You're My Target

Chapter 41

it was monday. Troy sat at his desk in homeroom. he still couldnt believe the week off had went by so fast. his eyes felt sore. the light from the windows felt like it was burning them out of the socket. he was tired and cranky and just was not ready to be back at school. he shut his eyes tightly and laid his head on the desk. as he laid there he couldnt help but hear the giddy laughter a few seats over to his right. his curiosity wouldnt let him ignore it. he lifted his head a tad to sneak a peak. it was hwayoung and areum. surprisingly they were with Jiyeon.

 "glad to see everything is rainbows and gumdrops again in tiaratown" he thought to himself. he watched them talk amongst themselves. Jiyeon sat in front of hwayoung, but was turned to face her. hwayoung was in her usual seat, and areum sat on top of the desk to their left, with her back to troy. She flipped her tangy orange colored hair back and pulled it into a tight bun on top of her head. Troy watched. as if she would reveal something. something to prove his suspicions about her. his eyes were caught by movement, Hwayoungs crossed legs under her desk. one slightly kicking up and down as it rested over the other. troys eyebrows raised in approval. his sight traveled up along hwayoung slowly til it came up to her face, where she was waiting to meet his gaze with one of her own. Troys head was still pretty buried in his arms on his desk, hiding the red in his cheeks, and he quickly just looked away. "just happened to be passing a glance. i wasnt checking you out or anything." he reassured himself, as if Hwayoung could hear his thoughts. he shot a look back quickly, and none of them were looking at Troy. he was relieved. he went back to staring a hole through areums back... until she suddenly turned her head and leaned back on her arm to face troy with a smile. Troys eyes grew and he slowly turned away. "great." he thought as he buried his head again, and prayed the bell would ring soon. The bell eventually rang. Troy lazily pulled himself out of his desk chair and made his way along with his class mates toward the door. He watched Hwayoung, Jiyeon and Areum all exit before him. finally when troy was able to leave the room, he was surprised. No visits from the girls. no sassy remarks. no interrogation. he was still on guard, they could be around any corner. he couldnt put anything past Hwayoung, who showed up in his bedroom just a few days ago. she could parachute in through a skylight at any minute, assaulting troy with a bombardment of questions about Elementians and Jang and devil men... Despite Troys worries, the day was going rather well. the day was more than halfway over and no crazy rumors. no insane questions. nothing. He was almost through the day without any drama. After his latest class, Troy met up with Soyeon. There was just something about the day, that made her red vest seem, brighter than usual. maybe it was new. maybe she washed it with some color-safe detergent. or maybe it was just all in his head.

 "you look awfully happy for someone who is back in school for the first time in a week." soyeon said to him, noticing his vibrant smile.

 "i can hardly believe it myself. i was expecting today to be awful. but it's been ... tolerable. and im totally okay with tolerable. Troy replied. "has your day been ok?"

 "it's been.... tolerable." she quoted troy.

 "did you. do something different with yourself today? i cant put my finger on it but, you look brighter than usual. radiant."

 "oh troy." soyeon waved her hand. "stop being silly." Soyeon brushed him off, but he was being serious. he didnt drag it out. he didnt want to look foolish. Troy walked with her to her locker. they leaned against them talking for awhile. As they talked Troy noticed Soyeon kept glancing off behind troy. The hallway was filled with people, he didnt really think much of it until she rolled her eyes and tried to take Troy by the arm and move him. troy turned around to see Jun, who turned around when he saw Troy. Troy stopped Soyeon from dragging him.

 "stop." troy told soyeon, he stood in his tracks.

 "lets go troy forget it." she said tugging his arm.

 "no, not if hes bothering you."

 "he wasnt. lets just go." Troy pulled himself from Soyeons grip and marched over to Jun who still had his back to troy. Troy got right behind him and tapped Juns well toned shoulder forcibly a few times, causing Jun to turn around.

 "i didnt think id have to tell you again, but i guess i do. Leave soyeon alone." Troy threatened him. Jun just looked down at him and smiled. Soyeon caught up to troy and stood behind him.

 "Troy come on." she whispered. Jun looked passed troy at her, and winked. troy pushed Jun hard, causing him to move back bumping into a few people behind him. troy himself moved back from the push as well due to Juns size.

 "you wanna mess with me, slash my tires, whatever, but i dont want you looking in soyeons direction. id prefer it if you didnt even breathe her air." troy yelled, pointing his finger at Jun.

 "man you really think id mess with your girlie motorbike? you're just a paranoid little guy arent you. i dont need to waste my time on you, cause i know its just a matter of time before Soyeon realizes what a little pest you are and is back with me." Jun snickered cockily.

 "Jun, stop it... And troy enough lets go." Soyeon intervened. troy backed up with soyeon..

 "hes no hero. hes not brave. he might have other kids fooled, even you soyeon. hes just a cockroach in this town who only is known because someone who actually meant something to the people here died. youre happy he's dead arent you. cause you know if Jang was still alive, youd still be a nobody!" Jun shouted. Troy snapped free from soyeon and lunged at Jun driving his Shoulder into Juns midsection. the people around them scattered and began chanting

"fight fight fight" Jun was able to stop troy from tackling him, and pushed troy off.

 "KNOCK IT OFF!" soyeon ran in-between them. "ENOUGH!" she shouted. she held her arms out. troy breathed heavy, enraged by Juns words. his fists were shaking. he only saw Jun standing across from him everything else was a blur.

 "how dare you say such a thing to him." soyeon turned to Jun "that was really low. im ashamed of you." the crowd fell silent.

 "and im disappointed in you too." soyeon said looking at troy. Troy hearing this, snapped out of his tunnel vision "if you 2 wanna beat each other up fine. but when you're suspended or expelled or whatever you can forget about us." troy didnt like the sound of that. "ignore each other."

 "i try to.." troy spoke up but was immediately cut off by soyeon.

 "then why didnt you just listen to me? why did you have to go out of your way to approach him? im not going to deal with this, anymore." she simply repeated.

 "fine." troy said shaking his head in disbelief. soyeon turned to jun, who smirked and nodded arrogantly.

 "ok then. we're done here." soyeon said calmly. she walked back to troy and took his arm and walked him away.

 "what was that you wouldnt even let me say anything!" he said quietly to her as the walked away from the prying eyes of the crowd.

 "i told you it isnt even worth it and to ignore him." soyeon said.

 "you think i dont try to ignore that goon? it was you staring at him that made me aware of him" he raised his tone.

 "o so you think im staring at him? are you still insecure that i dated him!" soyeon sounded upset.

 "NO! its because hes always bothering you! he messed with my moped! i try to ignore him but he just wont go away! you should have went off on him too. yea im pissed about the moped but i only confronted him because he was obviously doing something to mess with you" troy said frustrated.

 "i know you try to ignore him! i know" she admitted.

 "then why!" troy didnt understand why soyeon cut him off.

 "i understand, you were trying to help me. but you fighting Jun again and getting in serious trouble for it, isnt worth it. think of everything you came out here for, all that you'd throw away because of him, as satisfying as it may seem, to punch him square in the face." soyeon put her hand on troys face. "im on your side. i understand how you feel. but dont let him use me to get to you." troy sighed, he knew soyeon was right. as usual.
"im sorry." she simply hugged him. Troy was so close to completing the day with no major hiccups. of course Jun, had to go and ruin things. though the more he though about it, the more he wished he would have listened to Soyeon and just left him alone to begin with. Troy leaned against the outside wall of the school, waiting for his bus to arrive, as other students were also emerging from the school eager to be done with the day. He saw his bus pull up alongside the curb, and headed on his way...

 "trooooooooooooooooy~" a girl yelled from the school doors. he turned slowly.

 "dont be areum, dont be hwayoung, dont be hyomin" he repeated to himself in his head as he looked back tentatively.

 "TROY! wait!" yelled boram as she came to a running stop in front of troy.

 "whats up?" he asked.

 "i need you to take Eunjuns missed work to her." she handed troy the small stack of papers. "what? shes out again? no. i cant anyway." he refused to take the papers waving his hands vigorously.

 "if its because of Soyeon, dont worry about it shes cool with it." she panted.   troys eyes squinted. he did his best to look as skeptical as possible. "would i lie?" she said loudly.

 "YES" he answered just as loudly.

 "troy. stop. just do this for me." boram pushed the papers into his chest.

 "maybe i have things to do. maybe i have my own homework. stuff more important than you going out and wasting your time and money and leaving me to run tasks for one of your supposed best friends" troy said in frustration.

 "but we both know you dont, so thanks for being a sweetheart!" she said leaving the papers with him and bolting off as quickly as she came.

 "i really dont believe her." he shook his head and went to his bus. He rode the bus and got off at a stop nearest to Eunjungs neighborhood. he quickly jogged up to her apartment. he felt he needed to be quick. as If soyeon was lurking somewhere about to see him. that if a certain amount of time elapsed, he'd be in some sort of trouble. Even though boram said it was ok, he still didnt feel right. he knocked on the door quickly and rocked his body side to side in anticipation. Eunjung opened the door. dressed in plaid pajamas, she had a carton of chocolate ice cream in her hands, and a small bit of it above her top lip. "Troy?" she was surprised. she stuck the spoon in the ice cream. "oh, i must look terrible."

 "you look, kinda cute actually." troy complimented her casual appearance. "you feeling ok?" he showed her the papers.

 "oh yea, im fine. i just woke up late and decided to take one more day off." she took the papers from troy and threw them down on the couch.

 "well im glad youre okay. i just came to bring those here for boram. i should be going."

 "are you sure? you could hang out here. i dont mind. i have food this time." eunjung invited him over.

 "id love to, buuuut i really should be heading home." he felt bad declining.

 "alright then, if you really have to." eunjung shrugged disappointed.

 "yea maybe next time." he smiled. "ill see you tomorrow at school... if youre there."

 "haha very funny, ill be there." they said their good byes and troy went on his way to return home.