These arms of mine
They are yearning
Yearning from wanting you
Otis Redding
*****
A box of pizza was laid to waste atop of their makeshift cardboard dinning table. What was once a heaven of caramelised onions, basil and arugula, aioli truffle mushrooms, Spanish chorizo, bacon bits, and buffalo mozzarella on a thin crust of white pesto sauce goodness, was now only a collapsed empire of crumbs and grease stains.
The upside-down cardboard box—which Lisa had insisted on to make their first meal in their new apartment a more formal affair—had looked ready to buckle under the weight of wood-fired comfort and pie-ful indulgence.
The couple was left alone in their apartment after Dawn finished helping to bring their stuff in. Though Jennie appreciated the extra muscles, they didn’t really need them considering the little that she and Lisa owned. The scant amount of furnishings, including a distinct lack of seating and dining surface options, made the move easily completed in less than an hour. That’s why Jisoo and Hyuna hadn’t even bothered showing up. (“What for? To witness you and Lisa be gross about uhauling? We’re not into self-torture.”)
(Rosé had simply punched Jennie and Lisa each in the arm, looked at them unconcerned when they successively cried and glared at her, and said, “Oh good. You both felt it, that means your limbs are still working. You don’t need me.”)
Despite the reduced inventory, Jennie still found unpacking to be a daunting task and felt famished from carrying in one box of brushes while the other two hauled the rest. Her defence for being useless—“bristles are really heavy”—was ignored by Dawn and earned a kiss to her temple from Lisa. When they were done, she persuaded her girlfriend to call Luca’s for a 14-inch pie that would properly christen the place with good vibes.
Dawn had declined their offer to stay for a slice, noting the need to go rescue tweedledee and tweedledum from themselves before whatever criminal activity they undoubtedly were up to escalated into another visit from campus police (at a university that neither attended).
Too many pizza slices later, Jennie and Lisa were laid on the hardwood floor, rolled over in submission, Jennie flat on her back and Lisa spread prone with her face buried in the crook of her elbow, the nearly empty pizza box looking now to be taunting rather than tantalising. Several beer-less bottles of Bells and Sixpoints were scattered next to them. At least the ales left behind a pleasant buzz.
Jennie’s left arm was covering her eyes, while Lisa’s right arm was stretched out to blindly rub her stomach, eyes also shuttered in regrettable but contented gluttony. A few minutes ago, their new neighbours couldn’t be faulted for mistaking their moans to be a different kind of christening happening.
“Next time, we need to take scheduled breaks,” Jennie plotted. She sensed the nod more than saw it. “We have to be more strategic. We can’t attack all at once.”
“I love when you talk war strategy.”
“I’m not going to last much longer in battle.” Jennie feebly raised her head to eye the 1.5 slice left over, and then promptly dropped it back down to the ground in defeat. “I can’t do it. Leave me.”
“Never.” Lisa played along, and then teased, “We need to work on your stamina. There’s this nice trail in Prospect—”
“Lis, it’s never going to happen. I thought you’d give up by now. Just because we’re newly co-habitants, don’t think we’re also going to be co-runners. You’re not going to get me to run unless a bear is chasing me. Even then, I’d rather just plate myself and hand him a fork.“
أنت تقرأ
Amidst the Misery
العاطفيةmy love, i have never gotten over the consequence of you, i don't think i ever will - Jennie and Lisa. Inevitable and inseparable. Until they weren't. After four painful years and an ocean apart, Jennie gets a second chance at a first love with Lisa...
