lessons in love || chaennie

chapter thirty-six

"Jennie, you do have a great rack," Seulgi interjected.

Jennie opened her mouth to speak, then closed it and chuckled.

"You know what, I love you lot way too much to stay mad. So, Lisa, thanks for the attention, Chaeyoung, I am more than aware that you think they're wonderful, Seulgi, thanks for the compliment, and Jisoo, thanks for being the only sane person here."

"Hey now, Jisoo's not always sane," Chaeyoung replied, "Remember when she broke up with her last boyfriend. Going on about how being with him wasn't heaven and she wouldn't be happy with anything but heaven?"

"Oh yea," Seulgi nodded, "That was really annoying."

"I don't know how to react to getting complimented then insulted in the space of three seconds," Jisoo responded.

"We've got a crazy bunch of friends, Jisoo," Jennie said, smiling at her friend, "Just nod and smile."

"Ah, okay," Jisoo agreed, nodding and smiling.

The whole group burst into laughter at the entire bizarre exchange, that in reality was quite normal for them, until Lisa stood up a few moments later.

"All this hilarity is making my stomach beg for food. I'm gonna go start the barbeque."

"Oh yea, please be careful and try not to ignite yourself," Seulgi teased.

"I'm not that bad at cooking," Lisa mumbled moving off to the side to set the barbeque up.

"Wanna go for a walk?" Chaeyoung whispered to her girlfriend, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Sure," Jennie replied, smiling.

The couple jumped up and clasped hands.

"We're just going for a walk. Don't worry," Chaeyoung said, casting a glance over to where Lisa was staring at the barbeque and frowning, "We'll be back way before the barbecue's even ready."

There was a small wave from the other two girls and a grunt from Lisa as the couple made their way down the beach.

"I love the way sand feels when you're walking barefoot," Chaeyoung said, kicking some sand ahead of them, "It's so... grainy."

"Well they are grains of sand..."

"Jennie, you know exactly what I mean, don't tease!"

"How'd you know I know what you meant?"

Chaeyoung turned and started walking backwards in front of the brunette so she could see her, entwining both their hands.

"'Cause you always know exactly what I mean."

Jennie smiled a half-smile and dug her toes into the sand.

"You're right. Very grainy. Soft and small... but when they touch you it feels like silk... and warms you to your very core."

"Are we still talking about the sand?" Chaeyoung asked, shooting Jennie a look of pure love.

"Was my metaphor that thinly-veiled?"

"No... it was perfectly balanced and understandable... as far as metaphors go, it was really quite good. I can see why you do so well in English."

"Easy when you have such beauty to inspire you."

"Yea..." Chaeyoung sighed, looking around, "This beach really is pretty."

Jennie grabbed the blonde around the waist and pulled her to her.

"I meant you," she said quietly, kissing the taller girl softly.

"I know," Chaeyoung whispered back, going in for another kiss, "C'mon, there's something I wanna show you."

Jennie let herself be dragged down the beach a little more and over some sand dunes to a bunch of large rocks, being lapped at the waves. The sun was hitting both the water and rocks at such an angle that they were reflecting each other perfectly, both shimmering vibrantly.

"Wow," Jennie said at the sight.

"Yea," Chaeyoung agreed, "But, um, that's not what I wanted to show you."

Jennie looked at her quizzically.

"What do you wanna show me?"

Chaeyoung nodded towards the end of the rock formation and walked them both over there, sitting down in the sand and patting a space beside her for Jennie to sit too. The brunette obligingly sat, joining their hands again.

"Look at that rock there. The big one with the pointy bit on top," Chaeyoung said, pointing at the rock right in front of them.

Tara looked at the rock, trying to decipher how it was different from all the others surrounding it, until a slight blur caught her eye in the side of the rock. She moved closer and widened her eyes in surprise at what she saw.

"C + J 4ever," she read aloud, "You carved us into a rock?"

"Look at the date."

Jennie looked under the engraving to see some numbers engraved as well.

"09/14... September 14th?" she asked in confusion, sitting the other side of her girlfriend so she could see both the engraving and the blonde with just a tilt of her head, "But... we didn't meet 'til October. And its only August now."

"The second week of school last year... I, um, noticed you in Gym for the first time. And you just... you blew me away. I couldn't get you out of my head, even though I hadn't spoken to you or anything... I just felt... I don't even know what I felt, 'cause I'd never felt it before. Then I spotted you in Bio and I heard you say 'yes' when Jennie Kim was called from the register... and your name... it was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard... probably all seems stupid, being so infatuated when I couldn't even get the courage to say hello to you... but I was... you were holding my heart and you didn't even know it... so anyway, that weekend, me, Jisoo, Lisa and Seulgi came to the beach. And I snuck off for a little while, just to think. And I sat pretty much in the same spot you're sitting in now... and I saw a piece of glass in the sand. So I picked it up and before I even realised I was doing it, there were our initials... and... I was telling the world I wanted you to be my always. You know, a part of the world... forever."

Jennie was struck dumb from the speech and felt a tear start to roll down her cheek. Chaeyoung caught the tear with her thumb and wrapped an arm around the brunette's waist.

"Baby, don't cry."

"Rosie, I have no idea what to say."

"Then don't say anything," Chaeyoung whispered, "And kiss me."

Jennie turned her head and brought their lips together passionately, trying to convey all the love she had for the smaller girl through the kiss. They stayed kissing until they both pulled away for air and Chaeyoung maneuvered herself to sit in between her girlfriend's legs, feeling the brunette rest her chin on her head and entwining both their hands.

"Wow," Chaeyoung said after a few minutes.

"What?"

Chaeyoung turned her head around to meet Jennie's eye and smiled.

"The sun is shining, I've got my girl and we've got our senior year ahead of us...it just doesn't get any better than this."