Sehun

        "Hello, I'm home!" Sehun calls out as soon as the two enter. He waits for a moment, sighing when they’re no response. "Hello?" Once again, there’s nothing. Sehun shakes his head before untying his shoes and taking them off. He picks them up and turns to Kai. "Please take off your shoes first."

"Why?"

“Do you HAVE any manners? Respect! And my mother doesn’t like dirty shoes in the house.” Sehun couldn't believe this guy. It’s like common sense when you go to someone else’s place. Kai grudgingly begins to take his combat boots off, seeming to purposely take forever. Sehun has boots and a jacket just like his; except his are better-taken care of. He only wears things like that when he goes out with his friends and his mother isn’t around. Of course, when mommy dearest is around, it's everything prim and proper. Sehun smiles at Kai's mismatched socks but he doesn't say anything. He makes his way to the kitchen, grabbing an apple as he walks by. "You want something to drink or..." His smile falters when he notices a note on the counter.

"Sehun, I won't be home tonight. There are microwavable pizzas in the freezer." It's not even signed off; not with her name or even with ‘mom’. Sehun frowns as he slowly picks it up. She was supposed to make dinner tonight just the two of them. They were going to celebrate her new promotion.  "Of course," he sighs "Why do I even try?" He takes a can of cola from the fridge, deciding to be nice and grabs a second for Kai. When he angrily rips it up and tosses it in the fridge, he ignores the confused look the punk has. "Forget it...come on, my room is upstairs."

Sehun's room is quite neat, except for a pair of shows by his dresser and a few random things. He walks in and notices Kai look at a couple of photos spread out on his desk.

"You're a photographer?"

"Um," Sehun sets the colas down and takes a seat on his bed. "Sort of. I'm not very good at it."

"Jesus Christ." Kai looks at Sehun as he touches the ugly panda lamp. Sehun blushes.

"I know, it's hideous."

"So why you keepin' it?"

"It was a gift from my best friend, Tao," Sehun says simply.

He watches nervously as Kai slowly walks around his room, eyeing things hung on his wall, how his bed is made. He stops at Sehun’s nightstand. "You must be ing rich if you got these," Kai huffs, picking up a red pair of headphones.

Sehun smiles. ”Tao."

"And your stereo?"

"Tao, for my sixteenth birthday."

Kai shakes his head and leans against the wall. "What's with all the expensive gifts? He's your sugar daddy or something?"

Sehun gasps. "What! No!"

"No?" Kai smirks.

"I...Tao is just a friend..."

No one knew it, but Sehun loved Tao. Not loved, loves; he never stopped loving him. He wants to be with him, wants to go to China with him. They had kissed once, but Sehun laughed it off, pretending it was just a joke. Tao would just smile and gifts him with more kisses; some small, some long and passionate. He would always whisper how cute Sehun is, how he can’t help himself. But Sehun always let Tao kiss him, always. He wanted more, he always wanted more. But all of a sudden, all of their nights together stopped. Tao stopped kissing him, stopped whispering sweet nothings; he no longer snuck in at night and touched Sehun, filling the void in his heart.

The first night Tao did more than touch him, he cried. It hurt but it was a kind of pain Sehun wanted more of. Sehun clutches the blankets underneath him as he did many times before and takes a deep breath. This is the same bed, same sheets, same room. Every night he watches his window, wishing to see Tao's smile pop up and begging to let him in. And he would, he knows he would. Even now, he wouldn’t hesitate to open that damn window. "Where does this lead?" Sehun exhales and looks over at Kai, pushing his thoughts of Tao away.

"That goes to my closet."

Kai opens the door, "Who needs a closet this big?!" Kai asks in almost a shout. "This looks expensive! More from your Tao?" My Tao.

Sehun smiles tightly and grabs his bag, ping it. He pulls out a couple of books. "We have most classes together, so this should be easy..."

"I can't help you if you don't listen!" Sehun exclaims, slamming his book down. "You're just looking at your phone!" Kai looks at him as if he were an idiot.

"Uh...yeah, because this is more interesting than you."

"Watching paint dry could be more exciting than me but it doesn't matter- put your damn phone down so we can get these notes down."

"I'd rather-"

"I don't care what you’d rather do, cool guy!," Sehun interrupts. "Put it down and read this with me!" Kai slowly set his phone down and stares at Sehun with a glare. Sehun raises his brows. “What? Do you have something to say?”

"Why do you even care if I get my grades up?"

"I don't," Sehun admits, looking back down at his book as he tries to calm himself. "Let's start from the beginning of the chapter again.”

"Why're you doin' this anyway?"

"From the goodness of my heart," Sehun says sarcastically, not showing any interest in the conversation. Kai stares at him some more until Sehun finally looks up and sighs. "Fine- our teacher promised me a spot at a good college. Happy?"

Kai rolls his eyes. "Of ing course," He scoffs. "Well, why not do my homework for me? That way I don't have to deal with this ing bull and you get into your rich-boy, high and mighty college?"

"Because, Kai, I don't like you."

"So?! Who the hell cares if you like me or not! This'll make it easier for all of us!”

Sehun frowns. "Why would I make this easy for you?"

"What the is your problem?"

"What's your problem?!" Sehun shouts. "You're the one who's giving me the sour attitude!"

"Do my work and I'll get out of your hair!"

"Why? Because everyone else will do anything for you, huh?" Sehun gives him a glare. "No, everyone's too scared of you and I'm the only one willing to help you.” There's an awkward silence that fills the room, making Sehun feel antsy. Out of frustration, he slams the book shut and stands. ""We’re stopping here,” Sehun announces quietly. “We’ll continue tomorrow.”

Kai looks at him oddly, standing up as well. He grabs his leather jacket. "What?"

"We're studying together every day except on Wednesdays and weekends."

"Why not Wednesdays? What, you got a book club or something? Dungeons and Dragons with your little geek friends?"

Sehun turns his back as he begins to pack his backpack. "I'll see you tomorrow. Don't worry about cleaning up your can, I’ll deal with it."

Kai snorts and takes out a cigarette. "I wasn't going to anyway," Kai says, turning away and leaving without another word. Sehun watches after him for a moment before sitting back down on his bed. He lets out a long sigh and falls back.

"Yeah, got stuck with some ."

Sehun looks to the window, hearing Kai's voice. He walks over and looks out, Kai lighting a cigarette in front of his house. Sehun watches him for a moment, chuckling when Kai brings up his middle finger and shows it to him. Grabbing the punk’s empty can, he’s tempted to hit him with it. He slams the window shut and lets out an angry groan as he tosses it in the trash nearby.

“God, I hate that guy," Sehun mumbles. He sits down at his desk and stares at the panda lamp. He smiles at it sadly and gently touches its ugly ears. He misses Tao.

"I could go with you, Hyung!"

"No, you're too young."

"Please," Sehun begs. He grabs Tao's hand. "Take me away, please!" Tao smiles sadly and wraps his arms around him. "Hunnie, I can't."

"You just don't want me around anymore!" Sehun sniffs. He buries his face in Tao's chest. He weeps.

"Sehun, please..."

"Why don't you love me?"

"I do."

"Then why are you leaving me?!"

Tao gently pushing him away to look at his face. "We can't be together, Hun," Tao says in almost a whisper. "But I'll always love you."

Sehun jolts back to reality at the sound of the front door opening and his mother calling up. "Sehun, are you home?!" Sehun wipes the tears from his face.

"I'm up here, mom," He shouts back, his voice cracking.

"I'm here for my new bag, have you seen it?!"

"It's in the bathroom!" Sehun listens carefully as he hears her walk around and go into the bathroom. A few minutes later he can hear her mumbling something to herself. She leaves without a goodbye. Sehun cries in the shower, and he cries when he eats. That night, Sehun's pillow is soaked before he somehow manages to fall asleep.