School is awkward. Homelife is awkward. Everywhere I’m uncomfortable… Everywhere, there’s Lay. My mother and Mrs. Zhang have become best friends now, they do everything together… we have ‘big family meals’ and socialise all the time. Mr. Zhang only ever apologises to me, something about his company not having a choice and Momo’s father has to pull out for Lay to be free of her. Well we know that won’t happen, the school year is going dreadfully fast… in fact where did it go? It’s going to be Christmas soon. Felt like it was only summer yesterday. The summer break I spent in China, where I finally professed my feelings to Lay and we—well decided to make a go of being a couple. It’s happening so fast, Kris… oh Kris… he’s taken some time out for the time being, Tao too. They decided to go to their second home in Canada for a while. Probably my fault, actually, it is my fault. I’m a horrible person…

“So Eunjoo, has Momo been nice to you recently?” Mrs. Zhang says, breaking my lack of concentration of the current situation, which is another big family dinner.

I nod. “She’s never been mean to me…” I sigh and get up. “Sorry, but I don’t have much of an appetite.” I leave the room and notice another chair has slid across the floor, someone is following me. Please let it be my mother instead of Lay.

There’s a tug on my arm as I reach the front door. “Where are you going?” He says sternly.

I turn and see Lay with a puzzled expression.

“I understand not having an appetite, but why leave the house because of it?” He lowers his eyes at me.

I look to his hand, still firmly gripped onto my arm. Then I pull it away from him. “Must be feeling a bit ill, I fancy some fresh air…”

“Fancy getting away from me, more likely.” He can’t look at me, instead he stares at the floor… probably feeling sorry for himself, as if I’m the bad guy. “Look, there’s something my mother wants to announce today.”

I nod. “I’m sure my mother will tell me later.” I bow to the adults who are staring at us. Then I leave. I really can’t stand my life right now… I want to just jump off a cliff and end this terrible time. I look to my phone in my pocket, I need a friend. Dahae. I dial her number and she doesn’t take long to answer.

“Eunjoo-ah, you’ve caught me at a bad time… is something wrong?” She says in a quick and hushed tone.

I sigh and answered. “I thought since you were still in seoul I could see you and maybe escape life for a day or two…”

I hear her laugh and say. “Still not good at home…”

“Or school.” I finished.

“Right, well right now I’m with Luhan… we’re ummm, discussing the fact he needs to get things back together, and by that I mean start cleaning himself up!” She says as if she’s saying it to him and not me.

I frown. “I’m glad you’re talking to him Dahae, you’