College Bound Idol Exchange (Currently being rewritten.)

Chapter Two

CHAPTER TWO

ELIZ’s POV

“Meggie, are you still stuck on that problem?” I asked, leaning over and looking at my roommate’s homework. Megan was a good friend from high school who came with me, Ali, Emily, Jackie and Mel to the same college. Megan was studying to be a nurse practitioner, and therefore always had a TON of math homework. I had chosen the less... scientific path of archiving, which was basically preservation of historic documents and artifacts. History and English were the only things I actually enjoyed, so I decided to make a career out of it.

“Well, calculus isn’t exactly a walk in the park, Eliz."

"Hey, you signed up for it. It's your fault for being an overachiever."

“Whatever!” Megan said, flipping over on her bed and closing the book. “I don’t feel like doing this anymore. What’s on the agenda for this afternoon?”

“Well, me and Ali and the rest of the gang were going to get applications to go to Korea for a semester.” I explained, dropping my bag on my crowded desk and pulled out my laptop. After all, I still needed to finish an 800 word essay on the differences in writing techniques between American and Western European writers. And that was not going to type itself.

“Korea? For a semester? So you’re going to leave me all alone for THAT LONG?” Megan exclaimed. Megan was my one friend from high school who didn’t quite understand our fascination with Korean culture and Kpop, so me going to Korea was about as strange and out-there as her going to northern Russia for a fun vacation.

“We didn’t even get the information yet! I don’t even know if we can go yet.”

“You can’t leave me, Eliz!” She pleaded. I ignored her and started on my essay.

“Really! You can’t go! You’re like, the only person I know here!” Again, I ignored her.

The clock on my computer told me that I had about fifteen minutes to get to my Korean II class. I could probably finish a paragraph in that time.

“How would you feel if I left for a semester? Wait, don’t answer that. You have more people to talk to here anyway. So you can’t leave!”

“Megan, whatever happened to that guy who was studying to be a pediatrician? Weren’t you dating him or something?” I asked, trying to get her to stop pestering me about Korea.

“Oh, that guy was a total jerk! There’s no way I’m ever going out with HIM again.” Just then, her phone started ringing. She grabbed it and answered it immediately. “Adam? Hi! How are you? That’s great! Oh, tonight? Sure! I can go! Okay! See you then!”

“You’re ‘never going out with him again’? So is this just a very long, procrastinated way of breaking up with him? Or is this some sort of twisted revenge plot?”

“Shut up!” She giggled, running to her closet and rummaging through her outfits dreamily.

“Okay, well have fun on your date. I’m going to class. Bye!”

Megan was so caught up in her own little world that she didn’t even realize that I had left.

~~~~~

“Okay class, I’m pretty sure everyone in this class has noticed the sign outside. Not everyone can go, remember. And we still need good Korean speakers to stay here and help the Korean students coming here. So does anyone feeling like ‘adopting’ a student for the rest of the year?” The class was silent. I’m pretty sure everyone wanted to GO to Korea, stay here and teach someone FROM Korea about America.

“Anyone?” She asked, her eyes rolling over the class in a calculated manner.

I weighed my options carefully. There probably wasn’t enough money in my account to afford even a week in Korea, much less an entire semester. And I couldn’t just leave Megan all by herself. Maybe I can go next year.

Hesitantly, I raised my hand. “Elizabeth? Great! I’ll get the information to you soon. Anyone else?”

“Eonni!” Ali and Jackie whispered, staring at me wide-eyed.

I shrugged. “I can’t afford a semester in Korea! Plus, this way I won’t abandon Megan. Maybe I’ll go next year.”

Ali thought for a second, then raised her hand.

“Alison! Thank you! I’ll add your name to the list.” Sunsengnim said happily.

My other friends looked conflicted. They wanted to go even more badly than I did.

“Okay, class dismissed.”

The class stood up and started filing out. “Eonni!” Mel yelled, looking upset.

“What?”

“Why did you volunteer to take a Korean student in? Didn’t you want to go to Korea?”

“Because! I can’t leave Megan and my family! And I have no money anyway!” I exclaimed.

“But eonni-” Jackie said, giving me a pouty face.

“But what? I’m staying here.” I decided firmly.

“Fine. But I’M applying to the program.” Mel said stubbornly.

“You go do that then. So, what exactly are we going to do tonight? Meggie’s on a date and who knows how long that’s going to take. I don’t have any morning classes tomorrow...”

“Drama marathon?” Emily suggested.

“YES!” Me, Ali, Mel, and Jackie yelled in unison. Unfortunately for us, this was the last normal night we would have, because when Mel, Jackie and Emily left for Korea, things started to get... interesting.