Parallel Lives | BBANGSAZ

T H I R T Y N I N E

M I N J I
—

The next time I open my eyes, everything in my body hurts—from head to toe. There's a pounding in my head, and it takes me a while to adjust to the dark room. It also takes me a moment to remember that I fell asleep crying in Minjeong's arms after telling her most of my life story—the important parts, at least. There's still a lot left to say, but not everything can be shared in one afternoon.

I turn my head to the side, noticing how dark it is outside. I don't know how long I've been asleep. My eyes scan the room, dimly lit by the night sky, and I notice that everything is clean and no longer a disaster. My room even smells good. Everything is in its place, and nothing is on the floor. Am I dreaming? Oh, God. Did I clean while I was asleep? I've heard that can happen.

I sit up in bed and grab my phone, which is plugged into the charger. Has Minjeong done all of this for me? I owe so much to that family.

My heart twists in pain when I notice I have no new messages from Hanni. I miss her. I really need to see her, to hug her. I need the safety and comfort she brings into my life more than anything right now. I miss her laughter, her face, her big brown eyes. Should I text her?

It's past midnight—maybe she's asleep. Maybe she's not. Maybe she's thinking about me the way I'm thinking about her. God, I'm pathetic.

My thoughts are interrupted when I hear the door opening, and my heart skips a beat as the girl who's been invading my thoughts comes into view. She's wearing Spider-Man pajamas, her hair down, with the most beautiful sleepy face in the world. She smiles at me, her bright brown eyes shining in the dark. Of course, I'm dreaming about her again.

I lean back on my bed, resting my head against the pillow. "God, I knew this was just a dream."

I hear a low chuckle. "You dream about me a lot?"

I sit up again, my eyes wide. Her voice never feels this real in my dreams. "Hanni?"

Her eyes soften as she stays close to the door, but I can see her clearly—so beautiful, so perfect. "Hi, baby," she whispers softly. "You're not dreaming." Her lips curve into a smile.

I frown, rubbing my hands over my face. "Are you sure?"

Hanni looks around my room. My heart is racing because my girl is really here. She grabs something from my desk and throws it at me. It lands with a soft thud against my head, causing a little pain. "Ouch! Why'd you do that?"

Her nose wrinkles when she laughs. "You asked if I was sure. If it hurt, this is real."

I rub the spot she hit. "You're mean."

"I'm not," she rolls her eyes.

"What—what are you doing here?" My voice shakes.

It's past midnight, and Hanni Pham is standing in my room, wearing pajamas and looking like she just got out of bed. Her mom is nowhere to be seen, and I'm starting to wonder if I imagined the whole thing.

Hanni steps closer and sighs loudly. She sniffles, and I try to get a better look at her in the dark. Has she been crying? "My mama came for my mom, and they brought me here. She was a mess, talking about lawyers and, I don't know... I got scared. They're gone now, but I promised them I'd stay with you tonight."

"You don't... you don't need to do that."

"I want to." She shrugs. "I don't want you to be alone. We don't need to talk. Hell, I'll even sleep on the floor if you want. I just want to be here for you. We'll go to class tomorrow, and we can figure things out later."