The alphabet, A to L

A New Perspective

Lee walked home about a few minuets after his small talk and fell asleep with his younger sister's voice singing through the wall.
  Guang was put to bed and Hei An followed soon after in his own room.
  Lee woke up to bird song streaming through his open window and stretched his muscles as he slid easily out of bed. He casually dodged his brother's toy as it was sent through to land on his sister and quickly took the large amount of plates from his mother's hands to the table.
  "You don't have to carry these like that Ma. I'm always here," Lee smiled warmly at his mother. Her tired eyes met his own and she patted his cheek fondly.
   " I just worry who is there for you my son."
Although Lee heard her, he continued to play with his siblings before getting up for school.
  "I'm going Ma! Be careful going to work and tell Dad that I'll be home late!" Lee called out waving. He jogged his way to school and as he entered he was clapped o bathe back by his classmates. Smiling, he was on his way towards Guang where she was inside the classroom when suddenly he jumped into action. A girl had been pushed out of the doorway and Lee quickly caught her and they twirled so that Lee placed her into a dip. Breathless they stared at each other and Lee felt himself get hot and smile at her. In return the girl grinned sheepishly and they stood up.
   "Sorry about that...my name's Khanh. Are you okay? Thanks for catching me by the way," the girl laughed and held her hands behind her back.
   Lee was frozen in place with a wide smile across his face until he realized it was his turn to speak. He had been caught in watching and picking out all the details of her face and voice that he didn't process anything.
    "Oh that's not a problem. I should be the one asking if you're alright. I'm Lee." And you're beautiful, Lee wanted to add, but thankfully restrained himself.
   Khanh nodded and ran a hand through her hair. Lee nearly lost it then and there if it wasn't for the bell ringing.
  "We have to get to class! I'll see you later if I can find you! Bye!" Khanh threw a smile over her shoulder and asked back into the classroom. Lee nodded and jogged into his own classroom, his heart beating excitedly and a warmth in his chest.
  Guang laughed to herself at how star struck Lee looked as he walked into the classroom. However, her thoughts turned to Hei An during the lesson. Guang wondered if Hei An's cold demeanor would allow him to stop messing up her feelings and have him either pursue fully or to not even act interested at all.
Sighing Guang buried her head in her textbook.
   Lee wasn't even facing the teacher in front, but was staring out the classroom's window to where he had abruptly met khanh. He recalled everything he could about her. She was shorter than he was, and smelled like mangoes. Her hair was jet black and silky. Her eyes lit up when she talked to him and her smile. Things he couldn't even begin to explain or try to, they were all a part of khanh. His head landed with a quiet thud in his book at the same time Guang's did, and he realized he had fallen, and he fell hard.
   Katelynn continued her lecture as she spotted Guang and Lee drop their heads with an exasperated sigh at the same time. Smiling to herself, she finished explaining the lesson.
  "Finally, you'll have homework and a test to do at home. Don't cheat please! But if you do, please do it so that you don't get the wrong answers this year," Katelynn sighed and waved them off for break. The students whopped and hollered as they ran into the hallway.
  Laughing to herself Guang got up and brought a chair next to Lee, who was still on his book.
  "Hey, you're drooling in your homework Tangguo." Guang teased, shaking Lee to wake him up.
  He shot up straight and looked around blankly, causing Guang to laugh.
   "We're on break right now Tangguo. I'm going out to get some fresh air. I trust that you'll keep everyone in line?" Guang asked placing a hand on the still dazed Lee.
   "Yeah...yeah. Do me a favor and wake me up first?" Lee mumbled. Guang laughed and shook her head at him before leaning close to Lee until their noses were touching.
  "I'm living with Hei An-Woo Lee's family," Guang said.
".....WHAT?!" Lee burst up from his chair and bumped his knee on the bottoms of his desk. Guang snickered at him and began to run away laughing.
"Hey! You!" Lee winced and rubbed his stinging knee before following Guang.
"Hey! Lee where you goin?"
"Outside! I'll be back soon, don't mess anything up! If you see a bully just knock em around a little and if you make em bleed make sure it's not noticeable!" Lee called back towards his classmates and struggled through the crowd to get towards Guang as she went to the courtyard.
Hei An sat down on a stone bench under the shade of a tree that had leaves and branches that hung like a curtain that separated him from outside. He was reading about chiropractic medical things when he heard familiar laughing from someone walking by.
"Guang? I'm not surprised she can't be quiet as soon as I hear her." Hei An sighed but nonetheless put down his book on the bench and went to where he could see her. He leaned against the trunk with his arm resting on a branch over head and a hand in his pocket.
Guang was watching the sky and skipping as she took a sip of soda. Hei An felt a small bit of happiness work its way up to his chest because he hadn't seen Guang in the morning nor on the way to school. He watched with fond eyes as Guang watched a bird fly around and she turned her body so it faced him. Once the bird was gone Guang lowered her gaze and met Hei An's eyes. He smirked at her shocked expression and motioned with a point of his head to follow him.
Guang gulped down her drink and went off slowly towards the half secluded area. Once under it she saw Hei An sitting down and reading.
"Well? Sit down." Hei An said without glancing up at her.
"I'm not a dog. Hei An, I want to know something." Guang crossed her arms and leaned her back against the tree.
Hei An's eyes continued to skim the page he was on, but he kept rereading the same sentence because he couldn't focus under Guang's gaze. Finally, he gave up and stood up with his hands in his pockets.
"What is it?" He asked, standing in front of Guang.
"I want to know directly if you like me or not. You've kissed me once, and I want to know if you actually like me. I'm not going to get played with like I did last time." Guang glared at Hei An who was watching her smugly.
Then he leaned forward so that his arm trapped her on one side and there was barely room between their faces.
Lee ran out of the building and put his hands on his knees while looking around to find Guang. He was surprised at her, and wanted to figure out the truth. His head turned and he saw Guang standing with what seemed like Hei An. Lee's dark eyes watched as Hei An leaned in closer to Guang and he felt the beginning of the loneliness from that night at the graves. One of being distant from everyone and not being able to get out of it. Lee's hair and clothes blew in the wind, and from not too far, it's gave him a solitary figure look. He wasn't angry, nor was he upset. He felt empty. There was a person who'd he had always been with, sharing a moment with one person who'd he believed would be with her instead of him. He was left aside and alone, like an abandoned puppy that warranted attention by only a rare few. Even though he knew it wasn't that bad, it seemed like he'd been cast into the darkness that held him before he met Guang, and that frightened him more than anyone could imagine.