Danica

 “I was popular back then. Everyone loved me,” I hung my head low. “Well, at least that’s what they told me.”

“What do you mean?” Gikwang raised my chin up gently. “It’s okay,” he locked eyes with me. “You can tell me,” he smiled, “I’ll be here to listen.”

I nodded and before I knew it, I began telling him the story I thought I would never narrate ever again.

**

Flashback

“Danica, you’re so pretty!”

“Aww, I’m so envious! You have the best hair yet!”

“I like your eyes!”

“You’re the best! I wish I was you!”

Day by day, I received compliments. I had lots of admirers, I had lots of friends, and I was always the center of attention. I was happy and flattered to be ‘loved’ by everyone, but that changed when I overheard my classmates talk behind my back.

“I hate her you know?” A girl with a husky voice blurted. “She’s always the one the boys like. I bet she’s one of those we can call a ‘silent flirt’.”

“Silent flirt, huh?” one of her friends laughed. “What’s that?”

“Oh my gosh! Hyemin!” someone giggled. “You don’t know what a ‘silent flirt’ is?!”

“No actually,” Hyemin said. “What’s it?”

“Silent flirts are those who look innocent and pure, maybe even naïve, but they’re the ones who flirt a lot and slyly when no other girls are looking.”

“Oh,” Hyemin said. “So Danica’s a silent flirt…No wonder all the guys like her!”

“I know right!” the girl with the husky voice exclaimed. “She’s not even that pretty.”

“I bet she puts on make up without us knowing.”

“Yeah,” one of them said, “and her hair is probably styled. She probably had her hair dyed and permed. I mean, how else could her hair be so caramel-brown, and so beautiful?! Those kinds of curls and waves, bleh! It’s fake.” She spat.

“Ugh, I just hate her.”

“I know, same here.”

“Oh please,” Hyemin said. “Everyone hates her.”

“Not the boys,” one squeaked.

“Oh shut up Hana!”

“Okay, I’m sorry!” Hana squeaked. “But…if we hate her, why do we put up with her?”

“To get near the boys! Duh!”

“Plus,” Hyemin concluded. “She’s rich.”

“And don’t forget stupid!” They all laughed and agreed.

With my hands curled into tight fists, I entered the classroom. All of the girls gasped and their faces grew further pallid. Smiles faded, and immediate silence took over.

“Tsk!” Rose smirked. “Look who’s here.” She crossed her arms and stood up. She made her way to me. “You know, I’m slightly relieved that you caught us red handed.”

I kept quiet and began holding back my tears. I was heart-broken.

“I was beginning to be so sick around you, you know?” She shoved me. “How long do you have to act like you’re perfect and all that, huh?!” She scowled.

“You’re wrong,” I squeaked.

“What?!” Rose hissed.

“I said, ‘You’re wrong!’” I yelled. “In fact, all of you are!” I began crying now. I felt my tears sliding down my cheeks. “Never have I acted ‘perfect’ and ‘all that’! I was never—“

“Never?!” Esther stood up and interrupted. She poked my shoulder. “Never?! Oh please! Ever since you came here, all you’ve been doing is grab attention!”

“I never grabbed attention nor did I try to take it! You were the ones who gave me that!”

“You silent little flirt!” Esther slapped me. “You clearly knew that I liked Sang Hyun yet you took him from me!”

“I never took anyone from you,” I cried.

“Liar!” She slapped me again. “I saw you approach him one time. The both of you were talking! I saw you flirting with him you man-stealer!”

“I didn’t flirt with him!” I argued. “I rejected him for heaven’s sake!”

“Rejected?! So you’re trying to tell me that the guy I liked likes you and you rejected him?!”

I kept quiet.

“You little ! I knew it!” Esther turned to her friends and smirked, “Girls, I think all of us had enough of this here. So, who wants to teach her a lesson first?”

Her friends all glared at me and smirked. Before I knew it, I passed out.

**

“They kicked me, slapped me, spat at me…you name it. They broke me completely. From the inside out,” I softly said as tears began sliding down my cheeks.

“Don’t cry,” Gikwang whispered as he wrapped an arm around me. “Don’t cry.”

“Ever since that,” I croaked, “I came to school as an outcast and I did everything to keep away from everyone. I didn’t want to be the center of attention any longer, especially when I found out no one were truly by my side.” I locked eyes with Gikwang. “I don’t want to go back there. Not again. I’d rather be that friendless loser than have a bunch of friends that secretly hate me…”

“Don’t worry,” Gikwang whispered as he brushed the tears off my face. I looked at him straight in the eyes and he cupped his hand on my cheek. “You won’t be that friendless loser or that ‘Ms. Popular’ with millions of fake friends. Not while I’m around, okay? So stop crying already, hmm?”

I nodded.

“I’m sorry…for making you talk about that dark past of yours. I promise I won’t ever let you bring it up again.”

 “You better!” I sniffled.

Gikwang let out a playful grin, “It was your fault that they hated you anyways,” he teased. "You’re too perfect. No wonder they thought of you as a competition.”

I glared at him, “Whatever.”

“They were just jealous, Danica.” Gikwang softly said. “So don’t be too hard on yourself, alright?” He flashed me the sweetest smile I’ve ever seen

 …and for a while, I thought that time stopped and there were only the both of us in the whole world.