I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I'm awake, you know? -

Ernest Hemingway

Jessica walked through the empty corridors of the school, it was eerily quiet, just her steps resounded while she moved, not paying any attention to anything but just wanting to get to class as fast as possible.

It was too early and she wanted to just sit down and put her head down, it was pounding, her stomach hurt because of the period cramps.

To top it all, she hadn’t been able to sleep at all because of her neighbours, constantly arguing because of God knows what.

She was having a bad day.

She opened the door, someone was already there at her surprise but she couldn’t care less, dumped her bag on the desk, laid her head on it and closed her eyes.

Jiyong was surprised too, usually he was the only one to get there at that time, he loved how the school was deserted with just him in the class but he would’ve never imagined Jessica one to be so early at school.

“Good morning!” he said, completely unaware of his classmate’s mood, he walked up to her and sat next to her, as that was his seat anyway.

Jessica only replied with a grunt, she recognized his voice and snorted annoyed.

She wouldn’t get much sleep now, not if he couldn’t keep his mouth shut, she thought.

“How come so early, Princess?” she unknowingly smiled at the nickname, her favourite.

She shrugged her shoulders, still laid down on her desk.

He really couldn’t leave her alone, could he?

“It’s nice to look at people when they’re talking to you, didn’t your parents teach you any manners?” he mocked, using her words from the day before.

She lifted herself up and leaned on the chair, she shook her head to try and wake herself up but her eyes still felt heavy from the sleepless night.

“You are so annoying, I swear” she cried.

She couldn’t understand how he could be so… so damn cheerful when it was barely seven a.m.

School didn’t start for another forty minute, what was he doing there anyway? But she didn’t ask, that would fuel the conversation and she was not in the mood to talk.

“Do you want coffee?” he asked his voice softer when he saw she was having a hard time.

At that moment right there, her stomach reminded her how she didn’t have any breakfast, rambling loudly, Jessica groaned from the embarrassment.

Jiyong just laughed, his hands opened the zip of his backpack and took out a packet of crisps. He threw it on her lap making her jump from the surprise but held the packet in her hands.

“This isn’t poisoned, right?” she asked, opening it.

“Why would I poison such a pretty girl?” Jiyong replied, smiled cheekily.

“I know right?”

They sat there in silence for a few minutes while Jessica was snaking, the sound of the crunchy crisps on filling the room.

Jiyong looked at her eating, a playful smile on his face as he thought something but he wouldn’t dare to say it to her face, although he didn’t have any experience with girls, he got on with most of them and knew that any comments regarding the way they eat, would be a death sentence so he just looked at her amused.

“Can you stare at me after I’m done eating? It’s off putting now”

“I can’t help it, your beauty is too… beautiful”

Jessica chuckled, nearly choking on a crisp she took her water bottle out and drank it. Taking a deep breath, she started laughing, making Jiyong grin, pleased that his charm wasn’t immune to the girl.

“You’re unbelievable! It’s not even flattering anymore, Jiyong”

His jaw wide open, he spluttered “You know my name!”

Jessica shook her head for what seemed the hundredth time, that guy was so weird that she couldn’t even stay mad at him.

“Of course, I sit next to you, remember?”

“But you never said it!”

“I never had a reason to!”

“What’s your reason now then?”

“Uh… to be polite! God, why are you making such a big deal out of nothing?”

“A beautiful girl said my name, how can it not be a big deal?!”

Jessica rolled her eyes, throwing the empty packet of crisps to him. How could talking to him for ten minutes result in her losing her sanity?

“Too cheesy, please stop talking to me”

“I wasn’t being cheesy! You actually never said my name before” Jiyong said, knowing perfectly what the other blonde meant but winding her up was too much fun for him to stop now.

Jessica looked at the time from her phone; it was only twenty past seven. Another twenty minutes to go before people would start gathering in the school so that meant she had to bear with her strange classmate until then.

“You’re really different from other girls, you know” he observed.

“Should I get plastic surgery to make you stop talking to me?”

***

Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it - Stephen Hawking

 Tiffany woke up in a good mood that day.

She felt lighter, like a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders as she stretched and sat on her bed.

Her room was all pink; bed, curtains, mirror, desk, chairs, you name it and Tiffany had it pink. It was one of the things her father let her do, decorate her bedroom as she wanted so she loved hanging out there, it was her space.

It was one of the aspects of her life that she could leave as she wanted so her room was off limits to everyone, except Jessica. Not because Tiffany wanted to, she tried her best to not let anyone in, even members of her family didn’t go inside it, but Jessica found a way to get into it and now the place was where both of them hang out every Friday.

After getting herself refreshed, she walked into the kitchen to make her own breakfast, as always by herself. She didn’t mind it, she got used to it and liked it more. A note was left on the refrigerator, her father informing her that he’d be gone for the next week with his new girlfriend to a spa. Typical, she scoffed.

She walked to school, earphones on her ears, isolated from the world, immersed in her music.

A sudden craving hit her, she looked around but too many students were around her, making it impossible for her to do something about her craving. She couldn’t afford to be late so she had to wait until break. Damn.

Sighing, she forced herself to ignore the way her brain was telling her to just open her packet of fags right there and then, she walked into class and put a smile on her face.

“Morning!” she said to the class, smiling.

“Tiffany! Hello!”

“Morning!”

“Now this is a good morning, Tiffany!”

Tiffany giggled; she liked the attention people gave her as soon as she entered the room. It made her feel better. She could concentrate on others now instead of herself. That was what she always did.

Little selfless Tiffany.

She looked around the class, subconsciously for a certain older guy but she hid her disappoint quickly as he wasn’t present yet. What did she expect? It was Choi Seunghyun.

She slid into her seat and got ready for registration, the bell rang after a minute or so, her mind wandered off to where the guy would be. Probably having a , she thought in jealousy.

Today, they had to decide on the class representative for the new school year.

“So, who wants to candidate themselves?” Mr Park asked, not really expecting anyone to. Usually, it took forever to sort these things out.

“Let’s see… Tiffany, would you like to do it? You did it last year for your class”

Figures.

“I don’t mind, sir”

At that moment, Seunghyun entered the classroom, breathless from probably running.

“Choi Seunghyun, would it hurt to be on time at least the first week?” the teacher demanded.

“Sorry sir”

“You’re not sorry; you’re in the second year Seunghyun for the second time. You need to start taking your responsibilities seriously.”

Seunghyun refrained himself from rolling his eyes, and just muttered a “yes sir” before sitting at the back of the class.

“You know what? You and Tiffany will be the new Class Representatives of 2-A”

Ugh, really? Tiffany thought, with a neutral expression on her face but cursing at the teacher in every language she could. She did not like the arrangement.

She wasn’t the only one though, if possible, Seunghyun disliked it even more.

***

I am sick and tired of being sick and tired - Fannie Lou Hamer

Seunghyun didn’t want to be late that day.

He tried his best, he really did but that wasn’t enough, he was still late.

No matter what he did, his best was never his best for people. No one understood him.

He shook the head of the cigarette and just embraced his peace of mind.

“Ah” he sighed, feeling calmer than he should have been.

He stopped caring what others thought, he was just a failure in their eyes so there was no point in trying to convince them otherwise. He decided that that would be it, right there, that moment he would stop giving a damn on what other people thought or said. Nothing mattered to him.

He chucked the cigarette away, he stood at the edge of the building, taking in the feeling of freedom he got from wind.

Responsibilities, huh? them, he thought.

***

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