It felt like only minutes before the class bell was ringing again, telling students to get back and finish up their classes. I was washing my face, admiring the fading red mark on my cheek, when loud voices came from outside the bathroom door. Someone was about to enter. Looking down, I realized my clothes were still rumpled and dirty in some spots from the cheerleaders’ shoes. Just before the door opened and the group of girls came in, I quickly ducked into the nearest stall and locked it. The last thing I wanted was more girls cornering me or anyone noticing my unkempt state. I really didn’t need another rumor, especially not one to make Taeyeon come after me again.

The girls all crowded into the bathroom, most not even going into a stall. I breathed slowly, trying to keep my presence unnoticed. Since I’d moved so fast to hide away, my abdomen was beginning to ache again. I bit down on my already sore lip.

“Are you going to the game?” One girl struck up conversation. I mentally told them all to shut their faces and go to class before they got in trouble. It dawned on me that I was going to get in trouble too because I was going to be late along with all the gossiping girls. I sighed ever so silently and waited for them to finally leave.

After I’d received a small lecture from my teacher and sat painfully through the rest of the day, the last bell finally rang. As usual, everyone crowded the doors and hallways, trying to get free. I made the mistake of trying to leave in a hurry too and some guy shoved me back, his elbow landing right on my left ribcage. My pained yelp went unnoticed as students continued to file into the hall.

Holding my arms protectively around myself as I went, I made it to my locker. I timidly casted a glance at all the guys standing around, just wishing I would go unnoticed. Of course, life never went as I wanted.

“I heard someone turned down an invitation to our party,” the all too irritating voice of Byun Baekhyun said. I silently opened my locker, still holding one arm around myself. I wasn’t going to let my guard down around any of them. Kim Taeyeon’s whole attack had probably been something they all discussed before executing. Now they all probably knew I was hurt and they most likely wanted to help make it worse.

“It really hurts that you even refused after knowing I was coming,” Sehun said, feigning hurt as he leaned on his own locker. I tried to put as much distance between us as I could. If he were to merely swing his hand forward two feet, he could hit my bruised ribs so easily.

The boys hooted. “Don’t feel too bad, Sehun, we could always called Taeyeon for entertainment,” Luhan said, patting him on the shoulder. Baekhyun laughed.

“I’m sure she would like to make it up to you about that whole cucumber ordeal the other day,” he said, shaking his chest at Sehun as if he had s and giving him a comical seductive look before bursting into laughter. Sehun chuckled and watched them all crack up like a bunch of imbeciles.  At the mention of Taeyeon, I turned back to my locker and snatched at my things in a hurry.

Tao hollered loudly. “Yo, Taehyung, help us convince your lady to come to our party tomorrow,” he said, grabbing the newly-arrived boy by the shoulders. Hearing his name, I turned my head quickly and my hand knocked a few things out of my locker. It had been a while since Kim Taehyung and Oh Sehun’s posse had been in one area together along with me. I wasn’t in the mood to face the whole group at the moment.

“She’s my la~dy~” Baekhyun began singing like some annoying bird that needed to be put out of its misery. Luhan joined in, swaying the both of them as they began to sing. Taehyung shrugged Tao off and headed for his locker, glancing up at Sehun as he stood beside him and opened it. The taller one of the two casually smirked at the other, arms crossed.

Tao laughed and grabbed his gym bag off the floor. “I gotta go. I better see you all at the game,” he said before running off. Luhan and Baekhyun followed after him, still singing annoyingly and telling Sehun to come on, to which he listened, leaving without a backwards glance.

I heard Taehyung sigh in relief as he gathered all his things for the weekend. After watching him for a few seconds, I returned my own locker and grabbed my history book. Since so many things had been stacked and cluttered inside the small space, more of them went tumbling into the floor to meet what I had previously knocked down. On reflex, I bent down to snatch at all the fallen things. A loud gasp of pain came from my mouth as my sore muscles moved and I only managed to cut it off by gritting my teeth. My eyes squeezed shut in pain as I froze in an awkward stance, waiting for the pain to stop.

“Eunhui?”

I forgot Taehyung was there and, in surprise, stood up straight very quickly, causing more pain. I looked up at him with wide eyes, trying to mask the discomfort my body held.