Wizard of Oz || Zuo Hang✓

Seventeen

Zuo had had a long evening that day. When he had finally gotten into his bed, he was relieved and his eyes shut immediately. He was working on a computer project with his father, and he obviously wouldn't let him get to bed until they got it right. It was now around 12 midnight.

Zuo groaned when he heard a notification from his computer, turning the other side. He continued to sleep, then heard another notification a while later. It was probably because of what he had been working on with his father.

Zuo decided to get out of bed and turn off his laptop, not wanting the notifications to go on forever. He walked over to it and opened it, squinting at the bright light from the laptop in the darkness.

Once his eyes adjusted to the light, he noticed that he had a message from Yanni. He hadn't expected her to write him any message since she had sprained her wrist.

Zuo was very sleepy, all he wanted to do was close his eyes and get some winks of sleep before his alarm went off in the morning. But seeing that it was Yanni, he decided to ignore what he was feeling and sat down at his desk.

Yanni: hey, so I got hurt today, and I'm typing with one hand so it's obviously kind of harder.

Yanni: how are you doing Prince Charming? I really need someone to talk to.

Prince Charming: I'm fine, how are you? Sorry that you got hurt.

Zuo noticed that she was taking very long to type, probably because of her injury.

Yanni: It's nothing, but maybe me and my boyfriend have broken up? I don't know, we're not getting along very well.

But the good news is I talked to Zuo, and you were right, he's not mad at me.

Prince Charming: that's good, I told you that it was better to talk to him. So you really want to break up with your boyfriend or you just did it in the heat of the moment?

Yanni: I don't know. I'm obviously attached to him but I don't know if I actually enjoy being around him. I'm gonna have to think over it. Just like I'm thinking over everything else.

Becoming more popular should have made me feel better about myself, but it hasn't done that. Instead it just put more pressure on me and made me feel fake. Not as if I enjoyed being the bullied student but I think I'd prefer this than all the pressure popularity brings.

Prince Charming: really?

Yanni: yes, my mom made it seem like it was fun but it isn't really.

Prince Charming: so you wanna stop being popular?

Yanni: maybe...but I'm not sure if that's what I want either. I don't know if I want to go back to that life of thinking school is like some alternate hell.

Prince Charming: you can stop trying to be popular and be a regular student who can stand up for herself. That's also an option. It's not like you have to take whatever people say or do to you when you seize to be popular.

Yanni: oh thanks, I didn't really think of that.

Yanni and Zuo chatted for a little longer, even though Zuo was afraid that his eyes would close in the process. But he tried to be strong. Finally, Yanni decided that it was time for her to get to bed.

Zuo had honestly enjoyed their conversation, and he smiled as he clicked shut down on his laptop. He only wished one day he would be able to talk to Yanni like this with his real identity.