1 - What the Heck is Wrong with Us?

"Why are you having breakfast alone?" Junior comes beside me at the kitchen counter with a bowl of cereal in his hand. 

I shrug my shoulders, sighing. "Mark went out early."

"Huh? Without you? Where'd he go?"

I shrug my shoulders again. I'm still mad at what he did last night, but a big part of me is worried. 

"I love you Cristina. You know that right?" He said, hugging me and crying at the same time. 

"Hey," I pulled away gently so I could look at his face. "What's wrong?" It was really the first time I saw him like that. I got nervous and worried all of a sudden. "Babe, tell me."

He shook his head, wiping his cheeks with the sleeves of his jacket. "It's nothing." He looks up to the starless sky above and takes a deep breath. "Shit! I'm drunk."

We quietly walked back to the house with him holding onto my hand really tight. I noticed him silently wiping tears. 

"Mark!" I laid beside him on his bed. "Aren't you gonna tell me what's wrong?"

He pulled me closer to him, attacking my lips. "Just stay with me tonight."

"Babe!" I pushed his head away gently and I saw fresh new tears running down his face. I wipe it away with my thumb. Just looking at him like that made me feel like crying, too. My heart felt heavy and I pulled him in for a tight hug. "You can tell me what's bothering you."

But he didn't. Instead, he plants kisses on my neck, his hand going in my shirt, touching my skin. 

"Mark, why won't you tell me?" I wanted to argue. I wanted to let him spill whatever was making him cry.

"Just be with me tonight, please." He hissed, going on top of me and removing his jacket then his shirt. 

In any other day, or night for that matter, I would have given in to my desires and let him take me. But, not that night. Not when he's clearly troubled. "Mark," I looked up straight to his eyes, holding his cheeks with both hands. "What's bothering you?"

"Nothing!" He yelled. "Can't I just get a good fuck before I sleep?"

I was stunned. It was the first time after so long that he'd yell at me like that. And what? Just because I wanted to know what his problem was? I pushed him off of me as strong as I could. "You didn't really have to shout, Mark. If you didn't want to tell your GIRLFRIEND," I stressed the word, getting out of the bed, "what is bothering you, then don't." I stomped out of his room, slamming the door behind me, not caring whether the others are already asleep. 

Unconsciously, a tear escapes my eye.

"Hey," Junior holds my shoulders and lets me face me. "What's wrong?"

I couldn't stop from crying anymore. I lean my head on his shoulder and sob. 

"What did Mark do to you?" He asks as he rubs my back with his hand. 

I don't answer, instead, I continue crying. I cry all my frustrations, anger and hurt. I didn't really imagine for once Mark would act that way. I was just concerned since I haven't really seen him that down. As a girlfriend, I wanted to comfort him, know how I could help him. But, what did he do? He pushed me away. What was wrong with him? 

I've told him all my worries because I trust him. Doesn't he trust me that much to tell me what was bothering him, too? 

"The guys and I are planning to go out later, wanna join us?" He asks when my sobs finally subside. 

"I don't know," I shake my head, wiping the last bit of tears wetting my cheeks. "I....I just don't know." I'm not really in the mood to go out. I just want to see Mark and talk to him. But, I don't even know where he's gone. I'm sure he's not in the company. I checked there earlier as soon as I saw his empty room. I tried calling his phone, too, but he left it in his room - again. 

I go to Trey's place after breakfast, but her house is empty. Her phone is also busy. I head to the bar where she works, hoping she just did overtime. But, it's already closed. 

Without nothing to do and nowhere to go, I find myself walking in the JYPE building and get in one of the empty dance studios. I plug the speaker on my phone and play the music. It's a dance Mark and I are practicing for the big performance night next weekend for both trainees and artists of the company. 

I let the beat drown my thoughts and lead my body as I move it in front of the wall to wall mirror. But, just halfway through the song, I sprawl my body on the floor. I can't take this. It's just hours since I haven't seen him and talked to him and I'm already missing him like crazy. And to top that, he seems like he doesn't even want to talk to me. He seemed really pissed last night. 

Well, I should be the one pissed, right? 

"AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!!" I shout out loud, frustrated. 

A male's voice chuckles from the door. 

I tilt my head up. Even if he's upside down I would know that smiling eyes anywhere. "Junior! It's just you." I sigh, a bit disappointed, actually. 

He walks towards me, standing just above me. He bends down, much to my surprise and reaches for my hands, pulling me up. "Let's practice together." He says, letting me stand on my feet. He then goes to my phone and plays the song again. 

"Junior, you..." I'm about to argue, but he grabs onto my arms and stands me in position. 

"I saw you practicing with Mark last time. I think I can help you." He says. 

I just go with him, trying to erase my thoughts on the boy who's probably crying somewhere on his own. 

"Concentrate!" Junior snaps me out of my chaotic thoughts, hitting my shoulder and letting me look at the mirror in front of me. 

I take his hand and do the next step without saying a word. I make mistakes after mistakes. I don't notice the sweat covering my whole body. Junior has given up and is already sitting on the floor at one corner, but I still continue. 

Only when the studio becomes silent that I finally drop down on the floor in exhaustion. 

"That's enough for now." Junior is by my phone, unhooking it from the speaker. "Let's go grab something to eat."

"You go on ahead." I tell him, dismissing him, laying on the floor on my side. 

But, he picks me up, putting his arms under me and lifting me up from the cool floor. 

"Twain!" I shout without thinking. "I mean....FUCK! Put me down," I yell at Junior. 

Even after tiring my body, I'm still thinking about Mark. If earlier I was angry, now, I'm just worried and guilty that I got angry at him like that when he clearly just needed some comfort last night. 

Junior finally puts me down at the door when other artists come out of the other practice room just across the hall. 

We slightly bow down at the group of girls, Miss A, who're shocked to see us. 

"Aren't you the flirty girl," Suzy looks at me from head to toe, smirking before walking away. 

I know she's hated me since the beginning. She was one of the girls Mark flirted with before. If I were my own self, I would have talked back at her. I don't care if she's a senior artist, she's still a year younger than me. She's too bitchy for my style. As much as I want to pull her fake hair, I stop myself. I have bigger things to think about than her. 

I just lick my lips and glare at Junior. 

"Sorry," he mouths, looking really apologetic. 

"Whatever!" I grab my phone from him and storm out, walking past the four girls and into the street towards the house. 

I go straight to Mark's room, but it's locked. I try knocking, but he doesn't answer. I try calling him, I hear the phone ringing from inside, but Mark rejects the call every time. So, I send him a message. 

'Can't we just talk? Are you avoiding me? I'm sorry about last night. Please. Just talk to me.'

But, he doesn't answer. I drag myself down to my room and stand under the shower, letting my tears fall again. 

I hear my phone ring from my bedroom and I quickly run to it, ignoring the water dripping on the floor and the shampoo still on my hair. But, I get disappointed again when I see who the caller is. 

"Trey!" I sigh. "Where were you? I was trying to call you earlier."

"Hey. Did Mark talk to you yet?" She sounds really troubled. 

Does she know something? "Fuck! He doesn't even answer my messages for crying out loud." I voice my frustration. "Where are you?"

"Uhm....I'm out of town for a while. I'll be back tomorrow. I think we need to talk."

"Damn right we do." I almost yell at her. "Do you know why Mark is being like this?"

"Let's talk tomorrow, ok?"

Before I can protest, she hangs up. 

After I finish showering, I try calling Mark again. This time, his phone doesn't even ring. He's turned it off completely. I go up to his room and I find it, once again, empty. 

What the heck is going on? Clearly, Trey knows why. I just hope I would be patient enough to wait until tomorrow, especially if Mark still won't talk to me tonight. 

Because I want to drink, and somehow try to forget about my worries, I go out with JB, Mina and Junior. We head to a club in the center of Seoul. It's holding an anniversary party and JB got us tickets since he knows the son of the owner. 

We're ushered to a VIP table just near the DJ's booth and JB immediately orders for us. Silently, I take shot after shot, trying to NOT think about Mark and watch the people on the dance floor. 

"Isn't that Suzy-sunbae?" Mina points towards the middle of the crowd, at the girl with the shortest of mini skirts and the thickest of make ups. She's facing our direction and she has her arms around a boy in front of her, dirty dancing. Although he's wearing a cap and his back is on us, I'd know him anywhere. 

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I know it's a really sad beginning. I hope you continue reading, though. I'll be posting another new story later tonight. It would be ....a .... surprise....LOL.

Lav y'all!