long story short (chaennie)

the perks of being a prefect

"Who's this, Jaehyun?"

It had taken Jaehyun a long time to answer. Too long. How long did it take to introduce your girlfriend to someone? But, after an endless moment, he'd finally muttered, "Rosie. My girlfriend."

Jennie's eyes had widened at that, and she'd snapped her head in Rosie's direction. Her gaze had trailed up and down Rosie's form again, and her lips had curled into a feline smirk. That look had hit Rosie like a curse. She actually wondered if it had been some sort of curse because it brought every flaw Rosie had to the forefront of her mind, from her ungainly height and spindly figure to her flat chest and pallid skin. It had also made her compare herself to Jennie. She took in Jennie's curls and golden skin, her petite and curvy build, and the way she carried herself like a woman... and Rosie had felt inadequate. She'd never felt so bad about herself before, not even when she and Jaehyun fought and he'd said mean things to her.

"I'm Jennie Kim," she'd drawled, taking Rosie's hand to shake. "Jaehyun's patrol partner."

Rosie had worried about Jennie Kim for the rest of the year. She'd known, could feel it in her bones, that Jennie could tempt Jaehyun away from her anytime she wanted. And now, as Rosie watched Jaehyun try to get Jennie's attention, it seemed she finally had. Every charming smile he sent in Jennie's direction was another knife in Rosie's heart.

By the time the meeting ended, Rosie's eyes were burning, and it was all she could do not to burst into tears. When the Heads dismissed them, she stood and bolted to the door as quickly as her dignity would allow. Unfortunately, it wasn't fast enough.

"Roseanne Park?"

Rosie froze, one hand gripping the door frame. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath through her nose. When she felt like she wasn't about to either burst into tears or scream at Jennie, she looked over her shoulder. She hoped she appeared politely questioning, rather than irritated.

"Would you stay for a moment, please?" Jennie asked.

Rosie's head jerked down in a nod, and she slowly turned around. The Head Boy gave Jennie a quizzical look, but she dismissed him with a wave. He shrugged and followed the rest of the prefects out the door while Rosie waited for Jennie to speak.

"Was there something you needed, Jennie?" Rosie asked, unable to take the silence.

"Right, sorry," Jennie replied, shaking her head slightly. "Well, I was trying to think of a way to ask this that didn't seem like I was prying, but I guess I'll take a leaf out of your Gryffindor book and ask straight out." She smiled a bit at Rosie, but when she didn't get a response, she looked serious again. "Is everything alright?"

Rosie stared at her for a long moment.

"Rosie?" Jennie prodded. She sounded genuinely concerned, and the thought punched a mirthless laugh out of Rosie.

"Honestly?"

"I would expect nothing less from a Gryffindor," Jennie said with a smile. Her attempt at teasing fell flat and she stopped smiling. Now she looked... compassionate, and it didn't seem as contrived as her teasing.

Rosie didn't get it.

She stiffened when Jennie took a step toward her, but if Jennie noticed, she didn't comment on it. Instead, she kept giving Rosie that strange, sympathetic look. "I want you to know, Rosie, that you can talk to me. It's part of my job as Head Girl to make sure that all my prefects are alright."

"All your prefects?" Rosie asked.

The smile Jennie gave her was soft and inviting. "Of course."

"Even Jaehyun?"