Can't You See Me?

Twenty

Haerin hasn't been to school the last few days and it's the last day before Christmas break. I've been texting her trying to see if she was okay if she needed anything, but she just keeps telling me that she is really sick and didn't want to get me sick. I feel bad. I want her to feel better, mostly for selfish reasons. My family is going to be gone during the whole break on a skiing trip in Colorado. My dad has some business partners that he is good friends with there so he's bringing us all there. Hanni will also be there since our families are so close, so at least I'll have someone to talk to for two weeks.

"My mom bought me new skiing pants because she said my ones from our last trip are apparently out of style...like who cares?" Hanni laughs shutting her locker leaving all her school supplies there since we don't have any work to do over the break.

"I don't know why you're surprised your mother is always on the new hot trend."

"Yeah she is ancient. I don't know why she cares so much. She cares more than me!" All I could do was laugh at the Vietnamese girls' exaggerated gestures. Soon Danielle popped up carrying a giant camera.

"Hey! Will you two pose for a picture? It's for the yearbook." Dani lifted up her camera and angled it towards us, ushering us together to pose.

"You're on the yearbook staff?" I furrow my eyebrows as I wrap my arm around Hanni's shoulder for the photo.

"Yeah they were understaffed this year so they recruited a whole bunch of people from the arts department." We both just nod and smile as Dani snaps a couple photos of us. "Actually I think Haerin is supposed to help too."

"Wait what? I didn't know that." Why didn't she say anything about helping with the yearbook?

"Yeah she is really good at writing and drawing and stuff like that so she is gonna help edit and possibly design. I'm just supposed to take photos." I knew Haerin liked to write and paint and basically is just an artsy person, but I didn't know she was on the yearbook staff. As Danielle went on and on about yearbook stuff my eyes started wandering and landed on none other than Niki. The bane of my existence. He seemed to sense I was looking at him and looked back at me with a smirk. God I hate him. Jake is also with him. I haven't talked to Jake since that debacle in the hallway. Suddenly both of the boys began walking in our direction. Shit.

"Hello ladies, how is everyone?" Niki said with a big smile on his face. If I could I would slap that smile right off his face. Jake just nodded at me with a frown on his face. Still bitter I see.

"What do you want Nishimura?" Hanni scowls, crossing her arms over her chest. She might be tiny, but she gets scary when she's mad.

"I just wanted to invite you guys to the Nishimura-Kang Christmas party." I'm sorry what? What the hell is he talking about? I looked over towards the other two girls and they looked just as confused as me. I yank the invitation out of his hand and there it is 'please celebrate this wonderful holiday with us and spend time with the Nishimura-Kang family' written below is Haerin's address and a date and time. This has to be a joke.

"What the hell? I'm not going to your stupid Christmas party." I try to keep my cool, I don't want to make an outburst over this. Why wouldn't Haerin tell me this?

"Yeah even if we wanted to come we won't be here." Hanni adds coming closer standing right next to me. Danielle hates confrontation so she kept her distance from the current stare off we are currently having with the two boys in front of us.

"Ah yes, your annual ski trip. Too bad." Jake shrugged his shoulders with a frown on his face. Clearly he was being fake with the condescending tone in his voice. "Niki, did you get the ring already?" Jake turned his attention to the taller boy next to him.