Falling Into Your Smile

Meeting An Old Frenemy

"Chubby, you can do it! Come on! This is the redemption arc!" Yue encouraged, full-out cheerleader mode. I barely raised an eyebrow, as I continued browsing my phone. I sat next to Yao, also on the phone, with my legs crossed. I behaved as if this was my home. I guess it was, the closest thing to home I have. My childhood was rocky. I was born in Korea, moved to London, my parents got divorced, moved to China, Dad got re-married, moved back to London. I came to Korea after more than one-and-a-half decade. Then, I got screwed with. The rest is history.

The most time I spent at one place, was China. Two years. In London, I couldn't stay in one place. We constantly changed addresses like they were just names, and even if we didn't, we were never home. I was at school, Mom was working. I had so many classes, ranging from chess to ballet. I wasn't bad at piano either. The end result- I never got to bond with my parents, no one had time. My brother was an A-Class jerk. The kids at my school were having cacti for family trees, because they were just a bunch of pricks. Cheng was the only thing remotely close to an ally. But I lost him too, after a while.

The memories of TAT are still fresh in my mind. I also remember the time I spent with him, when we were kids. It's a foreign feeling, you know, when someone you know so well becomes a stranger to you. Then I met him again. We became friends, again. But.. something, somewhere... I really don't know. It changed, between us. For me, at least. 
The friendship between us, is the only real relation I valued in this world. It still is. As I drifted in my thoughts, I remembered a particular incident from our childhood. The school terror, or I'd probably profile him as an attention-greedy kid now, Wang Qichao.

+'+'+'+'

As the doorbell rang, I jumped to my feet. Was Cheng expecting guests? I was an unexpected visitor. That posed an awkward situation. I almost dropped the console. Cheng was confused, but not shocked. Maybe that was because I was not used to this.

The door opened loudly, banging on the wall as it shut. I covered my ears reflexively. This was an apartment, I knew, a huge one. But sound travels so quickly, and loudly.. "Hey, loser. Who's she?" A boy asked, around their age. We were eleven, and he looked quite similar. He was infamous in my school, for cases of bullying. His aura was menacing, arrogant, and dark. I would soon find out, my prediction was right. "Did your mother send you here again?" Cheng asked, sighing. "I wouldn't come here, unless I had to." He scoffed, sitting on the couch behind us.

+---×---+

"Well, you could stay out. I have a guest, and it's not you." Cheng said, as the other boy gritted his teeth. He wondered why he was stuck with this idiot. Their mothers were friends, that's why. He left the room, mouth shut. While playing with Cheng, they both had begun to relate to each other. 

+---×---+

The following day, a huge fight broke out at school. Qichao was getting beaten by Zhiyuan, who got nothing but a few scratches. Everyone took videos of Qichao, the bully, getting roughed up. I was shocked by what happened, and pulled Zhiyuan away before Jia got hospitalized. "Why did you do that?" I yelled at Zhiyuan, with a mix of emotions. Gratitude, fear, worry, confusion, shock.. it was a lot to process. "You said he was being annoying. Besides.. all the other kids wanted me to do it too." He smirked, making me sigh unbelievingly.

+'+'+'+'

"We're helpless against the ever-changing weather. I hope Brother Cheng drove there." Yao sighed, shaking my head out of the clouds. I returned to reality. "My brother sent his car to the car-wash." Yue commented, returning to their game. "I can't bear the fact that Brother Cheng is going to be completely drenched." Yao said, following the same tone. It was indirectly referenced to me, I understood that much.