*DARA*

 

I woke up in a hospital bed, my vision blurry. I spotted a similar figure pacing back and forth in front of the bed. Once my vision cleared, I realized it was Chaerin. Earlier events begin to flash through my mind.

 

I purse my lips and sit up. “What are you doing here?”

 

her eyes widen when she sees me. sHe quickly staggers over, her arms wrapping themselves around me in a tight hug. “Thank god you’re ok.”

 

I crinkle my forehead. “What happened?” chaerin sighs and lets go of me. “I really don’t know. Dr.Gong should be back with the results.”

 

I nod slowly and look down at my hands, examining nothing in particular. “What happened at the carnival, CL?” I decide to ask her.

 

“Why did you run away from me?”

 

sHe covers her face with her hands and groans. “I don’t know.”

 

I frown. “Chae-“

 

“I know.” sHe heaves a sigh. “I think…I think I should just tell you.”

 

I nod in agreement. “Yes, you should.”

 

“Well,” chaerin runs a nervous hand though her hair. “It started with a girl-“

 

“ Park Sandara?” A doctor bursts into the room interrupting chaerin. his hair is dark and cut short and I can tell from the look on his face that he’s been working all day.

 

“I’m DR.Gong .” He reaches out and shakes my hand.

 

“What’s wrong with her?” chaerin blurts. Dr.Gong ignores her and flashes me a smile.

 

“You’ll be fine, Sandara. Just make sure to drink plenty of water. You fainted due to dehydration.”

 

“Want me to buy you a bottle of water from a vending machine?” chaerin offers.

 

I smile. “Sure. Thanks, chae.”

 

chaerin smiles back and scurries out of the room. Dr.Gong looks at me curiously.

 

“You’ve got a nice Girlfriend.” He comments. I gape. “sHe’s not my Girlfriend!”

 

“Really?” Dr.Gong chuckles. “Because I asked her earlier is she would like to wait outside while I checked up her girlfriend and she didn’t correct me, though she did blush.”

 

I laugh nervously. “Well, we’re not… she’s not…” I bite my lip. “We’re just friends.”

 

“I see.” The doctor mumbles unbelievably.

 

“Is that it?” I change the subject. “Was I just dehydrated?”

 

“Yes,” Dr.Gong nods. “You’re lucky you didn’t inherit your mother’s HIV. It could have been worst.”

 

My eyes widen. “What? HIV? My mother didn’t…”

 

“You don’t know?” Dr.Gong frowns. “It’s all over both your and your mother’s medical files. She had HIV, also known as AIDs. She caught it after your birth from-“ He pauses. “Maybe I shouldn’t be telling you this. If you don’t know, it’s probably because she didn’t want you to know"

 

“I have the right to know!” I argue. “She was my mother! How did she catch HIV"

 

Dr.Gong shakes his head back and forth. “Dara…”

 

“Got the water.” chaerin bursts into the room, a bottle of water clutched between her fingers. sHe walks over to me while looking curiously between me and Dr.Gong, obviously feeling the tension.

 

“Everything ok?” sHe asks as she hands me the water.

 

“Yeah. Thanks.” I mumble, prying open the bottle and taking a big gulp of the clear liquid. “I should go tend to my other patients.” Dr.Gong announces. “You’re free to leave. Come back anytime.” He begins to head out the door but pauses, looking back at me. “Just don’t come to me for answers. I’m not the one you should be talking too.” He throws me an apologetic look and exits the room.

 

chaerin raises an eyebrow. “What was that about?”

 

“I don’t know.” I lie, screwing the lid back on the bottle. “Let’s get out of here. Aunt must be worried.”

 

I slide off the bed and head for the door. chaerin pulls it open for me and saunters out after me. “So many secrets.” I mutter beneath my breath.

 

“What?” chaerin questions.

 

“Nothing.”

 

As we stroll into the lobby, I spot three girls around our age scattered around an iPad. The one in the middle looks up, her face framed with her beach blonde hair. Her eyes widen as they land on chaerin. She nudges her friends and they look up, frowning and glaring when they see chaerin.

 

“Why are they looking at you like that?” I whisper towards chaerin.

 

“Huh?” sHe looks over at the girls. “I don’t know.”

 

The blonde one stands up and struts over, her hands on her hips. “You’re Lee Chaerin.”

 

“Yeah.” chaerin flashes her a fake grin. “Do you want an autograph? A picture?”

 

She rolls her eyes. “You’re a jerk.” She motions to her friends. “We thought you were different. The media is right. You’re just another Seoul's player. The biggest, I say.”

 

chaerin gapes as Blondie shakes her head and walks back to her friends.

 

“What the hell?” sHe whisper-screams.

 

I cross my arms. “What did you do?”

 

“I don’t know!’ chaerin grabs my arm and drags me out of the hospital, quickly scurrying into the limo which was parked up front.

 

“What is it?” I frown, rubbing the area where had gripped my arm.

 

sHe pulls out her iPhone and starts searching hell-knows-what.

 

“.” sHe mutters suddenly. “. . ! I can’t believe she did that.”

 

“Who did what?” I snatch away her iPhone.

 

“dara, don’t-“ sHe begins to argue. My mouth drops as I observe the page on her iPhone’s small screen. It was some interview between the host of The talk show and a girl named Kwon Yuri.

 

--

 

host: Why is it that you called here today?

 

Yuri: I wanted to clear things up.

 

host: Clear what up?

 

Yuri: Lee Chaerin's a liar. There is something between us. Or so I thought.

 

host: Go on.

 

Yuri: The jerk kissed me. A few days later, she says it meant nothing and tells me to get out of her life. I just want to warn those innocent girls out there who thought chaerin was different. They’re wrong. sHe’s a jerk. A player. sHe toys around with a girl’s heart until she gets bored and throws her away. Then she moves on to a new toy. A new victim. sHe’s not who she makes you think she is. In fact, I’m not even sure SHE knows who she is.

 

Host: Well, there you have it folks. The truth about Lee Chaerin. What do you think?

 

I scowl and throw the phone back at chaerin. It bounces onto her lap.

 

“Is it true?”

 

chaerin looks away, not answering my question.

 

“Maybe I was wrong about you.” I murmur. “You’re not capable of change.”

 

“Dara.” sHe sighs. “You wont understand.”

 

“Of course I won’t.” I scroll up the window between us and Jeff. “Can you take me home? I don’t think you’ll be seeing much of me.”

 

“Dara!” chaerin's voice breaks. I look back at her. “What?”

 

sHe squeezes her eyes shut so hard that for a second there I think her eyelids could fall off.

 

“Please.”

 

“Please what?” I frown.

 

“You don’t get it. It’s complicated.” sHe complains.

 

“You said earlier that you should tell me. Why aren’t you telling me?”

 

“I’m afraid.” sHe mutters. “Of what?” I ask her, my voice slightly loud.

 

“Of history repeating itself.” sHe whispers, barely audible.”

 

“What are you talking about?” I frown. sHe heaves a sigh. “Maybe we should just stop… being friends. You just forget me and-“

 

“Get out of your life?” I scoff. “Is that really what you want, chaerin?”

 

“Dara,” her voice sounds three octaves higher.

 

“Jeff,” I turn away from chaerin. “Can you just drop me off here? I think I’ll walk home.”

 

“Not necessary, Miss Park. We have arrived.” He informs me.

 

“Great. Thank you, Jeff.” I slide over and pry open the door. “Bye CL.”

 

I start to exit the limp when I feel a warm hand on my wrist.

 

“Dara,” Chaerin tugs at my wrist. “Don’t leave. I’ll explain. I’m sorry. I need…” Her voice fades. I look back at her, question in my eyes. “Need what?”

 

her browns eyes bore into mine, a spark of hope in them. “I need you.”