𝓛𝓪𝓿𝓮𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓻 (girlxgirl)

Chapter 1. I Think She Knows

"He got my heartbeat skipping down 16th Avenue."

Those are the words I hear coming out of the second story window of my apartment one afternoon.
First thing I think is, "there's another Swiftie in this dreary building? I should investigate." The only thing that could make me ask a stranger about something was if it was about a song I knew. Besides that I never talk to anybody I don't know.
I prepare what I should say to this mysterious Swiftie.

1. "Hi, we've never met, but I heard you singing "I Think He Knows." I love that song!" Nope. Amazingly embarrassing.
2. Write 13 on hand. "'He got my heartbeat skipping down 16th Avenue, got that oh! I mean'" Nooooo! What if it wasn't that song? What if I got the wrong person?!
3. "Um, hi! Were you playing 'I Think He Knows'? Yes. Not too embarrassing.

Ok. I'm about to knock on the door in question. Aah! This is going to be the most crazy thing I've done in my life. I quickly knock. I count the seconds, getting ready to run done the stairs and flop on my bed out of I making a fool of myself.
But someone opens the door. "Hello?" A pretty girl my age with medium tousled auburn hair and freckles across her nose. She has black cat studs and a million handmade bracelets and doodles on her arms. She's wearing an oversized FREAKING ERAS TOUR SHIRT. YEAH, I GOT THE RIGHT PERSON. That forces me to say why I came. "Uh, um, hi. Were you, uh, playing 'I Think He Knows'?"
She gives me a funny look. "Um, yeah?" Her voice rises a little.

"I really like that song."

"Really? Um, did you hear me singing?" she squeaks.

"Yeah. You sounded good, actually."

"Do you, uh, like Taylor Swift?"

"Yeah. I'm a diehard Swiftie."

"Cool."

"Uh, um, you know, do you want to, like, come over sometime? And, like, talk about music?
It's alright if you don't want to." She has guts to offer that.

"Sure. Uh, how about in twenty minutes?"

"Ok."

She starts closing the door. "See you later."

"Bye."

Oh my god. I made a friend. In my apartment. I mean, I have friends. I'm not anti-social. Oh shoot! I forgot to ask her name. Ugh.

I kill time in my room, sketching, listening to "Francis Forever". When it's five minutes til, I make myself look presentable. Wash my face, put some cute hair clips into my disgusting hair, put on my blue earrings. I grab my phone and say bye to my mom.
"Hold up. Where are you going?" she says. "I met this cool girl upstairs." I say quickly. "Ok, ok." I can tell she's glad I made a friend.

I dash up the stairs and knock on her door. She throws it open. "You came?!"
"Uh, yeah." This is the start of a beautiful friendship.
"Come in."
Her apartment is painted dark green and there's matching dark floral furniture everywhere. Her mom, I presume, is sitting in a big armchair and reading Gourmet Magazine. A big art book about Matisse is on the coffee table.
"Oh, hi! A very local friend for my daughter! Perfect!" She has a loud voice. "Mom...!" the girl mutters. "Nice to meet you." I say politely to the mom. "My room is this way." She leads me deeper into the foresty home.
Her room is covered with drawings, photos, and biggest of all, a six foot Taylor Swift poster above her desk. She has a neat blue window seat. Her bed has a million stuffed animals and books on it. I like this girl. "What's you name anyway?" Oh! She's asking!
"Minji."

"Like that member in NewJeans? Cool."

"I guess. I'm not Korean, though."

"Oh! Sorry. I didn't mean to be..." She looks scared.

"No, no, it's alright. What's your name?"

"Lauren. Or Laurie." 

"Cool."

"Wanna see my spotify playlist?" She asks excitedly.

"Yeah!"
She opens up her laptop to Spotify. It is two hours long and mostly Taylor, with a sprinkling of K-pop, and a dash of indie pop.
"Oooh!! I love that song!" I point to "ETA" by NewJeans.
"Yeah, they're probably my favorite K-pop group. What's yours?"
"Probably BTS. But my favorite girl group is NewJeans."
"Cool."
After that, we scroll through her Pinterest boards. Her aesthetic is what I'd call "Kawaii Fangirl Grunge Girl." I show her mine. I'm more like "Frog Academia." Lauren (eek! I called her by her name for the first time!!) is a really cool kid. I hope we bond over stuff besides music and aesthetic stuff. After an hour or so, my mom texts me.

Mom
hey minj I'm making dinner so
come home soon, ok? 🙏                        

I respond with:

Minji
k im comin

"My mom just texted. I have to go."

"Ok. Bye?"

"Bye."

Mom made nutmeg mashed potatoes and soup. Pretty good.
Dad says it is very nice that I have a friend, haha. My sister says your first ever friend, hahaha. Mom scolds them. I can't stop thinking about Lauren. And the weird coincidence that there was such a good friend possibility in my own apartment. I sketch a bit and watch Wednesday with my sister. It kind of sucks (in my opinion). Oh, by the way, my sister's name is Chloe, she's almost eleven.
I head to bed and listen to some chill music to relax.