"I thought you were going back to Atlanta today."

Arena's voice showed no emotion.

Kihyun shrugged and stuffed his hands into his sweater pockets, tilting his head to the right side, never taking his eyes off Arena.

Arena was currently busy with actually doing her job, but still stole a glance or two at Kihyun from the corner of her eye.

"That would be 15 dollars and 6 cents."

"Like last time, huh?" asked Kihyun and reached into his back pocket to retrieve his wallet.

Arena sighed and tapped her fingers on the counter, "Yes, exactly like last time."

Kihyun's smile faded. "What's wrong?" He paid and took his purchases just standing there.

Arena shook her head, "Nothing. Aren't the others waiting up for you?"

Kihyun wasn't buying her act. He knew she felt horrible which just made Kihyun himself feel worse. He hated that he'd put her into this position. Kihyun wished he could do something so she wouldn't hate herself, but he didn't know what it was that he could do.

"They'll understand. Now why did you lie to me just now? I can clearly see you are not fine." He may only know her for a couple of days but Kihyun understood Arena's facial expressions well enough.

"Kihyun.."

"Arena listen to me. I understand how you are feeling right now, and I wish there was anything I could do to help."

Arena half-smiled, half-scoffed. "You have helped me enough, don't waste your time with me. Please, I don't want you to be late." She gestured to the door with her left hand while with her right palm she was leaning onto the counter so she wouldn't fall.

Kihyun bit his tongue and thought for a while. When he finally started leaving, he turned back to Arena before exiting the gas station. "I'll text you, kay?"

Arena nodded. "Okay." She felt her insides twist and turn, making her heart and whole body ache. She really was letting it go. Letting him go.

But he didn't say goodbye.

***

Arena wanted to tell someone about her problems that she'd had for years. But how could she when she didn't understand them herself?

She was driving home from work and it was snowing heavily. Arena was tired. So tired.

How could have her life have changed so much with these few days?

What had been bad was now worse.

Arena was so lost in thought and when she heard her phone ringing she snapped out of her daze. She still had her earpiece so Arena quickly stuffed it into her ear with one hand, while the other one was placed firmly on the wheel.

"Hello?"

"Arena?"

Arena sighed and smiled a small smile, "Oh it's you. What's up?"

Naha's voice was frantic, "Arena the roads are so slippery right now, please be safe."

"You do realize that you just called me while driving, right?"

Arena was trying to see out of her window, but snow was coming in from every possible corner.

"Uhhhhhh... JUST BE SAFE." Naha hung up the phone.

"Naha?"

Arena shook her head in disbelief and started taking out her earpiece but at the exact moment she took her hand from the wheel was the moment she needed it there the most.

Her car started slipping forward and the brakes weren't working properly.

Naha had been right, the roads were slippery.

"Just when I thought this day couldn't get any worse." Arena quickly yanked out her earpiece so she could try and take control of her car. Her ear hurt from the forceful jerk of the earpiece.

Her car had slipped onto the other part of the road, where in the distance she could see cars driving toward hers.

Arena cursed and slowly started moving backwards with her car. She had had her driving license for a year and a half, of course, every once in a while causing minor accidents but this was the first time she was actually afraid.

"C'moooon" Arena urged her car.

The cars in the distance were getting closer.

Her engine died down.

"OH WHAT THE HELL."

Arena re-ignited her car in the hopes of it actually going to move forward.

The cars in the distance were quite close now.

Arena got her car back onto the right road just in time. The other car swished past her.

She sat there on right side of the road for a moment, took a very deep breath and kept driving. She drove very slowly until she finally reached her house. Arena shuddered.

"That was so close," muttered Arena to herself and stepped out of her car. Too close.

She looked back at the road she had just come from.

Dark.

Empty.

Like her mind. Only in her mind it wasn't snowing so crazily.

Arena pulled up her hood and jogged up to her front door. Into the warm household of the Calders.

***

"What are you thinking about?"

Naha and Arena were sitting in biology the next day, listening to the useless chatter of the teacher. They weren't paying attention at all. Arena's hands were sprawled out on the desk, her eyelids heavy. Her head was laid on her hands and hair was hiding her face.

Arena's eyelids fell closed. Fortunately no one except Naha noticed that. Arena hadn't slept well last night, thoughts about the life she could have lived still fresh in her mind. She felt like she was falling deeper into depression, with nothing or no one to help.

"Oy, I asked what you are thinking about." Naha nudged Arena with her elbow until she opened her eyes and wiped a handful of hair from her face.

Arena straightened up and cracked her neck. The horrible habit she had that everyone around her hated, even Kihyun had made a comment about how Arena's head could fall off.

Kihyun.

Arena's mind went there again and she tried her hardest to keep down the emotions and her face straight.

"I was thinking about sleep, but you ruined it."

Naha rolled her eyes and continued listening to the teacher.

She whispered: "This is going to be on the test, thought you'd want to know."

"Thanks," Arena whispered back with a hint of sarcasm. She folded her arms and leaned back into her chair. The chairs in school were so uncomfortable that it was horrible.

Arena's head and back ached.

She listened to the teacher but didn't pay much attention like before, because her eyelids were still droopy. Arena tried to keep herself awake with all of her might.

"Stop. Falling. Asleep." Naha was shaking Arena's shoulders slightly.

"Oh sorry..what?" Arena jerked up her head and looked at her friend beside her.

"The class is over, come on." Naha pulled up Arena and helped her pack her bag and then packed her own. Arena hadn't noticed the bell ringing nor people getting up to leave. The class really was over.

"Let's get some coffee," said Naha and took Arena's jumper sleeve. The sleeves were too long for Arena so her hand's drowned in them.

It was cute though.

Arena looked cute, period.

With her oversized red jumper and blue skinny jeans and her black to honey blond ombre hair framing her face. It was surprising that she was still single, a few guys in school had crushes on Arena, but she was too oblivious to it. She didn't let many people close. And there wasn't even one guy in school she was interested in.

The guy Arena had feelings for was Kihyun. Who cares if they were just feelings for an idol, something that could or would never happen. But after these few days, actually spending time with him, Arena had started developing real feelings, legit real real feelings for Kihyun.

It was all just a stupid thought.

But still.

It was gone now.

"Where are we goinggggg?" Arena was groaning, trying to get Naha to let go of her jumper sleeve.

Naha finally let go and looked at Arena, not stopping her walking.

"We're going to go find a coffee machine so you don't die." She smiled. The corners of her mouth turned upwards and her matte brown lipstick made her white teeth stand out.

Arena stopped dead in her tracks and looked at Naha, her eyes wide. What had she done right to deserve this kind angel in her life. Arena was astonished.

"Awwww-"

"Come on." Naha noticed Arena just standing there and looked back to tell her to come along. Naha was used to keeping Arena alive. "What would you do without me," muttered Naha and smiled to herself.

Arena suddenly looped her hand through her friend's and grinned, "Who needs to get going now?" She had seen Naha in thought for a second and used the time to rush up to her.

"Oh, shut up." Naha rolled her eyes, smiled and start pulling Arena forwards.

Again.

They really were the bestest of friends. With an unseen mental connection, possibly formed before they were born. Two different races, two different nationalities and two different girls had found themselves in the same country, in the same school, speaking the same language.

If this wasn't destiny, then what was?

They had arrived at the coffee machine without noticing.

"How was work yesterday? You going again today?" Naha was ordering a black coffee for herself and a latte for Arena, while Arena herself was leaning against the wall with her back, listening to Naha's talk.

"It was fine, Kihyun stopped by tho." She was staring at the school ceiling, wondering how many people stared at the ceiling like this every day. Probably millions.

Naha froze. "And?"

Arena shrugged and pushed off from the wall to go stand next to Naha.

"He came to buy stuff, I guess."

"Oh really?" Naha was finishing up with the machine and handed Arena a latte, "Who would've thought." Her voice was filled with so much sarcasm that it made Naha grin.

Arena took a sip and sighed. They started walking away from the machine since people were already forming a line behind them. Highschoolers and caffeine had a serious relationship.

It was 10 minutes until their English lesson started so they walked calmly around the school sipping their coffee's until they found the English classroom and sat down on the bench opposite the classroom door.