awkward introductions

I was never good at lying.

Trust me - not even a white lie could suffice if I'm the one meant to deliver it. And my one telltale giveaway? My ears turn red. Like, not subtly, either - we're talking strawberry levels here.

My mom always found the scene so amusing. Probably because that meant that her child was forced by the nature of her biology to always tell the truth. Or because her little girl with crimson ears looks like a cute little remixed Rudolph the red nose reindeer; pick your choice.

I always found it funny though, this little feature of mine, considering the fact that I could be pretty sassy if I wanted to. And funny, even if I do say so myself. And while I pride myself on not having a tremendously bad temper, I'd like to think that I'm pretty serious-looking when I'm mad. But the no lying part just puts that whole equation off a bit, don't you think?

"Kiki," Jaeun says, pulling his phone away from his ear. "Who's that?" He's still dressed in the shirt that he was wearing yesterday, but it looks like he changed his pants. Instead of loose jeans, this morning he has on a pair of comfortable sweatpants. And the fact that his hair is damp means that he took a shower.

Whether it was here or elsewhere, I wouldn't know. Unless I asked him, of course. Which I won't, considering his gaze resting on the one person he shouldn't even know exists. Well, the one genie, if we're being specific.

"Uhm," I say, stalling for time. "No one?" Cue red ears.

See, the sad thing about being best friends with someone since the age of seven is the fact that they, too, know all your telltale signs. He knows that I sneeze when I smell pepper. He knows that I cry whenever an animal dies or gets injured in a movie. And he knows for certain that my ears go all Rudolph when I try to fib.

He figured it out back in high school, when I wanted to lie to him about having a crush. The boy's name was Ming Gyong, and he was kind of friends with Jaeun at the time. So, like any helplessly foolish girl, I tried to nonchalantly tell my best friend to invite his buddy over more often.

He still won't let me live down the embarrassment from time to time.

"Kiama," he says with a knowing tone, placing the stuff in his hands on the little counter next to the door. Including his phone, which he hangs up without saying goodbye to whoever was on the line. Under normal circumstances, I'd have playfully scolded him on how rude that is. But this isn't normal circumstances.

In fact, nothing has felt normal for the last 24 hours.

Happy freaking birthday to me, I guess.

"Uhm...?" I say again, this time in a slightly higher register. By now, I can actually feel my ears burning the skin next my hairline. I glance back at Cal, my eyes wide as I try to communicate with him through my eyes that he should at least try and help me out. This mess is his fault, anyway. "No one...?" Go figure.

"Wait..." Jaeun says, taking a few steps closer towards the two of us. Considering the curtains are open for some reason (probably the work of the one and only Cal Monroe), the sunlight is streaming in and casting a late morning glow on the side of his face. A stray ray catches his piercing as well, making it glimmer ever so slightly.

Makes him almost look like a model. But I shouldn't be focusing on that.

Damnit, Kiama!

"Wait, what?" I ask, daring to glance back at Cal again. He still looks dumbfounded, like a deer caught in headlights. I'm at a cross between wanting to pinch him or punch him so that he can return back to reality. But once more, I still can't punch. And I wouldn't dare even make a move to pinch him, because that means we'll both probably electrocuted by the touch.

"You said you didn't want to come with me last night because you wouldn't enjoy it," Jaeun says, crossing his arms and tilting his head up a bit. "You said that you were going to have a nice, quiet night in and that you were just going to peacefully sleep through your first night of nineteen away."

"I always say that!" I say defensively, which, thankfully isn't a lie. "Well, save for the birthday part. But, you know how much hate the public scene."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," he says, waving a dismissive hand in the air. He's not done speaking though. "But the scene in front of me makes me wonder something."

"Wonder what?" I ask, my voice so high that I'm surprised that there aren't dogs howling off somewhere in the distance. I take a small step back, for some reason. Probably because I don't like the idea of Jaeun confronting me right now.

Then again, that quirked eyebrow and the fact that he's quizzing me on last night...? What if he figures out that Cal is a genie and has magic? What if I panic so bad that I blurt it all out in a singular breath. I mean, Cal didn't exactly tell me of the consequences of other people knowing, but surely it's bad right?

What if he tells the university and they confiscate the necklace and burn us because they think we're witches? Even worse - what if they're so intrigued by it that they start performing science experiments on me or the genie. What if they hurt Cal?

Wait, why am I worried about Cal?

Whatever; if I don't calm down now, I'm going to start hyperventilating. Or throw up. Whichever one happens first.

"Kiki, did the two of you..." Jaeun starts, looking me dead in the eye as he begins his sentence.

"Yes," comes the reply, hastily but affirmative. "Yes, we hooked up last night." I look to my side, eyes even wider when I see that Cal has stepped forward and spoke up.

"Wait, what?" I ask, clenching my fists slightly. The first time he decides to speak up and this is what he says? We don't even know if Jaeun wanted to say that.

"I was going to ask if the two of you watched a movie together in secret, but okay," Jaeun replies, looking just as stunned at Cal's abrupt intrusion as I am. His eyes momentarily scan over Cal, probably checking to see if he recognizes him from somewhere. He most certainly will not. But then his eyes turn to me, doe eyes big and curious.

And then his doe eyes are big and...hurt? Is my best friend hurt by the hypothetical scenario that I indeed had an intimate evening with Cal Monroe?

No, stop hallucinating things, Kiama. He's probably just upset you didn't tell - in the event the whole lie was true.

After all, we do tend to tell each other everything. And after all, seeing as the lie came from Cal and not me this time, I can also see why Jaeun would believe it's true. Maybe. But mark my words, Jaeun will one day know that I could never be with someone like Cal Monroe. He irks me.

Even now, as he stands there with a faux proud face and a hand that looks like it wnats to rest on my shoulder. I might be shorter than most of the people I come across, but I am certainly nobody's resting pole, genie or otherwise. I shuffle ever so slightly to the left, making sure that I'm just out of his reach.

"Oh, yeah," Cal says, sounding a bit winded. "That too."

There's an awkward pause, one so pregnant that I'm half expecting it to give birth to another one at any moment. Cal is looking at a spot just past Jaeun's shoulder, and Jaeun is sheepishly rubbing at the back of his neck. I'm looking between the two like a damn fool, wondering what to do now that my magical birthday gift and my wonderful best friend have met each other.

"Uhm, so Jaeun," I say, clearing my throat even though it still hurts. "This is, uh, Cal. My, uh...friend?" Again, cue red ears.

But Jaeun takes this cue totally different this time round. his eyebrows relax a bit, and he taps me on the forehead like he always does when he thinks I'm saying something stupid. "Come on, Kiki," he says, tilting his head a bit. "There's no need to lie. You can tell me he's your boyfriend."

"Yup," Cal says, suddenly springing forward with his hand extended. "I'm Cal Monroe, and Kiama is most certainly my girlfriend. Nice to meet you...Jaeun, I believe?"

"Uh, yeah," Jaeun says, looking a little confused before accepting Cal's hand and shaking back. "You, uh, know me?"

"Well, not personally," Cal says, showcasing a shit-eating grin all of a sudden. I wish I could wipe it away. "But my shnookems here can't stop telling me about her absolute best friend, Kyong Jaeun."

With that, Cal closes the gap between us and hugs my shoulders with his arm, embracing me as if we've known each other for years or something. I've never wanted to be swallowed by a hole in the ground this bad in my entire life. I think I'll make a cute mole.

"Oh, she talks about me?" Jauen says, cheeks turning a small tinge of red. In all the years I've known him, I've never seen him react like that - not even when he's embarassed or something. "Strange, because she, uh, hasn't mentioned you yet."

"Uh..." I answer, feeling my voice staying stuck right inside my mouth. And this time, it's no magic nonense from Cal's side, but rather my own befuddlement. "Uhm..."

"That because it's so new," Cal says, sounding ever convincing. This prick. His caramel hair flies is combed back this morning, making him seem way more mature than the cutesy look he was going for last night upon our escape. "It hasn't even been together two weeks."

"Two weeks?" Jaeun asks, looking shocked. His eyes glance from me to Cal and back again. "And you didn't think to mention him one time up until now?"

I feel like my ears represent a tomato right now. Just go ahead and squeeze me into a ketchup bottle already, I beg of you.

"Well-" Cal starts, but he's interrupted. By me. With my hands, on his mouth.

And boy does it burn like hell. "Look, Jaeun," I say, suddenly remembering something. "I know this looks and sounds completely strange, but I promise I'll explain later okay? It's just, I'm sorta late for class right now?"

Again, that weird flash of hurt in his eyes. But it's gone before I can properly decipher it. Or convince myself that it isn't real in the first place.

My hand literally feels like it's exploding and swimming in lava at the same time, but if it means that I get to keep Cal from saying a bunch more untrue nonsense, then I guess it's worth it. Maybe my hand will even be as red as my ears.

"Yeah, sure," he says, rolling his shoulders a bit. He always does that when he doesn't know what to say to someone. He takes a step back, as if he's heading towards his bed, but then pivots back in my direction, pointing at the table. "Oh, before I forget; I bought you a breakfast bagel on my way back. The one you like."

Bacon and cheese...

Clearly I'm super distressed, because normally I would've smelt the savoury aroma of one of my favourite foods the moment my best friend walked through the door with it. Once again, I blame Cal Monroe.

"Oh," I say, not thinking twice before darting for the packet and dragging a wincing Cal behind me. "Thanks so much, Jaybay. You're the best!"

"Kiama!" he calls back, probably out of embarrassment of me using that particular nickname. But I don't really have time to humour him this time - not only am I going to be late for class if I don't move now, but I need to get Cal as far away from Jaeun as possible immediately.

I dart out the door, still dragging Cal behind me. I turn to offer Jaeun a smile and a wave with the hand that's grasping at the paper bag with the bagel in before rushing out and closing the door behind me.

And then I drag Cal to the storage closet a little ways down the corridor, practically throwing the small door shut. Only then do I let go of him, and the relief of not being burned is immensely great.

"What the hell!" I whisper-yell the moment I do, looking at Cal clutching his jaw and mouth with a slight pout. "We hooked up? You're my boyfriend!? Are you crazy, Cal?"

"You're the one who wasn't providing any answers," he says, narrowing his eyes at me. His hands are still nursing invisible wounds on his face. "I just read the room well enough and acted accordingly."

"Read the room?" I counter, still pissed beyond measure. "No, what you did was spin of a web of lies so damn big that I am now forced to lie to my best friend about you. Which isn't easy, by the way!"

"Yeah, I noticed," Cal says with a chuckle, blue eyes sparkling with amusement. "You're ears looked like red traffic lights."

"Shut up!" I respond, clutching at my messed up curls in frustration. And then I realize that I'm still dressed in my pajamas and probably look like I just rolled from the bed. Which I kind of actually did. "I can't deal with you right now."

I have class in fifteen minutes, Jaeun thinks I'm heading things from him and I'm hiding with the world's worst genie in the freaking storage closet. What a fantastic way to start a Friday.

"What, because you're still dressed in your panda PJ's and have to be in class in about fifteen minutes?" he asks, mocking me with a grin. What's is he a mind-reader now too.

"I can't wait to shove you back into the damn necklace," I say through gritted teeth, grasping the necklace before shoving it on the floor. It'll be back on my neck in a second, but the satisfaction of ripping it off will never fail to fulfill me.

"Believe me, sweetheart," he says, looking at the necklace with an entertained expression on his face. "The feeling is still mutual."

*

"Wait, you said that you were invisible in my room yesterday," I say, once more fixing my hair despite it looking fine. "Why didn't you do the same thing earlier?"

"Because, Mimi," Cal answers, adding extra stress on the nickname, "your loverboy came dashing through the door before I could even comprehend there was someone coming."

"You're the one with magic," I say, rolling my eyes. "Aren't you supposed to do things on a whim or whatever?"

"Doing things on a whim and hearing through a door are two different things, Kiama," Cal says, sounding annoyed. Good. "Magic requires accuracy, and besides, your friend already saw me by the time I would've made myself invisible."

"Again, whatever," I say, walking a little faster. Currently, we're heading to my other side across campus, which starts in about twenty minutes.

This morning, while we were still stuck in the storage closet, Cal came up with the elaborate idea to change my outfit from PJ's into whatever. Of course, considering I couldn't go back to my room and change without having yet another awkward exchange with Jaeun, it did sound like an acceptable option.

Only, the mere thought of Cal doing me a favour made me want to be sick and punch air simultaneously. However, he did brag about being a magical being just last night, so I guess I should just let a genie be a genie.

"You are my Holder, after all..."

Holder. I wonder why they call it that. Not that I'm going to ask, though - the less the two of us talk, the better. Which is kind of impossible with a smughead like Cal, and the fact that he has to be close to me - no, to the necklace - at all times.

Currently, he's dressed in a faded black pants, matched a form fitting white shirt and light brown cardigan. I'm wearing something similar, wearing a skirt instead of a pants, though.

Because Cal Monroe thought that matching outfits would be absolutely hilarious and just can't get enough of embarrassment, it seems. And since he decided that two people walking together wasn't an odd sight to see on a bustling campus, he's not invisible and everyone can see the two of us.

Freaking everyone.

"Why the heck are rushing for all of a sudden?" Cal asks, picking up his pace. He sounds equally impatient and annoyed. Again, good.

"Because I can," I say, turning my head to give him a smug grin of my own. I might not be the best runner, but I know how to walk circles around a person. Just ask Hajoon - he's lost plenty of speed walking races against me.

"Yeah, well..." he starts, but I don't hear what he says next.

Because by the luck of the heavens, I bump into something. But judging by the soft fabric of the shirt and the fact the there are hands sort of pushing me away from them, I'm guessing that it's someone.

"Oh, I'm sorry-" I start, looking up at the stranger who seems to be the same height as Cal. But I don't finish my own sentence.

Why? Because looking back at me is a stranger with narrow eyes. Narrow golden eyes.

***