CHAPTER 1
RUNNING

Jackie always woke up hours before school even started. It helped her schedule everything that could possibly delay her. She also just liked to have some time to herself before school.

As sad as it was she had no friends, Jackie had quickly got used to her isolation. At her old school, she was already known as the weird girl so being at this one wasn't much of a difference.

Her parents were always worried about her. Always trying to make sure she was okay. They could notice Jackie not having any friends.

Jackie claimed to be fine. Nothing was wrong. She didn't want her parents to worry. They already worried too much.

The good thing was Jackie's parents were rich so money was one less thing on Jackie's mind. She used money to distract herself mainly. Money was Jackie's only comfort.

She smiled as she placed a new order on her laptop for clothes. She closed the laptop and went out of her room, uniform fully on and everything.

Jackie walked down the steps and all the way to the kitchen where she sat down. "Ah, there's my girl!" Her father David said gleefully while reading the newspaper. "How's your Korean coming along?"

"Very good, father." Jackie said back in Korean and he gave her a thumbs up.

Her mother, Violet placed her breakfast in front of her. Jackie immediately began to dig in on the pancakes, bacon, and eggs.

"Are you ever going to drive that car we got you?" Violet asked her daughter. "Why don't you drive it to school? I'm sure the kids will love it!"

Jackie wanted to. She did but she already stuck out like a sore thumb and didn't want to cause further attention on her. "I don't know. Maybe. Just don't want to waste the gas you know?"

"Speaking about the kids..." David trailed off. "You make any friends yet?"

It had been two months and Jackie couldn't make friends to save her life. She didn't really understand why. Sure, she was weird but she knew she was nice and caring. Who didn't want a friend like that?

Jackie didn't want to worry her parents so she stuck with lying. "Oh. Just a couple. Kinda. Study thing."

Her dad's eyes lit up in excitement. "You should bring them here! Have dinner."

Violet nodded in agreement. "Yeah! I can cook!"

Jackie sighed. She hated lying to her parents. It was never something she wanted to do but she knew they were upset she didn't have anyone. "I'll ask..."

Jackie finished her breakfast when a knock was present on the door. "I got it." David set the newspaper down and walked over to the door. He opened it. "Hello."

"Hey, how are you doing? I'm Kwon Jae-Sung. Jackie's classmate. I was going to go with her to school today."

Jackie's eyes immediately widened. She practically ran off the table and went to the front door. Her ears did not deceive her. It was really him.

Kwon wore his school uniform with the green shirt popping his collar. She noticed he just did his hair because of the gel that didn't dry in his hair yet. Then she noticed he didn't enhance anything with his appearance. No necklaces, bracelets, nothing. It was like he was trying to hide his personality.

"This is wonderful! I'm her father. Would you like to come in and have breakfast?"

Her mother was coming around the corner, seeing him. "Yes! We'd love to have you."

Jackie wanted to die inside. She loved her parents but they were just a tad bit too much at times. Maybe that's where she got it from.

Kwon Jae-Sung politely smiled. "I already ate, thank you. I'm just here for Jacquline."

Jackie bit her lip at her first name being called. Not even her parents called her that. She went back to the table to grab her bag and then back to the door. She heard the conversation between her father and Kwon.

"You know, you and Jackie both wake up early for school. I admire that."

"Well...what's the American saying? The early bird gets the worm?"

It made David laugh. "I like that. I like this kid."

Jackie walked out the door and pulled Kwon with her. "Bye mom, bye dad."

"Have a good day at school sweetheart." David tells her.

The two were about to fully walk away but were stopped by Violet. "You forgot your lunch sweetheart!"

Jackie's face was turning red and Kwon couldn't help but chuckle. "Mom...."

"Come grab it!"

Knowing she'd never hear the end of it, Jackie walked back to her mother. She grabbed her lunch bag and her mother placed a kiss on her cheek. "We love you."

"Love you too!" This time Jackie hurried in her escape. She placed her lunch in the back pack.

The two walked away further from the house. That's when Jackie decided to speak. "How did you know where I lived?"

"You are the only American that is rich."

"Oh..."

"Your parents are nice."

"Really?" Jackie asked in surprise. "I thought you would think they were weird."

"They are. But weird and nice is better than the alternative."

Jackie nodded, changing the subject. "So, we gonna ride the bus and you tell me all your lessons as a sensei?" She half jokingly said.

Kwon snickered. "No. You're going to run."

At the sentence, Jackie stopped in her tracks, making Kwon stop. This couldn't be happening. "Run? But I live five miles from the school."

"And?"

Jackie looked at him nervously. "That's over an hour!"

"Right..."

"What about you?"

"I can run an hour...the question is can you?"

"Absolutely not!"

"The question was rhetorical. You're going to do it. First lesson is running. You cannot fight if you cannot keep up with your opponent." Jackie stood in place. She couldn't believe Kwon was actually going to make her run. By her lack of doing, Kwon looked at her, a bit irritated. "I'm sorry. Is my English not translating? I'm pretty sure I told you to run."

Jackie shook her head. "No, you did."

"So do it." She still didn't move so Kwon pointed to the side walk and shouted. "Run now!"

He was a little bit frightening when he yelled so Jackie immediately started to run. Kwon shook his head. "This is going to be a long day."

It had only been ten minutes and Jackie had given up. She stopped running in front of a house and clutched her chest in pain. She had never had this much exercise in her entire life.

Kwon stopped next to her and shook his head. Jackie was falling down to the cement. "You're not even halfway there."

Jackie tried to pass it off the light humor. "That's a Big Time Rush song."

"I have no idea who that is." Kwon dead panned. He looked at a house to see a man coming out and he looked back at Jackie. "What's funny is I knew you would give up right here."

"Oh?" Jackie asked, still out of breath. "No faith in me?"

"None at all." Kwon confirmed. "But as your sensei, I'm going to give you the push you need." Kwon looked at the man and started to speak in Korean. "Hey, Lee."

Lee turns around to look at him. "Kwon. Been a minute." He looks at Jackie and then back at Kwon. "The American rich girl is your girlfriend?"

Kwon rolled his eyes. "No. I'm making the weak girl strong. Do you still have your Jindo?"

"Yeah, he's in the back."

"Bring him out."

Lee laughed, understanding what Kwon wanted. "You are crazy." He said but went in the back to get him.

Jackie, still hyperventilating, looked up at Kwon. "Is it bad I didn't catch any of what you said?"

Kwon shook his head. "You'll find out soon enough."

Jackie turned when she heard barking. She froze. She was terrified of dogs. When she turned, she saw the dog. It really wasn't a scary looking dog but Jackie thought otherwise. "What's the dog doing there?"

"Well, since you can't run for shit maybe your adrenaline and instincts will take over if you were motivated."

"By a dog?!"

Kwon smirked. "Aw. You afraid of dogs?"

"Yes!"

"Too bad." He looked at the dog and then at her. "I would get a head start. That dog is fast."

Jackie crossed her arms, not believing Kwon. "You're bluffing."

Kwon raised a brow at her. She really didn't know him. Kwon looked back at Lee. "Release!"

Lee made the command to his dog to get Jackie. The dog started charging. "Oh Sugar Honey Ice Tea!" Jackie immediately started to run and this time, Kwon noticed she ran faster.

"You better run faster than that, American!"

Jackie finally made it to the school but the dog was still on her ass. "I cannot die like this!"

Luckily Kwon was directly behind her. He looked back at the dog and spoke. "Retreat." The dog immediately stopped and went back to his owner.

After running, it all started to kick in. Jackie hunched over completely out of breath. "Everything hurts."

"Stop being a baby." Kwon told her. "It took you an hour and twenty minutes when it should've taken you forty five minutes. We'll have to work on that."

Jackie clutched her chest. She looked at Kwon and saw he wasn't even sweating. "How are you not tired?!"

"Do I look like a weak American like you?"

"No."

"Rhetorical question." Kwon patted her back. "Have fun in class. I'll see you later."

Jackie watched as Kwon walked away to get to his class. She couldn't believe she signed up for this. She knew it would be hard. Kwon wasn't exactly the most gentle person but this? This was something else.

She made her way towards the bathroom, trying to make sure her hair she had in puff balls didn't frizz up. They looked alright.

Jackie went inside her bag and placed more product in her hair. Then took out her edge brush and started to do her edges.

She heard the bathroom door open. She paid no attention to it. That's when she heard the familiar voice. "Look everyone. It's the schools mascot."

Jackie sighed. Ha-Young had been tormenting her since she got there. She was the first to do it and then everyone just followed in pursuit.

Her little goons laughed. Jackie just decided that ignoring was the best. "Look at her hair. It looks so dirty."

She felt the racist undertone to it but still didn't say anything. She didn't want any trouble. And not by the girl everyone loved.

Ha-Young noticed Jackie wasn't giving her a reaction and was even more mad. "You must not understand my Korean." She forced Jackie to face her. "I said your hair looks dirty."

Jackie still didn't say anything. She just held her head in shame. Ha-Young kept going. "I saw you walk in with Kwon. Why were you with him? I mean, why would he be caught walking dead with you?"

She started to think on it. Why did Kwon all of the sudden want to help her? What changed his mind? Maybe he just felt sorry for her. Jackie didn't say anything still. Her head was still down.

"Pathetic American." Ha-Young was mad that Jackie wasn't fighting back. She shook her head and walked out with the rest of the girls.

Jackie finally allowed herself to cry. The tears started rolling. She tried to stop them because she was wearing her makeup. She didn't want to ruin it.

How could anyone be so cruel? She didn't understand why everyone was so mean to her.

She gathered her belongings and headed to class.

The first three classes, Jackie just tried to do her class work. It was a bit difficult considering paper balls were thrown at her non stop.

It didn't help that the teachers would force those kids to the office, causing the dislike for her to grow greater.

Jackie sat outside for lunch. Alone. She got out her lunch bag and was about to eat what her mom packed her until she felt someone grab the bag.

Kwon looked through the bag quickly. A sandwich, apple, a bag of potato chips and a cupcake. He took out the chips and cupcake and handed her the rest. "You don't need these."

Jackie huffed. "The cupcake is the best part."

"I'll decide when you get to cupcake status." Kwon said, sitting directly in front of her and taking a bite.

Jackie looked around to see Ha-Young glaring at the two. She quickly turned her attention and cleared her throat. "Don't you want to sit somewhere else? I'm not exactly the most likable here."

Kwon tilted his head at her. "I take you as someone that gives a shit about someone's opinion?"

"Well...no.." She bit into the apple before speaking again. "Just trying to make your life easier."

"Well don't. I can decide for myself. I'm not exactly the school's favorite either." He told her, finishing the cupcake.

"You are with the girls..." When she said that, she quickly realized what she said. "Not me of course. Just like..Ha-Young and the rest of them..."

Kwon offered her a teasing smile. "Oh? I'm not your type, American?"

Jackie groaned at the nickname. "Please, can you call me something else? It's bad enough I'm one of the only Americans. Even more bad that I'm the only black American."

Kwon nodded. "Okay, princess."

"Please don't call me that either."

"Hey, Kwon!" Kwon turned his attention to the voice and it was Ha-Young. "How much she pay you to sit with her?"

The girls laughed and Jackie just placed her head down. Kwon gave her a sarcastic smile. "I don't know. How much did your mom pay to bail your dad out of jail? Wasn't he in for assaulting a minor?"

Jackie peeked her head up, not knowing that fact. The girls turned to look at Ha-Young who looked embarrassed. "It's a rumor!" She stated before walking away.

Kwon rolled his eyes. He turned to look at Jackie who had her head down. "Stop having your head down. You're asking to get picked on."

"It's not that easy." Jackie said. "This happened at my last school too."

"So it's a you thing?"

Jackie glared at him. "It wasn't that bad. It was only one girl that really had it in for me...there was a big karate war and that's why I had to move schools. People think I'm weird."

"You are."

"Thanks..."

Kwon let out a big sigh seeing her face drop. "Just because you're weird doesn't mean people should treat you like that. But the more you let people do that, the worse it's going to get."

Jackie crossed her arms as she kept her attention on the ground. "All my friendships have really been fake. Most people just want my money. Which is fine I guess. I rather have one friend than no friends at all."

"That sounds depressing." Kwon said bluntly. "Don't worry. You'll kick her ass in no time."

Jackie had only hoped.

Jackie didn't see Kwon in her last class which meant he finished his work early so he could leave early. She wondered why he did that often. He probably had responsibilities to take care of at home.

Another class period where she hung her head in shame as the class whispered about her. She hated this but soon she'd be strong. That's all she cared about.

When she walked out of class, she bumped into somebody. Their books dropped out of their hand. "I am so sorry." She picked the books. She realized it was one of her male Korean classmates. "I really didn't mean to do that. Please don't-"

"Relax." He chuckled. "I speak English. And it's not the end of the world. Just some books."

Jackie sighed, a little out of relief. She finally caught a break. "Yeah...they are just books."

He stuck his hand out for her to shake. "I'm Park Jin-Woon."

Jackie smiled. This was the first person that actually didn't scream at her when she walked. She took his hand carefully and shook it. "Jackie Baker. Just call me Jackie."

"Ah. The smartest in this school."

Jackie's eyes went big at the name. "I um...wouldn't say smartest. Just know a thing or two."

"Alright. I'll see you around, Jackie."

He walked away and Jackie smiled to herself. He was cute. His hair was black, short with a middle part. His smile gave her goosebumps. And he just smelled so good. Like candy apples.

There was one person at school that was finally nice to her.

She walked out the school and there Kwon was. She looked at him curious. "I thought you left for the day."

"I did." He said casually.

"So are we running back to my house?"

Kwon shook his head. "No. Walking."

"Really?"

"Yes. Come on."

Jackie followed Kwon on the pavement as the two walked. There was a comfortable silence Kwon was appreciating until Jackie decided to pull her phone out. "My horoscope today says make the most of today's interactions, Pisces. Pay attention to everyone you meet, as they might play a significant role in your future. Use your keen insight to note any interesting details or opportunities that arise. Consider how these connections and observations could synergize down the line." She said. "That's gotta mean the cute boy I met in the hallway."

Kwon sighed at the silence now ending. "I cannot believe you believe in those."

"When's your birthday?"

"Fourteen of