When we arrived, I faced the next hurdle. Dad was already gone to work, but Mom was in the kitchen, and there was no way to sneak inside without her noticing.

“I’m so screwed,” I whined, hiding behind a tree on the other side of the street.

Byul cupped my chin with an unexpected tender hand and made me look at her face. “Do you always give up that quickly?”

“Apparently, you don’t,” I muttered with clipped annoyance for her lack of understanding of my misery. “So what do you suggest?”

“We get you inside the same way we got you out.”

“The window?”

“Exactly.” Her head slightly angled, she lifted her brows with an utmost of encouragement.

“But I need a ladder to get onto the roof of the shed. And as far as I know, we don’t have a ladder.” My shoulders slumped in defeat.

“Come on.”

She pulled at my top and hauled me across the street. I could only hope that my mom wasn’t peeking out the window. As we rounded the house and I could hide beside the shed, I felt a little safer. Still, there was this problem with getting on top of it.

Byul scanned the tree. “I believe you could climbs up there to get onto the roof?”

“Huh, what? Are you asking me to climb a tree now?”

She gave a light snort. Then she tested the edge of the shed’s roof by jumping and hanging on to it. It was solid. “Come here, Yongsun-shi,” she ordered as she planted herself in a wide stance with her back to the shed’s door.

“What are you doing?”

“Giving you a lift.” She laced her fingers in front of her hips. Obviously, I should step in there.

“No way.”

“Don’t be a baby. I already proved I can carry you, remember? Twice.”

She was right. She sure was strong for a skinny girl. Still, that didn’t take the queasy feeling out of my stomach. If at all, the memory increased my flurry. In the end, with my mom downstairs, I figured I didn’t have much of a choice. With a resigned sigh, I stepped toward her and held on to her shoulders while she bent her knees to make it easier for me to place my foot into the hold he provided.

“Ready?” she teased as we were on eye level.

“Not at all,” I replied a little shaky.

“See you tomorrow.” Then she shot me up into space. I had no time to think, which might have been a good thing, but just grabbed onto the roof’s edge and hoisted myself over with Byul’s help.

From there it was an easy walk to get back into my room. Once my feet were planted on the solid floor, I turned toward her. My knees still wobbly from the adventure and the fear of getting caught, I grimaced. “I don’t think we should do this again.”

“Why not?”

“I’m dead if my parents catch me.” And it wasn’t really a matter of if but of when.

“They won’t.”

“What if?”

“Yongsun-shi, they won’t. Now shut up and go have a shower. You stinks.”

“No, I’m not” Agh, she really didn’t understand my dilemma. I was holding myself back from lifting my arms and sniffing my armpits to proof myself she’s wrong. I gritted my teeth. “I’m not coming tomorrow. There’s practice anyway.”

“Yeah. Right.” She laughed. “Wednesday. Five o’. And, Yongsun-shi, don’t make me climb up there and fetch you.”

Though my body screamed at the torture Byul had put me through this morning, my mind spun with a strange anticipation. She was going to train with me again. A small smile creep across my lips as I headed for the shower. Damn, I never knew I was that much of a tsundere.

The hot spray of water loosened my burning muscles. I could have spent the whole day in there. Ah heck, being grounded, semester break, I didn’t have much else to do anyway, so I enjoyed an extended treat in the shower. When the water finally turned cold on me, I slipped out, wrapped my body into a soft, white towel, and walked back to my room.

As I opened the door, a shriek escaped me.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“Waiting on your merciful return from the bathroom.” Wheein grinned from where she lay on my bed.

I shot a glance over my shoulder, hoping my mom hadn’t heard my scream.

“Don’t panic. Your mom already knows I’m here.”

“What? Why?” I closed the door and clutched the towel tighter to my chest.

“I went downstairs to look for you when you weren’t in your room. She actually made me eat breakfast with her.”

Yeah, I stood quite a while under that shower. Since my mom seemed fine with her being in my room in spite of me being grounded, I relaxed. And soaked in the joy of seeing Wheein this morning. She wore my favourite, dark blue jeans, a cobalt blue tee, and a black blazer over it. Her feet dangled off my bed, bobbing up and down.

“Did Byul unnie come to apologize?”

My brows quirked as her casual tone dragged me out of my staring. “Sorry?”

“I saw her walk away from your house today. Bit early to come pay you a visit. So did she apologize for crawling into the same bed with you?”

Only then did I remember that I was in fact royally pissed at Wheein. “I don’t see how this is any of your concern. Anyway, it’s early for you to be here, too.” I folded my arms over my chest, but then the towel threatened to slide down with that move. I returned to clutching it.

“Oh come on unnie…I don’t like it when you’re mad at me.” She gave that sweet, cute pout she always did when she tried to make me forgive her whenever she screwed up. “To make it up to you I’ll stay with you inside all day, and we can watch some movies.”

Solidly united, just the two of us, like in the past. She almost had me with it. But I decided to stay strong. With a snort, I strode to the closet, fetching a green t-shirt and jeans. Staring at the top for a couple seconds, I put it back. I wouldn’t wear her favourite colour today.

“I brought X-Men,” she cooed and held the DVD collection in front of my face.

Oh, this little bastard. She knew this was my all-time favourite. I owned the DVDs too, but she had the director’s cut. I pressed my lips together. A grin still escaped.

Victory lit up her face. “You go and get dress, and I’ll set the DVD-player.”

Faithful to her promise, Wheein stayed the entire day. By the time we started on the second movie, I had forgiven her so far that I overcame the foot of distance between us on my bed and snuggled up to her.

There was just one thing bothering me all this time. I couldn’t stop comparing the feeling with her to the sensation that rode me when Byul had rolled with me off the couch and I landed on top of her. Of how my heart was beating fast that I prayed she didn’t feel it.

While now I was completely at ease, I had barely been able to reign in my fluttering heart in Byul’s tight embrace. Her body warm makes me calm and feel safe. The feeling of having her arms wrapping around me brings me comfort. How could this happen when I loved only Wheein? Since I missed two thirds of part III of X-Men thinking on that question, I decided to drop the thought altogether.

After all, Byul wasn’t a girl worth daydreaming about. Right? She’s basically a celebrity. She’s totally out of my reach.

The teasing smile she wore so well captured my mind once more. She has this devilish grin on her face that I hate and like at the same time.

Wheein nudged me. “What? You still in love with her?”

“Bull! I’m not! It’s just running!” The words were out before I could think again as I jerked off her and glared at her.

She gave me a very uncomfortable stare. “What?”

“What, what?” . Something had gone wrong. I sat back on my heels and chewed the inside of my cheek. “Sorry, what did you say?”

Her eyes narrowed a little more. “You sighed. Like you were drooling over Halle again.”

Halle…Berry. Right. Not Byul. A little late, but my cheeks started to burn with shame. This is embarrassing.

“Unnie…is everything all right?”

“Sure.” And in my most innocent I-don’t-know-what-you-mean voice I added, “Why?”

“Ever since I came back from tour you’ve been acting a little crazy.”

“Bull. I’m fine.” The way she lounged on my bed, arms folded over her chest, brow creasing, it gave me the creeps. I slid off the bed and stopped the DVD. “Let’s call it a day here, shall we?”

I held the case out to her, but Wheein didn’t take it. Instead, she sat up, Indian style, and angled her head. “Are you throwing me out?” She said it so slowly, disbelief flaring into her eyes.

Did I? In over ten years of friendship, I’d never asked her to go. Instead I always asked her to stay, making excused after excused so that I can’t be with her a little longer. Jeez, she was right, I was crazy.

“Look, I’m just tired from this movie marathon. And then I promised my mom to clean up my room today.” I dropped the DVD case on the bed in front of her. “It’s almost four. I should get started.”

“I’d offer to help you, but I’ve got this feeling you’ll just say no.” She stood, looking at me as if she waited for my contradiction.

What in the hell rode me to disregard her offer? I avoided her gaze, finding her blazer, and handed it over to her. “See you tomorrow?” A hopeful edge to my voice made me wonder if I expected her to be mad because I didn’t let her help me clean.

“Yeah. Meet you at the dance class. I can’t pick you up, though.” She grimaced, and I wondered why. “But hey, tomorrow class will be divided into three groups. Make sure you are in my group.” There it was again. The typical sly Wheein-grin that caused my heart to melt every time.

Just that it wasn’t lopsided…like Byul’s.

I grunted, aware of my lack of focus, as I ushered Wheein out of my room. As she climbed down the shed and I closed the window, I wondered where Mom kept the clinical thermometer. I sure must be suffering from a high fever.