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teaser for next update

The house was cooled down by the force of the air conditioner; at lease the house was cold. The ride to the house on the other hand, was at hot as the sun was. I could feel the skin on my forearms peeling away as I walked into one of the guest bedrooms. This room would be mine for the next four and a half weeks..

I looked around the plain cream and white room. Of course my aunt likes plain, neutral colors like these. I walk to the bed and sit on the end, my suitcase sits on the floor in front of me. I stare down at it for a few minutes before finding the energy to pack my clothes away and I end up stuffing the case under the bed. I'm sure I'll forget it at the end of the month, anyway.

I looked around the plain cream and white room. Of course my aunt likes plain, neutral colors like these. I walk to the bed and sit on the end, my suitcase sits on the floor in front of me. I stare down at it for a few minutes before finding the energy to pack my clothes away and I end up stuffing the case under the bed. I'm sure I'll forget it at the end of the month, anyway.

I opened the door and stepped out onto the back porch. It's odd having no face separating the back of such a house and the rest of the world. I took the few steps down the porch and onto the dirt-path. I followed the path in slow strides, walking around the lake, taking in the view of the other houses and the beauty of the trees and rest of nature. I might be a city girl, but that doesn't mean a place like this doesn't impress me.

I walk along the side of the lake for a while until I reach a small wooden bridge. Stepping onto it, my mind flashes back to when I was a kid, I can see myself playing here with some other people, but I can't seem to remember their names or faces. I walk to the side, leaning on the wooden railing. I look down at the water, small fishes swim around in circles around each other.

Watching those fishes brings back more memories, but they're not good or happy ones. I can see my sister crying and snow. I blink a few times, taking a step back and shaking my head. I breathe in deeply and look around, noticing the few other people walking around the lake, most of them are couples. I lower my eyes and walk over the bridge, running a hand through my hair.

The images stay in my mind, I can't get rid of them. I try to focus on the leaves and the sky, the pretty white clouds but I can't. I keep walking, trying to escape my old memories and I end up running into them.

He stands there with a grin on his face, holding up a hand as if to wave at me. I stare at him for a moment before I check behind myself to see if there's another person. He laughs.

"Yoo Aeri, you've really grown up, huh? It's been a while since the last time we've seen each other, you probably don't even remember my name. It's Jongin." He says with a grin. I keep staring at him, shaking my head slowly.

"I don't remember you." I say, looking away for a moment. I can see him nodding, his grin falling to a blank face.

"Yeah, I didn't think you would. After what happened. Anyway, I'll see you around!" He, Jongin, says before he turns around and runs off. I stare after him, frowning at his words. 'After what happened' What does that mean? I sigh lowly, turning around and heading back to the vacation house.

I enter the kitchen and shut the door, flicking the lock. I breathe out slowly and walk to the fridge, opening it and looking in for something to drink. I'm faced with beer and water. I stare at the two drinks before taking a water bottle and letting the fridge-door shut. I open the bottle and take a sip. I look around for a moment, wondering why it was so silent, until I see the piece of paper that sits on kitchen island. I walk closer to it, looking down to see my mother's neat handwriting.

I read the note over a few times before I let out a scream of frustration. I pull the note off of the island and scrunch it up, throwing it to the floor and slamming my foot onto it.

"Why?! Why do I have to be the one left behind?!" I yell to the fridge. Of course, waiting for a reply is pointless. I let out a loud sound of frustration, picking the note up and putting it into the bin. "Fine...fine." I take a few deep breaths in and let them out.

I pull myself upstairs and to my room, slamming the door shut as I past it. I dive onto the bed, face first into the pillows. I groan into them and whine, throwing a pillow across the room. What other way is there to let the frustration out? None.

I lie there for a while, eventually falling asleep.

I wake up a few hours later. I slip out of bed and shuffle to the connected bathroom. I sigh to myself once I reach the mirror, looking over myself. I shrug at my reflection, running a hand through my hair. 

I leave the bathroom and go downstairs. Of course, they aren't home yet. I sigh and walk to the kitchen and open the back door, I step out on to the porch. I pulled my phone out of my shorts pocket, smiling at the messages from my friends back in the city. I start to reply to them, in my own little world.

"Hey, Aeri." I jump at the voice, almost dropping my phone, I slip it back into it's pocket, I sigh softly, looking at the person, Jongin, from before. I breathe in deeply and he smiles, amused.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I thought you'd be at the party, but my mom said you were still at home." He said, looking away for a minute before looking back at me and continuing. "You don't remember me?" He asked.

"I don't, I'm sorry." I said, shrugging at him. He nodded, taking a step closer.

"I can show you, that we were friends...before." He said. I tilt my head a bit. "We have photos with each other, can I show you?" He asked. I took a breath in and nodded to him.

"Sure." I said. He smiled and walked around me, entering the house. I followed him to the living room. He looked over the few bookcases until he pulled out thick photo album. He walked to the white couch and sat down, opening it up on a random page and looked up at me, patting the space next to him.

I walked over and sat down, looking at the cluttered photos of a young boy and myself, when I was younger. I looked up at Jongin and then at the boy in the photo. "It's you. How old are we here?" I ask, pointing at a photo of the two of us at the lake's edge, our feet in the water and our hands holding each other's.

"Around ten, most of them are around that age. There're a few of us as babies, but I'm pretty sure a lot are damaged." Jongin says, turning a few pages back until there's only a few pages until the very back. He points at one photo, looking up at me. "This was the last time you here, it's the only photo that anyone has of you then." He says.

I look down at the photo of myself, as a twelve year old girl. I'm looking at the camera with a screwed up smile. I look the photo over more, it has some water damage around the edges, some of the colored ink has leaked into other places. It's like the photo was held under water. I look up at Jongin.

"Do you know what happened on that day? The last day I was here, I mean." I ask, Jongin looks at me with a sour look, he nods slowly.

"Yeah, I know. I'm guessing that you don't." He says and I nod. Leaning closer to urge him to continue talking. "Well, on that day, we were hanging out at the lake and--" Jongin stops, looking up as my family enters. He shoots up and bows to them. I groan lowly, standing as well.

"Oh, Jongin! I see the two of you are catching up on old times! That's lovely." My mom says with a bright smile. Jongin smiles back, closing the album slowly so she doesn't notice. "You'd better head of home, it's getting dark outside." She says, Jongin agreeing with her.

"I'll see him out." I say, mom nodding to us. Jongin puts the album down and we walk around my family and to the front door. There, we stop and I look at Jongin, pushing him against the wall.

"Whoa, there, we've only just re-met!" He says, surprised by my actions. I shake my head at him quickly.

"What was that about? My parents, brother nor sister will tell me anything about what happened and you'd better explain yourself before I give you a knee to the groin." I say quickly, Jongin's face goes red and he coughs.

"If no one's told you yet then maybe it's for the better, did you ever think of that?" He asks, I stare at him, raising my knee into his crotch and he yelps, leaning into the wall. "Alright! Alright, I'll tell you! I need my manhood, I want kids sometime!" He says in a whisper, whimpering to himself. I lower my knee and step back, letting him go.

"Tell me tomorrow. They'll probably go to the shopping strip then." I said. Jongin nods, leaving the house with his tail between his legs. I shut the door and go upstairs, yelling a goodnight to the other's.

I walk into the bedroom and shut the door. I walk to my bed and sit on the edge, taking out my phone. I look over a message and grin to myself.

'Take train 256 West at 3:30PM tomorrow and you'll get to our beach. See you there, babe.'

"What an interesting day tomorrow will be." I sigh, placing the phone on the nightstand, lying onto my back, my legs dangling over the side. "What an interesting day, indeed."