Azalea

I thought it would be easy.

Of course I did.

On Saturday night, we were supposed to go out to see a movie and get drinks. I spend the whole day looking forward to it. I already had the day off, so that made it even better. I went out and got flowers and I even got a hair cut. (I was long overdue.)

So of course when she calls me sounding upset and saying something about how she's really not feeling well and everything, I'm kind of deflated. Jinki comes over and we get takeout and watch some Mad Men, but I can't help but to shake the feeling that some thing bad is happening.

I can't sleep.

On Sunday, I trade shifts with Jinki and wake up early to go get some breakfast, and pick up some muffins for Azalea on the way. Girls like muffins. (Most girls.) Somewhere in the back of my mind, I've convinced myself that this is a great idea and that she's going to be really excited and that it's all going to go off without a hitch.

I wish.

The first thing I notice is that Taemin isn't yelling and Azalea isn't yelling at him to get away from the door. Slightly off. I start to wonder if she's simply not home, but it's 10 on a Sunday morning. Where could she possibly be? I knock anyway because I might as well, since I'm already there.

"Um, hello?" she calls out hesitantly.

"It's me!" I reply. I can't help but to smile, and I don't know why. "I have breakfast."

"Yeah? That's, uh, that's awesome."

"Is everything okay?"

"What? Yeah! It's - I'm great. I'm awesome." I frowned.

"Are you sure? I could - should I leave? Maybe I should leave."

"No! No, just, um - let me throw on some clothes. I just got out of the shower."

So I wait quietly as she bustles around her aparment, peeking out the small window that looks out into the busy street. And then she opens the door, but she's looking round, running a hand through her hair. I walk in with a small frown. Why is she acting so strangely?

"So..."

"Let's eat in the kitchen. Don't worry. Tae's went out last night and he shouldn't be back for a while." She laughed nervously, walking quickly into the kitchen. I followed her and sat down at the table, watching her. Maybe it was a bad time.

"Should I go? I can - I mean - "

"No, no. It's fine." She shook her head and sat across from me, looking down. "Ooh! Muffins."

"Azalea."

"What?"

"Look at me."

"What?"

"What happened?"

"Nothing! I'm fine." She glanced at me and I simply stared at her, knitting my eyebrows at her. "What?" I stayed silent. She flipped her hair over her shoulder. She looked bruised and battered. Phillip.

"What happened last night?"

"What? Nothing."

"So that's nothing?" She looked at me and shook her head. "Why didn't you call me?!"

"What were you going to do?" She raises an eyebrow, eating her muffin with a shrug. "And I'm fine. I mean, the bruising's gone away a little, and my arm doesn't hurt so much anymore and - "

"Why didn't you call the police?"

"I couldn't get to my phone. Taemin had a class that ran late." She shrugged. "It's fine."

"What happened?"

"Phillip just showed up. He wanted to talk. I didn't." She smiles a little. "Pass the jam." I slide over some jam, frowning at her. "What? I'm fine, really. It's not as bad as it looks. If Taemin were here, he'd be freaking out. He doesn't like to go out because he doesn't want Phillip to come over, but I kind of made him go out. He was starting to get on my nerves." She smiles again, nudging my foot. "I'm okay, really. Don't worry."

"You still should have called me. Even after. I would've come over."

"And done what, exactly?" She raises an eyebrow. "I can fight my own battles. If it makes you feel any better, I scratched his face up pretty badly." She grins. "He won't be back for a while."