(Just want to remind you guys that Thea, and Taehyung are both 10 at the time, but I will have them grow older. XD just making sure you knew that while reading this)

Chapter 2- Define Love For Me

Taehyung’s Pov

February 13, 2010

Thump!   “Ouch!~  What the heck?”

Turning my head, I looked to see I had face planted onto my room’s cold hardwood floor off my bed. My mom’s swift feet came running into my room with sound of the door flying open. Squinting my eyes from my morning sleep still caking the corners of my eyelids, I saw her worried face looking upon me. I laughed at her, and it soonly turned to a frown of disappointment.

“You are your father’s son.” A laugh crossed her comforting face as she shook her head. “Get up Tae. It’s already ten o’clock.” Before walking away, she quickly spun around with a challenging smirk catching me slightly off guard. “I’m going to eat all the blueberry pancakes if you’re not ready in ten minutes!!” Racing off she laughed hysterically with her plan of mischief set in place.

My eyes widened dispersing my laziness in split seconds.. Blueberry pancakes?!

“Yah!! Those are my favorite!” I said hopping off the ground trying to find some clean jeans, and a t-shirt. I had set some jeans on my bookshelf last night where are they?! Growling in frustration, I ran my fingers through my hair. Sometimes I wish I was organized person. But that thought quickly stopped when I saw them hanging on my door nob ready to go at anytime. Nope. Nevermind that, I thought with a smirk gliding across my face. I slipped them on in no time, and dashed out my bedroom door.

“You better not eat them all you pig!!” I shouted running down the hall. Jumping in the kitchen table seat, I watched her with anticipation as she finished up at the griddle.

My mom turned around from the stove smiling to set a pancake on a plate that laid in front of me. With no need to think, I quickly dug into my breakfast.

“Thanks Eomma!” Even though I could have been barely understood by a random person because of the food still in my mouth, she knew what I had meant. Ruffling my hair, she planted a kiss on my head. I knew my little brother had gone to a boarding school so he would be away for a while, but I didn’t see my older sister anywhere to be found.

“Where’s noona?”

“She stayed over at a friend’s house last night.”

I raised my eyebrow with suspicion with a protective brother look. It was the day before Valentine’s Day, and even though I trusted my sister, I didn’t trust boys.

“Are you sure she’s with a friend?” Stuffing my face with a second pancake, I tried not to make eye contact with my mother because I didn’t want to receive a scolding look.

She rolled her eyes. “Of course I’m sure. I called to check with the other mother. What kind of mom do you think I am?” She said teasingly scrunching her nose at me.

“A mom who threatens to eat all the blueberry pancakes like a pig.”

A wop from a warm spatula came with a smack on my head. It wasn’t that hard of a hit, but I decided to exaggerate for fun.

“Ahh~! Hey there! That’s child abuse!!” I got up and pointed my finger at her as she laughed. Her eyes widened, and she made her way toward me. Gulping down my liquid courage of orange juice, I took a step back, and stuck my tongue out at her.

“That’s not child abuse, but I can show you what is!” I yelped with laughter, and ran around the kitchen table with my mom following close behind.

Laughter. The smell of blueberry pancakes being made. Genuine smiles. This is what I loved the most.

Thea’s Pov

February 13, 2010

A firm grasp around my neck caused me to struggle for breath as I whimpered in fear. Someone help! Appa?! Where are you?! I kicked my feet against my attacker, but something held them down. Will someone help me please I cried?! I don’t want to be alone I shouted at the top of my lungs.

“No one will help you Thea. Save yourself,”  was whispered in my ear. I cringed in fear, and turned to see my attacker. My mother.

Sitting up in a jolt of fear, I looked around with wide eyes taking in my surroundings. I was sitting in my bed. The light from the sunrise was breaking through the cracks of my window blinds making their way toward my feet. I followed the light realizing it was only the sheets holding down my feet from earlier. Nightmares… That’s all it was. Tears had stained my pale cheeks, and snot had run down the crescents of my face, but I quickly wiped them away.

Wasn’t my music supposed to be playing? Following the chord from the earphones that had once been in my ears, I reached the end that was supposed to be plugged into my phone.

“It looks plugged in… Why did the music stop?” Clicking the home button, I discovered that my phone had died overnight. I sighed with defeat, and plumped back down onto my bed. I could only fall asleep without having nightmares if I was listening to a certain soundtrack. A playlist of songs by a famous pianist called Yiruma I had put together.

I started playing the piano when I was six only because it was somewhere to stick me while my mom went out with her friends. But I grew to like it because I soon became good at it.  Also there was the fact that I had found out that it kept away the terrible dreams of my mother. So it became a comfort pleasure or more to say a replacement of a mom.

I watched the ceiling in silence for a few minutes before I decided to get up. Plugging in my phone to charge, I left my room, and made my way to the kitchen. Breakfast on Sundays was eggs, and toast. Father had early work, and would be in a hurry so I quickly grabbed the eggs from the fridge, and set to work.

Steam was coming from the scrambled eggs which had buttered toast sitting next to it. I watched the plate in silence waiting for the sound of rushed feet. And that’s when I heard it. I glanced up from my apple juice to see my father hurriedly making his way out of his bedroom.

“The eggs, and toast are ready,” I informed him as he slipped on his shoes. But without acknowledging me or noticing my red shot eyes, he grabbed the piece of toast with his suitcase in the other hand, and bolted out the door.

“Love you too appa,” I muttered to myself softly letting the sincerity in the words drift away. I pulled the full plate of food toward me, and started to eat the food alone in the empty house. It’s not like I could be mad at my father. He worked hard every day and night so that I could go to one of the most prestigious schools in our area. It was all because of him that I would be able to grow up, and hopefully take over his company. That was enough love for me. Right?

Taehyung’s Pov

“Here’s a twenty.” A small crumbled bill was pressed into the palm of my hands.

“Eomma!” I whinned with fear. “Can’t you just come in, and help me like last year?” I was hoping my pleading would somehow work on her, but she held her ground, and shook her head. I let out a forced sigh, and gave in to her. As I was getting my jacket on, something caught my mom’s attention in the distance. I didn’t care to look because I was too busy trying to get my thick coat so zipper up. My mom cleared suspiciously as I slipped on my gloves.

“I have to go run a quick errand so you’ll have to walk home. You know we don’t live too far away, but be careful, and don’t talk to any strangers.” I nodded to my mom’s requests, and she gave me a warming smile in return. “Good luck,” she said with a wink. That’s odd… Why did she have a suspicious look as if she was up to something…

She scooted me along out of the passenger seat of the car with a wave of her hand. I resistally gave in, and closed the car door to face a large building labeled dollar general.

“Well… here goes nothing.” I pushed open the door making a welcoming bell go off that signalled the employees they had a customer.

“Welcome to Dollar General!” was shouted from the back of the store. A young teenage boy who looked roughly around the age seventeen with a red shirt and name tag on that read Vernon came running toward me.

“Is there anything I can help you with young man?” Just going off first impressions, I would have to guess it was his first day because most Dollar General employees became lazy after working for a few weeks, and didn’t tend to greet their customers.

Clearing my throat of fear, I responded with a shaky voice. “Yes… U-um could y-you show me where t-the valentine’s c-cards are~?” Today I was sent in on my own to buy some Valentine’s cards for my class because we were going to have a party at school on Monday.

A grin grew on the young man’s face. He nudged my shoulder with his elbow. “Who’s the lucky girl?”

My eyes rounded in fear as my face lit up red with embarrassment. “No no!” I said putting my hands out in defense. “It’s for my class Valentine’s party.” Taking a deep breath, I looked back at the dollar general employee hoping that he would slightly believe me.

“Okay.. okay. I got it,” he nodded with, what almost seemed like, a face of disappointment, and then directed me toward aisle three. Whew… that was too close to ultimate embarrassment.

I was trying to decide between D.C or Marvel valentine cards when I heard the familiar bell ding that I had set off earlier. I turned my head to see who had entered, but couldn’t reach my gaze over the shelves of products.

“Welcome to Dollar Gener-” The sentence was cut off which surprised me slightly so I moved out of curiosity to try and see who it was yet again.

“Nice to see you here again.” I heard the young man say to whoever had come in.  A regular? That’s odd… Shrugging it off, I turned back to my conflicting decision. I made a pros, and cons list in my head as to why D.C. was better, and then of why Marvel was better, but they ended up being mostly even. “Ugh.. This is why Mom should have came in like last time,” I muttered to myself. I could never decide so we always played a guessing game. And if you didn’t know, you can’t play a guessing game with one person. I grumb