I sat in chemistry class and stared at my hand where a braided, white bracelet, worn from years of wearing choked my wrist. My mom had offered to cut it off, but for some strange reason, I refused her. For some strange reason, this bracelet was special. I touched it, feeling the rough string against my finger and tried to recall where and from whom had I gotten it from. Nothing came to mind. Why? I don't know. My mom said that I got it while I lived in South Korea and then wouldn't say more. That's all I know.

It's a bit strange actually. She, my mom, won't tell me anything about Korea or of when I lived there. She just said I was a very cute boy with lots of friends that loved me dearly. Well, if those friends loved me so 'dearly', then wouldn't they at least call? Or send a letter?

Sometimes, I get sad thinking about Korea. I want to go back so bad, but my mom always said, "Maybe next year" and then we never went. I'm used to it by now, I suppose. Adults lie all the time.

Who gave me this bracelet?

"Mr. Kevin?" a voice broke me from my thoughts.

Slightly annoyed, I looked up and without thinking, I blurted, "What do you want?"

My chemistry teacher, Mrs. Terwilliger, was not pleased. "Excuse me, young man, I would rather you rephrased that."

I sighed and rolled my eyes slightly. "Excuse me. Yes?"

"The answer."

"To what?"

"The question."

No duh! I thought, sarcastically. "Which one?"

"The one we're on."

"Excuse me, Mrs. Terwilliger, I would rather you rephrased that so I know which number we're on."

The students giggled. This was a new side of me, but you couldn't blame me. She broke me from my thoughts. She was asking for me to be rude.

"Number seven," Mrs. Terwilliger growled, glaring at the other students. They immediateky quieted as I looked at my answers.

Huh... Looks like I skipped that one... "I don't have that."

Mrs. Terwilliger was silent. Then she exploded, "You made me waste five minutes of this class time--"

"Actually it was more like three minutes and 43 seconds... 44... 45..." one of the smart-aleck kids called out.

"Quiet!" And there was silence.

Oh... That reminds me of the Bible... It went something like... "And God said 'Let there be Light' and there was light..."... I can't believe I forgot the quote... I'll have to read it again when I get home... I wonder what's for dinner... I hope it's pizza. I like pizza. It's my favorite food.

"Hey, Kev!" I heard someone whisper-shout from behind me. I turned to face my friends Kibum and Alexander. Kibum was smirking, holding a straw with one hand and pointing to the teacher with the other. "Are you ready for this one?"

Alexander was smiling along, only in a more innocent and childlike way.

I bit my lip, knowing that Kibum (and possibly Alexander) was going to get in trouble. "I-- I don't know... Maybe we should wait for math..."

"Bull," Kibum muttered and put the straw to his lips and blew hard.

My eyes widened as the spit ball flew and hit the principal right smack-dab in the middle of his forehead. I gulped knowing what was next.

My name is Kevin Woo and I'm welcoming you to my life.