Jennie's POV

The drive to Lisa's father's house is nice. The low music in the background of her car feels like a distraction, and I notice the way her hands are gripping the steering wheel a little too hard. She seems on edge during the drive, but I know if she wants to talk about something,she would have no problem calling it out.

I climb out of the car and walk up the steps from the sidewalk. With the sun still in the sky, I can see some old vines creeping up the sides of the house and the small white flowers that join them. Unexpectedly, I hear Lisa's door open and close, and then her boots on the sidewalk. I turn around to see her a few steps behind me.

"What are you doing?" I ask her.

"Coming with you, obviously." She rolls her eyes and takes one long stride to join me at the top of the steps.

"Really? It seemed like you weren't—"

"Yeah. Now let's go inside and have the worst night of our lives."

Her face twists into the fakest smile I have ever seen. I elbow her and ring the doorbell. "I don't ring doorbells," she tells me and turns the knob. I suppose it's okay because it's her father's house, but I still feel a little uncomfortable.

We walk inside and through the foyer before her father appears. The surprise is evident on his face, but he smiles his charming smile and goes to hug his daughter. Lisa, however, dodges his gesture and walks right past him. The embarrassment flashes on Mr. Manoban's handsome features, but I look away before he realizes that I saw her subtle gesture.

"Thank you so much for having us, Mr. Manoban," I say as we pass through the doorway.

"Thank you so much for coming, Jennie. Jisoo has told me some about you. She seems very fond of you. And please, call me Marco." He smiles and I follow him into the living room.

Jisoo is sitting on the couch with her Literature book on her lap as I enter. Her face lights up and she closes the book as I walk over and sit down next to her. I'm not sure where Lisa went to, but she'll appear sooner or later.

"So you and Lisa are giving your friendship another try?" Jisoo asks with a slight frown. I want to explain what is going on between Lisa and me, but I honestly have no idea myself.

"It's complicated." I try to smile but I feel it falter.

"You're still with Kai, right? Because Marco seems to think you and Lisa are dating." She laughs. I hope my laugh doesn't sound as fake as it feels. "I didn't have the heart to tell him otherwise, but I am sure Lisa will," she says.

I shift uncomfortably, unsure what to say. "Yeah, I'm still with Kai, it's just—"

"You must be Jennie!" A woman's voice rings through the room. Jisoo's mom walks toward me and I stand up to shake her hand. Her eyes are bright and her smile is lovely. She is wearing a turquoise dress, similar to my maroon dress, with an apron printed with small strawberries and bananas over the top of it.

"It's so nice to meet you; thank you for having me. Your home is beautiful," I tell her. Her smile covers her face and she squeezes my hand.

"You are so welcome, dear, it's my pleasure," she says, beaming. A timer goes off from the kitchen and she jumps a little. "Well, I'm going to finish up in the kitchen, but I'll see you all in the dining room in a few minutes."

"What are you working on?" I ask Jisoo and she pulls out a folder. "Next week's assignments. That essay on Tolstoy is going to kill me."

I laugh and nod; that essay took me hours to write. "Yeah, it was a killer. I just finished it a few days ago."

"Well, if you two nerds are done comparing notes, I would love to eat dinner sometime in the next year," Lisa says. I glare at her, but Jisoo just laughs and puts her book down before walking to the dining room. It seems their fight was good for them after all.

I follow them both to the large dining room. There, a long table is decorated beautifully with full place settings and multiple platters of food in the center. Karen really went all out for this; Lisa had better behave or I will kill her.

"Jennie, you and Lisa will sit on this side," Karen instructs us and gestures to the left of the table. Jisoo sits across from Lisa. Marco and Karen take their seats on the other side of Jisoo.

I thank her and sit down next to Lisa, who is quiet and seems uncomfortable. I watch as Karen makes Marco's plate for him and he thanks her with a brief kiss on her cheek. It is such a sweet gesture, I have to look away. I fill my plate with roast beef, potatoes, and squash, then pile a roll on top of it. Lisa chuckles quietly at the mound of food.

"What? I'm hungry," I whisper.

"Nothing. Hungry girls are the best." She laughs again and piles her plate even higher than mine.

"So, Jennie, how are you liking Washington Central so far?" Marco asks.

I chew my food quickly so I can answer. "I really enjoy it. It's only my first semester, though, so ask me again in a few months," I joke and everyone laughs, except Lisa.

"Well, that's great. Are you in any clubs on campus?" Karen asks and wipes her mouth with her napkin.

"Not yet, I plan on joining the Literary Club next semester."

"Really? Lisa used to be a member," Marco adds and I look at Lisa.

Her eyes are narrowed and she looks annoyed.

"So how do you like living near WCU?" I ask to divert attention from Lisa. Her eyes soften and I imagine that's her way of thanking me.

"We enjoy it. When Marco first became chancellor, we lived in a much smaller place until we found this house and we fell in love with it immediately."

My fork drops against the glass plate. "Chancellor? Of WCU?" I gasp. "Yes. Lisa never mentioned it?" Marco asks, looking over at his daughter. "No . . . I didn't."

Karen and Jisoo follow Marco's eyes to Lisa and shifts nervously.

For her part, Lisa looks back at her father with a glaring hatred. She launches to her feet, shouting, "No! Okay, no, I didn't tell her—I don't know why it fucking matters. I don't need to use your name or position!"

As she storms away from the table, Karen looks like she might cry, and Marco's face is red.

"I am so sorry, I didn't know she . . ." I start.

"No, don't apologize for her poor behavior," Marco tells me.

I hear the back door slam. "Excuse me," I say, and stand up from the table to go find Lisa.