scared?
the unknown"How is your nice friend? Jackson isn't it? He's such a lovely boy, you should invite him around here one day," my auntie said setting out plates of egg and toast on the low table.
"Boyfriend? You have a boyfriend, Maya?" my uncle asked in surprise, putting his newspaper down on the table.
"Aniyo. He's just a male friend," I smiled weakly. Daiyu was opposite me and accidentally chocked or laughed into her juice, I couldn't tell which one but I gave her a warning look.
"Daiyu, Maya, your mother and I will be leaving for Busan tomorrow, we told you we'd be a week," my uncle informed us. It wasn't a rare occurrence for Daiyu's parents to go on trips. When Daiyu's dad had the time off work, they'd make the most of it.
"We've bought all the grocery shopping, but if you need anything more there is the neighbour, she will be keeping an occasional eye on you," my uncle continued.
"What, the ajumma?" Daiyu asked.
"Yes, the very nice ajumma."
I finished eating and thanked my auntie before picking up mine and Daiyu's school bags from the floor.
"That'll be no problem at all, appa, " Daiyu smiled. I knew that smile, it was the one she did when she was scheming.
We were on our way to school, it was still dark as it was seven in the morning and winter was descending.
"I was thinking about a party," Daiyu informed me.
"What?" I asked rubbing my eyes tiredly.
"For when my parents leave for Busan? We have a free house- but then again I might just invite Jb around."
"Oh god no, Dai. Can't we do something else, I'll be the third wheel for the whole week!"
"Like what?" Daiyu huffed.
"I don't know. Why don't we just have a quiet girls pampering week? Me and you?" I suggested.
"Boooooring, we can do that another time. We have freedom for a week," Daiyu sighed, skipping alongside me in a bored fashion.
I rolled my eyes jokingly at my cousins childish behaviour.
"When are auntie and uncle going to meet Jb?" I asked suddenly.
My cousin slowed down her pace as we were walking to think. "Hopefully in two weeks. If eomma likes Jackson, I'm almost certain she'll like Jb. But my dad is a tough cookie."
I nodded in agreement. My uncle had a good heart but he was at times stern and an overprotective parent.
"Has Jb suggested you meeting his parents?" I questioned.
"Yes, but I said we should take things slowly. I'm really nervous," my cousin admitted.
"Why would you be nervous? You're beautiful, intelligent and polite!" I praised her.
Daiyu smiled, "I don't know, I'm just nervous. Jaebum is my first proper boyfriend and I don't want to ruin it by rushing into things." I shrugged my shoulders in reason.
Daiyu and I were less then ten minutes away from school by now, and the conversation had dwindled.
"What do you suggest then?" I asked, getting back on topic.
"Hmm?" Daiyu questioned, looking distant.
"We are not having a repeat of Mun's sleepover," I warned.
"Let's invite the group on different days instead then. Mark and Jackson near the beginning of the week, Jb after, then Jinhee and Jessica, followed by Yugyeom and Bambam and finally Jr, Mun and Youngjae last!"
"Wait wait wait- Mark and Jackson?" I asked slowly.
"Yes, they're your friends aren't they?" Daiyu teased raising an eyebrow.
"Well...Jackson is. Mark isn't," I mumbled quietly.
"Mark isn't what?" I heard a deep voice behind me say as we approached the school gates.
Me and Daiyu turned around to see Mark walking behind us. I was completely shocked, and my expression probably mirrored it as Daiyu whispered for me to close my mouth.
Mark was wearing a dark hoodie over his school shirt, with the hood up, probably because it was getting cold. His face looked cute and tired, maybe he hadn't long got out of bed.
"How long have you been behind us?" I asked.
"About five seconds, I only heard my name being mentioned," Mark smiled looking at me and my cousin.
We began to walk together, with Mark and Daiyu on either side of me.
"So you two were talking about me, huh?" he asked.
His voice sounded so beautiful. It was a little too alert to be classed as a morning voice, but you could still hear the tiredness which made his voice sound huskier than it usually was.
"Umm-" Daiyu interrupted me with "Yes, we were talking about you. Just to ask if you wanted to come to our house tomorrow to hang out? We have a free house, and we thought it would be fun- seeing as you've only been to my house once."
Mark blinked and nodded. I could tell he was still tired, because his precious face resembled that of a startled lamb.
"What kind of things would we do?" Mark asked, "Wait just you girls?"
"Yes, and I don't know...baking or cooking a meal," Daiyu suggested.
"Baking?" Mark burst out laughing, "As in cookies and cakes?"
Daiyu nodded her head. "Okay," Mark said to my surprise.
"Do you like cooking, Maya?" he asked me. I was in a sudden daze that it took me more than a few seconds to process his question.
"Oh what, um yeah," I said trying to sound relaxed.
Mark nodded, "I'll look forward to seeing your skills."
I gave him a small smile, while Daiyu laughed at my behaivour.
"Oh by the way, Maya, I have basketball at lunch today, so I won't be able to meet you to...do your English revision," Mark said smoothly, realising that Daiyu was listening.
"What english revision? You have an exam?" Daiyu asked in confusion.
I pinched her arm lightly so that she would shut up. Mark must have seen because he smirked momentarily.
"I've got first lesson in this block, so I'll see you two tomorrow," he said waving and walking in the other direction. Me and Daiyu waved back.
"Why were you saying that Mark isn't your friend?"
I exhaled deeply. "Yesterday," I started.
"Not again," Daiyu hit her forehead.
"If you're going to tell me something like you kissed him...you didn't..." I bit my lip and looked at the ground in silence.
"Yah! What is wrong with you? Can't you control yourself? I can't leave you alone for more than five minutes," my cousin shouted.
I wanted to argue back and reiterate the fact that me and Jackson were just friends anyway, so it wouldn't matter. But instead I stayed quiet, taking my older cousin's scolding.
"And you tried convincing me that you didn't like Mark. Why don't you just man up. You act like a baby whenever he's around you."
I stared at her blankly. "You act all doe-eyed around Jb, so don't act like you're any different."
Daiyu ignored me comment and rolled her eyes. "You need to man up," she repeated.
"Why don't you try telling that to Mark? I told him it's weird that we're not dating, but things like this happen and then he won't do anything about it..." I trailed off.
Daiyu squinted her eyes, "you like him, you really like Mark," she said, pointing a finger at me.
"He's a coward, Daiyu! Mark is a damn coward and I hate him for it," I shouted.
"This boy is really getting to you," Daiyu said with wide eyes.
"Yesterday, he said that if he can't have me then no one else can," I continued.
Daiyu raised her eyebrows.
"Exactly. People are going to get hurt if I confess my feelings either way," I sighed.
"He's just being...cute and a little jealous," she tried convincing me.
"A little jealous? And yeah, it would be cute if we were dating, but we're not and he's acting like I belong to him."
Daiyu and I sat in our tutor room.
"The whole situation is getting too much," she sighed, rubbing her temples like she had a migrane coming on.
"I know, but I'm sorry that we can't all have the perfect relationship like you and prince Jb," I mocked.
"Shut up. So Mark is coming to our house tomorrow, what about Jackson?" Daiyu paused for a moment.
"I think I have politics class with him before lunch. I'll ask him then," I suggested.
Daiyu nodded, resting her head on her hand and leaning over the table.
"Do you like him?" Daiyu asked, "I don't know how many times I must have asked this recently, but I mean do you really like him?"
Images of me and Mark played back in my head briefly. From our first introduction, Mark didn't seem interested. It was only when he realised that he might to not be able to have me that he got involved- when he knew he'd be in competition with his best friend. That he made it his mission to be around me.
"My mind is so confused Dai-" "It's a yes or no answer," my cousin interrupted.
Before I had time to reply, I got a message on my phone from Jackson reading:
Are you at school today? I didn't see you yesterday
I smiled at my phone despite myself.
I texted him back with:
Yes, I was! I have politics with you before lunch^^ Hope you didn't miss me too much.
He replied a minute later:
I did miss you.
I smiled again at my phone screen. Daiyu waved a hand across my face.
"Who are you talking to? My bet is Mark."
I bit my lip and shook my head slowly. My cousin raised her eyebrows. "You are well and truly caught between two boys."
"Me and Jackson are friends," I said to her seriously.
"I'm too used to hearing you say that now, Maya. So used to it that I'm starting to believe it isn't true."
Jinhee was sat next to me flicking though a textbook carelessly.
"So are you up for coming to ours on Thursday? Jessica,Yugyeom and Bambam will be there too, won't you Bambam?" I asked turning to Bambam who was sitting on the desk next to ours.
He nodded, "Yes, I'll be there."
"Okay, I'll come," Jinhee smiled.
We were about to carry on talking when four boys came in late. It was Jackson, along with Mark, Jb and Yugyeom.
"Yugyeom you're never late to class!" Jinhee whispered loudly, as he sat with Jackson by the desk in front of ours.
'Basketball practice' was all that Yugyeom mouthed back.
"Jackson," I whispered when the teacher wasn't looking.
He turned around to me, "Yeah?"
Jackson was wearing a hat and so only some of his dark hair peaked out. His shirt was half open, most probably because he was hot after his basketball practice at lunch. It took extra effort to focus only on his face.
"Daiyu's parents are going to Busan for the week so we have a free house. We were wondering if you'd want to come tomorrow to hang out," I explained, as Jackson nodded all the while.
"That sounds cool. What time?"
"Is 11 too early?"
"No that's fine," he smiled, "I'll be there."
Halfway through the lesson our teacher went to the supplies cupboard, and so that was the classes cue to talk.
Jackson turned around to mine and Jinhee's desk again.
"I got your text," he smiled at me with shining eyes.
"I know. I got yours too," I said softly.
"Are you guys friends now?" Jinhee asked.
I nodded and so did Jackson.
"There's no point in keeping it a secret any more," I stated.
Jinhee looked at me in shock, "You were going to keep your friendship a secret?"
I looked at Jackson guiltily and he mirrored the same image of guilt back.
"Yes, there's lots of people who wouldn't..." I trailed off as I looked around the classroom and spotted Mark sat with Youngjae and Jr. The other two boys were talking and laughing while Mark, was sat completely still and staring directly at me.
I looked away quickly.
"Wouldn't what? Maya, hello?" Jinhee asked.
"Don't worry," I said quietly.
Jackson gave me a faint smile and turned back to his own desk.
When I was walking home from school later on that day, I received multiple messages.
One was from Bambam asking me what time to arrive on Thursday, another was from Jinhee asking why I was acting so weird in class. The last one was from Jackson:
I know you're scared of Mark, Maya. Or at least intimidated by him. And you shouldn't be, you don't deserve to be.
I stared at my phone for a few moments, turned it off and shoved it to the bottom of my school bag.
---
Hi Everyone! I hope you all had a good christmas/holiday in general. What do you think of this chapter? Although Mark and Jackson are best friends they definitely have contrasting personalities! Please tell me what you think in the comments and remember to subscribe + upvote too.
Could you also fill in my quick poll, it will really help me-
Until the next time,
Maria xo
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