Jackson

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It was another day of school... So lame. Why couldn't it be summer already? No stress, no worries. But the best of it, no school. Summer... ah what a nice thought. I wanted to feel the sun shining on my face when I look at the sky. But better than that are rainy days, my favorite.

I walked down the street to school at 7 o'clock. It was too early for me, for a nocturnal animal, who sleeps during the day and stays up at night. Nope. I can already say that this day isn't going to start off good, if I couldn't get my morning coffee.

So, heading straight to the nearest coffee place behind the corner, I took my phone from the right pocket of my skinny jeans. I dialed familiar number, the same number I always dial at this time of the day. Jaebum.

''Hey Jae-man, where you at?'' I said while walking in front of the coffee shop.

''Hey, yeah I'm coming, just few minutes and I'll be there. Order me the usual, will you?.'' Jaebum said with his hoarse voice.

''Always.'' As that I ended the call.

I opened the door and walked inside to the shop and greeted the barista.

''One americano and one double latte, please.'' I ordered and the barista took the money and gave me the change, but I told him to keep it.

While the barista went to do his magic to our coffees, I chose the table near the window and took a seat. I sat towards the door, so whenever Jaebum enters, I will notice him.

Just in few minutes Jaebum entered the shop and saw me and he waved his hand. He walked towards me and sat down next to me. Just when Jaebum sat on the chair, the barista came to bring our coffees. We thanked and he went back to the desk to take new orders.

''So, did you sleep well?'' Jaebum asked like he was my big brother. Or He kinda was, but not by blood.

''Mmmh, yeah.'' I nodded, but with the expression of Jaebum's face, he didn't seem like to believe me or my words.

''Yah, Dongsaeng, you should always have a good night sleep. You'll become ugly.'' Jaebum said while laughing.

I laughed a bit with the coffee in my hand. I took a sip and swallowed it. Oh man how it tasted good. I felt the caffeine flow in my veins.

During the time we sat there and drank our coffees, we didn't spare a words. It's not that we didn't have anything to talk about, it was just our ''tradition'' not to talk while drinking our morning coffee. It's the time to gather some strenght to this day.

We got up after we finished our coffees. We stepped outside of the shop and then stopped in front of the door. I seeked Jaebum's attention.

''Shall we go by foot? We have still time left before the first class starts.'' I asked while watching the grey sky and the still burning city lights. I liked the weather. I felt like, something good might happen today.

''Yeah sure, if you want to.'' Jaebum said without hesitating.

We started walking to the school on the right side of the road. We still didn't spare a word or even a glance. It was normal though. We talked barely these days. But if there was something to talk about, oh boy, we would laugh ourselves to death or the opposite. It depends on what we were talking about. Finally, he opened his mouth.

''Oh yeah, did you heard that we will have a new student in our class today?'' Jaebum asked with a kind of exciting voice.

''Is he coming to our first class?'' I asked with my normal voice, like it was nothing. And it was nothing, like I would care. If it would be a girl, it would be much more exciting though.

''No I don't think so. I heard that he will come after lunch.'' Jaebum said and smiled a little. I saw the smile and I was surprised.

''Why are you smiling? Do you know him or...?'' I asked while smiling as well. It was kinda weird to see Jaebum smile like that.

''Or what, what?'' Jaebum asked laughing. He was still smiling.

''Or did you have an affair with him or something?'' I a little. I knew he wasn't gay or anything, but we just talked like this. Teased each other.

''What?! Hahahah, you little brat!'' He laughed and took me under his arm and mixed my hair. We had fun.

Soon we were already at the yard of our school, and we walked inside. I moved my sleeve and glanced at my watch on my right wrist. Just in time. I walked with Jaebum to class and we sat down to our ''signed'' seats, which were in the back of the classroom.

During the ongoing class, I fell asleep. It wasn't a new thing to me, but this time I saw some kind of a dream. It wasn't a good dream, rather a weird one.

There was me, Jaebum and my other friends from the school and there was this new guy. He came to this school and messed everything up. He used my weak spots to earn the title that I have. The most popular guy in this school.

As everyone in this school knows, me and my friends are the most popular people in our school. Not a surprise though. We are the best. A perfect squad. Me, Jaebum and Yugyeom. The unbreakable three musketeers.

We have been friends with Jaebum since we were born. Our mothers were bestfriends in their childhood. And I think they still are. Just like me and Jaebum. Best friends. Me and Jaebum got to know Yugyeom at preschool. He was so weird but we became very close friends with him since then we have been unbreakable.

I woke up feeling dizzy about the thought of someone being on a higher place than me. I'm not selfish or anything, but it's just who I am, who I was born to be. I was the leader of our squad, Jaebum was the kind one and Yugyeom was the musician. Not more or not less, we just were perfect like this.

In our school we have many groups who belong to different categories. There is the bratty girls, which are my favorite, the nerds, the weirdos, the hippies, the hipsters and then the losers who are nobody, uncategorized people. And then us, obviously the best group of all, sporty, y and popular.

How could some guy who knows no-one just to become "the most popular guy"? Haha, why am I even thinking about this? This is just ridiculous! He can never be me.

The bell rang and everyone got up from their places and ran outside from the classroom while teacher were nagging about the tests that are coming in a few weeks.

I glanced Jaebum and we got up from our chairs.

"Is it lunch?" I asked Jaebum and he nodded for an answer. 

"By the way, where is Yugyeom? Is he skipping school again?" I asked Jaebum if he knew something about him. Well, it was normal for him to skip the morning classes. 

I used to skip school too, but my mother scouted about my grades and she told me if I didn't try to upgrade a little, she would cut my bankcard. She already did seize my car. That's why I walked to the school.

Jaebum didn't know where he was but he said he will call Yugyeom now. So he dialed his number and tried to call him while we went to the schools canteen to get lunch.

"Hey man, where are you?" Jaebum asked and we sat down to our table, where we always sit.

"At the school yard, will be there soon." He said and Jaebum told him to hurry up and then he ended the call.

"He's outside." Jaebum said to me and I nodded.

"So what do you want to take? I think I will skip the meal but I'll take something from the cafeteria." I said while taking my wallet out of my jackets pocket.

"Okay, can you take the milk and the biggest bread they have there for me? And for Yugyeom, I guess he wants a soda and a pastry." He said while laughing a little. Oh Yugyeom, he's such a fat .

"Alright, coming up!" I said to Jaebum while I stood up and started walking towards the cafeteria. I saw Yugyeom walking inside and I waved to him. He waved back and went to the table.

I bought the food and started walking back to Jaebum and Yugyeom. While I was walking there, someone bumped into me and while the other fell to the ground I hit myself to the wall.

"What the hell man! Watch where you are going, loser!" I shouted to the other and the other got up and apologized.

"I-I'm so sorry... I didn't see you there. Are you hurt? You did hurt your hand right? I'm so sorry... " He said with his face looking sad and confused. I didn't recognize this person. Maybe he was one of the losers.

" off! Are you that gay, you want to throw yourself to my arms or what?" I shouted so loud that the whole canteen were watching us.

The person was finally quiet. I saw he was turning his head to every voice of laugh in the canteen. He looked very sad and I saw a tear coming up from his eye. He turned around and ran off.

"Ugh, whatever." I said and picked up the fallen items. I walked to the table.

"Weren't you too harsh?" Jaebum said with his worried face on.

"Hey, he bumped into me, he deserved that. Like he were really a gay anyway." I said and sat down to my seat.

''How would you know? Recording to that reaction I think he might be.'' Yugyeom said while taking a bite from his pastry.

Was I too harsh? No, I can't be nice. I have to be cold-hearted towards our students, so I could keep the title. And whatever if he was crying? I didn't really care.

We ate our lunch and talked about how we spent our weekend, despite what happened earlier. When we finished, we left the trashes to the table and went to seek for our classroom. Everyone in the hallway watched us, or tried to look that they weren't. Girls who we passed by, gasped. We could see from their eyes how they admired us. Boys, well, they were boys. Jealousy ran in their veins while their crushes were watching us. Just another normal day at school.

We arrived to the classroom and our subject was math. Oh how I hated it. But just like every other subject, I will get it over with. Just the passing is the priority now. I just want to ride my car, that's all. I walked to my seat as I sat down, Jaebum sat next to me and Yugyeom sat to the other side of me.

When I sat down and put my bag on the floor, I felt the pain in my arm.

''What the...'' I gasped and hold my shoulder with my other hand.

''Hey, are you okay? What's wrong?'' Jaebum asked right away.

''Yeah, I'm good.'' I lied, the pain was worse than the pain from the accident at one football game last year. I still took my phone out and decided not to care about the pain. I think it will be better soon.

Teacher entered the classroom and greeted us and told us to lower the volume of our voices.

''Good morning students! As you might know, you will be having a new student here today. Come on in!'' She said while she beckoed him to enter the classroom.

I wasn't paying attention. I was on my phone scrolling through my Facebook page. I was so popular, that every girl in our school did send a friend request to me. Only the pretty ones got accepted, and they all were in a bratty girl group. No losers allowed.

New student walked in and went next to the teacher. Our teacher told him to introduce himself.

''Hey... My name is Mark Tuan, and starting from this day I am going to be a part of this class. Please, take care of me and let's be friends.'' He said with his deep voice.

I stopped what I was doing and I got this weird feeling in me. Why was this voice so familiar? I closed my screen from my phone and put my eyes on the new guy. Wait, wasn't he the-

''Hey Jacks, look! It's the ''gay'' guy.'' Yugyeom whispered. Yeah, indeed, the gay guy. Of course he had to be a new student. Now it made sense, that's why I didn't recognize him.

''Mark, you can sit there, next to Jaebum.'' Teacher pointed Jaebum with her finger. Mark thanked the teacher and walked across the room to this seat he was shown to go.

Mark put his bag to the floor and took out his pencil case and his notebook. He was all prepared to this day.

''Hi, my name is Jaebum, nice to meet you!'' Jaebum greeted the new student formally. Mark greeted back and shaked hands with him.

''Let me introduce you to my friends! This is Jackson and the other in the back is Yugyeom.'' Jaebum said with a soft voice of his.

''Hey, my name is Ma-'' Mark stopped when he recognized me.

He stared at me like I was a ghost. He rasped a bit and then he continued.

''Mark.'' He said. I saw how uncomfortable this situation was to him. Should I apologize?

''So, let's hear what the teacher has to say!'' Jaebum said to cut this awkward situation.

It worked, for now.