I looked around the classroom and shrunk down in my seat. Everyone was laughing and joking around with their friends and here I was hiding in the corner away from everyone listening to music. I didn't have any friends, they all left me when she joined the school. At first I was sad about it but now I don't really care. I mean if they left me for her then that means that they weren't really my friend to begin with. Sighing I picked up my stuff when the bell rang and started out of the class with the other students but someone blocked my path. I looked up and frowned at the faces I saw, it was them. The girls the guys want to date and the girl want to be their best friend.

 

“Where do you think your going?” The girl on the right said. I rolled my eyes and tried to step around them but they just got in my way again.

 

“She asked where you were going.” The girl on the left said as she got all up in my face. I gave her a look that clearly said she was crazy then tried to step around them again but this time she stepped in front of me a pushed my shoulder.

 

“Where you going?” She pushed me, “Huh? Where?” push, “Going to go cry in the bathroom?” another push which made me bump into a desk.

 

“Just leave me alone. Ok?” I said as I tried to get around her but apparently talking back wasn't a good idea because it earned me a slap.

 

She scoffed, “You dare talk back to me?” And ladies and gentlemen this is a usual day for me. I walked home staring at my clothes trying to dust the flour off of my clothes but it didn't do any good because I was also wet so it just stuck to my uniform. I sneaked into the house hoping that no one would see me, I didn't think that anyone would because both my parents should be at work. I took a shower and bagged up my uniform to take to the dry cleaner's so my parents wouldn't know about what happens at school. I don't want to bother them with it because then they would just worry and they don't need to add that to what seems like their ever growing list. I pulled on some puffy gray shorts with black leggings on under neither and a poncho type pink shirt with some simple black flats and my favorite messenger bag. Grabbing my keys to the house and the bag with my uniform in it I headed to the dry cleaner's.

 

It was a nice afternoon, the sun was shining and the birds were chirping. It made me smile at the thought that summer would here soon. Just a little bit longer and I could escape school and the troubles it brought. Without realizing it I skipped along the street, enjoying the day.

 

“Ah, Cho Hee-ah,” The owner of the dry cleaners said when I came in.

 

I smiled and bowed, “Hello, ajumma.” I said as I walked over and set my uniform on the counter. “Could you wash it please?”

 

“Of course, dear.” She said as she took it to the back and when she came back she had a sad look on her face. “The kids at school misbehaving again?” She was the only one who knew about what happens at school because when my uniform gets messed up I always bring it to her.

 

“Yeah...” I said quietly but quickly smiled. “But that's ok. It's not long before summer and I'll be able to be free.” I told her happily and she gave me a sad smile.

 

“I really think you should tell the Principal about it so he can punish those girls for bullying.” She said shaking her head and mumbled something that sounded like “Kids these days.”

 

“I would but then he'd most likely call in the parents and I don't want my parents to suffer because of them.” I said shaking my head. She smiled at me and reluctantly nodded, “I got to go head over to my job now. I'll bring the money for the dry cleaning when I come back.” I told her before bowing and leaving the dry cleaner's. I walked towards the bus stop and sat on the bench waiting for the bus to come to take me to my work. I worked at a small store on the other side of town on weeknights and a flower shop on weekends.

 

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I woke up the next morning to a loud noise. It sounded like someone had busted the door open. It was really usual because no one but me is home in the mornings since my parents are at work. I heard heavy feet coming down the hallway so I quickly jumped out of bed and did the first thing I thought of, run and hide in my closet. And it wasn't a moment to soon either because the next moment my door was kicked open, which made me jump and have to cover my mouth so I wouldn't squeal.

 

“There's nothing here.” One of the men said as the picked things up and tossed them around the room. My bed got flipped over, my clothes thrown out of my dresser, and my dresser knocked over, which shattered the picture frame that held a picture of me and my parents before everything happened. I felt tears roll down my face but I knew I needed to hide better because it wouldn't be long before they searched my closet. I grabbed favorite snow globe out of it's hiding place and quickly pulled down the attic stairs and scrambled up them and shut the door. After a few more minutes I heard them walk closer to my closet and wrench the door open, and I went completely silent. I wasn't even breathing for fear that they'd hear me. I could hear the mumbling about how we didn't have anything worth stealing and that if someone called the cops and they got caught and didn't even get to steal anything of worth we'd be in huge trouble. I doubted anyone would call the police since no one in this part of town really cared about anyone else and robberies where so frequent that someone got robbed or their house at least broke into about everyday.

 

“Come on man, the parents aren't home and they have nothing worth stealing anyways so we might as well leave. We'll just have to come back for another visit, this time they'll be home when we do.” I held my hands over my mouth trying to keep myself from making any sort of noise. What had my parents got into that would make them get into trouble with gangsters? Haven't they read any books or watched any bad dramas? If you barrow money from gangsters when you can't pay them back quickly, your going to get into trouble with them. I trembled as I sat quietly for who knows how long after they had left. I was afraid that they knew I was here and was hiding and that they pretended to leave so that they could catch me. Finally with shaking hands I opened the door and pushed the steps down and climbed down, carefully holding my snow globe so it wouldn't slip and fall. My room was even worse then it was when I was in the closet, clothes ripped, dresser drawers scattered all over the room, a hole in the wall where it looked like they threw something at it. I could feel the sobs building up in my throat and tears threatening to spill out, but I pushed them back because I knew I wouldn't be able to do anything if I broke down crying. I quickly wiped my face off and got to work cleaning and straightening my room, after awhile it was back to normal. Or well, it was close. I braced myself for the rest of the house and I had a right to because it was worse than my room. In the kitchen, everything that could be broke was broken all the food was gone and the pots and pans were scattered around the house. So that's how I spent my day. I didn't even go to school and by the time I was done, it was pitch black outside. I wiped my hands on my pants and stood up from where I had been cleaning the floor. The house looked decent, it still wasn't super clean but it was as clean as it was going to get. I took a quick shower, washing off the dirt and grim of the day's cleaning. I would have to wake up earlier than I usually do so I could stop by the dry cleaner's and get my uniform. Lucky for me it was on my way to school so that was the only thing that was going my way right now. I quickly jumped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my body and looked at myself in the mirror. My once energetic, happy face now looked tired and solemn. I sighed and looked away from the girl in the mirror and dried off, maybe life will take a turn for the best. Eventually.

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I hope you liked it! I'll have a background image and story image up soon, so please be anticipating that :)