JENNIE

Taehyung had been calling me each day, but I never answered. Every time he left a voice message, I deleted it. I knew if I listened to his voice, I would miss him, and he didn't deserve to be missed. My brain understood that fact, yet my heart had its own thoughts on the subject. Avoiding him was the best option for me.

I did my best to keep to myself. When I went to The Silent Bookshop, Lisa was normally there, yet we didn't interact. She sat in the far-left corner of the shop while I sat at the table in the far-right.

Sometimes, we'd cross paths while searching for books, but she made it her mission not to look my way, so I did my best to stay out of her way, too.

Something about her made me so uneasy. The way she approached me in the marketplace was so odd. She came off so aggressive but also protective all at once, and it gave my head the biggest migraine.

I did catch her one afternoon with Kai, and Momo wasn't lying—it made my heart swell. I was walking through Kap Park when she and Kai arrived. Kai seemed to have trouble walking on his own, so Lisa carried him in her arms. Lisa wore a backpack, and once they found a spot in the sun,she pulled out a blanket and chew toys for Kai. She laid her old faithful down on the blanket and just sat with her dog. Every now and then, she'd pet Kai's back, and say, "Good boy." It almost looked as if Kai was smiling as he slowly wagged his tail and rested.

Liaa cared for her dog with nothing but love. I didn't know a person like her could care for something in that way. Her love was so quiet, yet somehow so loud. The way she loved Kai was the way every person should've been loved: unconditionally.

When she looked up and saw me watching them, I started walking away fast.

She didn't look at me the same way she looked at Kai.

When Lisa's eyes locked with mine, I only saw hate.

On Friday evening, Yeri joined me at the bookshop, something she never did. Yet she'd been very close since I'd been back to town, making sure I was okay. She wasn't as big on reading as I was, so she casually flipped through some pages as we sat in my corner.

"We can go," I whispered, watching my sister twiddle her thumbs from boredom as she leaned back in her chair.

"Shh…" she scolded me. "Silence is golden."

I laughed. "You're bored out of your mind."

"What are you talking about? This is the best. Books and words, words and books. It's amazing."

A person shushed us from afar, and we couldn't help but snicker some more. "Want to go get ice cream?"

Her eyes widened with glee. "Now you're speaking my language."

As we began to walk away, I glanced in the direction of Lisa's corner and noticed she was gone. I wondered what books she'd taken with her that night.

Then I wondered why I wondered.

We walked the streets of Chester, Yeri talking about how the planning for the Peach Festival was coming along, and I was listening closely until my eye caught a crowd of teenagers, laughing and throwing items at something. A few had a garbage bin in their hands and dumped it upside down on the thing. The closer I drew, the more nervous I became.

They weren't throwing trash at something—they were hitting someone.

"Hey!" I shouted, hurrying over. "Stop that!" I ordered. The second the kids turned around and saw me, they took off running in different directions. As I neared the individual covered in trash, I became concerned.

"Mr. Manoban, are you okay…?" I asked, bending down to help him up.

He was completely plastered, and the smell of whiskey and urine was strong. He'd wet his pants. Oh no…

"Is he okay?" Yeri asked, her voice shaky.

"Mr. Manoban, let me help you up," I said as he batted his hand at me.

"Leave me alone!" he barked.

"But, here. I can help you get home, and—"

"I said piss off, b-b-bitch!" he hollered, slurring his words. I didn't take offense to them, though. I doubted he even knew who I was at the moment. His eyes were hardly opened. He was so far gone.

"Jennie, maybe we should just let him be…" Yeri whispered, her voice shaky with nerves.

"I'm not going to leave him here," I told her.

"I can go get Sheriff Camps," she offered, making me hastily turn to face her.

"Yeri, no. No cops. I can handle this." The last thing Lisa needed was the stress of bailing her father out of jail.

"But Jennie…" my sister started.

"Really, Yerimi Rae. It's fine. You can go home." She looked at me with concerned eyes, but I gave her a comforting smile. "Seriously, I got this."

"No. I'm helping you," she said, not allowing me to take on Marco Manoban alone.

I went back to looking at Lisa's father, covered in trash. He kept telling us to leave, but I ignored him. There was no way I was leaving his side, and there was no way Yeri would leave mine. I didn't need more kids to gather around and abuse him, or even worse, the cops to pick him up and take him in.

I did the only thing I could think to do: I helped Mr. Manoban up from the trash, and Yeri helped too. We started to walk him home even though he pushed against us. "Go away, you fucking ugly bitches," he growled, and for a moment, I considered it, but then Dad's words crossed my mind.

If you turn your back on one, then you turn your back on all…

Halfway though, he simply gave up and let us drag him home.

"I don't n-need you," he muttered, drool rolling out of the side of his mouth as he slurred his words. I reached into his pocket and pulled out his set of keys to unlock his door, and we brought him inside.

The house was a mess. There were empty beer cans scattered throughout the space, and old food sat on dirty dishes stacked high in the sink. I kept pulling Mr. Manoban through the house until we reached the bathroom.

"We need to put him in the shower," I told Yeri, and she was quick to help me without any questions.

"You'll hate me for this," I muttered. "But then again, you already hate me, so it can't get any worse." He sat down and scrunched over, mumbling to himself. I reached into his front pocket and grabbed his phone before I turned on the cold water. He reacted instantly to the feeling.

"What the fuck?!" he shouted but was still unable to stand.

I couldn't let him sit in his own urine and the filth from the garbage bins. "You're okay," I told him.

"I don't need y-your help. Fuck you, whore," he kept repeating, but his shoulders slumped over as he shut his eyes and allowed the water to run over him. I turned the water to a warmer temperature before grabbing his cell phone and dialing Lisa's number.

The moment it began to ring, Lisa was quick to answer.

"Yeah, Dad?"

"Hey, Lisa? It's actually Jennie…"

Her voice grew alert. "What's going on? Is my dad okay?"

"He's, um, he's okay. He's just a bit wasted. I found him in town almost passed out, and a few kids were messing with him. I brought him back to his house. I just thought you should know."

"Shit," she whispered under her breath. "I'm so sorry. I'll be over there soon. You don't gotta stay with him."

"No, it's fine. I'll wait with him. I'll probably need your help getting him into clean clothes."

"I'm so—"

"Lisa."

"Yes?"

"Don't say you're sorry. I'll see you soon." I hung up the phone and turned to Yeri, who still had a look of worry in her eyes, but I knew it was for Mr. Manoban's life. She cared about everyone equally because that was the only way her heart knew how to beat. "You can head home, Yeri. I'll be there soon."

"Are you sure? I can stay and help…" she told me.

"No, really, it's fine. Lisa will be here soon, and then I'll head home." She gave me an uncertain frown, and I reached out and lightly squeezed her arm. "Really, Yeri. We're good here."

"Okay, but call me if anything changes."

"I will do. And Yeri?"

"Yes?"

"Can you not tell Mama about this?"

"Of course, I won't."

I thanked her for that, and then she left.

I shut off the water and began to dry Mr. Manoban's hair, but he kept pushing my hands away and calling me names. That didn't stop me from trying to help.

After I dried him the best I could, I went searching for dry clothes for him to change into once Lisa made it home. I walked into his bedroom and I paused at his dresser. A dusty framed picture sat on it of Lisa, Marco and his late wife. They were all laughing in the photograph. A beautiful memory snapped into a forever keepsake. I moved my fingers across it lightly and studied the family.

They once looked so happy and full of life.

It was amazing how tragedy could change a person forever.

I shook off the feeling of sadness and gathered Marco's clothing.

Then I went back to the bathroom and waited on the floor, making sure Marco didn't get sick and choke on his own vomit. He leaned against the tiled wall with his eyes closed, and his mouth parted. Every now and then, I waved my hand in front of his mouth to make sure I could feel his breaths.

The moment the front door opened, a wave of relief hit me. Lisa rushed through the house, calling for her dad.

"Over here, in the bathroom," I replied.

She stepped into the room, and her eyes fell to her father. "Jesus, Dad…" she softly spoke, disappointment dancing through her sounds. She raced her hands through her hair.

"He pissed himself?" she asked.

"Yes."

She cringed. "I got it from here. You can go."

"Are you sure…?"

"Yes," she said, uninterested in any more words. "Go."

I stood and gave her a broken smile. "If you need anything…"

"We won't."

"Okay."

I walked past her and then felt a small touch to my forearm. My eyes fell to Lisa's hand against my skin, and my stomach flipped.

Oh…

I forgot what that felt like—to be touched ever so gently.

I looked up and found her hazel eyes staring into mine. As her lips parted, her words somersaulted off her tongue. "Thank you for bringing him back here. You didn't have to do that."

"Yes, I did."

As I walked away to allow Lisa to help her father change into clean, dry clothing, I had a feeling I shouldn't leave her alone to deal with everything on her own. As she took care of her father, I helped clean up around the house, tossing the dishes into the dishwasher and throwing the empty beers into the trash can.

After Lisa helped her father to bed, she came out with such a look of distress on her face.

"He's knocked out. I placed a garbage can next to him. Hopefully, he won't need to use it."

"I hope he's okay."

"Why are you still here?" she asked, and I wasn't very certain. She glanced around the space. "Did you clean up?"

"Only a little. I just wanted to make sure you're okay. Are you okay?" I asked, nodding in her direction. After the words left my mouth, I realized how stupid the question was. Of course, she wasn't okay.

"I'll be fine," she replied with knitted brows. She was repeatedly snapping a band on her wrist. So much so that her skin was turning red.

I hugged my body with my arms. "It has to be hard living in a place where you feel like you don't belong. I'm sure your reasons for staying are valid, but that doesn't make it any less hard. Plus, with the shape your father is in, that can't be easy." She didn't reply, so I kept talking. "I know you don't know me, but if you ever need a person to talk to—"

"I don't," she snapped, and when the words harshly fell from her tongue, her mouth twitched.

"Okay."

Her bottom lip twitched. "It's not you. I don't talk to strangers, and it just turns out that everyone's a stranger."

"Except Alex."

"Yes. Except Alex, and even then…"

I nodded in understanding, then swayed back and forth a tad bit. "I, uh, I'm Jennie. I love puzzles, but I never finish them. I'm the worst person to take out to eat because I can never decide what to order. I think bananas are weird, but I love banana cream pie. I can't do a cartwheel, but I can eat a whole pizza in one sitting, which some might find gross, but I find impressive. I still have my wisdom teeth even though they bother me during full moons, and—"

She narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing?"

"Telling you about myself so I'm no longer a stranger to you. Therefore, you won't feel weird talking about things to me."

She almost smiled, or at least, I pretended she did. Every now and then, I imagined what it would look like if her lips curved up into a grin. I bet a smile would look so good on her.

"Why are you so set on trying to get me to open up?" she asked.

"Because, even though you don't see it, I think we have things in common. Plus, you're the only person in this town who makes me feel like I don't have to pretend to be something I'm not."

"What are you pretending to be?"

I swallowed hard and shrugged my left shoulder. "Perfect."

"I know what that's like." She spoke low, unease in her tone. "To have to pretend to be something you aren't."

She was opening up, slowly, quietly, softly…

Please stay open.

"What are you pretending to be?" I asked.

"Angry."

"But what are you really?"

"Lost," she truthfully confessed, and I felt her words deep in my soul.

"Me too," I told her. "So much, me too."

Her shoulders rounded forward, and her stare dropped to the floor, but no words escaped her.

I stepped toward her. "If you need anything—"

"I don't. We don't."

"But if there ever is a time you do need anything, I'm here. Even if it's just loading the dishwasher."

She appeared so perplexed by my offer—almost angry that I'd say those words—but she didn't say anything in response to my offer, which made me grow a bit uncomfortable.

"I should get out of your hair, though. I don't want to take up your night."

She nodded in agreement and walked me out to the front porch.

"I'll walk you home," she offered, her voice intense, but I didn't take offense to it. It seemed that intensity was all that Lisa really knew how to be.

I shook my head. "I'll be fine."

She grumbled, and the corner of her mouth twitched. "It's late."

"We're in Chester," I joked. "It's pretty safe."

"You never know what kind of weirdos there are in small towns."

"I think I can handle it."

"But—"

"Really," I cut in. "It's fine."

"Are you always this stubborn?"

"That's funny." I grinned. "I could ask you the same thing."

She almost smiled, and I almost loved it.

"Well, if you're sure," she told me, her deep voice still uncertain.

"I am but thank you for the offer."

As I turned to leave, her sharp voice sounded once more. "Why didn't you call the cops?"

"What?"

"On my father. Why didn't you call the cops on him like everyone else in town does?"

My eyes locked with her, and even though her words were hardened, her stare wasn't. Her eyes simply looked sad. Oh, Lisa. She was way too young to be that sad, that angry, that broken.

"That's simple," I replied. "Because I'm not like everyone else in town."

"Jennie?"

"Yes?"

She stuffed her hands into her pockets and released a small breath. "You're nothing like your mother."

That both broke my heart and healed it all at once.

We didn't say another word. She turned and went back into her father's house, and I walked down the steps of the front porch. As I made my way back to my sister's, Lisa Manoban and her father both stayed on my mind.

I said a small prayer for their hearts and hoped somehow their souls could find some kind of healing.