Dirty Lil Secret

Prologue

December 2005

Lake Forest Public Library

Liam's eyes swept across the screen taking in the flashing script with a mysterious smile that could only be called devasting.  It took a while but out the corner of his eye he saw the puzzled frown on his friend's face and let his lips curl further into a smirk before telling her what it said.

"The top five agencies from Seoul will be in LA this Spring looking for new talent," he informed her fully aware she couldn't read the hangul on the screen. "I have to be there!"

Erika shook her sleek dark brown hair sending the straight strands around her face before tilting back in the stiff library chair.  Her deep brown eyes moved from his face, taking in the shelves of books that surrounded the five tables with computers available to the public. She had let Liam ride her bike to the public library with her hanging precariously on the back with her arms wrapped tight around his narrow waist. That had been over two hours ago, and as soon as they arrived Liam had rushed to the sign in list for a computer.  Fifteen minutes later they were called and he'd paid the fee for three hours. Without missing a beat he'd started typing and within minutes he'd gotten around their firewall and logged into the Friendster social site that was all the rage in Asia.

Peering confused at the symbols, that seemed more like hieroglyphics, Erika squinted as if doing so would transform it to English. "I doubt Mr. and Dr. Park are just going to drive or fly you cross country so can audition," snorted Erika.

Liam shifted turning double lidded, deep chocolate brown eyes toward her and chuckled. "Of course they will if I ask at the right time."

Erika sucked her full bottom lip into her mouth allowing herself a moment to study Liam's smug face before her lips pulled into a tight smile. Trying not to release a sigh, she broke his gaze her muddy brown eyes returning to the screen.  Of course, his mom and dad would take him or have a relative take him. Liam was their miracle; he was their fifth child and the only boy. They'd move the heavens and the Earth for him and he took advantage of it at every turn.

"If they pick you," she frowned pretending to study her chipped thumbnail, "what about me?" Erika tried to make her voice as nonchalant as possible but in reality, she felt like her world would come to an end without Liam.

Truth be told Liam was her knight in shining armor from the moment they'd met at A Wonderland Daycare.  At four, she was the new girl in a sea of children that had been there since before they could walk. She immediately didn't fit in. While all the other kids lived in a two family household with siblings in the affluent Lake Forest area, her single dad had just moved them to Lake Bluff.  It also didn't help that he hadn't known what he was doing after gaining sole custody from her drug-addicted mother or that he was the only father to drop a child off while in service dress blues.

On her first day, he'd let her pick out her outfit and she'd ended up wearing a too short purple dress that had bleach stains without tights and he'd picked her chemically relaxed hair into a straight afro.  Liam was the only kids that had talked to her on that day or any day that followed for the first three months.

"What about you," he'd snickered while double-clicking on an image of his favorite male idol group that was listed under one of the talent agencies.  At her exasperated sigh, he leaned back in his chair to stare at her. "If, and it's a huge if," he exhaled running his fingers through his short black hair that reflected some of the bluish tint from the fluorescent lights, "I was selected we'd email each other and talk on the phone."

"Ah," nodded Erika shrugging away her concern while pretending to pick lint from her gray sweater.  Staring pointedly again at Liam she had to admit Liam was okay to look at but she doubted he was cute enough to get selected. He could sing decently but his dancing was horrible and he'd stopped paying the piano in seventh grade. Glancing at the screen she concluded he was not k-pop material. "Yeah," she laughed trying to dismiss the queasy feeling in her stomach. "Ask your parents to take you," she continued grabbing the mouse and opening a new browser window, "The worse that could happen is they take you back to Korea and brainwash you into believing you're the next them." Erika pointed at the screen.

Liam struck a thoughtful pose squaring his shoulders while puffing his chest out in the teal blue shirt he was wearing. "And you'll lose your best friend being around 24/7."

"More like 8 hours a day 5 days a week," grumbled Erika grabbing the keyboard so she could open MySpace. "And if you go we can send video messages to each other here."

"Yup," nodded Liam watching Erika type in her information so she could log in. "But again," he reminded her as she started scrolling through the newsfeed, "I'm just going to go audition."

"Uh huh," nodded Erika distracted by what she was reading. "Plus you're a far cry from those guys in that group you like," she mumbled watching Liam's expression sour from the corner of her eye. "What's their name," she mumbled tapping her index finger against her chin. "Black Beat," she finally responded before Liam could as if she would ever forget their name.  Liam listened to them and some girl group as if they were better than 112 or N'Sync.

"Shut it," mumbled Liam his sunkissed cheeks darkening as he flushed in embarrassment.

Erika wiggled her fingers in front of her face in an attempt to hide her smile but she realized she didn't have to because Liam was staring intently across the library toward the street.

"What time is it," he finally asked after a few more minutes passed.

Pointing at the bottom right-hand side of the screen where the date and time were displayed Erika responded, "4:15. Why?"'

"My mom's late," he mumbled standing up with his hands over his head and stretching.

The sweet smell of Joop engulfed Erika tantalizing her senses while she tried to keep her eyes on the screen. Nothing good could come of her letting her curious gaze stray to where Liam's shirt rose showing a tantalizing view of smooth pale skin. But she couldn't help herself and ended up staring anyway.

"See something you like?"

Erika rolled her eyes before meeting his gaze, "honestly I was trying not to vomit on the floor. When are you gonna start developing." Turning she allowed a teasing smile to pull at her lips knowing that Liam was taking her her figure that had begun to round out.  Ignoring Liam as he stared at the curve of her breast her eyes widened as a 2003 Kia Optima pull up to the front of the building, "and Mr. Park your mom just pulled up."

"Cool," grimaced Liam, flushing because he knew he'd been caught.  Scowling his eyebrows knitted together as if thinking of something while grabbing his backpack off the back of the chair.

"Don't forget to ask your parents," she called ignoring the glare from the Librarian and a few of the other patrons, "call me and let me know what they say!"

(Age Liam 14, Age Erika 13)