Fair & Square (j. hs fanfic)

✎17: half full & half empty

Which meant that a million people decided to present their own ideas today too, which meant that I had to wait in this long damn line after school because Leila insisted I go to the bathroom with her instead of heading straight to the principal's roomy office, where the presentations for booth ideas are going to be held for the rest of the week.

Leila being Leila, of course, suggested that I ditch the whole thing and come back later this week. But I can't risk anyone else finding out about the idea and presenting it as their own before I can. Or, worse, make fun of the whole thing and try to prove to me that it isn't going to work.

That last one is mainly directed at a certain Jung Hoseok, but you get my point. I've even managed to successfully avoid him today. Didn't see him in class, not in lunch and thankfully, not in this long line that has steadily started to clear out.

Most of the kids who were here have gone in, but the others seemed to have unconsciously yielded Leila's advice and might return on the other days when fewer people are here.

And Leila herself is here for moral support. Because Rosé has piano practice. Fatou has debate club. And Jimin is a judge himself, inside listening to other proposals with the rest of the SFC right now.

But the longer I wait outside this office in her company, the more I'm convinced that I could've just been my own moral support. Don't get me wrong, I love Leila, but her compassion has never been the best, especially now when I'm getting a little nervous about what the potential answer will be to my idea. Well, mine and Jimin's, technically

There was this one time, before we became friends, when I tripped and fell really hard on the brick walkway outside the school. I scraped both my elbows and Mt right knee; it burned like hell.

Cue sixteen year old Leila, offering me a bottle of hand sanitizer as makeshift disinfectant, telling me to clean the scrapes before they get infected with something and walking right off like nothing at all happened. Jimin doubled over with laughter at the sight, calling after her to hand her sanitizer back when I was done.

That was two years ago. And although we're closer now than ever, her way of dealing with certain emotional aspects remain the exact same. Although, she wouldn't really be the Leila I know and have come to love if that changed dramatically, right? Anyway...

"Or..." I counter her words, finally taking a seat down on the bench next to her. "We can believe that they'll use their common sense to see what a cool and awesome idea this is. I know I do."

Leila kisses her tongue to her teeth, finally setting the magazine down. "See, now that might be bordering on delusion, don't you think?"

"You say that like it's a bad thing," I huff, nudging her shoulder playfully. She nudges back, smiling as well.

"It is," is her response. "No matter what people say, it is not the solution to anything."

"Says the person who was hardcore convinced that Fatou would never pay attention," I tease playfully. "Yet, through relentless flirting, you got where are today."

A small layer of red settles atop her bronze cheeks. "That is totally not the same thing. If anything, that was desperate determination, okay?"

"Sure, whatever you say, Leilabelle," I answer in a sing-song voice, using the nickname I know she hates more than anything. Anything being when it rains the day after she flat ironed her hair. Why do you think I saved her contact like that on my phone.

"You little-"

The door to the office opens before she can attack me, and I shriek quietly as I jump up, grabbing my rolled up poster and flashcards with me to escape her. "Can't catch me," I tease, quickly walking towards the door.