--

Before she can react, her side explodes with pain, and her eyes are level with someone's shoes. Distracted, she notices that they're very pretty shoes, with a patchwork of black and azure decorating the sides of it, navy blue laces on top. Then a sharp pain spreads across her ribs and she looks up, fire blazing in her eyes.

The eyes she looks into are equally fierce, a scowl marring a face that could have been beautiful. "You filth," the girl spits down at the one on the ground, kicking her again.

Growling, the victim rolls away and pulls herself to her feet in one smooth movement, despite the pain all over her side where she hit the floor and where the other had kicked her. As she looks across the open area, she notices that there are at least five other tough-looking girls behind the leader. She pushes the pain to the corner of her mind and levels the front one with a glare, folding her arms and drawing herself up to her full height. 

"What do you want with me?" she voices out, partly wondering where her own friends are - she'll be outnumbered without them.

The girl smirks, her raven, silky smooth hair floating into her face as the slight breeze whispers over them all. For such a grave situation, the weather is unexpectedly pleasant, with the sun smiling lightly down at them and the clouds rolling lazily by. It's weather suited more for a picnic or an outing to the beach, not for a fight on the concrete rooftops.

"I can't believe you fell for that trick," the leader gloats, a glint in her dark eyes. "It's the oldest trick in the book. And do you really think that anyone'd ever like you?"

Skye refused to answer. Instead, she chose to remain silent. Behind her, far below where she was standing, she heard the soft noise of the door creaking open, and her friend's gasp. The roof was arranged in such a way that people in the stairwell leading up to the roof could see what was going on on the rooftop, but people on the roof couldn't see the people in the stairwell. The twins could probably see the gang of girls around Skye, and she hoped fervently that they'd go find someone to help out. 

But, knowing them, they would only think to involve themselves. 

"Look, you don't need to do this," Skye said meaningfully, moving her hand behind her back and making a gesture that she hoped her friends would see. "We can just talk this out."

Soft footsteps were climbing the stairs slowly, and Skye groaned inwardly, gesturing more fiercely.

The leader grinned. "But where'd the fun be in that? You deserve this."

"Why do you dislike me so much?" Skye questioned, starting to get frustrated that nothing was going her way.

"You think you have a hold over them, don't you?" the girl accused.

The footsteps paused. Skye let out a breath of relief, staring dolefully at the girl in front of her, willing her to continue.

"In case you're stupid enough not to know what I'm talking about, I mean the twins. You act like their best friend and all, but I can see straight through your little drama. You want their influence, so that you can get into Starship Entertainment and become a trainee. Well, I'm a trainee, and I can tell you that just having friends in high places won't help you. You need talent, which you obviously lack, and you need common sense, another thing you just don't seem to have. And don't think I don't see how you're trying to seduce Kwangmin. It's not working, just so you know. I'm his classmate, and obviously I know him better than you do.

"But since you just didn't seem to get the warning I made last time, I'm going to tell you in very obvious terms what will happen if you even try to meddle with things anymore."

-- Geum Min

I turned to gape at my sister, whose mouth was open slightly as she stared at the ramrod-straight figure of my friend at the top of the stairs. Beyond her, I can see the heads of the people surrounding her, and the flare of anger fans into a bonfire as I consider how they've ganged up on Skye. It's so cowardly that they have to gather such a large group of people to attack one girl who hasn't ever done anything to them.

They claim that Skye has us wrapped around her pinkie, that Skye is trying to use us to get into Starship - well, they're wrong. Skye is a genuine person, with a good character, and she'd never utilise us in that way. Besides, I don't even know if she can sing.

And they're going to fight her now.

I start moving up towards my friend, Yoomin moving in unison with me. Skye just stands there, as if waiting for the girl to make a move. But I can see the rigid set of her shoulders, how her feet are spread shoulder-width apart, one in front of the other. For a split second, I find myself wondering if my friend knows how to fight. 

The girl in front has a familiar face, I realise, as I start moving up the stairs again. Her name is Minah, and she's a trainee from Starship who didn't make it through to any pre-debut groups. I don't recall ever talking to her, but right now I'm glad that I haven't. She doesn't seem like a very nice person at all.

Yoomin gasps, doubling her speed up the stairs. Jerked out of my thoughts, I focus on the scene again, just catching sight of Minah's clenched fist as it flies towards my friend. Yelling, I race up the stairs too, mentally berating myself for being so slow in the first place. My heart plummets, though, because I know I won't get there in time to stop Skye from getting hit. 

I grimace, bracing myself to hear the crunch of the punch as it hits Skye's face. But it never comes. Instead, I hear the people around the two girls simultaneously take a deep breath of surprise. I look to Skye, and I see her dance out of the way of another blow, seemingly effortlessly. It takes a while for me to process the thought - it's such a weird notion - but apparently, my friend knows how to hold her own in a fight.

So has she been in fights before?

"Look," she says now, so calm I think I imagine the slight edge to her voice. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Shut up."

Skye swerves to the right as another punch comes her way. Minah lifts her leg to kick Skye this time, and she jumps back to avoid the blow. But she must have forgotten the stairs behind her - she lands awkwardly, just on the edge of the stairs, and her right foot slides down a step. Yoomin grabs her arm as she draws level with her, pulling her up and making sure she keeps her balance. I reach them and place my hands on my hips, my entire body quivering with anger. I let it show in my eyes as I stare at Minah and her gang.

"I don't even know you," Skye reiterates, also glaring at her adversary. "And now I have backup - you don't want to cross us. If you just go now, I promise I won't do anything to you."

She scoffs in reply. "What can you possibly do to me?"

"I can think of lots of things," Skye says, in a low, venomous voice. I have to fight the urge to turn my head and see if it's really my cheerful, innocent best friend next to me.

Minah scowls, and by some unseen signal a couple of her cronies move up to stand against us. "You know, Skye," she spits out, "you just proved us right - you really have the whole family at your beck and call."

"It's called 'friendship', which you may want to try out sometime," Yoomin replies, and Minah raises an eyebrow at Skye.

My twin and I seem to have missed something here.

The girl on the extreme left - a new trainee I haven't really seen much of - makes a move towards me. I jump out of the way, knocking slightly into Skye, and duck just as the girl throws her arm over my head. Meanwhile, I hear a sickening squelch as Yoomin's hand connects with the stomach of another girl.

Skye throws out her arm, effectively blocking Minah's advance. I fling my leg out as the trainee moves forward, and she trips, landing face first on the ground. My friend steps closer to the taller girl and reaches to push her away. Minah, not expecting the move, flies back and lands on her backside. She stares up at Skye in surprise, as if trying to figure out a puzzle. Skye crosses her arms, smirking at Minah. She doesn't realise that another girl has crept behind her, her arm raised to strike her. 

Panicked, I yell, "Behind you!" in warning.

Skye whirls away to her right, closer to Yoomin and her opponent, and the strike only just grazes the back of her shirt, leaving her unharmed. As she catches my eye, I grin, but her eyes widen unexpectedly. I see open to form a word, but by that time I feel the impact on my shoulder. Turning my head, I see the girl behind me, the one whom I tripped, smirking at me. My arm falls as a searing pain attacks my shoulder, and I groan. Skye's eyes flash, and she turns towards Minah raising her hands.

"Stop it. Leave them alone," she tells her, even more poison in her voice. "It's me you want."

"No, Skye," I whimper, but my voice is too soft, she can't hear it. 

Minah slowly climbs to her feet, her lips widening into a smile. "Are you trying to be righteous? Because it's obviously fake."

"I promise that if you want to fight me, you'll get me."

"No, Skye," I choke out, my voice carrying this time.

Yoomin makes as if to move closer to her, but a girl restrains her from behind. "Skye, you can't do this!"

I can see my friend's eyes shining with malice as she glares resolutely at Minah, who looks relentlessly back, an unspoken challenge in her gaze.

"I can do it, and I have to," my friend tells us, not a quaver in her voice. "Name your place and time, okay? But tell me when my friends are alone so that I can show up on my own."

"Skye, what are you doing?!"

Minah considers Skye's outstretched hand. After a brief hesitation, she reaches out and shakes it, smiling at Skye and nodding for the gang of girls to follow her as she pushes past Skye down the stairs.

Yoomin, being released by the girl, runs towards Skye immediately. "What have you just done?!"

"I had to do it!" my friend yells back, defensively. 

Ignoring Yoomin's protest, she turns to me, her steps quickening. Crouching down near me, she gingerly raises my arm. As I groan, becomes a grim line.

"You dislocated you shoulder, I think," she tells me, and Yoomin gasps. "This is going to hurt."

I don't know exactly what she did, but whatever it was, involved my shoulder suddenly ballooning into pain. It was like a million needles pierced it at once, and I couldn't help the tears that spilled over onto my cheeks. 

Finally the pain stopped, abruptly, and Skye gently lowers my hand to the floor. Surprisingly, there's no pain as she does so. 

"I don't know much about what happens after you reset a dislocated shoulder," she announces, looking unsure. "But I think you should try not to move your arm much until you find someone who does. The pain is gone now, though, right?"

I nod, feeling a sheen of cold sweat on my forehead. 

"Skye," Yoomin cuts in, and I realise I've got her left hand in a death-grip. Slowly, I let go. "You owe us an explanation."

My friend sighs, sitting back on her feet. "Look, I know you guys are confused, but I can't explain this right now."

"What?" I ask, and I'm surprised to find myself angry. "You were attacked my those girls, Skye, and they tricked you up here to beat you up. And now you're willingly going to fight them?"

"I'm not fighting them," Skye replies stiffly.

"Then what are you going to do? Let them beat you to a pulp?" Yoomin asks, sarcasm lacing her voice.

"I'll figure something out," she tells us, and although she tries to act nonchalant, I can tell how nervous she is.

"Tell us," I coax, my voice soft. "We're your best friends - we can help you."

Skye shakes her head firmly. "You're my best friends, which is why I don't want to involve you."

"Skye, you owe us an explanation in the very least for helping you," Yoomin states, angry now.

She shakes her head again. "Thank you so much for your help, and for being here, but I can't tell you what it is."

"Skye?" I look askance at her as she stands up and makes for the door.

She turns, smiles apologetically at us, and then she's gone.