It's been one full week since my mom made me live with ChaeMin. It's weird, living this long without fear. I go home and I'm welcomed by her loving mother and father. They argue at times but it's those normal arguments I see on comedy TV shows.

 

JiHye came over a few times. She asked why I was staying there and ChaeMin and I told her the same thing.

 

 

She thinks they're headed for a divorce. Well, if that was what Mom wanted, she should know that she's not going to get it that easy. Maybe that's why I've been here for at least a week already.

 

For this past week, TaeHyung has been extra kind to me. I don't know if I made the wise choice to trust him with everything. He acts so nice to me and he really makes me feel like he cares, other than ChaeMin. I would say JiHye cares but she doesn't know what's going on.

 

I don't see TaeHyung as much at school, but when it's lunch time, he tends to walk past me a lot. Sometimes I feel like he looks for me on purpose to just flash me a smile. I'm not complaining. It makes me feel better if I'm down.

 

His friends and my Physics class still bully me. Today MinKyu dropped my books during passing period and laughed while walking away. I thought these types of bullying are in movie-scenes only. Maybe that's where he learned how to bully.

 

Sometimes I feel like if my dad follows me when he finishes work. I feel like my mom told him exactly where I'm staying and probably lied to him that it's for something important like school. Maybe he'll come over to check on me to see if she's lying. Maybe that's why he follows me...if he follows me.

 

I wonder how my mom's doing. I would call her but I'm afraid that my dad would ask her who she's talking to, and I'm afraid to go back to that house until my mom gives me the okay.

 

"Your birthday is in about 3 days." ChaeMin says, walking into the room. I turn myself around on her bed to face her. Wow, I totally forgot. I'm turning 18 in three days.

 

"What do you want to do?" She asks. I shrug my shoulders. I never really get to do anything for my birthday. It's usually I wake up in the morning, I eat the huge brunch my mom prepared for me, and both my dad and mom give me more presents than the average only child gets. My birthdays are usually when our family is normal. This where I feel like I can't stay mad at my dad. He does show at times that he really does care, but then most of the times he just acts like he doesn't.

 

"Do you like shopping?" She asks, and then gasps really loud after.

 

"We can go shopping and I'll buy you new clothes!" She says very excited. I chuckle at how happy she got about it.

 

"I'm serious! You looked really good with the clothes JiHye picked out. And since you're living with me for now, let's buy you new and stylish clothes!" She continues.

 

"My clothes are stylish." I tell her. She glares at me.

 

"JaeEun. Really? Sweaters and the same jeans almost everyday?" She goes. We both end up laughing.

 

"Alright. Fine. Take me shopping." I give in. How bad can shopping be? How bad can looking good and trying for a few days or weeks be?

 

"Yay!" She squeals. "Maybe TaeHyung will like you then."

 

She laughs and I glare at her.

 

"What? TaeHyung and you are friends right? Do you think he likes you?" She asks. I shake my head and throw a pillow at her.

 

"It's only been two weeks since we met. And I barely let him talk to me like last week." I tell her.

 

"Still. He could develop some type of feeling. Or, like in the movies, he liked you when he first laid his eyes on you."

 

I threw another pillow at her and she doesn't dodge it this time. She snarls and grabs it, throwing it back at me. I laugh. She starts to frown.

 

"Hm?" I ask. She shakes her head.

 

"Sometimes I wonder if you're okay even if you live with me. Are you okay?" She asks. I nod my head.

 

"Yeah. I'm better than I ever was. I mean I miss my family and home, but my body is fine and my mind feels at ease when I'm here. Not in school. school."

 

She laughs and then nods in relief.

 

"But at the mall, I'm buying you everything. You're not paying for anything. And, if you look good in an outfit, I'm getting it for you. Okay?" She goes. I roll my eyes and nod my head.

 

Is this what you do when you have a normal life? A life with no worries? A life where you can buy whatever you want, without having a parent tell you that you're wearing it just for the attention from guys. A life where your parents don't say no every time you want to get something for yourself. A life where your parents allow you to hang out with your friends and call them when you're going back home. If that's a normal life, then I really want to get use to that. Too bad this isn't my family, although they really treat me like one.

 

"You'll be the hot topic of the school." She says.

 

"I'm already the hot topic of the school."

 

"JaeEun! Don't ruin the mood! You know what I mean! You have the body and the hair and the face for it! Your face without make-up is amazing! I'm jealous of you. But what I really don't like is that you don't use it to your advantage. I bet if you wore more skirts or dresses to school, everyone would want to be your friend." She goes. She's still talking going on about how I would be popular and people would both love me and hate me for being naturally beautiful. I wonder if she's saying that if my outfit style would be naturally beautiful or if my face would.

 

"And then I'd turn into one of those friends who'd annoy everybody in the school because I'd keep bragging on how I'm friends with the hottest chick in school and they aren't." I laugh at her and she laughs with me. She's so dumb.

 

"Maybe that physics guy would have the hots for you." She goes. I scoff.

 

"MinKyu?"

 

"Yeah. I mean I feel like you'd be hot to everyone. Not just, some think you're good-looking and some think you're okay. Like everyone would agree going damn she's hot." I laugh again. She really knows how to make me laugh, even if those weren't her intentions.

 

"What makes me pretty? I just have up-to-s length hair and I'm skinny. Like a size 1 in jeans and a small with tops. That's a stereotyped beauty." I tell her. She groans.

 

"Just accept my compliment. I never said I was jealous of your weight. I'm jealous of your face." She goes. I chuckle.

 

 

 

The first store we walked into was the store JiHye bought my first good-looking outfit. I waited, leaning against the wall, near the fitting room, waiting for ChaeMin and JiHye to bring outfits they think would like "hot" on me.

 

JiHye came over to ChaeMin's house this morning without us knowing. Let's just say both ChaeMin and I almost fell off the bed when JiHye ran in going, "Happy birthday JaeEun! I love you!" popping those confetti poppers.

 

They both came back. Their hands were full of clothes. It looks like if they were working here and they were carrying that many to put on tables or hang on racks. They both handed their clothes pile to me. They chuckle and quickly push me into a fitting room, closing the door.

 

The first outfit was a light shaded blue jean that literally stopped at my waist area. I feel like it was meant to show off your hip bones if yours showed. The shirt was a loose, white, no-sleeve tee. In my opinion, it didn't really look all that great. It looked normal to me. I caught a beige blazer sitting on the pile. I picked it up and put it on, looking in the mirror. I chuckle to myself. I didn't think I'd have fun putting an outfit together. The blazer was cute as well. The buttons were big and black and the collar of it hung low. It looked business, but casual at the same time.

 

I walked out and they both jerked up from the bench and ran straight to me.

 

"Oh my gosh. This outfit is so cute!" They both squealed. They kept telling me that I should totally get it. I chuckle and went back in to try all one billion of the outfits they gave me.

 

 

 

We ended up buying only 4 outfits from that store. Two from ChaeMin and two from JiHye. The first outfit I definitely told them to buy. In total, ChaeMin bought me 3 outfits and one pair of black platform sandals. JiHye bought me 4 outfits, a black infinity scarf, and a maroon beanie. They really had fun shopping for clothes for me.

 

It's the day after my birthday, Sunday. They wanted me to go out with them, using one of the new outfits they bought for me. I agreed. Going out with them was really fun. Correction. Going out with them without the fear of my father was really fun.

 

We were at an ice cream shop waiting in line to order. I've never been to an ice cream shop so I told ChaeMin to order for me whatever she thinks I'd like. I saved a seat for them two while they waited in line. I saw them secretly take a photo of me and chuckling. I'm wearing the outfit with the big button blazer.

 

They finally got to the front of the line and started to order. I look around the shop, seeing the cute designs of it. I laugh at some of the names of the ice creams that they put on the wall. There was one called "You Pea-Nut Believe This". I chuckle. The names are both weird and clever.

 

I looked over to turn my head at ChaeMin and JiHye when I heard someone call my name.

 

"JaeEun?" I hear. I turn my head towards its direction.

 

"Wow. It is you JaeEun." TaeHyung says. He had a little girl, maybe around 6, holding his hand. If that's his little sister, she looks really cute.

 

I kind of smile, still not used to our friendship, and he walks over to me.

 

"Is this your sister?" I ask. He chuckles and picks her up.

 

"Yeah. Her name is SooHyung." He says. SooHyung smiles and waves at me.

 

"Hi SooHyung!" I say, chuckling at how cute she is.

 

"You here alone?" He asks. I shake my head.

 

"ChaeMin and JiHye are ordering right now. I'm just saving them a seat." I answer. He nods his head, but stays staring at me.

 

"You're doing it again." He says. I raise an eyebrow and he points at my outfit.

 

"This isn't your style." He says. I scoff.

 

"What are you talking about? I really actually like this outfit. I picked out this blazer." I tell him.

 

"Since when did you start liking nice things?" He laughs. I glare at him.

 

"Yesterday was my birthday. ChaeMin and JiHye bought me outfits. I told them which ones I liked and they got me it.

 

He stares at my outfit from neck to feet.

 

"So this is your style?" He asks. I nod and he chuckles.

 

"It's funny how a girl who wears sweaters and regular denim jeans everyday, could have a very fashionable style such as a nice blazer and platform sandals." He says. "And happy late birthday." I smile a little.

 

"My dad never let me wear stuff like this. He never really bought what I wanted when it came to clothes. He would lecture me with who are you trying to impress? You have no job. And even if you had a job, cute clothes won't do. Go business." I tell him.

 

"You're still with your friend?" He asks.

 

"Yeah. I haven't had contact with my family for about a week now."

 

"I'm sorry."

 

"No. It's okay. I feel way better. My birthday was actually fun this year and I haven't felt fear since I got out the house. It's a really amazing feeling. I mean, I miss my house but, I'm great." I tell him. He nods his head.

 

"You want to sit with us?" JiHye asks as her and ChaeMin walk over to the table with the ice cream cups.

 

"Is that your sister? Aw, she's cute! I can take her to get ice cream if she wants!" ChaeMin says.

 

"We can take her. You can wait here with JaeEun. I mean lets have a girl time with your sister, if she is your sister." JiHye says, acting very excited. TaeHyung chuckles and looks at his sister. She seemed very excited about hanging out with both of them as well. She jumps out of TaeHyung's arms and grabs ChaeMin's hand. They walk to the line.

 

TaeHyung takes the seat next to me and I grab the cup ChaeMin got for me. It was pure cookies 'n cream.

 

"Give me some." TaeHyung goes. I look over at him and he flashes me a really big smile. I never realized how nice his smile was. It's different, very rectangular. His teeth are nice as well. His eyes disappear when he smiles, but I find it adorable. I roll my eyes and hand him my cup. He rolls his eyes and takes the spoon from my hand, eating only one small scoop from my cup.

 

"Next time feed me." He says, giving the cup back.

 

"What?"

 

He looks over at me and chuckles.

 

"What? You can't feed me ice cream?" He says. I stay quiet and he chuckles again.

 

"Are you an awkward shy person?" He asks. I shrug.

 

"I mean I don't know. I can't really talk to anyone even if I wanted. Everyone hates me." I say. He looks at me and then looks forward, crossing his arms and slouches slightly on his chair.

 

"Well, I don't hate you. I like you." He says. I look at him. He looks at me, and he smiles.