I rubbed the stiff part of my neck from sleeping in odd positions in class as I walked out of the school gates. Today was an extremely long day with teachers who were way too exhausted and children who were hanging on a thread. It was already difficult to focus in class because of the senior teachers who spoke in dull tones but it became torture when many teachers were forcing their eyes open and they were yawning all period long.
I stopped walking when I heard a familiar voice call out to me and looked around to see a waving Charlotte. I waved back and nodded when she gestured that I should wait for her. Charlotte was one of my favourites in Christine's group. She was a wildfire who enjoyed her rock music, her electric guitar that she loved carrying around, and her odd clothing that she deemed as fashionable. I've never heard her play but those who went to the shows that she performed in the small bars in this part of town told me that she was a 'Guitar God'. She only spoke when there's a conversation about music and nothing else, which made me love her more than anybody in the group. She even rivaled Christine herself.
"You live in Meadow Row?" She asked breathlessly after she caught up with me. I nodded and watched as she slid her fingers through the small Bob that she just cut. I was still getting used to her sense of style that changed more than the months of the year. She changed her usual black pixie cut to a Bob to feel more feminine and to get her mother ,who despised her sense of style, happy. "Great, I live there as well." She stuffed her hands into her jeans and walked beside me for a while, looking around the area that was suddenly as quiet as a mouse.
I took solace in the sound of our shoes slapping against the sidewalk, the distant hum of the engine from the few cars that were passing by and the barks of dogs when we passed certain households. "I see that you're tailing behind Myeol these past few days." I blushed at the observation. I knew that everyone knew my sudden attraction towards Myeol but it still made me shy when people pointed it out. "Do you like him?"
"No, I just want to be his friend." It was way too early to even come to that conclusion. It was already a difficult task to have him to converse with me like any teenager to their peers. He was a brick wall that didn't like any interference and only after I have gotten through to him can this question be asked. You can only achieve one thing at a time and I was in no rush.
"Myeol isn't someone that's opened to any kind of relationship. I don't know why but he was always like this even before all of the rumours about him circulated around school but I wish you luck anyway." She said as she pulled her top sleeve that was rugged from all of the 'altering' she done in the weekend.
"What rumours circulated around school?"
"That he has some anger issues that has ended alot of people in the hospital. I never listen to rumours so I don't know the details as to the many fights he had, but it's because of that that most people stay away from him."
~~~~~~~
I was seated by the small dining table with both of my parents and uncle. My parents promised my uncle that they would show him a good time after they set up everything in the home. They kept to their promise after everything and took him to the different places that we mostly enjoyed like the ice-skating rink and other places. After his eventful day, he hadn't wanted to return home and immediately booked a hotel room so that he could enjoy the town for a much longer time. Since my mother was a very hospitable women, she offered to make him dinner on a daily to reduce money wastage and he agreed, which explains our predicament.
My mouth watered when my mother brought the many serving bowls filled with delicious food that she spent all day cooking. I couldn't wait to eat, the polony sandwich today hadn't filled me up like it was supposed to and my stomach has been aching from hunger. "Let's pray," my mother said as she looked at my father expectedly to pray over the food. After my father said a quick prayer, we began to indulge in the tasty food.
As I looked around the table for a person who was more calm to relate the news about my assignment. Both of my parents were very strict and wanted their way at every possibility which has been the cause of most of their fights. "Mother," I called out as I rubbed my hands against my tighs. "I need to go to a classmate's house for my assignment," She nodded her head and continued eating whilst my father gave me weary looks.
"Who's this classmate so that I can speak to their parent about your visit?" My mother said as she drank water from her glass.
"Myeol Mang." I looked at the large frown on both my father and uncle. It was never a good sign when they were both feeling the same emotions because they were twice as loud together. I hoped my mother just continued with another conversation so that I don't have to tell them it was a boy.
"Myeol?" My uncle repeated as he pkayed around with his glass. "Is that a boy's name or what?"
"It's a boy, malume." (Uncle) The atmosphere around the room changed and I could already taste the 'no' that would come out of my father's mouth in any second. "Daddy, you must know that my teacher assigned him to be my partner so I don't have a choice and I'm only going to his house once to get everything done."
"That's what I told mama when I met my girlfriend. She told me about her pregnancy 2 weeks later." I turned towards my uncle with a glare at his statement. He knew my father was apprehensive about this and he adds salt to the wound so that my father could stop this at any moment. I didn't want my father to pull up at school and order my teacher to change my partner like he has done many times at other schools I've been to.
My father wanted to speak up but chose to keep quiet when my mother gave him a glare. "Don't worry, baby. I'll even drop you off."
"You don't need to. He lives close by so I can just walk to his house."
