Chael

Ch.2

(Correy)

"Hello?" I answered the phone.

"Hello Correy Lofton. Your child, Chael Yumekoshi, was not present at school today. Is there a reason?" The voice on the other end said. 

"I'm so sorry! I thought school started in September." I turned the wheel of my range rover, pulling into my home. 

"Sorry sir, but school started today. Will she be present Monday?" The voice hummed. 

"Yes. I will make sure of it. Sorry for the inconvenience." I rubbed my left temple. 

"No problem. The less absences, the less we have to worry. Bye now." The person hung up before I could say goodbye. 

What was I going to do? I signed Chael up for school here for September because I wanted her to move in with me. Both me and Rhayul agreed,  but it was a surprise for Chael. I know I left her life years ago, but I'm willing to work things out now. I dialed a number I haven't called since summertime. I hope she understands. 

(Chael)

I roamed around the seafood market with my mom. She was planning on making Tekka Don, and we were looking for the tuna. As I looked around I spotted hell's favorite customer, Jihae. 

We locked eyes, and my face instantly formed in a disgusted look. Before she could throw one back a woman walked beside her and caught her attention. She held a bag of trout in her hand and she spoke to Jihae. The lady was all talk, but Jihae wasn't even paying her attention. She too busy looking at me.

With a look of worry. Why was she worried? Before I could process anything else, my mom's phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and almost jumped out of her skin. Weird. 

"Watch the basket Chael, I will be right back.' She handed me the basket and walked off.

I turned back around to be face to face with the bitch queen herself. 

"Whatever you saw, you didn't see it!" She pointed her perfectly manicured finger in my face. 

"See what?" I was literally confused. 

"I don't know that lady, so stop asking" Her eyes widen. She looked like a psychopath.

"That means you do know her." My face stayed blank, but then I thought. 

I remembered that Jihae didn't even have a mom. She said her mom died when she was six. What was going on? Before I could ask her, the lady with the trout bag walked up and spoke. 

"Miume, you didn't tell me about this friend." Her eyes glowed as she spoke perfect Japanese. Why was she speaking Japanese?

"Hi! My name is Shimoi. Nice to meet you....um?" She now spoke in fluent Korean.

"Chael. It's nice to meet you as well." I spoke back to her in Japanese. 

"Goodness! It's very rare to see someone from Japan to be here in South Korea!" We were now conversing in Japanese. 

As we talked back and forth, I couldn't help but glance back at Jihae. She looked nervous. 

"I'm sorry to ask this, but why aren't you dead?" Shimoi's eyes widen. 

"Dead? Why would I be dead?" She asked. Jihae soon started biting on her manicured nails. 

"Well it's just every since the day Jihae moved to Gwangju in year six of elementary she said her mom died when she was six, so." I was playing my cards right. If I kept this up, I would have so much dirt on this little witch. 

"Oh no! I had moved away from Miume when she was six. I couldn't support our family so I set out here in Korea to find better income. Here I met my current husband, and when Miume was in year six I flew her out here to Gwangju. Miume, why would you say I was dead?" Before she could answer, my mom came back screaming. 

"Chael we have to go now! Forget the Tekka Don. We'll order pizza! Let's go!" I waved goodbye to Shimoi and her evil daughter as my mom pulled me out of the seafood market.

I couldn't help but think about all the lies Jihae came up with up. She wasn't even Jihae! I wondered if she was hiding anything else. 

(Chris)

It was Friday night and the whole squad was going out for pizza. We was gon' party tomorrow night. 

"Aye. Have yall heard that name today too? That Chael Yumekoshi name?" August asked.

"Yeah! Sounds Asian or some shit. What it mean Jay? Everybody laughed at Ty's joke.

"Man, I'm Korean, but I barely even know that shit so don't ask me." Jay held up his hands in defense.

"Anybody heard from the girls?" Erik had asked. 

"They ridin' with Milan. They should meet us here." I said as I pulled into Papa's Pizzeria. 

We all got out as I parked into the closet parking space near the door.

"Fat boy. You need some exercise while you tryna park close." Ty joked making everybody laugh. 

"Ha ha! Yo ass will be wishin' I parked close after you come out of here full of food." I joked back. 

We all walked into the almost deserted pizza place looking like a football team. It was like two old people here and they watched us, shaking their heads at our actions. We all sat at our favorite booth, and the only one that could hold all of us. Soon our waitress came to take our order.

"Welcome to Papa's. What would you like?" She looked down at her pad.

"You." Ty whispered making us all snicker. 

"Um. What would you like on the menu?" She tried to sink her head down farther to prevent us from seeing her flushed cheeks.

"Oh, ok ma. We would take four large pizzas. One with just cheese, one a supreme, one with the meat-lovers, and one with pepperoni olives and pineapples please." I hurried up to talk before Ty could try and spit any more game. Shit. I was hungry. 

"Ok. Anything else?" She still wouldn't look up.

"How about a box of 20 piece hot wings. NO! Make it 30! And a big pitcher of pepsi! Another big pitcher of sprite! Umm.. let me see. Oh! and a pan of your chicken Alfredo!" Derek shouted orders. "Also ranch with those wings please." And after all that, he slumped back into his chair.

"Ok. I got yall. I'll be back with your order." Our waitress walked off, but we weren't paying her any attention. Our focus was on Derek.

This was completely normal. He wouldn't say anything unless it involved food. He was just a quiet person until food got into the mix. That boy knew how to throw down.

"Damn boy. You finally say something since Momma asked you where her earrings were this morning." Erik said, making everyone laugh. 

Erik and Derek were identical twins, and Erik was older by one minute and eight seconds. They were complete opposites. Erik was loud, Derek was quiet. Erik was the jock, Derek was the nerd. Erik liked relationships, Derek preferred to be single. Even though they were opposites, they got along very well. I've never seen a sibling bond like theirs.

Derek shrugged his shoulders and closed his eyes. We all waved him off and turned our heads to the loud group of girls. 

"Hey little boys. What yall order?" Cam asked, taking a seat next to Augyst. 

"Norhing for your fat ass." He pushed her and they began play fighting. 

"Aye! Yall stop slirting. The food's here!" Milan yelled as two people walked out with our order. 

Derek shot up and sat up in his seat.

"Calm down!" Jay laughed at the hungry boy. 

The rest of the night just went by like that. We ate, talked, and joked. One particular thing we talked about though was that strange name...