MINA 

Eighteen Years Old

"Hey, what are you doing?" I ask, jumping off of the swing that Jae was pushing me on when I see Han sitting on the park picnic table top and scrolling through my phone. 

 "Since when do you have a lock on your phone, pip?" Kai asks from over Han's shoulder, also looking at my phone. 

"Since you guys keep looking at it!" I tell them, reaching the table and taking my phone out of his hand. I've been friends with the guys since they moved here from Korea when Han and Kai were nine, Jae was ten, and I was six. Kai and Jae are cousins, and Han is a close family friend of theirs. 

My mom was a childhood friend of Jae's mom, back in Korea, so when Jae's mom Ji-na moved to San Francisco they reconnected. 

 Now I'm eighteen and they're twenty-two and twenty-three, and we have only gotten closer over the years. Platonically of course. Although my mom and Jae's are always talking about how convinced they are they will be in-laws someday.

I have the hugest crush on all three of my best friends, but I could never let them know that. How can I like three people? Isn't that inappropriate? 

 They're also very against me dating, hence the lock on my phone. "What are you trying to hide?" Asks Kai, walking toward me. 

I take a few steps back until I bump into Jae, who is standing behind me, arms crossed. I look up and he is looking down at me, eyebrow raised.

The guys are much bigger than my 5'1 frame which would be intimidating if I didn't know them so well. I know they'd never do anything to hurt me. They may be in the mafia, climbing the ladder quickly, since all of their dads are high-ranking members, but they would never lay a hand on me.

I am ripped from my thoughts when Kai's hand wraps around my chin, gently pulling my face to look at him. "What are you hiding from us, Pip?" He has a smile on his face but his eyes are dark, slightly squinted. I can tell he is annoyed. I shake my head, pulling my chin out of his grasp. 

"Nothing, I just deserve some privacy." How would you like it if I looked through your phone?" I ask, crossing my arms and looking up into his eyes. He may be six feet tall and in the mafia, but he is also my best friend, and I won't let him intimidate me.

"Go ahead." He says, taking his phone out of his pocket and holding it out to me. He bends until he is eye to eye with me. "The password is your birthday." He tosses his phone up into the air and I catch it as he walks away, back to the bench. "Of course it is," I think as I watch him walk away. Kai was slightly obsessed with me, I never thought much about it, I was used to it and I enjoyed it, who wouldn't enjoy a hot guy being obsessed with them?

"I don't need to look at your phone," I say, stepping away from Jae now that Kai isn't standing in front of me anymore.  "Just like you don't need to look at mine." I put his phone down on the tabletop of the bench. 

"Are you dating, Pip? Hiding some guy from us?" Jae asks, walking to the table as well. "No." I sigh, wiping imaginary lint off of my leggings unable to look them in the eye while I lie. "What does it matter anyway, I'm allowed to date," I say, picking up my bag. 

 "Says who?" Han asks, standing up. 'Okay, I lied earlier. Han scares me a little.'  Not that he would ever hurt me, but he is huge. Shorter than the other two by a couple of inches, but he is extremely muscular. 

He's also bossy and big on respect. Once, I rolled my eyes at him so he made me stand in a corner! I didn't talk to him for a week after that. 

 "My mom." I put the strap of my bag over my shoulder. It's not a lie... She did say I am allowed to date... One of them. 

 "She said that?" Jae asks, tilting his head to the side.

"Yeah, anyways, I have to go, we're going to grandma's for dinner," I tell my best friends, eager to get out of this discussion. 

"Wait," Han says, and I pause. "If I find out that you are dating anyone, Pip, they will regret ever looking at you, do you understand me?" He asks me, looking into my eyes. 

 Mine widened as I nodded my head. I know the guys are very protective over me, they always have been, but since I've only just started getting attention from guys in my grade after they graduated and weren't around to scare guys away anymore. Because of that, it has been more common that they to ask me if I am talking to any guys. 

 "Maybe we should talk to her mom about transferring her to an all-girls school. I bet your mom could convince her." Kai says, looking at Jae. "No way!" I exclaim, annoyed at the suggestion. "I am not changing schools in my sophomore year because you guys are jealous and possessive," I tell them, irritation in my voice. "And I'm leaving, see you guys tomorrow," I say, walking off without another word. 

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The park is only two blocks from my house, although I am surprised they don't insist on giving me a ride home like usual, they must know that I need my space now. I am not dating, per se, I am, however, 'talking' to a guy.

His name is Tyler, and he is a senior, like me, and the quarterback of our school's football team. He invited me to a party at his house tomorrow night while his parents were away. If the guys knew that Tyler asked me out and that  I was going to a party tomorrow, they'd be so mad and would probably convince my parents to lock me in my room for the weekend. 

Once I get home, I greet my mother and head upstairs to change and wash up. 

 "Mina, let's go, we're going to be late." My mom called up the stairs twenty-five minutes later, just as I finished getting dressed after my shower. "Dad's not here?" I ask walking down the stairs. "Working late." She says with a sad smile. We both know he isn't working late. He is out gambling. 

 Dinner is uneventful and before I know it, it's Saturday. I've told Mom that I'm staying over at Marnie's house tonight. 

She's known Marnie's parents since Marnie and I had become best friends in the second grade so it's one of the few places that I am allowed to spend the night, besides Jae's house. 

 The summer between eighth and ninth grade I stayed at Jae's house for six weeks. My mom and dad went to Korea to see my mom's grandparents. Due to a medical issue, I missed a lot of school in eighth grade, so I was stuck doing summer school and since Jae's mom and mine are close, Jina offered for me to stay with them for the summer. 

I have to say, it was a bit weird living at the estate. It is not what I am used to, plus there are high-ranking mafia members and guards everywhere, but it was a fun time. I got to see the guys every day. They helped me with my homework and snuck me out to get dessert or go to the arcade every day after dinner. 

 "Mina?" My mom's voice pulls me out of my thoughts. "Yeah?" I ask as she opens my cracked bedroom door. "When are you leaving? I'm going to dinner with Jina tonight, would you like me to bring you something back?" She asks, leaning against the door frame. 

My mom is beautiful, in her early forties. She was born in Korea but her English is nearly perfect, she still has an accent, however. "No, thank you. I'll be leaving in about an hour. Can you please not mention to Jina that I'm spending the night at Marnie's?" I ask, looking up at her from my vanity chair. 

 "Why not?" She asks with a small smile. She knows why. "She will tell Jae, and he and the guys will get all protective like usual," I say, shaking my head. 

Marnie has a twin brother, so the guys don't like it when I spend the night at her house. "Okay, just have fun tonight, don't worry about the guys being protective. You guys have fun at the movies." She tells me before blowing me a kiss.

"Drink water, remember to wear your watch." She says, nodding to my Apple watch that is currently sitting on my desk, charging. I nod, waving goodbye to her. 

 When I was in the eighth grade I started feeling weird. I would get really tired just doing simple tasks like walking down the hall. I would get dizzy from standing up and eventually, I started fainting. After going to a few different doctors and not getting any answers, I was eventually diagnosed with Hypovalemic POTS. 

It's a condition where your body doesn't naturally make the appropriate volume of blood, so any changes in posture, such as standing up from a sitting or lying position, cause a drop in blood pressure. This blood pressure means your heart has to work harder and pump faster to get blood to your head and brain, sending your heart into tachycardia. When your heart is beating fast and your head isn't getting enough blood, it can cause a lot of symptoms, including fainting, nausea, headache, lightheadedness, and dizziness. 

 Drinking water and consuming high amounts of salt and electrolytes can help by bringing up your blood pressure and helping your body create more blood. I'm also on medication for it.

My phone dings and I see that it's Marnie telling me that she and her mom are here to pick me up. I grab my overnight bag and keys and put on my Apple watch before heading downstairs and to the car.

 "Are you guys so excited for the movie tonight?" Marlie's mom, Sarah, asks as I buckle my seat belt. "Yeah, we've been waiting for the new Zac Efron movie to come out. Mina has the hugest crush on him." Marnie tells her mom, and I gently slap her arm, my cheeks flaming. 

 "Your dad and I are going out to dinner tonight, it's our anniversary, so we will be out late. You two come straight home after the movie, okay?" She asks, looking at us in the rearview mirror. I nod, and so does Marnie. Mrs. Leone doesn't know that we are going to a party, not to a movie. 

 It's around seven when Mr and Mrs Leone leave for their dinner reservations and Marnie and I can finally change into our party outfits. Marnie is wearing a black squinted halter top with black shorts, while I decide on a pink mini skirt and white cropped top. Our styles may be a bit different, but we look cute together. 

 Just as Marnie finished straightening her hair, her door bursts open and her twin brother Bobby comes in. "So you two are going to that party Tyler is throwing?" He asks plopping down onto Marnie's bed. "Yes, and you're going to cover for us." Marnie tells him sternly. 

 "You better be home before Mom and Dad." He tells her, crossing his arms. Marnie's brother is a bit of a homebody. He'd rather stay home playing Fortnite than go to a party. "And what if her boyfriends ask me about her?" He asks, his eyes widening. "When she's here and you two aren't answering they text me!" He stands up, pacing around the room nervously. 

 "They're not not boyfriends,"  Mina said, blushing slightly. "Just tell them we're at the movies! And then text me and I'll text them." I say, shrugging my shoulders. 

 "No way! I'm not lying to them, they'll kill me if they find out." He shakes his head, eyes like saucers. 

"They're not going to kill you, maybe beat you, but not kill yo," I say, partially joking. "No way, you lie to them yourself," Bobby says before he storms out of the room, leaving Marnie and I laughing to ourselves. 

 "It will be fine," Marnie assures me. "We will just remember to check out phones every once in a while in case they text you.." I nod, agreeing with her. 

I'm not letting their protectiveness ruin my first high school party.