You're My Target

Chapter 53

Troy took Qri on his moped to Soyeons house. he stopped up the road a bit and pulled over to the side.
"Why are we stopping here? she lives up there!" Qri said yanking off the stuffy helmet.

"so she doesnt see me and hear the moped pull up?" Troy answered.

"making a goddess walk when she could ride..." Qri sighed. .

"o stop you walked all the way to my house in heels and now you are gonna complain about a few more meters?" Troy took the helmet from her and put it under the popped up seat.

"i walked here for you and this is what i get in return. just go you jerk before i change my mind." Qri marched out ahead of him. she didnt break her stride and continued right on up to soyeons door. Troy scurried like a little mouse behind her, hiding to the side of Soyeons door. Qri knocked and it was soyeon who came to the door. however whatever Troy had in mind with being stealthy didnt matter as soyeon stepped outside and saw him standing there.

"Qri? whats going on, why is he here?" She asked with a glare.

"well he didnt come with me if thats what you mean." Qri said betraying troy.

"hey, what? soyeon i tried calling ..." Troy didnt have time to yell at qri for not sticking up for him.

"Troy i know you called, and i hung up on you for a reason. i dont want to speak to you right now!" She yelled at him.

"so, can i come in?" Qri chimed.

"yes qri you can." she stepped back inside holding the door for qri.

"and YOU can go HOME." she said slamming the door on troy. Troy stood there helpless. and dumbfounded.

"i dont believe this! she just ditched me!" troy hung his head and walked slowly back to his moped... but he didnt leave. he just sat on it feeling sorry for himself. he sat there for awhile ranting to himself until he heard a familiar clicking sound. Qri's top of the line fashion style heels tapping on the sidewalk.

"well look who came back." Troy folded his arms.

"and look who waited for me so nicely." Qri smiled.

"well.." troy said, hoping to hear something from qri about soyeon.

"well what?"

"what did she say? you came all the way here to help me out."

"i came here to give you a chance to talk to her. you talked to her. and it didnt go very well from what i saw standing right next to you." qri nodded playfully.

"QRI!!" Troy couldnt believe what he was hearing.

"hey, dont yell at me. its not my fault." Qri said putting her hands up.

"TROOYYY!!~" soyeons voice crashed down on them calling all the way from her house."GET OVER HERE NOW!"

 "how does she know im even still here." Troy grumbled.

"who cares, youre getting a second chance. dont waste it genius." Qri said poking his forehead with her finger. Troy got off his moped and ran back to soyeons house. She was standing with her hands on her hips at her front door.

"get in here now." she said yanking his arm and throwing him inside.it had been awhile since troy had been in soyeons home. the pine-fresh aroma of the pristine house immediately filled his nostrils.

"how do you make your home so... dust-free?" Troy asked randomly.

"we keep things like you OUT." she shoved him up the stairs. "dont try to small talk me after what you said." Troy tried to resist her, but it was mostly an act. deep down he really didnt mind soyeon aggressively taking him up stairs.

"keep your door open soyeon. no boys alone in your room." her sister said sassily from downstairs. Soyeon pushed troy into her room and he almost fell to his knees from the force she generated. her room was, like the rest of her house, almost too clean to be real. her furniture looked less girly than he expected. it was very modern. a sleek laptop on a pinewood desk. a matching wardrobe. a large mirror rested atop it. it reminded him of something a movie star would use. on the mantle of the wardrobe were a lot of other smaller mirrors. in fact troy couldnt help but note that there were a lot of mirrors in her room. some would say TOO many. on the wall, on the door. everywhere he looked he saw himself. By the top of her leopard print blanketed bed, a poster of a boy band Troy was unfamiliar with was on display. 5 too-handsome-for-their-own-good young men staring with charismatic eyes back at him. One looked strangely like Jun. Troy had a feeling he knew which one soyeon liked most. along the wardrobes main large mirror various photos of soyeon and her hung. he didnt get a chance to get close enough to see them.

"You have some nerve. the both of you." Soyeon said fiercly.

"Soyeon, im sorry." Troy turned to her and looked her directly in the eye.

"oh youre sorry. and let me guess, youre sorry for what you said yesterday? thats why you called, thats why you snuck over here like some sort weasel under Qris totally out of season skirt."
she was right, troy wanted to agree but now he felt kind of stupid hearing soyeon say it before him so he stood there silently and sort of let out a small shrug. Soyeon walked around him in a slow circle "Sorry for Eunjung. sorry sorry sorry. this sounds like the start of something."

"yea. a typical relationship." Troy made an attempt at a joke as soyeon came full circle in front of him. she rubbed her chin with her fingers.

"is that what we were? a typical relationship?" she questioned him a bit offended. "your sense of humor isnt winning you any points right now."

"im sor.."-

"and dont say youre sorry." Soyeon cut him, off.

"listen, alright. i messed up. im a jerk. you are friends with Jun. you were friends with him before we... had what we had. i was just frustrated at everything going on and i got insecure and jealous and i lashed out. i deserve the response i got from you- the same response you gave to Jun when he did it to us." Troy confessed as if he had rehearsed it.

"humm." soyeon seemed a bit impressed and surprised by Troys admission.

"what?" troy didnt know what she was thinking.

"i... didnt expect that from you." she held back a smile and kept a stern look.

"well. im full of surprises." he said reaching into his jacket pocket to get the gift he had gotten her, but his pocket was empty. he had forgot it at home.

"yea. you are... is something wrong?" she asked noticing him fidgeting in his pockets.

"no nothing. im just ashamed of myself." Troy had to be honest. no holding anything back now.

"Troy troy troy...sit." she sat with a light bounce on her bed.

"i dont want to dirty your sacred holy ground." he said staying where he was. "a dust magnet like me and all."

"troy, youre cleaner than me right now. im still in pajamas. im wearing a t-shirt with maple syrup from breakfast on it. i havent even showered yet." soyeon said. now that she said it, Troy noticed that it was his first time seeing soyeon so, natural. even in her syrup stained shirt, she looked flawless to troy.

"well. now im not sure i want you near me." he said taking a few steps away. soyeon reached for a nearby stuffed bear and threw it at him. he ducked under it and it flew by him hitting her mirror, knocking a picture down from the mirror frame. he went over to pick it up. it was a picture of soyeon and troy, taken at the party he had at his house. before they were a couple.
he picked it up and smiled.
"i dont remember taking this." he said happily but had a sad look, because he couldnt remember.

"narsha had gotten a few beverages in you." soyeon told him she came over to look as well.

"i remember having alot of fun that night though. i remember that outfit you wore." he turned to her and handed her the picture.

"do you want it?" she asked him.

"you keep it." he made sure she held onto it. he watched her hang it back up. she placed it under a picture of soyeon and all the others. Jiyeons ear to ear smile. Borams over the top, mouth way to open, eye smile. Qri doing her best soul piercing gaze face. Hwayoung, a derpy kiss face. Soyeon giving a seductive wink... and then troys eyes focused on Eunjung. peace signs displayed on both hands with a friendly smile and behind her, Hyomin a warm closed mouth smile. Troy turned away with a sick feeling.

"nice picture.. and yea you got a nice room." Troy said awkwardly he bent down to get her bear.

"thank you." she said taking it from him.

"so. you guys still doing that dance and singing competetion?" troy asked. soyeon shrugged. she turned back to look at the picture of them all.
"i didnt mean to make you feel bad. i just, have a feeling.." he said as soyeon looked up at him through the mirror. "that everything... all this.. you know. it will clear up." he had to force the words out of his mouth. soyeon looked back down. she didnt seem slightly convinced by troys words. and even though troy knew she shouldnt be.. it made him feel even worse...
 "youre right you know. what you said earlier. about it becoming a thing. the apologies i mean. it shouldnt be a thing. and whats funny is thats what i was afraid of all along. like i knew i was gona do it but i couldnt stop myself. its what got me into this mess. my own damn insecurity. should i even mention thats what i was confiding in eunjung about that night?" Troy rambled with a shaky voice. soyeon turned around and looked at him concerned. "you deserve better than a typical relationship. you deserve better than apologies all the time. and thats all i am. i cant be upset with you for not being ready for this, ..for us, when im not either. i need to start apologizing to myself. stop trying to fool myself. stop lying to myself." troy looked away from her.

"why would you try to fool or lie to yourself troy?" she asked him.

"just know, i never meant to hurt you. or anyone." he said a bit coldly. his arms remained at his side. "Qri's probably waiting out there."
soyeon looked up at him with a hurting smile.

"actually im right here." Qri said stepping through the barely open door. she had a bag of popcorn in her hand. Soyeon and troy both dropped their jaws.
"dont worry i wasnt listening to your sad little love story. i wanted to let you know your sister was trying to spy on you guys but i stopped her. i was standing by the door to keep her away." she flicked a popcorn kernal into the air and caught it in her mouth.

"i think thats my cue." Troy said aggitated.

"are you kidding me?" soyeon hissed at Qri.

"whatever you were gona just tell me everything later anyway. just figured id listen in now because your sister was watching some boring show." Qri admitted and acted like it was no big deal.

"lets go or your walking home." Troy said dragging qri out of the room.

"i was gona stay." Qri tried to stop him.

"no take her home troy." soyeon said with a playfully.

"ill see you later soyeon." he waved as he headed down her stairs.

"bye Troy." she called to him.

"hey what about me!" Qri cried. Troy dragged her out the door, and back to his moped.

"well you guys seem to be doing all right." Qri said as Troy tossed her the helmet gently.

"yea. just wonderful." Troy had a grim look on his face. "Just get on."

Troy took Qri back towards her house. When they stopped at a traffic light, Qri asked him to instead go to Borams house. Troy figured why not. it would give him a good chance to tell her off, for sending Qri and ditching him. They made a quick change in their route and set course for Borams home. Troy however took an unexpected stop at a gas-station.

"Hey, why are you being so quiet?" Qri said pulling off her helmet.

"theres nothing to talk about. plus its hard to have a conversation on a moped while its moving." Troy responded distantly. he tried to walk away.

"dont give me that. stop sulking. i didnt think things went that bad back there with Soyeon." Qri shouted at him. "youre boo-hoo attitude isnt gona help."

"you dont even know what youre talking about." Troy put his hand up signaling for her to just quit it.

"im getting some food to bring to borams house. so i can eat it in front of her. wait here."

"and you say im twisted..." Qri said quietly. troy walked off to go inside. "hey i want to do it too!" she said chasing him in.
- After getting a few bags of gummy snacks, chips and the ever coveted beef jerky they walked back out to his moped.

"hmm." Qri muttered as she took the helmet. she looked off down the street with a funny look.

"what?" Troy asked her.

"its the 3rd time i saw that type of car since we left your apartment." she said pointing out a navy blue colored car parked down the street behind them.

"is that so.. that one? the navy one?" He said confirming her point.

"yea. must be a lucky sign." She said with a cheerful ring in her voice.

"when exactly did you see this car?" Troy asked concerned.

"well it was outsde your apartment when i walked there and when we left. it was outside soyeons house and its here now. why?"

"because it's not a coincidence." Troy said matter-of-factly.

"what are you saying. what makes you so sure?" she asked.

"ill show you get on." Qri and troy got on the moped and he took off as fast as the little motor bike could take them.

"TROY!!" she shouted at him in a panic clutching his waist tightly.

"HOLD ON TIGHT!" he yelled back as they zoomed down the road. he pointed into his rear-view mirror, showing Qri the navy car was in fact following them. after a grueling low-speed chase, the navy car turned out to be an un-marked police car. red & blue flashing lights flickered softly from behind the darkened windshield. Troy slowed down and pulled to the side of the road. he rested the bike as it came to a stop."

driver! turn off the vehicle!" the driving officer instructed troy as he exited the car. troy watched him through his rear view. he turned the engine off.

"good job troy, you proved your point. now youre gona get a ticket!" qri was ticked off.

"Driver step off the bike to your left and put your hands on your head! slowly!" they instructed him further. Troy did as he was told.

"good, now get on your knees!. passenger remain calm and stay exactly where you are." they continued.

"troy, this doesnt feel like a traffic violation." Qri said taking off her helmet."

just do as they say Qri." Troy said coldly. the 2 officers from the car came over and shoved Troy down to the road, chin first into the asphalt.

"already got your next girl lined up huh? where were you gona take this one, freak?" one officer said as he yanked Troys arms up behind his back and tightly snapping the hand cuffs on him.

"Troy!! what are you doing to him!" Qri shouted in a worried panic, she jumped off the moped protesting the arrest.

"miss stand back, youre safe now." the other officer came to restrain her.

"yea i am he was just going too fast, why are you arresting him!? Troy!"

"we got you in the act." the officer dragged Troy away with an arrogant snicker.

"dont tell soyeon." troy called out to Qri as the officer dragged him back to the navy car.

"we'll have another unit arrive shortly to escort you home safety miss." the remaining officer told Qri, genuinely concerned. however Qri was genuinely confused.

" im fine! i dont need to go home! im just really confused! why are you arresting him?! this is ridiculous! TROY WE'LL GET THIS TAKEN CARE OF!" she shouted one last time before he was thrown into the backseat of the car and taken away...