Ugh! I don't want to got to school today! I lie in bed, wrapped around my warm blanket, staring up at the ceiling. I have calmed down now, after crying for a while. Crying helped and when I woke up the next morning I felt better and the burden in my chest, gone. The pent up feelings from yesterday are now gone, but the memories are not. I roll over in bed, covering my face. Why in the world did I confess? If I had just held it in a little longer Tao would have never known! Stupid! Idiot! Fool! Pulling my blanket over my head I imagine meeting Tao at school. It was going to be extremely awkward and embrassing, just thinking about it feels like torture!

          After debating with myself I finally forced myself to go to school. What was I getting scared for? I take a deep breath and enter the school gates. Taking my bike I chain it with the rest of the other bikes and walk inside the school. Luckily I didn't meet Tao in the hallway, however I totally forgot about Ice. I walk into my classroom to find him sitting at my desk. I stand there for a minute, the wheels in my brain working to figure out how I was going to get him to leave my desk.

Ice spots me and smirks. I slowly walk over, "Um, could you get out of my seat?"  His cold blue eyes glimmer, "Your seat? Does it have your name written on it?"  Jaws clenched, I repeat, "Could you please get out of my seat? Class is about to start." I didn't feel like being mean today, but if he didn't move I will have to pull out the Ha Na trick. Seeing my expression Ice narrows his eyes at me, "Don't even think about it. I warned you last time."

"I won't if you get out of my seat."   Abruptly standing up, he knocks my chair over, grabbing me by the collar, "Keep this up and I'll really kill you."  He lets go of me, blowing a cold gust of air in my face, "What's so great about you?" he hisses. I pick up my chair and sit down. I have no clue either.

          "I have something exciting to announce," Na Hee says. Everyone in Exo turn to look at her. "What's the news?" Sehun asks. I swallow my rice as I avoid looking at Tao, concentrating on Na Hee instead. Na Hee smiles at everyone, nervously tugging at her sleeves, something I never noticed before. Had it always been a habit of hers to tug on her sleeves or did I just never noticed? Haru who is sitting beside Na Hee smiles widely, she definitely knew what the news was.

Na Hee takes a deep breath, "Me and Luhan are officially dating!" Luhan stands up at the mention of his name. Chanyeol, Sehun, Suho, D.O., Xiumin, Lay, Chen, Kris, Kai, and Baekhyun clap loudly, oohing at Luhan. Tao on the otherhand, upon hearing the news choked on his soup. Taek Gu, looking equally shocked, smacks Tao loudly on the back as he coughs.

"You okay Tao?" Baekhyun asks. Tao gulps down a cup of water, "Yeah, I'm fine, just choked a little."  From the very beginning it was obvious that Tao, Luhan, and Taek Gu had a thing for Na Hee, I noticed it oftern, but I could never be sure if she would choose any of them. Luhan and Na Hee were constantly fighting, Na Hee disliked Taek Gu-alot- and Tao and her never really seemed to spend that much time with each other. In the end she chose the overprotective Luhan. Not that I was saying that was a bad thing, Luhan's overprotectiveness showed how much he cared about Na Hee.

Out of the corner of my eyes I look at Tao and Taek Gu to see how they would handle Na Hee's news. Both seemed to be hiding it pretty well, clapping their hands and congratulating Luhan and Na Hee. It hurts to be rejected, as I had learned yesterday, and watching Tao and Taek Gu act as if they were unaffected draws out a sigh of empathy.

          In the hall someone calls outs, "Eun Jung, wait!"  I don't want to turn around, recognizing the voice to be Tao, but I do anyways. Even though he rejected me, my stupid heart still doesn't know when to give up. "Tao," I say quietly. We both stand, facing each other awkwardly, "How should I..." begins Tao, "look ......Eun Jung, I know you don't want to talk to me, but I want to apologize. I'm sorry that I can't return your feelings for me. You're a nice girl and all, I'm just..." and the whole time I'm thinking, do we really have to have this conversation in the middle of the hallway? Anyone walking by would overhear everything! "not interested in you in that way."

I exhale, tellling my heart to be silent. I'm tired of crushes and I also want to get this over with. I smile at Tao, "It's okay. You don't have to worry about me. I'm strong," even if I am a coward and always am running away from him. Tao's shoulders relax, "So we're good?"  I nod, "Um, yeah."

          Riding down the sidewalk, the warm spring breeze that hints of a hot summer lightly brushing my face, I feel happy and free for the first time in a long while. It's over. It's finally over! The chaotic storm of feelings and emotions were finally gone. Happily I swerve around a mother holding her child's hand. I look up at the darkening pink and violet sky of golden clouds, closing my eyes for a quick second, then quickly opeining them again in case I crash into someone. Remembering that I have some cash with me I decide to stop and get a drink. Slowing down my bike I stop at the same convenince store I had stopped at for the first time---which was a semester back. Today would be my second time.

As I walk in I realize just how long ago that was, right before things got chaotic and right after I joined Exo. Walking down the drinks aisle I remember being chased down the hill on my bike by Luhan as he tried to convince me to join Exo---and me almost getting hit by a car.

I grab a watermelon flavored drink from the refridgerator and take it to the cash register. No one was standing at the counter. I look around for the clerk, wondering if Taek Gu still works here. I peer into the storage room and can hear someone in the back. I stare at my drink wondering if I should take it with me while I go see if the clerk's back there or leave it on the counter. I stare at the storage room door then back at my drink. What does it matter? Taking my drink I walk towards the storage room, just as the clerk comes out carrying a box. I almost bump into him, but manage to scurry back in time. That was close.

"Um, I need someone at the cash register," I say to the clerk. Back turned to me he says, "Okay, okay, I'm coming." Yep, that sounds like Taek Gu, I guess he does still work here. Setting the box down behind the counter he turns to me. "Long time no see Eun Jung," he chirps. "Um, hi," I  place my drink on the counter. Taek Gu grabs it and scans the bottle. I wait for him to bag it, but he doesn't, he just stands there looking off into space. I wait a little longer for him to snap back to reality, but he doesn't.

"Um, Taek Gu?" I ask quietly. No response. I wave my hands in front of his eyes, "Taek Gu?" I call louder. He blinks, "What?" he growls, sounding annoyed. I step back, putting my hand down. "My drink," I simply reply. He makes a move to scan it again. "Um! You...already scanned it."  He mutters something under his breath, then to me, "One dollar." I search my bookbag and hand him a five dollar bill. "Seriously?" he asks, raising a brow. Deja vu hits me as I remember him saying the exact same thing the first time. I supress a grin of amusement. The oddities of life.

As Taek Gu gets my change for me I wonder if he's still feeling down about Na Hee dating Luhan. "Four dollars," he gruffly hands me the money. I stretch out my hand, letting him drop the change in my hands without having to touch. Even now I wonder if he said what he said before because he really didn't like being touched by ugly girls or not. Taking my drink in the plastic bag he hands me I head out the door.

Right before I leave, hands ready to push the door open, I turn around. Why am I even doing this? I feel foolish as I say, "Um, you know , I got rejected too. By Tao."  That shook him out of his daze, "Wait, what? You like Tao?"  I regret this, but it was too late now, "Um, yeah, so we're the same now, too...." ending it awkwardly. Wow, what an awesome attempt at being nice by trying to comfort him. And this is why I don't talk alot because I'm not too great at it. "Well, um, just wanted to let you know," I add and walk out the door.

          I'm folding the laundry in the living room when Aunt arrives home. "You're early today."  Aunt sighs and sinks into the couch, "I was let off early." There's silence as Aunt lies on the couch, eyes closed while I fold the clothes. "When is your friend coming over?" Aunt asks. I look up, "Na Hee? Oh, um, I haven't invited her yet."  "You should, I want to meet her. You're not lying are you?" Aunt eyes me suspiciously.

"I'm not," I assure her, "if I really didn't have a friend I would have told you so."  Aunt smiles,"True. You used to say that before you didn't have any friends." I don't say anything, continuing to fold clothes. "How many friends do you have so far? Just one?" Aunt sits up as she asks me. Let me see Exo made twelve, Na Hee one, Haru one, and Taek Gu made one so.... "Fifteen."  Aunt's eyes nearly pop out of her head, "Fifteen? So soon?"  I shrug, "I don't know how it happened either," but that was a lie. It all started with a secret.