugging at it. I didn’t even push her away.

“The thing I was – still am, a little -- most afraid of was rejection. That was why I didn’t approach people at first.”

“Come on, then,” I said.

I knew she would smile that smile so I didn’t look at her. I pushed the door open and she raised up the umbrella.

We walked in silence. The harsh pitter patter of the rain muffled any sound other than our breathing which we were close enough to hear. I felt that mine was abnormally loud compared to Amber’s.

“So where do you live?” She asked casually.

“Just two blocks away. First street on the right.”

“Ohh you live closer to school. Must be convenient, huh? No need to rush to school if you’re late.”

I rolled my eyes. “Unlike some people, I know not to be tardy.”

She laughed, scratching her cheek lightly.  “I’m not much of a morning person. Nothing can wake me up. Seriously. Not even the noisiest alarm clock. Only my Mom can.”

At the mention of her mother, I kept quiet. Talking about parents made me...uncomfortable. I noticed Amber never spoke of her dad and I wondered if I should ask her about him but dismissed the thought just as quickly. I did not want to pry into her life and I was not even interested. 

We walked in silence again and this time I noticed that we were walking so close, our shoulders touched. I moved away from her, putting a few inches of distance between us but I jumped instantly back beside her. My uniform got wet immediately because I moved too much that the umbrella didn’t cover me.

Stupid Soojung.

Amber chuckled. “I thought you weren’t into skinship?”

From my shoulder that got wet, I looked at Amber, meeting her gaze.

I was clinging on her arm tightly and she was wearing a smug look on her face.  

Immediately, I pulled away but this caused me to fall sideways clumsily.

Everything happened way too fast.

Suddenly the umbrella was on the pavement.

Amber’s arm was wrapped around my waist.

And I was looking into those eyes again so closely, both of our eyes widening because of the softness brush against my lips. 

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A/N: Veryyy short chapter guys. Things are getting heated up and I'm working on the next chapters as we speak ~ Thank you to those who are following this story of mine so far. I am really enjoying writing this and updating you guys on Krystal and Amber's lives and relationship.Stay tuned for more! Chapter four will be up and ready soon (and maybe chapter five as well so that equals to three updates in a day).

@VanessaH2012 

Hehe who knows, dear ~ Maybe she's falling, maybe not ^^

@buttercup07

Thank you so much ; A ; You're so sweet. I appreciate your compliments and I'm very flattered.

I do hope you read more of them and like it! You'll see if it's Jongsuk or someone else in the future hohoh~ Do stay tuned!