Days pass slowly for Yixing, but that’s not anything new. He spends his days like he usually does, in the library, on the school’s rooftop, and sometimes when the weather’s warmer than usual he spends his time in the park near his school. He does homework, skimming the pages of Romeo and Juliet because he can’t see how anyone would consider it the greatest love story of all time. Most of the time he’s sketching in his notebook pages, trees, and buildings, and the little kids that sometimes run pass him.

Yixing stays away from Junmyeon, and any place he might see his friends. It’s not exactly new, everyone stays away from Junmyeon and his friends it’s just nowadays he’s more conscious of his avoiding the group. He’s not avoiding them because of Jongdae’s words, but because he personally doesn’t want to see them again. Twice was enough for a lifetime.

That one kid, Kai or whatever his name was, was annoying, one meeting and Yixing didn’t want to see him again. The others too, they were just as bad. They didn’t know him but the blatant disapproval they held on their face when that Kai-kid talked to him made it clear that they didn’t want to get to know him.

The only thing for Yixing was that if avoidance was a game, he’d have lost, and it wouldn’t have been his fault. His mother sends him out to get drinks from the convenience store, she’s in the midst of dinner and they don’t have a drop of anything left and everyone would be too busy or forgetful if they wait till the next day.

So anyway he’s force to go to the convenience store because Zitao’s supposedly busy with homework, and the moment he gets in front of the store he sees that one kid, the one that called out to Kai, inside, leaning against the counter near the cash register talking to another member of the group.

The guy he’s talking to was never around the two times Yixing saw them but he knows him just like the others. The guy’s behind the cash register laughing at whatever the blond kid’s saying and Yixing can’t help but let a small grimace cross his features. He hopes that maybe, just maybe the blond boy won’t remember him and if he did he wouldn’t say anything to him. Yixing was not of his concern.

There’s bells on the store’s door that chime when Yixing enter, the boy behind the register greets him happily, and Yixing can hear the loud scoff that he assumes leaves the blond’s lips. If the other boy never knew about that one meeting with Kai, then he was going to learn now, in whatever exaggerated way the blond kid was probably telling him.

He heads to the fridge units and makes sure to get all the things on his mother’s list, drinks, milk, and butter.

“Hello,” he hears when he puts his things down for the other the boy in front of the register to scan. Yixing mumbles a quick hi, and looks over to the boy’s face. He’s got a nametag on that reads Luhan. Yixing’s seen him around a few times, but now with his hair pushed out of his face he looks a little more distinguishable with long eyelashes and round eyes that make his face appear the slightest bit feminine.

“You’re the one that almost walked into traffic just to get our Kai’s attention,” the boy asks, just as he finishes ringing up the products.

“What,” Yixing asks, ignoring him when he states the price.

“Sehunnie,” he starts, nodding to the boy beside him, “says that you walked into traffic to get Kai’s attention. You’re not the first to do something completely stupid but you’re the first to do that so…$12.50 please.”

“I didn’t try to walk into traffic to get that kid’s attention,” Yixing states, pulling out the money from his pants pocket. “I really don’t want his attention, or any of yours for that matter.” Yixing grabs his bag and walks out of the store, without waiting for his change. He doesn’t like being gossiped about, he doesn’t like added attention on him, he’s a nobody, no one’s supposed to pay attention to him.

When Yixing gets home and cools down a bit he somewhat regrets his outburst, people constantly talk badly about the group whenever they appear, whenever something happens they immediately assume that the group is behind it. Yixing feels bad because he doesn’t think like the rest of the neighborhood, he doesn’t care about the rumors or reputations, but he just doesn’t want to be bothered by them. Yixing doesn’t want to be bothered by anyone.

Yixing tells himself that he should have went to the library, he should have sat down in  one of those chairs surrounded by bookshelves, far enough from the torturous silence of just pens scratching against paper, book pages turning, and fingers rapping against laptop keys.

He could have sat in a corner away from everyone and listened to the soft hum of music through his headphones while he sketched bookshelves. Instead he went to the school’s rooftop, and now he was sure he was going to get beat up.

All five of them were together, that Sehun-nie guy, LuHan, Junmyeon, Kai, and the giant kid that he didn’t know the name of. Kai walks over to him first, and plops down beside him, leaning over to peer into the older male’s notebook. Yixing notices Kai’s eyes on his sketch and closes it, a small frown on his features.

“You draw well,” Kai compliments him.

“Thanks,” Yixing mutters, he grabs his bag and stands, readying himself to leave the rooftop.

“Where are you going,” he hears Kai ask, and frowns when he notices the so far nameless giant block his way to the exit.

“Well I was planning to go home,” Yixing states, observing the guy in front of him.

“Don’t go yet,” Kai tells him. “We haven’t introduced ourselves yet. You can leave once we properly meet. Okay?”

“Fine,” Yixing huffs, turning to look back at Kai, Kai stands, long legs bringing him a few inches above Yixing.

“I’m Kai,” he introduces. Yixing stares at him, Kai’s good looking, they’re all good looking, perfect faces, perfect bodies, just a less than perfect reputation.

“That’s Sehun,” he says, gesturing to the blond boy that was watching him warily, he seemed the second tallest, probably taller than Kai, but less than the giant.

“That’s Luhan,” he says, gesturing to the boy beside Sehun, they stand close together, a bit closer than normal but Yixing ignores it.

“That’s Suho,” He says gesturing to Junmyeon. Junmyeon waves at him lazily and Yixing eyes him before turning back to Kai.

“And that’s Chanyeol,” Kai says introducing the giant behind Yixing. Yixing turns slightly to face the tall male and Chanyeol grins at him, mumbling a low hello. For whatever reason Chanyeol makes him uncomfortable, make it’s his height and voice combined with his grin. His voice is unexpectedly deep, and his height is completely intimidating but his smile is soft and friendly.

“Nice meeting you,” Yixing says turning back to Kai, he eyes each and every one of them one last time before turning away, heading towards the rooftop entrance in the hopes that Chanyeol will move out of his way.

“Zhang Yixing where are you going,” Kai asks him, and he falters. His name is on his uniform blazer, he stood long enough in front of Kai for the younger male to read and remember his name but somehow, he feels like Kai didn’t just read his name off his nametag. He said it so perfectly that Kai probably asked Junmyeon for his name, that seemed more fitting in Yixing’s mind.

“Home,” Yixing answers.

“That’s boring,” Kai tells him, scrunching his nose up in disdain for added affect. “Why don’t you hang out with us? Guys what are we going to do?”

“You want me to hang out with you and you don’t even know what you’re planning to do,” Yixing asks him. “For all I know whatever you’re going to do will probably be just as boring as me going home.”

“You’re probably right,” Kai states, with a shrug, “but you don’t know, and you want to know. Everyone wants to know even if they don’t want to admit it. Trust me; hanging out with us will be a lot less boring than sitting on a rooftop sketching pictures of buildings.”

Yixing doesn’t trust him, not one single bit but he’s does figure that hanging out with them will be more interesting than anything he does, even if the rumors are false just them alone has people on ends and Yixing wants firsthand experience of it.

“Okay,” he says.

“Okay,” Kai repeats before turning to Sehun and Luhan. “What should we do today?”

“Shopping,” Sehun suggests, and Kai pulls another face.

“We want to show Zhang Yixing a good time not scare him away right from the start.”

“Arcade then,” Chanyeol states.

“Yeah,” Luhan says. “Let’s go to the arcade Kai. Everyone loves the arcade.”

“Okay,” Kai says, turning to face Junmyeon. “Okay Suho?”

“Yeah,” Junmyeon nods, sighing softly. Yixing eyes him again, trying to figure out what that means. He was the one that sort of warned Yixing right, and he was supposedly the leader if Yixing remembers correctly. If he didn’t like Yixing but was the leader why were they there, not letting Yixing escape? “We have to go to the convenience store first.”

“That’s right,” he hears someone say, a chuckle escaping pass their lips.

“Okay,” Kai says again. “The convenience store, the arcade, and then possibly we’ll take you home. Sounds like a plan.”

Sounds more like something he can’t get out of, why a convenience store, and why would they possibly take him home. Were they planning to hold him hostage or did they mean walking him to his front door, both options sounded less than desirable to be honest.

The convenience store is Luhan’s convenience store; it’s far enough from Yixing’s home that he doesn’t have to worry about Zitao or Kris spotting him as he stands in front of it with the group of five. They’re all staring at him like he’s a monkey in a zoo. Gazing at him blank faced and expressionless while Yixing tries not to let the scrutiny bother him, and then Kai suddenly grins, right hand reaching into his pale blue jean pocket as he pulls out a stack of neatly folded bills.

“I need you to go in and get something for us Hyung,” Kai tells him, his eyes on the money as he slowly counts off bills, before reaching out to hand the money to Yixing.

“What do I have to get,” Yixing asks.

“Beer,” he hears Luhan state. Yixing glances as each of them them, none of them looked old enough to drink beer, and he doubt he’d get it. He was dressed in his school uniform with the school’s embellishment on his left pocket right above his nametag. He thinks that maybe it’s a sort of initiation rite, see if Yixing’s cool enough to buy them beer or something.

“Okay,” he says taking the money out of Kai’s hand and walking towards the glass entrance.

“Hyung,” Kai calls out to him, voice so falsely sweet it makes Yixing wants to gag. He turns towards him, staring blankly at the younger male. “Can you buy me a pack of cigarettes also?” Yixing frowns and steps away from the convenience store.

“You’re not going to do it,” Junmyeon asks.

“I am,” Yixing states, “cigarettes and beer right?” Kai nods and Yixing continues speaking. “Do you have a preference or can I just buy whatever type I want?” The fake sweetly calculating look Kai has on his face melts away and he grins, stepping towards Yixing.

“I’ll go with him,” Kai tells the others, he’s not facing the others, Yixing is sure he can see the looks of surprise that cross Luhan and Sehun’s faces. “I’m just making sure that he’ll buy the right brand.”

 Yixing steps away from the group and Kai follows, sticking closely to him as he enters the store. When they make it over to the alcohol, Kai points out a six-pack from behind him, and then when Yixing’s in front of the cashier, Kai whispers the name of a cigarette brand in his ear, his warm breath blowing against Yixing’s ear and their close proximity makes him step forward and way from the younger male.

The cashier stares blankly at him, his eyes straying particularly to the emblem on his blazer. The guy doesn’t deny him through, he looks up to Kai and grabs the pack of cigarettes before telling Yixing the price.

“Tell Luhan I said hey,” the guy tells Kai.

“Sure,” Kai mutters, following after Yixing.

When Yixing’s walking towards the exit, Kai grabs the white plastic bag out of his hand, and pushes the door open for him.

“Yixingie-hyung brought it,” Kai states, lifting the bag up for the others to see.

“Great,” Luhan states, standing up and moving closer to the two, “So arcade now?”

“You guys go ahead,” Kai tells him. “He’s coming with me to drop this off at home.”  Yixing gasps just slightly but the surprise look of everyone else distracts the attention away from.

“You’re taking him home,” Chanyeol asks slowly.

“Yeah,” Kai answers, “we can’t go to the arcade with a bag filled with beer. I want Yixing to come with me to drop it off.”

“Okay,” Luhan says interrupting everyone before they their chance to speak. “Okay, we’ll head to the arcade first.” He grabs on to Sehun and turns to the remaining two. “Let’s go okay?” There’s no protest as Junmyeon and Chanyeol follows him, and when Yixing turns towards Kai, he sees another grin on his lips as he watches them go.

“We should get going,” Kai tells him.

Kai’s place is pretty far from the school, it’s a huge red brick house in the opposite direction of Yixing’s house. Yixing doesn’t expect it; he thought Kai’s place would be in the slums of the city. It’s mean of him to have thought that, but so many people had brought up that fact that the five of them were orphans living on the other side of the city, that Yixing had just imagined it as such.

Kai leads him through the black iron gate, and Yixing follows slowly, the house made out of brick is a good distance from the surrounding houses. Kai’s keys jingle in his hand as he unlocks the door to the house and Yixing’s even more in awe. His expectations have been completely destroyed once more. The house is clean, there are no clothes on the ground, or trash, or anything that would indicate teenaged boys lived there without their parents.

Kai tosses the pack of cigarettes on an end table near the door and heads deep into the house with Yixing still trailing behind him. He watches as Kai takes out the pack of beer and puts it into the stainless steel refrigerator in the kitchen.

“What do you think,” Kai asks him, turning to face him with another grin on his lips like he already expects the answer.

“It’s nice,” Yixing tells him. “All of you live here together?”

“Yeah,” Kai answers. “We all have our own rooms too. Well Sehun and Luhan share a room. Sehun used to stay with me because the eldest got first dibs, but now…”

“Luhan’s one of the eldest,” Yixing asks. Kai wrinkles his nose and laughs.

“Don’t let that kid like face fool you, Luhan is the eldest.”

“Seriously,” Yixing asks him, Luhan looked the youngest, well they all looked close in age but if he had to rank them in order of age he would have assumed Luhan was the youngest. He had such boyish looks like a person who would never age a day even when he was thirty.

“Yeah he’s turning twenty this year,” Kai tells him. “You’d probably get along well, Luhan says he likes you, and you’re both Chinese.”

“What if we don’t,” Yixing asks him.

“You will,” Kai tells him in return. He steps out of the kitchen and Yixing follows him. “What do you want to do,” Kai asks him. Yixing doesn’t know the answer to that, he’s pretty sure that they were supposed to be leaving to go the arcade around now, that was the plan wasn’t it, or maybe this was another test.

“Aren’t we supposed to go to the arcade,” Yixing asks, Kai shakes his head at the question.

“Why do you want to hang out with us,” Kai asks him.

“You wanted me to,” Yixing reminds him.

“We did didn’t we,” Kai says. “Why did you come if you weren’t interested? We weren’t going to kidnap you. All you had to say was no and we would have let you walked off the rooftop and never messed with you again. So why’d you stay?”

“I don’t know,” Yixing states, and Kai grins again. He grins a lot, his lips pull back and his eyes lose just a bit of intensity with each grin but they still seem dangerous to Yixing. Each grin is like Kai admitting that there’s a secret that he’ll never let Yixing in on even if the older male stays around him and his group forever. It makes Yixing feel like whatever secret Kai is hinting of in his grins is about him, and that has Yixing uncomfortably shifting his feet.

“I like ‘I don’t know’ it’s interesting,” Kai tells him. “I’d give you a tour,” he says as he walks into the living room, and settles down on the black sofa in the room. He taps the place beside him as he stares up at Yixing with his usual intensity.

“I don’t know who doesn’t want me to show their room to you yet though, so it’ll have to wait.” Yixing sits beside him, six centimeters or so away, so it’s not too obvious that he doesn’t want to get closer. “Let’s play video games okay? I don’t really feel like going to the arcade anymore.”

Yixing nods his head but everything still feels weird, Kai asks him for beer and cigarettes, and Kai grins a lot and says his name full name like it’s a forbidden word, and takes him home. Then he turns into a teenager, he is a teenager, but he truly acts like one when he’s playing Call of Duty on his Xbox and then Mario Kart on the Wii. Kai gets him a bottle of water from the kitchen hours later and they sit and watch some comedy show on television.

The hours tick by and Yixing isn’t aware of the time until his cellphone is vibrating loudly in his backpack. He answers it, swiping the answer button before he can even see the screen, and mumbling a lazy hello into the phone.

“Where are you,” Zitao asks him.

“The park,” Yixing lies, without a hitch. He’s used to the usual white lies. He didn’t really like lying about things, but everyone always wanted to know where he was, who he was with, and what he was doing. He was 18 and if he hadn’t been forced to repeat a year in school he would be on the verge of graduating.

“Auntie wants you home,” Zitao tells him. “It’s getting late and you have homework to do. She says you shouldn’t be playing this late when it’s a school night.”

“If I was with her precious Yifan she wouldn’t care,” Yixing tells him with a sigh.

“Are you with Kris-ge,” Zitao asks him.

“No,” Yixing states with another sigh, annoyed by the question.

“Then hurry up home,” Zitao tells him, ending the call.

“I have to go,” Yixing tells Kai, when the call is over. Kai nods his head like he expected Yixing to say that and Yixing figures he did. Even if he didn’t overhear the conversation with Zitao, Yixing couldn’t stay there forever. Yixing…he had parents, and it was getting late.

Kai doesn’t show him out, but Yixing thinks he hears a “bye Zhang Yixing,” right before he closes the door. He doesn’t know why but he kind of hopes he did hear it.

I have finals but this was already written so I thought why not take a break from studying and update!