This Friend | Yeonbin

6

Soobin P.O.V

It’s Monday, and I’m at school, wishing I had the powers of the Invisible Woman from the Fantastic Four.

Naturally.

The main hallway is bustling, filled with people grabbing stuff from their lockers or heading to class. Guys high-five. Girls whisper things to one another. A teacher yells at a boy who is running somewhere, threatening him with detention if he doesn’t slow down.

I’m thinking about Yeonjun again.

I’m still confused.

I’m starting to think he’s, like, a ghost or something. Or a figment of my imagination, created out of extreme loneliness. I created a cute gamer guy because he’s, like, my dream friend.

Who has no social media?

I know it’s hard to find someone if you don’t know their last name. But still, how can he not be friends with anyone I know?

It’s probably for the best, though. I’m officially thinking about him too much. Having access to his social media would just push things over the edge.

It’s sure to be really cute, filled with selfies of him gaming and stuff. And maybe hot. He probably posts thirst traps, and I very much want to see those.

I pull my phone from my pocket, put my earbuds in, and hit play on my current playlist. The top song is “Straight to My Head” by You Me at Six, which is this song I’ve become weirdly obsessed with lately.

It’s pretty much the only song I listen to. I turn the volume up way too high to be safe, but whatever. It lifts my mood almost instantly.

God, I love this song.

Up ahead, making their way down the hall toward me, is a group of football jocks. Even though it’s hot out, the whole group is wearing matching black-and-white varsity jackets, most unzipped with the sleeves pushed up.

Damn, there are so many nice arms in that group. Any one of them could push me around and I’d be sort of a-okay with it.

Like, if they put me in a headlock-

They reach me, and one of them, makes a show of not moving for me.

I duck out of the way at the last second.

“Watch it,” he says, growling.

“Sorry.”

I reach my locker, spin in my combination, and realize something.

He’s the first student I’ve talked to all day.