PAST (2014)

"You're finally here," Chaeng said as she greeted me with a very warm 
hug. I hugged her back and she squeezed me gently, a sign of comfort she loves to do.

After the hug, I looked around and I couldn't hide the disappointment in my face and voice. I started, "This place..." but faltered upon seeing the place.

"Isn't much?" She completed my sentence and I nodded my head.

"Yeah. Where's the party? The loud streets? The people? The fun?"

She giggled and guided me towards her car. We spotted the blue mustang that was gifted to her by her loving parents when she turned eighteen. The unwanted bile rose to my mouth as I feel myself get jealous but I forced it down which earned a grimace from me.

"I told you, Jennie. The place isn't what you've been accustomed to, but the people here are great."

I hopped in on her old mustang then the citrusy and fruity scent she uses wafted in the air that I automatically scrunched my nose. "I hope so." 

"Trust me. You'll breathe easier here."

I hummed in response and looked outside while thoughts about where I came from filled my mind.

Suddenly, a warm hand held mine in a comforting manner and I glanced sideways at Chaeyoung.

"You can relax here, Jenjen. Stop fidgeting."

I removed her hand from me and continued picking at my nails. "I can't, Chaeng. You know what happened,"

"You can. She's not here. Your mom's not-"

"Your aunt, Chaeng. She's not my mom." I told her sternly. She sensed the bitterness in my voice that she released a breath of uncertainty and looked ahead.

Just focus on your driving, Chaeyoung.

"Jen, she's still your mom," she said after the silence.

I rolled my eyes at her and reclined my seat. "If we're gonna continue this conversation then I'm just gonna sleep. Wake me up when we get there."

I closed my eyes, plugged my earphones and blasted the loudest music I have to silence everything around me.

And my dreams consisted of flashbacks of what I was escaping -

home.

"Jennie," I feel someone tap my cheeks repeatedly and I slowly opened my eyes to see Chaeyoung smiling broadly at me. I rubbed the tiredness from my eyes and went outside the car then stretched my limbs. A chuckle was heard not too far from us and I see my aunt and uncle grinning from ear to ear, walking towards us.

"You're always the hard one to wake, aren't you?" My uncle said and ruffled my hair playfully.

I sent Chaeyoung a 'help me, juseyo,' glance and she chuckled while removing her dad's hand on my hair.

"Dad, Jennie's had a long day, can we let her rest first?"

My aunt then pulled me for a hug when I hear her hum in agreement. She pulled away from the hug and stared at me. I grinned at her in which she returned. 

"Honey, if the guys would see Jennie like that, she'll have no suitors therefore, no new flowers."

He motioned to the wide expanse of flowers lining up to the side of the house. "Aren't you tired of planting and flowering?"

"Nope,"

Then he grinned, "Do you want me to flower you instead?"

I widened my eyes upon hearing what uncle said and Chaeng grunted beside me while covering my ears.

"Oh my God, guys. You are embarrassing!" Her chipmunk cheeks reddening while looking at her own parents.

Both of them shrugged while I couldn't keep the laugh that was rising from me.

I snorted before laughing which they looked at me funny and sooner joined the laughter. My cousin dragged me away from them but before we could enter, I looked back at them and shouted,

"Well, I hope you'll have fun digging!" I winked. My uncle choked on air and my aunt blushed red while hitting his husband playfully.

"Oh god, I need to pray," Chaeyoung muttered beside me and I patted her back.

"Yeah. And probably a loud speaker as well."

I laughed when popped open and she threw me the nearest thing on her, which was an uncompleted rubik's cube.

"Jennie!"

I closed my eyes when I heard Chaeng run towards her room and the laugh died down.

I sighed.

I do sure hope that things will be better here.

//

"Jennie." I swatted the hand that pinched my cheeks and hissed at the person depriving me of my right to sleep.

This time, she poked my forehead nonstop so I rolled to my sides but she didn't budge and continued pestering me

"Jennie! Wake up!"

I groaned and covered my face with the pillow I was hugging and slurred my words out of my mouth.

"What are we gonna do today?"

My bed dipped and I feel her laying beside me, making me scoot over to make room for her.

"What did you say? I couldn't understand you."

I removed the pillow from my face and my eyes automatically squinted from the bright light.

I rubbed my eyes so that it could adjust and mumble