Step to You

FIFTY-THREE

Rose's POV

"Hey, did you hear?" Sue muttered when I sat down beside her in class on Monday morning.

"What?" I asked as I pull off my jacket.

"Van had hit JK last Saturday!"

I stopped removing my jacket and faced her. "What?!"

"It's all over the school." Sue leaned towards me, "My cousin who's classmates are friends with Soyeon told me. Van went to the party and punched JK--" she mimed a punch and hit the air in front of her.

"Hey, what's that? An action theater performance?" Elise who is then entering the room said loudly. She sat beside Sue with a suppressed laughter.

"I'm talking about Van and JK." Sue explained.

Elise coughed and suddenly turned to look for something inside her bag. Sue and I watched her.

"What?" She asked when she noticed we're staring. "What?"

"Well, as I was saying..." Sue looked at me, "Van punched JK in the stomach."

"In the face," Elise said. Then she looked shock. "I mean--"

Sue and I pulled her to face us. "So you know?!" I asked.

Elise sighed and blew off her bangs. "Didn't JK told you?"

I shook my head, "He didn't even come home on Sunday. Nor did he visit his sister at the hospital."

"Why? What happened?" Sue interjected. So I told them about Saturday night's rush to the ER.

"How's your foot?" Elise asked and checked my left foot.

"It's okay now. Anyway, tell us about what happened at the party. Did Van really...?" I can't believe it. Van isn't violent.

"Well, I don't know what is the true reason, but Van was really angry and he said something about his sister and you crying and such."

Ah, I remember asking Van for help.

"It's my fault," I muttered.

They both stared at me.

"Why?" Elise asked.

"I asked Van for help. That's why he was angry..."

Sue groaned, "Don't blame yourself okay? It's not your fault. Besides, Van had a point. JK should be the one responsible for his sister and not you."

"That's right!" Elise hit the desk with her fist. "If I were Van, I would have done the same!"

"By the way," Sue turned to Elise, "how did you see what happened?"

"Of course I was there. How else would I know?" she said shaking her head.

"Why were you there?" I asked.

Elise blinked at us and took her bag again, "Where's my lip balm--"

"Aish, you don't have one!" Sue pulled her again to face us. "Tell us. Why did you go there?"

I suddenly remembered when Elise called me last Saturday. I pointed at her, "Wait! Don't tell me you really gate crashed--"

"I-I did not! Why would I?!" Elise said in defense. "I was just passing by okay? Anyway, didn't JK talk to you about what happened? He told me he wanted to clarify it to you himself..."

"No, I haven't talked to him since Sunday morning before leaving the hospital." So he was going to talk to me. But I sent him a message asking him to join us for dinner and he even didn't reply.