---

It’s been three days since my blowup with Minho, and I feel like . No calls, no texts, no Snapchats. I mean, I’d even take him arguing with me as long as it meant he’d talk to me. Sadly, all I got was silence. 

 

I cried the rest of the weekend, and that Monday at school wasn’t any better. I barely ate breakfast, I couldn’t focus in my classes, and I didn’t have any friends there to make me feel better. Ravi was skipping today, and Jongin was busy with Exo, yet again. I always wondered how he kept up with his grades since he’s gone all the time, but he made it happen. 

 

When lunch came around, I checked my phone for what seemed like the hundredth time that day, hoping that Minho would respond to my texts. Of course, I was met with an empty phone with no notifications. 

 

I sat there staring at his contact picture. It’s a picture of him smiling brightly as I kissed his cheek. That was during the times when things were simple — simpler, I should say. Nothing’s ever simple in my life. 

 

I felt tears begin to well up in my eyes as I sat there staring at the photo. I breathed deeply to calm myself down, but it barely worked. I needed a friend, my best friend. 

 

I decided to call Jongin. Maybe he’d answer, maybe he wouldn’t, but it wouldn’t hurt to try. 

 

To my surprise, he picked up the phone after a few rings. “Hey. I’m sorry, but we have to make this quick— wait, are you crying?”

 

Damn. I didn’t want him to hear me. 

 

“No,” I lied as I tried to calm down. 

 

There was a pause before he continued. “You were always bad at lying, Tae. What’s wrong?”

 

Of course he’d be able to see through my bull. “It’s nothing, really. Me and Minho just had a little argument. That’s all.”

 

“That’s all?”

 

I sighed, deciding it was best to tell him everything. “No. I haven’t talked to him in three days and I miss him.”

 

“Three days? What happened for him to ignore you for this long?”

 

I groaned. “I really ed up by mouthing off to him about something.” I didn’t feel like explaining that it had something to do with Ravi. “I just wish I can take everything  back. I’m not even sure if we’re still together.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I mean he told me he’d give me all the space I wanted.”

 

Jongin hummed in thought. “Sounds like he was being considerate. Maybe both of you guys need space-“

 

“No! You don’t get it. Neither of us need space. That’s the reason why we’re not talking now.  He thinks I need space, but I need him.”

 

“Listen. The best advice I can give you right now is to calm down and wait it out. From what you’ve told me, Minho seems like a good guy. I’m sure he’ll come around. Just don’t stress too much about it, ok? , I wish I could be there for you.”

 

I sniffed before smiling slightly. “Thank you. You’re here in spirit.”

 

“Yeah. But hey, I have to go now. We’re about to board our plane. Do you think you’ll be ok for the rest of the day?”

 

Nope. 

 

“Sure. Have a safe flight.” Then we hung up, and the silence came back to taunt me. 

 

I observed everyone in the cafeteria. Everyone had someone. There were couples holding hands or even kissing. There were groups of friends laughing or gossiping about whatever. Even the loners of the school had a small crew. 

 

Then there was me. Little Taemin sitting in the corner of the cafeteria moping about a boyfriend that wanted nothing to do with me. 

—

 

Home was no better. I sat in my room for hours studying and doing homework, anything to keep me distracted. 

 

The attempt to distract myself failed miserably though since I periodically checked my phone to see if Minho texted back. I even sent a quick ‘good luck at practice’ to let him know I was still thinking about him. At least I knew he’d read the texts. 

 

After three hours of studying-crying-reading-repeat, I heard the front door open. I was hoping it was daddy because I could really use his comfort. He always knew how to make me feel better even if it was something as simple as holding me. As childish as it seemed, I needed his warmth. 

 

I walked into the kitchen expecting to see him putting away groceries, however I was met with Jonghyun staring into the fridge looking confused. 

 

He closed the fridge after noticing me out the side of his eye. “Hey, Taemin.”

 

“Hey,” I mumbled. 

 

“Kibum said he’ll be home late tonight so we’re on our own for dinner. Can you believe that? I thought he loved us. Would you like to help me cook? I have no idea where to start.”

 

I cleared my throat in hopes of sounding normal. “No, sorry. I should get back to studying.”

 

He looked a little defeated. “Yeah, you’re right. Studying is the most important. I’ll figure something out.”

 

I nodded and turned to leave the kitchen, but I paused as thoughts of Minho rushed to my head. I needed to talk to someone about it before I went insane. Minho’s ignoring me, Jongin’s out of the country, and now, daddy will be home late.  The only person that leaves is Jonghyun. 

 

I slowly turned around, seeing him digging hopelessly through the freezer. "Hey, can I talk to you?"

 

He quickly snapped his head in my direction before closing the fridge. “Sure. What’s up?”

 

It took awhile for me to correctly form the sentence in my head. “What does it mean when your boyfriend starts to distance himself?”

 

Jonghyun scrunched his brows in thought. “What do you mean? Did something happen with you and Minho?”

 

I looked down as I nodded. “Yeah, it’s complicated. We got into an argument three days ago, and he hasn’t talked to me since. It worries me because this is the longest we’ve gone without making up.”

 

Jonghyun let out a sigh. “Ah, teenage love. I remember those days. Since I’m not Minho, I can’t be certain what it means to him that he hasn’t talked to you in three days. I would never go that long without talking to Kibum. In my opinion, it seems like maybe he’s distancing himself because he needs space.” There goes that word again. “He just needs time to cool off.”

 

“And three days hasn’t been enough?”

 

“People are different, Taemin. Maybe three days is enough for you, but not enough for Minho.”

 

“I see.”

 

“Who started it anyway?”

 

I sheepishly looked up at him, answering, “Me. I guess.”

 

Jonghyun snorted a little. “Why am I not surprised?”

 

“What can I do to make him talk to me?”

 

“Just apologize to him and respectfully give him his space.”

 

“That’s what I’ve been trying to do, and I hate apologizing. I at it.”

 

“Well, maybe if you apologize honestly and respectfully, he’ll appreciate it. Even if he’s still mad at you, he’ll come around, even if it’s just to ask questions.”

 

That’s easier said than done. 

 

“There’s also something else you can try. Kibum does this when I’m mad at him. It works every time.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Aegyo. When all else fails, try to act cute.”

 

I scoffed. “I’m Taemin. I don’t ‘act cute.’ Minho would look at me like I’m crazy.”

 

He shrugged. "Couldn't hurt to try. Kibum would randomly walk up to me and cling onto me, apologizing in a cute voice. Ahh, it's too adorable to resist."

 

I scrunched my face. "You guys are gross. Cute, but gross."

 

"Do you show affection to Minho?"

 

"I do, but it's nothing as close to you and Daddy. I believe you two are obsessed with touching each other."

 

He burst out laughing, "What can I say? I love skinship and Kibum loves attention. It's the perfect combination."

 

"Yeah, I guess."

 

"I have a question though. Why did you ask me about your relationship problem instead of Kibum or Jinki?"

 

Good question. 

 

"If I told Dad, he would've found any reason to make me breakup with Minho. He’ll be like 'oh he's not talking to you? He must not be serious about the relationship.' And I’m not sure if I want to be taking relationship advice from him given the circumstances. If I told Daddy, he would’ve overreacted like he always does. Plus, he would’ve butted into our business and I don't want him knowing all about our problems."

 

"What about me?"

 

"You... I guess I asked you because you're the cool parent. I know you won’t go back to daddy and blabber about my personal stuff. Plus, you're more level-headed whenever I come to you with problems. But don't let that get to your head."

 

He smirked, "Duly noted. Just know that if you need me to listen, I’m here. You don’t have to tell me the reason you and Minho are fighting. I just want to make sure you’re ok. Are you ok?”

 

“As much as I’d like to say yes, no. I’m not.”

 

He walked over and placed a light hand on my shoulder. “It’s going to be ok, Taemin. Just give it time. Distract yourself with something productive.”

 

I nodded, feeling my tears coming back. “I’ll try. Thanks.” 

 

I rushed up to my room, barely making it there when the sobbing began. I felt so weak and vulnerable. I usually didn’t care about boy drama. If I ever got into fights with previous guys, it was easy for me to drop them and move on. No strings attached. 

 

However, with Minho, it’s different. Everything hurts — my mind, body, heart. Everything feels pain, as cliché as it sounds. It makes me realize how much I actually love him and how much I probably hurt him with what I said. We’ve never gone this long without talking to each other. Everyday that passes just makes me wish I would’ve never went to that damn party. 

—

 

It’s been a week now, and still no sign of Minho. I was tempted to pop up at his house because I was worried that something happened to him. However, I follow one of his teammates on Snapchat and I saw Minho in some of his videos. At least I knew he was alive. 

 

Also, popping up at his house would probably bring more drama if he didn’t want to see me. I didn’t want to argue again, especially if his parents would be home. 

 

I heard a knock on my door before daddy walked in. “Hey, Tae. Is everything alright?” He walked slowly to my bed and sat next to me. 

 

“Everything’s fine. Why?”

 

“You’ve just seemed a bit down lately.”

 

“I’m fine daddy-“

 

“You know I know you better than anyone else, right? I know when my son is lying to me. Tell me what’s wrong, Taemin.” This is why I didn’t tell him about Minho. He’s very meddling. 

 

I sighed. “I’m just tired. Nothing to be concerned about. I’m sorry that I haven’t been acting myself lately.”

 

“What’s really wrong-“

 

“Nothing.”

 

He rubbed my back with a concerned expression. “Ok, I’ll leave it alone. I just came up to tell you that Jonghyun and I are going on a date tonight-“

 

“Again?” I was looking forward to cuddling up with him in his bed. Daddy always gave the best hugs.  

 

“Yeah, Jonghyun suggested that Fridays should be our date nights. I guess it’s his way of keeping the romance alive.” 

 

“That sounds lovely. I hope you guys have a great time.”

 

“Yeah, me too. I also came to tell you that you’re officially ungrounded.”

 

My eyes widened in surprise. “Really?”

 

“Yeah. You’ve held up your end of the deal by staying out of trouble, so I guess it’s time to give you your freedom back. However, I expect that you’ll be responsible and not do anything that’ll lead to you being grounded again, right?”

 

I quickly nodded. “Right. Of course. Thanks.”

 

“You’re welcome. So if you want to go anywhere this weekend or have anyone over, you can. Except for Minho. I still don’t want you alone with him without either me or Jonghyun in the house.”

 

I groaned. Of course he wouldn’t change that rule. At least I’d get to still invite him, that’s if he even wants to come over. 

 

I nodded, answering, “I understand. I think I’ll invite Ravi tonight. I just want a friend over right now.”

 

He smiled before patting my back. “Good idea. Anyway, I guess I’ll go get ready now. There should be plenty of food and snacks for you and Ravi, but if you need anything, call me.” Then he left the room, leaving me to the silence I’d become accustomed to. 

—

 

Ravi coming over happened to be a great idea. We played video games, watched movies, and ate pizza. He was a great distraction from what happened last weekend. That was until he asked about it. 

 

We were lying on the living room floor with snacks in front of us while a movie was on when Ravi decided to ask, “So what happened when I left?”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“Last weekend after I dropped you off. What happened with you and Minho?”

 

My heart thudded at the mention of his name. I visibly deflated as my mood shifted. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

 

“Come on, Tae. I’m your friend and you’re obviously upset over it. How am I supposed to help you if I don’t know what’s wrong?” He had a point. 

 

I shrugged. “It’s just a lot.”

 

“Did Minho say anything to upset you?”

 

“More like I upset him. We got into an argument, I said some things I shouldn’t have said, and now he’s gone a whole week without talking to me.” A tear rolled down my eye as I looked to Ravi. “I ed up didn’t I?”

 

He scrunched his brows as he scooted next to me, placing a hand on my back. “No, he’s the one that’s ed up. I mean, going a whole week without talking to you? Who does that? That’s childish. You shouldn’t waste your tears on a fool like him.”

 

Instead of making me feel better, his words only made me feel worse. I sobbed as I said, “But I miss him. I miss him so much. I was the childish one, not him. I couldn’t even appreciate the times he actually tried talking to me because I was too hung up on the fact that I wanted to see him.” I placed my head in my hands as I cried harder. 

 

Some minutes flew by before I heard Ravi speak again. “Aren’t you sick of crying?”

 

I sniffed. “Sorry, I can’t help it. I feel like a ing loser.” And the waterworks started again. 

 

He sighed as he pulled me into a hug. “Please don’t feel that way about yourself. If you ask me, Minho’s the real loser for making you this sad. I’ve never seen you like this.”

 

“Don’t blame Minho. It’s not his fault-”

 

“But it is. If he has a problem with you, he shouldn’t wait this long to address it. He’s acting like a ing irresponsible idiot that doesn’t have the balls to say what he needs to say to the person he supposedly loves.”

 

 

I furrowed my brows in confusion at what Ravi was trying to get at. I’d never heard him talk this negatively about Minho, and I don’t like it. “Please, don’t talk about him like that. I know he loves me.”

 

He scoffed before mumbling, “Of course, after everything I said, that’s the one thing you picked up on.”

 

I wiped my eyes, sniffing a couple of times before apologizing. “I’m sorry. I haven’t been acting myself lately.”

 

He agreed. “You haven’t. I wouldn’t entirely blame you for that though. I know you don’t want me bad-mouthing Minho, but in my opinion, you’ve lost yourself. You used to be this feisty guy with a great attitude that didn’t care about most things people our age care about. You were cool, and you still are, but you’ve lost a bit of your groove.”

 

“You think so?”

 

“Definitely. All you ever talk about is Minho. You let him influence your emotions. Like when you two are happy, you’re a happy Taemin. But when you guys are fighting like now, you become this sad depressed Taemin that I know nothing about. Whatever happened to the Taemin that just didn’t give a ?”

 

“It’s hard to be that Taemin when you love someone so much-“

 

“See what I mean? Everything comes back to him. What about you? I can guarantee you that he’s not as emotionally distressed about this situation as you are.”

 

“How can you be so sure?”

 

“Because he’s not the one calling or texting you to work everything out. For a whole week, he’s been doing who knows what while you’ve been balling your eyes out. That’s pretty suspicious to me.”

 

Suspicious? 

 

“What are you trying to say?”

 

“I’m not saying anything. I’m just saying that you should stop worrying about it and start having a little fun while you wait for Prince Charming to come to his senses. You don’t deserve to be moping around waiting for him to contact you. Live a little.”

 

I could see where he was coming from, and in a way, he was right. I had no idea how Minho was affected by everything. He could be happy right now for all I know. And here I am crying all day everyday while my “boyfriend” ignores me. 

 

Ravi interrupted my thoughts by saying, “There’s another party this weekend at the same house. I think we should go.”

 

“I’m not sure about that.”

 

“You said you’re not grounded anymore, right?”

 

“Yeah, but I’m pretty sure parties weren’t included on the list of places I can go. My dad would freak.”

 

“Well, we can do what we did last weekend. We can party early, and I’ll have you home early enough before your parents. You deserve this, Tae. Let’s celebrate tonight instead of crying.”

 

I liked the sound of that. Even though it would probably upset Minho, it didn’t matter. It wasn’t like he would know. He doesn’t even want anything to do with me at the moment. I’ll use this as a time to finally let loose and stop stressing about the Minho situation. 

 

“Ok.”

 

Ravi perked up. “Ok?”

 

I nodded. “I’ll go.”

 

He clapped his hands in excitement and got up. “Alright! Let’s go!”

—

 

Just as last time, the party was packed. It still amazed me how people could show up so early in the day for a party, but I guess if there’s free alcohol involved, coming early was no problem. 

 

I took a shot before entering the house, Ravi declining since he was the designated driver. 

 

He walked us to the kitchen, opening the fridge and handing me a bottle of beer. “Thanks,” I said as I struggled to open it. 

 

He took the bottle from me, opening it with ease as he stated, “I have a goal for you tonight.”

 

He handed the opened bottle back to me. “Which is?”

 

“Get as wasted as possible. It’s the weekend anyway, so it’s not like you have school tomorrow.”

 

“Yeah, but I have parents-“

 

“Who won’t even notice you’re wasted if you’re sleep by time they get home.”

 

I shook my head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. My health-“

 

“Has been fine so far. Drinking hasn’t been a problem for you before, has it?”

 

“No, but-“

 

“No buts. As your friend, I am making it my duty for tonight to be a great night for you. You deserve the best, Taemin.”

 

“But what’s the purpose of having the best night ever if I can’t remember it?”

 

He waved his phone in my face. “I’ll record it. Now come on. Don’t be lame. Drink.”

 

“You know, peer pressure is a hell of a thing.”

 

“It’s not peer pressure if you want to do it. I know you want to. You’re just too worried about Minho to worry about your own self. Have fun, Taemin. I’ll take care of you like I did last time. Trust me.”

 

I narrowed my eyes at him as I contemplated. I did have fun last weekend before everything went downhill. And Ravi did take care of me by making sure I didn’t make a fool of myself, while also making sure no one took advantage of me. I could trust him. 

 

“Bottoms up!” I chugged the bottle of beer in one go while Ravi cheered me on. 

 

“Yes! This is the Lee Taemin I’m used to!”

 

Ravi kept his word the rest of the night. He gave me drink after drink while also giving me bottles of water in between to make sure I would be ok, and I definitely was. I was having the time of my life. 

 

For the first time all week, I wasn’t crying or moping about Minho. I was genuinely enjoying myself without worrying about the consequences. If anything, being with Ravi led to more excitement because I knew it was something Minho probably wouldn’t like. I was doing what I wanted with no repercussions. I’d worry about him later, but for now, I was living in the moment. 

 

As the night went on, I felt myself getting a little dizzy and my speech slurred. At that point, I decided I’d drank enough for the night. Although it was fun, I didn’t want to end up blacking out or going to the emergency room. I didn’t want to be that irresponsible. I was still aware of my surroundings though, which was a plus. 

 

“Are you having fun,” Ravi shouted over the loud music. 

 

“Duh!” I shouted back with a giggle as I continued to bounce to the music. 

 

He moved closer to my ear, shouting, “Can you help me find the bathroom?”

 

“This isn’t my house. How am I supposed to know where it is?”

 

“Just think of it as a Ravi-Taemin adventure. It’ll be fun!”

 

Before I could respond, he grabbed my hand and guided us out of the packed living room. He held onto my waist tightly as we walked upstairs due to me stumbling on just about every step. 

 

“I know he said it’s a bathroom in one of these bedrooms,” he mumbled as he roamed for the right room. 

 

“Can’t you just use the bathroom in the hallway? That’s the one everyone else is using.”

 

“Exactly. That’s the one everyone else is using, which means it’s gross. Party bathrooms are always gross. There’s a bedroom up here with a clean bathroom I’d rather use.”

 

I chuckled. “Ok princess.”

 

“Found it!” He opened the door with a key I’m guessing he got from the guy who’s throwing the party. 

 

“I’ll wait out here for you.”

 

He grabbed my arm, slowly pulling me into the room. “Are you crazy? I’m not leaving a drunk Taemin out in the hallway for some random guy to take advantage of. I’m responsible for you tonight, remember?”

 

I nodded. “Right. Well, go ahead and piss. I think I’m ready to go home now. I’m kind of tired.”

 

“Ok. I’ll be right out.” He walked into the bathroom attached to the room, leaving me to stand there waiting patiently. 

 

I sighed in content. This was a great night.   It was a sad thing that it would be over soon, meaning I’d have to go back to reality. It really makes me appreciate Ravi’s effort in keeping my spirits high. I really needed this. Hopefully whenever Jongin comes back, we can be the three amigos once again and I’d be able to focus on my own happiness. 

 

I heard the toilet flush and the sink run before Ravi step out the the bathroom, drying his hands on his pants. 

 

I smiled. “Feeling relieved?”

 

He grinned. “Definitely.”

 

“Cool. Are you ready to go now?”

 

“Actually,” he sat on the edge of the bed, “I thought we’d talk for a bit. I’m not quite ready to leave yet, and you’re kind of buzzed, so maybe talking for awhile will help sober you up,” he ended by patting the spot next to him on the bed. 

 

I shrugged, “I guess,” and sat next to him, thinking nothing of it. “What would you like to talk about?”

 

“I have no idea,” he chuckled. “I guess I just wanted an excuse to be alone with you.”

 

I frowned playfully. “You’re alone with me all the time. Lunchtime at school, nights at my house, and whenever else.”

 

“Yeah, I know, but we’re not alone nearly as much as I’d like.”

 

I chuckled. “Aww, is this your way of telling me you miss me? I promise we’ll hang out more if that’s what you’re asking.”

 

He sighed. “I’m trying to be serious, Taemin.”

 

My smile slowly faded. “Serious about what?”

 

It took awhile before he answered. “Us.”

 

“Us? You mean our friendship? You’re obviously a close friend to me, Ravi. I take our friendship very seriously as well, even though it may not seem like it sometimes.”

 

He looked me in the eyes for awhile, creating an awkward silence. Then he asked, “What do you feel when you look at me?”

 

I gulped as I tried to think of an answer. I was so confused and had no idea what he was truly asking. “Um, I feel happy knowing I have such a great friend like you. Is that what you’re asking?”

 

He scoffed and looked away. “Never mind-“

 

“No, tell me what’s wrong with you, Ravi? Why are you acting like this? We were just having fun.”

 

He looked at me again with a concerned expression on his face. “There’s someone I like and I’m not sure if I should go for it.”

 

That stunned me. Ravi didn’t seem like the relationship type. “Ok. Is this person someone I know?” He nodded. 

 

“You actually know him a lot better than I do.” 

 

“Him? You’re into guys? I could’ve sworn you only like -“

 

“You’re missing the point.”

 

I sighed. “Sorry. You’re right. What’s stopping you from going after this person?”

 

“It’s complicated. The guy’s in a relationship with someone who doesn’t deserve him.”

 

I furrowed my brows. This was definitely complicated. “So he’s someone I know better than you do and he’s in a relationship... Omg! Is it Jongin?!”

 

“What?! No! I mean, he’s handsome and all, but no.”

 

I pouted. I thought I’d figured it out. “Oh. Who could it be then? I don’t have many friends, Ravi.”

 

“Well, lets just use a hypothetical situation. Let’s say this guy is in a relationship, but the person he’s dating is an immature piece of . But the guy I like doesn’t see it. Do you think I should still give it a shot?”

 

“Wow, that’s tough. Maybe if the guy wasn’t in a relationship, it’d be easier to determine what to do, but I don’t know. If the boyfriend of this guy is as ty as you say he is, maybe you should help him see that. Or you can just be honest with him about your feelings without disrespecting the relationship. I don’t know. I’m not an expert at this. Did I help?”

 

He scooted closer to me. “Yes, you did.” 

 

I noticed the close proximity, and almost thought nothing of it until Ravi started leaning in closer to me. Just as his lips were about to touch mine, I quickly snapped out of it and backed up. 

 

“What are you doing?”

 

He backed away a little. “I like you, Taemin.” He leaned in again to kiss me, but I put a stop to it. 

 

“Ravi, you know I have a boyfriend.”

 

“A ty one. A boyfriend you're fighting with and crying about."

 

"I don't care. I still love him. We're not even broken up."

 

"The dude hasn't contacted you for a week now. Who knows what he's been doing this whole time?"

 

"I know he would never cheat on me if that’s what you’re insinuating. So I'm not going to do the same to him."

 

"Oh, come on. I know you like me, Taemin, and I like you. Stop resisting our attraction to one another."

 

It was true that I thought he was charming, but my loyalty is with Minho. 

 

"Look, you're a great friend of mine, Ravi. I would really hate to ruin our friendship over something like this."

 

He put his head in his hands before groaning, "Why does he always win? Every ing time. He always wins!" 

 

I jumped in shock at his outburst. 

 

Ravi continued, "He won when he made it on the soccer team and I didn't. He won when we fought and I got suspended and he didn’t, and now he's winning by keeping your heart while I can't!" He picked up a vase on the nightstand and threw it against the wall, breaking it on impact. 

 

I placed a hand onto his back. “Ravi?”

 

He broke down. "I'm nothing but a ing loser!" 

 

I had no idea what had gotten into him. It was scary and confusing, but I was more worried for him than my own safety. I rubbed a hand on his back in an effort to console him. 

 

"Hey, hey. Don't say that about yourself-"

 

Without warning, I was cut off by Ravi grabbing my face and forcing his lips onto mine. I struggled to get him off, but he was stronger than me. Tears spilled down my cheeks as flashes of my old dance teacher appeared in my mind. The struggling, the screaming, the pain. It all rushed back like a fresh memory, a painful memory that I tried so hard to forget. 

 

I struggled even more as I felt him push me back onto the bed. “Ravi-“ I struggled to form a sentence as he attacked me mouth. 

 

He let out a moan, which triggered me because it reminded me of the moment my dance teacher moaned into my ear at the pleasure of hurting me. It made me feel so little and disgusted with myself. I attempted to beat his chest with me fists to get him off of me, but he grabbed both of my wrists with one of his hands while the other one kept a tight grip on my face. 

 

Even his tight grip reminded me of the teacher. I tried to scream, but it was muffled with his mouth over mine. Even if I could scream, no one would hear me over the loud music. I shut my eyes and sobbed as I realized that I was about to go through my worst nightmare all over again, and there was nothing I could do about it. 

 

Then, I thought about Minho. 

 

With as much strength as I could muster, I forcefully pushed Ravi away yelling, “Get off of me!”

 

Ravi looked stunned, quickly apologizing for what he’d done. “Sorry! I thought kissing you would help you realize your love for me. Please don't cry, Taemin."

 

He reached a hand out, almost touching my shoulder which caused me to scream, "Get the out!" But he didn’t get the memo. 

 

He attempted to grab me again. This time, I ran out the room into the hallway. I ran into the bathroom, locking myself inside. I slid down the bathroom door onto the floor, crying and trembling in shock at what had just happened. 

 

I’d never felt so scared in my life since that day with my dance teacher. Why would Ravi do something like that to me? Because he loved me? What type of nonsense was that? You don’t do something like that to someone you supposedly love. The fact that I had no answers only caused me to cry out more in frustration.

 

There was loud banging on the door. At first I thought it was someone from the party trying to use the restroom. That was until I heard his voice. “Taemin, I’m sorry! Please, let me in! Let me explain! I ed up, I know! I’m sorry, just please!”

 

I gripped my hair, curling into a ball as more tears ran down my face. Just hearing his voice brought fear into me. I didn’t even know how to explain it or comprehend it. Just the thought of reliving the horrible events that took place years ago frightened me. 

 

Suddenly, it made sense why he wanted me to get so wasted tonight. Was it his plan all along to do this to me? Did he want me to be so drunk that he could easily take advantage of me? I had no idea. 

 

All I knew was that I could never be around him ever again. 

 

Pretty soon, the banging on the door stopped after Ravi promised to wait for me. It was in that moment that I realized that he was my only ride home. There was no way I could be anywhere near him. Not after what he’d done to me. I also couldn’t walk home because I wasn’t in the right state of mind to be out at night by myself. 

 

I picked up my phone, struggling to look at it through my teary eyes, and called the only person I could think of at that moment — Minho. I hoped that in this moment, he would answer. I needed him. He was the only one that could make this situation any better. 

 

My heart dropped and more tears spilled down my cheeks when Minho didn’t answer. What more could I expect? 

 

I decide to leave a voicemail, hoping he’d have the decency to call me back. 

 

I sniffed as I tried to form coherent sentences. “I’m sorry for calling you so late. You’re probably sleeping right now. I love you so much Minho and I’m so sorry. I should’ve listened to you. You were right about Ravi. I should’ve never allowed myself to get close to him. Please, Minho. I need you right now. Please call me back.” 

 

I gripped my phone and squinted my eyes as more tears poured out of it. It had no one to talk to. Minho didn’t want to talk to me, Jongin was still overseas, Dad was busy with his perfect little family, and Daddy and Jonghyun were out on their date. I didn’t want to interrupt them. I’d never felt so alone than I did in that moment, and being alone was not the best idea. 

 

As much as I didn’t want to do it, I decided to call Jonghyun. It was my only option. Daddy would freak out if I told him where I was and I didn’t want to deal with that. Jonghyun would understand. I knew I could count on him. 

 

I dialed his number and he quickly answered, him and daddy giggling in the background before saying hello. “Hey, Taemin. What’s up?”

 

I tried to hold in a sob, but that was a failed attempt. “Can you please pick me up?”

 

“Are you crying?”

 

I sniffed. “Just please come get me. It’s urgent.” I heard my dad ask something in the background. “Please don’t bring him.”

 

It was silent for awhile before he cleared his throat. “Just send me the address. I’ll be there as soon as possible. We’re leaving the restaurant now.”

 

“Thank you,” I whispered before hanging up the phone. 

 

I felt horrible for ruining their date. It’s not their fault that my life was so hectic. However, I had no other option. I don’t think I’d be able to survive a car ride with Ravi. 

 

Until Jonghyun came, I stayed in the bathroom for the rest of the party, much to the disappointment of a few people who had to use the restroom. I didn’t care, though. If anything had happened to me in that bedroom, those people would’ve let it happen because they would’ve been too drunk to do anything about it. I couldn’t count on anyone in that moment but myself. 

 

My tears had finally subsided by the time Jonghyun texted me that he was outside. I stood up and slowly opened the door, peeking my head out to see if anyone was standing there, more importantly Ravi. Thankfully, I was alone when I stepped out. 

 

There was still a lot of people at the party, which was fine by me because it would allow for me to escape unnoticed. I made it to the front door when I noticed Ravi sitting solemnly on the couch. My heart began to race in fear again and I took off before he could notice me leave. 

 

I’d never been happier to see Jonghyun’s sports car in my life. I quickly ran across the lawn and opened the passenger of the car before plopping down and curling up into a ball in the seat. 

 

There was a moment of silence before he commented. “Wild party, huh?”

 

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

 

“Fair enough.” He put the car in drive and headed home. 

 

It was silent the whole time aside from the music on the radio. Thankfully, it was a short drive. I just wanted to lay down and not think about anything. I just wanted to escape my own thoughts. 

 

When we walked into the house, daddy was already standing by the door with his arms crossed, ready to argue. “Where were you? Is that the smell of alcohol-“

 

He was cut off when Jonghyun gave him a look that said ‘not now.’ He looked back at me noticing something was off. “What’s wrong, Taemin?”

 

“Nothing,” I attempted to walk off, but he blocked my path. 

 

“Last time you said that, I let it go. Not this time. Not when you’re coming in with swollen red eyes and smelling like alcohol. No more secrets, Taemin. Where were you? What happened?”

 

I looked down as tears began to well up in my eyes. I was sick of crying. “Can I go to my room now?”

 

“Taemin-“

 

“Kibum-“

 

“No, Jonghyun. I’m sick of you two keeping things from me. I’m sick of being left out of the loop. I’m sick of being clueless about what’s going on in my own household with my own child. Now, Taemin, lets go in the living room and talk about this.” 

 

He grabbed my wrist in an attempt to guide me to the living room, but he stopped when I screamed out in pain. I hadn’t noticed how sore and sensitive my wrists were from Ravi’s grip. 

 

Daddy looked at my wrists in confusion before noticing the red bruise marks on both of them that were in the shape of fingers. He gasped, “Who did this to you?”

 

I crossed my arms to hide my wrists from their sight. “No one-“

 

“Don’t lie to me!” His voice cracked and his eyes watered. “Tell me right now, Taemin. Stop hiding things from me and let me be the one to protect you for once.” 

 

Seeing him cry always made me cry. I looked down, avoiding eye contact as I whispered, “Ravi.” I closed my eyes as the tears continued to roll down my cheeks. 

 

I felt daddy’s arms around me as he cried as well. I explained, “It was so scary, daddy. He forced himself onto me and all I could think about was my dance teacher. He only kissed me, but it was still horrible. So, so horrible and terrifying.”

 

His grip tightened around me. “Oh, baby. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to protect you. I’m so sorry that someone who’s supposed to be your friend actually did his to you.” He pulled away to look at me. “Taemin, we have to press charges-“

 

“No! Please. I don’t even want to think about it anymore. It’ll just cause more problems.”

 

“But it’s ual assault. He forced you into doing something you didn’t want to do. Doesn’t matter if he went all the way or not. We can’t let him get away with that-“

 

“Key,” Jonghyun interrupted while rubbing daddy’s arm. “This was a very traumatic experience for him. He should be the one to decide what actions to take. If he doesn’t feel comfortable pressing charges, then he doesn’t have to-“

 

“But-“

 

“We just need to be here for him, Bummie.”

 

He sighed before wiping the tears off my cheeks, which only got replaced with more. “I love you so much, Taemin.”

 

“I love you, too. I’m sorry for not listening to you. This is all my fault. If only I’d listened to you, I would’ve never been in this situation-“

 

“Don’t blame yourself. Don’t you dare do that. No matter how many poor decisions you make, you are not to blame for other people’s actions. That boy knew exactly what he was doing. So don’t you dare blame yourself, do you hear me?”

 

I nodded. There wasn’t really anything I could say. I couldn’t help feeling guilty. As much as I wanted to place all the blame on Ravi, I felt like I played a part in it. If I’d stayed home and not get persuaded into partying and getting drunk, I would be ok. If I’d listened to Minho all this time, we’d still be talking right now. But no. I had to be defiant. If you asked me, I had it coming. 

 

“How long am I grounded for?”

 

Daddy shushed me as he kissed my cheek. “Let’s not worry about that right now, ok? Why don’t you go and get washed up and ready for bed?”

 

“Can I sleep in your room tonight? I don’t want to be alone.”

 

“Of course, baby. Of course.”

 

Jonghyun added, “I’ll sleep on the couch so you can be more comfortable in the bed.”

 

Daddy kissed his cheek saying, “Thank you.” Jonghyun kissed him back before walking off to grab some extra blankets. 

 

Daddy turned his attention back to me. “Are you hungry? I can make some soup for you. Or we can stay up and watch movies while eating popcorn. Or we can play board games-“

 

“Daddy? I just want to sleep.”

 

He nodded while smoothing my hair down. “Ok. Ok we can do that. You can shower in my room if you want.” I nodded. I needed to be as close to him as possible. 

 

“Thanks.”

 

I took a quick shower and we got into the bed soon after. Jonghyun told us goodnight before he left to go downstairs. I felt bad for kicking him out of his own room, but I would only feel comfortable with daddy in the bed. No one else. I’m just so appreciative that he understands that. 

 

I lied on daddy’s chest and he wrapped his arms around me as we watched some movie on Netflix. He softly played in my hair the whole time, which quickly lulled me to sleep. The last thing I heard was him whisper ‘goodnight Taemin,’ before I was knocked out. 

 

It was the first time I hadn’t cried myself to sleep the whole week. 

---

 

I know, I’m evil 😭! But hey! Two updates in the same month? I’m proud of myself! 

I promise things will get better for Taemin. He just has to go through a lot of crappy situations for the beautiful moments to come through. I haven’t forgotten about Jinki at all. He’s still going to have an important role in this story especially with his side family. I just have to figure out where I’ll write him in. If you guys have any ideas, feel free to let me know. 

My trip to Bulgaria is getting closer and I’m nervous but excited! I won’t have any cell service while over there, so hopefully whenever I get around WiFi, I’ll be able to update. 

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed. And as I said before, good things will come for Taemin. Just gotta get through the bad stuff first. And we’ll definitely be hearing from Minho next chapter. ^.~