Stars

I was really surprise when Luhan came to me with a lunchbox the next day. We sat together as I unwrapped the lunchbox. “I made it this time. I asked Yixing to teach me how to cook.” He said quietly. There was an extremely awkward atmosphere around us. I wanted to feel comfortable around my best friend, but I just felt uneasy knowing that he liked me. So we ate our lunch in silence, knowing that there was nothing more to say between us.

I told Leo about the whole Luhan situation. I needed advice on what to do.
“Don’t see him anymore.” He replied bluntly.
“But why? I can’t just shut him out. He’s my friend.”
“Nothing is more determined than a man in love.”
“Sure, OK. But think about us as friends. I don’t want to lose another close friend.” I said desperately.
“If you keep hanging out with him he will fall for you more. Understand that Melinda.”
“I know. I know. I don’t want to lose a friend though. Luhan is such a close friend.”
“It’s better to lose a friend than to lead someone on.”
I suddenly became really upset and angry. Who is Leo to tell me what is wrong or right? Who is Leo to tell me that losing a friend is better than leading someone on?
“No. Why would you even think that losing a friend is better than leading him on? You know what? Just forget I asked you.” I said angrily.
“Why are you getting angry with me? You asked me for advice and im giving it to you.”
“You’re not giving me advice, you’re telling me what to do. You’re telling me to de-friend him.”
“Well if I was Luhan I would rather be de-friended than lead on by the girl I like.” He raised his voice.
“But you’re not Luhan!”
“All guys thing the same, Melinda.”
“Clearly not.” I mumbled.
“What was that?” he screwed his face.
“Nothing.”
I was so relieved that I was home by the time our argument finished. I didn’t even look back when I opened the door.

I was two hours into my homework before Sehun called me. I hesitantly answered. Why did he want to speak to me?
“Hello Melinda!” he said cheerfully.
Someone thing was stuck in my throat. He sounded so happy…without me. “Hey, Sehun.” I croaked. “What’s up?”
“Want to come bowling with Exo today?”
“I’ll see if I am free.”
“OK. Text me if you are free and we’ll come to pick you up.” He laughed lightly.
“You don’t know where I live…”
“Oh. Right. I forgot you moved houses.”
“OK, I’ll ask my parents when they get home from work.” I said.
“OK, bye beautiful.”
I froze, my spine prickled and my eyes began to water. Holding the phone against my ear, all I could hear was the monotone beeping telling me the call was over. Each of those beeps, my brain registered as “OK, bye beautiful.”, “OK, bye beautiful.”, “OK, bye beautiful.” Those words pulsed through my head and left me stiff like a rock. Tears streamed from my eyes like waterfalls and my knees buckled under me. I fell to the floor and cried my eyes out. I cried so much that my head ached with pain and my face was red and swollen. I wasn’t sure how long I cried for, but my phone rang again. It was Sehun again.
“Hey Melinda. Did you ask your parents yet?”
I frantically tried to sound calm and collected before speaking. “Oh, no I haven’t yet. Um, they haven’t come home yet.” I lied.
“What’s wrong? Are you…crying?” he asked, concerned.
“No.” I lied again.
“Hurry and ask your parents! Text message them or something.” he urged with a giggle.
“OK I will.”
I put down my phone and walked outside my room. I asked my dad whether I could go and he said yes. I told Sehun the answer and my new address. I don’t know if it was a good idea to tell him my new address, he might come over regularly.

Sehun wasn’t joking when he told me Exo would pick me up. There were some other girls coming along too. Exo introduced me to their female friends.
“This is Taeyeon, my girlfriend.” Baekhyun said with a wide grin. I know Taeyeon because she goes to the same school as us, but I never got to know her personally.
“Nice to meet you Taeyeon.” I smiled. “Wow Baekhyun, how did you score someone like her?” I winked at him.
My phone chimed, indicating that someone had messaged me, but I wouldn’t check it when everyone was introducing their girlfriends.
Joonmyun also introduced his very hot girlfriend, and Minseok introduced his tiny cute girlfriend. They were all so pretty and perfect, unlike me. “So whose girlfriend is she?” Minseok’s girlfriend asked with a flutter of her eyelashes. I was about to answer “no one” when Sehun butted in. “She’s my girlfriend.” And he wrapped his arm around my waist. “Such a perfect couple!” Taeyeon said. When everyone was preoccupied with getting into one of the three cars parked in front of my house, I pulled away from Sehun and my phone chimed.
“Don’t say nonsense.” I hissed. “We’re not together.”
“Don’t you want to be?”
“No, I don’t.”
“I still want to.” He sounded sad and hurt.
“You just have to move on Sehun.” I tried to stand my ground and stay firm, but I just sounded harsh and mean.
“Just for today. Let me remember what it was like to have you, just for today.” He pleaded.
“Why? No.” I said firmly.
He dragged me into a back hug. “Please, please, please.” He wailed.
I tried to squirm out of his arms but he was much bigger and stronger than me. I was seriously reconsidering whether I should go bowling with him.
“Let go of me.” I demanded.
“I wont let go until you say yes.”
By this time, everyone else was already in the cars, watching what was happening. Why wasn’t anyone coming out to help me in a situation like this? My phone chimed again, and again, and again, all in about a second intervals. Who was texting me?
“Why are you being so unreasonable?” I questioned him.
He didn’t answer me, he just held on tighter.
I kicked his knee with the heel of my foot, he jerked away and fell on the floor. I was finally free. Suddenly a black van drove into my driveway and my phone chimed. VIXX sprang out of the van and appeared at me side. “What happened here?” Ravi asked, looking down at Sehun who was getting up. But before I could answer Leo stood in front of me and asked Sehun “Why are you here?”

Notes