Ashley finally arrived to her new home in Korea.

Months later, her best friend, Ann, came for a visit. While she was visiting, Ann explained to Ashley how her brother and parents had gotten worse. Ann decided that she would run away from home and never go back to her family.

“I CANNOT believe that you are here!” Ashley squealed as she flung her arms around her best friend.

Ann struggled out of her friend’s grip and shrugged, like it was no big deal- flying on a plane across the world by herself, not telling anyone where she was headed, taking a thousand dollars from her parent’s bank account secretively -which had been the worst deal of trouble since the lady at the desk refused to believe that Ann was 20 years old and was just using the money for educational purposes, which lead to the fact that the lady almost would have called the police if Ann hadn’t offered to give the stupid, frustrating lady a couple of hundred bucks- Yes. It was no big deal at all.

Tears slipped out of Ashley’s eyes as she held her best friend by her shoulder.

“You don’t know what kind of school I was enrolled into,” she whispered, her eyes getting hazy and distant. “You don’t know what this school is doing to me, Ann!”

Ann yawned, not paying attention to her best friend’s worries.

“You know, lady, I am tired from this trip.”

She pushed her best friend and stalked over to the sofa next to the super market.

Ashley trailed after her, tripping over the suitcases that were scattered across the floor. While hopping around the suitcases, somehow an extremely bright, neon, lime green suitcase failed to catch her eye: for Ashley completely tripped over it and landed face forward onto the marble floor.

Ann covered her eyes with the palms of her hands in embarrassment of her friend. Slowly inching forward, she helped her friend up- pretending to be a stranger.

“Ashley!” Ann hissed, furiously, her eyes darting around at the people who were standing close to them, for Ashley had attracted a lot of attention with her “graceful” fall. “Are you trying to make a fool of yourself? Get a grip!”

Hot tears swelled out of Ashley’s eyes as she plopped herself down onto the ugly, gray sofa. “You don’t understand what I’ve been going through for the past three months in Korea!” She began to sob, her shoulders shaking, and her breath coming in intermittent periods of gasps.

Ann saw the people who were watching Ashley, narrowing their eyes in concern.

*They probably think I’m the one who’s causing Ashley to cry like this! If they report me to the police, then my parents will come to Korea and stab me and take back the thousand dollars that I earned so difficultly back in Texas, and I will certainly not die happily*, were Ann’s thoughts as she gave the surrounding people a wavering smile.

Awkwardly, she sat next to Ashley and slowly put her arm around her. She began to shout:

“Umm, Ashley? This is your BEST FRIEND here. Don’t cry, I am here by your side and I will always be so, so you can tell me everything that is on your mind because I am your BEST FRIEND. What’s wrong.... dahrling?”

The people who were watching them slowly started to smile and break away, giving Ann approving looks and beaming smiles. Ann turned around and gave toothy, white grins to the audience.

"Nothing's wrong, nothing's wrong," Ann reassured the crowd. "My best friend just... umm.. broke up with her boyfriend. She is hurt by him and I am here to... help her!" Lies slipped out of before she could stop them. Of course Ashley doesn't have a boyfriend!

She let out a huge sigh when the people left, after giving her the thumbs up signs which Ann accepted with a fake smile that was etched on her face.

 When the people left, Ann quickly dropped the smile off her face. Her cheeks ached from giving such a toothy smile. She looked down at Ashley, who was reaching blindly around with her eyes closed, looking for some tissue.

What a queer friend she had.

And what a great start in South Korea.