Lights Are Missing (PART 1)

22.

"I'm glad you chose to stay!" Taehyun elbowed me.

I had control over Yeonjun and I, but not so much over the other guys.

We were at the skatepark, right across the street from another park, one full of swings and slides and seesaws, occupied by little kids whose hearts were too big for their own good. If only time would move backwards.

Being 17 was such a crazy thought. Sure, I'd been 17 for a while now, but it never really processed in my head what it meant. It was almost time to leave.

Taehyun and Soobin were sitting beside me as Kai and Yeonjun were using their skateboards to hit each other. I didn't even know they had skateboards. I guess I never really saw them, and we never went to the skate park, but apparently Yeonjun and Kai loved skateboarding, but the other two didn't know how to skate, and never wanted to learn, so they just never went.

I guess with me being there it changed a few things because they wouldn't be alone together sitting on the side which is why they agreed to actually go. But now the two skateboarders weren't skating, just beating each other up.

My plan wasn't to stay. I had planned to just walk them to the park and then head my way home, maybe taking the back way to ensure that I'd have time to cool myself down, but then Taehyun begged, and Soobin promised to buy me dinner, and the look in Kai's eyes, I just couldn't say no.

Yeonjun, being smart for once, didn't beg. But I didn't feel bad getting mad at him, just the other guys.

Soobin was scrolling through something on his phone but I was too infatuated with Yeonjun poking Kai's stomach with his skateboard, causing Kai to giggle loudly because it 'tickled' according to him.

Though, I did sneak a glance at his phone, and he was scrolling through a menu. It was a fast food place down the road that I'd eaten at maybe 3 times in my 17 years of living.

"What are you looking for?" I leaned over his shoulder more to get a better look at his phone without having to be secretive. He gladly turned the phone slightly for me to see it better without the setting sun's glare.

"Looking for what we should have for dinner. I already know what the other guys want but I'm not sure, I'm thinking of trying something new. What do you want?"

I looked up from the phone at him as he smiled softly at me. His eyes were so pretty. So loving. I knew he was a good guy.

"I'm honestly not sure what they have. Kind of craving a burger, it's been a while." He smiled when I said that and nodded, looking down to his phone, scrolling quickly down.

As he was doing so, and as I was still leaning over his shoulder, I heard my name being called from the two 'skaters'.

Soobin and I both looked up from the phone to see what they wanted. They were waving me over to them and I immediately felt queasy. I could tell this was going to be bad. But it wasn't like I had much of a choice because Soobin started to shove me away from him to get me to go over to the two of them who were standing in the middle of all these scary dips and turns and things I'd only ever seen in movies.

"The other two are too scared to try. You should give it a go!"

I shook my head swiftly. I couldn't skate and I didn't plan on learning, "No! I'm going to hurt myself."

"But you might have fun!"

Taehyun started to shake me, "Just try!"

I rolled my eyes. He was such a hypocrite. He wanted me to go learn how to skate from possibly the least coordinated people in the world yet he was too afraid to even touch a skateboard. It honestly made me laugh, but I knew I'd regret not trying.