LUHAN

 

 

I opened my eyes, only to see Yixing drooling all over my pillows. I turned in the bed and saw Zitao curled into Wu Fan, smiling happily. Wu Fan was awake, though. He lifted his head and looked at me and I understood that he didn't want to wake Zitao up. He put his head back down on the pillow, and Zitao opened one eye, looking around. He opened both eyes then, very alert, which meant he must have been awake for at least a half hour now, and winked at me. I smiled. At least SOMEONE was happy. 

 

I tried to pull my body out from under covers without moving my legs, and without moving the covers. I didn't want to disturb Yixing, but he was always a light sleeper. He sat up and yawned, stretching across my lap. 

 

"Good morning, Gege", he said sleepily. Yixing was the only one who called me Gege. Everyone else used Hyung, except Minseok, because he was older. It brought a smile to my face whenever he said it.

 

"Good morning everyone!" Zitao shouted to the ceiling, the other two on the floor stirred at his voice. 

 

Everyone sat up and looked at me like I should be sad, and then I remembered. Kim Jongin and Sehun.

 

"I'm fine, you guys", I sighed, but Zitao could see right through me. 

 

"Let's play spin the bottle! That'll make Luhan Hyung feel better!" He turned to me, "won't it, Hyung?" He asked me. 

 

"I don't think so, Zitao. But thanks".

 

"Alright. Fine! You leave me no choice!" He started to do his aegyo, but I I pushed his hand down.

 

"That won't work on me, Taozi. I'm the one that taught you that, remember?"

 

"You're right! I was... You know... Just testing you," He said, embarrassed.

 

"It's okay, nice try, baby," Wu Fan gave me a death glare for hurting Zitao's feelings, but let it go because of my crappy luck with Sehun.

 

"Let's just go EAT SOMETHING. I'm STARVING," Minseok stood and offered a hand to Jong Dae who was still sitting on the floor in his sleeping bag. Jong Dae took it, and they scurried down to the kitchen.

 

"We should go," I muttered, "I don't want Baozi to eat my entire kitchen," I started to get up out of bed, but Wu Fan grabbed my wrist, and he gave Yixing a look. I guess Wu Fan  is very expressive or something, because he can just look at you, and you know exactly what he wants.

 

"Zitao," Yixing said, "why don't we go check on Minseok and Jong Dae. They might eat the last of the pie, and..."

 

"What?! No! My pie!" Zitao yelped as he rocketed out of the bed and sprinted down the stairs screaming- "Don't you dare touch my breakfast pie, you dirty, filthy pie stealer!" Yixing followed, looking at me sorrowfully before he went.

 

 I turned to Wu Fan. He got out of the bed, and sat in the desk chair.

 

"Look, I-" he stopped trying to form the words, "I'm sorry. About Sehun. Maybe I shouldn't have told you,"

 

"No. I'm glad you did, now I won't go after something that I...that I can't have". Wu Fan nodded, still clearly unsatisfied; but he rose and walked down the stairs anyway. I waited until I heard him hit the bottom of the staircase, and reached for my phone.

 

I scrolled through the contacts and settled on one, debating whether or not to text the number. I stared at the name in my phone, remembering the owner fondly. I rubbed the back of my neck and bit my lip, remembering the one night stand that we had agreed on. Remembering the smooth, dark skin under my fingers. The way he smirked when he wrote his phone number on my hand.

 

 I should have deleted his number the day after, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I hadn't seen him, or heard from him in... Four years or so? That seemed about right. 

It was fun while it lasted and I had never thought of actually calling him again, no point. He wouldn't have picked up, but just having the number... Felt right.

 

I clicked on the name and number, looking at the icons that asked me if I wanted to call or text. I stared at them, and, because of my better judgement, turned off the phone and stuck it in my pocket. I stood up and walked down the stairs to the kitchen.

 

When I arrived downstairs, everyone was eating cereal, accept Zitao. He was eating his pie gleefully, bouncing up and down in his chair like a five year old. He certainly fit the role of maknae in our little group.

 

I poured myself a bowl and sat at the table, I began to eat, when I realized they were all staring at me. 

 

"What were you doing up there?" Yixing asked me.

 

"Nothing, just texting my parents good morning," I lied. Zitao was too busy with his pie to notice it.

 

"Oh," he said, looking around at the others. I furrowed my eyebrows at him.

 

"What?" I snapped at all of them.

 

"We just..." Minseok stopped and looked down.

 

"We were wondering if..." Jong Dae couldn't finish either.

 

Why couldn't any of these people speak in complete  sentences, damn it!

 

"What is it?!" I yelled angrily, looking at Wu Fan because I knew HE would give me a straight answer.

"Jongin called me..." Wu Fan trailed off. 

 

"I swear to god, Wu Fan if you don't finish that sentence I'll-"

 

"He said to tell the company that he couldn't come in today. Or tomorrow. Or the next day. He was...upset, he said. Family issues, he said," Wu Fan spilled out.

 

"And you're telling me this...why?" I asked. Jongin's personal affairs were of no interest to me.

 

"Well... Jongin, doesn't really have any family to speak of... His parents threw him out when he told them he was going to be a model and not go to college. He doesn't have any siblings, and all of his grandparents are already dead... No aunts or uncles either. Small family really. Anyway-"

 

"So you think he lied? Why would he do that?" I wondered aloud.

 

"I think... Maybe it's about... You know..." He looked at the floor. I raised my eyebrows, because for once, I had no idea what he was trying to say.

 

"Sehun," Yixing piped up, "we think it's about Sehun". He looked away from me.

 

"Okay...." I still didn't get it.

 

"So...we called your school, because you have class later today, right?"

 

"Yes...at 2:30 on Fridays...why?" I asked them.

 

"Sehun called in sick too," Minseok said.

 

"So, we know that neither of them are injured, because the hospital would just give them an excusal note; but they are both 'sick'," Wu Fan said with finality. 

 

"Uh huh. So you basically just told me that they are both sick?"

 

"No! Jongin...'family problems'... Sehun...'sick'...both upset. Get it?" He put air quotes around family problems and sick.

 

"Ooooohh," I said reassuringly, "no I still don't get it,"

 

"Oh my god! We think they had a fight!" Yixing waved his arms around. "Not a small one either, if they are both blowing off what they have to do today".

 

"Great. Why is that my problem?"I asked them. They just stared at me until I understood. "You think the fight was about me? And you think they fought because of me?" My eyes wide. I grabbed my phone, and turned it on.

"No offense," Yixing said, "but is this really the time?"

 

"Shut up for a minute, would you?" I snapped as I scrolled through my contacts. Got it. I thought as I stared at the name Kim Jongin on my phone. I clicked on the name and hit text.

 

Jongin, we need to talk. Now. Send.