*I guess left will be okay ... even if it's not my lucky side*

You nervously jogged down the left path.

It was almost amusing to watch as the scenery changed around you - a dirty clump of trees changed to something like a clean simple garden. You could hear the birds and the sky began to lighten as the trees thinned. Your hopes rose along with the brightness now. 

CRUNCH

"Eep!" you squeaked, about to spin around and kick whatever was behind you ... stopping just in time to see your best friend Lee Taemin peering at you curiously with a net in one hand and a cage in the other. He had on the tattered school hat and he was out of uniform. 'I never bother getting into uniform - we never get in trouble for it anyway. Only way to go is up and we can't really go down so they can't do anything but kick us out ... something they'll never do 'cos they're low on students' he once told me. 

"Hello there fellow one-star" he greeted with a smile. You couldn't help but grin back, not even when he called you a one-star ... probably 'cos he was one too. Anyway - it was hard to feel negative about being a one-star student with Taemin around. He made a one-star look like a five-star - if that rank was ever possible. 

"Taemin-ah" you in a breath of relief. "What are you doing here?"

"Fishin' for butterflies" he answered, holding up his net and cage. "What about you?"

*Fishin' for butterflies?* you chuckled inside your mind. "I'm here to have lunch with a friend" at that, you bit your lip. Was it ok to call Myungsoo your friend? Already? Was it too soon? 

"Oh really? Who's the friend? Everyone's back inside" Taemin raised an eyebrow. By everyone - he meant everyone who was a one-star, eating lunch in the old staffroom which had been turned into their 'personal' room. It was a small group of 40 kids, so small that everyone knew each other and were automatically 'best friends'. Time spent in the old staffroom was special time for them. Even if one was missing, they would notice, one way or the other. You suddenly realized this fact. *Dang! I must've made the others worry! And Mittan! What happens if she ...* your forehead wrinkled in worry as you thought of the small child that would most likely be dramatically upset without her 'mother'. 

"Crud - I forgot" you panicked, quickly looking Taemin over. "C-could you please tell the others that I'm having lunch somewhere else JUST for today? And tell Mittan not to worry as well"

"Hmm ... I guess so ... it's not that far away from the staffroom ..." he mumbled, turning around and walking back in the way he came from. You blew out a quick breath and continued. 

*Maybe if I hurry - I can get back on time*

That thought quickly vanished as he came to your sight, his rare smile waving at you. *Maybe ... it can wait*

"~~~-ah" he calmly pronounced your name. 

"Yup ... I'm here" you cheerfully bobbed. 

"So you came for lunch ... but ... you didn't bring any lunch" he eyed your empty hands. 

"AHCK! NO LUNCH?" you wailed, the thought striking you. *URGH! HOW COULD'VE I FORGOTTEN TO BRING LUNCH FOR LUNCH?*

"It's ok, you can have my lunch - I'm not really that hungry" a new sweet voice chirped. A nice packed lunch was dropped into my hands as a girl emerged to tap me on the shoulder.

"I'm Park Sandara. You can call me Dara or Sandra - I don't mind" she smiled a cheerful smile that made you feel confident. And confidence was good. 

"Hehe ... thank you" 

"Dara-ah. Eat. You'll get too skinny" Myungsoo sternly ordered.

"What? I thought you liked skinny people?" she teased, sitting down next to your feet, making realize you should do the same. Just before you sat down, you gave your stomach a quick glance and shrugged. You weren't THAT fat were you?

"Eat - eat" Sandra prompted you, opening the lid. Your empty stomach growled in delight. 

Inside was a small square with sweet rice and four different compartments. There was rich beef, specially prepared with a nice gravy, a side serving of salad and vegetables and some chilli sauce. Your mouth watered at the sight. All one-stars ever got was a small bowl of rice, one piece of chicken and a spoonful of leafy vegetable that they all hated. This was a luxury meal for you ...

"~~~-ah!" Taemin's voice rang out. 

Soon he was thudding over to the three of you, glancing in confusion at the setting and the people but then quickly snapping out of it. 

"Mittan - she's crying! She won't stop! A few three-stars said that if she didn't quieten down, they'd send her in to 'cold storage'" at the word 'cold storage' your stomach didn't feel so empty anymore. You've been to 'cold storage' a couple of times and it wasn't a good experience. You were locked inside for two hours in the dark with no heater or AC, no food or water and you were to sit there for the whole time. A small space, too small for even a six year old to sit down in and thin to actually open out your arms just a little. Sometimes if the three-stars were terrible enough, they'd forget to let you out and you'd have to stand there for a whole night until the janitor came by you and let you out because only one-stars ever got the treatment and one-stars were basically his friends. 'I used to be a one-star too - and it never really got to me, so don't worry' he would tell them every time he snapped the lock on the door into half. What we didn't get was why he couldn't send in complaints. 'Just can't. So try not to get there too often or the higher ups will start complaining about losing their locks and money'.

You hesitated, staring at the lunch and Myungsoo. 

...

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Go calm Mittan down? 

Stay ... this is as close to 'paradise' as you can get! ( under construction )