"Does everyone have their things?" Mr. Kim called out, making the sea of students bob their heads up and down.
"Noona, call me once every hour. And tell me if Jimin bothers you. I'll come and beat him up for you." Jungkook said, carrying my duffel bag for me as I walked towards the parked buses.
"Shut it, kid." Jimin growled, from beside us.
Jungkook ignored him, before turning towards me and continuing to pester and annoy me.
"And bring me back a penguin stuffed animal." He finished, handing me my bag.
I shifted the papers in my hand to take it from him, but Jimin beat me to it, grabbing it and slinging it over his shoulder.
"Thanks Jimin." I said, before looking at Jungkook who smiled sweetly at you.
"Thanks Jungkook. I'll call you later today, okay?" I said, hugging my little cousin.
He was actually bigger than me, but I used to change his diapers and that was all that mattered to.
"You better." He joked, hugging you back.
"All right! Senior biology students! You're on bus 4 with me!" Mr. Kim called out.
-
Yoongi tried sitting beside me, attempting to claim the last window seat left.
He claimed it was the easiest place to fall asleep, but Jimin shoved him out of the way before taking the spot for himself.
"Alright class!" Mr. Kim yelled loudly, making me jump in my seat.
"The ride there is about an hour and a half. Please stay seated unless there's an absolute emergency and if so, please alert me immediately." He smiled, and an eruption of whispers started, primarily from his female audience members.
"Everest?" Jimin repeated for the fifth time, making me turn to him, pulling me out of my thoughts.
"Yeah?"
"Are you okay? You were all dazed out." He said, and I nodded.
"I'm fine."
"You're acting so weird." Jimin mumbled under his breath, before shifting and leaning against the window, crossing his arms and closing his eyes.
I rolled my eyes at his grumpy behavior, before my attention was moved to Mr. Kim, whose dress shirt was rolled up his arms, revealing his veiny, tanned forearms.
He leaned over a seat, talking animatedly to a misbehaving senior.
I gulped, watching as he leaned back, standing back up, before running a hand through his hair.
"Don't let it happen again." He said to the boys sitting in that seat, and I ripped my eyes away from the sight, before someone caught me ogling.
"He's so hot." A voice murmured from behind me.
I turned around before coming face to face with Jung Hoseok, who smiled brightly at me from the seat behind Jimin and I's.
I smiled at him before turning around, holding in a laugh.
"I'd have his children." He added silently from behind me.
And I couldn't help it.
I exploded, drawing the attention of every awake person on my half of the bus.
Including Mr. Kim.
He looked over disapprovingly, as I avoided his gaze, leaning in closer to a snoring Jimin.
-
The bus ride felt like an eternity.
I was bored out of my mind by the time we got there, and I nearly burst into tears of joy when the bus rolled to a stop in front of a ginormous, glassy building.
"We're here! Everyone grab your bags and make sure you don't leave anything behind!" Mr. Kim yelled, and I grabbed my bookbag before shaking Jimin awake.
"Are we here?" He rasped out, looking around in a daze, with red eyes.
I giggled, before nodding and handing him his bag as he stood up, lifting his arms as he stretched with a yawn.
"Come on, everyone's already off the bus."
-
Mr. Kim stood before the mass of students, counting the number of seniors in his group.
"Alright, seniors are with me!" He yelled out, and the seniors clustered together, walking towards Mr. Kim.
Jimin dragged me to stand beside him in line in front of Mr. Kim.
"All right, since we have the older, hopefully more mature students, you can go off in partners. Meet back at the cafeteria, at," He checked his watch, his tongue poking the side of his mouth as he thought.
"4:30." He decided, and I checked your own watch.
It was almost 12 o'clock.
Mr. Kim opened his mouth to add something else, but before I could hear it, Jimin rushed us away and towards the coral reef tank.
-
"Shit." Jimin groaned, crossing his legs as he simultaneously jumped up and down. His cheeks were puffed in as he tried his hardest not to pee his pants.
"You disgust me." I said, looking around for the nearest bathroom.
Jimin thought it was a good idea to chug down two coffees this morning in the car, and he bought another, claiming the caffeine helped him see colors better.
And he claims he doesn't have a caffeine addiction.
"There's a bathroom right there." I said, pointing to the bathroom that held a ridiculously long queue of people.
"I'm not waiting in that line. We have to be at the cafeteria in two minutes." Jimin whined, holding his crotch as he jumped up and down like a child, and I smiled.
"Well, I doubt the dolphin trainers are gonna let you piss in the tank." I said, smiling sweetly at Jimin, before he limped towards the bathroom, mumbling curses under his breath.
"I'll be at the shark tanks!" I yelled after him, and he waved you off, struggling to make it to the bathroom without peeing his pants.
I followed the signs that led me to the shark tanks, ignoring the fast that no one else seemed to be looking in this exhibit.
Skipping right past a NO ENTRY sign, I hummed happily as I caught sight of the first shark.
An enormous hammerhead. Jungkook would've killed to see this.
I snapped a picture on my digital camera, making a mental note to send it to Jungkook before proceeding deeper into the exhibit.
As I walked through the exhibit, the lights begin to dim, until I reached a part of the exhibit that housed deep sea fish and goblin sharks.
There was hardly any light, spare the blue glimmer from the tanks.
The signs that stated facts about the animals flickered, and I stumbled around blindly, feeling along the walls to make sure I didn't run into anything or anyone.
I reached into my pocket, looking for my phone, but it wasn't in there.
And that was when I remembered that I gave my phone to Jimin so I could sit closer to the tank for the dolphin show.
I didn't want it getting wet.
Which meant that he probably still had it.
My hands reached along the cool glass that held the sharks and I started to get nervous.
What else was in here?
Suddenly, a light in the tank went on, and I came face to face with the ugliest shark I'd ever seen.
Lines of jagged teeth right in my face.
Unsightly scars littered its skin and its gums were bleeding as it stared me directly in the eyes.
Then the light went off again.
And I couldn't help it.
I started to cry.
Like a spooked toddler.
I was terrified.
Never in my life had I ever felt so childish and hopeless.
I sat with my back against the glass, facing away from the ugly shark as I wiped tears away with the sleeve of my shirt.
Jimin knew where I was.
He'd come and find me sooner or later.
"Everest?" A voice asked, and I looked around blindly, tears streaming down my cheeks.
A light emerged from the hall I came in from and the person holding it was a worried Mr. Kim.
I quickly wiped away my tears, embarrassed to be found crying on the floor because of a shark, like a child.
Mr. Kim's eyes widened at the sight of me crying on the floor and he rushed towards me, setting his phone down on the floor.
"Are you alright? We've been looking for you for half an hour." He said, helping me stand up, as I brushed the dirt from my butt.
"Why are you crying?" He asked, as I quickly wiped away another tear.
"No reason." I lied.
The light in the tank flickered on again, revealing the shark, unmoving as it stared me down with its nasty, beady eyes.
And I went off again, wailing as I buried my face into my arms, turning away from the glass.
I could hear Mr. Kim chuckling, and I rolled my eyes, thankful that he couldn't see me.
Bastard.
The light from Mr. Kim's phone went out slowly, and he clicked it on, only to reveal the battery was dead.
"Come on, follow me." He said, and I felt his hand lightly touch my side, making me flinch.
I grabbed his arm, letting him lead me out of the dark exhibit.
"Watch your step. There's construction equipment on the floor on the way in." He said, and I nodded, before realizing he couldn't see me in the dark.
As we walked to the exit together slowly, a small light grew larger, and I heard the small whispers of a crowd grow louder as we approached the light.
Relief flooded my body as Mr. Kim led us out of the dark.