Cool With A "K" PART 29 - CHAPTER 11

Leo and sat down across from Tae-Hyun at the lunch table.
Tae-Hyun looked at him and said, "What do you want?"
"Uh, hey, Tae-Hyun..." Leo said, "I've been thinking a lot about you lately and I..."
Hesitating for just a second, Tae-Hyun said, "Sound like an idiot?"
Leo's jaw clenched and he said, "No... But you're being kind of hypocritical. I mean, you got mad at me for being a jerk, but now you're being a jerk to me. What do you call that?"
Tae-Hyun leaned across the table and said, "Leo, let me tell you something. You think I am being hypocrite, but I call it revenge. You hurt me and many other people. And guess what? This isn't all about you. Sure, getting back with you is fun, but-"
"Getting back at me." Leo corrected.
Mouse, Alice, and I walked up to the lunch table and stopped.
"Whatever, I don't care." Tae-Hyun snapped at Leo, "Getting back at you is fun, but this is not all about you. Have you ever thought that I might do something for myself sometime? Huh? Think about it, Leo. I taught you guys those Korean dances for the talent show because I wanted you to have fun. I gave up my secret identity because I loved you and I wanted you to be happy. Where do I come in? Where?"
Leo gritted his teeth and said, "Oh, so you didn't want to teach us all that dancing? Well, guess what, they weren't that cool anyway. And you were a terrible teacher!"
"Shut up, Leo!" Tae-Hyun snarled. 
"What about revealing yourself?" Leo said, "Being able to walk down the hallway without telling everyone a dirty lie about yourself? Look, that's what you're doing now! You're lying to yourself and everyone else about who you are."
Tae-Hyun looked down at her clothes, then at Leo.
"I can be whoever I want to be." She said, "Don't screw that up because you're jealous."
"Jealous!" Leo cried, "Why would I be jealous?"
"Because I'm getting attention from boys that are not you." Tae-Hyun said quietly.
Leo stared at her and got up.
"Don't." I said.
Leo glanced at me, then looked at Tae-Hyun.
"All of you suck." He said, and he left.
Alice and I looked at each other in concern and Mouse whistled.
"Dang, Korea, who knew you had such a mouth on you?" She said, almost in awe.
Tae-Hyun looked up at her and looked like she didn't know what to do. She scanned the lunchroom for Chris.


"Chris, please just listen to me for a second." Geoffry said, following Chris around the lunchroom.
"Forget it, Canning. I'm not interested." Chris said.
Geoffry sighed and said, "Why does everyone call me that all of a sudden?"
Chris rolled his eyes and said, "It's all a matter of politeness and relationships. Notice how we call all the teachers by their last names with 'mr.', 'mrs.', or 'miss' in front? That's out of respect."
"So, you're respecting me?" Geoffry asked, confused.
"No," Chris said, "You have no prefix, you're just your last name. I would call my friend or my boyfriend by their first name, but I call you by just your last name because you're a piece of crap that I don't care about."
"Jesus, Chris, please listen." Geoffry said, "That is so... Uhh..."
Chris stopped walking and turned to look at Geoffry, crossing his arms.
"I just... Ever since you came back to school all dressed like that and talking like that, I just..." Geoffry said.
Chris looked Geoffry up and down and smirked.
"Is that a roll of quarters in your pocket or are you happy to see me?" Chris said coolly.
Geoffry looked down, then at Chris, and took his hands.
"Please go out with me." Geoffry said.
Chris pulled his hands away from Geoffry's and said, "Beat it, Canning. I don't want to see your face again."
Geoffry smirked, like this was some sort of game, and said, "Sure, I'll go now, but I'm here when you want me."
Chris sneered and walked away.
"Chris!" Tae-Hyun hissed.
"Huh?" Chris said flatly.
Tae-Hyun whispered, "Help me, I yelled at Leo and now he's upset and I don't know what to do."
Chris sat down next to her and whispered, "It's easy, just act like nothing happened. I know it sounds cruel, but they'll get over it."
Tae-Hyun hesitated and said, "Are you sure?"
Chris nodded, "Totally. Trust me, I know what's best."
I was sitting across from Chris and Tae-Hyun, laughing so hard I almost fell off my seat.
All my friends looked at me in question.
"That... Was SO funny!" I cried, laughing and hitting my fist on the table, "When you were all 'is that a roll of quarters in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?' HAHAHAHAHA!"
Everyone stared at me.
"It wasn't that funny." Alice said.
"Yes, it was!!!" I exclaimed, laughing harder,  "You totally told him, Chris!"
Tears were running down my cheeks now.
Chris fought back a grin and said, "You are so weird."
"I mean, why did you even go out with him?" I laughed, "He's a total a**hole."
"I think he gets it, Ange." Mouse said.
And I laughed about Chris' insult to Geoffry for the rest of lunch.