Fifteen year old Nolani Valez stares adamantly at her reflection in the mirror. A set of broad, bony shoulders, paling golden skin, and unruly brown curls peer back at her. She cringes at the unpleasant sight before, the dark circles under her eyes and the flat surface of her chest. She looked nothing like the girls in her neighborhood, curvy and shapely, and she was nothing like her sisters, who had guys lining up to date them, rather she’s just plain Nolani, thin and awkward Nolani.

 

“Leylanie hurry up, or we’ll be late!”

 

Rolling her eyes at the unfitting nickname, Nolani dresses quickly, throwing on her silk, lavender long-sleeved dress with an adorning bow in the back and a pair of simple black heels. Swiping a hair tie off of her dresser as she breezes out of her room.

 

“You look nice” Angela, her sister, muses, giving her an approving look.

 

Though technically, no one in the house is blood related, they still considered themselves family. They had grown up together in the tiny home tucked in the corner of one of the poorer neighborhoods. A foster home that fell to poverty, but somehow managed, albeit barely. The government had long stopped assisting them, and only by the grace of Nia, her eldest sister, is it still functioning with her working two jobs, on top of taking care of them all. It’s difficult, but they make it work.

 

Angela seizes the hair tie from her, tying her hair up into a tight bun atop of Nolani’s head as the pair descend the stairs, the rest of the family awaiting them.

 

“Have them back by six”

 

Nia rolls her eyes at Todd as she ushers the children out of the house. Mr. Todd, their adoptive father, had long since lost himself, to alcohol. He was once so full of life, always smiling and playful, encouraging and teaching them, but all of that changed after his wife passed a few winters ago. It had hurt, not just them, but the family in general, since they had all grown to love the couple. She had been Nolani’s favorite, Mrs. Todd, because she had been so kind and gentle, always encouraging the shy, unruly haired girl from Kenya to play with the other kids. The house became a little less homely after that and Mr. Todd began sending Nia out for more than just cigarettes.

 

Nolani offers a bright smile to Mr. Todd whose too busy eying Nia wearily to notice. She pats his shoulder then, gently grabbing the beer clutched loosely in his hands and tossing it in the trash. When she glances back he shakes his head at her with a small smile, but says nothing else as he turns away, the door slamming closed behind him.  

 

The walk to church is long, but filled with chatter and laughter. They walk in pairs, as strictly instructed by Nia and everyone moans and complains about how their teenagers, almost adults, but Nolani just smiles and does as instructed because it reminds her of when they were kids and Mrs. Todd would sing to them on the way to Church, only pausing to scold them when they would get too close to the street or too far from her sights.

 

“I need to talk to you”

 

She’s broken from her reminiscence when Angel shoots her a mildly troubled look, grabbing her arm and pulling them behind the rest of the group.

 

“We have to stay with the others-“

 

“I know, we’ll catch up” Her voice lowers to a murmur and she’s staring firmly at the ground, insistently avoiding Nolani’s gaze.

 

“Angela, what’s going on?” She asks finally, the behavior of other girl starting to scare her.

 

“I think… I may be- I mean- Ithinkimpregnant” It comes out as a jumble, but Nolani recoils back nonetheless, yanking her hand from the elder girl’s.

 

“You think?” It comes out harsher than intended, but Nolani’s a little too shocked to care.

 

“Yes, I think, as in I’m not sure which is why I need you to-“

 

“Oh no! I’m not getting involved in-in this” As if to emphasize her point she motions towards Angela’s midsection, which is covered by the frilly material of her dress.

 

Silence envelopes the pair then, Angela looking a mixture of remorseful and desperate, and Nolani really tries to muster her resolve, but in the end she really can’t leave the elder hanging, especially in a situation as such.

 

“Fine” She mutters and that’s all it takes for Angela to grab the other and squeeze her in a tight hug.

 

“You’re the best, Lani. I’m just too afraid to tell Nia right now, okay? You understand, right?”

 

Nolani nods, because Nia had a tendency to come off as strongly opinionated and rash, but they all knew it was due to the stress of carrying the weight of a poverty stricken foster family.

 

“Good, I need to get a test today, preferably. When we go back to the others, just go along with what I say, okay?”

 

Angela is already wrapping an arm around her, guiding her back to the others, before she has time to even blink.

 

“Where did you two slip off to?” Nia inquires, because she always had hawk eyes, nothing gets past her and Nolani briefly hopes Angela won’t actually have anything to hide. 

 

“Lani is not feeling good. She has a really bad headache.” Angela replies with a frown, hand coming up to rest on the younger’s forehead, while Nolani makes sure to lay it on thick, puffing her cheeks slightly and pouting.

 

“Fine, here take this. Go to the store and get Nolani some medicine, and go straight home after please.” With narrowed eyes Nia eyes them wearily, handing Angela twenty dollars.

 

“We will. I promise.” Angela says, clutching the money tightly with one hand, guiding Nolani away with the other. The others are too caught up in their own conversation to notice the two girls leaving, but Nia gives them one last suspicious glance before continuing on with the others.

 

“That was easy.” Angela laughs once they’re a ways away, nearing the closest convenience store.

 

“I don’t really think this is a laughing matter” Nolani scolds, pushing the elder’s hand off her shoulder.

 

“Oh, lighten up. You’re too uptight. That’s why none of the boys in the neighborhood like you.” Angela rolls her eyes, pushing the double doors to the store open and heading straight for

 

“That’s not true.” Nolani frowns, but deep down she knows, it is true. She had long since come to terms with her rather stiff and awkward disposition, but she figures everyone has their own quirks.

 

“It is, you need to loosen up.”

 

Nolani wants to say loosening up is probably what got Angela here in the first place as she watches her grab the first pregnancy test she sees, but opts for keeping shut and snagging a Snickers. The cashier’s eyes dart rapidly between the pair as he rings them up, eying them with much disbelief, but Angela just shrugs it off, snatching the bag and breezing out of the store, Nolani in tow.

 

They’ve just barely stepped foot out of the store when they almost bump into a group of rowdy girls, skirts too little and shirts too high.

 

“Angela” One of the girl’s smirks, apparently the ring leader with her bone straight jet black hair and bright red lipstick smudged at the corner.

 

“Min” Angela greets rather stiffly, but then a grin breaks out on her face as she pulls the other into an enthusiastic hug. The other girls squeal for some reason beyond Nolani, who seems to be the only one lost in the situation.

 

“Min, this is Nolani, my sister.” Sensing the confusion from the younger, Angela introduces the pair eagerly.

 

“That’s your sister? But, you two look nothing alike.” A red haired girl points out, face scrunched up in confusion and Nolani really can’t help herself when she rolls her eyes.

 

“Adoptive sister” She clarifies, earning various “oh’s” and a few frowns at her unfavorable tone.

 

“We were just about to get some drinks until we hit the bar later. Want to come?” Min asks.

 

Nolani thinks the girl doesn’t need to be hitting any bars later, because her words are already slurred and she’s leaning on the red head for support.

 

“Sure” Angela readily agrees, promptly ignoring the look her younger sister is sending her way.

 

 

 

_ _ _

 

 

 

They end up at Min’s house, a tiny house tucked in the corner of an alley. It’s junky, purses, heels, and random makeup strewn everywhere and Nolani is not surprised when the dark haired girl informs them that she lives alone.

 

“You two can’t go to the bar like that.”   The red head, Jia, informs them, as Min tries to practically shove beers in their hands.

 

Nolani politely declines with the shake of her head, while Angela hesitantly accepts, earning a look of disapproval from the younger. The elder just shrugs, excusing herself to go use the bathroom, but Nolani doesn’t miss the bag tightly tucked in her hand. Min stares after her under her bangs in confusion.

 

“Uh, I don’t have a change of clothes.” Nolani addresses Jia, but the red head just shares a look with Min that makes her twist her fingers in anxiousness.

 

“Don’t worry, you and Min look to be about the same size.” Jia says then, jumping up from her previous position on the bed with a brunette named Naomi and a blonde they called Michelle. The pair giggle as Jia sorts through random clothes in the closest while Min shakes her head before leaving the room all together, apparently not minding her wardrobe being raided.  

 

“Here, you can wear this”

 

Nolani stares at the piece of material Jia considers a skirt, if you could consider it that, that she knows won’t make it past mid-thigh and the sheer crop top that might as well be see through, with the highest pair of heels that she’s ever seen in her life.

 

“Absolutely no-“

 

“You’re too uptight. You need to loosen up.”

 

Angela’s words ring loudly in her head, and she figures, what’s the harm in a little fun? She was getting tired of being plain old, good girl Nolani and there was no point in denying it.

 

“Okay” She agrees then, easily and even Jia has the decency to look surprised as she shoves the outfit in the younger’s hands, pushing her into the hallway toward the bathroom. Min waves drunkenly at her from the kitchen with a wobbly grin, but she ignores the elder, knocking gently on the bathroom door. Angela cracks the door open not a second later, pulling the younger into the bathroom.

 

“It was negative.” She says almost immediately, scooping Nolani into a hug as the younger squeals in relief.

 

“Hurry up in there!” Min exclaims followed by a drunken hiccup, banging on the door and successfully scaring the sisters, who jump, leaning on each other as they laugh at the intoxicated girl.

 

 

_ _ _

 

 

Its hours later when the sun has begun sinking low beyond the horizon when they stumble out of Min’s house down the alleyway, makeup fresh, stumbling in their heels. They giggle uncontrollably under the influence of the beers Jia had purchased earlier. Nolani inquires how they’re going to get into the bar if they’re all underage, but Min just waves her off while the others laugh, so she decides to just go with it.

 

When they arrive at the bar, Jia whispers something to the bouncer and he immediately lets them through, telling them rather stiffly not to cause any trouble as they enter. The bar is immensely crowded, men chugging beers and stuffing wings and fries into their mouths while women hang on their shoulders, batting their eyelashes and flirting shamelessly.

 

It definitely wasn’t Nolani’s scene, but she musters whatever courage she can, strutting up to the bar alongside Min, who’s already shouting for a round of beers. The other girls slip in easily, hanging off the stools on the prowl for men, even Angela, but Nolani’s not really surprised at this point. She jumps involuntarily when a beer slides in front of her. Angela gives her a look that says, just drink it, so she does.

 

It tastes disgusting and she struggles not to spit it up or choke. A hand starts patting her back and she turns to thank Angela except she’s not even sitting beside her anymore, there’s just an empty stool. Slowly, she turns to her left only to come face to face with a raven haired boy, eying her with a wry expression.

 

“I think water will suite you better” He speaks up after a small pause, pushing the beer away and motioning at the bartender for a glass of water.

 

“I-uh.. Thank you?” Nolani mutters, not quite sure what to say to the stranger. He looks older than her, but not quite old enough to be in such a setting either, but she adds it to the maturity that seems to radiate from him.

 

“Why are you thanking me? Here, drink this.” He pushes the water toward her when the bartender places it down and she doesn’t hesitate in taking a sip in effort to get rid of the horrid beer taste.

 

“How old are you?” The stranger asks finally, once her face is no longer scrunched up from the beer.

 

“First, tell me your name” She’s not quite sure what possesses her to make such a demand, but she figures it’s only fair.

 

“Lee Sunghwa, but just call me Gray, that’s what my friends call me anyway-“

 

“What kind of nickname is Gray? Is that your favorite color or something?” She snorts, but then freezes, eyes widening when she realizes she’s voiced her thoughts.

 

“Yes” He blinks, looking rather unfazed for the most part.

 

“Oh, well I’m Nolani, Nolani Valez. I have like a hundred nicknames though, Leylanie, Lani-“

 

“Hey! Get up here!” It’s Min, beyond inebriated, shirt hanging a little too low as she kneels on top of the bar, grinning. Nolani moves to pull the elder’s shirt up, but Min uses that opportunity to yank the younger’s hand, Jia stumbling over to push her up.

 

Her face must display the horror she feels once she’s fully seated atop the bar, because Gray laughs. Min grins at him like she knows him before crawling down the other end of the bar, Jia wobbling behind her.

 

“Gray!”

 

Nolani watches as said boy whips around on his stool, his attention turned to a group of boys who look a bit older than him, but they’re waving at him enthusiastically nonetheless, motioning him over.

 

“I gotta go” He says, rising from his stool, shaking his head with a small smile when he catches her eying the glass of beer Min slides her way with thinly veiled disgust.

 

“It was nice meeting you!” She smiles up at him then, suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious under his gaze as she tries to tug her skirt down a little.

 

“Jal isseo(1)”

 

Before she voice her confusion, he’s already halfway through the crowd, his friends eying her curiously from their position by the door. When he reaches them, they point adamantly at her, seemingly inquiring about her, but he just waves them off, sparing her one last glance before disappearing out the door, the others following him moments later.

 

“What’s wrong?” Angela asks, slipping an arm around her sister’s shoulder.

 

“Nothing” Nolani murmurs, but her eyes never stray from the door the rest of the night, nor does the name Gray leave her mind.

 

 

 

---

(1) Take Care

-Gray is 17 in this chapter