The War Between Worlds
Different
(year 2212)
I sat at the back of the class, hoping no one would notice me. I was sick of being noticed, because the other kids never took an interest in me because of my fun personality or the fact that I love to sing and would hang out with anyone, if given the chance. Of course not. They took notice of me because of my unusually large, dark eye and my unfailingly pale skin that always required sunscreen. That was not a good confidence booster, especially at the time in my life when I would have wanted friends. Not anymore. I felt like a strange, undesirable, ugly kid, and had given up on having friends. I didn’t need them, anyway.
Walking home one day, I heard a sound from the corner of the schoolyard. I froze, expecting to find another tormentor. When I didn’t say anything, I heard footsteps behind me. Rolling my eyes, I turned around to find a short child with a dirty tee shirt that had probably been white, in its better days. The boy stood there, squinting against the sun in his face. He just stared at me.
I sighed. “Can I help you?” There was really nothing else I could say.
The boy smiled at me, extending his hand. “Hi. I’m Daeil. I lost my jacket, and my mom will kill me for losing it. I’m sure you understand how THAT goes.”
Now it was my turn to look around. I was looking for other kids. The tormentors. When I didn’t find any, I offered Daeil a tight smile. “I’ll help you find it, but then I have to run, okay? I know a back way into the school, and that would be better than going in the front…trust me.” I motioned with my head. “Come on.”
Daeil’s face lit up. “Thank you so much, hyung! I promise I won’t keep you forever.”
I frowned. “I know you won’t. I have places to be. I can help you for twenty minutes.” I pulled the younger boy’s sleeve. Let’s go in the back. I think I may know a few different places it could be.”
“Okay!” Daeil seemed to be full of energy, which was already getting on my nerves.
We walked into the school, ignoring anyone we happened to see. I finally found the jacket and started to make their way out when I felt something hot on my back. I instantly knew it was Changmin, the leader of my bastard tormentors. The bully burned me again with light, slowly getting closer. Daeil glanced at me, then turned around to face the bully.
“Hi,” he smiled at the taller boy, making eye contact. I shook my head, knowing he would die for it.
Changmin scoffed at him, looking over at me. “Where did you get the short bodyguard? He won’t help you any. I guess you will just have him to babysit.” He grinned at me, looking more evil than usual in his black clothes. The others had already begun to gather around us, watching. They were like a group of hyenas.
Daeil glared at the taller boy. “I don’t need a babysitter. You may want to go home to yours, though.”
One of Changmin’s friends laughed. “Look who’s talking, shrimpo.”
Daeil sighed. “Well, I certainly don’t have the time to deal with trash like you, so I think I will be leaving now. You are honestly quite boring. You may want to go work on your people skills. It might improve your attitude. It won’t help your face any, however.” He sighed. “So sad…Anyway, WE need to be going. See you tomorrow.”
Changmin stepped up and shoved Daeil on the shoulder. The younger boy simply moved back, out of his reach. He pushed me in front of him, heading to the door. Changmin reached out to hit him when they all heard the principal’s door open.
Daeil laughed. “Like I said, see you tomorrow, asshole.”
I knew how this would continue to go, so I sped up my pace, Daeil following close behind. We managed to leave the school without any more problems.
Once outside, I turned to Daeil. “Take your jacket and go. You really don’t want to get caught up in this. Go hang out with someone your own age, okay? I don’t need the extra hassle.”
Daeil raised an eyebrow. “I just helped your ass…but if that’s how you want it, fine. I’ll go, and they can pick on you all they want. However, if you stick with me, I can keep you safe. I promise. It’s your choice, though.”
I rolled my eyes. “I said I can take care of myself. Just go. Bye…I WON”T see you tomorrow.”
I walked off before Daeil could say anything else.
########################################
The next day, I ignored Daeil, but couldn’t stop thinking about how cool and confident the younger boy was. I admired his outlook, but didn’t want to bring any trouble on the kid.
When I was leaving my last class, I was approached by Daeil. I sighed and turned around. “I thought I was quite clear yesterday, when I told you to leave me alone. Don’t you see the trouble it can get you into? I don’t think you want that…unless you are just a glutton for punishment.”
Daeil frowned. “Look,” he began slowly. “I don’t want any trouble, either. That is why I can help you.” He glanced around.
I laughed. “Yeah,” I replied dryly, confused, and not really interested in his tall tales of why he needed to protect me. I could just follow along with it. “Fine. If you think you can handle it, I’ll deal with it.” ‘Maybe I can just get rid of you, in the process,’ I thought, smiling at him.
Daeil smiled. “Okay. I didn’t catch your name yesterday, by the way…”
I groaned inwardly, knowing I had just obligated myself to take care of this twerp. Oh, well. “My name’s Kisu Choi.”
He smiled. “Cool. DaeIl Kim, as said yesterday. Nice to meet you.”
I smiled again. “Yeah.”
########################################
When Daeil got home that afternoon, he realized he had left the food out on the counter, after making his lunch. Putting it away quickly, he started to leave the room. He paused when he saw his mother coming toward him. She pulled the food he had just placed in the cabinet out and slammed it on the counter. Daeil glanced at her, hoping he would not be in trouble for it, this time. No such luck. She slapped him across the face, causing him to fall to the floor. She pointed to the hall, and he ran to his room. Sent away like a dog…again.
I sat at the back of the class, hoping no one would notice me. I was sick of being noticed, because the other kids never took an interest in me because of my fun personality or the fact that I love to sing and would hang out with anyone, if given the chance. Of course not. They took notice of me because of my unusually large, dark eye and my unfailingly pale skin that always required sunscreen. That was not a good confidence booster, especially at the time in my life when I would have wanted friends. Not anymore. I felt like a strange, undesirable, ugly kid, and had given up on having friends. I didn’t need them, anyway.
Walking home one day, I heard a sound from the corner of the schoolyard. I froze, expecting to find another tormentor. When I didn’t say anything, I heard footsteps behind me. Rolling my eyes, I turned around to find a short child with a dirty tee shirt that had probably been white, in its better days. The boy stood there, squinting against the sun in his face. He just stared at me.
I sighed. “Can I help you?” There was really nothing else I could say.
The boy smiled at me, extending his hand. “Hi. I’m Daeil. I lost my jacket, and my mom will kill me for losing it. I’m sure you understand how THAT goes.”
Now it was my turn to look around. I was looking for other kids. The tormentors. When I didn’t find any, I offered Daeil a tight smile. “I’ll help you find it, but then I have to run, okay? I know a back way into the school, and that would be better than going in the front…trust me.” I motioned with my head. “Come on.”
Daeil’s face lit up. “Thank you so much, hyung! I promise I won’t keep you forever.”
I frowned. “I know you won’t. I have places to be. I can help you for twenty minutes.” I pulled the younger boy’s sleeve. Let’s go in the back. I think I may know a few different places it could be.”
“Okay!” Daeil seemed to be full of energy, which was already getting on my nerves.
We walked into the school, ignoring anyone we happened to see. I finally found the jacket and started to make their way out when I felt something hot on my back. I instantly knew it was Changmin, the leader of my bastard tormentors. The bully burned me again with light, slowly getting closer. Daeil glanced at me, then turned around to face the bully.
“Hi,” he smiled at the taller boy, making eye contact. I shook my head, knowing he would die for it.
Changmin scoffed at him, looking over at me. “Where did you get the short bodyguard? He won’t help you any. I guess you will just have him to babysit.” He grinned at me, looking more evil than usual in his black clothes. The others had already begun to gather around us, watching. They were like a group of hyenas.
Daeil glared at the taller boy. “I don’t need a babysitter. You may want to go home to yours, though.”
One of Changmin’s friends laughed. “Look who’s talking, shrimpo.”
Daeil sighed. “Well, I certainly don’t have the time to deal with trash like you, so I think I will be leaving now. You are honestly quite boring. You may want to go work on your people skills. It might improve your attitude. It won’t help your face any, however.” He sighed. “So sad…Anyway, WE need to be going. See you tomorrow.”
Changmin stepped up and shoved Daeil on the shoulder. The younger boy simply moved back, out of his reach. He pushed me in front of him, heading to the door. Changmin reached out to hit him when they all heard the principal’s door open.
Daeil laughed. “Like I said, see you tomorrow, asshole.”
I knew how this would continue to go, so I sped up my pace, Daeil following close behind. We managed to leave the school without any more problems.
Once outside, I turned to Daeil. “Take your jacket and go. You really don’t want to get caught up in this. Go hang out with someone your own age, okay? I don’t need the extra hassle.”
Daeil raised an eyebrow. “I just helped your ass…but if that’s how you want it, fine. I’ll go, and they can pick on you all they want. However, if you stick with me, I can keep you safe. I promise. It’s your choice, though.”
I rolled my eyes. “I said I can take care of myself. Just go. Bye…I WON”T see you tomorrow.”
I walked off before Daeil could say anything else.
########################################
The next day, I ignored Daeil, but couldn’t stop thinking about how cool and confident the younger boy was. I admired his outlook, but didn’t want to bring any trouble on the kid.
When I was leaving my last class, I was approached by Daeil. I sighed and turned around. “I thought I was quite clear yesterday, when I told you to leave me alone. Don’t you see the trouble it can get you into? I don’t think you want that…unless you are just a glutton for punishment.”
Daeil frowned. “Look,” he began slowly. “I don’t want any trouble, either. That is why I can help you.” He glanced around.
I laughed. “Yeah,” I replied dryly, confused, and not really interested in his tall tales of why he needed to protect me. I could just follow along with it. “Fine. If you think you can handle it, I’ll deal with it.” ‘Maybe I can just get rid of you, in the process,’ I thought, smiling at him.
Daeil smiled. “Okay. I didn’t catch your name yesterday, by the way…”
I groaned inwardly, knowing I had just obligated myself to take care of this twerp. Oh, well. “My name’s Kisu Choi.”
He smiled. “Cool. DaeIl Kim, as said yesterday. Nice to meet you.”
I smiled again. “Yeah.”
########################################
When Daeil got home that afternoon, he realized he had left the food out on the counter, after making his lunch. Putting it away quickly, he started to leave the room. He paused when he saw his mother coming toward him. She pulled the food he had just placed in the cabinet out and slammed it on the counter. Daeil glanced at her, hoping he would not be in trouble for it, this time. No such luck. She slapped him across the face, causing him to fall to the floor. She pointed to the hall, and he ran to his room. Sent away like a dog…again.
11/7/13