You Draw Me In ➳ Myung Jaehyun

22: Snaps & Secrets

As I sit on my bed, looking at the polaroid of several months ago when I was slim, my mind churns with devious thoughts. I'm so lost in plotting my next move that I barely register the sound of my bedroom door swinging open until it's too late.

Quickly, I shove the polaroids under my pillow, hoping against hope that Karina hasn't seen them as she breezes into the room with her forced cheerfulness.

"Hey, Lizzie!" she chirps, a saccharine smile plastered across her face. "I just wanted to talk to you about something."

I eye her warily, still feeling the sting of embarrassment caused by her and Yeonjun's little stunt. "What do you want, Karina?" I ask, my tone guarded.

Her smile falters for a fraction of a second before she launches into her spiel, her words coming out in a rush as if she's afraid I'll cut her off before she can finish. "I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry about what happened with the whole photo thing," she begins, her voice glazed with false sincerity. "It was all Yeonjun's idea, and I never meant for things to go that far."

I raise an eyebrow, skeptical of her sudden change of heart. "And what exactly do you want from me?" I ask, my voice tinged with suspicion.

Karina's smile wavers, but she quickly recovers, her eyes pleading. "I just want us to be cool, Lizzie," she says, her voice dripping with honeyed sweetness. "I miss hanging out with you, and I hate seeing you so upset."

I know Karina better than to believe that her apology is real. And then I remember the hurt and humiliation I felt when I saw that photo, and I shake my head, pushing aside any thoughts of reconciliation.

"I appreciate the apology, Karina," I say, my voice firm. "But things between us won't magically go back to normal just because you said sorry."

Karina's smile falters, replaced by a look of hurt and frustration. "But Lizzie, I really am sorry," she insists, her tone pleading. "Can't we just put this whole thing behind us and move on?"

I shake my head, unwilling to let her off the hook so easily. "I need some time, Karina," I say, my voice softer now. "I can't just pretend like nothing happened."

She nods, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "I understand," she says, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'll give you the space you need."

As she turns to leave, a heavy silence falls between us, she suddenly stops.

"Hey, Lizzie," she begins again, her tone casual as she tries to lighten the situation. "Have you heard about this whole CalorieQuest thing?"

I freeze, my heart sinking as I realize where this conversation is heading. "Yeah, I've heard," I reply, trying to keep my voice steady despite the uneasy feeling gnawing at my stomach. "What about it?"

Karina takes a seat on the edge of my bed, her expression serious as she looks me in the eye. "I think she should quit," she says bluntly, her words hitting me like a punch to the gut.

"Why would you say that?" I ask her curiously.

Karina shrugs, "I'm just saying, maybe it's time to think about the impact she's having on people's lives," she says, her tone irritatingly calm. "What has she brought except terrible fad diets that could kill someone?"

I bristle at her words, feeling the sting of betrayal creeping in. "But she's...brought a lot of hope too."

Karina holds up her hands in a placating gesture. "I'm not saying that everything she's done is terrible," she says quickly, her tone softening slightly. "But maybe it's worth considering what she's done more – good or bad?"