Ch. 6

Once again, Sooyoung didn’t come to school for two days. The following days were the weekend. On Monday, finals started. Lena didn’t see her friend until Wednesday, during their math final. Sooyoung’s hair was styled over her face and she walked with a noticeable limp. Lena’s stomach dropped. She tried to talk to Sooyoung, but the older girl moved back to her original seat and never looked up. After the test, she raced out of the room.

The next Monday allowed Lena the ability to pass notes. She chanced it.

Hey, I’m bored. Are you bored? Doesn’t “final” mean “the end”? Why is there still one week of school? People graduated already!

She didn’t get an answer until the next day.

~*~*~*~

Mr. Park was handing back their graded tests.

“Turner-ah, not bad, but you could have done better. You made a lot of sloppy mistakes. But, it’s a good thing that your grade was in no way connected to Sooyoung-ah’s.” He paused for dramatic effect while Sooyoung let out a sigh of relief that left her with slumped shoulders. “You would have brought her score down. Sooyoung-ah, excellent work. Do you see? You are a smart girl. You just need the right ...motivation. It’s like I always say: ‘You just have to apply yourself.’” He turned away. “Speaking of that, Woojong-ah...”

The rest of the class was a free period, with the option to go over any mistakes one-on-one with the teacher. No one took him up on the offer.

Lena moved to sit by Sooyoung, who was still staring at her test. 

“Is this really mine?” she asked no one in particular. Then she noticed Lena. “You didn’t forge my handwriting again, did you?”

“Nope! I knew you could do it!” Lena clapped her on the back thoughtlessly, but she didn’t miss the resulting jump and grimace. “Oh, I’m sorry!”

Sooyoung shook her head and continued grinning. “Well, I couldn’t let you fail,” she teased her friend.

Lena smiled and wrung her hands at the same time. “I knew you wouldn’t. I-”

“Oh!” Sooyoung deflected. She rifled through her bag and then pressed a paper into Lena’s hand.

I know, right? This is lame! I’m so done with high school! YAAAAAY!

Lena stared for a second.

We’re right next to each other. We were just talking to each other. And it’s free period. We don’t have to write notes anymore!

You wrote that? You could have just said it then!

Ssh!

Yah! Why are you shushing me?! You just said that it’s free period!

It seemed like a good idea at the time. Besides, it’s habit.

I see. In that case, Hmph!

Lena put her hand over the paper and tried to look the tanned girl in the eyes. “I really am sorry, Sooyoung-ah.”

Her friend smiled. “Don’t worry about it. Besides, I’m sorry too.”

“Are you okay?”

“Are you my friend?” she asked right back.

“Of course! I mean, if you want me to be!”

“Then I’m ecstatic. Yah! Wanna eat lunch together? I made cookies.”

A wry grin quirked the corners of Lena’s mouth upward. “Imagine that. But, um, is that really be a good idea?”

“Yeah. Hara-ah broke up with me right after graduation. I can’t believe you missed that, by the way. Anyway, her family took this week off to go on vacation. It’s wonderful.”

“I didn’t miss- ...She broke up with you?” 

“Yup yup. Said she was tired of me. Totally crushing, I assure you. That’s why I’ve been hiding out.”

“Oh, I’m sure it was devastating to see her go.” Feigning ignorance because it was easier, Lena wondered aloud, “What are you hiding your pretty face for, then? Since you’re on the market and all.”

“It’s not- ‘cuz I lied.” Sooyoung bit her lip.

Lena sucked in a breath.

“I’ve spent the last week straight studying. ....I didn’t want to let you down, and I wanted to make it up to you. ...But I didn’t want to tell you what I’d done even after ‘cuz I wanted it to be a surprise. Or a secret in case it was useless. ...Um, anyways, I have scary eye bags.”

Lena gently pushed Sooyoung’s hair out of her face. “These are eye bags?” she asked softly.

“They’re...” Sooyoung fidgeted. “A mix of things.”

Lena let Sooyoung’s hair fall back into place. “Would it hurt if I gave you a hug?”

Sooyoung smiled. “It’d hurt more if you didn’t.”

*...Is Korean high school like American?  Do they have that stupid have-a-graduation-ceremony-and-then-finals thing like they do where I lived?  No?  Oh well.