A/N : FYI, BACKSLAPPERS = THOSE WHO WERE ASSIGNED ONE OF THE SOCCER PLAYERS TO ENCOURAGE THEM BEFORE THE BIG GAME AND DURING THE GAME.  (giving them encouragement gifts, or during the game when team morale is low, the backslappers have to give their assigned players a pep talk.

Your POV:

The activities board was exactly as I remembered it. It was papered with sign-up sheets for various clubs and activities.

I yanked a pen from my messenger bag and scribbled my name on the Backslappers list, trying not to look at other names above it.

Jung Krystal, Kim Seul Mi, Bae Suzy, and a dozen other familiar Crestie names.

I was not going to let them intimidate me doing what I wanted to do, and I loved being a backslapper. I capped my pen and turned around.

"Um, no."

Suzy was standing right there, in an altered uniform that will never be approved by the school. Walking up behind her were Seul Mi and Krystal. Seul Mi looked at the list and gagged.

"Backslappers? Really, Hana-sshi?"

"Wouldn't you be more comfortable doing something with your people?"

My face burned at what she thought was an insult "I'll be fine, thanks. And since when do I have people?"

"We're just thinking of your happiness." Krystal said, lifting her shoulders. "Backslappers is a Crestie club."

"She's right." Seul Mi added. "Backslappers could get....awkward for you."

"It's not a rule that only Cresties can join backslappers."

"It doesn't need to be a rule. We dont want you there." Suzy said ily.

Did she not remember that I was the one who had taken her under my wing? If it wasn't for me, she wouldn't even have been friends with Krystal or Seul Mi, yet now she was the one trying harder than any of them to make suure I was left out.

The irony was painful.

"Whatever. I'm bored with this conversation." Seul Mi said, putting her hands on Suzy's slim shoulders and steering her away. "Let's leave the Norm alone."

As they walked away, Krystal shot me a look that I couldn't read in all my annoyance, embarrassment, and general sadness.

All day I suspected people were watching me and whispering behind my back, and the cafeteria confirmed it. Keeping my chin up and avoiding direct eye contact with anyone, I moved quickly through the food line and paused at the door to the outdoor courtyard.

It was sunny and gorgeous, but the courtyard was Crestie territory.

Baekhyun saw me through the window, salivating there like a loser, and started to lift his hand in a wave until he saw Krystal and the girls walk towards him. Then he blushed beet red, and I turned around and took the first seat I saw.

I took a bite of my Turkey sandwich.

"Would you ever get a ring?"

A tall, lanky guy with a buzz cut sat down to my right, dropping his tray and a Japanese magazine on the table. On the chair next to him he slapped down a guitar catalog and a soccer ball.

"Wha?" That's how surprised I was. I couldn't even finish a word.

"Don't mind him. He has a problem."

Im Yoona, Suzy's BFF, sat down across him. "There's an article in here about it, and I'm interested. So, would you?" He said.

"No plans at the present, but never say never." I chuckled.

"Good answer." He flashed me an adorable, dimpled smile.

Yoona whipped out a small, battered notebook and jotted something down. I saw my name at the top of the page and angled for a better look, but she snapped it closed.

Weird.

"Um, hey, Yoona-sshi." I said awkwardly. "How've you been?"

"Still alive. You?"

"Good, I guess."

"This is Choi Siwon." She said, gesturing with a potato chip. "We were lab partners." He said.

I lit up in recognition. "Right! You never forget the person you cut up your first frog with."

"That's funny." Yoona stated, not sounding amused at all. She squinted at me. "You're funny."

"Um, thanks." I said.

"Why do you guys....wanna sit here? With...me?" I narrowed my eyes, suspicious.

"Ever heard of 'the enemu of my enemy is my friend'? We hate the Cresties, and the Cresties hate you." Yoona said, lifting a hand. "Therefore we should be all friends."

The lump in my stomach travelled up to my throat. Siwon must have noticed my expression.

"Not that anyone actually hates you." He added quickly.

"No. They do." Yoona countered.

"Anyway, I do research on the Cresties. So if you ever want help steering clear of the Crestie, I have all their schedules on here." She whipped out her school-issued laptop.

"Wow thats...interesting. Does Suzy help you with that?"

She let out this noise that was like, half cackle half guffaw. "Um, no."

I looked at Siwon. He shook his head ever so slightly like, 'don't go there'. I guess more had changed between Suzy and Yoona.

"You play?" I nodded at Siwon's soccer ball, changing the topic.

"Yep. I'm trying to make it into varsity."

"Cool, maybe I can be your backslapper."

"You're still doing backslappers?" Yoona asked incredulously. I shrugged.

"I like a girl with guts," Siwon smiled. "But when it comes to backslappers, I'm holding out for Kim Seul Mi." He nodded towards the windows, and I turned to look at my former best friend.

Luhan, Baekhyun and the Idiot twins were watching something out of their laptops, yucking it up in that doofy way boys do when they're in a group.

And yet, Luhan was still annoyingly hot.

"He's been in love with her since forever." Yoona said.

"I would kill for her to backslap me." Siwon sighed. "I'll slap you in the face right now." Yoona offfered. I laughed, wondering if Seul Mi would even give Siwon the time of the day.

I had started to turn back to the table when my eyes caught Luhan's. He stopped laughing. Our gazes locked for a long, intense moment during which all oxygen disappeared.

He blinked first, and I blushed and turned my back on him. Great. Now he probably thought I was ogling at him Jerk.

From now on, I was steering clear of Xi Luhan, in thoughts and deeds. Besides, if I so much as flirted with him, my friends would probably think I was trying to use him to get to the Cresties, and I wasn't about to give em any satisfaction. No way.

The first Backslappers meeting was held at the bleachers alongside the soccer field where Siwon, Luhan and Baekhyun and the rest were huddled around the coach on the sidelines.

"All right, let's get this meeting started!"

The girl calling us to order was Lee Jaemi, Crestie senior. " I have the sign up sheet here. The first thing we have to do is assign a player to each of you. Any special requests?"

Instantly two dozen hands shot into the air. She laughed. "Okay, let's start top left. Name?"

"Kim Lisa." The brace-faced girl said.

Jaemi checked her name off the sign up sheet. "Who do you like?"

"Xi Luhan oppa." Lisa said. Everybody except me giggled. "No way. Luhan's mine." Seul Mi said.

"But I wanted Luhan!" Suzy added with a pout. "Please, Luhan's my best friend. I call him." Seul Mi said.

Was that true? They're best friends?

Was she just BFF with whoever lived in that former old room of mine?

The thought made me smirk past a sudden slice of envy. But was I jealous of Luhan coz he got to hang with Seul Mi, or Seul Mi because she got to hang with Luhan?

"He's my friend too!" Suzy's bottom lip jutted out even farther. "Hold on. I called him first!!" Lisa said bravely. "Luhan's mine."

I rolled my eyes and leaned on my elebows, waiting for the shrieking and hair pulling to start.

"All right all right!" Jaemi shouted, holding up her hands. "I knew this would happened. So..." She fished out a plastic bag with a bunch of pink paper scraps inside out of her backpack. "Let's draw lots."

"We're gonna draw names from a bag?" Krystal asked.

"Seniors first, then juniors. Everyone come line in order."

They all jumped up like someone had just offered free manicures. I trudged down the bleachers and slid into line behind Krystal, who inched forward as if I had body odour.

Three seniors picked their names, and it was Suzy's turn. She chose Jinwoon, and she gave an overdramatic sigh of relief as she read his name because he was cool.

Seul Mi was up. She unfolded her paper. "Byun Baekhyun!" She turned around and handed the slip to Krystal, who took it happily and slipped from the line.

"Wait, no trading!" Jaemi said. "But Jaemi! It's Baekhyun." Krystal whined, her eyes wide.

Jaemi's brow knitted and she debated whether to stick to her rules or give Krystal what she wanted. "Kay fine. Seul Mi can pick again."

Krystal, as always, won.

Seul Mi unfolded another paper and sighed. "Kris."

"Ooooh. The captain. Big responsibility." Jaemi trilled.

Seul Mi forced a smile but clearly wasn't happy. So much for Siwon's fantasy of having Seul Mi as a backslapper for him.

"And you are?" Jaemi asked as I stepped forward.

"Nobody." Suzy said before I could answer, earning herself a few laughs. Seul Mi smirked and Krystal smoothed the front of her polo shirt and looked away.

"Hana. Kim Hana." I answered. Jaemi checked off my name. "Go ahead."

I reached into the bag, repeating 'Choi Siwon' over and over and over again in my mind.

I unfolded my scrap of paper and my vision blurred.

"Who is it?" Jaemi asked, her pen poised.

I swallowed hard.

"Xi Luhan."

Of course.

HAPPY DEEPAVALI BIATCHES