University of Wonderland

Chapter Fifty-Two

I walked into gym, T-shirt thrown on so haphazardly that half of it was tucked into my pants, earning chuckles from the students crowded in the bleachers. That should have been my first clue that fate was messing with me, but I was too single-minded, my eyes trained on only my targets. Hyuna, IU, Jiyeon, and Minho gabbed away in the middle of the bleachers. A crowd of sudents blocked them in on every side, a little too strategic to be random. No one looked at me as I stopped three levels below them.

"Yah!" I yelled. "IU! Hyuna!" I didn't bother with Jiyeon; she had no loyality to me.

I would've kept yelling, but the coach blew his whistle to start class and then started to explaining the process for choosing a new gym activity for the rest of the semester. I sat down at the nearest seat and used the opportunity to alter my appearance from mental patient to fashion victim. The mundane activity of untucking my shirt helped calm me down a little. And by little I meant enough to prevent me from turning as vile as Minho and resorting to the blackmail I'd promised him I wouldn't use to get answers.

The seniors chose first, and the boys practically knocked  each other over to get a spot in weight training while the girls scanned the options before choosing on croquet, whatever that was. It had to be something that would result in the least amout of sweat.

Minho bypassed the rest of the juniors, sophomores, and freshmans to the head coach at the far end of the gym. He held out a piece of paper and the coach nodded, then wrote something on a hall pass. Minho waved it in the air and blew a kiss in Hyuna's direction before leaving the gym.

Another fake doctor's note? Or something else he'd forged to skip class? How did any teachers ever believed him?

I didn't care what activity we're doing; I only cared about getting answers. It didn't even matter which girl gave them to me.

The three girls ran straight for the croquet activity when the freshmans were called, I dragged myself over there and squeezed into the space next to them. It was only on closer inspection that I realized they were all wearing the same outfit: white shirts with numbers in the center and hearts on the sleeves, resembling cards. Like I needed another reason to think they were identical-dull.

"What were you doing last night?"

IU and Jiyeon looked at their leader for answers. Hyuna turned to me, the corners of her lips struggling to stay flat. "I think it's in your best interest to stop talking right now."

There were people who still intimidated me. Minho, sometimes. And now my sister. Hyuna didn't even make the waiting list. "I've been doing a lot of things that aren't in my best interest lately." Talking to her, for example. "So tell me why you painted my -"

"Shut. Up," Hyuna gritted through her teeth. "Because let's juts say I was scrolling through Minho's phone the other day and I found some interesting photos on there." She shot me a triumphant smile.

I closed my mouth shut.

She could mean that maybe Minho did take a photo of me in the see-through T-shirt. Or she could mean that she saw oter photos Minho had taken, ones that would get me more than a red face if they got out. Not the printed and mounted ones that might give Minho the flaming cheeks.

The frazzled gym teacher pointed over our heads, mouth moving as if he was counting all of us, then shook it out and started all over again. After the third attempt, he threw his hands in the air and told us to go outside.

We stood on the field, cold wind hitting our arms, but nothing felt as icy as the dread in my stomach. Gray skies weighed down on the horizon. A pile of mallets lay on the grass next to a bucket full of colorful balls. The only two guys who had joined were currently sparring with the mallets, using them like lightsabers. (Like the one in Star Wars) Seriously, courting rituals of male students were sometimes as outlandish as the ones in the animal kingdom.

"Okay, well, this is quite a turnout, huh?" Mr. Card, our gym teacher, raked his hand through his hair. "And they told me no one would care about pastimes." He laughed at his joke, the sound echoing in the empty air. He coughed. "Anyway, I want everyone to pair up and spread along the field. Get a feel for the mallets and balls today, and I'll go around and mark down your names." He clapped his hands. No one moved. "Okay, go!"

Everyone charged for the equipment, probably eager to get out of there and grab a spot far away from the teacher. I looked at Hyuna, ready to open my mouth, but she took off as well. IU and Jiyeon followed. I had no choice but to chase after them. With so many people trying to get to a tiny bucket, the four of us were separated. I had to follow one of them and I made a split decision.

IU was brainwashed; she'd never talk. If I wanted answers, I had to get to Hyuna.

She was attempting to push a girl out of the way, nails out. The girl elbowed her hard, and Hyuna got pushed out of the pack. I looked back at IU. She and Jiyeon had already secured mallets from someone who'd grabbed extras. The two of them were trying to find a spot far away from the crowd.

"You have to be my partner," I told Hyuna. "IU and Jiyeon abandoned you."

"I don't have to do anything."

I took a deep breath. "Hyuna, I need to know what Minho's planning at Homecoming."

That seems to get her attention, though I didn't know why. She stopped fighting against the crowd and turned to me, brows together. "What are you talking about?"

Curiouser and curiouser. So Minho hadn't yet informed his "girlfriend" of his plan.

"Homecoming? Minho said he's planning something and I'd better show up."

"Wait - so he asked you to Homecoming?" A wrinkle formed the gap between her brows.

I nearly burst out laughing. I was about to say, no, are you drunk? But then I saw opportunity in her question, in her confusion. "Why? Did he not ask you?"

A clapping sound startled me. Our gym teacher was marching toward us. "Do you girls need partners?"

"No." Hyuna grabbed my arm. "We're partners."

"Mr. Card, all the mallets are gone!" Someone shouted.

The crowd had settled now, only a few stragglers remaining. Mr. Card's eyes widened as he looked at the empty bucket. "Omo. Okay, I need you all to separate and join up another pair just for today, until we get more equipment."

"No!" both Hyuna and I said in unsion. For once, we agreed on something. Weird.

"I'm not playing if I'm not her partner." Hyuna fluttered her lashes like a pageant contestant trying to woo the judge.

Mr. Card rubbed his temples, eyes closed. "Um, okay, come here." He led us back toward the gym. "I'll try to find something you two can use for today." He disappeared inside.

"Why did you prank me?"

=^_^= . . . =^_^=

Sehun is coming back in the next next chapter! I can't wait to see him again! LOL

What do you think Hyuna will answer to Suzy's question?