𝑆𝐼𝑁𝐶𝐸𝑅𝐸𝐿𝑌, 𝐽𝑈𝐷𝐸. || 𝐽𝑈𝑁𝐺𝐾𝑂𝑂𝐾 𝐹𝐹

no. 1

"jude!" my best friend, hoseok, screamed upstairs at me. doing his best to rush me to finish getting ready for this family reunion he invited me to.

i'm not exactly thrilled to be going to another one of these get togethers. it mary be tradition but i don't know how much more small talk i can make with his family.

don't get me wrong though, i love hoseok's family like my own; or more than my own. however, going to a reunion with his whole extended family every year since we were six is getting kind of old.

i tried to miss one two summers ago, but not even twenty minutes after it started four of his family members asked where i was and if something had happened. i had no choice but to show up as soon as possible to save hobi from his crazy aunts.

"jude, i'm serious we need to be leaving like ten minutes ago" he barged into my room talking in the most exasperated tone he could reach.

after all these years having known him one would think that he'd learn to be a little gracious; in reality it's the total opposite.

i rolled my eyes at him, held my hair up and turned so my back was facing him. "zip me up?" i asked and he complied, only continuing to explain to me how mad his mother was going to be at our late arrival while i put on my shoes.

i decided to keep with the theme i had held for the last few summers of a floral spring dress that came just above my knees. never the same dress twice just so hoseok's wealthy family would think i could afford new dresses anytime i wanted. reality check: they're either stolen or thrifted.

listen, i know stealing is bad, but so is child labor so who's the real criminal in this scenario?

despite my parents having endless funds at their fingertips, they only ever sent me enough money to feed me and pay for my gas. hoseok always insists on paying for my meals and other nights i spend eating dinner with his family, so i save the extra money from the month for shopping which i also am not very fond of.

i'm not really the type of girl who enjoys having to not get something i really like because of the price tag. i'd rather just buy something secondhand or wait for my mom to be in town.

i know what you're thinking. 'jude why don't you just get a job?'. well i completely agree with you on that one, except for the part where i do have a job but it's more of a volunteer thing. i'm supposed to get paid weekly for working at an old bookstore in town, but the man who owns it is having trouble even keeping it open.

i know i know, i should find a different job and make my own steady income. it's just that ron is so flexible with my hours when i'm in school and things are hectic. he's also the sweetest old man to ever walk the earth, how could i possibly be expected to leave him to run the store alone?

if i find myself having extra money i don't like to spend it, just in case i need it in an emergency. nothing emergent had happened yet but who's to say it won't?

"i'm ready now, let's go then" i skipped past him, down the stairs and out the door. his heavy footsteps followed me out to his car. "did you even hear a word i just said?" he paused to look at me after closing his driver side door.

"well if we are going to be so late you probably shouldn't take a pause to ask stupid questions" he rolled his eyes and put the car in drive. before he could even press the gas i stopped him.

"not so fast. seatbelt" i reminded and he again complied with yet another eye roll. he really loved to sass me even when i'm just trying to keep him safe.

i've known hoseok for as long as i can remember and our relationship has always been strictly platonic which is perfectly fine with the both of us. i can assure you of that.