(Okay, they're wearing totally normally clothing (only the second picture evidence I've seen that they're real human boys and not just walking models x3 Though since this is from a photoshoot, stylists are STILL involved >>;) but do you see what MinHyunnie's wearing? I love that shirt! If he picked out my wardrobe, I'd look FORWARD to school mornings 'cause I know that whatever outfit MinHyunnie put together for me will knock 'em dead <333)

"Why don't you take your out of my Goddamn business?!"

"Juliet, you lied to me! You don't think I'm going to ask you about that??"

"Why were you spying on me in the freaking first place?"

"I wasn't spying on you, idiot! You were in plain view!"

"You know what, Starr? You can just f*** off, alright?! Get the hell away from me and get the hell out of my business!"

"YOU LITTLE ! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THOSE GIRLS!!"

"GET OUTTA MY FACE, YOU !!"

* * *

I pick up my pace. I've already walked/jogged/ran five blocks and I'm nearing the end of the subdivision. Along the way the open yards changed into fenced-in yards and those fences turned into brick or stone walls until now, near the end of the street, the walls tower three feet higher than my head. My legs had begun to strain a bit a while back when I hit the gently sloping hill. Dogs barked as I ran past their yards and I nodded and smiled politely to the people walking by me. I dodged sprinklers and kids playing on the sidewalk and in the empty streets. The maple trees shade the back of my neck and sweat runs down my face and chest.

I stop at the corner and lean against the cool brick wall behind me and work on regulating my breathing. Though I don't count my heartbeats, I have a habit of checking my neck pulse anyway just to feel the thumping muscle.

"GET OUTTA MY FACE, YOU !!"

I press my lips together, tasting the salt of my sweat.

This morning's argument is the reason I bolted out of the house and why I'm five blocks away. And I plan to run farther. As far as I need to feel that I've put enough miles between me and my house. Between me and my sister. My stupid sister. And who's the hell does she think she is to call me ''? I clack my teeth against each other. I close my eyes. Patterns shift through my eyelids as the sun streaks through the leaves.

"Starr?"

I open my eyes. Adam stands a few feet away, his bike between his legs. His smile, like always, is lopsided sweetly, making him appear more genuine than he probably means. But his smile is always more open towards me, more sweet, and more tenderness shows through. And I guess more genuineness also. I wave tiredly and smile back with less personal emotion. "Hey, Adam." I glance down at myself. Even though I don't like him more than friends anymore, it's still also a habit to check what I'm wearing: black sneakers, pale baby pink yoga pants, and a faded – but bright – yellow tank top. JR's Abercrombie sweater is tied around my hips.

Why did I think it was a good idea to walk out of the house with these colors again? I wonder. I remember grabbing anything that was clean and okay to jog in, but I must've been too mad to think about coordinating colors. Unlike the past year, I'm not worrying about what Adam would think if I bump into him (too late anyway >>); I'm now fretting seeing JR. With personal stylists, he and the others look absolutely pristine and hot. I look like a mess and sweaty (that counts as 'hot', right?).

Adam scoots closer to me on his bike. "What are you doing all the way out here?" he asks. I sigh heavily, not willing to replay the scene out loud.

"You know what, Starr? You can just f*** off, alright?! Get the hell away from me and get the hell out of my business!"

I take a couple steps away from the wall and retie my ponytail while saying, "Oh, I'm just out for a long-needed walk. What about you? Just riding around?" I absently finger the sweater that's wrapped around me, reminding me of JR. Adam shrugs. "I was just heading over to Joel's place to swim," he answers. It's only when he says that do I see that he's wearing swimming trucks and a white t-shirt. A small drawstring backpack rests on his shoulders too.

"Joel Silverman?" I ask since the name sounds familiar. Adam nods, and then his face lights up. "Do you want to come? Other people will be there from school." His face looks so hopeful that I almost say yes, but then I realize that it's not because I want to swim; it was another habit. During the year that I liked him, I swayed whenever he smiled at me with that special smile just for me.

But there's someone else now. Someone else.

I shake my head and say apologetically, "Sorry, Adam, but I wanted to go a few more blocks before heading back home. Maybe ano- "

My sentence is abruptly cut short. I'm slammed from the side and knocked to the ground, palms and elbows scraping painfully. The air has been forced out of me and I'm being smothered. The sun shines into my eyes. "Ughhh . . . " I groan. The person on top of me groans too while struggling to roll off of me. In the effort, my face gets pressed against their chest.

I'm assaulted by déjà vu.

"JR?!" I shout, astonished. I try to breathe again and his cologne swirls around my head again, making me amazingly dizzy. If we never got up, I'd lay here and take in the smell forever, whether or not I pass out. I'd just wake up and smell him again. Forever and forever and forever and forever . . .

JR's weight is suddenly gone and Adam's enraged tone fills my ears. "Dude! What the hell is wrong with you?! Don't you watch where you're walking? You might've hurt her!"

"JR?" I say again, staring up from the sidewalk. It is him and his eyes are wide and his breathing heavy. Adam's got his hand around JR's arm, but as I call his name again, JR wrenches out of Adam's grasp roughly – glowering at him – and crouches in front of me. His expression instantly changes into one of concern and familiarity. He reaches for me, wrapping an arm around my waist and stabilizing my left elbow with his hand, apologizing profusely and asking if I'm okay, if I'm hurt. When I'm standing upright, I dust off my pants, and then I hiss quietly as the fabric rubs against a particularly bad looking scrape.

"What's wrong?" JR and Adam say at the same time. My face drains of color as the situation dawns on me: Adam has met the guy I like.

You've got to be kidding me. My resolve to never have Adam meet JR lasted what, five days??

"I-I'm fine, guys, really. I just scratched my hands. . . . It's fine!" I say again. They look unconvinced. Adam reaches out for my hands but JR got the same idea a second before he did. JR holds my left hand – the one that I was trying to hide from them – gently and softly. Having his skin on mine yet again makes me blush and my heart race faster than when I was running. Adam is busy giving JR the most horrible death look in existence, JR's frowning over the small scrape on the heel of my palm, and I'm blushing and trying not to move.

Adam shifts impatiently. "Look, man, you crashed into her and she got hurt. I think you should just leave now and let me take care of her." Adam juts out his chin in a challenge. JR looks up from my hand (but doesn't let go! ^^) and raises an eyebrow at him. His demeanor changes. The blankness of his face is suddenly intimidating and the set in his jaw is hard. All the same, though, he looks so damn y and the intimidation he has rolling off of him makes me want to curl up under his arm because I know he could protect me.

(THIS blank-yet-totaly-smexy look:)

 (This is the picture I had in mind while writing the scene x3)

JR says coolly, "I didn't get your name." I stifle a giggle; imagine JR saying that all bossy-like with his yummy accent. I lean a little to the right, closer to him. Adam glares. "And I don't think I got your real name," he counters. Oh, God, he's really pissed. JR answers, "My real name? Kim JongHyun; can you pronounce that? Or would you like to call me Junior Royal? I don't know what you're talking about; my name is JR." A hint of annoyance creeps into JR's otherwise emotionless face. "What's your name?" he asks again.

Adam's silent for a second. Then he answers with narrowed eyes, "Adam Craig. You're not from here, are you, JR?" JR shakes his head once. Adam's borderline from sneering outright, "Yah, I didn't think so. You're accent is too heavy."

JR stiffens. I brush my thumb along his to try to console him at the moment and I frown. "Adam," I say a bit harshly. But then JR presses my thumb to silence me and says, "But my English is good considering that I learned to speak it fluently in four months." I widen my eyes. Adam purses his lips and turns away from JR, choosing to ignore him now. But as his eyes find mine, I can tell that he's figured it out. I look away quickly, crestfallen. I've hurt him even more.

"Are you sure you don't want to join me, Starr?" he asks jaggedly. I gaze fleetingly into his eyes and when I do, I have to remind myself that now's not the time to bawl. Even though I just cut Adam once more, his eyes still hold a certain kindness for me that I don't think I deserve anymore. I smile is weak. "No, thanks. Maybe next time," I answer. He nods curtly, picks up his bike that had fallen when he pulled JR off of me, and rides off in the direction that I had been coming from, not once looking back.

I let go of a breath that I've been holding. JR's stance also relaxes. He gives my hand a brief squeeze before letting go and I attempt not to look too disappointed. "I don't think your friend likes me," JR observes with a tentative smile. I wince in apology making him smile for real.

Then there's a flash of white and several yells erupt in front of me. JR's somehow found his way onto his hands and knees and Ren's is clinging to his back, yelling things at him in Korean. JR answers back likewise. Aron comes flying from around the corner half a second later. "JR!" he shouts. Then he sees me and waves as if there's a mountain between us. "Starr! You found him for us. He wasn't doing anything naughty to you, was he?" he asks and then winks; I think it's supposed to be friendly – but it makes me wary. He's not going to treat our friendship the way he treats his and Amber's, is he?

JR wiggles and bucks, trying to throw off Ren to no visible avail. He finally just stands up, straining to get his balance with Ren on his back. When he does, he holds onto Ren's knees and adjusts him. I smile lightly at the image. Aron joins us and pinches JR's cheek. I guess it hurt to an extent 'cause he whines, "Hyung! Yah, sto-op!"

Aron just smirks at the younger boy and says to me, "This guy tried to shirk out of his cleanup duty."

"Aron, it's such a big mess!"

Aron shakes his head, gives his leader one last pinch that makes him cry out, and puts his hands on his waist. "Yah? And? We all have to clean up big messes. Now get back to the suite." I finally laugh aloud. They all peer at me curiously, JR shifting Ren on his back. I gesture to their performance. "Aron's trying to act all serious but, honestly, you're really failing!" I giggle. Aron makes a silly face and we all laugh. "Starr, would you like to come over?" JR asks out of the blue. I tilt my head. "What?"

"To our suite," Ren clarifies.

"Oh! Well, um, I guess. Sure. How far is it?" I inquire as we start walking around the corner that they all popped out from. They tell me it's two blocks away. I raise my eyebrows. "JR, you ran two miles just to get out of cleanup duty?" He gives me aegyo and I can't help blushing, reaching out, and brushing his bangs to the side.

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A/N: Hello, lovies~ Did you like the updates tonight? And did you love that skit with Aron, Ren, and MinHyun or WHAT?? I still kneel over laughing whenever I watch that! MinHyunnie was just so determined to make Aron understand xDD And I LOVE how MinHyunnie just came out of nowhere and got all touchy with Aron. It's like, "No, no, y-you stay on your side o the bench and I'll squish over to this side, alright?" xDDDD

*siiiiigh* I love NU'EST.

<3 NU'EST FIGHTING!!! <3

<3 NU'EST HWAITING!!! <3