Taeyeon spent the first hour trying to continue the new lyrics, but it all sounded cheap and dull to her mind. The words just felt wrong on her tongue, nothing seemed to be able to recreate her emotions right.

Sunny was writing her notes and underlining with at least five different highlighters nonstop. It was giving her anxiety and an hitching feeling, like she was forgetting something important. She hated that girl, but the way her cheeks got chubbier and her eyes got rounder and focused was very entertaining. She kept biting her plump lips, then liking the spot, that was pretty entertaining too. Maybe too much, because she found herself imagining kissing that last bite better with her lips.

Shaking hard her head she turned her attention on the notebook. There were just the word “lips” written all over the page, with an exasperated sigh she turned the page.

That girl was messing with her work.

Miss Pratt was mostly on her laptop, Taeyeon could swear she was on Facebook or maybe playing some games.

She started to doodle freely searching for an inspiration, tracing few lines without much thinking she found herself drawing a person, with an high ponytail, of course. Her brain wasn’t her best friend. She kept drawing, it wasn’t any good, she wasn’t Caravaggio but it replicated what she wanted. There she was, her little Sunny, biting her lips and focusing on her notes. She added a pair of corns just for fun and checked the time. God another half hour. She couldn’t stand another half hour like this, doing nothing, sitting on a hard chair.

“Miss Pratt?” The teacher averted her eyes from the laptop to glance at her, nodding her head. “Yea, could I go the bathroom please?” Did Miss Pratt just eyerolled? “This is detention Miss Kim, I think you can keep it for less than half hour.” Taeyeon huffed dramatically and cursed the world under her breath.

“I am sorry, Miss, I know this is detention but you can't deny a student her rights like that.” The sharp tone of Sunny surprised her and Miss Pratt. Was Miss Student Council President really standing up for her? “Are you questioning me Miss Lee?” The teacher attention now was fully on her, eyebrows knotting together. Her stare was nerve fretting but Sunny stood her ground. “I wouldn’t dare Miss but I must stand up for the students, that’s my role.”

“I don’t like your tone, thought.” Miss Pratt was now standing, getting that higher ground, obi wan would be proud. Taeyeon smiled at her own inside joke. “What are you all smiling about Kim? Are the two of enjoying making fun of me?” She crossed her arms, that was a bad move.

Sunny gave her a paralyzing stare, it had written “the hell are you doing” all over it. She gulped.

“No Miss, we weren’t!” Trying to sound the more sincere possible she put a hand over her chest and opened wide her onyx eyes. Miss Pratt watched both with an exhausted and exasperated stare then seemed to say “the hell with it”

“Fine, I am tired of you two so you can leave now!” The both of them started to breath again. “But I don’t want to see neither of you ever again!” They nodded almost in synchrony and packed their bags. Taeyeon in a few seconds had already putted her jacket on and was heading out. But destiny, maybe, was keeping her from moving.

She waited for the other girl then resumed walking. “Kim Taeyeon, this is the end of our relationship.” Taeyeon blinked a few times. “Did you just break up with me?” The other girl punched her right into the stomach making Taeyeon lose her breath. “No! I just don’t want to see you ever again!” Fixing her leather jacket she pouted a bit, contemplating how to answer. Sure she hated the girl, but her mind was obsessed with her, at this point. No, she was simply curious and interested, that’s it.

“Am I that bad?” Sunny shrugged. “You made me get detention for the first time in my entire honorable life! What do you think?”

“That I made your life interesting?” Another blow on her stomach, luckily, she didn’t hit strong enough to really hurt her, she thanked the world for those tiny hands. “You are such an idiot.” The tone was somewhat severe but there was a hint of a smile, Taeyeon smiled feeling like she was drugged, being called a stupid shouldn’t make her this high. “My friends usually say that I am entertaining.” Sunny made a doubtful face and checked her bangs with her phone, which had a cover full of kittens, cute.

They were outside, it wasn’t raining anymore but it was still chilly, Taeyeon searched the keys to her car and trembled a bit. Watching at her side she saw Sunny observing the parking with an annoyed expression. “Hmm do you need a lift? I am with my car, so.”

“You have your own car?” Brown eyes were wide and questioning, she was rubbing her legs together, hands stuffed in the pocket of her fluffy beige jacket. “Yes, well it’s my mother’s but she let me take it. Anyway it’s cold, you are freezing, come on, I am not going to kidnap you and then kill you.” Sunny giggled, it sounded so adorable from up close that Taeyeon had to look away and shut her eyes tight.

The world hated her with a special passion, that was clear.

“You are not that strong, I’d like to see you try!” She giggled again, in a mocking way now. “Thanks, but no thank you. My hmmm I am waiting for someone to pick me up, there must be traffic. And, I said that I don’t want to see you ever again!”

“Girl you are breaking my heart in two!” She put the most hurt expression she could with a hand on her chest. Did she just flirt? Maybe Yuri wasn’t so wrong before. Sunny glared at her still scanning the parking spot. She said she was waiting for someone to pick her up, she didn’t say her parents. The question slipped from her traitor lips:” Is your boyfriend late?” The shorter girl made a sarcastic face. “No! I don’t have a boyfriend. And that’s none of your business anyway.”

Taeyeon didn’t let that stop her curiosity. “A girlfriend then?” She said recklessly. Sunny stared for a second searching for something in her face, that maybe she didn’t find. “No Kim, I am waiting for my chauffeur to pick me up. And why do you care?” Taeyeon shrugged already replaying the last seconds in her mind, trying to analyze the response to the word girlfriend. “Making conversation, there is no one around, don’t want to leave you alone waiting.” That was true too.

“Are you being a gentleman? A noisy inquisitive gentleman?” She raised a eyebrow and crossed her arms. The blond smiled softly and bowed lightly. “At your service Miss President, what can I do for you?” Blushing after embarrassing herself she cursed her dorky self. But Sunny smiled awkwardly trying to not laugh and shacked her head. “Start with going away, please.”

“No can-do Madam, I am here for your protection.” She assumed the best knightly pose she could, with her chin up in the air and firm shoulders. The other girl laughed at her this time. “Yeah, very scary, I feel really safe now.” The sarcastic answer made her drop her high pose and huff. Their eyes meet while Sunny was still smiling softly and her brown irises were shining, she felt herself falling hard into them, like they were oblivion wells.

A car honk ruined the moment and Taeyeon started to breath again.

A polished and shiny black luxurious car was waiting at the gates, an old man in a suit was already opening the posterior door. Sunny waved and saying a quick goodbye she power walked to the car. She was still stuck in her place, a semi-open mouth watching them go away.

Sunny was ing rich.

Usually when she came home from school her mom would be still at work. But detention today made her arrive later. So her mom, still in her nurse uniform, smiled at her from the kitchen. “Why are you arriving now Tae?” She smiled back growling internally. “Got detention mom, ah nothing to worry about, it was all a misunderstanding.” Her mom looked puzzled but she always trusted her.

“Alright Tae but what happen?” But she was always curios. “I had a little brawl… with this girl, but it’s all ok now, we made peace.” She hoped so anyway. “Ah but, can you iron my uniform? I need to wear it.” Her mom almost let her cup fall. “Really? What made you change your mind?” Taeyeon scoffed and got her cup full of freshly made coffee. “Let’s say this girl did.” The woman just nodded smiling her sweet warm smile.

Her mom didn’t know she was a lesbian, she couldn’t bring herself to say it, even if she knew that she would be loved anyway. Her worst fear was deluding her mother, her splendid mother who raised her alone, giving her all the love of world.

No she couldn’t do it, not yet.

Yuri kept texting her on their group chat, asking of details of the detention. She just said that she was forced to wear the damn thing and that apparently Sunny was filthy rich.

Then she spent her remaining afternoon playing her guitar, now she had a pretty good melody, it sounded really smooth on her ears. But she couldn’t put the lyrics on it. It was a sweet melody, more like a ballad, fitting for a love song. The words wouldn’t just get to her. Her notebook full of doodling of Sunny and useless words. She sighed for the umpteen time and hugged her guitar, cursing the sky for her untalented mind.

Maybe the real reason was the theme, depressed songs, sad ones, angry ones, she could do. It was almost simple, she used to close her eyes tight and follow what her heart was ready to tell. But now her heart was saying nonsense, it was talking in circle, beating without a rhythm, without rationality. Closing her trusty notebook she floated to the bed with a unsatisfied scowl on her face. Done for the day, now it was time for supper and Netflix.

The white cotton shirt was itchy and stiffy, the trousers looked awful on her, she seemed just shorter and to top it all the leather jacket looked ridiculous on it.

She saw Yuri laughing at her from the school’s door, her sports bag perched on a muscular shoulder and a look of pure amusement on her face. “I know I look ridiculous Yul, don’t make it worse.” She just wanted this year to finish. “It’s not that bad, you look cute, a real diligent student. But Jessi will feast on this, be ready.” Taeyeon nodded already picturing the scene. “We’ll see her at lunch, right?”

“Yeah, come on we’re gonna be late, you need to follow the rules now Tae, or the shorty President will see you and report you!” Yul got shoved into the walls for that. “Please don’t, detention was awful, she was already doing homework. On the second day of school! Who does that?”

“Who wants to get a good college?” Yuri shrugged and waved at her sports mates. “Oh you know Tae, they are organizing a party for this Friday, you know first Friday of school or something.” Tae eyed skeptically. “And?”

“And I think we should go, they invited me and I am sure Jessi too, I am inviting you.” Now she glared at her taller friend. “Are you serious right now? I hate parties you know that.”

“I know shy midget, but you need to socialize a bit, and I will be there, I am sure Jessica will too. There will be girls, come on, cheerleaders! You love them!” How she hated that Yuri knows her every weak spot in times like this.

“Correction my stupid friend, I like looking at them, don’t love them.”

“That’s just sounds really creepy Tae, honestly.” She punched her arm while fixing the tie. She wasn’t sure she made that right, the tutorials on YouTube didn’t help and her mom was already out for work. “I didn’t mean in the stalker way! Stop saying I am creepy! And do you think I tied it right?” While Yuri was examining her tie two hands compared from nowhere.

“No, I tell you, this isn’t even a knot. You can’t really do a thing right, can you?” Sunny was in front of them, a bun on her head instead of a ponytail and her hand already reaching for her tie. At first the words died in . “It’s… it’s the first time I try to do it, be clement.” When she successfully untied the cravat, she gave her a teasing look. “Watch me and try to learn.” Oh, she was going to do her... Oh no, she read to much fanfiction to take this as a normal friendly act.

Glancing at Yuri at her side she sends a help request, her friend smirked and waved at her, going into class. That traitor.

Then she received a light blow on her head. “I said watch me!” The combination of the blow and the authoritarian tone made her nod and focus on the other’s hands. Very soft looking hands, with cute artistic painted nails, then those hands brushed against her neck and she shivered until the top of her head.

She gulped hard but Sunny kept going with her knot, gently squeezing it on her neck then fixing it straight on her shirt. “See that’s how you do it, Kim Taeyeon.” She smirked and then she left, walking to class.

Taeyeon stood there on the spot for a good two minutes, replaying the moment in her head, what did just happen?

She couldn’t concentrate at all on her first period, her blank stare lost on a wall in the classroom. Yuri kept giggling every now and then shoving her to wake her.

“So, about the party Friday? You all in?” Jessica was walking with them to cafeteria, her long honey hair combed in a fish braid. She kept taking selfies with the braid visible on the front, Taeyeon snorted, the narcissism of this girl. “See Tae they invited her too! Come on mate.”

“Yes, come on Frodo! We’re gonna have fun!” Taeyeon watched both of them with a disgusted expression, shacking her head.

“You’re gonna have fun drinking your off and flirting around, while I try to not be too awkward. Thank you, next.” Jessica rolled her eyes to the sky.

“Don’t drag Ariana into this! Come on we aren’t going to abandon you.” Yuri nodded furiously while taking her tray. “And there will be cheerleaders!”

They really believed her to be a creepy stalker eh.

“Yeah I got it the first time. Still not coming, not really my thing.” She stood her ground, parties were a social tradition she doesn’t want to take part, ever. Just imagining herself with a red cup filled with cheap beer, in a corner, with horrible music pumping and having to watch people each other face. No, not her scene.

Jessica placed her tray violently on the desk, a few heads did turn on her direction, she glared at them. “You can’t continue to live inside your shell Taeyeon! You need to socialize a bit, get to know new people!” It was her turn to eyeroll. “I don’t want to, I am pretty happy with my live now, I don’t need new people!”

This was their favorite fight, hers and Jessica.

“God! And what you will do when we go to differents college? Did you think about it!” This was just harsh and uncalled for. It was her worst and bigger fear, alone in a college away from home, with no one of her friends and just her awkward, anti-social self. Only thinking about it triggered a few bad responses from her bodies, for an example her eyes were starting to water.

“Jess, come on, you went to hard.” She heard Yuri gentle voice like it was from afar and felt the touch of her hand on her shoulder as if it was touching another body. “I am just worried for her, you know I love you Tae.”

But she was already trembling, biting her chapped lips to stop herself from crying in public. She tried to stop the flow but the knot in wouldn’t go away. Her breath was erratic and she started to see blurred from the unwept tears.

“Tae, honey, I am sorry, really. You know we will always be with you even if we are away. Calm down ok? I didn’t mean it.” Jessica voice was trying to be comforting but all she could hear now were lies, to calm her down.

In that moment she saw herself for what she was, a weak strange kid afraid of the world. A frail being that would be soon be eaten from the outside, then she felt the tears start to fall and weeping them away angrily she stood and walked away, more like ran away. She felt her friends trying to follow her, she stopped them with a shaking hand and kept going.

She didn’t need to fall apart in front of everyone and friends. That was like the top thing on her to not do list.

 She just kept walking, her face toward the floor, not showing her tearing face to the world. Just when she was almost arrived at the bathroom to get a grip on herself, she bumped hard into someone. She didn’t hear the squeak of disappointment nor the “What the hell” And entered into the bathroom.

Luckily, she was alone and let out a long breath, tears flowing freely on her cheeks. She looked into the stained mirror disgusted by what her reflection.

“Why are you crying? What happened?” The gentle voice almost caused her a , turning her stained face she saw Sunny closing the door of the ladies room. She cleaned furiously her face with her fingers then splashed water on her burning cheeks. She could feel the panic attack blowing away, thankfully.

Sunny stood by her, in the mirror she could see her worried expression, her empathetic eyes shining slightly. “What’s wrong?” She gave her some tissue while searching in her eyes for some answers.

Taeyeon didn’t trust her voice to not crack yet, and dried her face shaking her head.

“I won’t report you to the principal this time, I swear.” That made her laugh and made Sunny smile a bit. She cleared and tried to lie. “It just, something got in the wrong pipe.” The President crossed her arms and leaned on the long sink, a unimpressed look on her face. “Yeah sure.You bumped me hard, it may leave some bruises, you owe it to me.” Then she added softly:” If you want to.”

The soft request made her surrender and with a glance at the mirror she sighed. “Let’s say that I was talking with my friends and the subject was the next year. You know, college…” Sunny nodded signaling her to keep going. “Well, let’s say that I don’t like the idea of being without them, alone in a new place.” The words kept just escaped like a river, she couldn’t contain it and she doesn’t know why she was spilling all of this at a stranger, at this particular stranger.

Maybe it was the kind glimmer of her eyes or the understanding gaze, focused only on her words, or it could be the tiniest of the smile resting on . “I know it sounds childish but I am not a social person, so…”

“It’s not childish, I got it. College is scary, you start a new life. And I am not really a social person too.” That shocked her.

“But you are the Student Council President, people voted for you.” Sunny grinned toward her, shaking her bangs with chubby fingers. “I was the only candidate, it wasn’t a fair vote.” Taeyeon tried hard to keep her laugh to herself but she couldn’t. The other girl glared at her but without the usual malice.

“I am here, listening to your problems and you repay me like that? With that strange creepy laugh?”

Why everyone found her laugh creepy anyway. She forced herself to stop and whispered a unbelievable "sorry".

“Well you have my vote now, if it makes you feel better.” Sunny snorted then started to leave. “Wait but why are you not a lunch?” She stopped to face her once again. “Skipped it, I had to do some bureaucracy and now there is no time anymore, we need to go to classes.” Tae stared at her with confusion.

“But you need to eat!”

“What are you? My mother?” She smiled and crinkled her little nose, that scene alone made Taeyeon gain a bit of her strength back. “No, Madam you knight in shining armor.” She bowed and heard the other girl giggle.

“Oh that again ah? Fine my very scary knight I’ll go get a sandwich, happy now?” She nodded quickly and Sunny moved to leave the bathroom but she remembered something. “Do you, hmmm are you going to the party, Friday?”

The shorter one looked at her over her shoulders then seemed to think about it a bit, biting the plump pinkish lips. “Yes, I think so, Tiff is going so she’ll make me accompany her anyway.”

A new resolution brightens inside her, much like a ray of sunshine passes through the atmosphere to blind someone passing by.

“Then I’ll see you there.” Sunny grinned again crinkling her nose then left.

It was as a big rock was being lifted of her chest and she could breathe again.