Alarms are pretty useless when the person didn't even sleep at night. So Byeol, sleepless and tired, turned off her alarm before it would start ringing and ruin the silent atmosphere of her empty house. She sent a text to Ten saying she wasn't coming to school today. Her list of reasons went something like this:
1. I don't want to see Elaena
2. I don't want to/can't talk to Ten
3. I don't want to be there if Jisung tells Ten
4. I don't want to do school
5. My head hurts
Byeol curated the list when she spent the last six hours lying awake on her bed, staring at the glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling that her mom bought for her. As the morning hours rolled in, she made herself get off the bed (which was surprisingly easier than she thought), brushed her teeth, and washed her face. She grabbed a banana even though she wasn't hungry despite being awake all night and plopped on the sofa with her panda.
She scrolled through her phone while holding Bamboo in her arms. Pictures of all the people she loved kept showing up everywhere.
"I miss them so much, Bamboo," She mumbled quietly. She sighed shakily and turned off her phone, staring out the windows as she calmed herself down. "It's fine, it'll be fine. I get adapted to lots of things, right? This is just another one."
Byeol spent the rest of her morning catching up on her favorite shows. It took a few episodes, but eventually she was able to smile just a little when her favorite characters came on. Around lunch time, her phone chimed, and she picked it up to see who it was.
> Ten <
Ten
can i come over later today?
Byeol
no its okay
i dont want to get you sick yk
okay then
u didn't miss much in school anyways
we were just reviewing for midterms
i can't believe we have less than a week omg
yeah me too
did u eat lunch yet?
no
ill eat soon dw
okay...
im here if you need anything
mmhm thx
Byeol turned off her phone and shoved it beneath a pillow. That was the one thing she didn't want to hear from him, but he... Byeol shook her head with a sigh. Whatever.
The next day was Friday. She couldn't miss school two days in a row; not this close to midterms. Besides, she only had to see Elaena in English and Math, first and last periods, and then it was the weekend.
Ten was on his phone when Byeol walked into English. She looked from her usual seat next to Elaena to the empty seat next to Ten. She bit her lip and scanned the room... and found an empty desk in the back corner. She felt Ten's eyes on her, but she kept her gaze averted. Once she got to her desk, she knew she didn't have to worry about him anymore. His desk was faced away from her. Elaena's, however, was towards her, and Byeol accidentally glanced at her. Elaena smirked victoriously and Byeol quickly lowered her eyes.
Mr. Adams started taking attendance as usual and paused by the fourth person. He adjusted his glasses, peering closer at the screen.
"Hmm, looks like we have a birthday today. Happy birthday, Byeol!" Mr. Adams smiled at her and she faked a smile back. Some students wished her a happy birthday as well, and they finally got on with the review lessons for the day.
YOU ARE READING
Counting on Stars // NCT Ten
Fanfiction"It's just me, you, and the music." Byeol has moved schools again. It's normal. But just because things happen often doesn't make them easier. Throughout her difficult time adjusting to the new settings along with leaving so much behind, Byeol meets...
