wonderland ✧ jjk + kth

prologue

4 years ago

Everything tasted blue. His hands, his lips, his skin. Ethereal was the word to describe it. I was lifted; carried through this skies until I was no more, until my feet froze from the iciness of the altitude. And when I woke every night of the bitter, incessant winter, I had to remind myself who I really was and what I'd really meant to him.

"Thank you for reading that passage Jungkook."

The awkward tension in the room was high, and he shifted his fingers beneath his chair. Struggling to sit still, he tapped his foot on the linoleum floor. Shuffles echoed in the quiet room as Ms. Wang's heels click-clacked their way over to a desk. The desk's occupant was none another than Kim Taehyung, who was fast asleep, omitting a barely audible snore.  Jungkook gulped and covered his mouth to prevent laughing, and Ms. Wang shot him a glance.

Suddenly, the final period bell rang, and everyone scurried to the door, except Jungkook and his sleeping boyfriend. Ms. Wang stood with her hands placed upon her hips, a smug grin plastered on her face.

"Tae?" Jungkook whispered, but Ms. Wang held out a hand.

"I will take care of him Mr. Jeon, please, carry on."

"He's just tired," Jungkook protested. "Please don't suspend him again." Jungkook knew how hard Taehyung's life had been with his parents, and despite all of that, he still loved every part of him.

Not always though.

"He's going to atone for his mistakes," Ms. Wang said, folding her arms across her chest, her lips pursed. Jungkook knew he couldn't sway the uptight teacher's decision — and he was top of the class — so with that, he moved along his way, carrying his backpack out the door. Jesus Christ, when was Tae going to learn?

Jungkook had to walk all the way across the school to reach his locker with his mind intently fixed on Taehyung.  He was really starting to hate Taehyung's reckless behavior not only in class, but in public as well. Like his parents, Taehyung smoked and drank all night long.  But he was very smart.  The two had been the inseparable academic team duo from middle school into their senior year, until Taehyung caught sneaking vodka into a competition.  He'd been kicked off the team, and Jungkook had pleaded for the administration to let him rejoin, but the incessant suspensions didn't help. Despite his 4.2 GPA, he was truly a hot mess. Jungkook loved Taehyung, but things had been too wild for him to handle.

As he approached his locker and tossed a couple of textbooks in his backpack, the familiar stench of alcohol breathed on his neck.  He swung his arm, nearly missing Taehyung's eye, causing his eyes to widen in an apologetic matter.

"Shoot, my bad," he said. "How did it go? Are you suspended?"

"Worse," he replied, pulling out a pack of cigarettes.

"Tae you can't smoke here.  We're on school property."  Taehyung's eyes narrowed and he gritted his teeth.  He leaned in close to Jungkook's ear and whispered, "I'll do whatever the hell I want, thank you."

"Anyhow, she said she'd set up a time to discuss alternative schooling options, whatever the fuck that means" It took Jungkook a full ten seconds to realize what Taehyung was saying, then his hands were gripping his shoulders.

"What does that mean?" He asked, his voice trembling with fear. "Homeschool? Who's supposed to teach you?"  Taehyung shrugged and lighted his cigarette, blowing smoke into Jungkook's face, and he waved it away, disgusted.

"Whittington Prepartory for Troubled Teens," Taehyung answered.  "She said something like that."

"This is not happening," Jungkook began, his hands running through his chestnut hair.  "You're leaving?"