Maybe I shouldn’t do what I did, but I really like the lake and I have fun there. Yerim mad at me more than Mama. I know my sister is short-temper, but she doesn’t even talk to me up until now.

Desire and I are a team. We keep our secret, secret. I’m glad he didn’t take Destiny with us to the lake, because she can be annoying sometime, and the grownups would know about the lake by now from .

This morning Mama drives me and Yerim to school. I’m not allowed to go straight home after school, Mama will pick me up again and take me with her to work. That’s a punishment for me. “Mama, can I go home after school?” I ask her. At least I have to try.

“No, baby, I’m sorry.” Mama says.

“I will have a lot of homework.” I pout. Mama says I’m cute and irresistible when I’m being like this. It’s one of my charms she says.

“Don’t even try, you brat.” Yerim hisses. “If you do something again, I will take you to the restaurant with force by myself.”

“With what, Yerim? You can’t even drive and you don’t have boyfriend now!”

“I have money. I can always call a cab!”

“Why does she have money and I don’t?” I ask my Mama about this new information.

“They love me more than they love you.” She smirks annoyingly. I can see that from the rearview mirror.

“Yerim-ah,” Mama warns her. She glances at me and caresses my head. “That’s not true, baby. We give allowance to your sister because Yerim needs it for her school projects.”

“I have school projects too!”

“Baby, you have homework.” Mama chuckles.

“Yes, baby.” Yerim mocks me.

“I’m not a baby!”

“You’ll always be a baby.” My sister is super annoying. She ruffles my hair and squeezes my cheeks from behind.

“I won’t!” I slap her hands away. “I will grow up and outgrow you, shortie!”

“Did you just call me short?”

“Yes, I did! I will get taller than you in no time!”

“You little –”

“Bae Yerim,” Mama’s tone is low and dangerous. “Get back to your seat, and stop teasing your brother.” I turn half of my body to face my sister and stick my tongue out at her. “And you, Kang Mirae,” Oh no… “You can’t call your sister shortie.”

“But she’s short!”

“Still, you can’t call her like that.”

“She calls me baby, Mama!”

Mama sighs, “She’s not wrong though. You’ll always be our baby, because –” She quickly adds when she sees me about to open my mouth to protest, “You’re so precious to us and we love you very much. Yerim’s calling you baby not for insult, but you called her shortie to mock her.”

“She’s short.” I mumble under my breath.

“I hear that!” Yerim throws a head pillow at me.

“You two, stop,” Mama sternly says and we comply obediently. Mama calls us by our full name to warn us (like give a warning), but me and my sister know when Mama doesn’t even use our name it means she’s on the verge of getting mad – but I haven’t seen her really mad though and I have no plan on it.

Minutes later we arrive at my school, Mama sending me off with kisses and hugs. Hey, don’t judge me. I already voiced out my protest, okay? But she insists I still need it. I’m glad Yerim doesn’t do that anymore. Only Mama and Mommy still do.

“Have fun at school, alright?” Mama fixes my hair gently.

School is not fun. The lake is. “Okay.” But what else can I say?

“Bye, Squirt,” Yerim bids her goodbye. “Don’t be such a spoiled brat, okay?” How I wish I can call her shortie in the face. But again, what else can I do?

I walk to the gate and turn around just to see Mama’s waving at me from the car. I wave her back and continue my walk. I see Mrs. Miller at the school entrance – if you don’t remember who she is, I will remind you. She’s my homeroom teacher when I was in 3rd grade and she hates me. Mama got her good, but guess what? She’s no longer teaching but the principal made her as his vice, so she’s pretty much in charge of every breath anybody takes at school.

I keep my head down around her and try to not get on her bad side, but unfortunately there’s a problem. It’s impossible to stay off Mrs. Miller’s bad side, because it’s the only one she’s got. “Hi, Squirt!” I hear Desire’s voice and the next thing I know that he’s already wrapped his hand around my shoulder. “I didn’t see you at parking lot.”

“Yeah, Yerim needs to be at her school early.” I tell her. “Where’s Destiny?”

“With the girls,” He answers, referring to his sister’s frie