Luhan’s Pov

 

I sit at my desk. Pen furiously scribbling words that add up to sentences, those sentences adding up to what is my in class essay for history. Everything else is tuned out. I’m in complete tunnel mode. I have to get an A on this paper. there is no other option. Everything else is tuned out, until the high pitch of my teacher’s voice shatters the walls of my tunnel.

 

“Luhan? Your parent’s are outside. They said it’s urgent.”

 

At mention of my parents my pen freezes. What was once hot with thought is now cold and lifeless. I snap out of my mental ice age after about a second. Standing up with no expression I make my way out of the classroom. My parents are waiting for me at the front door with a smile and the principal next to them. Once I arrive in front of them my parents nod to the principal, signalling that he may leave.

 

The principal leaves along with the sweet sincerity that is my parents’ smiles. They turn to me with a glare. My mother grabs my ear, ripping me out of the school. Once outside they dig in. Into me.

 

“Luhan how dare you!” my mother shouted.

I don’t recall doing anything.

“We contacted your teacher today,”my father continues.

This is making more sense now.

“We asked her about your grades as usual, and as usual they are wretched.”

“A ‘B’?!,” my mother shrills,  “You got a ‘B’ on your English test. Do you think that this is even remotely acceptable. B’s are useless. A Worthless letter.”

“As worthless as the letters that make up your name.” my father spits at my feet. His saliva scorching the ground with anger.

 

My gaze watches the concrete burn, the eerie smoke of his words rising from the ground, and the meaningless ash accumulating by my toes. My observation though is cut short when my father grabs my chin forcing me to meet his eyes. “This better not happen again. Do you understand?” Its not a question.

 

My mother pushes my chest causing me to fall back onto the steps of the school before bending down to my level

“Have a wonderful day at school sweetheart.”

Her sweet tone is soaked with sarcasm.

 

“Tch”.

 

With that last sound my parents turn and leave. I let out the breath I was holding before picking myself up and making my way into the school. I don’t go back to class. Instead I head to the roof of the school to let out the emotions that are welling in my eyes.

 

As I open the door to the roof a breeze of fresh air immediately meets my face, stinging my eyes and triggering my tears. I close the door and sink down on the wall and cry. I sit there and for a few minutes, dropping synonyms the word worthless on the ground only for them to be drowned by the tears that fall on them.

 

Suddenly I hear a yawn. I stop my tears, but leave them unwiped because I’m sure it’s  just my imagination. Still though I stand up and take a few steps and pear around the corner.

 

On the other side is a girl laying down. She must have been sleeping.

She sits up and looks at me while rubbing her right eye with her hand to clear her vision. She drops her hand and continues to stare at me. Her heavy lidded eyes break the contact when she takes her backpack, which is next to her, and begins rummaging through it. I’m still stuck still. The girl pulls out a handkerchief and looks back at me while holding it up towards my direction. I’m still stuck. The girl rolls her eyes before grabbing my wrist and pulling me down to her level. With me in a crouching position she begins to dabb the tears from my face. I just continue to stare at her slightly confused. Her gently eyes are focused on my face. Her tongue slightly sticks out of the side of signalling that she is concentrating really hard.

When she’s done wiping my tears she goes back into her bag. She stores the handkerchief away before pulling out another item. I don’t get to see it before she shoves it into my hand, closing my fingers around it. I look down at an ipod. It’s old. An apple shuffle thats bright, or rather faded, red.

 

The whole encounter has been silent. Causing my thoughts to run wild, though I’m not sure exactly what I’m thinking. The whole encounter is silent until she speaks.

 

“Press play and listen. It’ll make you feel better.”

 

Her voice is sincere and bright. It’s the first sincere voice I’ve heard in a while.

 

The bell rings. I’m still stuck in my spot. She stands up.

“Well I gotta go. Bye,” she says with a childish wave.

My brain doesn’t process what happened fast enough for me to stop her. By the time I’m up on my feet again the door is shut.

 

Concluding that I have a free period next I sit back down against the wall. I place the earbuds in my ears and press play just as she instructed. The headphones are extremely noise cancelling. The rest of the world gets tunned out.

 

I look up at the sky and feel the breeze again, though this time it doesn’t trigger any tears, and, to my surprise, I smile.

 

I guess she was right.

I do feel better.