Taemin P.O.V

It was hard to say goodbye to them again. It had been almost a year since we last saw each other and it had only been a couple of days now. As we had waved goodbye to the bus, I turned against Amber.

“I…” she looked at me.

“What?” she asked. I smiled a bit.

“I forgot. My mum… she is leaving town for some business trip tomorrow. If you want to, you can come over and we can practice our dance in the weekend without anyone disturbing?” She widened her eyes but nodded happy.

“That would be awesome! But…” she stopped, “is there any space for us to dance? I know that it’s a big house, but…”

“We have a little dance-studio in the basement,” I said, “not big but big enough…” her eyes were still widened.

“Like seriously?! Do you just have everything?!” she exclaimed. I smiled a bit and shook my head.

“I don’t. Yes, I have a lot of money, but…” I sighed and shook my head, “nevermind…” Amber looked at me, now concerned.
“Tae, are you okay? I’m sorry I asked…” I send her a smile.

“Yeah I’m fine. And don’t be,” I said, “I’ll text you when she is gone? I have to go home…” Amber nodded slowly.

“Okay… hey, call me if you… you know, needs to talk about something, okay?” I nodded.

“Neh… I’ll see you tomorrow hyung,” I gave her a fast hug and then turned around and walked against the busstop. I had to get away from people now, especially people I knew. The memories were taking over.

~ Flashback ~ 

I heard my mum open the door and my uncle’s voice greet. I sank. I had totally forgotten that. That he was coming, I mean…

“Taemin ah, your uncle is here,” she called, “come and greet him!” I curled up in the couch, trying to ignore her voice. I heard my uncle chuckle.

“I’ll just go to him,” he said, “when is the food ready?”

“In a half hour,” my mum answered, “I’m sorry for his behavior. Maybe he had a bad day at school,” she said. I bit my lip. I didn’t have a bad day. It was a great day! Sulli had birthday and we had played in class and gotten cake and candy. It was so fun! But now…

“Hello Taemin,” my uncle’s voice said in a friendly tone, “are you trying to hide? Why don’t you give me a hug?” I looked up and saw my uncle stand right in front of me with open eyes. I sank and got up.

“Hello,” I said and let him hug me. I felt his hand caress my back and shivered. His breathe also hit my neck like it was telling me what he was thinking of…

“Taemin ah? Mum’s work just called. I have to leave for an hour,” My uncle let go of me as my mum entered.

“Can’t I come with you?” I asked and looked pleading at her. She rolled her eyes.

“Of course not silly. Your uncle needs company and I really can’t have you with me to this.” Then she looked at my uncle, “the chicken is finish in a half hour. Just start eating without me, okay?”

“Quiet kid!” his hand slapped me, “we can’t have the neighbors hear us, can we?” I shook my head, even though I wanted to nod. It would just be worse if…

Something burnt reached my nose. The chicken… we had forgotten the chicken.

“Un- ah!” I screamed out in pain. Couldn’t he smell it? Couldn’t he…? Next thing I saw was flames in the door. I don’t know what I did after that. I felt some arms around me and…

~ End of Flashback ~ 

“Sir? Sir, are you okay?” I opened my eyes and looked confused around. More than five starring gazes reached me. I sank. I was still on the bus, wasn’t I? Did I scream?

“I… uh,” I said and stretched my back, “I’m… I’m fine, sorry,” I said and bowed my head, “I… I fell asleep. Nightmare,” I looked out of the window and saw my bus stop near. Thank God! I pressed the stop-button and got up.

“I’m sorry, I have to get off,” I bowed my head and almost ran out of the bus.

Amber P.O.V

“I’m sleeping at a friend’s place tomorrow,” I said at the dinner table, getting some sudden attention. I hadn’t said those words since… since we left the states I think?

“A… a friend?!” My mum choked, “who?! Is it someone…”

“You don’t know him,” I said.

“Him?” My dad asked. I sighed and rolled my eyes.

“It’s a new kid at school. We’re doing a dance-project together. For a competition,” I said and took a mouthful noodles.

“What competition?” Mum asked. I sighed. Why were they always like this? Seriously?

“Some dance-competition? Taemin and me got chosen with two others in our class as the best dancers. We have to compete against other couples at school…”

“Taemin? Is that the guy you were talking to at phone some days ago?” Mum asked. I nodded.

“Yes him…”

“Was he the one you went shopping with too? You came home with some new jeans,” my dad said. I looked at him. What dad knew which jeans were new and which weren’t? Seriously?!

“Yeah… him, Henry and some of Henry’s classmates,” I answered.

“Henry?! As in your cousin?” Mum asked. GOSH!

“Yes mum. And I’m sure I told you several times that Henry was in town,” I crossed my arms. My mum looked at dad.

“Did she?” Dad shook his head.

“Not what I remember…“

“She did,” Sam said, “two days ago. Even I remember that,” he rolled his eyes. I send him a smile. Finally some support here…

“Okay then… but back to topic,” mum looked at me again, “who is this Taemin? When can I meet him? Is he cute? Sweet? y?!” I am sure that I blushed now.

“Muuuuuuuum! Stop it!”  I said and held my hands against my cheeks. Now the twins both smirked evil.

“Amber is in love, Amber is in love, Amber is in looooooooove!”

“No I’m not!!!” I said, “he is just a good friend!”

“Yeah sure~” Kim said, “you never blush noona~”

From: Taemin ah~

: My mum just drove of. Come when you are ready :D

I yawned. What time was it now? Why text so- ouh… it was 1pm… I got up and looked around, stretching my arms. It hadn’t been that late last night, had it? I fast answered Taemin’s message, saying that I would be there in an hour or so before I got out of bed. The house seemed unusually quiet this morning and in the kitchen I found a post-it note, saying that my parents and the twins were at my grandparents place. I smiled and found some cereal. This would be a good day~ 

Taemin P.O.V

I was dancing around in the living room, wearing shorts and a girl’s shirt – something I only did in the weekends. I knew that Amber was coming but she wouldn’t mind, would she? She was wearing boys clothes all the time so I could wear a girl’s shirt sometimes couldn’t I?

“Taemin ah! I’m here!” I looked up and saw Amber stand in the door to the living room, “turn the music down!” she yelled. I blushed and fast did it. She chuckled.

“I waited outside in ten minutes before I decided that I could try to go in,” she said. I smiled a bit.

“Sorry,” I said, “I was just…”

“Dancing. I know the feeling,” Amber sat her sportsbag down, “are you ready for the dance?” I nodded.

“Neh… do you have any shoes to dance in?” I asked. She nodded and found some trainingshoes.

“Yes… you, know, I thought of something last night,” she said as she sat on the floor to take on her shoes. I looked at her, curious.

“What?” I asked. She looked up at me.

“Genderswitch.” She said teasingly, “you know, you look a lot like a girl and I look like a boy… couldn’t it be fun?” I widened my eyes.

“Say what?!” I asked, “are you going to put me in a dress then?! And high heels?!” I exclaimed, “Amber~” She laughed.

“You are already wearing girl’s clothes so I don’t see the problem!”

“Am not!” She send me the elevator-glare.

“Look at yourself boy. Your body is girlier than mine, you’re wearing a girl’s shirt and it suits you! You can do it!”

I have no idea about how I agreed to do this. Genderswitch, seriously?! How did Amber win this? Well, she won and it resulted her forcing me in heels she had brought so I could practice. Most embarrassing thing ever, I swear. Amber was laughing her of as I tried to walk around in the heels.

“Yah! Can you do any better huh?!” I asked annoyed. She laughed.

“I don’t think so… but it’s hilarious anyways,” she said and got up, “nownow… I studied some dances on YouTube last night…” I sank. What did she have in mind?

“Amber you do know that I already look gay in other people’s eyes, right?” I asked. She looked at me.

“What’s the problem then?” I sighed.

“You owe me big time after this,” I mumbled. She laughed.

“Orh come one. I’m dressing up as a guy, right?”

“Not helping,” I crossed my arms, “everybody thinks that you’re a guy anyway. But I am a guy!”

“I know dear,” she teased, “come on! It will be fun! I promise!”

Amber P.O.V

This was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen and done, really! We used all day by getting Taemin used to the heels and coming up with the idea for the choreography. He ended up liking it and enjoying it just as much as me, something I found hilarious. That guy, seriously…

“We should stop now,” Taemin said and looked at the clock, “if we’re going to dance just a bit tomorrow…”

“What time is it?” I asked. He smiled.

“Half past midnight,” he said, “and I’m exhausted!” I widened my eyes. Half past midnight?! But hadn’t we just ate?!

A half hour later, we lay in Taemin’s bedroom. I had a madras on floor, he laid his bed beside me. The light was turned of and I could only see his silhouette.

“Amber?” I heard him turn in the bed, maybe facing me now?

“Neh?” I said, “what is it Tae?” He hesitated before he answered me.

“I… I can trust you, right? You won’t tell anything to anybody, would you?” his voice was suddenly very fragile. I sat up and shook my head in the dark.

“No Taemin… of course not,” I said serious. I could see that he sat up too.

“I… do you remember one of the comments I got the first day? Just when we met?” he asked. I tried to think back.

“I… ? Or…”

“After that… just before you said I could sit with you,” he whispered. 

“I…”

“The one with ual harassment,” he whispered, making me widen my eyes.

“Taemin, I know that it isn’t true… it can’t be… can it?” I could hear him sink his spit.

“I… Amber, I was the… I was the one,” he whispered, “who got used… abused…”

“What?! Taemin what-”

“My uncle,” he said, “I was ten… it happened every week… until that day came… that day…” I could hear sobs come from him, “my mum had made chicken but had to go… my uncle should look after both me and it, but he forgot the chicken… the apartment burned down… I survived but he didn’t…” Now he obviously cried, “Amber I’m the reason he died… I am… I survived but he didn’t… no one believed me… no one believed me when I… when I told them about… about what he did to me…” as he talked I went up in the bed to him and laid my arms around him.

“Taemin ah…”

“Is it wrong that I… that I don’t miss him?”

The next morning when I woke up, I was lying in Taemin’s bed, my arms around him and he sleeping peacefully against my body. It kind of felt nice… really nice actually.

“Hyung?” his sleepy voice said and he opened his eyes. Okay, he didn’t sleep…

“Good morning Tae,” I said, “did you sleep well?” he nodded and yawned. Then he slowly pulled away.

“I’m sorry hyung…” he said, “just… just forget about… about this night,” he was whispering, “I… I shouldn’t have told you…” I shook my head and sat up.

“Don’t be sorry Taemin ah,” I said, “I wanna listen to those things if you feel you can tell me. You can tell me…” I said, “so don’t be sorry…” He sat up too.

“But… I am sorry…” he whispered, “you shouldn’t…” I shook my head.

“No. I don’t wanna hear you apologizing!”

“But hyung-”

“No Taemin ah! I’m your friend remember? And friends have to be there for each other, right?” He nodded and looked down. I smiled.

“Good… now, let me make us some breakfast… if you allow me to use the kitchen, I mean…”