The Backstabber Comeback

past - wooshik

Wooshik is 14, and his life is nothing like it was when he was 13.

He's not playing soccer anymore. The only time he sees Taehyung is in class. He's barely home, and when he is, he gets no more than a smile from his parents. Sometimes pocket money. His brother is bigger and louder, and Wooshik stays away from the diapers.

He hangs out with the cool kids – those that are graduating school this year. He joins them on 'parties', where they drink and smoke. He does, too. His parents don't say anything when he comes home late, reeking of beer, vodka, and cigarettes, but he wouldn't be surprised if they just didn't notice.

At school, Wooshik is always with the cool kids. He is talked about. He still says all the right things to be the most popular. He started dressing up - famous among the cool kids street style. Not really his style, but it doesn't matter. He's fun at parties, has the funniest and most riveting stories. He's 14, but apparently he's handsome enough to get his first hand job from one of the girls at a party. Which makes him, as someone said, the coolest motherfucker in the room, which he doesn't understand, but he doesn't have to.

He's waiting for the class to start, liking all the pictures on Instagram from last night's party, when someone slams a phone onto his desk. Wooshik, eyes wide, looks up to see Taehyung. He's still cute. But cute doesn't always go together with cool, and Wooshik can't afford the disruption.

Now Taehyung is pissed and there is nothing cute about that.

"What?" Wooshik asks.

Taehyung points at his own phone. Wooshik looks at the screen. His stomach twists when he reads the last text message he sent.

Yesterday at 5 pm. I'll be there at 7. Have a new trick ready.

At 6, he got invited to the party.

At 7, he was at the party.

"I waited until 10," Taehyung says. "Ten fucking in the evening. Where have you been?"

"Sorry," Wooshik says. "The party came up. I couldn't say no."

"You could have texted."

Wooshik doesn't answer. He got flooded by all the party preparations – get dressed, get alcohol, convince the girls to come - and he forgot to text Taehyung.

Taehyung scrolls higher and shoves the phone into Wooshik's face. And again, and again, and again. Wooshik doesn't have to look at the screen to know Taehyung's showing him the same kind of messages from the past month.

"You don't even cancel on me anymore. You just don't fucking show up."

"I can't be at your every phone call."

"Yeah, Mr. Popular, I figured," Taehyung grumbles, shoving his way to his desk.

"What's your problem, Taehyung?"

"My problem is that you act like God knows who now that you have cooler friends than me."

"I don't have cooler friends than you."

Taehyung huffs, sparing him half a glance. "Who are you trying to convince?"

People are looking at them arguing. About Wooshik ditching Taehyung for cooler friends. That's not gonna do his reputation any good.

So he stays quiet for the rest of the day.

• • •

A week later, Wooshik is at another party with the same squad. He knows they won't be friends anymore when they go to high school, but it's fine. He'll maintain the status. He'll build a new bunch of cool friends. Everything is ready - people only a year older, but that's fine, too.