SHOOT YOUR SHOT ;; TAEKOOK

19

Taehyung's mother had been angry with him for two years. You see, the summer just before he had turned sixteen, he had moved to Georgia for Jooan's 'year'.

Upon starting school that fall, Taehyung had met a lovely boy by the name of Park Jimin. And he soon became his first real friend.

Jimin was new in town. His father was the newly appointed minister at the church and he was quiet, reserved and very sweet.

Jimin didn't know anybody and like Taehyung; he had found himself utterly lost in the 'High School game'.

It had always been awkward for him each starting back to school each year. People would vaguely remember him, but because he had only ever been around for alternate years, he had never settled very well.

Every year had been like starting afresh all over again.

Taehyung had always been the new boy and it had been painful – and lonely. But he had found a best friend in Jimin.

So when summer had rolled around the following year he had been determined to stay in the city. With only two years left of High School; the move back to his hometown would have simply been too disruptive to his studies.

And Taehyung had admittedly found the idea of leaving his new friend just abhorrent. He couldn't have done it. He had finally found a little piece of 'settled' pie – and he had liked it.

Daisy, his dearest mother, however, did not take the news well.

Jooan, whilst not very happy with having Taehyung for three consecutive years, had been evidently over the moon at not having to pay his mother any more child support. Ever.

And that is what it had come down to. Money.

Taehyung's mother had, for want of a better phrase, completely 'lost' it.

She'd told him that he was breaking a longstanding agreement between Jooan and her, an agreement that had been put in place to act 'fairly and in your best interests, Taehyung.'

Apparently, he had been acting 'selfishly'.

Realistically, he had known that his staying with his father meant that his mother would've had to reconsider her monthly purchase of expensive monkey-ass shampoo.

Karma's a B.I.T.C.H huh?

She had refused to speak to him ever since. He had 'betrayed' the bonds that formed their mother-child relationship. He knew that to be total bull.

'They' didn't have a relationship. She had always had her monthly cheque, and he had always had his books. Good old escapism.

So Taehyung stayed.

And whilst living with Jooan was not ideal, for the most part he had left Taehyung well alone and he became very well versed in the art of blending into the wallpaper when he was at home and not ignoring him.

Daisy never called him and he never called her.

Jooan had acted as a buffer between the two of them when he had asked about college tuition.

That had been the one and only time he had actively 'conversed' with her these last two years, though it had been through his father.

And now here Taehyung was, clammy skinned and shaking with her on the other end of the telephone. And she sounded so happy to hear from him.

"Well?" She snapped. "Are you suddenly mute? I have a facemask on Taehyung, make it quick!"

Some sinister part of him hoped to God that when it came to removing said facemask, it stuck and refused to be peeled off. Forever green she would be.