You're My Target

chapter 48

The next morning Troy got out of the shower and wiped the fog from the mirror. he stared at himself for awhile. He wasnt sure what he was looking for, or for some reason who he was looking at. A bad feeling, a guilty feeling was growing inside him, but he ignored it and kept it buried under his emotionless exterior. After returning to his room to get dressed, he picked up the gift he got for soyeon. he held it in his hand before putting it back down on his Dresser. Troy sat on his bed silently until it was finally time for school.Troy arrived at school, but he didnt actually go onto the school grounds. he parked his moped across the street and sat there for a minute. and a minute turned into many minutes. he watched other students arrive and pass him by. as he sat separated from the world, Borams shrill voice came from a passing bus:
"DONT BE LATE TROY!" she shouted, waking him up. Troy reluctantly made his way to the entrance and parked his moped. He entered the school and wasnt sure if people were staring at him more than usual, or if it was just his imagination. he sat in homeroom at his desk Jiyeon and Hwayoung were both not there. Areum however was. Troy kept saying to himself

 "leave me alone" over and over in his head, hoping she would not want to talk to him. Of course, that only made her come talk to him.

"Good morning troy." she said happily. a smile stretched across her face.

"yea. morning." he said unpleasantly.

"you know where Hwayoung and Jiyeon are?" she asked politely. He shrugged his shoulders at her."im sorry about Soyeon." she said concerned. troy said nothing and sat like a lump in his seat. "arent you going to ask me where i've been?" she asked him. he glanced at her with raised eyebrows.

"i dont want to sound like a jerk but, No?" he replied. "it's none of my business."

"oh, i see. i guess you're not in the mood to talk right now." she concluded. troy shook his head no. "bye then." she waved and went back to her seat. After homeroom. Troy walked to his next class. on the way he couldnt help but feel like people were staring and talking about him. eyes followed him, and whispers and giggles followed him. Period after period, each journey to his next class it didnt seem to stop. On his way to lunch, he saw Jun and Soyeon talking. he felt his blood pressure rise and start to boil.

"maybe that's what all the whispering is about." he grumbled to himself. He watched them, until soyeon noticed troy. They stared at each other, soyeon looked at him disappointed, before turning and leaving. Troy then turned his attention to Jun, who looked back at troy and just shrugged before leaving as well. When troy got to the cafeteria, Pryor and Hank were waiting. Troy slammed himself down at the table. Hank and Pryor sat quietly. suspiciously quiet. they were never quiet. Even though Troy noticed, he was glad because he wasnt in the mood for anything. Troy rested his head in his hands and just grumbled under his breath as Pryor and Hank sat silently, cautiously watching.

"that dumb, dumb... dumb...ugh." troy vented. "i dont believe her!"

"anything on your mind, pal?" hank asked him.

"she's got some nerve!" troy fumed.

"yea, i know. i cant believe she'd stoop so low." Pryor nodded in agreement.

"too beautiful for her own good... walking around all 'look at me im popular im so mature im such a lady im top of my class i break up with my boyfriend because my crazy emotional friend kisses him just so i can find an excuse to run back to my ex!'" troy said imitating soyeons actions and voice.

"that sounds more like, Soyeon than Hyomin." Pryor said confused.

"well duh im talking about soyeon. what would make you... think..." troy stopped talking. they both looked back at him.

"wait whats this about.. Hyomin all of a sudden?" he asked.

"come on troy. dont tell me. you havent heard?" Hank said in disbelief.

"its all over the school... have you been in your own little bubble all day?"

"Maybe he just doesnt care about what she has to say about him." Hank replied to pryor. "and i mean come on, only an idiot would believe what she said."
troy jumped up from the table and looked around thE lunch room. as he did, some other students all began to stare and whisper.

"she.. told? she.. told!" troy said to himself in a panic. he turned and ran out of the cafeteria. Troy didnt stop to look for hyomin, even though he felT like he should. instead he ran straight out of school got on his moped and took off. Later, by the time school was over, Troy waited nearby Hyomins house. He watched from a few houses down, waiting for her to come home. He waited and waited when suddenly, it felt like he woke up.
"What am i doing?" he said to himself. "it's too late either way..." troy got back on hiS moped and went home. When he arrived at home, Boram, Qri and Hwayoung were waiting for him. He felt like turning around, he didnt want to face them. He thought about riding right by, but Boram had already spotted him and jogged down to the street to stop him.

"TROY!" she shouted nearly jumping in front of him, luckily troy slowed down and didnt hit her. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? skipping school and joy riding?"

"Soyeon isnt into delinquents." Qri added as she came down to the road with them.

"why are you here?" troy asked nervously.

"to make sure you're alright?" Boram answered him.

"and to find out.. if it's true." Qri winked. Troys whole body clenched up. Boram reached out and grabbed troys wrist, anticipating his desire to leave.

"stop it." she said to Qri. "we all know its not true. i understand Hyomin wanting to defend us, but to say what she said, is just wrong."

"i dont know, he didnt let me kiss him. he hasnt kissed soyeon and claims he didnt want to kiss eunjung. thats 3 strikes. hes out." Qri held up 3 fingers. Troys desperation and anxiety turned into confusion.
"so, isnt it time to come out of the closet?" Qri motioned her hand for Troy to talk.

"what??" troy was totally lost.

"isnt that why you left school? because of Hyomin telling everyone you're gay?" Boram looked up at him. troy was stunned, so stunned he couldn't feel the relief he should have been feeling.

"hyomin told.... everyone.. im a homosexual?" troy asked. making sure he was understanding correctly.

"dont act like you didn't know. why else would you run from school and try to run from us." Boram said slapping his upper arm. Troy fixed his gaze directly and Hwayoung and stared a whole though her, completely ignoring Borams words. He got off his moped and pointed at Hwayoung.

"you, inside. now." he demanded as he marched to Hwayoung and took her in his apartment, leaving boram and his moped in the street. Troy dragged her in and slammed the door behind them. he threw her up against the wall and held her there.

"this is all your fault!" he thundered. his words felt like fire coming out of his throat.

"how is this my fault?" she replied struggling in Troys grip.

"do you have any idea what you have done?" he said getting angrier.

"No, troy, I DONT. now let me go." she tried again to break free.

"you and your stories, your theories your out of control imagination!"

"Troy, youre hurting me." She said forcibly. He snickered a little, and then let her go."please explain to me how Hyomin telling everyone youre gay has anything to do with me?" she belted. Troy looked away for a minute, until it hit him.

"the note." the light bulb in his brain lit up. "thats when it all started."

"the note?" she asked.

"yes. let me help jog your memory, even though im sure you already know and are just playing coy." Troy said sarcastically. "awhile ago, i had a wonderful party. all my friends were there. and so was this cute, spunky girl. yet she had some wild fixation on crack-pot theories and decided to snoop with one of her friends who also has a screw loose i might add, through my garbage, finding a note from my good friend from back home, Mou. The note is probably what lead Hyomin to believe im gay. i mean when you think about it now, it makes sense. Mysterious guy i dont want to be seen with, he buys me a moped, she thinks im a phony.. im a player to hide the fact im actually gay. but at least her crazy accusation have some merit."

"is everything ok in there?" Boram said knocking on the door. Troy didnt take his eyes off of Hwayoung, and opened the door.

"yea, we're dandy." he said coldly.

" Troy, i dont even know how to respond to any of that." hwayoung said frustrated and upset. "but you know what? this isnt my fault its your fault! hyomin thinks youre gay because of you! soyeon dumped you because of you! and you know what else, and you already do but ill just jog your memory. Jang is dead because of you too!" her eyes began to water and her voice shook as she stormed out of his apartment. Boram stood there caught off gaurd. Troy did the same.

"dandy huh?" she asked.

"fine and dandy." he answered with a sad whisper.

"are... you ok?" boram put her hand on his shoulder.

"you should probably go be with Hwayoung." he couldnt look at her.

"okay." she nodded. "ill call you."

Troy stood where they had left him.

".....and.. Hyomin will be my fault too...." he mumbled in a sad, guilty acceptance as he slumped to the floor.