Lisa
"It's finally just us two." Jin said while grabbing a bag of chocolate chips from the shelf. We were at the store buying the ingredients for his cookies and a few other items for the refreshments table.
"What do you mean?"
"You're always hanging out with Jennie now and not me."
I rolled my eyes. "This again?"
"It's not a bad thing! I'm not jealous."
"Then what is it?"
"I want to know what's going on." Jin said with a suggestive smile.
"With what?"
"With you and Jennie."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, yesterday our mom..."
"She's my mom."
"She's my mom too. Anyway, yesterday our mom reveals that you're attracted to Jennie..."
"I never said that!"
"... And you two are going on dates and being all cute ice skating, so I just want to know what's going on."
"Oh my God, that wasn't a real date, it was a joke and I was literally going to die if Jennie didn't hold me up during ice skating. I've already told you all this!"
Jin looked at me unimpressed.
"Nothing is going on!"
Jin grabbed a bag of flour and sugar and placed them in the cart. "Nothing?" he asked.
"Nothing."
"Is it because she's my sister?"
"What is with you and my mom? Are you two feeding off each other?"
"Well, we obviously talk, but no. Just curious is all."
"Nothing has changed between us."
"You guys just hang out more."
"We're friends. You've always wanted us to be closer friends."
Jin shrugged. I narrowed my eyes and studied him and then it all hit me. "What are you not telling me?" I asked.
"Nothing." Jin said too innocently.
"Kim Seok-jin! What are you hiding from me?"
"Nothing."
"I'm your best friend; I know when you're lying. Every time we play 'One Night Werewolf', I fucking know when you're a werewolf!"
"That's a board game!"
"I still know when you're lying!"
Jin began to push the cart through the aisle away from me.
"I know where you live!" I yelled down the aisle. He laughed, turned the cart, and disappeared. I shook my head and tapped my foot while I thought. What was he hiding?
Instead of pursuing him, I went to the wine aisle and picked out six bottles to get my discount and went to find Jin. I found him in the produce section, picking out some lemons.
"Hot toddies tonight?" he asked, while lifting the lemons.
I narrowed my eyes at him. "I'm not letting this go. Don't think your bribe of alcohol will make me forget."
"I won't bring up the fact that you think Jennie is hot, if you let go of this ludicrous idea that I'm lying."
"You wouldn't have to make a deal like that if you weren't lying!"
"I'll make Jennie stop too."
I narrowed my eyes. "Fine... but I'll find out eventually."
"I'm sure you will."
"Wait what? What the hell does that mean?"
"Sorry." Jin said and mimed zipping his lips. "We just made a deal."
Begrudgingly, I put my alcohol in the shopping cart and followed Jin around the store while pouting. Back at the apartment, Jin ordered us pizza and set out our baking supplies. I prepared hot toddies with heavy pours; I thought that maybe if Jin got a little drunk, he'd spill all his secrets.
He took a sip of the drink.
"Jesus, that's strong. All I can taste is the whiskey. Did you even put honey, lemon, or black tea in this?"
I sipped my own drink innocently. "Of course I did. It's Monday: we all need a strong drink of Mondays."
Jin considered this then nodded his head. "I need you to measure out the ingredients while I get everything ready."
"Got it!" I carefully bent over Jin's mum's handwritten chocolate chip cookie recipe and measured out all of the ingredients and poured them into a bowl. I passed it to Jin who cracked eggs and began to beat the mixture.
I grabbed my drink and began to sip more. By the time Jin was done preparing the first batch, I was making my second drink.
"You're a horrible assistant." Jin said.
"Why?" I frowned.
"We have to match three batches. You started drinking after you made one."
"I don't bake, okay?"
"I don't think that has anything to do with your ability to read directions and put things into a bowl."
I stuck my tongue out at him, put my drink down to cool, and began mixing ingredients again. By the time we had all the cookies in the oven, we were both on our third drink and my head was spinning. We were in the kitchen laughing and eating pizza.
When Jennie came home, she took one look at the pair of us and shook her head.
"What are you two doing?"
"Baking." Jin told her.
"Are you drunk?" Jennie asked Jin.
I looked at Jin, who looked at me, then we both looked at Jennie.
Jennie looked at me. "Are you drunk too?"
Jin and I laughed.
"Getting drunk on a Monday night, huh?" Jennie asked, hands on her hips. "Classy."
"Sorry, Mom." Jin laughed.
Jennie rolled her eyes.
"I can't handle you two."
Jin walked over to his sister and threw his arms around her neck. "I love you, sister. Have some pizza and some wine. It'll help you loosen up since you're so tightly wound all the time."
"Oh my God." Jennie groaned, then looked at me. "Get your friend."
I poured Jennie a glass of wine. "You could join us."
"I'm not going to be hungover for work tomorrow."
I shrugged. "Your loss."
"We'll see about that."
When the timer on the oven beeped, Jin pulled out his chocolate chip cookies; the amazing smell wafted through the apartment. He set them on the oven and admired his work.
"They're beautiful." he said. Jennie wandered over, but Jin smacked her hand away. "No! These are for school."
"You didn't make any extra for me?" she whined.
"I'll make more."
Jennie pouted and poured herself another glass of wine. While Jin and I were in the kitchen admiring our work, Jennie commandeered the TV and turned on another shitty Hallmark movie.
"No, absolutely not. I can't do this again." I complained.
Jennie raised her eyebrows. "You made a deal."
I groaned and grabbed an entire bottle of wine to bring to the couch.
"Fine, but I'm going to drink."
"Do whatever you want."
I stuck out my tongue and poured another glass of wine. By the end of the movie, I was absolutely hammered, as was Jin. I couldn't drive home. I stood up too fast and stumbled. Jennie caught me.
"Slow down there, tiger."
"I need to call an Uber." I said.
"You think?"
"Just sleep here." Jin said. "You have a toothbrush."
Jennie looked at him. He shrugged.
"Your couch throws out my back every time I sleep on it." I said.
"We have an air mattress." Jennie offered.
"No, I think it has a hole in it." Jin answered.
"I'll just call an Uber."
"You can sleep with me." Jin offered. "But you can't cuddle me like last time."
"I can't help what happens when I sleep!" I protested.
"No cuddling. Jennie, can she borrow pyjamas?"
"Can I also take a shower?"
"Yeah, come on." Jennie said.
I followed Jennie to her room, stopping quickly in Jin's bathroom to grab my toothbrush. Jennie set out a fresh pair of pyjamas and a towel on her bathroom counter.
"Thank you." I said and closed the door behind me. The warm water felt so good that I felt I could stand in there for hours. When I left the bathroom, I heard Jennie and Jin in the kitchen cleaning up. Somehow in my drunk stupor, I looked at Jennie's bed and the only thought in my head was that her bed looked so much comfier than Jin's.
I tested this theory. I crawled into Jennie's bed and sank in; it was the softest mattress that I've ever felt and she had the warmest blanket. I was the cosiest that I had ever been in my entire life. I was never getting out of this bed.
