How Did We Get Here?

Chapter 5: ...ouch

"Haha, what? I didn't even say anything."

"I know you want to say something."

"What, about the way your cheeks turned red the first day we met." I looked down and realized that he was still holding my hand. I snatched it away and gave him a disapproving look.

"That's because I thought you were someone's kid, not someone I'd be working with." His smile fell and his eyes dimmed.

"Hm, okay."

"It's your first day and you're already breaking hearts." Jinyoung giggled behind me and came closer.

"Because I'm here to work, not to date and play around."

"I'm happy you understand that, Ms. Stone." I spun around to see who was the owner of the seductive voice. I saw a woman who was around my height, maybe a bit shorter. She had on a striped shirt and a straight black jeans. She had short light brown that was put into a low ponytail and her eyebrows were the same color as her hair. She had thick eyeliner, thick hashes and loud red lipstick. "I'm Sujin. Sorry I wasn't here a few days ago to properly greet you but I hope everyone else treated you nicely."

"Yes, they did." I walked to her and held out my hand for her to shake. She took it graciously and we both bowed to one another. "You are the head of the department, right?"

"Only until the end of the year. I have a job offer in America for theater makeup. It doesn't pay more, but I am much more passionate about theatrical makeup."

"Sujin noona doesn't love us anymore," Jackson playfully cried out as his body fell over Youngjae's.

"Yes, I do. It's just time to move on. I'll still be cheering you guys on from the other side of the world just like many of your ahgasae do." They all smiled at her. "But, I didn't come here to talk, we have to get going to the broadcasting station so that you boys can get done up and ready to perform."

"Where are the rest of the hair and makeup crew?"

"They are all already where they need to be. And I figured that someone would have forgotten to tell you where you were supposed to go come Tuesday morning."

"Oh, I guess they did."

"It always happens. It's unbelievable."

When Got7's managers popped into the room, we all picked up our things and headed out to the parking garage next to the building. Sujin asked me to follow her to her car and I did what she asked. We packed out bags in her trunk and we both hoped in. She stuck her key in the ignition and turned the key but the car didn't start. She tilted her head to the side and turned the key once again only to receive the same response as before.

"Shit, the battery is dead."

"Uh, do you want me to ask one of the managers for a jump?"

She looked at her wrist and sighed. "We don't have time." She sighed again. "We just need to catch a ride in the vans." She took her keys out of the car and we both walked to the vans.

"Is everything okay?" The younger manager looked us and questioned why we hadn't left yet. We explained the situation to us. He agreed to let us hop in. I let Sujin go into the van first but that was when we realized that the van was packed.

"The other van has a seat left. You can ride there."

"Okay." I walked to the other van and slid open the door. All of the boys looked shocked when they saw me at the door.

"Why are you here," Jaebum asked from the front seat. The way he asked didn't take the tone he had earlier, he seemed genuinely confused.

"Sujin unnie's car isn't working so I need to ride with you." When I said that Youngjae moved to the back seat with Jackson. When he moved, I saw that my seat buddy would be Mark. I slowly got in the seat and as soon as I closed the door, the manager started the car and pulled off.

The van was awkwardly silent and I'm sure everyone felt the same way. Jackson took it upon himself to spark up conversation with me.

"So, Allie, where are you from?" He asked me in Korean. I was surprised that he did so but I guess he wanted everyone to understand me as I told them about myself.

"I'm from the states, the east coast."

"Oh, so you and Mark are like rivals."

"I mean, I guess. But the east coast is way better." Mark looked at me with one eyebrow raised.

"Where in the east are you from," he asked me.

"Philadelphia, Pennsylvania."

"Hmm, The City of Brotherly love and criminals." I instantly took offence to his words. Yeah, Philly had a bad rep but you couldn't talk about a place unless you actually stayed there for a long time. It was city and I wasn't gonna let him talk down on it.

"And where are you from?"

"Arcadia, California."

"Ah, the place that's full of asian boys who appropriate black culture like it's a game." He gnashed his teeth and looked at me. "I doesn't feel good when someone shits on your birthplace does it?" He let out a quick breath and rolled his eyes. He took his headphones out of his pocket, blasted his music and turned his face to the window. Youngjae folded his lips together and looked to the floor. Jackson cleared his throat and patted the back of my seat before sitting back in his own.

"You see what happens when you talk, Jackson?" Jaebum asked from the front seat. The atmosphere was much more painfully awkward than it was before. Jaebum put on some music to fill the silence. But the music still couldn't get rid of the feeling.