Jennie's POV
I take out my notes and textbooks and dive into my studies. I am working on next week's assignments. I like to stay ahead one week at least so there is no chance I fall behind. But my thoughts drift to Lisa and her moodiness, so I'm not really paying attention to the essay I'm supposed to be writing. It has been only two hours since I got off the phone with Kai, but it seems like four.
I decide to find a movie and lie in bed until I fall asleep, settling on The Vow despite the fact that I have seen it numerous times. Less than ten minutes into the movie I hear someone cursing outside in the hall. I turn the volume up on my laptop and ignore the cursing; it's Friday, which means drunk people all over the dorms tonight. A few minutes later, I hear the cursing again—a female voice, then another female voice joins in. The first girl shouts louder, and then I recognize the accent. It's Lisa.
I jump off my bed and swing open the door to find her sitting on the floor with her back against the wall outside my room. An angry girl with bleach-blond hair is standing over her, scowling with her hands on her hips.
"Lisa?" I say, and she looks up.
A huge grins slides over her face. "Jennie . . ." she says and begins to stand.
"Can you please tell your girlfriend to get away from my door—she spilled vodka all over the floor!" the girl yells.
I look at Lisa. "She's not my . . ." I start to say, but Lisa grabs my hand and pulls me toward my door.
"Sorry for the spill," she says and rolls her eyes at the blonde. She huffs and storms into her room, slamming her door.
"What are you doing here, Lisa?" I ask her. She tries to walk past me and into my room but I block the entrance.
"Why can't I come in, Jennie? I will be nice to your grandpa." She laughs and I roll my eyes. I know she is making fun of Kai.
"He isn't here."
"Why not? Okay, so let me in then," she says, slurring her words.
"No, are you drunk?" My eyes scan her face. Her eyes are red, and her smirk gives it all away. She takes her lip between her teeth and puts her hands into her pockets.
"I thought you didn't drink, but now you have been drinking a lot."
"It's only been twice. Chill out," she says, and pushes past me and flops down on my bed. "So why didn't Kai come?"
"I don't know," I lie.
She nods several times, like she's considering this seriously. "Sure. The Gap probably had a sale on cardigans, so he canceled on you." She bursts out laughing, and the energy in the room is such that I can't help but join her.
"So where is Nancy?" I ask. "At a Skanks 'R' Us sale?"
Lisa stops for a second and then laughs harder. "That was a terrible attempt at a comeback, Jennie," she jokes, and I kick my foot at where her shins dangle over the bed.
"Either way, you can't stay here. Kai and I are back together, officially."
I notice her smile fade and she rubs her hands against her knees. "Nice pajamas," she says, and I look down.
Why is she being so cavalier? We haven't resolved anything, and the last time I checked we were both staying away from each other.
"Lisa, you have to go."
"Let me guess: one of Kai's conditions for reconciliation was that you have to stay away from me?" Her tone is more serious now.
"Yeah, and the last time I checked you and I weren't friends or even speaking. Why did you drop Literature and why did you hit Jisoo?"
"Why do you always ask so many questions?" she whines.
"I don't want to talk about any of that! What were you and your cool pajamas doing before I came in—and why is your light off?" Lisa is much more playful when she has been drinking but I am beginning to wonder why she's begun drinking when she didn't before.
"I was watching a movie," I tell her maybe if I am nice to her she will answer some of my questions.
"What movie?"
"The Vow," I answer and look at her. I expect her to laugh at me and after a few seconds she does.
"You would like that sappy movie. That is so unrealistic." "It's based on a true story," I correct her.
"It still seems stupid."
"Have you even seen it?" I ask her, and she shakes her head.
"I don't have to see it to know it's stupid. I can tell you how it ends right now: she gets her memory back and they live happily ever after," she says in a high-pitched voice.
"No, actually that isn't how it ends," I laugh. Lisa makes me insane most of the time, but it's the rare occasions like this when she makes me forget how terrible she can be. I forget that I am supposed to hate her and instead find myself tossing one of Wendy's pillows at her. She lets it hit her, even though she could easily block it, and then yelps as if she is actually wounded, so we both laugh again.
"Let me stay and watch it with you," she half-asks, half-demands. "I don't think that is a good idea," I tell her and she shrugs.
"The worst ideas are often the best ideas. Besides, you wouldn't want me to drive back drunk, would you?" She smiles, and I can't resist even though I know I should.
"Fine, but you are sitting on the floor or Wendy's bed."
She pouts but I hold my ground. God knows what will happen if we are both on my small bed. I flush at the possibilities and then scold myself for thinking that way when I just promised Kai I would stay away from Lisa. It sounds like such a simple promise to make, but somehow I always find my way to Lisa. Or, like tonight, she finds her way to me.
Lisa slides down to the floor and I take a moment to admire how hot she looks in a plain white T-shirt. The contrast of her black ink and white shirt is perfect and I love the way the ivy branches along the bottom of her neck peak out from under the collar and the black ink can be seen under the material.
I press play and immediately she asks, "Got any popcorn?"
"No, you should have brought your own," I tease and turn the screen so she can see it better from the floor.
"I could always go for another type of snack," she says and I smack her head lightheartedly.
"Watch the movie, and no more talking, or I'll kick you out."
Lisa pretends to zip her lips and hand me a key, which makes me giggle as I pretend to toss it behind me. As Lisa lays her head back against the bed, I feel more calm and at peace than I have all week.
Lisa watches me more than the movie, but I don't care. I notice the way she smiles when I laugh at a funny line, the way she frowns when I sob over Paige losing her memory, and the way she too sighs with relief when Paige and Leo end up together again in the end.
"So what did you think?" I ask her as I scroll through to find another movie.
"Utter rubbish." But she smiles, and I ruffle my hand through her hair before I realize what I'm doing. I sit myself up and she turns toward the wall.
Way to make it awkward, Jennie.
"Let me choose the next movie," she says and reaches for my laptop. "Who said you could stay for another?" I ask and she rolls her eyes. "Can't drive. Still drunk," she says with a mischievous grin.
I know she is lying. She's mostly sobered up, but she's right. She should stay. I will deal with whatever Lisa decides to do to me tomorrow, just to be able to spend time with her. I really am pathetic, just like she said. And at the moment, I don't care.
I want to ask her why she came here and why she isn't at her own frat party, but I decide to wait until the movie is over because I know she will turn sour once I begin to question her. Lisa chooses some Batman film that I haven't seen and swears it is the best movie of all time. I laugh at her enthusiasm as she tries to explain the previous movies in the trilogy, but I have no idea what she is talking about. Kai and I always watch movies together, but I have never enjoyed it as much as I do with Lisa. Kai stares at the screen in silence, whereas Lisa banters along, adding hilarious sarcastic entertainment.
"My ass is numb from your hard floor," Lisa complains as soon as the movie begins.
"Wendy's bed is nice and soft," I say, and she frowns.
"I won't be able to see the screen from over there. Come on, Jen, I will keep my hands to myself."
"Fine," I groan and scoot over.
She smiles and lies next to me on her stomach mimicking me, bending her knees and putting her feet in the air. Lisa lays her head on her folded hands, which takes away all her rough edges and leaves her looking adorable. The movie is much better than I expected, and I must've been more into it than Lisa, because when the credits roll and I look over at her, she's fast asleep.
She looks so perfect, so peaceful in her sleep. I love the way her eyelids flutter and the way her chest moves up and down and the lovely sigh that leaves her full lips. I want to reach over and touch her face, but I don't. Despite the fact that I should wake her and make her leave, I cover her with my blanket and go lock the door before lying down on Wendy's bed. I glance over at her again and admire the way the dim light from the television illuminates her face. She looks younger and much happier in her sleep.
As I drift to sleep, I realize that I've spent the night with Lisa a couple of times now, and never with Kai. My subconscious helpfully reminds me that I've done a lot of things with Lisa that I've never done with Kai.