Hana:

At school, me and Yoona were just walking around the corner when we stopped.

Seul Mi, Krystal and Suzy were all standing right next to my locker.

"Uh oh. This is not going to be pretty," Yoona said under her breath. She whipped out her camera and hit record.

"Unbelievable." I said through my teeth.

I shouldered Seul Mi out of the way and spun the lock on my lockker door. Yoona and Siwon who just arrived hung back on the other side of the hallway, Yoona moving back and forth as she tried to get the best angle on Seul Mi's face.

"Well, good morning to you too." Seul Mi said. I ignored her. My shoulder muscles were so coiled that if they sprang apart, they'd take out the entire hallways full of students like a whip.

"Hana, we wanted to say we're sorry about last night." Krystal said.

From the corner of my eye I saw Luha, Baekhyun and the Idiot Twins enter the hallway. Luhan paused at his locker a few doors down, but I could tell he was listening. The other guys gathering around the girls.

"Yeah. That's not even going to come close to cutting it," I said, jamming up on the locker handle and letting the door slam open against the wall.

"Oh, that's fair." Suzy said sarcastically.

I laughed and whirled on her. "I'm not being fair? Were you even there? All  my mom wanted to do was to please you people and she got torn to shreds."

"If you don't want us to hold what your dad did against you then you can't hold what happened last night against us," Suzy said, arching her eyebrows. "We didn't do anything."

My spirits fell slightly. Ok. She had a point. Except -

"Right. So, what was that little parting comment you made on my way out?"

Suzy blushed and looked away.

"She's sorry for that. Right, Suzy?" Krystal said, staring her down.

"Look. After last night we all got together and talked about it, and we realized you're right." Krystal said, tossing her perfectly coiffed hair over her shoulder. "Your dad messed up, not you."

 

I automatically glanced at Baekhyun. He cleared his throat and looked away. Little did Krystal know that I had messed up too. Big time.

"So listen, we're having our annual going away party next Sunday night," Seul Mi said. "We're going to meet at the new pool annex at 9pm. You in?"

"We're breaking into a pool?" Taejun said excitedly.

 

They were actually inviting me to something. One of our old traditions.

Luhan quietly closed the door of his locker and wandered over, standing behind Seul Mi's left shoulder. I didn't dare to look but I could feel the warmth of his gaze all over my skin.

"It'll be just like old times." Krystal said with a smile. My heart fluttered. Just like old times. They were offering a truce.

"Okay. I'm in."

 

Luhan:

I paused my Xbox and glanced at my watch. It was nine fifteen. The going away party started at nine. Was Hana there yet? Were they being nice to her?

My whole body itched, and I leaned back against my bed, my legs splayed out on the floor. I wanted to get the hell out of here, but I couldn't leave. Not yet. Because I was grounded.

I hadn't talked to my mother since Sunday dinner. By Tuesday my parents decided I couldn't go out with my friends till I started acting like a grown up.

As if that was how they were acting.

My cellphone rang. Seul Mi stuck her tongue out at  me from the screen.

"Yeah?" I said.

"Oppa, where are you? The idiot twins brought this mini ping pong table and we're plaaying beer pong! Krystal's already losing and guess what? She finally cracked and told us where Hana's dad is."

. My mouth went dry. "She did?"

"Yeah. He's working at one of her dad's delis in the city. He's not even a waiter. He a counter dude, like, slicing bologna for a living!"

I heard Suzy crack up in the background and Krystal begging Seul Mi to shut up.

"No way." I said flatly. Because I had to say something.

I had to bite my tongue to keep from snapping. I guess the fact that they were talking about this meant Hana wasn't there yet.

"Get your over here." Seul Mi said.

"Ok. Tow minutes."

"Oooh! Are you taking the Mercedes? You have to give me a ride when you get here."

"No. I'm taking my bike."

I was about to hang up when she cackled. "You can't ride your bike all the way to the club!"

 

I froze, my fingers curled around the handlebar. "I thought we were going to the pool annex."

The cackling got louder. "No! That's just what we told Hana! We're at the boathouse."

"What?" I said through my teeth.

"Yeah. We already called the cops to tell them someone was breaking in at school," Seul Mi said with  a laugh.

 

What the hell was wrong with them? Hana could get in serious trouble. She could get arrested. Why? Why would they do this to her?

"Sorry. Thought you knew. Now get your over here." 

I wanted to tell her off. Tell her what a total she was being. But I bit down my tongue and said nothing.

I turned my phone off and tore out of the driveway as fast as I could pedal.

 

Hana:

I walked up to the double metal doors and pulled on the handles. Nothing. They must have found another way in. All the top windows of the annex were open. I crept slowly around the side of the building, looking for some clue as to how to get inside.

There, pasted on the wall was a big red arrow pointing up.  There was another taped to the top, and a third pointing up at the window above.

 

I grabbed the hinge of the hude green dumpster and scrambled on top. I caught my breath aand looked up at the window over my head, said a quick prayer, and jumped. My hands grasped the cold, sharp and unforgiving window ledge.

I pulled myself up.

This was all going to be toallly worth it.

I hoisted myself up and twisted sideways to get through the window. On the other side were bleachers. I eased myself onto the top row and lay myself there for a moment.

I made it.

But I realized something was very wrong.

The place was dead silent.

"Hello?" My voice echoed throughout the room.

Fear tickled my veins.

They were screwing with me. Any second they were all going to come bursting out from under the bleachers and frighten me.

"Ha ha. Very funny, you guys." I stood up and walked down the bleaches. "Come out!"

There was a scraping noise behind me. I whirled around, heart in my throat and saw Xi Luhan fumbling through the window.

He dropped onto all fours on the bleachers and sprand up. His face was sweaty and red, his eyes darted around fretfully.

"Come on," he said, his steps heavy on the bleachers. "We have to get out of here."

He grabbed my hand as he passed me by but I didn't move.

"Where's everybody?"

Luhan sighed. "They're not coming. Let's go!"

"What do you mean?"

"We don't have time for this." Luhan said tensely. "I'll explain once we --"

Suddenly the door swung open and a flashlight beam hit me dead in the face.

 

"What the hell do you two kids think you're doing in here?"

Two cops stood in the doorway, along with our principal.

At that moment, three things occured to me.

First, I was in serious trouble. Second, the Cresties set me up.

And third, Luhan was still holding my hand.

 

 

Luhan:

"Luhan. Let's go." My dad snapped.

I got up to follow him out of the principle's office. As I slipped sideways through the door I glanced over my shoulder at Hana.

I couldnn't help myself. I had to know if she was mad at me for letting her get set up. But she was barely containing a smile.

Stunned, I automatically smiled back.

"Luhan! Now!" my father snapped from the hallway. I yanked my varsity jacket on and let the door swing closed behind me.

It wasn't until we were in the car, that I realized I maybe knew why Hana was smiling.

We had just been sentenced to twenty hours of school service.

Two of us.

Together.

Alone.

For twenty hours.

 

Sweet.

 

 

 

 

"You got arrested?!?!" Seul Mi stomped into my room, leaving wet boot prints in the thick carpet and flung herself onto my bed facedown, arms splayed.

There was snow in her hair and shoulders of her black pea coat. I paused my xbox game.

"Who let you in?" I asked.

It sounded more pissed than I intended. But then, I was pissed. I hadn't talk to any of my friends since the night of the going away party. Baekhyun had called twice. Seul Mi, every day. Plus texts.

But I hadn't wanted to talk to any of them after what they'd pulled. My family had stayed local for the holidays while everyone else had flown somewhere.

, but made it easier to avoid them.

She lifted her head and blew her bangs out of her face. She's gotten tan in Florida. "Like anyone lets me in. Your door is always unlocked."

 

I went back to my game.

"Are you pissed at me or something?" She asked. She came to the end of the bed, swinging her legs around so they were next to my right cheek since I was on the ground.

"Why would I be mad? You almost got me thrown in jail, but no, not mad."

"Come on. Like it's my fault." She shoved my shoulder. I ignored her and kept playing. 

She slid down to sit on the floor next to me and rolled her eyes. "I thought it would be funny."

"Funny?" I blurted. "Seul Mi, I could have gotten a record!"

"You weren't supposed to be there!" She said, leaning back on her hands.

"Why did you do that to Hana? Aren't you getting along in basketball? Did you really want her to get in that much trouble?" I asked.

 

"Whatever. I heard they dismissed the charges." she said, looking at the TV.

I pushed mmyself to my feet and stood over her, so angry that I had to move to keep from exploding. "But you didn't know that was going to happen. Why would you do that to her?"

"Okay, first of all? It wasn't my idea, it was Suzy's," she said. "And second, why do you care so effing much what happens to Kim Hana?"

"I...I don't know." I said. "I just dont get what she did that was so awful that you guys need to keep screwing with her."

 

 

Seul Mi rolled her eyes, sat down on the bed and helf her head in her hands. "I don't believe this." She said to the floor.

"Tell me. What's going on?" 

Seul Mi glared up at me, her eyes on fire. "Fine, you want to know what Hana did that was so bad? She fooled around with Baekhyun. While he was going out with Krystal."

My stomach turned, and bile rose up in my throat. Hana and Baekhyun? Baek...fooled around with Hana?

"What does that mean, exactly, 'fooled around'?" I asked.

"I don't know, I never asked for the details." She spat. "Does it matter? The girl's a backstabbing ."

My knees were too weak to stand. I couldn't believe that Baekhyun had been with Hana.

A million flesh-heavy visuals shot through my mind like rapid fire and I closed my eyes.

Baekhyun and Hana. Baekhyun and Hana. I was starting to sweat.

"Does Krys know?" I asked.

"No. No one knows that I know."

"Not even Hana?" I asked.

 

She looked me in the eye. "Yeah." She blew out  a sigh and turned away. "The thing is, I think Baekhyun still likes her."

"Baekhyun? No, he---" But then, the day after I met her hadn't he grilled me about how she looked?

Hadn't he been the one to stay away from her all along? He'd told the Idiot Twins to shut up about her at Sunday dinner, and the night of the lawn jockey incident, he hadn't wanted to be there any more than I had.

Was it for the same reason as me?

...Because he liked her?

 

 

 

I liked a girl who'd been with one of my best friends. He'd gotten to her first. I took a breath and clenched my jaw.

"You're not gonna have a record right?" Seul Mi asked.

"No. Principal gave us two weeks' janitor duty."

I felt a thrill in my heart area everytime I thought about it.

Me and Hana alone together every morning for two weeks.

But then...Baekhyun and Hana. Ugh. Why did she have to tell me this?"

 

"So. There's nothing between you and Kim Hana?" Seul Mi stood in front of me.

I looked up at her. She was my best friend, but I couldn't tell her. Because there was nothing to tell.

"No. There's nothing." I confirmed.

"Good. Coz you deserve better." Her expression was serious.

Whatever that meant. "Thanks."

 

 

I went back to my game but all I could think about was Hana and Baekhyun. Baekhyun and Hana.

Hana and Baekhyun on a bed.

Baekhyun and Hana with their tongues in each other's mouths.

As much as I liked Seul Mi, I wished she'd never come over.