Paperthin Hymn

Chapter Eight

CHAPTER EIGHT

"Okay, everyone," Mr. Jung said, stacking the papers scattered across his desk. "Don't forget your summer reading. Have a safe vacation." 

     A small cheer erupted from the class as everyone started stuffing their things into their backpacks, eager to be off school grounds. 

     Finally. This was going to be a great summer, I knew it. My plans consisted of sleeping till noon, reading, taking a nap, eating, taking another nap, playing video games until my eyes bled, then repeat. 

     "Hyung," Taeyang said, coming up from behind me. "Bad news." 

     I struggled to fit my pencil case in my backpack. "What?" With a grunt I pushed at it harder. 

     "I can't make it today."

     I looked up at that. "What?" 

     "Mianhae. Appa asked me to watch the store today." 

     "Don't you have four brothers? Why can't one of them do it? We...we were supposed to play World of Warcraft, remember? " Oh, God, please. Please. 

      "Yeah, they could, but they won't." He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's hard being the good son." He glanced down at is watch, looking disgusted. "I gotta hurry. Appa needs me there by three thirty. See ya, Seung-hyun." With that he sped out of the room. 

     My eyes dropped to the black and white tile floor. Crap. 

     Anxiety dropped like a cold stone in the pit of my stomach. Now that Taeyang wasn't walking home with me... 

     I knew he was watching me. I could feel his eyes on my back, just as if they were hands. He had been glaring at me all day. Ready for revenge. 

     Shakily I got my things and headed out of the classroom. I cautiously glanced behind me as I walked down the hall. He was following me, his eyes, though empty, intense. I my heart sped up, along with my breathing. Maybe I could out run him. If I had a head start. And dropped my backpack in a bush to lighten me. And had rockets on my shoes. Who was I kidding? I couldn't run worth a flip. I was dead meat. 

     Still, I tried. I hurried out of the school, praying with all my might that I would lose him as I pushed through the crowd of my clueless peers, wishing I could be any one of them. Even the fat kid with acne. 

     Once off school property I didn't dare look back. I just ran. I was so scared. All the adrenaline pumping through me was making me dizzy. I almost tripped over every crack in the pavement, every pebble made me stumble.  My sneakers pounded against the pavement, but they weren't the only ones. He was getting closer and closer. I could barely hear his panting past the pounding of my heart. I tried to move faster. His fingers brushed against my back. He grunted in frustration. 

     I managed to keep ahead of him for four blocks, all buildings we passed a blur. Then, with a low growl, he lunged forward and grabbed my shoulder, jerking me backwards and hurling me to the concrete. 

     Hardcover books and everything else in my backpack rammed into me as I landed on them, but I barely noticed. 

    Jiyong yanked me up by a first full of my T-shirt, the fabric protesting with a ripping noise. He started dragging me into an alley between a dingy house and an even dingier convenience store. 

     No freaking way. If he got me in there, I would never come out alive. 

     I flailed helplessly, kicking as hard as I could at his shins and clawing at his arms. He didn't even look down at me. He simply blew his blond hair out of his face and looked as if nothing was happening.