two red cards | F4 Thailand : MJ

16. playing with fire

"my love is on fire"

Since we didn't have school tomorrow, we had stayed at the small little beach for awhile, long into the night. I was leaning against MJ's chest, I traced my finger in the sand and made random shapes. He was playing with my hair when his phone went off, he picked it up off the sand and answered it.

"What is it?" He sounded annoyed by the sudden call, not that he had to answer it.

As MJ continued the conversation with whoever it was, I decided to zone out. I didn't think that I should be listening in on the conversation. But I also did not need to listen to know that whatever was being said on the other line, was not sitting well with him. His body was tense beneath mine. Because of that, part of me did want to know what they were talking about. But it really wasn't any of my business.

After a few minutes he had put his phone down and fell down onto the sand. He looked like he had just run a marathon. Had the phone call been that taxing on him that he was now exhausted? Next, my old phone had pinged and by the text tone, I knew who it was. I hesitated looking at the message that was sent because I knew it wouldn't be anything good. Slowly, I brought the screen to life and clicked on my messages.

Mom : Where are you?! Why are you not home, you know the rules.

I sighed and texted back before putting my phone back down. Without saying anything, I got to my feet and looked around for my backpack. MJ sat up with a confused expression.

"What's wrong?" He got to his feet and grabbed my hand.

I bit the inside of my cheek, "I need to go home."

MJ nodded and led me away from the beach. I didn't want him to drive me home, I don't think that I could handle him seeing the conditions that I lived in. Since he had all this money, I feel like he would be judgmental of that and leave. But I also don't think that he would let me walk home in the dark, alone. I could just have him stop a few blocks ahead where the nicer of the small homes were.

We arrived at his motorcycle and once again, he placed the helmet over my head and connected the straps. I climbed on after him and circled my arms around his waist, interlocking my fingers together. He turned the engine on after I told him the neighborhood, not wanting to specify the house. MJ didn't question it and took off.

I lifted my head from where it rested on his back when we came to a stop. Looking around, my eyes widened when I saw we were directly in front of my house. How did he know the exact place of where I live? Did F4 have access to the students private files? I took the helmet off and held it in my hands while I climbed off of the motorcycle.

"How'd you know my house number?"

MJ pulled out my dried-syrup covered backpack and sat it by his feet.

"I have my ways."

Well, that was cryptic. I sat the helmet in place of where I was sitting and looked away awkwardly. At least he had yet to comment on my living situation. That was what I was expecting him to say. But when the next words had left his mouth, I felt like a deer in headlights. Did he really just ask me to come to Thyme's birthday party?

I shook my head at his insane question. There was absolutely no way that I was going to that party. Thyme's birthday nonetheless. For starters, Thyme definitely wouldn't want her to be there and she didn't want to be around him, or the rest of the Parama group. If her birth mother didn't want to keep her in the family—there was no chance that she would want her at her precious son's birthday.

"Come with me."

My fingers clutched onto the straps of my backpack that I had picked up from his feet a moment earlier.

"I can't...It's too much." 

Which was true, a considerable amount of it was too much. Thyme's birthday, my biological mother, sister, and I wouldn't have anything to wear anyway. He pulled in by my waist, almost at eye level from his sitting position. I had almost dropped my bag from the action, worried that my parents would see. Who knows what they would do if they saw us, seeing his hands on my waist especially. They might be neglectful but they were strict in other ways.

"You'll be with me though."

I swallowed, almost regretting the next words out of my mouth.

"Okay."