Luhan's POV

"Alright, Mr. Luhan, all your paperwork seems to be in order... You start tomorrow?" The headmaster of the school asks, looking at me over the tops of his Harry-Potter-resembling spectacles. I nod, bow, and walk out of the headmaster's office into the main office. Through the door leading out to the lobby, I see a girl and two boys. I recognize Tao, my friend, the one who managed to get me into this school.

I wait for the girl and the other boy to leave before exiting the main office, and tapping Tao on the shoulder. "Hello, my friend!" I say. Tao turns, and smiles at me.

"Hey! Were you approved?" He asks.

"Yup! I start tomorrow!"

"Great! What's your schedule?" In answer, I hold out the sheet of paper the headmaster just gave me. "Awesome! You have almost every class with me! Even our elective, Creative Writing! You'll get to meet Sara!"

"Is Sara that girl you were just with?" I ask, stretching. The sleeve of my jacket rides up, revealing my blue tattoo on my wrist.

"Yeah. She's really nice!" Tao responds in a silly voice. "But, uh, you might not want to let the teachers see that tattoo of yours."

"Oh, yeah, sorry!"

"Where'd you get that, anyway? I've never seen a design like that before!"

"A friend recomended this place to me back home in China. Why, does it not look good?"

"Oh, no, no no no, it looks fine! I was just saying it - " Tao starts, but is interrupted by the bell. "Oh, snap! I gotta run, see ya tomorrow, k?"

"See ya!" I call after him as he dashes down the hall, skidding to a stop before hanging a right.

"Young man?" one of the secretaries from the office calls to me from the door. I turn to her. Elderly, I'd say about seventy five. A pink turtle neck, black skirt, black tights on underneath, black heels, and a weird looking necklace thing. "Here's your supply list. I suggest you get shopping!"

"Yes, ma'am! Thanks!" I say, giving her a small bow before taking the supply list from her. I head out the door, stuffing the list into my backpack. I break into a run as soon as I'm outside. I don't feel that cold, but I don't want to just walk in this weather. No sane person does that.

I run along the side of a busy highway. Kinda suicidal, I know, but what are the odds? Eventually, I reach a shopping plaza. I see a Staples, a Walmart, and a Wendy's. Perfect.

I sprint accross the street like my life depends on it - which it does. I slow to a jog once I've crossed. First, I go to the Wendy's, and get french fries. Lots and lots of french fries. And a Coke. A group of ajummas jump me as I'm leaving.

"Shouldn't you be in school?" One asks, squinting at me.

"Yes, what are you doing here? Are you skipping school?" Another asks. Both of them were speaking in Korean... Hm....

"I'm sorry? Come again?" I ask in Chinese, looking at the old women with a perfect 'dafuq?' face.

One woman, probably by far the oldest, rolled her eyes at me, and said in Chinese, "Why aren't you in school?" I look to her.

"I just moved here. I just enrolled in the school down the road, and I'm here to buy my school supplies. I came to get myself a bite to eat." I answer in a respectful tone. The lady translated what I said to Korean, and relays it to her friends. They nod, and back off.

I sigh in relief, and back out of the Wendy's. I head to Staples next, for my graphing calculator, all my notebooks, a protractor, a compass, a ruler, and pens! Good grief, pens! I buy out nearly the whole stock of 'em. No, no, I'm exaggarating! But still, a lot of pens. I munch on my fries as I shop, leaving a trail of crumbs and salt behind me.

I check out, and give in to my chocoholic sice, buying three king size chocolate bars. I didn't really think things through.... I'm carrying all these bags, I have nowhere to put them..... Oh, wait, yes I do! I can bring them with me inside the Walmart for the rest of my school stuff, which isn't much, and bring the cart with me to the school, so I can put all my stuff in my locker! I'm a genius!!!

I grab a cart from the parking lot outside the Walmart, load my Staples bags into it, and wheel it inside. What's weird is, I didn't feel cold outside, but as soon as I step inside, BAM, instant frost bite from that god forsaken vent/cooler/thing that the Walmart people insist on putting just above the door. I bet it's to scare away anyone not hell bent on shopping.

Let's see.... I still need basic art supplies, a smock, and an optional seat coushion. I push my cart over to the bed clothes aisle(s). When I get there, I steer the cart with one hand, and run my other hand over the various pillows and comforters. After going down and back up the aisle a few times, I actually start looking for a good pillow. I find one two isles over, which seems to be dedicated to dorm comfort.

The pillow I chose looks like this. I threw it into the cart, before crossing the little hall in between aisles to the art section. They had little folded art smocks at the start of the aisle. I chose the largest size, so that it went down below my knees, and then proceded to pick out the appropriate paints, brushes, crayons, and bakeable molding clay stuff. Like Play-Dough, but different.

I'm wheeling the cart back to the front of the store to check out, when this idiot just appears out of nowhere, litterally jumps right in front of my cart! I didn't have any time to stop, so I accidentally, completely by accident, bumped into him.

And WOW! Does this guy have anger managment issues or WHAT??! He flips! He turns to me, face red as could be, and shoves my cart to the side, pushing it with such force that it crashes onto its side. He storms up to me, grabs me by the collar, and shakes me roughly.

"What the was that, huh man?!" He growls. " What the was that?!"

"That was you not looking where you were going." I respond calmly.

"No, it was you, running me over! Aggravated assault! I'm gonna press charges!"

"Go ahead."

"Huh? What?" The guy asks. Clearly that wasn't the reaction he expected. "Aren't you afraid of loosing your job, money, and house?"

"No." I answer. "You see all these people who are watching your little display here?"

The man looks around, and though his expression doesn't change, I can tell he was shocked by the crowd that has gathered, all looking at us with wide eyes. "What of it?"

"Well. You try to press charges, I have all these witnesses. Who can testify that I did nothing wrong. Who can all point the finger at you." I say, cool, calm, and collected, with a threatening glint in my eye. "Still wanna press charges?"

The guy debates for a few moments, before shaking me again, and growling, "You'll pay for this! With God as my witness, you'll pay for this!" He shoves me away, kicks my cart, and barges through the crowd, shoving aside anyone who wasn't quick enough to get out of his way.

I roll my eyes, and bend over to pick up my stuff. I walk quickly to the check out line, wanting this whole thing to just be over with. After I've checked out, I walk outside. The clock in the center of the plaza rings 5:00. It's dark already. I sprint across the road, and back to the school.

Back at the school, I rush into building D, where my locker is. Thank god it wasn't locked. I hurry to the elevator, jumping up and down while I wait for the elevator to arrive. When it does, I force my way through the doors, mangling the cart. I press the button for 3rd floor, and mash the 'door close' button, just wanting to be home in my bed.

I navigate the maze of hallways, and find my locker after passing it three times. I enter the combination, and hurry to load all the stuff I bought into the locker in at least a semi organized fashion. The end result is 50% organized, 25% stuffed into the little built in shelf at the top, 25% thrown on the bottom of the locker.

I close the door, re lock the locker, and slump against it, more tired than I thought possible. I wonder if I could just fall asleep here?

Suddenly, I hear footsteps, and a shouted conversation.

"Are you sure, absolutely sure, you saw this guy come in here?" A voice asks, huffing. The voice came from the stairs.

"Yeah, are you sure it was even the same guy?" Another questions.

"Yes." The voice of the guy from the mall says. "I'm sure it was him!" I stand up, abandoning the cart, and start to run down the hall. I should've known he meant it when he said I'd pay.

"HEY!! There he is! Get 'im!!" the second voice cries, and the light footsteps turn into a stampede. I turn right, then left, then left again, and then right to a dead end. "We got 'im now! I saw where he ran!!" I look around frantically for a place to hide. Nada. But there is a door. I yank on the handle with all my might, but it's locked!

"I was really hoping to avoid something like this...." I mutter under my breath. I take a step back, and swing my leg around, connecting with the handle with a satisfying clang and clunk as the broken handle hits the floor. The door swings open slowly. I grab onto the door and yank it open all the way, and scramble up the stairs. I only have to go up one flight of stairs before I reach the roof.

I burst out the door onto the roof, into the freezing air. There's a stair case leading down to the actual roof, but that would take to long. I run to the edge, jump off, land, and roll. It's dark out here, but I can see pretty well, even without the light. I run down to the lower edge of the roof, and take a running leap off the roof, landing in a crouch on the ground.

"Hey, where'd 'e go?!!" A voice calls.

"He probably jumped off the roof! Let's go!" the guy from the Walmart shouts. The group started doing that hooting thing that guys do to pump themselves up. I look around again, and I catch sight of a little mini hallway thing. Good as anything else. I limp over there. I must've landed on my leg wrong. I slump against the wall of the building, panting quietly.

The group of guys land on the ground with a collective thump, and thunder past my hiding place, shouting obcenities at the top of their lungs. But then, I hear the sound of another body landing. Was it one of the group, lagging behind the rest?

No, it was a girl. In her school uniform, her hair down, with two braids framing her face. She walks past my hiding place. I can hear the sound of the gang coming back. They won't be to kind to her....

It would be risky. I'm not sure if I could keep her quiet. But I can't just let them get her!

I bolt forward, bump into her so she drops her phone, place my hand over , an arm around her waist, and drag her into the alley. Like I figured, she was a wild cat, jerking this way and that, trying to escape my grasp. I back into the shadows, wincing when the girl's hand runs over my tattoo. She screamed - muted, but I'm not risking the gang hearing us.

"SHHHHH! Shut up! I won't hurt you unless you make me!" I whisper in her ear. I try to do it softly, soothingly, but it comes out harsh and snappish. Stress must be getting to me. I was expecting her to keep struggling, but instead, she relaxed. "Good girl." I say softly. The gang's footsteps are getting louder, and I tighten my grip on her. As soon as I do, she starts struggling again. She slams the heel of her shoe into my foot, and I gasp in pain. I whirl us around, and slam her roughly up against the wall, grabbing her wrists with one hand, keeping the other hand on , and forcing her body to remain against the wall by pinning her body with mine. She groans softly when her head bangs against the wall.

"I warned you! Now, for the love of God, stay quiet!! I'll let you go when it's safe, I promise!" I say quietly. The gang approaches, and I can hear their conversation.

"Where is he?!" One guy shouts.

"Yeah, where'd he go?!!" Another adds.

"Well, he can't have gotten far! Let's split up! Dong-hae, you and the twins go on ahead. The rest of us 'll search the building." Walmart Guy says. After I determine that the gang has left, I let the girl go. I try to make sure that she doesn't see my face, but I saw hers! It was that girl Tao was with, Sara! I throw her her phone, and slink away. I sprint down to the road, and run along side it in the direction my apartment is. I hope and pray that I can make it home and catch some shut eye. This has been just a little bit much.