seven

I gawked as Areum stood at the head of the class, being introduced by our form teacher. She was wearing the school uniform which seemed to fit her lithe body perfectly. It clearly had been made to fit her body proportions rather than mine, but that was no fault of hers. I couldn't be mad that our physiques were different. I couldn't help it that she seemed to fit in so perfectly here, that the whole class had turned to welcome our new classmate.

"Please introduce yourself" our form teacher prompted. Areum flicked her dark hair behind her shoulder and smiled. I snuck a glance at Kai, who had now retreated back into his chair. He was still seated beside me, but there was now space between us as if some divine realisation had reached him. Had she come for him? I watched her eyes scan the room and slowly settle on him. Of course, he was the onle person here she knew.

"I am Kwon Areum. I'm a dance major" As she nattered away to our homeroom, Kai's demeanour changed. His playfulness had morphed into a steely disposition. His jaw was clenched in a strangely attractive way that heightened his sharp jaw line but meant that he wasn't happy. Our teacher gestured for her to take a seat anywhere in the room. I glanced around the room, spying a few empty seats, the most noticable besides Kai which he had slid his backpack into. Areum's eyes lit up as she approached and stood in front of his desk. I in a breath as I waited for Kai to do something.

"Hey Jongin. Mind if I sit?" 

Kai frowned and I was thankful he was annoyed. I couldn't believe she had come all this way. Areum motioned towards the chair next to him which still had his bag in it. He opened his mouth to say something but it was as if something clicked and he reached for his bag, sliding it onto the floor.

"Sure whatever" Kai leaned back into his chair, his arm across his desk as if to draw a line between the two of them. He wasn't with me anymore. He had dropped my hands and was staring fixatedly at the blackboard as she happily chatted away to him. In my heart of hearts I knew he just didn't want to create drama, Kai was much more easy going than I was, but it still bit. Something had happened in that brief moment before she had here. And seeing her and Kris in the same place only seemed to bode of more bad news. I crouched down into my seat and grimaced. I was in for a bad day.

I was almost glad when homeroom ended and we had to go our separate ways. I didn't have the mental strength to deal with any more drama. In Areum's wake, I had completely forgotten about Sophie's coarse words but they had come back soon after. As I walked out of homeroom, following closely behind Minki, a hand wrapped around my wrist. I slowed until he was side by side with me. Kai ran his fingers through his hair and pulled me in closer until I was nestled in the crook of his arm. I looked up to see him run his tongue across his top lip, something he did when he was thinking.

"See you after practice?" I wrapped an arm around his waist, playfully slapping his stomach. His moods always switched around me, no matter how grumpy he seemed. I nodded.

"I'll meet you at the dance studio. 4.30 ok?" I pulled away to look at him, wondering whether I should make a detour and walk with him to class. I opened my mouth to speak but balked when I saw Areum over his shoulder. I offer him a cursory smile.

"Catch you later"

I couldn't stop thinking about what had happened between Kai and I all day, even when I had finished all my classes and was headed to track. I never thought his behaviour was out of character, or odd, but now that Areum was in the picture, it had brought up a whole load of questions. It had shaken something in me too. We were two separate people. He didn't have to tell me about every aspect of his life. Even Baekhyun and Chanyeol were more his friends than mine. I was so invested in thinking about him that I was only drawn out of my trance when the third ugly suprise reared his head.

I was laying down on the grass near the track field, waiting for coach to start with his regular pep talk as Minki chattered away next to me. The familiar blow of a whistle didn't stir me. The grass was comfy against my skin. I wondered what it would be like to live up there, amongst the clouds.

"Thie semester we're switching things up a bit. Both the male and female track teams will be merging"

I shuffled slightly against the grass. A weird sense of foreboding was dangling over me. Where was coach going with this?

"I'll be pairing you off into mixed couples. Boys, I want you to help the girls increase speed. They have a great sense of teamwork and I want you to push them closer to greatness. Girls, teach the boys some teamwork please" I joined in the clapping from my position on the field. I knew everyone else had to be standing in a huddle or there about, but I was the exception to the rule. I was captain.

"I also want to introduce a new member to the boys track team. This is Yifan"

"Call me Kris" 

I rolled onto my stomach as I recognised the voice. It couldn't me. Standing at the centre of the huddle was the orchastrator of my nightmares. Kris. I gazed angrily at the sky. How dare it lull me into a false sense of security.

"Kris, I suggest you pair up with Ms Song, the captain. She'll show you the ropes"

Oh sweet mother. Raising to my feet,  I wandered off to the bleachers, ignoring what I could only imagine was that annoying smirk on his face. I imagined his long legs lacksidasically following me towards the bleachers. He wanted this to happen. He must have planned for us to meet again and for some reason, only his prayers were being answer. I chose a seat further up the steps and dropping my bag to my feet, began to root around for my ankle weights. 

"Need any help stretching out?"

"You realise this counts as stalking right?" Kris smiled knowingly, looking down at me. I peered up at him. He was so much taller than me that the only way I could look him in the eye was to stand a few steps higher than him on the bleachers. I readjusted my ankle weights slowly, ignoring the fact he was watching. When I stood up, we were almost level in height. I couldn't deny the fact that he was indeed attractive. The piercings and that slit in his eyebrow added to the image before me.

"Did you seriously transfer here?"

"You seem suprised. Your school has one of the best arts programs around"

"It just seems like a weird coincidence"

"Some people would call it fate" My hostility died down. Of course he wasn't stalking me. Loads of students transfered to our school, especially during the last year for sixth form. And no wonder I was suspicious of him. My general hostility to any male who wasn't Kai or connected to Kai usually drove them away. I forced myself to mellow out.

"Are you usually this cheesy?" I teased, walking down the bleachers to track. From the gentle patter I heard, he was following me. 

"And here I thought I was being friendly"

I caught his eye and almost immediately looked away. Kris was smiling now, not smirking and it was oddly charming.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I flushed, looking anywhere but at him. I recognised that look, I just wasn't used to it being pointed at me. I started to make my way around the track, suddenly incredibly interested in the feeling of my ankle weights straining against my legs. It was my first time trying this weight and I knew my legs would feel sore the next day. 

"Was I making you nervous?" Kris teased as he jogged along beside me, keeping pace. I couldn't look at him. Alternative to his stature and very blatant bad boy image, Kris was actually kind of sweet. There was a softness behind his eyes that wasn't there at first glance. You had to look deeper to find it. I tried to quicken my pace and get some distance between us but he wasn't having any of it.

"I wouldn't have thought you'd be captain of the track team, the way you were reclining during the pep talk"

"And why's that?" I probed. 

"You're so little" I stopped in my tracks, ignoring the fact that coach had spotted me the very moment I had and was now blowing his whistle furiously at me. Oh well. He looked panicked for a moment. 

"Little as in petite. Like I could pick you up and throw you over my shoulder"

I giggled slighty, catching myself by suprise. It wasn't even funny, what Kris had said, but it touched me. Having been overlooked by almost everyone these past few days, it felt nice to have someone to focus on me. Trying to not show Kris that he had broken down my exterior, I fiddled with my hair and rolled my eyes.

"I doubt it" 

We started moving again amid the furiously shrill of coach's whistle, but without the same intensity we had started with. It felt as if I were strolling along with friends. No pretenses.

"You're not-"

"If you say that I'm not 'like other girls' I will gut punch you" I threatened, narrowing my eyes in a threatening yet teasing manner. I was only half joking.  

"I wasn't going to say that" Kris reached forward and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. He paused for a moment, his hand hovering an inch from a cheek before retracting and placing it into his pocket.

"Of course you're not like other girls. No two girls are the same. I was going to say, you're not like I expected you to be?"

I blushed, or at least did what I think was blushing. I rubbed my cheeks roughly with my hands, allowing a length pause to settle between us. 

"I..uh..I have no answer to that" He shrugged.

"No problem, rum girl"

Kris and I talked for the remainder of the training session, running lap after lap with each other. I knew he had been holding back to keep level with me but it felt nice to have some company while I trained. It also made a change for someone to go out of the way to make conversation with me. I guess I had finally admitted to myself that my relationship with Kai had gotten in the way of my social life. I had to make my own relationships outside of him.

"So do you have somewhere to be?"

"Huh?" I stuffed my ankle weights into my duffle bag and reached for my jacket, pulling it on. I glanced at my phone. 4:38. I was running late. I started down the steps, Kris level with me.

"I asked if you had somewhere to be. You seemed to be rushing"

"Oh" I laughed weakly, "I uh I agreed to meet a friend after practice and I'm running late"

Kris nodded and pulled his bag over his shoulder. 

"I was gonna ask if I could walk you home, but I'll settle for walking you to your friend" He paused and frowned inwardly, "I mean, if that's ok with you"

I could hear the gentle sound of voices I recognised, probably trying to muscle in and eavesdrop on my conversation. Sneaking a glance over my shoulder, I saw Minki, Somi and a few others watching me and inching closer, mischief on their faces. I turned to Kris and nodded.

"We'll have to be quick though. I hate being late"

Kris was a lot more interesting than I would have given him credit for when I first met him. As we walked through the campus to meet Kai, he told me about his life in China, moving to Korea and his plans for the future. It was sometimes hard to imagine that outside of your own life, other people had different wants and needs and dreams but when you opened yourself up to it, it was beautiful. When we reached the dance studio where Kai no doubt was dancing up a storm, I almost caught myself wishing the walk was longer. 

"This is me. My friend is insi- Oh hi Baekhyun!" Kris and I reached the studio as Baekhyun exited the studio, looking flushed. Undoubtedly Kai had put him to work with some new devilishly hard choreo and made him practice a thousand times. He smiled and waved, trotting over to greet me properly.

"Hey Rose. Track practice?" I nodded. Baekhyun glanced at Kris. Kris dwarfed him in comparison. I remembered that at one point in time, Baekhyun had been the tallest in our friend group. That was clearly no longer the case.

"This is my friend Kris. He just transfered. He's a performing arts student like you" I rambled. Baekhyun was giving Kris a look that weirded me out. They were doing that thing that boys did, communicating without words, which was odd considering they didn't know each other. Baekhyun slid an arm across my shoulders and pulled me towards him.

"Are you coming round over the weekend?"

"Hadn't really thought about it"

"Well let me know. Chanyeol and the others are down. Kai especially" he gestured to the door he had just come out of, "He's still practicing by the way"

Baekhyun saluted me, and giving Kris one more once over, headed off down the corridor. 

"Well that was..."

"Yeah" I breathed. I tucked my hands into my pockets, unsure what to say. 

"Can I have your number?"

I stared blankly at him for a moment. My what?

"Was that too forward? I didn't want to stop our conversation"

I waved my hands frantically in front of me, trying to signal that that was far from the truth. I smiled sheepishly.

"No, no, no. I mean yes. Um, you just caught me off guard"

"I'm sorry" Kris ran his fingers through his hair, a look of silent despair on his face. He was clearly upset with himself. I glanced at the studio door, wondering if anyone was going to come through and interrupt the awkwardness. 

"I'm so dumb" he chastised. I looked up at him. He was shaking his head, chewing down on his bottom lip, "The person you're meeting, it's your boyfriend right?"

"What?Kai?" I exclaimed. I couldn't get the words out fast enough, "He's just a friend"

"A friend"

"Mmhm"

"Not your boyfriend"

"Nope"

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

"You ask a lot of questions Kris. Give me your phone" I entered my number into the phone he gave me, making sure to take in the screensaver for any clues. I might not have a boyfriend but I didn't want to be stepping on any toes. He was a transfer student after all. I handed the phone back to him and he waved it playfully.

"Maybe I'll text you later" It came out as a statement but I knew he was asking permission. I nodded and trying to stifle a smile, I peered through the studio window. It was now 4.47. What was taking Kai so long?

The studio was still packed from the practice, stragglers were still hanging out and chatting  so I had some trouble finding him at first. I scanned the faces until I found the one I was looking for, nestled at the back of the room. Kai leaned against the wall, glistening in sweat. He always practiced the hardest out of all the students so it made sense that he was the best. Dressed in grey sweatpants and white singlet, I could make out the muscular arms that had been wrapped around me in homeroom earlier. I swallowed softly, trying not to draw Kris's attention. I was still fluttering from having given his number. I glanced at him from the corner of my eye to find him looking into the studio.

"Do you see your friend...?"

"Yeah, he's right there" As I pointed to Kai, trying to direct Kris's sight, another individual came into vision. I hadn't seen them at first glance, too many people in the way but now as the crowd dispersed, I could see everything. He was with Areum.

The breath caught in my throat. She was standing inches away from him, deep in concentration. She was wearing a tshirt and shorts that showed off her slender legs, not that it mattered. She had him captivated. I couldn't see Kai's face, which I was thankful for. I couldn't bear to look at the face of a cheat. Images of Dream girl flashed in my mind. He told me it wasn't her. No, he had promised it wasn't her. But look at him. Why did he find it so easy to lie to me? Why did everyone find it so easy to lie to me? 

I balled my hands into fists. I couldn't stand to look at them a moment longer. The pain was deeper than I thought it could be. Not anger, nothing like it. Just a deep deep sorrow, eating away at my heart. I wanted to look away but I couldn't as I watched her caress his face. I felt rather than saw Kris move towards me.

"I can't believe him" I uttered through gritted teeth.

"Rosalie" Kris uttered as I bristled. I imagined his voice echoing the look on my face. My mind could only think of her, Dream girl. He was betraying her and me in the same breath.

"OI" I shouted, pounding my fist against the glass. The pair jumped and turned to look at me. Kai looked almost guilty while she looked annoyed. My eyes zeroed in on the object in her hands. She was holding his bowtie in her slender fingers. Anger hit me in the back of my teeth. I snatched my bag off the floor and threw it over my shoulder, hitting myself in the ribs with my heavy textbooks. Taking one look at him, I shook my head and mouthed the words I had been waiting to spit. Liar

"Forget this" I declared, turning and striding away. I was embarassed that this had rattled me so, so much that I was almost outstriding Kris. His foot steps followed me as I thundered down the hallway. I could only hear one set of footsteps which made me even angrier. A long cool hand rested on my arm as I took a step to run down the stairs. The strength in the arm outweighed my persistance and I let it pull me back onto the safety of the landing.

"Rosalie, calm down. What's wrong?"

"I can't believe him. He's such a liar!" I reprimanded myself. I had fallen for it again. Kris furrowed his brow,

"Do you like him?"

I stared incredulously at him.

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard" I stared at his hand on my arm, unable to meet his gaze. I was so embarassed that I had allowed this to effect me so. But Kris didn't understand. Boys never do.

"For someone who doesn't like him, you seem to be caring a lot"

I yanked my arm out of his grip and glared as hard as I could. Who even was this kid? I was completely over the butterflies I had felt earlier. The butterflies had turned into indigestion.

"You don't even know me. And you most certainly don't know what Kai and I have-"

"I'm just-"

"What puts you in a position to judge my feelings!" I demanded. Kris watched patiently. He shook his head slowly.

"Rosalie, I'm not trying to upset you "

"For your information-" I hissed back, barely keeping myself from spitting the words like poison, "He is supposed to be confessing to this girl he likes and instead he's doing this!" I yanked my arm away from Kris and stormed down the stairs,

"And I care because he keeps lying to me and I can't stand it"

I half ran away from Kris. I didn't wanted to deal with him and his smirking, with Kai and his lying, I didn't want to deal with anyone. It felt as if everyone was going out of their way to antagonize me. I couldn't stop the tiny ball of anger inside of me from rolling around in my stomach. I raced to the bus stop, hoping that if any of my prayers were going to be answered today, it was this one. I spotted the vehicle in the distance and ran full tilt towards it, ignoring the pain of my bag slamming into my shins. I needed to be out of this place. I leapt into the vehicle and found a seat in the back, partially blocked by the busstop itself.

As the bus pulled away, I peered out the window to find Kai hurrying out the school gates, his head whipping left and right. I shrunk down in my seat and reached for my phone. The screen lit up as soon as I touched it, his name flashing up but I powered it down. Not today. I hoped that he ring my home phone, or worse, turn up trying to talk to me. I was done with Kai for the day. He wouldn't need to worry. I was mad at him this time. 

I threw myself off the bus before it had drawn to a halt and ran blindly towareds my house, the air whipping against my cheeks, stopping any tears I begged not to flow. He wasn't mine. Kai was hers. Why did I feel the betrayal so personally? I almost booted my front door open. It swung wildly against the hinges, slamming so hard. My father shot up from his seat.

"What the hell are you doing Rosalie?"

I spun to glare at him, every wimpering part of me turned to stone. I scanned the room for the easiest target. There was a face I had never seen before. A woman dressed in a crisp grey suit sat opposite my father, papers nestled in her lap. She glanced in my direction.

"Who the hell is this?" I demanded, jamming my finger at the woman seated on the couch.

It had been a long time since I had been sent to my room in disgrace yet here I was sitting on my bed having been sent to my room while something was happening downstairs that I could not be privy to. I was a 17 year old who had been sent to their room. A grown woman. I paced around my room. Even without music playing and my door being propped slightly ajar, I couldn't hear the conversation downstairs. I didn't need to hear the conversation. I wasn't a stupid little girl.

"Rose, can I come in?"

Sophie peered round my door. I nodded and sat on my bed, patting the space beside me. She sat down and we sat in silence for a good few minutes. She must have sensed I was lost for words because she started to speak.

"The woman downstairs runs some of the best fertility clinics in the city. She was recommended to us by..." Sophie's words started to blend into a fog, the meanings swirling around my head, never settling. I couldn't deal with her and her feelings right now. She couldn't just come back pretending everything was ok. She had hurt me, and she was hurting me now. She must have known.

"Are you ing kidding me?" Sophie turned to face me, her face pale. I watched intensely as she gasped for words.

"I just thought you would-" She trailed off as my glare grew into a sneer, then a snarl.

"What did you think I'd say, Sophie? Huh?" I was pacing my room again, furiously. I couldn't  process this. Fists clenched, I sized o her. Even though I was the baby, I seemed so much bigger than her.

"I offered you-I almost begged you to let me help you" I was stuttering, stumbling, couldn't get my words out fast enough, "And you just-you just threw it back in my face"

"Rosalie wait I-"

"SHUT UP SOPHIE" The rest of the house had to have heard that. 

"All of you! You! Kai! Dad! You're all passing me over for some better alternative! I offered you the only thing I could give you and you threw it in my face. Now you're using my idea!"I threw my arm behind me, gesturing towards the woman I imagined was still downstairs.

"You just walk over me like I'm some stupid little girl, but it was my idea wasn't it? WASN'T IT?" I was standing over Sophie now, her body shaking in my prescence. I felt my family move into my room.

"Rosalie, that's enough" My father dared to try his authority in my room, but the sight of my clenched fists must have stopped him. My cheeks were hot with angry tears.

"Just admit it" I begged, "You'd rather trust a stranger with your baby than me"

Her silence was deafening. At least she had the decency to look guilty. 

"Get out" I whispered, rolling my head back and tried to calm down. 

"Rose, I promise it's not like that"

"Get out"

"Rose-"

"EVERYBODY GET OUT" I screamed.