“Are you going to step up?” I ask amusedly with a smile. The short girl has been staring at the ceiling for about two minutes and no one is in front of her anymore. The people in the line behind her are giving her dirty glares. One is even tapping their foot impatiently. 

Snapping out of her daze, the short woman looks behind her and quickly walks forward, apologizing. 

“Can I get the peppermint mocha?” the shorty asked. I nodded with a grin plastered on my face. 

 "Whats your name?" I ask after completing the order. 

 "Taeyeon." I nod. 

 The midget looks over to the side and eyes something. I turn my attention to what she's looking at; a cup with the name Jessica. She was about to grab the cup when I interfered. 

 "I'm sorry but that's another customer's cup." I say. The girl was going to take Jessica's cup. I left it by the side so that when I end my shift in a few minutes, I can go give it to her personally. The midget looks at me. 

 "Oh, yeah. Jessica; I know her. I was just going to give her cup to her." 

 Confusion hits me. Jessica never brought anyone over with her to this café. Well not while I work here. I've heard Sooyoung mention that before she gained full ownership (her parents used to own the café and Sooyoung later redesigned and remodeled), Jessica and her ex would come by occasionally. 

 "She's the girl with the ice princess aura over there." Taeyeon pointed to Jessica, who I noticed was shifting uncomfortably with an eye-smiling girl creepily grinning at her. A shorter girl was also sitting at their table.

 "Yeah." I reply. Her order was already quickly made and set out. She took both of the cups and left, heading straight towards the tables.

 "Ahem!" I hear someone cough. I look straight in front of me and see some irritated customers. I laughed nervously.

 "Ha ha ha… What can I get you?" 

 Soon after finishing my shift, I quickly dash towards the lockers in the back. I wish Sooyoung is here. She would answer some of my questions. Too bad she had an emergency meeting with someone. I frowned. Better not have been an excuse just to lie around and eat all day. 

 Last time Sooyoung said she was sick, I went to go check up on her and was surprised to see her dressed in a royal gown with a tiara on her head. No she's not a secret princess from a neighboring country. She was having a banquet with who else but herself. Who the heck would dress up at home as a royal princess and prepare food yourself to eat all day? Though a food lover myself, I really can't figure out what goes on in Sooyoung's head at times. 

 As I rushed out of the locker room with my stuff, I bump into a woman around my age who was probably heading towards the bathroom. 

 "Oof! Sorry!" I apologized. The girl I bumped in to had long black hair, very light skin, and was a bit shorter than me. She sends me a light glare from her brown orbs before continuing on her way. 

 I was frozen after that look she gave me. She gave off an aura similar to Jessica unnie's. They must have similar personalities… But… She kind of looks like me, a bit of Jessica, Seohyun, and… I frowned. That girl that almost ran me over the other day. Ugh. Just thinking of her is making my blood boil.

 Shaking my head to rid of the forming anger, I walk over to Jessica's table. 

 Wait. 

 I stop in my tracks. That girl looks soooooo familiar. Could she be a celebrity? But wh~

 "Unnie!" I call when I see Jessica stand up.

 "Oh? Yoona~!" 

 "Are you leaving?" 

 "Yeah. I was just about to." Jessica turns to the others. "Ah, this is Im Yoona. She works here and is a good friend of mine." 

 "Hi!" I say and bow a little. They all appear to be older than I am. 

 "Hi! I'm Lee Sunny." a midget with a cheerful aura says.

 "She means Lee Soonkyu." Jessica interrupted.

 "Yah!" 

 "I'm Kim Taeyeon." the other shorty from the line earlier says. Humph. She's actually taller than Sunny. I look at the last girl, who's also standing up.

 "I-I'm… You…" 

 I raised my eyebrows. What? Did she just say she's me?

 "That's Tiffany Hwang." Sunny intertwines. Ah…

 "Would you like to become an idol?" Tiffany's question takes me in by surprise. I was still in shock so she continued talking.

 "Wahhh… You look so much like Soo Jung. Jessie, is this your other sister?" 

 Wait a minute!

 My eyes widened in realization. Jessica. Idol. Soo Jung. Sister. Krystal! 

 "Jessica unnie! I just saw-," 

 "Oh there you are." I turn around and see Krystal Jung, the girl I just bumped into. I see her freeze when she turns her attention from Tiffany to Jessica.

 "Oh. Jessica." 

 I don't know if its just me or something, but I feel the atmosphere turn cold. 

 "When are you leaving?" asks the older Jung. Krystal rose an eyebrow.

 "The store?"

 "No."

 "Korea?" 

 "The world." 

 Our jaws dropped (except for the Jungs). I blinked.

  Daaaaaaaaayyyuuuuuummmmm!!!! I didn't think their relationship was this bad! Joking or not, that was pretty harsh. Krystal scoffed at thr reply. Jessica grips her coffee cup tighter.

 "Let's go Taeyeon. Nice to meet you, Tiffany. Let's meet later Sunny. Bye Yoona. Study well for your exam tomorrow that you told me about." I managed to nod. 

 Taeyeon closes and follows Jessica outside. Krystal stomps over and plops down next to Tiffany, who also sat down.

 "She's making it hard!" Krystal yelled. 

 "Wow." Sunny commented. 

 "Calm down, Krys. And why didn't you tell me your sister is this pretty?! Why didn't you show me a picture?! If I were gay, I would definitely have proposed to her on the spot." 

 "In a café? How romantic, Tiff." 

 "Don't underestimate! It's the thought, heart, and action that counts!" 

 "Along with the price of the ring." 

 "Um," I interrupt, "I'm going now." 

 "Oh, sorry." Sunny and Tiffany say. Krystal just looks at me. Before I could avoid any more awkwardness by leaving, Tiffany is suddenly by my side and pulling on my sleeve.

 "Huh?" She handed me a card. 

 "This is my business card. Call me if you ever want to become a celebrity. I can make it happen. I'm Tiffany Hwang, your genie." She eye-smiles at me. Really pretty.

 "Genie my ." I hear Krystal say in English. Sunny snorts at Krystal's remark. 

 "Thanks." I reply and take the card. I placed it in my jacket's inside pocket and give her a smile. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Well here I am; home. Or at least, that's what I've been trying to convince myself it was.

 The vines were wrapped around the house as if they were snakes and the old brick house is its prey. Some windows were shattered and the color of the house somehow appeared darker than she could remember as a child. The ancient trees nearby arched to shade the house. Everything appeared gloomy and dark, just like my childhood. Just like my life. 

 Taking in a deep breath, I prepared myself. Although this is my house, I can never really call it my home without feeling uneasy. I turned the door knob and pushed the door open.

 "I'm home!" I called. Silence. 

 I raised my eyebrows and the beating of my heart relaxed. Well that's weird. Usually when I get home- 

 SLAM! 

 "NO! PLEASE NO!" 

 The screams filled the whole house. There were banging sounds. I knew what was happening. It was a cataclysmic routine. 

 I ran up the stairs to my mother's aide. 

 "Mom!" I yelled. Although I've seen this sight so many times, it never failed to make my heart jump up to my throat. No matter what, the hair on the back of my neck would always stand up and my figure would always shake.

 But this time, there my mother lie. Bloody and unmoving. A bloody lamp was beside her.

 "Give me some money!" my mom's husband yelled when he saw me. My mouth was open and my eyes were widened in horror at my mother.

 "Mom!" I immediately kneel down and check for a pulse. I'm partially relieved to feel beating.

 "Hey! I'm talking to you!" 

 I glare up at the man that married my mother when I was 12. His face was pale. He had a five-o-clock shadow and his eyes were bloodshot. There were dark bags under his eyes. Anyone could tell he was addicted to either alcohol or drugs. 

 I couldn't take it anymore. My mother and I have been living in fear with this man for so long. They say you get to know a person better after marriage, and that is exactly true.

 For years, I had to endure the bloodcurdling screams that emitted from my mother's mouth. I would hear the sounds of shattered glass, whipping with a leather belt. I remember the time I was pushed off the stairs, when my mother was trampled harder when she tried to protect me. Escape, we couldn't. But I would no longer allow that any more. I'm a grown woman and I can't bear to have this go on any longer. This man who supposedly took us in and helped us financially, was no good man. Never again will I let those things happen. Never again.

 I slowly stood up. We were the same height but I was now a bit taller since I was wearing shoes. 

 My vision turned red. Everything I assumed he was yelling out was muted. The only thing I could hear was the beating of my own heart and the voices in my head, urging me to take action. And so I did. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 I woke up with cold sweat on my forehead. I looked around my room and saw nothing but pitch black. Seohyun slams the door open.

 "Yoona! Are you okay? You screamed." 

 "S-sorry for waking you up! I had a nightmare. That's all."

 "Oh." 

 "Thanks for lending me a room. That landlord of mine is really a jerk. Just one day late and I'm out." I forced a chuckle to light up the mood.

 "Oh! No worries! It's definitely no problem. You could've just asked me to help you pay the rent too. We're friends, after all. I want to help." 

 She gives me the most genuine smile ever, but I shake my head. 

 "Nah. This is enough." 

 Joo Hyun is about to say something when she pauses. She squints and I suddenly get nervous. 

 "Are you crying?" I shake my head in protest. 

 "Was the dream perhaps about…" 

 "Joo Hyun," I stopped when the girl gives me a glare. It was one of the glares she gives me when I say a hamburger in front of her. 

 "Yeah, it was. I dreamed about the day my mother died when I was 16. The thing is, I was the age I am now in my dream and…" 

 Seohyun walks to my side and hugs me. 

 "-and I actually fought back. If I fought back before, my mother wouldn't have been dead, Jo Hyun!" I began wailing. Seohyun was a big help comforting me though. 

 She finally calmed me down by cooking me a midnight meal, despite her strict health beliefs, and promising me she'll make me my favorite dishes the next lunch. 

 Right when my back hit the bed after Seohyun leaves, my phone goes off. Sooyoung is calling. Why would she be calling at midnight?

 "Hey." 

 "Yoona~," Sooyoung coos, "wanna go on a date?" 

 If I was drinking water, I would've done a spit take. Sooyoung wants to go on a date with me? She wants to date me? But… I don't like her like that.

 "WHAT?! DATE?! I'm so sorry if I ever gave you the wrong impression, but I really can't-"

 "Yah Im Yoona! I'm not asking you out or anything! I'm asking if you want to go on a date in general." 

 "Oh. With who though?" 

 "Doesn't matter. Just… Would you?" 

 "Uh…" I stopped when I hear Seohyun drop something in the kitchen. The walls were so thin, I could even hear her sighing. 

 I take a quick peek and see she's only dropped an aluminum water bottle. 

 "Hello?" 

 "Yeah." 

 "Great then I'll pick you up tomorrow at five."

 "Wait no I mean-" 

 She hung up on me before I could finish. Really? I couldn't just answer with a "what"? I just have to be so polite! 

 I try calling her back, but she doesn't answer. Boss must be either eating or ignoring the phone calls. I try texting instead.

 I waited but never received an answer. Then I fell asleep waiting. 

 Looks like I have to go after all. Maybe Sooyoung will even pay me. I could use some money.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Note: I meant to update earlier but then someone asked me to help them write a story. If you haven't read it yet, it's called "Different Shades of Jung" and it's a TaengSic-based fanfiction. 

I'm going to be updating "STAR" soon. I've already wrote a whole bunch of chapters for "My Lovely Sister" but I haven't revised them. I'm currently writing the last half of the next chapter to this story too. I also have to help write a new chapter coming out for "Different Shades of Jung" while keeping up with school work. I'm such a free person, aren't I? No seriously I am. If I'm not writing, I'm reading or watching videos/animes/cartoons/movies/dramas. I have a lot of free time actually but math and science is really kicking me in the face. I hate those two subjects most.