---

                An alarm clock blared as Myungsoo reached for it on the night stand, barely opening his eyes. A few minutes later, his phone rang and he switched it off, as he always did. Another ten minutes later, he heard clattering and shouting from the kitchen, something along ‘get your off the bed’ and ‘I’ll beat you into pulp’. He ignored it because in the house, that was how everything worked. Someone shouted and he paid no heed. Profanities thrown in his way and he walked pass his sorry excuse of a father and went straight to his room.

                And then another ten minutes later, someone banged on his door as if to break it apart and another shouting was heard. Grudgingly, Myungsoo threw away his sheet and forced himself up. A few yawning and stretching on the bed, he was ready to wake up. Instead of grabbing a towel and headed to the shower like a normal person would, he snatched the box of cigarettes he hid under his bed and opened the window. Taking his feet over, he slid out of his room and squatted on the roof.

                His bedroom window overlooked the house next to them and no one could see him sitting there unless they squinted their eyes and Myungsoo decided nobody would bother to. He lit his cigarette and breathed in. The taste was inside him and his body relaxed. He let out a puff of smoke before took in another one. Breathe after breathe, the cigarette shrunk. Or that was what he thought he saw. He poked the against the brick and the blaze went off.

                There was only a stick left in the box and Myungsoo cursed, “Screw it.”

                He lit another one and tossed the empty box down, not caring if it hit a flowerpot or the pipe on the lawn and what his father would do if he discovered it. Just like he didn’t care if the beer cans he left on his desk were found or the ashtray Woohyun used to stuff his weeds lying under his pillow. Nobody went into his room anyway. It was the only territory on the house his father rarely step into.

                The thought of the old drunk man disgusted him and Myungsoo threw the stick as he was done. He slid back into his room and took a shower, putting on a pair of jeans and a black flannel shirt. There were only two things he could tolerate in his choice of wardrobe. Black and plaid. Woohyun once convinced him to wear one of his leather jackets and Myungsoo felt uncomfortable in his own skin. That was the only time he had worn something else besides black and plaid.

                His phone rang and Myungsoo peeked on the caller, Woohyun.

                “What?”

                He heard a chuckle, “Well, good morning to you too.”

                “Not really a good morning for me. I finished my stash.”

                “Already?”

                “I had a rough night.” Myungsoo grunted, recalling the barking from last night.

                “Then, sneak into your old man’s room and steal one of his, man.”

                “You’re out too?”

                “And broke. Help a friend here.”

                “, you owe me now.”

                Woohyun laughed, “Good luck.”

                He hung up and grabbed his backpack. As he creeped down the stairs, the smell of coffee whiffed him and he saw his father on the couch, a hand holding a mug and another holding the newspaper. Carefully, he climbed back up and sneaked into the room at the end and snitched two boxes kept in the drawer.

                As he was out of the house and on his bike, he heard his father screaming, “Bastard! Are you stealing my cigarettes again?!!”

                The rest of the curses disappeared through the wind as he stepped on the pedal and his bike rode off.

---

                “You got caught?”

                “Barely.” Myungsoo shrugged as Woohyun doubled over, laughing at his story from the morning. It was lunch time and they were at the back of Woohyun’s truck, smoking and eating from a plate of mac and cheese in the parking lot. None of the teachers was within a radius so it was like a ritual for them and none of the students who spotted them dared to report on their misbehavior.

                Woohyun poked his macs, “You’re gonna get a beating at home later.”

                “Not if I beat him first.” Myungsoo scoffed.

                “Like you could beat your old man.” Woohyun said, his words dripped of mockery.

                “I could kick his any day.”

                It wasn’t true anyway and he knew it well. His father used to box, longer that he had and he was far bigger built than him. One punch and it could send him flying. He had experienced a bit of his father’s power and the bruises stayed for a few days, reminding him who the real boss was. Woohyun saw the look on his face and nudged him, “Don’t worry, dude. You can sleep in my house tonight. We can have a sleepover and you can braid my hair.”

                Myungsoo threw a nasty look and Woohyun suggested, “Or we can TP the principal’s house.”

                He formed a small smile, “Yeah, that’s more like it.”

                The bell rang and the two of them groaned, pushing themselves off the truck and threw the plate and the sticks inside the trash. They could have bailed the seventh period but the vice principal was on their tails already. Last week, they almost got suspended for trashing the gym teacher’s car because the old fat man caught Woohyun smoking in the male washroom. He was reported immediately of course but he got off (with his charm as he liked to say) and decided to plot a revenge. Myungsoo, being the guy he was, followed along.

                Woohyun patted his back and walked off, heading to his Chemistry class on the second floor of the Science building. Myungsoo went to the opposite direction, heading to his English class down the hall of the main building. The hallway was emptied except for a group of freshmen huddling around a locker, giggling like ten year olds girl scouts. They spotted him from afar and cowered, their heads hung low. He walked, giving no attention to those idiots and reached the classroom.

                Myungsoo was aware of the reputation he held. Being the best friend of the biggest troublemaker in school ruled you out to be one too. He wasn’t anything like Woohyun. He wasn’t that big of a talker unlike Woohyun who charmed everyone with his words and flirty smile. Myungsoo preferred being quiet, sending cold glares at anybody who looked. He had his fair share of friends but none of them was as close as Woohyun.

                The pair grew up together (Woohyun used to live across the street) and they knew each other best. Woohyun knew the history of his ty family and always offered him a space in his house if Myungsoo felt like running away. He loved staying in Woohyun’s terrace house. It felt homey, the way a house should be. There were only Woohyun and his mother, the nurse who was one of the best people Myungsoo had known. She treated him like her own son and had that gentle smile which the two of them secretly adored.

                “Kim Myungsoo.” The bald man announced as he stepped into the room, “You’re ten minutes late.”

                He shrugged and took his seat, at the very back of the class. His teacher approached him with a stern look, “Next time make sure to be on time.”

                “Sure.” He replied, bored. Mr. Song stalked away and scribbled something on the blackboard, continuing where he left off. Myungsoo looked around the class and noticed they all had a copy of The Great Gatsby on their tables. He ruffled through his backpack and only found papers, a pen and two boxes of cigarettes.

                The clock on the wall ticked at the slowest rate as Myungsoo put his head on the table and dozed off.

---

                The neighborhood was dead silence as Woohyun drove and stopped his truck a few houses away from the yellow painted house with a swing hung from a branch of the tree stood on the lawn. Most of the houses were dark and only streetlights filled their view. They grabbed the plastic bags with toilet papers inside and stepped towards the house, grinning from ear to ear.

                Woohyun had snuck half of toilet papers in his house right under his mother’s nose. The woman suspected nothing as they bid her, claiming they were heading to a friend’s house. They stood below the tree and Woohyun took out a roll and gave it to Myungsoo, “You do the honor.”

                He unwrapped the paper and threw it across the SUV parked in front of the house. It rolled over the car and landed on the ground. He picked it up and rolled it again around the car until a quarter of its surface was covered by the white material. Woohyun gave him a thumb up, “Nice.”

                Woohyun then took another roll and threw it on the house as Myungsoo did the same. They creeped carefully around the house, throwing one roll after another and finally stepped back, admiring their work. The house now was a yellow and white striped with papers hanging loosely around the wall. They even got one thrown on the roof and it draped over the window like a curtain. Bumping their fists, they crackled at the thought of the principal’s reaction tomorrow’s morning.

                “What are you doing?”

                A voice from behind startled them and they spun around to meet a girl in red nightgown staring them, her arms crossed. They were taken aback for a minute before Woohyun said, “We’re decorating the principal’s house. Don’t you think it looks a lot better?”

                She blinked, her eyes raked over the house behind them and said in horror, “You’re committing a crime.”

                “Piss off.”

                She was now looking at Myungsoo, fear filling her eyes. Myungsoo took a step forward and she took one backward, almost stumbling. Woohyun watched the scene in amusement and reached for a cigarette.

                “This is wrong.”

                “It’s none of your business.” Myungsoo hissed, giving her the coldest glare. Her face was partly hidden in the dark and he could only see her eyes clearly, big and round.

                “But –“

                “I said piss off!” Myungsoo half screamed, feeling annoyed, “Before we make you.”

                “Now, now.” Woohyun stepped next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder, “Don’t scare the pretty girl away.”

                Myungsoo rolled his eyes, of course Woohyun was going to talk his way out of this. He smiled at her, “So, pretty girl, you wouldn’t tattletale on us, would you?”

                She blinked, her fists curled into balls as she mustered her courage, “I can’t lie if anyone ask.”

                “Then, keep your mouth shut.” Myungsoo spat, “And go home.”

                Woohyun gave her a shrug as Myungsoo narrowed his eyes towards her direction. He could see the fright in her eyes and the way they kept wandered around was a sign of anxiety. He looked over his shoulder and cocked his head. Woohyun, who raised his eyebrows smirked, understanding his gesture. They walked closer to her, slowly with threatening looks on their faces.

                “D-Don’t come any closer!” She stepped backwards, her voice was unusually high pitched.

                “Ha!” Woohyun frightened her, his arms thrown in air as if he was about to abduct her and the girl widened her eyes, turned and scurried away, disappearing into the house in front of them. Myungsoo shook his head as Woohyun guffawed, pointing to the white door, “Did you see her face?”

                “Yeah, like she’d just saw a ghost.”

---

A/N: Enjoy, my love :)