Strike | Xiuchen

15

By the next morning, the house looked almost as good as new. Kyungsoo had helped us by sewing the drapes back together.

"Jongdeok, I have an idea," I said at breakfast.

"What?" He cracked a sunflower seed between his teeth. That would always annoy me.

"On the fine, you can forge mom and dad's signatures."

"That's so illegal! And where the hell will I get $100?"

"Write a check, I know where a checkbook is."

"Don't you think they'll notice $100 missing from their bank account?"

"No. They don't really pay much attention to what they spend, if you haven't noticed," I pointed at the fish tank, "They buy unnecessary shit like that all the time."

"Okay, I'll do it then," Jongdeok put signatures that didn't belong to him all over the fine, then stood up, "I'm going to the post office to get stamps for this. I'll be right back."

"Okay," I went back to my room to think. Were Xiumin and I broken up? Why had he snapped at me like that? My bedroom door opened, "That was fast...Oh, I don't want to see you."

"I don't blame you."

"Then why the fuck are you here? Get out!" I threw a pillow at him.

He caught it, closed the door, and leaned against my wall, "I didn't mean that you know."

"Why did you say it then, huh?" I turned away from him so he didn't have to see me cry.

"Because Yoona pissed me off. I was just thinking like "Damn, I wish I didn't have to worry about my mom hating me because I love you," I wish I didn't have to hide you so much, and that's what makes my life hard. I wish I could show you off to the world, but the world isn't kind," He sat at the foot of the bed, "I love you."

I put my arms around his neck, "I love you too. Even though you're a jerk sometimes. You know, Jongdeok was nicer to me than you were this weekend."

"Does Friday night not count as the weekend?"

"No," I put myself on his lap.

"Why is Jongdeok being nice to you all of a sudden?"

"I'm not sure. Hopefully, he's not setting me up."

"That seems like it would take to much effort, don't you think?" His hands traced from the back of my thighs, to my butt, then my lower back. He liked to touch my bare skin.

"Yeah, I suppose it would."

"Get off of me for a second, I won you something at the arcade."

I sat back in the middle of my bed, Indian style. Xiumin sat the same way, pulled something out of his pocket, then hid it behind his back.

"What is it?" I tried to look but he wouldn't let me, "Show me!"

"What do you think it is? Guess!"

"I don't know. Just let me see, Xiumin!"

"Where are your manners?"

"Xiumin-Oppa!" I would never call him that in front of anyone, but I guess I technically did have my own nickname for him.

"You know how that makes me feel," He slapped two packs of baseball cards into my hand.

"Awe, sweet, thanks!"

"What do you get for calling me oppa this time?"

"These," I held up the baseball cards.