Just Let Me Go

The Sidelines

     There was an after-school meeting that same day. The sun had almost set when it was time for everyone else to leave.

     "Lee Know, can I have a bike ride!?" Changbin asked eagerly.

      "Wait, two people can go on a bike!? Can I ride!?" Felix asked.

     "Felix, you live here," Seungmin reminded him.

     "Oh right... just got excited."

     "None of ya'll are getting a ride," Han said. "The rides are reserved for ME!"

     "Last time I checked, Lee Know isn't the only person with a motorbike..." Seungmin pointed out. Everyone looked at Hyunjin.

     "Nope, I called dibs on the motorbike from this morning!" Jeongin said. "Right, Hyunjin?"

      A chorus of arguments.

     "Of course you guys always get first dibs!"

     "Rock paper scissors! That's the only way!"

     "You know what, I vote that we kick both Jeongin and Han to public transport. They always get the free rides!"

     "Guys!" Chan interrupted everyone. "Before we leave, shouldn't we come up with a group name?"

     "Oh yeah, we have everyone here, I like the idea!" Felix said.

     "What are we, some kind of club?" Lee Know mumbled under his breath.

     Jeongin was surprised by this. Hadn't they first come up with the group name over text? Jeongin had a hard time getting his head around the smaller events that could change because of the changes he had initiated.

     Throughout the group discussion, Jeongin held back the urge to say something, to move the discussion along so it would reach the decision it had reached before.

     He had trouble wrapping his head around possible changes, which made him scared that not everything would play out exactly the same as before.

     "Stray Kids!" Chan said. "You know... cause we're kids and we're... figuring stuff out... so like strays?"

     Silence.

     "I like it, it has a nice ring to it!" Hyunjin said.

     Jeongin gave a small sigh of relief. "Yeah, it's catchy!"

     "I can live with that," Felix said.

     Lee Know yawned. "Kay, whatever, I just want to go home." He smirked, remembering the lineup of people wanting a bike ride. "How about a competition? Let's see... anyone have a piece of paper and a marker? Here's the contest: I draw something using someone's back as a surface and that person needs to draw a picture trying to replicate my drawing. Whoever's drawing is the most similar wins!"

     The friends stayed back for a good ten minutes figuring that out.

     "Yahhh, let's go!" Changbin said, who had won the contest, his drawing somewhat similar to Lee Know's.

     "I feel betrayed..." Han said. "Yo Hyunjin, can I have a ride!?"

     "In your dreams!" Jeongin pushed him away. "Just because you lost your free rides doesn't mean I'm losing mine!"

     "Wow, Jeongin, I thought we were friends..."

     Finally, finally, everyone got to leaving.