Girl Next Door

New Experiences

(Park Chaeyoung as narrator)

It's been almost a week since (Y/N) got back from the hospital, and I've visited her every day. Thankfully, she's only missed three days of school. Teachers sent homework assignments with me, so I could give to her, since she's my neighbor. And I've been at her house, helping her out with Math and Chemistry, because she wasn't there for the explanations. She caught on quite quickly. It was a breeze explaining things to her. "Can you explain this one to me again, please?" I'm just kidding, it was a little frustrating, and she's also stubborn at times, but I couldn't say no to her. I enjoyed explaining things to her. The look on her face, every time she finally understood something, was the cutest thing ever. I've been seeing her a lot these days. Hanging out at her house, helping her with homework, helping her parents in the kitchen. I felt closer to them. Maybe it was because of this whole incident. I'm not sure, but I'm thankful. I enjoy spending time with her. Plus, mum and dad don't mind that I'm here all the time. I think they like the (Y/LN)'s. As did I.

Usually around 5 pm, Kira visits for a little just to say hi, then heads out again. Today she came with Jessi. They had just gone shopping, and bought (Y/N) and I new phone cases they thought we'd like. The one they picked out for me had flowers, with the words "not your bae" written on it. I laughed, as I tried it on my phone. I loved it. They gave (Y/N) one that said "2 cool 4 skool," she seemed to like it too, she changed the phone case right away. From her plain black case to a new stylish one. Kira brought up the camping trip, and they talked about it for a while. I really have never been camping before, but they all seemed so excited, so there must be something fun about it. They stayed for maybe half an hour, then left. "I'm honestly dreading the camping trip, but they're all looking forward to it." she said as she closed the front door behind her.

As we walked back upstairs, I finally asked "Why don't you like camping?" We walked towards her bedroom and the atmosphere felt a little tense as soon as she closed the door. Something must've happened. She sat down on the edge of her bed, and I brought her desk chair, so I could face her. She looked serious, I've never seen her like this before. She took a deep breath, and finally after a long pause "When I was 6, me and my parents went camping." She started, so she has been camping before. She paused for a few seconds. "It was my first time, and I was so excited." She said with a slight smile on her face, but it then faded away. "We were all having such a great time, but then it got late, so we went into our tent, and I was the first to fall asleep." She stopped. "I woke up to loud scream. It was my mom." My heart started pounding. I don't think I'm ready for what's to come. "My dad took his flashlight and turned it on to see what was happening. And I thought, maybe something crawled near her leg. I thought it was a worm or something. You know? Something silly." She paused. It looked hard for her to go on, so I held her hand. "You don't have to tell me if you can't." She shook her head. "No, I want you to know." So I nod and waited for her to continue. "My dad pointed his flashlight in my mom's direction, and she was bleeding, down there. My mom-she was expecting." No no no. "My dad started freaking out. So, we got in the car, and rushed to the hospital. I thought the baby was coming, so I was happy, I couldn't wait to see my baby brother or sister." She had almost smiled, but stopped before it could form. "When we got to the hospital, my dad went into the emergency room with my mom, and I had to stay in the waiting hall with a my uncle." I'm not ready. I'm not ready. "I waited and waited, and finally my dad came out, and I ran to him. Asking him if I could see the baby. I was so excited. I thought I finally get to see the baby that's been growing in my mom's belly." She stopped, and words seemed harder for her to out. I squeezed her hand, and she kept going. "My dad was crying, and you know being a little kid, I thought maybe the baby was a girl, because he wanted a boy so bad, I don't know, something like that, I was dumb. But then he like, crouched down and held me in a really tight hug." I haven't said anything, but I got goosebumps all of a sudden. "He looked at me, with these eyes, Chaeyoung. He didn't tell me what happened, but I knew something was really wrong. So I started crying too." She started choking up. I held her, and she cried but then stopped right away. I let go of her, and she kept going. I wiped her face, and she sniffled. "Mom gave birth to a baby boy." She said in a soft voice, looking down. "But he didn't make it. He had some heart complications, and they operated him, but his little heart was too delicate, and it was a 50/50 chance." She stopped, she looked at me, then looked at our hands. I gave her hand a little squeeze. She took a deep breath, "I would've had a baby brother." Then she cleared her throat, and composed herself, "And that's why I don't like camping, Chaeyoung." She said shrugging her shoulders, trying to play it cool, but I could tell she was still hurt. "When did this happen?" I asked cautiously, looking at her. She didn't look at me but she answered. "August 3rd." She looked down, and I sat next to her, and held her arm. She tilted her head towards my shoulder, and I rested my head on top of hers. "Do the others know? They'd understand if they knew right?" I asked. And I felt her head shake. "I can't tell them. I know how bad they want to go on this trip, I don't want to ruin it for them." Something I adore about (Y/N), is that she cares a lot about her friends. She doesn't want to upset them, even if it might upset her. She sat up straight and spoke with a steady voice "But who knows, maybe I'll have a better experience this time. You're coming with us, so that's already a plus." She said, and she smiled. We stayed like that for a while, but I didn't mind. I wanted her to feel okay again.

The sun was starting to set, and I could see the sky change to a pretty shade of pink, from (Y/N)'s window. It was picturesque. "Do you wanna go up to the roof? There's a ledge we can stand on." she asked. "Don't worry, it's safe. My dad built it for my mom, so she could admire the sunset from a better view." I nod, and she got up and walked out her door, and I followed. She opened a door in the hall, that I used to think was just storage, but it opened up to another staircase. She flicked the light switch, and the room with the staircase lit up. We walked up each step, and at the top was another door. She unlocked it, and pushed the door open. It led us to a beautiful pink sky, with cotton candy-like clouds. I stepped out, and I was taken aback by the beautiful sight. "Your dad built this?" I asked, shocked. She laughed "With help from my uncle and a couple of his work friends. It was an anniversary gift for my mom." I was still in awe of the beautiful scenery, that I suddenly felt emotional. "Hey, hey. What's wrong? Why are you tearing up?" (Y/N) asked, cupping my face up as she looked into my eyes. I honestly don't know why I was tearing up. So much has happened in less than two weeks since I've been here. A new school, a new neighborhood, new friends. It felt like a lot. I didn't answer (Y/N)'s question, but she pulled me into a tight embrace. Her hugs are warm, and it felt like home. She kissed my forehead, and I rest my head on her shoulder. "I know these two weeks have been a rollercoaster." she's right, they have been. "But whatever you have on your mind," she continued "if you ever wanna let some stuff out, I'm here. You know that." I nod. She placed her finger under my chin, and lifted my face up, so our eyes could meet. She smiled, and I felt our faces getting closer and closer, and shortly, I felt a pair of lips lightly touch mine. She pulled away, and our foreheads touched, but I made the next move. I placed my hand on the nape of her neck, bringing her in for another kiss. It was longer this time, and passionate. We broke away from the kiss, and we were smiling from ear to ear. She rested her forehead on mine, and we both took deep breaths. We stood there, in each other's arms, joined by a beautiful sunset. It wasn't just new friends, a new neighborhood, or a new school. It's new experiences all together, and I'm thankful she's part of that. I wouldn't have it any other way.