It's not really called the playground by anyone but the teachers, but here she stands on the small stretch of paved ground simply referred to by the students as 'outside'. She shivers because it's cold but she endures it because she's waiting for Kris to turn up so they can walk home together.

 What is taking her so long?! She very much regrets wearing her mini shorts today, even though she has tights on. She couldn't not wear them; they have little bows up each side and she adores them because they draw attention away from her lumpy knees.  She folds her arms and tucks her fingers into the folds of her lacey top, cursing Kris for making her wait here. Apparently there's something important she needs to tell her, otherwise she'd have gone home half an hour ago. 

Chanyeol grumbles to herself, glaring at the gravel, the trees, the sky and innocent passers-by. If she had her way she'd be in her room now already, barefacef and in pyjamas, getting ready for the week-end.

She clenches her jaw to stop her teeth chattering and jiggles her legs to keep warm. 

"Chanyeol! " her friend's voice emanates from a direction she hadn't anticipated, and she swivels around to find her. She's coming from the other door, sporting a smug expression as she's flanked by two slightly shorter boys. Well one of them is quite a bit shorter, she realises with a start.

It's Baekhyun. She's immediately self-conscious,  but she does her best not to show it, hiding behind flamboyant and exasperated arm gestures directed at Kris for being late. 

"What took you so long, huh? " Why is Baekhyun here?

"Hey don't blame me, it was his fault. " she points at Baekhyun who flushes angrily but doesn't try to defend himself. Chanyeol looks away quickly because he's too cute and its not good for her heart. She twists her lips into a frown and bears down on her friend like an enraged bear.

"So what is it you needed to tell me? And why does involve these two? " She says quietly and Kris quirks an eyebrow in response. 

"All will be revealed in time, darling, " she smirks,  and Chanyeol wants to smack her in the face.  She stares her down but Kris isn't having any of it. Chanyeol sighs exasperatedly, rolling her eyes with zeal. Well if that's how she wants to be. 

 Pursing her lips, Chanyeol grinds out, "so where are we headed? Your house?" But she honestly can't think of anything worse; having Baekhyun in close proximity in a familiar place? She won't be able to let her guard down for a second! 

"Well, yeah.  Unless you want to go to your place? " Kris is clearly taunting her now, giving her these false options. 

She curses Kris for the thousandth time that day when she raises her annoyingly perfect eyebrows in what is clearly a challenge. 

"Your house place it is, then. " Chanyeol concedes. 

-

After an approximately fifteen-minute walk, during which Kris alternates between talking to Chanyeol and Jongdae and Baekjhyung stays relatively silent (does he hate me? he probably hates looking so short next to be, she worries,) they reach Kris' house.

Kris lives in a fairly old terraced house, a little crumbly looking on the outside but that's only because they'd rather pay more attention to the interior: beautifully furnished and compared to Chanyeols own home which is full of clutter and mess and dust that hasn't been touched in decades, it's clean and inviting. 

Given the choice, Chanyeol would prefer to stay here, but not with two boys, one on which she has a huge crush on. She looks at him as she slips off her shoes, blocking out the competetive chatter from Kris and Jongdae and frowns. He looks extremely uncomfortable, and she's almost certain he doesn't want to be here.

She also feels annoyed at her best friend, since she won't be able to relax with them around. Usually, she would take off her make-up and let down her hair but with the object of her affections not five feet away, she doesn't want to look any less than her best.

And she won't get an entire couch to herself, because Kris has two in her living room. And she'll have to sit crosslegged and properly, instead of sprawling her legs all over the upholstery and begging for Kris to bring her food, for the whole time they're there. 

Why is she doing this to her? She knows perfectly well how she feels about Baekhyun and his adorable face. Is she trying to push her to confess or something? She side eyes Kris as they all traipse into the living room, and she winks back and that's how Chanyeol knows she's right on the mark. God, Kris can be so...interfering sometimes.

Kris turns on the TV and leaves the remote with Chanyeol while she goes to look for snacks and things to eat in the kitchen. Chanyeol doesn't take her eyes off the screen, not ready to risk catching the eyes of either boy sharing the room with her. She can feel one of them staring at her, and it's making her uncomfortable, but she wont turn around and instead just focuses her search for something decent to watch.

Chanyeol settles on a rerun of a sci-fi series she can actually cope with-hopefully it won't offend the boys, since it's not a makeover show or mindless soap. She actually happens to quite like them, but she doesn't advertise it. She puts the remote down on the coffee table delicately and keeps her eyes glued straight ahead of her. 

What has gotten into her? Usually she's not this rigid or shy around people she doesn't know. Maybe it's just because it's Baekhyun? Because it's her crush? And Jongdae makes her nervous as well because she gets the impression that he's in on whatever Kris is planning too.

The door opens again behinds her, and Kris dumps a mountain of packaged confenctionary on the sofa, next to Chanyeol, then jumps lithely over the backrest to sit beside them. 

"Oh! Salt and vinegar!" Jongdae cries, making grabby hand motions towards the crisps, but Kris only throws him some when he adds on, "please!" at the end. Chanyeol takes a bar of chocolate, promising herself that she'll allow herself this at least.

"Baekhyun, don't you wan't anything?" Kris asks, making Chanyeol internally cringe.

"Um. Are those doritos?" he asks shyly, and Chanyeols hands shake with the desire to pet his hair and tell him its all ok. He has no need to be shy with her, she just Chanyeol. And Kris is just...a pain in the .

"Yeah, you want?" she sounds gentler when talking directly to him, which is unfair because she uses colourful and highly offensive language when talking to Chanyeol. She bristles at the injustice, but then sees Baekhyun nibling on a dorito from the corner of her eye and all her misgivings are forgotten.

Chanyeol definitely wouldn't mind feeding Baekhyun some doritos. Maybe she could put the corner of one between her lips and make Baekhyun reach up to take a bite of it. Like in Lady and the Tramp but without the spaghetti. 

"So, Baekhyun," he starts, and looks up frowning warily, "what do you do in your spare time?" Kris asks, flicking her short hair out of her eyes like a true celebrity. She acts enough like one sometimes.

"Um. I read." Kris gave him a look, and Chanyeol knew from here on out that getting any information from Byun Baekhyun would be like drawing blood from a stone. 

They try, regardless, over the next few hours they stay there. They watch a DVD together, after much dispute over which one it should be they eventually agree to sit through an old film called 'Overboard'. Jongdae keeps a hilarious commentary running throughout the whole thing, incredulous about the whole situation.

By the time the film ends, Chanyeol is more relaxed, and has her feet resting across Kris' lap. She took out her hairpins because they were starting to pull at her scalp, so now her messy hair drips in tangled almost-curls over her shoulders. You can't see them in the dark though, so Chanyeol isn't too worried.

The film ends, and they chat through the ending credits, pleased that the female lead has made the correct decision. Baekhyun also seems less tense now, leaning back against the back of the sofa and laughing. Chanyeol endeavours to memorise this, in case she never gets the chance to see it this close up again.

"What time is it?" Jongdae asks reluctantly, having enjoyed this time more than he'd expected.

Chanyeol arches her back off the sofa to get at her phone which is in the back pocket of her shorts, and unlocks it, the LED light casting an eerie glow over her face,

"Nearly eight," she declares. She doesn't need to be home 'till nine, since it's friday. Jongdae and Baekhyun's expressions drop slightly. They must need to go soon. Chanyeol sighs internally: no more of Baekhyun's sweet laughter. Ok, she concedes, his laugh isnt really sweet, exactly, more...unique.

"Ok, me and Baek need need to go. But this was fun and we should definitely do this again," he says, as if surprised that he's comitting himself to spending more time with them. They sit in silence for another few minutes as the menu screen reappears on the screen, until Jongdae claps his hands, then heaves himself upright. His spine cracks as he flexes it, and Chanyeol makes a face.

Chanyeol wants to call him 'Baek' as well.

Baekhyun follows after Jongdae into the corridor where they left their shoes and bags, sending puppy-eyed glances at the two girls, and it makes Chanyeol's heart want to stop working right then and there. She wants to get up and hug him, squish him, but that would be weird considering they only officially met today.

She doesn't need him thinking she's any weirder than he probably already does.

"Bye! See you monday!" Jongdae calls from outside. Chanyeol can't believe that they're just going to up and leave like this. And leaving behind all their mess, too. 

"Typical boys," Kris grumbles, turning on the lights and surveying the room. It takes them a good twenty minutes to clear up the rubbish and crumbs left on the sofa and floor. Chanyeol thanks Kris for the hundredth time that it's not a carpeted floor, and Kris agrees.

Chanyeol leaves an hour later, after chatting aimlessly (mostly about Baekhyun on Chanyeol's part, she isn't too ashamed to admit.)

When she gets home she does what she'd planned to do before going to Kris' house, and gets into her pyjamas. While brushing her hair, she checks her phone- more out of habit than anything, since she rarely gets texts- and is surprised to fine one unread message. It reads:

From: Unknown Number

Hello, its baekhyun here

i got ur number from jongdae i hope thats ok? 

(｡･ω･｡)

-

wow this is like double the length of my previous chapters haha

do you guys like this? comment; lemme know ^_^