I left the door unlocked for him to use as I went and changed into jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, a sweater and grabbed my scarf hat and I started searching for my mitts. It was supposed to be cold today, not cold enough for a jacket but cold enough to catch the flu which was going around. Taemin returned to me sifting through my chest of drawers, searching for my mittens. He looked ready, wearing jeans, a stressed shirt with a slim black tie and a sweater.

Not wanting to keep him waiting, I put on some Vaseline and grabbed a pair of socks and my bag before going out to the kitchen to stare at the crap load of food now my fridge. I grabbed to strawberry yogurts for me and him, and went over to the cupboard to get spoons and two packs of Pocky when he walked into the kitchen as if he owned the place – opening the fridge and taking out a bottle of banana milk, before grabbing the yogurt on the counter and catching the Pocky I tossed at him.

I went out to throw the Pocky into my bag and started to shove my feet into my socks and boots.

Taemin stepped into his shoes, and I shoved my phone into my pocket with my headphones, before locking down.

“Why do you have to lock every door of your house?”

“Safety reasons.”

“You realize, you live in the pent house, and there’s a security guard downstairs right?”

“One can never be too careful.” That kept him from replying.

“C’mon, let’s get to school”, I grabbed my bag and opened the yogurt.

We walked out of the condo, when Taemin looked to his right and glared.

“He’s here again. Give me your keys.”

I nodded, taking off my chain and handing it to him, showing him the correct key to use.

He took my hand, linking my fingers through his, and opened the door again to lead us outside.

He locked the door before linking our hands again as we walked past the familiar looking man, now dressed in a tuxedo acting as a real estate agent. I watched as the collar of his shirt bent down as he nervously watched us. A tattoo of a black panther snaking around his neck.

We waited for the elevator cautiously keeping an eye on the guy on the side all the while.

“Let’s go” Taemin pulled my hand bringing me forward into the elevator.

“I guess this means that from now on, I have to live with you, considering you live in ‘my’ condo,” Taemin winked with a smirk.

“You can sleep on the couch” Not going against the fact that I had a stalker.

“My condo! Share the bed.”

“No. Get a sleeping bag.”

“Bed.”

“You have so many options, a sleeping bag, the couch, the floor. Why do you need the bed?”

“The bed is comfy! Plus I didn’t do anything last night, did I?”

“I wouldn’t know. I was basically delusional without sleep.” I smirked back at him.

“Well then, we can test that theory tonight, if I don’t bother you tonight, I stay in the bed. If not, I’ll take the couch. See? Compromise.”

Uggghhh, he never gave in. “Whatever.” I rolled my eyes just as the elevator door dinged to the lobby.

I immediately turned my phone on and began listening to music to signal the end of the conversation and walked ahead of him to the bus stop.

It was completely crowded and the bus was not anywhere insight, so I walked down the block to the next stop, only looking at Taemin’s shadow as he casually walked behind me. The bus took its sweet time coming as I stood next to him, trying to ignore his presence.

                Where are you?

                @ The bus stop

                I’m bored and Nick isn’t here yet to give me company

                XD you’re gonna have to wait a lot more seeing as the bus just got here and it’s a 15-minute ride

                Well… 15 min is okay, I texted Nick. Txt him, maybe he’ll answer you.

                Okie dokes

Abina sounded weird. I quickly want to the conversation I had with Nick.

                Hey, where are you?

I waited maybe 30 seconds. The bus jolted to a stop in front of us just as my phone vibrated from the answering message Nick sent.

                Right now?

                No, tomorrow….idiot. Where are you right now?

                @ Home.

                You’re not coming to school?

                No.

                Why? – And if this is one word answer Nick – god help you

I don’t want to.

No excuse, get your to school now. Get on your bike and come. You wanted to go for bubble tea today, didn’t you?

That should get him to school, but just in case:

                …and we have history’s free study period first thing today, we’ll play minecraft. Promise!

…J Be there in 5.

                Guess you’ll be there by the time I reach school. XD

I grabbed onto the hand bar next to Taemin, just as the bus turned the corner to get into the gated community.

My phone buzzed; erupting into the instrumental of crazy by se7en. I picked it up settling in to headset mode.

“Only you would make me come to school before you even get there yourself”, laughed Nickhun, I could hear the chain of the bike also he rode.

“Duh, who else would you answer to? Why weren’t you going to come today?”

“I just felt under the weather. No particular reason.”

“Really? Because Abina sounded frantic saying you weren’t answering her texts, so maybe you would answer mine.”

“Abina said that?”

“Hmmm”

“She’s always been the one to get scared after the smallest things.”

“Stop avoiding the question Nick! You always send us good morning texts and ruin my entire bus ride. You spend Friday afternoons prank calling me. Hell – you wake me up early on exam day to send me a “Don’t fail” text for a math exam you weren’t going to write. Excuse us for getting worried.”

“I didn’t know you guys worried so much”

“Don’t be stupid”

“Heh- always so blunt. I’ll see you in a few, kay?”

“Mmmm.” I hung up.

The bus stopped and I was about to walk off when I saw Taemin staring at me with these black dark eyes. I faltered for a moment before stepping off the bus and walking to school.

Nick stood there leaning on the wall and I smiled at him.

He knocked my head.

“Don’t be mad at me.” I had an instant flashback of Taemin saying the same thing and I looked at him strangely.

“Tell me what’s going on?”

“It honestly was nothing – I was just having an off day.”

“You’re a horrible liar but I’ll let you keep your secret today.”

Nickhun smiled and put his arm around me and we walked into school.

“Ari! Nickhun – you jerk! You didn’t answer any of my texts!”

 We were back to normal. There were always times that we got worried about Nick because he didn’t share his problems, he ignored them, so we always made sure to keep him smiling and laughing. When he wasn’t, it was because something big happened.

Taemin’s face flashed in my mind. He had looked so angry. I smiled at Nick as he entered the campus before grabbing my textbook for history, because he left his at home.

We walked passed Taemin’s locker, once again surrounded by girls giggling every which way, and I kept my head down, not wanting to give into the very strong reaction I was having to text him and ask if everything was alright.

We walked silently to the library, and went to our usual corner, where almost no one ever ventured except the librarian occasionally to make sure no one was doing any illicit activities.

I sat down, and opened my things and Nick sat at the corner of the table opening his mac logging into WIFI and we started our game. It wasn’t weird, considering we were both using the same keyboard at the same time.

“Time passes really quickly when you’re having fun!” That was the saying, but while it was true to some extent, thinking and fretting over something else was another matter entirely.

Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore.

                Are you okay? – Text to Taemin

I waited a couple of minutes sighing when I got no reply.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine, Nick”

“You think I don’t know you well enough to know when you lie?”

“No, I’m sure you do, I’m just not ready to tell you yet.”

  He flicked me in the forehead and grabbed my cheeks pinching them, “C’mon Ari, are you really not going to tell your bestie?” He started.

“Nyaaaaaa”

“I feel so sad, what happened to old times?”

“Nick…you love being overdramatic don’t you?”

He nodded grinning.

I laughed. “C’mon let’s start that stupid essay”

“What exactly do we have to write about? I don’t want to write a personal essay on my life and what makes me me!”

“I don’t know, he probably has a reason for everything.” I said looking away.

“Oi Nick! Coach was looking for you!”

I looked up. Matt was here, I smiled at him and he waved.

“C’mon, it’s about the next meet!”

“Kay, Ari keep an eye on my stuff?”

“Duh”

I sighed and his mac again. Turning on YouTube and plugging in my headphones. I checked my e-mail.

Other than some volunteering opportunities; there was nothing.

I looked at my phone. The retard could have replied but he didn’t even have the decency to do that.

“Ari”

I looked up.

Oh, I see, the retard didn’t reply because he wanted to actually see me. This is pleasant.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Yea, How about you?” I glared at him pointedly.

“I’m okay now.”

“And before?”

“I was fine, kind of irritated, but I was okay.” His tone had a sense of finality in it, so I let it go.

He sat down. “What time will you be going home? I need to know so we can go together.”

“I don’t know yet, do you really need to stay with me?”

“Sorry cutie, I’m not the one who has a stalker.” He chuckled at the scandalized look on my face.

“Don’t call me that.”

“What? I’m telling you the truth! You remind me of a puppy. Cute and lovable, like a chiwawa.”

I just stared at him. He smiled. I scowled. He laughed.

“So, when are you going home?”

“Not anytime soon, I’m going to get bubble tea with Nick and everyone.”

“You have to go today? You know for sure that he’ll be outside dressed as something different once again.”

“Don’t worry about it, here are the keys and all you have to do is open the door, stay in the living room cuz I’m only giving you my condo key, everything else will still be locked.”

“Yes, mother, I understand, I should just act like a loser sitting in the corner of your room, while I protect you from your stalker”, he said it so bluntly; I just stared as he pouted at me.

No way buddy.

“You can have the key to the washroom too, but that’s it.”

He must be delusional if he thinks he’s getting the key to my room. I’ve known him for a couple of days. Not even enough time to warrant a friendship. We were more like acquaintances. I pulled and twisted the two keys out of my chain and passed them to him.

“Take care of my place. Don’t invite anyone over. Don’t touch anything. Don’t let people realize your there. I don’t want your hyperactive posse coming and spoiling my quiet life.”

“Your life is anything but quiet,” he muttered grabbing the keys.

“Excuse me?”

“Nothing,” he smiled “I promise no one will know about our friendship”

Friendship? He wasn’t going for friendship…I doubted it.

“Not friendship, yet, currently an agreement.” He scowled.

“Fine. I’ll protect you always then.”

I looked away.

There was just this off quality about him regardless of him being cute and flirty that I just didn’t trust.

“Don’t say things you don’t mean or can’t follow up on.”

I turned back to Nick’s mac and resorted to ignoring him and started on that essay.

“Identity is something you create on your own based on your experiences and sense of self. Identity can’t be copied, nor can be changed by an external force. You are yourself…”     

What kind of BS did sir assign?? He obviously meant something by it but what could it be? A warning? The principal was odd to ask me to solve the computer hack so publicly.

“You’re very cute when you work and think so hard.”

I looked up to see Taemin staring at me with his head on his arm.

“Oh…err…yea”

“ARI! ARI!” I looked up to see Nickhun run up with piece of paper in his hand. I smiled.

“What is it?”

“They’re holding a prize for the person that can solve Legend’s Identity!” He held up a poster with a black silhouette and information to call Ruri’s father, the head of the board of directors. I’m positive my face had paled at least 10 shades lighter as I turned towards Taemin whose eyes were reflective of mine.

Oh .