the courtyard [j.hs] ✔️

[10]

Jaelyn

"Jae!", Opal yelled into my ear, as we sat at the table. I flinched away, covering my ear. She giggled evilly, smiling innocently.

"What, child?", I ask her, narrowing my eyes into slits. "You've become a lot more annoying since last month. Has Yoongi poisoned you with something?"

"No!", Yoongi protests, flicking my arm since that was what he could reach.

"You must've. Something happens when you two are alone," I laugh, realizing the context behind my words. The image popped into my head, as I waved my hands around in front of me. "Ew, the image!"

Opal started to laugh, almost falling off of her chair. I shuddered, trying to shake that picture from my brain.

"That was terrifying," I mutter, pushing Opal away from me. "I can't look at you anymore."

"Stop thinking like that then!", she laughs more, finally remembering what she wanted to say. "Let's have a movie night tonight."

"Last time we had one of those, I didn't sleep for a week," I remind her, thinking back to the movie.

"It wasn't even scary! It was The Notebook!", she protested, while I cringed.

"Exactly! I'm not into stuff like that," I told her, while she smiled at me. "I'd do anything but that."

"Anything?", she held a hand to my mouth before I could say anything further. "Horror night!"

I groaned loudly, hitting my head on the table. "Anything but that too."

"Too late, you guys have to come too. She'll need lots of comfort," Opal teases me, pinching my arm. I jump away from her, bumping into Jimin, who sat next to me.

"Sorry," I mumble and glare at Opal. "I'll just hide in my room."

"Nope, you're not allowed," Jimin states, which surprised me. "If I have to suffer, so do you."

"You'll just end up hiding in Jungkook's arm," I counter against him, while he laughed. "You laugh because you know it's true."

"You won't be alone," Opal tries to convince me.

"Everyone has a partner!", I whine, dropping my head on the table again. "You have Yoongi, Jimin has Jungkook, Seokjin has Namjoon, and Tae has Hoseok. Unless I somehow find someone to protect me from whatever you have planned, I'm alone."

Opal goes silent while I close my eyes, feeling someone rub my back. "I got it!"

"What, genius?", I sarcastically smile, turning my head so I can see her.

"Ask Jack!", she suggested as my eyes drifted to the tall figure, who continued to high five people who walked past him. He was a nice guy, especially funny when he tried to set me up on a date with his friend that 'liked' me. He called me cute, but nonetheless, it was hilarious.

"Okay!", I jumped up happily and began to bounce my way over to him. "Jack!"

He spun around, looking in my direction, smiling widely as he saw me. "Hey, Jae."

He abruptly pulled me into a bone-crushing hug, while I awkwardly pat his back, not knowing what to do in this situation. He pulled away, putting his index finger to my forehead, pushing forcefully on it, making me take a few steps back.

"What was that?", I asked, looking at him with a puzzled expression. "I know I'm awesome but I like warnings too."

"I was trying to make the guy at your table, who was staring at you, jealous," he smirked, while I raised an eyebrow at him. "Doesn't matter right now, you'll see. What's up? You wanna ask me something, right?"

"Opal is having a movie night, there's nine of us, and knowing her, everyone has a partner, and I'm the odd one out," I explain, while he pretends to think of my suggestion. "I just wanna use you as a human shield. Nothing more, no offense, and nothing less."

"Fair enough, I'll have to run it by Tommy," he shakes his head, turning to look at Tommy. "Can I go with her tonight? I'll be back after."

"Sure, don't do anything," he warns Jack, smiling as he does so. "Well, nothing too fun without me. That's just unfair."

"I'm not like that, you two are cute though," I said, backing away from him. "Thanks, Jack!"

"No problem!", he waved me off, holding his hand for a high five as someone walked by.

I turned around, laughing lightly as I walked over to the table. I sat down, as Opal jabbed her fingers at me.

"What did he say?", she pestered, while I pushed her hands away.

"He said he would, he just has to leave right after the movie," I tell her, while she squeals happily. "I told him he was a human shield."

"Of course you did," she scoffs, rolling her eyes. "Why does he have to leave after?"

"Tommy is very protective," I point out, while she lets out a hum of understanding. "But he approved anyway."

"I love them," Opal sighed happily, looking over at Jack and Tommy laughing with each other.

"What's so good about them?", Hoseok speaks up, while I looked over at him. He looked like he was angry.

"They're adorable! Can't you see it?", I gushed, looking over at the cute couple play fighting.

"Not really," he responds, looking back at his food in front of him.

"You act like you haven't seen them together before," I point out, waving a finger in his face. He pushed it away, scowling. "They've been dating for almost two years."

He chokes on his spit, looking up at me suddenly. "Dating?"

"Yeah, can't see that either?", I joke, while he just nods looking back at his food.

"Someone was jealous," Tae sings out, poking Hoseok's cheek. It turns pink, as his neck and ears flare up. "And embarrassed."

Hoseok pushed his hand away, stuffing food into his mouth. I looked at Opal for some explanation but she just shrugged at me.

"Whatever," I mumbled, resting my head on Jimin's shoulder. "Wait, that's actually comfortable."

He bounces his shoulders, making me groan and whine at the same time.

"Never mind."