"Wow Taeyeon..." I hear Tiffany muse from my left. I keep my slumped position locked in, relishing the cool feeling of the cafeteria table on my forehead. Tiffany speaks again, "I don't think you'll survive for a week."

I lift my head up to look at her lazily. "A week? I'm dying after the first day."

Tiffany stares at me in concern before taking out her iPhone and handing it over to me. "Want to go online again?"

I eye it evilly before growling. "No. It would just make me crave for it even more tonight. And tomorrow night. And every night. For two months. Urgh." I let my head thump back on the table, pain shooting through my forehead but I am too drained to care.

"Wow," I hear Kai comment. "I've never seen you like this." A finger pokes my arm, undoubtedly from the most annoying boy in the world. When I don't respond, more pokes come before my head shoots up rapidly, making the three people sitting at our table jump. "What?" I hiss.

"Cheer up." Kai gives his care-free smile. "School's the only place where you can meet up with the most awesome people for now. Stop being so grumpy."

"Can't we just visit you?" Hyoyeon rests her chin in her hands. "We can just come knocking on your door and your mum would be too kind-hearted to send us away."

"She won't send you away," I sigh patiently, "but she will prolong my punishment after you leave. So don't bother coming." We all fall silent, my punishment wearing everyone down which I do feel a bit guilty about. I glance at Tiffany to see her frown in thought. She has different expressions for different people and her worried expression she has on right now tells me it isn't directed to my disaster. "What's wrong Tiffany?" I ask, perfectly knowing that it is about Sehun.

Tiffany hesitates. "I dont think it's anything major but I invited Sehun to come around to my place yesterday afternoon. He said he had to go through. . . 'personal matters' with Baekhyun."

"What's wrong with that?" Hyoyeon asks the question for all of us.

"It's not something little," Tiffany answers. "Sehun sounded really worried. He understands that Baekhyun doesn't want to get close to anyone and respects that but he looked really keen to help Baekhyun with something. I've never seen him so worried before."

"I wouldn't worry," Kai yawns and put his hands behind his head. "Baekhyun probably got out of hand with his drinking issues."

"Maybe Sehun was just overreacting?" Hyoyeon offers.

Tiffany frowns and bites her lip before sighing. "I guess Sehun's really worried for him. Baekhyun doesn't even treat Sehun as his best mate, I really don't understand why Sehun bothers with him."

"Sehun's just looking out for him, like what a real friend would do." I try to lighten the mood and wink at Tiffany. "You made the right choice." She blushes and smiles. Well, at least someone's worries are settled.

-

I sigh for the umpteenth time as I stare at my beige ceiling. I feel so useless lying on my bed that I actually feel like getting up and exercising. But no, I don't do fitness. Man, I really am a victim to technology. My hands twitch hopelessly as I will my laptop and phone to magically appear next to me. Oh, why did I spend all my money on my credit card? Why was I so forgetful and went to buy that book that resulted in me now crying invisible pools of tears? My desperation is drowning me.

I swivel my head to glance at my shelves and shelves of books, all of which I've read enough times. I don't feel like reading them again. I frown as I bring my hands behind my head. The only time I'm allowed to get out of the house is for school and when I go to work on Sundays. I work as a waitress at Silkson Restaurant for six hours. Even with my income I still manage to get myself grounded. I should start a savings account soon.

"Taeyeon!" My mum calls from downstairs. "Dinner's ready!" I sigh and lazily slump off my bed. I don't feel hungry even though the last thing I ate is an apple pie four hours ago. But at least dinner would take up some time in my hours of boredom.

I hear bowls being set down on the table as I near the dining area and am surprised to see my dad helping alongside with my mum. He comes home early from work yesterday to ground me, but I don't know why he's home early tonight.

I don't say anything as I enter the room and help set up dinner.

"Isn't this nice?" My father sighs pleasantly and smiles at my mum and I seated in chairs next to him. "Eating dinner together as a family, just like the old times, before technology tore us apart." I lightly smile back. There are many memories of when it was just us three, eating together, smiling together and laughing together. We are a very close family, a family where conflicts break out rarely. Whenever there is a disagreement, we would first calm ourselves down and not raise our voices because that is when the tension tightens. We would then proceed to discuss about it in our normal voices as if we are merely having an impromptu debate, which pretty much what it is.

I was a very disciplined child. Both my parents took the time to teach me techniques on how to treat situations calmly. Of course, it took years for me to turn into the sensible adolescent I am today but my parents were there every step of the way. They taught me table manners, general politeness and how to react to abrupt situations. There is a golden rule running through our veins; always stay calm.

But ever since innovative technology invaded our lives, we were all torn apart. It is a luxurious greed that seemed to always be successful in achieving its purpose: become everyone's best friend. Now that I look back in the past, I realise the countless times I chose my laptop or phone over our usual family talks.

Now, in our simple dining room, the clinking of metal cutlery against plates only add on the pyramid of guilt rising in my chest. I clear my throat. "So, dad, how come you're home early?" His eyes shoot up to meet mine, a hint of surprise at my question.

"It's my week's leave," he answers. "Great timing too, we might have a little outing with just the three of us."

My dad works as a receptionist at a medical centre. There are very few male receptionists nowadays but that is the highest paid job my dad could find since he dropped out of school in the hopes of a girl's love. That is the biggest lesson my dad had ever taught me. Love isn't what you think it is, no matter how true it may seem to you.

"Then what about Mum?" I had asked him many years ago.

"Your mum and I were actually high school enemies," he replied, which shocked my thirteen-year old self.

In my eyes, they were the perfect couple, making me believe all those 'true love' fantasies. My dad, telling me that my parents started off as enemies, is basically the same thing as saying the prince in Cinderella marries one of the evil sisters. Impossible.

My father had told me that he and Mum stayed enemies for ten long years, before he dropped out of school and had his heart broken by the girl he tried to pursue. Since his parents were overseas and he had little friends, my mum gave in and offered him comfort and from there, they both learnt that true love will never materialise in just a few weeks.

"Everyone is born with flaws," he told me, "but it is up to you if you want to fix them or let them grow into bigger issues. Love blinds the world. We view it as the most precious thing we could ever have and we would do absolutely anything to meet our true love. That's stupid. In high school, your mum and I's love never existed. Only after I made that big mistake did we start developing our love. Love takes times. Never rush it."

"Taeyeon?"

"What?" I blink in confusion as the flashback fades from my mind. The adults are staring at me confused.

"I asked if-" My mum is interrupted by the familiar buzzing ringtone of her phone. "Excuse me." She wipes with her napkin, gets up and goes over to the kitchen to attend her call. My dad and I eat in silence as we listen to my mum's replies.

"Hello? Yes. . . Oh hello. . . What's wrong. . . No. . ." My father and I exchange baffled expressions but couldn't proceed to figure out who my mother is talking to as she walked off to her bedroom to talk in private.

"So Taeyeon," my dad starts. "How's school?"

"Oh it's fine," I muse. "Nothing interesting happening."

"Gearing up for the half yearly exams?"

"Yeah." I sigh. Year 11 is a year full of exams.

"Your friends. . ." I notice the hesitance of his tone. "You hang around with four others, yes?" I nod, trying to figure out where he was going with this. "And. . .  they're all in a relationship?"

"Yes," I answer, eyeing his thoughtful expression.

"Does it, perhaps, make you want to be in a relationship?"

My mouth falls open. That's what my dad is after? To find out if I am craving for a boyfriend? 

"No." I shake my head firmly. "Not at all."

"But you hang around with them quite a lot." He rubs his chin. "Don't they display affection towards each other?"

I think back to Tiffany and Sehun's intimateness. They've been at it for a year now so I am used to it. "Yes," I reply, "but I'm not interested in dating so it does not affect me. It will only be a distraction from my studies." My dad his head and stares at me before nodding and finishing up his dinner.

"Ah, I am just curious because you're now seventeen and all."

I raise my eyebrow at his back as he stalks off into the kitchen to place his plate in the sink. Just because I'm seventeen doesn't mean my desire is to have a boyfriend. I'm not going to follow my dad and drop out of school for love. I've never even had a crush before. Crushes are competent; they take up your time when there's obviously much better things to do. Tiffany had pestered me a while back, demanding to know who I had a thing for. And I kept telling her that I didn't have a crush. She went on and on for a week before I went crazy and shunned her. After a day, Tiffany profusely apologised and promised to never ask if I liked someone ever again.

But seriously, did she and my father really have such low standards of me?