The Curse
Lies
The next morning, Chaejin woke to find Zelo still sleeping. He had gone through a lot, and this was going to be even worse, if the creatures had their way. He had to figure out a way to tell him, but not today. Sighing, he walked out to go take a shower.
Zelo woke up a while later, seeing that he was alone. That was just fine. Moving around the room slowly, he took in the details. The walls were white, just like the Home he had just come from, but there were several posters of dragons, unicorns and other mystical creatures. There were also statues of dragon, and they were very cool. Chaejin obviously liked dragons. There was also a bookshelf next to the bed. It had a sheet over it, and Zelo was guessing it was there to hide something from him. Rolling his eyes, he shook his head. Whatever… Moving away from the stupid bookshelf, he noticed a black chair. Sitting down in it, he found it comfortable. At least SOMETHING felt okay.
When Chaejin got back, Zelo sat up from the chair and confronted him. “What is this place? Is it trustworthy? What do you do around here?”
Chaejin sat down on the bed, wishing he could tell him everything. He had kept it inside for all these years, and he needed to get it out. Right now, his job was to befriend him. Smiling, he lied to him. “This is the house of your distant cousin…Evan. I have lived here my entire life, since my parents…abandoned me.” Chaejin swallowed the lump in his throat. ‘Evan’ Ellister had actually killed them…
Zelo nodded. “I see. I’m sorry, uh....”
“Chae,” Chaejin helped him, then continued what he was saying. “It was a long time ago, and I’m over it now…Would you like to go outside?” He was feeling jittery, and needed to get out of the hated place.
Zelo smiled at him. “Sure. It would be nice to get out of here for a while.”
Chaejin nodded. Yeah…“Okay. Let’s go. I’ll show you around here in the house, then we can go outside.”
They wandered around, with Chaejin pointing out things every once in a while. The house was large, and the walls were dark. Why did everything in this house have to be creepy, including the only person he had seen? There was a staircase, with ornate carvings. It was also black. Maybe his cousin just had a thing for the dark side, or simply liked black. When they entered the kitchen, Zelo saw that there was a cook. At least there was another person.
The cook smiled at them. “Good morning, Chaejin,” she glanced at Zelo. “You must be Junhong, Evan’s cousin.”
Zelo smiled at her. He may as well be polite, even though this place was strange. “Yes, ma’am. Choi Junhong. I go by Zelo, though.”
The cook nodded. “My name is EunHa. I am the cook here. Would you like something to eat?”
Chaejin smiled at her. “Thank you. If we could just have some biscuits, that would be nice.”
EunHa smiled at him. “I will get you some, Chaejin.” She left the room, and they could hear the microwave start up.
Chaejin turned to Zelo. “She makes great biscuits. The ones she is giving us are from yesterday. I hope you don’t mind.”
Zelo shook his head. “That’s fine. It sounds yummy.”
Chaejin grinned. “They are.” He smiled at EunHa, who had just brought their biscuits out. She had placed them on small paper plates.
Here you go,” EunHa handed them to Chaejin, who smile at her before she left.
“Okay. I think I have shown you most of the house.” Chaejin turned to him. “I think we should go for a walk…It’s a bit stuffy in here.” It was also a bit creepy, and Zelo felt uneasy. He was glad Chaejin had suggested going outside.
When they were a safe distance from the house, Zelo turned to Chaejin. “Why have I never seen my cousin? Where is he? I’m sick of your cryptic answers. Why can’t you tell me the truth?”
Chaejin sighed, knowing this conversation had been coming. Well, he would just tell a little bit, instead of the entire truth. He didn’t think he would be able to get away with flat out lying to him. “Your cousin is busy, and that is why you have not seen him. You’ll meet him soon.”
Zelo rolled his eyes. He was going to act tough around this other kid. “I just wanted to know why, but it doesn’t matter.” He grit his teeth. “So, what do you do all day?” He changed the subject quickly.
Chaejin smiled. Zelo had just now unknowingly saved him from lying to his face again. “I mostly hang around, do my schoolwork, watch movies, surf the Web…”
Zelo smiled. “Sounds fun.”
Chaejin grinned at him. “So, do you want to go play video games? I have some.”
Zelo threw him a skeptical look. “Sure.”
Chaejin looked at Zelo’s jet black curls, contemplating. “Better yet, I have some dye that would look amazing on your hair. What do you say?”
Zelo laughed softly, still wary, but could see that the other boy was making an effort. He decided he would, also. He smiled at him. “Okay.”
They spent the afternoon dying Zelo’s hair, and Chaejin thought he looked very good with the light color, which was similar to his own. Hot looked hot…which would be another reason it was hard to lie to him.
Zelo woke up a while later, seeing that he was alone. That was just fine. Moving around the room slowly, he took in the details. The walls were white, just like the Home he had just come from, but there were several posters of dragons, unicorns and other mystical creatures. There were also statues of dragon, and they were very cool. Chaejin obviously liked dragons. There was also a bookshelf next to the bed. It had a sheet over it, and Zelo was guessing it was there to hide something from him. Rolling his eyes, he shook his head. Whatever… Moving away from the stupid bookshelf, he noticed a black chair. Sitting down in it, he found it comfortable. At least SOMETHING felt okay.
When Chaejin got back, Zelo sat up from the chair and confronted him. “What is this place? Is it trustworthy? What do you do around here?”
Chaejin sat down on the bed, wishing he could tell him everything. He had kept it inside for all these years, and he needed to get it out. Right now, his job was to befriend him. Smiling, he lied to him. “This is the house of your distant cousin…Evan. I have lived here my entire life, since my parents…abandoned me.” Chaejin swallowed the lump in his throat. ‘Evan’ Ellister had actually killed them…
Zelo nodded. “I see. I’m sorry, uh....”
“Chae,” Chaejin helped him, then continued what he was saying. “It was a long time ago, and I’m over it now…Would you like to go outside?” He was feeling jittery, and needed to get out of the hated place.
Zelo smiled at him. “Sure. It would be nice to get out of here for a while.”
Chaejin nodded. Yeah…“Okay. Let’s go. I’ll show you around here in the house, then we can go outside.”
They wandered around, with Chaejin pointing out things every once in a while. The house was large, and the walls were dark. Why did everything in this house have to be creepy, including the only person he had seen? There was a staircase, with ornate carvings. It was also black. Maybe his cousin just had a thing for the dark side, or simply liked black. When they entered the kitchen, Zelo saw that there was a cook. At least there was another person.
The cook smiled at them. “Good morning, Chaejin,” she glanced at Zelo. “You must be Junhong, Evan’s cousin.”
Zelo smiled at her. He may as well be polite, even though this place was strange. “Yes, ma’am. Choi Junhong. I go by Zelo, though.”
The cook nodded. “My name is EunHa. I am the cook here. Would you like something to eat?”
Chaejin smiled at her. “Thank you. If we could just have some biscuits, that would be nice.”
EunHa smiled at him. “I will get you some, Chaejin.” She left the room, and they could hear the microwave start up.
Chaejin turned to Zelo. “She makes great biscuits. The ones she is giving us are from yesterday. I hope you don’t mind.”
Zelo shook his head. “That’s fine. It sounds yummy.”
Chaejin grinned. “They are.” He smiled at EunHa, who had just brought their biscuits out. She had placed them on small paper plates.
Here you go,” EunHa handed them to Chaejin, who smile at her before she left.
“Okay. I think I have shown you most of the house.” Chaejin turned to him. “I think we should go for a walk…It’s a bit stuffy in here.” It was also a bit creepy, and Zelo felt uneasy. He was glad Chaejin had suggested going outside.
When they were a safe distance from the house, Zelo turned to Chaejin. “Why have I never seen my cousin? Where is he? I’m sick of your cryptic answers. Why can’t you tell me the truth?”
Chaejin sighed, knowing this conversation had been coming. Well, he would just tell a little bit, instead of the entire truth. He didn’t think he would be able to get away with flat out lying to him. “Your cousin is busy, and that is why you have not seen him. You’ll meet him soon.”
Zelo rolled his eyes. He was going to act tough around this other kid. “I just wanted to know why, but it doesn’t matter.” He grit his teeth. “So, what do you do all day?” He changed the subject quickly.
Chaejin smiled. Zelo had just now unknowingly saved him from lying to his face again. “I mostly hang around, do my schoolwork, watch movies, surf the Web…”
Zelo smiled. “Sounds fun.”
Chaejin grinned at him. “So, do you want to go play video games? I have some.”
Zelo threw him a skeptical look. “Sure.”
Chaejin looked at Zelo’s jet black curls, contemplating. “Better yet, I have some dye that would look amazing on your hair. What do you say?”
Zelo laughed softly, still wary, but could see that the other boy was making an effort. He decided he would, also. He smiled at him. “Okay.”
They spent the afternoon dying Zelo’s hair, and Chaejin thought he looked very good with the light color, which was similar to his own. Hot looked hot…which would be another reason it was hard to lie to him.
11/5/13