Double Life

Bruises

"Three four! No that's not it!"

Chin screams at us, and I roll my eyes.  My late night dance lessons with both Kai and Bongyoung have made a stellar difference, and I'm starting to really enjoy dancing.  That is, until Chin comes in and starts bashing all of us.  His chosen scape goat today is Baekhyun, and as another barrage of insults fly out of his mouth I grit my teeth and force myself to stay quiet for once. 

"From the top!"

He barks, and we all go back to starting position.

"Shimmy shimmy Ko Ko bop...I think I like it..."

"This is the gayest song ever."

I mutter to Chanyeol, who is struggling through the dance moves as well.  He snorts in derision,  my own queerness already a known fact. 

"Our rap parts are dank though."

He says and I nod, glad I got pegged as a rapper for this one.  Unlike our Lotto concept, now there's floating hamburgers in the sky.  The members keep trying to tell me about the concept and theories, but I'm far more concerned with the fact that there isn't any butter in the fridge for when we get back and post-dancing hunger pangs strike. 

"Baekhyun!"

Chin shouts, and we all pause, the music still playing as Chin storms up to Baekhyun and yells in his face, spit flying from his mouth as a gold ringed finger jabs at Baek's chest.

"You think you can dance?  I've seen rats dance better than scum like you!  The stupid girl is dancing better than you!"

I feel a tight knot of rage flare up in my chest, the idiot continuing to speak lies as he sniffs up the cocaine I'm sure he's snorting, his words tearing down every ounce of confidence Baekhyun has.  In the few weeks of living in the dorm I've seen him skip meals or take a smaller portion, I've smelled the insecurity that lingers around him.  And when Chin starts saying Baekhyun should lose more weight, poking a finger at his ribs. 

I snap. 

I storm up to Chin and grab his arm, yanking it forwards and twisting it back till he stands hunched over, now screaming his insults at me as he loses his balance.  I twist further and smell the uncertainty start to blossom, his mouth finally closing for the first time this entire hour, his eyes livid with hatred.  Slowly I bend down, grinding my teeth as I growl out my message. 

"You are never to touch him again."

And I shove him onto the ground, a growl coming from my throat when he tries to stand.  I know he sees the flash of red in my eyes, but I couldn't give less of a shit.  Let him call whoever he wants, I don't care what the stupid man tries to pull with his fancy golden rings and smoked out mind.  Because no asshat gets to mess with people I care about, ever.  He goes to stand again and I take a step back, my hands up in surrender and a smirk adorning my face. 

"I'm going to call the physical harassment department and the work safety department and all the paparazzi!!  You'll lose your job by the end of the week you bastard."

He says, waging a finger at me as he grabs his bag off the floor.  I tap a finger on my lip, glancing up at the ceiling.

"Aw, you gonna tell them you got hit by a girl?"

I say, furrowing my brows as I mock confusion.  He drops his bag and runs at me, his fist raised to collide with my face,

And I let it. 

The gold ring is sure to make a fierce bruise, and I can feel the blossoms of pain already blooming up the side of my jaw.  I collapse onto the floor and quickly swing my foot around, knocking his feet out from underneath him and clambering into a standing position.  Chanyeol grabs his hands and yanks him up backwards, the night training sessions we've been doing starting to come in handy.  He goes to hit Chin and I shout,

"Don't hit him!"

Chanyeol looks at me bewildered as I spit out blood into my hand.

"Let him go, Chin get the hell out."

I spit out, hearing the door slam behind him. 

"Why the HELL did you do that!"

Chanyeol shouts and I yell back.

"Because CHANYEOL if you hit him he would be able to go to all those departments and I'd lose MY job!  But because I took the hit, HE'S going to get fired instead!"

The room falls silent except for the track playing in the background, and I hack up more blood, wiping it onto my jeans. 

"Now give me my phone and we'll let the Exo-ls do the rest."

Holy shiteu.......~R.O.