"You can't always run away. Fear and curiosity are the same you know, and both will eat away at you eventually. You and I both know you have to get on that plane."

  ***       Jenni's words lingered on Mark's mind, as her lips did the same upon his cheek. She took the news far better than he had. Fear and curiosity were slowly destroying Mark from the inside out. Was he doing the right thing? Should he have made up an excuse to stay in Korea?       But of course, if nothing else, there was Cassidy. The last time he saw her face in person she was only eleven. I wanted to protect you from the mean kids. I wanted to tell all the boys to leave you alone.        Three years, in the scheme of life, only end up being a few minutes. In the end, you can fast-forward and condense three years into hardly anything at all. However, in youth, time is prolonged. In three years, your life could be shattered. In three years, you could meet the love of your life. In three years, your entire perception of life could be altered. For Mark, all of these were true. What has three years done to my family? To Los Angeles?   ***       Mark walked into the house, blood dripping from his arm. He opened a cabinet and pulled out a first aid kit. He found himself using this kit more and more often since he started this new hobby.       "Mark. Are you hurt? Why are you bleeding?" His father just happened to pass by.       "Oh. I was just skateboarding. Don't worry I'm fi--"       "What if next time you break your arm, or your neck? Who's going to vote for the candidate who doesn't watch over his kid? Are you going to put your family's future at risk because of some stupid pass-time? Stop this nonsense immediately, understand?" He snapped. It