Jennie's POV
Wendy walks in and right away wraps her tiny arms around me. It's odd that her frail arms can feel so comforting.
"Thank you for making her leave," I say, sobbing, and she hugs me tighter. My tears really are flowing now and I don't see an end in sight.
"Lisa may be my friend, but so are you, and I don't want her upsetting you. I'm sorry, this is all my fault. I knew I should have given my key to Jackson, and I shouldn't have let her come around you all the time. She can be a real dick."
"No, it's not your fault at all. I am sorry, I don't want to come in between your friendship."
"Oh please," she says.
I pull out of her embrace and see the look of concern on her face. I appreciate her being here with me more than she will ever know. I feel completely alone: Kai's taking time to decide whether to break up with me or not, Lisa is an asshole, my mother would lose it if I talked to her about this, and Jisoo would be disappointed in me if she knew the depth of my situation with Lisa. I literally have no one except this flame- haired, tattooed girl who I never expected would become my friend. But I'm really glad she did.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
I do, actually, I want to get it all off my chest. I tell her everything, from the first time I kissed Lisa, to our day at the stream, to the orgasm I gave her and how she called my name in her sleep, to the way she destroyed every ounce of respect I had for her when she made me tell Kai. Her face goes from concerned to shocked to sad during my story. My shirt is soaked with tears by the time I finish and she is holding my hand.
"Wow, I had no idea that so much happened. You could have told me after the first time. I knew something was up when Lisa showed up here the night we were going to the movies. I had literally just got off the phone with her, then she shows up, so I'd suspected she came here to see you. Listen, Lisa is a good girl, sometimes. I mean, deep down she just doesn't know how to really care for someone the way that you—well, most girls—need to be cared for. If I was you, I would try to make things work with Kai because Lisa isn't capable of being anyone's girlfriend," she says and squeezes my hand.
I know everything she is saying is true and she is right. So why does it hurt so bad?
ON MONDAY MORNING, Jisoo is leaning against the brick outside the coffeehouse, waiting for me. I wave when I see her, but then I notice she has a blue-purple ring around her left eye. And when I look closer, I see another bruise on her cheek.
"What happened to your eye?!" I exclaim, running up to her.
Realization hits me like a truck. "Jisoo! Did lisa do this?" My voice is shaky.
"Yeah . . ." she admits and I am horrified.
"Why? What happened?" I want to kill Lisa for hurting Jisoo.
"She stormed out of the house after you left and then came back about an hour later. She was so pissed. She started looking around for more stuff to break, so I stopped her. Well, I fought with her. It wasn't so bad, actually. I think both of us got a lot of our anger toward each other out. I got quite a few good hits on her, too," she boasts.
I don't know what to say. I'm surprised at Jisoo's light tone while talking about fighting with Lisa.
"Are you sure you're okay? Is there anything I can do?" I ask her. I feel like this is my fault. Lisa was mad because of me, but assaulting Jisoo?
"No, really, I'm okay." She smiles.
While we walk to class she tells me how Lisa's father broke up their fight, luckily arriving home before they killed each other, and how her mother cried when she realized Lisa had broken all her dishes. Though they didn't have any sentimental value, she was hurt that Lisa would do that nonetheless.
"But in other news, much better news, Yeri is coming to visit next weekend. She is coming to the bonfire!" She smiles.
"Bonfire?"
"Yeah, haven't you seen the signs all over campus? It's an annual thing, to start the new year. Everyone goes. I am not usually into stuff like that, but it's actually a pretty good time. Kai should come up again. We can make a double date out of it."
I smile and nod. Maybe inviting Kai would show him I do have some good friends, like Jisoo. I know Lisa and Jisoo—I mean, Kai and Jisoo would get along great, and I really want to meet Yeri.
Now that Jisoo has mentioned the bonfire, I notice signs littering almost every wall. I guess I was just too distracted all week to notice.
Before I know it, I'm in Literature and begin scanning the room for Lisa, despite my subconscious shouting at me not to. When I don't see her, her voice plays in my head: I will ruin her.
What could she possibly do that's worse than outing me in front of Kai? I don't know, but I start imagining things until Jisoo breaks me out of my zone.
"I don't think she's here. I heard her talking to that Rosé girl about switching her classes around. Darn, I do wish you could see her black eye." Jisoo smiles at me and my eyes snap to the front of the room.
I want to deny that I was looking for Lisa, but I know I can't. Lisa has a black eye? I hope she is okay; no, I don't, actually. I hope it hurts like hell.
"Oh, okay," I mumble and pick at my skirt.
Jisoo doesn't mention Lisa for the rest of the class.
THE REST OF THE WEEK is exactly the same way: I don't talk about Lisa to anyone and no one mentions her to me. Bambam has been hanging out in our room all week, but I don't mind. I actually really like him and he makes Wendy laugh, and even me, too, sometimes, despite what seems to be the worst week of my life. I've just been wearing whatever is clean and handy and pulling my hair into a bun every day. My short-lived affair with eyeliner has ended and I am back to my normal routine.
Sleep, class, study, eat, sleep, class, study, eat.
By Friday, Wendy's clearly making an effort to get this spinster out and about.
"Come on, Jennie, it's Friday. Just come with us and we'll drop you back off before we go to Lis . . . I mean the party," she begs, but I shake my head. I don't feel like doing anything. I need to study and call my mother. I've been dodging her calls all week, and I need to call Kai and find out if he's made a decision. I've been giving him his space all week, only sending him a few friendly texts in hopes that he will come around. I really want him to come to the bonfire next Friday.
"I think I will pass . . . I'm looking at cars tomorrow, so I need my rest," I half lie. I really am going to look at cars tomorrow but I know I won't be getting rest sitting here alone with my thoughts about Kai's uncertainty, about how Lisa was obviously serious about staying away from me— which I'm really glad she's done. I just can't shake her from my thoughts. I just need more time, I keep telling myself.
But the way she acted like she wanted something from me the last time I saw her, that got under my skin.
My thoughts drift off to a place where Lisa was pleasant and funny and we got along. A place where we could date, really date, and she would take me out to the movies or to dinner. She would put her arm around me and be proud that I was her; she would drape her jacket over my shoulders if I was cold and kiss me good night, promising me that she would see me tomorrow.
"Jennie?" Wendy says and my thoughts disappear like a puff of smoke.
They weren't reality and the girl in my daydream would never be Lisa. "Oh come on, you've been wearing those fuzzy cloud pants all week,"
Bambam teases and I laugh. These pants are my favorite to wear to bed, especially when I am sick, or going through a breakup, or two. I'm still confused about how Lisa and I ended something that was nothing to begin with.
"Okay. Okay, but you need to drop me off right after dinner because I have to get up early," I warn.
Wendy claps and jumps up and down. "Yay! Just please let me do you a favor?" she asks with an innocent smile while she bats her lashes.
"What?" I whine, knowing she is up to no good.
"Let me give you a little makeover? Pleeeaassee!" She draws out the word for dramatic purposes.
"No. Way." I can picture myself with pink hair and pounds of eyeliner, wearing only a bra for a shirt.
"Nothing too dramatic, I just want to make you look . . . like you haven't been hibernating in pajamas all week." She smiles and Bambam tries to stifle his laugh.
And when I give in and say, "Fine," she begins clapping again.