Miss Park

Senior Year

"Lisa! Come on baby! Get up, or you're going to be late on the first day... again!"

I grunt and groan, feeling the weight of exhaustion pulling me down as I reluctantly attempt to shake off the embrace of sleep. Summoning the last reserves of determination, I muster the strength to swing my legs over the side of the bed, feeling the comforting warmth of the worn carpet beneath my feet. A quiet curse escapes my lips, a testament to the precariousness of this early-morning ritual. My eyes still glazed over with the remainders of a dream while I wipe the crusty sleep away from their corners.

Senior Year. Finally. To many different people, those words may mean many different things. Maybe new beginnings? Maybe a career? Maybe a chance to meet new people? But to me, they felt like freedom. Freedom to be out on my own and explore what the world has to offer.

Before rising from my bed and making my way to the closet, I wiped the drool from my chin with the palm of my hand, trying to find something to wear that would at least make me appear half presentable. As usual, my go-to outfit of a t-shirt (in this case, white) and jeans did the trick. My once chaotic bangs were combed through gently, giving them a soft kind of glow, and my long dark mess of hair was pulled back into a low bun. After I was satisfied with my appearance, I brushed my teeth and put on a pair of white Converse sneakers before heading downstairs.

I don't usually eat breakfast at home; instead, I'll grab something from the fridge and eat it on the way in or when I get to school. I've always had this strange habit of not being able to eat first thing in the morning and instead preferring to wait an hour or two. And today was no exception, as I was out the door with a sandwich in one hand and an apple in the other, kissing my mother goodbye and walking towards the silver BMW parked in my driveway.

"Hey bitch" Jennie greets me when I open the passenger side door.

"Hey Jen- Oh! Girl, you look cute!" I falter mid sentence and admire the blue, off the shoulder, cropped shirt that my best friend had paired with a pair of high waisted black jeans. Everything fit her so well, she looked gorgeous.

Long brown hair toppled down and spilt across the brunette's collarbones as she shrugged her shoulders. Each individual strand seemed to possess a life of its own, catching the light and reflecting a warm, earthy hue that complemented her features flawlessly. She gives a small smile in response to my compliment before checking herself in the mirror and simply saying, "I know." Her open and welcoming nature had transcended any cultural barriers, making it easy for us to connect on a deeper level. It was a friendship born out of shared experiences, a bond forged in the leaving behind our homelands and navigating the uncharted territories of a foreign land. 

Jennie's presence had brought a sense of familiarity and belonging to my life, introducing me to her friend Jisoo, who quickly became another member of our newfound trio. The connection between us felt effortless and natural. 

"And who would you be dressing up for? Hm?" I tease, knowing damn well that Jen has had a crush on the same person for nearly 3 years now.

Jennie rolls her eyes in a subtle but noticeable manner. It was a gesture executed with practiced finesse. "That's a secret. Come on, we're late picking up Jisoo.

As the we all only live a few streets away from one another, it didn't take long until we stopped to a halt outside Jisoo's house. After only a few minutes of listening to Jennie's soft humming along to the song on the radio, Jisoo bursts out of her front door, running towards the car at a quick pace. One minute she is running, the next she is in what looks like a flying super man pose, her expression of shock and horror as she falls over her own feet in the drive way. But, she got up, a huge grin plastered on her face, and kept going, scrambling to pull open the door to Jennie's back seat.