THE THISTLETHORN RED. The name of the school newspaper, and also one of the main colors to the writing school's very own soccer team. When I had arrived at this school, I thought football would've been the ultimate rage, not the football that was actually played by foot.

The school counselor and I have been having meetings periodically — less occasionally now because she started to see that I was adjusting just fine — and she had planted the seed that maybe...I should try for the soccer team. When the student body president heard this idea, I was kinda surprised about her ecstatic response.

"You should go for it!" She squees, clasping her hands together. Honestly, when I think about it, she is almost the classic girl next door. Yuqi is super sociable, everyone likes her, she is heavily involved in student affairs. When I had asked her why she wasn't an IT girl, she had enigmatically told me there were cons to having that title. Of course, it's not something I would understand right now, but it just makes me more confused and more beguiled to unearth whatever mystery surrounds Thistlethorn.

"Tryouts are after school today." I mumble, unzipping my bag. "I might show."

"Well well well," the IT girl's voice brings me out of my thoughts as I turn. It's Kang Seulgi, the apex of the triangle itself. She smiles at me florally. "I'm surprised. It hasn't even been a couple weeks and you're already taking the place by storm, Yeonjun."

From what Yuqi says, this girl is also part of the unreachable group. Her dad is the mayor of Thistlethorn, while her mother is a very influential attorney. The marriage itself is very perfect, between two very powerful people. And clearly, their offspring gave way to one very powerful girl. She's like a Leona Helmsley, instead Seulgi is nice enough. But she won't ever let you forget how powerful she is.

"I don't know what you mean by that...but thanks." I muster, eyeing her expensive decals. Always, she carries some sort of lux or branded bag. Everything about her is just expensive. Don't forget I'm rich, is what she seems to be saying. Though I might be able to see through her message easily, I seriously wonder if anyone else sees this.

"It's a compliment." She touches my elbow momentarily, then starts walking with me down the hall. For a moment, I make eye contact with Yuqi, who stands on my other side. She seems to think this is very normal and okay, but somehow I still can't shake it off. "Thistlethorn could use a guy like you."

"May I know what that description entails?"

"The guy from the other side of town. No one knows exactly what he is like with a first glance, but he's a little like an Archibald Andrews, just trying to do the right thing."

Me? Trying to do the right thing? I guess that may be true, but descriptions of a person have to be much more complex than that. The fact that she's simplified me so much, and says it like it's a fact in stone, pulls at my skin. I find it annoying, at the very least.

"You're the little Robin Hood Thistlethorn has wanted." Seulgi smiles again. "We'll keep in touch, okay?" Then she leaves, waving at a few other students while she goes. I watch her leave, unsure what to think of her. Yuqi grins.

"See, she's pretty cool."

"She speaks in riddles, Yuqi."

"That's what makes her cool." She nudges me. "Oh come on. She might be a little strange to you, but everyone at this school loves her. And for good reason. She has a good heart."

"Yeah, I'm thinking her little soliloquy really inspired me." I mutter, turning down the hall. "Definitely trying out for soccer now."

I almost bump into someone right after uttering the words, and the timing could not have more abysmal. Lucas stares back at me, lips stretching into a half open mouthed smirk.

"Soccer? Did I hear soccer?"

I don't respond, because it's better not to entertain kids like him. And I have dealt with quite a few from my old school. Yuqi sighs, raising a hand to end the stare-off. "Lucas, come on. Leave him alone."

"Merely socializing." He teases. "I mean, as team captain, I should encourage him to try out right?" He grins at me.

"By all means, Gorgon boy, come to tryouts. Then the rest of us will be able to see how much living on the streets have taught you about the way of being a Thistlethorn soccer boy."

Lucas brushes past my shoulder with those last words, and I glance down. Yuqi looks back in the direction he had left, then smiles lopsidedly.

"If it helps, I think you can make it."

"Oh I'm not worried about getting cut. I don't think that's something I have to lose sleep over." I mutter, making eye contact with someone from the corner of my view.

Mai looks back at me silently, then crosses her arms. Letting out a huff, I walk away.

🥀

        ONE THING I PARTICULARLY LIKE about Mr. Kim is that he is incredibly easy to talk to. As a literature professor, he has read his fair share of the classics and well beyond that, and knows just how to critique and better my ideas. So naturally, he's the very first person I go to about my ideas.

"So." He flips through the very last page of my packet. "You want to write something based on this town? I don't know Mai, it might seem controversial."

"How?" I furrow my brows. "I can use Thistlethorn merely as a setting."

"Here you used the 'IT girl' as the main victim. Due to her death, the entire town spirals. Not to mention, the main character investigating the death not only bears very similar characteristics to you, the other characters whom you've painted seem pretty personal. Mai, this is a small town. You're showing your thoughts, and as amazing as they are, I'm not sure the entire rest of the population would agree with your portrayal."

"Well, honestly I don't care what everyone else thinks. If they can't handle it, well that's on them. This is just supposed to be fictional." I take a seat on top of the desk across from him. "I really think this idea could work. It's like an alternate fantasy of the place we live in right now. It could be a refreshing read for some. Many books include a place that people can't relate to. This one, is one that many people will be able to because it's an average suburbain town, just like the many thousands out there."

Mr. Kim sits back, staring at me pointedly. Then he sighs. "You won't give up on it, will you?"

"This is one idea where I've resonated so soundly with it. I think this is what could help me win that year end project. I can't write anything else. It won't be good."

He laughs at my determination, then gets up. "That's the thing with you Mai. You don't give up, even if it's hopeless."

"I'm not a quitter." I mumble, then watch him pull together his bag silently. "Also Mr. Kim, if we could talk about something?"

When he looks at me, he sees that it's about something else, so he nods silently, then gestures for the door. I move to shut it quietly, glancing out the window to see if there was any staff left in the halls who could possibly see in on the conversation. It was well past school hours, but honestly anything was possible here.

"Well, what is it?" He rubs his hands at his pockets. "Any other concerns you need me to assuage?"

"Are you going to keep ignoring what happened last month?" I drop my hands to my sides. "It's not just last month, what has been going on for a while now?"

"Mai, what happened is in the past. You and I agreed to put it behind us."

"Yeah well," I look away from him, meeting the gaze of one of his potted plants in the corners of the classroom. "what if I don't want to?"

"There are serious consequences to what happened during your summer holidays, Mai." He sniffs. "If the administration were to find out, if anyone were to know, your reputation could be ruined. I could get thrown into jail. Forget any of the top schools which you have in mind once this gets out — if it gets out."

"Yes, I know. But so far we've done so good keeping it under people's noses, no one knows!" I sigh. "Doyoung, it just kind of...hurts that you blew me off so quickly. I thought maybe you wouldn't give up on us."

"I don't want to." His eyes soften. "But you have to understand. There's just too much that could wrong. I can't take the risk."

"Right." I pick up my bag. "I suppose I'm not worth the risk then?"

"Mai, that's not at all what I meant—"

"No, it's okay. With you it always seems to be that way." I twist the doorknob, and leave the room. Somehow, walking down the dark halls just as night falls at Thistlethorn feels like a walk of shame. Because try as I might, pushing aside the way of how I feel around Mr. Kim, my own literature professor, is becoming harder to deal with day by day.

It had begun over the summer, I spent most of my mornings in the colorful comforts of Lisa's restaurant, people watching for possible story character outlines when I had befriended the teacher. He is one of the youngest in the faculty at Thistlethorn, and maybe it was his youth — being around Lisa's age, if not a little younger — which is what made him connect with me. Mr. Kim Doyoung is a scholarly and very insightful man. He had offered something which I had never seen before, an excitement of sharing my passion for writing while also being myself. I was not this intimidating poindexter who just walked the halls alone and grew in the silent fear which I wreaked among the student body. I was not the just version of Regina George, the mean queen with a hidden rationality. I was an average...teenage girl who liked to write. Doyoung had seen that side of me. The one who wore a peculiar choice of thin rimmed golden glasses, and liked to drink root beer floats in the ripe morning.

But now that school had begun once again, and the glory of the summer days were over, both of us had been given quite the rough wake up call. And right now...things weren't exactly sailing the smoothest. At least, not in the directions which I wanted it to go.

"Ah, what an absolute surprise." The mocking voice of the one which I so loathed to hear, speaks from in front of me.

"What do you want, Lucas?"

"Nothing, Mai." He looks at the school building. "I just think it's a little odd, that you're here at school. In the night? Wouldn't your sister be worried about you?"

"Lisa doesn't care what I do. And neither should you."

He hums. "Of course. But maybe she would if she knew what kind of hole you're spiraling into." Lucas traces a hand along my face. "I care about you, Mai. It's saddening to watch you do this to yourself. Imagine what everyone would think. The golden girl's sister...slumming it down with a literature teacher? To what? Assure her spot at the writing academy, is it not?"

"Our beloved town loves to talk. And this kind of boiling news isn't one to shut them up so quickly."

I glare at him. "We had a deal, Wong. Keep your mouth shut, and I'll do the same."

"I suppose we did." His lips spread into a wide grin, though it does not extend far enough to share the mirth with me. "Be careful on your way home. I think there's a storm approaching."

And that's the thing with Lucas. There's no way I can get out of my deal with him. Because I am firmly wedged stuck. Just like a deadlock.