a little bit of black with a little bit of pink

My Love Is Like a Red, Red Rose, part 3

Jennie wasn't answering her phone. She'd sent fifteen text messages, and Jennie hadn't responded to any of them. She'd left four voicemails, each one more frantic than the last.

"Jennie, seriously, why are you not answering your phone?! Jennie please call me back I'm freaking out right now, where are you?!"

Lisa hung up the phone with shaking hands. She was finding it hard to breathe and she could feel tears beginning to form in her eyes.

She'd been round to Colour Me Cute, but it was closed because it was Sunday. She'd knocked madly on Jennie's apartment door, but there was no answer. Jackson didn't know where she was either.

And although every logical part of Lisa's brain was telling her that everything was fine and there was no reason to panic, all she could think was this is just like last time.

This is just like Niki.

She quickly pushed the thought out of her mind, pacing back and forth in her bedroom and running her hand furiously through her hair. In a panic, she sent a few more text messages.

grumpy: okay seriously i'm kinda freaking out where the fuck are you????

grumpy: JENNIE

grumpy: please please please be okay

This was far too close to what had happened with Niki. The disappearance, her not answering her phone. And if it ended the same way...

Lisa took a few deep breaths to calm herself, but it wasn't working. She was sucking in more and more air but not exhaling, and before she knew it she was hyperventilating.

This hadn't happened in months.

Quickly, she called Jisoo. She couldn't manage anything more than some rattled gasping, but Jisoo understood perfectly. She was bursting into her apartment within ten minutes.

She found her curled up on the floor, struggling to breathe.

"Okay, Lisa, it's okay, I'm here," she said, stroking her hair soothingly. Lisa found the touch comforting, but she still couldn't breathe. Her thoughts kept imagining Jennie's body in some dark alleyway somewhere. Imagining the phone call telling Lisa she was dead. Imagining her life having lost someone else she cared about.

Slowly, Lisa managed to take a few deep breaths and the spots in front of her eyes disappeared. She sat up slowly, leaning against the bed.

"You okay?" Jisoo asked, her eyes concerned.

"J-Jennie's not answering her phone. Or her texts. I just... this is just like..."

"Hey," Jisoo put a comforting arm around her shoulders, "I'm sure she's fine. This isn't like Niki. She'll be okay."

"I know you're right but I just," Lisa sniffed, "I'm scared."

"I know, I know."

They sat like that, Lisa catching her breath, shaking a little bit when she breathed out. Jisoo had helped her with enough of these attacks by now to know exactly what she needed.

She didn't need space. She needed assurance.

"Do you want me to stay here for a while?" Jisoo asked.

"No, it's fine, I was just being stupid."

"Hey, it's not being stupid. We don't apologise for how we feel."

"Thanks, Jisoo."

"No problem. What are friends for?"

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