Wow…

I…

Am…

GORGEOUS!

Ah, what a great invention mirrors are. Not being able to see yourself must have been such a drag back in the days. Unless of course you were ugly. You wouldn’t need to see yourself then.

Things were rather quiet tonight…even with no one living here, there’s a certain level of noise that must be met each night and tonight it wasn’t. Maybe it’s just me that notices these things. After all…I’m afraid of the quiet.

That’s what you get for having rich parents. They’re never around. Their only existence is the weekly check you get in the mail. I guess some teenagers would want this kind of thing. But there’s that one point earlier in your life…right before adolescence, where your parents were the coolest people. That’s when I started living on my own. I never had a chance to ‘hate’ them enough to adore their absence.

This is probably why I’m afraid of the quiet. Because I don’t have anything else to drown out my loneliness.

…But who has time to think about that? Tomorrow was school. I’m popular at school. Be it hate, love, adoration…I was known at school. I was someone…someone gorgeous if I might add.

…And at school, it’s never quiet.

---

“Sae…Sae Kiyong?” The teacher called.

“Ugh, it’s pronounced Sah-Eh! It’s not that hard to remember…considering I’m the only Sae in this school!” I said aggravatingly. I’m already a senior here and these idiots still couldn’t get it right.

“I-I’m sorry, Miss Kiyong.”

I rolled my eyes. God, she was such a pushover. I heard a few of my friends giggle behind me. They could get annoying sometimes…but I liked being worshiped by them. Sometimes I wonder…if I could really call them my friends. I realize that I was never good at this friend thing nor did I feel like I could tell any one of them my feelings. I guess I don’t have any friends. But its okay, I mean in the end, you can only really count on yourself, right?

At the corner of my eye I noticed one of the guys looking at me. I brought up a hand to flick my silky black hair behind my shoulder as I look up at the clock behind us. Then as my eyes trailed back to the front of the room, I made sure to give him a quick smile. I’ll admit to you that I am a flirt…but I promise you I’m not a slut.

I had broken up with my boyfriend around 3 months ago. He needed me too much…he had told me once that he needed me to breathe. What is that about? I can breathe just fine without him…and he’s pretty much still alive now that we’re not together. He was in love with me and I really don’t need that right now. I’ve never been in love. I don’t plan to fall in love. I’ve seen what it’s done to people…and its something I’ll pass on.

“Hey, Sae.”

“What?”

“We saw Alex flirting with Crysten.”

…Okay, maybe he wasn’t in love. Jeeze, the things a guy would say now a days. But it doesn’t really faze me much. Just another boy, just another story. It’s all the same.

“Oh, whatever. Stop acting like I actually care.”

I watched them give each other looks…they didn’t like my tone of voice. You would think that they would be used to it by now. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a bitch…I don’t go out of my way to ruin other people’s lives because I hate them. I don’t start drama nor do I look for it. But I can be mean…and when you think about it so can everyone, right? I’m just more upfront about it.

I watched the pushover write stuff on the bored…this part of school was such a bore. I already know that I’m not all too smart…what’s the point in trying anyway? As long as I pass, I can graduate and I’m good.

That whole class was a blur. I stood up quick and dashed out of the room. I didn’t need to prologue that gloomy feel that comes with boring classes. Unfortunately for me, I bumped into one of your typical dorks…who was holding flowers…oh please, not this again.

“Kevin! What are you trying to do?!” I yelled, pushing the flowers out of my face.

“Sae…please! Give me a chance!” He pleaded taking a step towards me. I have to admit…for a dork, he had nice glasses.

Your usual dork would realize whether a girl was out of his league and after this realization, he would not follow through with ridiculous actions such as these. Kevin was not one of them.

“Kevin…we go through this about every week now…I am too good for you.”

“One date!”

“No!”

I make a sharp dash to the side and walk away from him. Luckily for me he did not follow.

“I might have failed this week…but, Sae, you will be mine next week!”

Dorks can be such an eyesore and a waste of oxygen. I can’t imagine being in the same room with them for more than about 5 seconds.

As I walked down the hall, my arm got tired from waving so much and my face tired from smiling so much. It surprises me how so many people know me while I have no idea who they are. With a school so big, it would be impossible to know everyone and of course it’s not worth the effort. So everyone knowing me made life easier.

I heard scurrying behind me. Ugh, I forgot about my girls. Whatever, I didn’t have to mind them.

“Well, well…” I said to myself as I eyed this piece of heaven walking my way. Slowing down a bit I had placed my hand on his chest and trailed down to his stomach as he walked passed me. My hand gracefully left his body as we continued walking.

When he turned to look back, I did the same and with a smile I said, “Nice bod!”

He winked. I blew him a kiss and waved.

The girls gasped behind me and giggled incessantly.

“Oh my gosh, Sae. There’s Alex!”

I looked to where she was pointing. It was Alex and Crysten. They were holding hands as they looked at each other lovingly. I wanted to puke. But they were perfect for each other.

My next class was on the opposite side of where they stood…but I went to pass them anyway.

“Sae, what are you…” Why don’t girls ever know when to shut up?

I put more ‘model’ into my walk as I held onto my bag. I was all that and I wanted her to see it. All eyes were on me, but theirs weren’t yet.

“Alex!” I said.

They both turned to me.

As I passed by, I called out, “Are you desperate? I didn’t realize it was like you to trade down.”

I smiled at them and waved goodbye. I heard a growl behind me. It was Crysten.

Without looking back, I called out again, “Don’t do that Crysten, darling, you’ve worked this hard to perfect ‘human’…don’t let your efforts go to waste.”

At the corner of my eyes I noticed some jocks laughing stupidly among themselves. I smiled.

This is what a typical day at school looked like…and I loved it. Little did I know that the years of built up stability would come crashing down in two instants.

---

Another place that I know I could count on was here on the ice. I’ve been an ice skater for 6 years. That may not seem like a lot…but I have a natural talent for it. In anything that one can do…there are some things that cannot be taught. You just have it or you don’t. And me? Well, let me tell you…I have it.

“Sae!” One of the instructors called to me. I’m not too sure why she teaches. She’s not that great on the ice. I’m way better. I’m so good that I should be teaching…but who are we kidding? I can’t teach for my life.

“Yeah?”

“We have your ‘apprentice.’”

Why is it that I’m always thinking ahead and later screwing myself over?

“What are you talking about? I never signed to Apprentice for Athletes.” God, why would I? Listen to that name!

“It was our deal, don’t you remember?”

I need to start fully listening to people more carefully. I tune them out if I feel like it. “What? What deal?”

“Sae, come on. Your grades aren’t up to par…so in order to guarantee you a spot in the state competition, you said you would help train one of your fellow skaters.”

“Oh, come on,” I half mocked, “You actually believed me? Please, I don’t have time to waste my breath on beginners.”

I started to skate away. Then she got stern. She may not have been good on the ice…but because she knew how much I loved what I did…she knew exactly where to hit me.

“You know, those spots on the competition aren’t final. I can always take your name off the list.”

I stopped. For the past 4 years, I have won some sort of place at this competition. Two times being first place, once being second and another being third. I breathed this.

“When I put your name up for this, do you know how many girls wanted you to help them out?”

I had no time to deal with a rookie, but there was no chance that my grades would get any better. I stomped the ice.

“Fine, but I swear if she doesn’t even know how to put on skates–”

“Don’t worry about it…I know you better than that, Sae…and besides there were so many that I had to make them audition.”

I started to skate away.

“Sae, where are you going? You start today.”

I whirled around and stared at her in disbelief. “What?”

“Yeah, she’s here.”

“You come to me today to tell me I have an annoyance I never asked for and you don’t even give me a chance to let it sink in?!”

“Basically.”

I let out a frustrated yell and out of anger I was about to tell her to just take my name off the list…but I couldn’t.

“Ugh! Bring the whore in then.” I said spitefully.

I saw her smile and I just wanted to punch her face. How dare she smile at my anger?

I began to glide around the ice, too angry to acknowledge the little girls that fawned over me.

“Sae!”

I turned my attention back to the instructor. The girl behind her looked my age. Wonderful…someone starting so late in the game.

They both skated towards me…at least she knew how to glide. She wasn’t gorgeous, but she wasn’t too unfortunate looking. This was a plus. She was a little taller than I was by probably an inch with a frame that was a little too skinny and too pale. I must admit, she had beautiful big brown eyes and pretty silky black hair that fell to her shoulders and framed her face nicely. These were probably the only things good about her face. Her nose was rather flat and her lips a little too lanky with a thin face to match.

“Sae, this is Yumi Kasawa.”

She held out her hand to me with a smile so sweet…she almost made me smile back. But I won’t, she was taking my precious time away from perfecting perfection.

I didn’t take her hand.

“Yumi, this is Sae Kiyong, she’s–”

“How long have you been skating?” I asked sternly.

She looked at the instructor, feeling embarrassed. “Well…I have been taking lessons for about a year and a half now.”

At least she’s experienced…but why is she… “A year and a half? Why are you looking for help from me now then?”

“Well, I didn’t think about doing anything serious with ice skating…but now I really want to perform but I…I don’t know…” She started to look down at the floor.

Ugh, jeeze, this girl was too meek, I wanted to slap her. Everyone was getting on my last nerve today…I just wanted to hit everyone.

“Whenever you’re training with me, don’t ever look at the floor while you’re talking to me. And don’t give me that bullshit of an answer ‘I don’t know’. You put your name on that list and auditioned for something, so don’t tell me ‘I don’t know’. I’m training for the state competition and you’re already wasting my time, I don’t need to be wasting it on someone as unsure as you. You want it then you say it and you do it.”

She looked up at me with widened eyes; it looked like she wanted to cry.

“Sae!” The instructor scolded.

I put a hand on my head and another hand on my waist, letting out a tired sigh.

“Show me what you can do.”

She bit her lip and nodded, slowly skating away from us. I eyed her carefully as she worked the ice. She was scared. Yumi held back and I hated it. She stumbled and fumbled…but through it all, I did notice something. Yumi was just like me. She had a natural spark when she skated.

“Enough.” I called to her.

She stopped and skated cautiously back to me.

“Yumi, when I asked you to do something, don’t you ever hold back again. You hear me?”

“I wasn’t…I…”

“Yes, you were.”

Her whole frame cowered in shame.

“But this might not be a lost cause…you have a natural aura on the ice.”

Her face lit up and she smiled at me happily.

“So let’s get started.”

Please…please let tomorrow be a better day.

---

“What the hell? Health class? We’re seniors, why are we being put into a health class?” I demanded.

“Well…the state thought that students needed more health education…so they’re implementing a year of health for each grade.” One of my girls explained.

Life was getting more annoying in a matter of one week. Why is this all happening now?

“Are you in my class?” I asked all of them.

“We’re all in different classes…we all checked.” One of them said sadly.

This was good, one class where I don’t have them.

I walked into the class and took a seat in the middle. Though its pretty stupid to have health as a senior, this will probably be an easy course. It might even help boost my grade…then again I shouldn’t hope too much.

I looked out of the doorway…Kevin was passing by. He did a double take before he stopped and waved vigorously at me. I rolled my eyes.

“Hello, class.” Our teacher greeted loudly. She looks strict.

There were scattered greetings from the class. I just stared.

“You are all here today because the state believes that they need to further reinforce health classes to deepen our understanding. Therefore all grades are required to take it every year.”

I started to zone out.

“And to basically get us all started, I will tell you of an assignment that will take place for the entire year.”

Everyone groaned.

“Because you are all seniors already, I don’t find any point in this assignment…but all teachers were ordered to give this assignment to all grade levels. It is said that our country has the highest teenager pregnancy rates, so the objective of this project, which many of you have probably heard of but have never done, is to show the responsibilities of parenthood and to make teenagers think twice.”

Oh, please, don’t tell me…that it’s the…

“Over the course of this year you and a partner will be taking care of an egg baby.”

…Egg babies. Wonderful. The rest of the class groaned.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Let’s just pair you guys up now and I’ll give you the syllabus for this assignment and we can move onto other things.”

We all watched her take papers out from her suitcase as she took a seat.

I put my head down on the desk for a while. There were about a million names before mine and it was getting irritating. I heard sighs of relief, groans of aggravation and squeals. The world is a weird place.

“Sae Kiyong.” Wow, she got my name right.

I lifted up my head and looked at her. She glared at me a bit and I gave her a cute smile.

“You are with…Haru Yoshiko.”

My heart fell.

“Um, I’m sorry there must be a mistake.” I said.

Everyone looked at me.

“Excuse me?” The teacher said, taking slow steps towards me.

“I can’t be with him…I kinda deserve someone better.”

They all looked at me in disbelief with some of them shaking their heads. Wonderful…along with being partnered up with him, I’m also the bitch of the week. But I couldn’t be his partner…that means I’d have to be with him and see him at least once or twice a week! I couldn’t be his partner, he was such a…

“You dare speak back to authority like this?”

“Yeah, but I mean, don’t you know–”

“Who you are? I really couldn’t care less about who you are, Kiyong. You will be with Yoshiko whether you like it or not.”

I looked at her in disbelief as she forcefully took my hand and put the egg in my palm. I was just about the slam the egg on the desk when I remembered what it was for. My grades depended on this stupid thing.

Haru Yoshiko…

Haru Yoshiko…

Haru Yoshiko…

What am I going to do?! It’s not even sinking in!

I had once said that I couldn’t imagine being stuck in a room with a loser for more than five seconds…did I jinx myself?! Now I’m stuck with one for a whole year!

Haru Yoshiko and Yumi Kasawa. The two instants that lowered the comfortable level in my life.

For someone who hates the quiet…this is a little too much noise even for me.