Tattooed Boy. || ENG

|05|

"Are you really fine?" my sister asks for probably the twenties times the past few minutes. I nod once again.

I'm sitting on a kitchen chair, being observed from every side. Mom, who is kneeling on front of me, and Kelsey are being overly anxious whilst dad is standing in the door frame talking to Jisung with a thankful look on his face.

"You should've called if the party was that bad" Mom says with a worried expression.

"I was looking for Kelsey to leave with her together" I tell her. She caresses my cheek with a sorrowful expression.

"I'm really fine now, so please stop worrying. I don't even have to change my opinion about those parties either. This experience only confirmed my suspicions."

Kelsey sighs, not looking to happy. "You're just not used to it. Those guys don't dare to touch you if you've got some history."

I role my eyes. My anger towards her disappeared already. I know she wouldn't just stop with her favorite hobby and as long as she is fine, I'm okay with it as well.

A movement in the door makes me look up. Dad enters the kitchen with a slight, reassuring smile. I didn't notice him leaving. Neither Jisung, but he's nowhere to be seen.

"His looks might tell a different story, but that Jisung seems to be a fine man" my father says and nods emphasizing.

Kelsey jumps onto her feet. "Where is he? I need to thank him once again!"

"Calm down, young lady" Dad says with a small laughter. "He's just parking his car at the driveway. He'll be joining us in some."

He'll what? A sudden image pops up in my head. What if my parents start liking that guy to the extent that he'll want to stay around longer even when Kelsey already lost interest in him? I mean, I'm still thankful towards him for helping me and so on but still, his presence makes me feel nervous in a way I didn't like. What if-

No. Let's not think about it for too long. It isn't worth it. And in the end I wouldn't be able to change the situation either. The only thing happening would be that my parents would scold me for my missing gratitude. I need to adjust for the time being.

Quickly I stand up. "I'll go take a shower and change into something more comfortable."

Mum caresses my cheek once again. "Okay. Come and get some coffee when you're done, will you darling?"

I nod and move to leave the room. Silently I pass by Jisung who's standing in the door frame with a slight smirk lightening up his face. Since when is he standing there? And what did he hear or see to smirk that way?

Little baby daughter. That's how he called me earlier. Damn. Mums way of acting probably just confirmed that. Perhaps he knew it all along since Kelsey is quite a tittle-tattler.

I decide to shut him out of my thoughts. I really need to get rid of that damn dress and when I talked about going to take a shower, I meant it. I feel disgusting. Even though I can't remember what happened last night, I still know that someone put me on drugs, possibly in order to rape me, since Jisung said it.

I freeze in the middle of pulling my favorite sweater out of my closet. What I know is only what Jisung told me. Kelsey didn't see anything since she hasn't been in the same room at that time, so she trusted in his words. Since they're kind of friends. But why did I? I don't know him, nor if it really was some stranger who put me on drugs. What if it was him in reality? And he then falsely helped me to cover it up? I can't know.

God, my head is a mess. Quickly I head to the bathroom and lock the door, taking a deep breath. I think I'll go with cold water today.

~

Half an hour later I find myself sitting fully clothed on the heated bathroom floor with closed eyes, my forehead on my knees and my arms wrapped around my legs. I feel a bit better now, cleaner, but still not completely comfortable. In fact, I'd love to take another shower. A hot one this time.

But I can't stay in here forever and hide so I get up, grab my clothes and unlock the door. I may just spend the day in bed and study. Sounds boring, but at least I won't have to stand my parents and sister being overprotective out of sudden.

"Zoe!" Kelsey's voice stops me from entering my room. "Hannah was on the phone just now! She-"

I immediately take a step towards her. "Did she find my phone?" I ask, my voice filled with hope.

"Wha-?" My sister blinks three times, totally caught off of guard. "No, not yet. It's about Jackson!"

I furrow my brows when his name falls. "What about him?"

"He kinda admitted that he supplied drugs to you" she announces and I can tell that she's fighting with herself whether she should be happy about that fact or mad because he actually seemed to have drugged me. And not Jisung.

"Kinda?"

She shrugs. "He didn't exactly say it out loud, but I guess when he said that he brought you some of his special mixtures to have some fun with you, it means the same things as drugging you."

A cold shiver runs down my spine. I don't remember that guy – neither his face nor his voice – and this wasn't even him speaking the words, but only hearing what he said makes me feel disgusted. A second shower doesn't sound so bad out of sudden.

"Thanks for telling me" I get myself to say and grit my teeth.

The worried expression from earlier appears on her face again. "Are you really okay?"

"I'm fine. It's just a weird feeling not to remember a thing."

She nods understandingly. "I'll leave you alone now. Call me if you need anything."

With a sigh I enter my room and immediately gasp in shock seeing Jisung sitting relaxed on my office chair.

"What are you doing here?" I ask and try not to sound unfriendly. I still haven't sorted my thoughts about him yet.

"I thought we weren't finished talking?" he reminds me of my words earlier and I suppress another sigh. That's the reason why he's still here? Is he some kind of intrusive or ...?

I must've disappeared into the bathroom for about thirty minutes! And on top of that he's in my room and not in Kelsey's! I didn't grant him to come in and we're still practically strangers.

What's the difference between us that our thinking and behavior is so uneven?