It's been four days since that incident at the mall. I'm surprised that guy in my physics class didn't do anything to me at school. He'd usually say some insults towards me and the class would laugh. Maybe that guy TaeHyung told him something that made him stop. If so, wow, thanks TaeHyung.

 

Today though is Friday, and it's a totally different day for me. Just today. I bought that outfit at the mall, but I never wore it because I was scared of the guy pouring some lunch food on me like how he almost did at the mall. I didn't wanna waste good clothes.

 

I'm wearing that outfit today. JiHye and ChaeMin kept whining about how I bought it Monday but never wore it. They thought I'd wear it the next day. So I gave in to their whining. And I'm slightly glad I wore it today. It's super hot.

 

When I told them that I'll wear it today, they came over to my house early this morning. They wanted to add beach waves to my hair and apply what they call is neutral make-up. I gotta admit, they didn't do a bad job. I kind of liked it.

 

I'm walking towards the cafeteria alone at lunch because JiHye and ChaeMin have to stay after class. They got in trouble for whispering constantly in class.

 

I don't really like lunch food, so I head straight towards the student store located near the cafeteria. Good thing Mom gave me $10 to make up for what you know who did to me two days ago. I don't want to go into that. $10 can't change what happened, but hey, money.

 

I buy myself a mango popsicle and a cold water bottle. I'm serious about it being hot today.

 

As I walk away, I can feel more stares at my direction. I'm not surprised why. I'm a whole different person today. They're not used to this. I don't want to know if they want to get used to this. Ugh.

 

 

I look up to see a familiar face. TaeHyung. He grins and chuckles at me.

 

"Funny bumping into you again like this, quite literally bumping." He laughs, pointing at my popsicle. I hope we don't always bump into each other while I have food. Actually, I hope we don't bump into each other at all. I don't want to deal with his friends.

 

Wait, he remembers me? It was only about a 10 minute encounter, and I was dressed with skinny jeans and a sweater that day. How would he notice that was me, dressed like this? Very observant probably.

 

"Sorry." I say, and start walking away.

 

"Hey! Wait!" He calls after me. I keep walking and I hear him chasing me behind.

 

"Hey!" He makes it in front of me. "I just wanted to apologize for my friend the other day."

 

"It's alright. Ever since he hasn't picked on me in class anymore." I say, continuing to walk again.

 

"Hey, hey, hey!" He makes it in front of me again. "You know him? I mean I heard him say you dropped his grade but, you know him?" I roll my eyes.

 

"I accidentally broke his project, and now he has a low grade because of it and he can't make it up until the teacher gets money for new parts. I don't know why the teacher can't give him partial credit for it." I tell him. "Ever since then, he's been insulting me in class."

 

"Ah. I see." Was all he said.

 

It's kind of funny. After that whole incident, physics class guy stops teasing me and semi-popular guy starts talking to me. We even end up bumping into each other again four days later. I know I've seen him walk the halls before with physics class guy, but it's today that I bump into him. Life really is funny. Maybe the books I read aren't over-exaggerated. Things like that do happen in real life. Weird.

 

I just looked at him and sigh. He studied me for who knows why? Oh yeah, probably my outfit.

 

"This isn't you, is it?" He goes. It caught me off guard.

 

"You don't know who me is." I say, raising an eyebrow.

 

"Well, this is-" He goes, waving his hand at my outfit. "This isn't near what you wore at the mall."

 

"Lazy day." I reply.

 

"Lazy day?" His voice went high. "Sure."

 

"Why?" I go.

 

"Nothing. Just that this is a totally different look. I don't forget things easily."

 

"Well, nice meeting you again. Now I'm not trying to offend you but I'd like to walk away before your friends see me again." I say. I'm usually never like this. I just don't want to cause more problems for myself. I'm already quite relieved that physics class guy (sadly still don't know his name) stopped picking on me. We're in our last year here. You'd think he'd act more mature about this.

 

He steps in front of me again as I try to walk around him. I put the popsicle into my mouth and look up at him.

 

"Don't worry. I'll make sure they won't cause trouble for you." He says. What is this guy doing?

 

"Thanks. Now can I go?"

 

"Let me rephrase what I said. There won't be trouble for you. Trust me." He says, a small chuckle at the end. I roll my eyes and bite onto the popsicle.

 

"Is there somewhere you have to go?" He asks.

 

"No. But I'd like to go somewhere besides staying here." He smirks and stands himself up straight. When was he hunched?

 

"Alright. Let's go somewhere that's not here." He says, grabbing my wrists and pulling me towards the halls. He drags me two the quad area and everyone is looking at us. Oh great, teased bullied girl being dragged by the wrist by smirking, cute, semi-popular guy.

 

We reach a table and physics class guy is sitting there.

 

"MinKyu! Hi!" TaeHyung says.

 

 

I can see MinKyu about to greet TaeHyung in a way they probably always greet each other. His face started to smile, until he saw me. No, correction. Until he saw TaeHyung holding onto me.

 

"What is she doing here?" He asks.

 

"She told me that you could just ask the teacher to give you partial credit." TaeHyung says. My eyes grow wide and I look at TaeHyung, forgetting that I have a popsicle in my mouth.

 

MinKyu scoffs and turns his eyes towards me. I take another bite out of my popsicle and remove my wrists from TaeHyung's grip. I look at him.

 

"Bye." I say sternly and walk away. I don't know what's the deal with him. Just because he's "semi-popular" doesn't mean he can do whatever he wants to me thinking I'm okay with it. I'm not. I don't like people touching me. Especially with this outfit.

 

I bump into JiHye and ChaeMin as I walk back into the halls.

 

"You didn't buy us popsicles?" ChaeMin says. I laughed.

 

"But you do look really pretty in that outfit JaeEun." JiHye says. I blush. I never had someone say that to me before. I don't know if I want to get used to it. I don't want to try.

 

"Why don't you wear stuff like this more often?" She continues. I shrug at her.

 

Honestly, I can't wear stuff like that. Luckily my dad went to work early today. He didn't have to see JiHye and ChaeMin doing my hair and make-up. He didn't have to see my outfit. I have my back-up clothes in my bag so I can change into them before I go home. My dad usually comes back around that time. Later if I'm lucky. (Later usually means he bought beer)

 

 

 

I walk out the bathroom after school ends and I'm dressed back into my regular skinny jeans and over-sized hoodie. Mom bought the wrong size. ChaeMin waited near the door.

 

"You sure you can't come over?" She asks. I shook my head.

 

"No. I'm not risking it with my dad." I reply. She sighs.

 

"Why don't you tell the police about this? They can do something about it. They can help you and your mom. Why won't you tell them?"

 

I look at her and I can tell that she's actually very worried. It kind of makes me happy. Happy because somebody actually truly cares.

 

"It's not that easy. If I call the cops everything can change. It will get worse. I probably won't end up living with my mom. I'd probably be taken away from my mom. She's too weak to even take care of me, or even defend me against him. I would run away, but he'd find me. I don't how, but he will somehow. I'm not risking the cops taking me away from here. I'm not risking putting my life in more hell. Anyways in a year I'll be in college. I'll try surviving a year with him." I tell her. My eyes tear up but I'm not going to cry now.

 

She sighs. She looks around and then comes closer to me.

 

"He can't keep beating you like that and not be punished for it. Your mom doesn't deserve it. Especially you don't deserve it. It's hard being here knowing you could be abused at home, and I'm doing nothing." She tells me.

 

I look at her and shake my head.

 

"It's not your fault or anything. I'm fine. It's been going on for a long time anyways, so I'm used to it. I'll just wait until I go to college. I'll be free finally." I assure her.

 

"You shouldn't be used to stuff like this!" She shouts. She stops for a moment and lets out a huge amount of air.

 

"Call me, if anything." She tells me. I nod and she gives me a big hug before I walk home.

 

 

 

He's not here. I mean, my father isn't abusive everyday. It's like everyone thinks that an abusive dad or mom hits their loved ones every second of the day. I mean, maybe for some families it's like that. I feel bad for those. My father is like that whenever he's drunk. Sadly, that's not rarely. But it's not everyday.

 

I quickly run to my room and into my bathroom. I stare at my face in the mirror and quickly turn on the sink. I wash my face, trying to clean the make-up. It's off quickly. I grab a brush and comb my hair, trying to get rid of the curls. Bad idea. My hair looks crimped now.

 

I quickly change into my pajamas and run downstairs to grab something to eat quickly, before he gets home.

 

Too late. He opens the door when I step foot into the kitchen. I quietly open the fridge and grab one cup of Jell-o. I turn around to see him standing in the kitchen. He's drunk. I can smell it. Of course, he'd drive home drunk.

 

I got scared seeing him there out of nowhere. I just flashed a smile at him and started speed-walking out the kitchen. As I was doing so, I tripped on the coffee table and broke the vase. That's it. I'm screwed.

 

I hear him groan and his footsteps get closer to mine. I hear the door close upstairs. Mom knows. She's hiding again. Not surprised.

 

"I swear you can't do anything good in this house!" I hear him yell. "You want to explain your first quarter grades to me first or the broken vase?"

 

. The grades got sent already? I mean my grades aren't bad. I have an A. And the rest being 95% C's and the rest B's.

 

"Dad, I already spoke to my teachers about bringing it up. It will be brought up!" I say with fear. I think he could tell. I turn around and I see him standing right behind me.

 

"Get up." He says. I'm too afraid. I stay.

 

"I said get up." Again, I stayed. He mumbled something to himself and grabbed me by the hair. He pulled me up and made me face him. He slapped me hard on my right cheek and kept yelling at me to not be a failure in this family. I argued saying I'm trying, but that just made him slap me hard again. I fell to the floor.

 

I try to stand myself up but he grabs me by the hair again. This time, dragging me to the front of the door. He mumbles something to himself again. I can hear my mom finally running down the stairs after she heard the front door open.

 

"Honey! Stop!" She yells. Too late. He yanks my head back and kicks me hard out the door. He yelled at me, telling me to come back tonight. He said he hopes I have my keys on me. I tripped down the stairs and fell knee first to the floor. The door shuts and I'm out here in the heat. My knees are bruised and bleeding. My face is probably swollen. My hair, totally messed up. I'm crying. I'm in pain. I can't stand myself up. All I know is, I'm not going home tonight.