"Hey, what's up with Baekhyun?" Kai nudged Chanyeol and whispered worriedly. The 11 boys were at the table eating, and Kai noticed that the usually bubbly boy had been silent throughout. He wasn't the only one who did though. The other friends perked up at the question, all waiting to hear the response to the question they had kept to themselves the entire meal.

"I don't know, he's been like that since I went to fetch him from school. It's kind of strange, but it didn't seem like he wanted to talk about it, so I just left him be, gave him some time to think things through."

"You think we should ask him?" asked Kyungsoo. He was pretty close to Baekhyun, and the thought of his best buddy being sad was worrisome.

Baekhyun stopped picking at the peas with his fork and looked up. "You do realize that I'm right here and can hear everything you're whispering to one another right?"

"Yeah, so could you please enlighten us on your sudden Zen behavior?"

"I'm just worried about Amber. I wonder if..."

"OH. MY. GOODNESS. GIRL TROUBLE ALERT!" yelled Jongdae.

"I should have known. Only a girl can shut Bigmouth Baekhyun up." smirked Luhan.

"Is she pretty?" asked Sehun.

"Is she y?" asked Kai.

"Guys, stop. I knew this would happen when I told you." Baekhyun rolled his eyes and tried to put his hand over Xiumin's smirk. "It's not like that."

"That's what they all say," quipped Xiumin, who has managed to pry Baekhyun's hand away.

"No, really. I mean, argh." Baekhyun groaned as he saw the heart shape Tao had arranged his unfinished peas in on his plate.

"Okay, okay, quit teasing him guys. Let the poor boy explain his great predicament and then all you experienced people can come help him okay?" Suho tried to maintain order, despite the grin on his face playing him out. Turning to Baekhyun, he asked, "So, what's the problem?"

"Well, I was just wondering if she has gotten home safely." Glaring at Luhan who parted his lips, no doubt to make some smart aleck comment, he relayed everything that happened at the school gates to his friends. "I can't believe her mom forgot her. I mean, no matter how busy she is,"

"Wait a minute." Kris frowned and stopped the younger. "This Amber kid, is she a brunette who wears her hair as short as a guy's?"

"Yeah, but how did you know?"

"Her mom didn't come."

Kris looked at the 10 curious boys around him and sighed. He was never one for words and now, he'll have to waste many on this one girl. He should have just kept his goddamned mouth shut.

"She walked home alone."

Baekhyun slammed his glass on the table, earning stares from those around him. "First Amber, now you. Is there some bug going around now, infecting everyone with the short-answer syndrome?"

"I picked some books up at the library at 9. As I was driving home, I saw the girl in her school uniform walking on her own, not too far from the park. It was strange, a girl all by herself in the dark alone."

"You thought it was strange, and you didn't go talk to her, find out what's wrong?" asked Xiumin incredulously.

"Do you walk around talking to anyone and everyone who's crying?" Kris shot back. "Anyway, she saw me coming, nodded to acknowledge my presence and walked off into the night."

"Why would she be crying?"

"Do you think she got home safely?"

"Damn it, Baek, you should have just insisted that she came on the car and we drove her home!"

Baekhyun turned sharply to face Chanyeol. "I told you, she didn't want to! Furthermore, she was ignoring me. How was I supposed to...

"Hang on a second..." He turned his attention on Kris. "Why did she acknowledge your presence? It's not like you even know her! This is so unfair. You guys had better buy me a plastic surgery procedure for Christmas."

"This face is au naturel."

"No one believes you."

*****

Lay looked up at the creak of the door. In shuffled Amber, her head held high, an air of mock confidence surrounding her. She was good. Good at hiding her emotions, the sadness and confusion trapped deep down in her heart. The fake CONFIDENCE seemed genuine enough, unless you've had a tipoff from someone. And Lay did.

He didn't know how Kris knew the girl. He didn't care. All he wanted to know was why she was special. Having known Kris for 11 years, Lay considered himself someone who knew the boy inside out. He was cold. Very, very cold. And it took alot to warm him up. How Amber managed to melt the glaciers within was beyond Lay. He had seen many people try. He had seen none succeed. But this girl had not only been able to make him talk, she also managed to do the unthinkable - get a favor out of him.

Lay would never forget the day the older boy came to him, asking whether he could spare a room in this tiny house of his. He had never seen Kris pleading so earnestly for anything. He recalled how he thought that Kris had fallen out with the other boys and how he chided him gently for it (Lay's house was real far from the school, not the most convenient place for I-will-kill-you-if-you-wake-me-up-early Kris to live in) before being told that it was for someone else. He had been surprised when that happened, and couldn't believe his ears when Kris mentioned that it was for a girl.

Kris didn't explain much either, just that this girl really needed somewhere to stay, for at least a semester, and hopefully for the entire school year. Lay didn't understand that last part though. What did 'hopefully' mean? He had expected her to stay at his place for the entire year since she was already enrolled in the school. But that doesn't really matter.

What did, on the other hand, were the details Kris had given after he'd agreed. This girl was called Amber. A foreign sounding name. She was an introvert and would more likely than not stay silent during her entire stay. This was, Lay had observed, true so far during her stay. Amber hasn't really spoken other than 'thanks for having me' and the occasional 'hi' when they meet. Kris looked as though he'd wanted to say more, but his own cold nature stopped him.

Lay wanted to know what his friend had to say, but one does not simply bug details out of Kris. There had to be another way.