MATCH ME IF YOU CAN

Chapter 2

" You know just because you're in drama doesn't mean you need to create it, " Rose added. 

They were friends--90 percent of the time--but mostly by extension. Sometimes Rose found Jisoo's attitude a little...  over the top.

Rose pantomimed looking wounded, throwing her straight black hair over one shoulder and placing her hands over her heart. " I do not create drama. "

Then she shoved me out of the way, opened the alarm's clear cover, and pushed down on the white lever inside before Rose or I could stop her. It happened so fast, that I barely had time to regain my balance. Then it was too late.

Sirens blared overhead, annoyingly loud to the point where I felt like my ears would bleed from the sheer volume.  It was impossible to think, which was ironically counter-productive to the sirens' whole purpose.

"What did you just do?" I yelled, clamping my hands over my ears.

" I didn't think it'd actually work, " she yelled back, her eyes growing wide. A lot of times Jisoo's expressions were comically theatrical--I blamed her interest in acting--but one look at her face and I knew her surprise was genuine.

" Like they'd be props or something?" Rose threw her hands in the air. "honestly, I'm going to match you up with a rock for prom." She grabbed Jisoo's bag off the floor as I pushed us all down the hallway--away from the scene of the crime.

" I don't know, everything else in school is so old...     I mean, we don't even have security cameras here."

Before she'd moved to Oregon, Jisoo had gone to a much larger, more technologically advanced school in California---one that had better computers, HD televisions in every room, and lightning-fast internet.

Right now, though, I bet she was glad our tiny school didn't have all the cameras and security that she was used to. We only had a few cameras on the main entrances, and every student knew how to get around them.

Jisoo looked back over her shoulder, then left and right, where a crowd of students streamed down the hallway toward the doors.

It was surreal. I'd been through fire drills before but had never experienced the gut-wrenching nervousness that I'd soon see in my head---or diploma---on the chopping block.

Other students laughed as they walked through the doors leading to the parking lot. I sweated. A lot. Maybe it'd be a good thing if the sprinklers went off. At least that way, my sweaty armpits wouldn't be noticeable.

The sirens weren't as loud outside, but my pulse still beat over time. Students milled around the flagpole, down the sidewalk, and in between all the cars. My goal was to go as far back as possible. Maybe that would help our chances of going undetected.

But we didn't make it that far.

" Hold up, Lisa. " principal Bieber seemed to appear out of nowhere, his signature stren look in full force. He had ex-navy SEAL written all over him. I wasn't sure if he had actually been a navy SEAL, but with his height and weight, he could have been. " A student informed me that you or Jisoo might know something about " ---be waved his arm in the air, encompassing all the noise and cacophony around us----" this. "

My mind had chosen the absolute worst moment to go blank, but for the life of me, I couldn't come up with a single coherent sentence. I'd been busted, and now I was done for. Goodbye journalism program at NYU; it'd been nice thought while it lasted. Jisoo was supposed to be good at improv, but even she seemed at loss for words. She'd probably be kicked off student council and could see her prom-planning leverage disappearing before her eyes.

" They were in the library with me. "

It was the voice of an angel, coming at the perfect moment to save me from Principal Bieber's withering stare. But it wasn't Rose like I'd been expecting. She was standing next to me, looking as panicked as I felt. No, the voice had been distinctly male. I turned around to see my savior and was surprised to find Jungkook Demetrius, our school's golden boy and probably the one person alive who might be able to convince the principal that we were clear of any wrongdoing.

He was one of Jisoo's best friends and the star athlete of our high school's soccer team.

Everyone loved him.

Everyone including, I was hoping, the principal.

Jisoo needed someone to run lines with her for the auditions tonight, so I read one part, and Lisa read the other. "

Jungkook flashed a smile, and I melted into a puddle. I was so grateful, I could have kissed him right then and there. Then again, that urge was nothing new.

Principal Beiber nodded once before swiping a hand over his face. " All right, the student probably saw someone else."

I bobbed my head like this was a distinct possibility. After all, I had fairly average looks. My brown hair was usually in loose waves around my face, and my eyes were kind of a murky blue; nothing noteworthy there. Jisoo, on the other hand. . . Well, with her Hollywood looks and gorgeous skin, there was no way anyone would mistake her for anyone else, except maybe a young Vanessa Hudgens. Still, the principal nodded again, like that sealed the deal.

" Well, we should have this all sorted out soon so you can return to class, " he said. 

"be sure to check in with your first-period teacher so everyone's accounted for. "

Then he was gone, and I was floating.

" Jungkook, that was amazing! " Jisoo threw her arms around his neck. " Are you won't audition for the show with me? You're a natural. "

Jungkook shrugged his broad shoulders and released Jisoo, stepping back awkwardly. " My place is on a soccer field, not a stage."

" You seriously saved us back there, " I said. The euphoria was making me giddy and impulsive, and without thinking about it, I reached up and placed a quick peck on his cheek. Of course, the second my heels came back down on the pavement, embarrassment caught up with me.

I mean, we were somewhat friends through Jisoo, but really, Jungkook was way out of my league. He took it in stride, though, acting like that sort of my thing happened all the time. And maybe it did.

" Hey Rose, " he said, giving her a note." good job matching Shawn and Jaden together. They're like a couple of octopuses. Octopi? Whatever. Guess you were right."

"I was right about your friend Justin, g too, " she said looking smug. "he and Tara are so cute together, I can't stand it. "

Jungkook shook his head. "yeah, they're pretty sickening too."

It was obvious from his smile that he approved. And with two friends happily matched, it was only a matter of time before he requested Rose's services----if he hadn't already.

An idea began to take shape in my mind, and I looked over at Rose.

Jisoo shrugged, probably bored with the conversation, and hooked her arm through Jungkooks. " Okay, well,I can't make a liar out of you, so now you need to run lines with me, " Jisoo said. 

" You don't have a choice." She began to pull him away. " With any luck, I'll have all period to rehearse."

Jisoo had one superpower, and that was how easily she could give everyone around her emotional whiplash. It was like she had zero memory of pulling the fire alarm and felt no guilt for behaving so recklessly. It was both her curse and part of her charm---- Jisoo lived life loud and took no prisoners. Two fire trucks pulled up to the front of the high school, but Jisoo had already moved on.

"she seems really upset about all this," Rose mused, twirling a strand of her blonde hair around her pointing finger.

" Think we should send her a gift basket? "