Watched: Friday the 13th: Part VII

      September 8th, 2011

September 8th, 2011

Brown eyes slowly opened to see the bright sun already raised high in the sky.

Echo shot up into a sitting position, wide eyes looking over to the bedside table to read that it was 11:01 AM.

I didn't know I could sleep that long.

The night before the idol fell asleep before ten, meaning she was asleep for over twelve hours.

I got more sleep last night than I do in a whole week during promotions.

A knock at the bedroom door interrupted her thoughts.

"Alli-ah, you have some visitors," her aunts voice flowed through the slowly opening door.

Echo's eyes widened before her lips twisted into a dopey grin at the girls who walked through the door. "Unnie's and maknae!"

Tight chuckles ran through the eight girls (Sooyoung is still recovering at home and couldn't make it). Hyoyeon was the first to physically approach Echo, she slowly sat down next to her on the large bed and ran a gentle hand through her knotted red hair, being careful not to accidently hit the bandaged stitches on her forehead. "You just woke up didn't you?"

"Jealous?" Echo grinned.

"How are you feeling?" Seohyun softly asked, placing a vase of brightly colored flowers on Echo's nightstand.

"I'm fine," she assured the members, trying to ignore the sharp pains in her lower back and leg. "So, are you guys here before going to Taipei?"

The already tense air became tenser with the question. Why was it even so tense in the first place?

"We wanted to see how you were doing," Taeyeon tried to give her a reassuring smile but it came off lopsided. "We felt bad we weren't able to see you while you were in the hospital."

Echo physically waved their fears off. "You guys are busy, I get it. I'm not holding that against you. The hospital smells weird anyway."

So did they feel guilty because they all went to see Sooyoung in the hospital but didn't see Echo?

"Just try to relax while healing. I mean that mentally," Sunny chided. "Don't worry about Girls' Generation or SM or anything entertainment related. Just focus on getting better and enjoying the free time you have."

"If you need us, don't hesitate to call," Jessica smiled, absentmindedly playing with one of Echo's red locks. Which reminded her that she had to get her hair re-done soon.

"Thank you," the singer softly responded, her emotions starting to well up. She was on heavy painkillers during her entire stay in the hospital, helping her keep her emotions at bay. Now that she was more clear headed she felt the dam breaking.

It was hitting her how she wasn't a current Girls' Generation member.

She won't be attending anything related to the group until she's deemed healthy enough.

It was heart breaking.

Brown eyes looked up from her pale hands, trying to make eye contact with Tiffany, who swiftly looked away. Her heart dropped further.

Before an awkward silence could fall, Sunny jabbed Yuri in the side, prompting the dancer to step forward with a box she was previously holding behind her back (which was so large Echo has no idea how on Earth she didn't notice it behind Yuri's thin frame). "Since you don't have to worry about having a strict diet, we wanted to get you this."

Echo widely grinned when she realized it was a cake box, eagerly opening the white box to see a  six inch cake covered with whip cream and curled pieces of milk chocolate. "No way!"

Chuckles rippled through the members.

"Since we can never eat stuff like this, we thought it would be a nice surprise," Yuri smiled. "It's all for you, you don't have to share!" The dancer gently placed the open box on Echo's lap, who was grinning like a mad woman.

"This is awesome, thank you!" she laughed.

A hard knock was heard at the door, the members turned to see Hajoon standing in the doorway. "Come on girls, we have to get going."

The members said their goodbyes and wishes to Echo as they left the room one-by-one.

To the singers growing shock Hajoon approached her and held out a phone to her.

"What's this?" she questioned, giving the smart phone a weird look.

"Your new phone. You can't not have a phone," Hajoon shrugged. "I know you really liked your old one, but I couldn't find the exact model (probably because it's so old) so I just gave you an upgrade. I already programmed everyone's number from the company in it including your aunt's home phone and cell.

"If you need anything during your break let me know, we'll be back in Korea on the twelfth. Try to enjoy the time you have off," with a reassuring smile and a pat on the head Hajoon left.

Echo sat in bed as she heard the members leave through the front door, the door slamming behind them.

She took a deep breath, looking around her cousins room. She ended up looking down at the smart phone in her hand. "Guess I have plenty of time to understand you."

Two hours later (and one painkiller later), Echo felt like chucking the smart phone against the wall. How on earth did everyone love these things? They're so complicated! If she complained to anybody they would just reply "But it's just like an iTouch!" well, her iPod isn't an iTouch and it's from 2005. It's quite possibly the newest piece of technology she owns.

A knock on her open door interrupted her thoughts.

"Alli-ah," her aunt smiled. "Are you hungry?"

"I wanna figure out this phone's deepest secrets." Her aunt laughed at Echo's intense look of concentration at the tiny screen.

"Then come out into the living room and I can help you as I make a late lunch, you need to heal and you can't do that on an empty stomach!"

Echo agreed, after all she can openly gorge herself with food now, and slowly made her way to the black leather L-shaped couch, phone in hand, trying her hardest to ignore the growing spikes of pain running down her back and leg.

The apartment was an open concept so Echo could clearly see her aunt over the bar, who was bustling around to quickly put lunch together.

"There's only three buttons on this thing, I don't understand how that even works," Echo started, her aunt snorting in the background.

"I have the same phone, I'll make you a pro by the end of the day," Hyorin promised.

As she tried to find a comfortable position, which ended up being on her stomach, the idol grabbed the slender remote and the TV. Without her even asking her aunt came over with a large ice pack wrapped in paper towels and laid it on her back. The release was far from immediate but Echo was grateful for her aunts thoughtful action.

As her aunt came over with her finished lunch, her phone long forgotten on the coffee table, Echo's eyes were glued to the TV.

Now, Echo rarely watches the TV so if you ever ask her if you missed a specific show last night she'll simply shrug in response. So when she turned it on and saw that it was a re-run of Girls' Generation performing Hoot she was thoroughly surprised and enthralled. Her well trained eyes however caught something she hadn't previously noticed.

All of the members movements were sharp and in-sync, except for one. It hasn't been a hidden fact that Jessica had been getting lazier, hell a lot of people have been joking with her about it behind the scenes and a few of the members have had some backhanded comments because of it. But Echo had just been brushing them off since she hadn't seen any real proof (not like she was looking for something).

But now watching this particular performance, it was painful how obvious how much effort Jessica wasn't putting in. She didn't know what was worse, the fact that Jessica is being lazy or the fact that she was the only one being lazy while the rest of the members put it in their best effort.

"Lunch is ready," Hyorin brought over Echo's lunch along with a small foldaway table so the idol didn't have to move much.

"Thank you," she gratefully smiled up to her aunt. The redhead started thinking of things in that moment that she could do for her aunt in the future as thanks.

"Do you watch your own performances often?" the older woman asked, slowly sitting down next to her niece.

"Not really," she answered, happily digging into her hearty lunch. "The only time we watch is when we're in the waiting room and didn't miss the live showing. We usually just look at ourselves though. After awhile you only watch the comeback stage."

"Have you heard from your cousin?"

Echo didn't miss the hint of desperation in her aunts voice. With the craziness of idol life (and the fact her cousins phone was probably taken) Hyorin hadn't heard from her daughter.

She simply responded with, "No, but she's been really busy."

Her aunt nodded, not looking very relieved.

"Is it difficult?" she slowly questioned, her eyes fastened onto the TV. "Idol life that is."

Echo's eyes became dull at the question. Memories of late night practices, strict diets, heavy workouts, waking up in the van with a creak in your neck and waiting for hours just to get hair and makeup done flooded her mind. "Many aspects are." When she saw her aunt stiffen she hastily added, "But it's very rewarding in the end. And if you look in the right places you can find some amazing relationships. If the entertainment world is truly your passion, you'll forever be grateful for the opportunity. You become much stronger over the years and a person you can be forever proud of."

When Hyorin's shoulders slumped back down into a relaxed position Echo knew she said the right thing. "Hanbi is a smart and strong girl, she won't let something like the entertainment industry break her."

Hyorin gave Echo an appreciative look.

RING RING

The idol picked up her new phone with knitted brows. The number wasn't programmed into her cell phone and she had no idea who it was.

"Just answer," her aunt shrugged. "Your manager could've forgotten to program someone's number in."

Or it could be an anti ready to unleash a bunch of death threats.

With reluctance, Echo answered the phone while amping up her American accent to confuse whoever is on the other end. "Hello?"

No answer.

"Hello?"

Some rustling was heard on the other end and then, "Allison?" It was a males voice.

"Who is this?" She didn't confirm that it was her, the voice in the back of her head telling her to hang up now.

"Are you okay?"

Her confusion continued to grow. "I guess."

The man chuckled. "That doesn't sound very assuring."

"I don't know how much I should assure someone I don't know the name of," she carefully worded.

"Now isn't the time, just try to stay out of trouble Alli-ah." He hung up.

Echo pulled the phone away from her face with a perplexed look.

"This isn't a movie, what's wrong with people?"

Ugh I'm so sad. Sooyoung AND Echo are going to miss the Taipei concert!

Has anyone heard anything about Echo's condition other than the fact she left the hospital?

I'm shocked Echo didn't release a video like Sooyoung, it's like she doesn't care that all her fans are worried…

Can someone explain to me why my elective class has the most homework? Seriously. It has more homework than my other three classes combined -_-