Lisa furrowed her eyebrows. This didn't look right. She twirled around in front of the mirror and huffed.
"You are not pretty," she stated, pulling the navy dress over her head and tossing it aside. Her eyes landed on the pastel yellow dress hanging in the closet, but she forced herself to look away. It was bright. That wasn't normal. Chaeyoung wanted her to be normal.
After Chaeyoung had left the next morning, Lisa immediately locked herself in the bedroom and began practicing. Practicing for being normal.
Jisoo had said the 'normal' couples went to the party. So Lisa had to be normal. That's what Chaeyoung would want.
The girl padded back over to the closet. She didn't want to wear a dress, she decided. That was okay. Normal people could wear skirts, too.
Lisa retrieved her favorite purple skirt from the closet and slipped it on. She smiled happily at herself in the mirror, pleased with her reflection. After finding a ruffled white top to wear as well, Lisa studied herself in the mirror. She looked normal.
Luckily, she had watched Chaeyoung do her hair enough times to catch on to what she needed to do. She shuffled across the hallway and found the pink spray bottle that the older girl always used. Lisa turned it around in her hands, furrowing her eyebrows when she realized she wasn't sure how to use it.
A few seconds later, she was coughing and spitting out the foul tasting substance into the sink. Well, at least she found out how to use it.
After wiping her face on a towel, Lisa sprayed the product in her hair a few times and set the bottle down. She studied her reflection intently while she ran her fingers through her hair a few times.
All that was left was makeup. This was the part she was unsure of. She remembered Chaeyoung using a black bag in the cabinets. Lisa knelt down, retrieving the makeup bag and dumping its contents onto the counter.
The girl immediately grabbed a colorful container, struggling to pop the lid off. She didn't know her own strength, though, because once she finally got the lid off, bobby pins went flying across the tile floor.
"Shhh," Lisa whispered, bending down and beginning to pick all the small pieces up. When she stood up with her handfuls of bobby pins, she nearly fell back down as she came face to face with Jennie.
"What're you doing?" the older girl asked, raising an eyebrow at Lisa's outfit.
"I..." Lisa shook her head, spilling the bobby pins back into the small container. "I am getting ready."
"For what?" Jennie asked. Lisa motioned to her outfit and smiled.
"The party," she hummed, turning back to the sink and studying the makeup products she'd placed on the counter. "Me and Rosie are going."
"Does Chaeyoung know this?" Jennie laughed softly, slipping past Lisa and sitting on the edge of the bathtub. Lisa furrowed her eyebrows and shrugged.
"She will when she gets back," Lisa giggled and held up a makeup brush. Tilting her head to the side, the younger girl grew confused.
"I do not know what I am doing," Lisa confessed, turning to Jennie and holding up the brush. The other girl laughed, standing up and shaking her head.
"You don't use that first," she took the brush from Lisa and placed it back down on the counter. "You don't need a lot of make up."
"But I have to be pretty," Lisa raised her eyebrows pleadingly.
"You already are, doofus," Jennie laughed and grabbed a circular container of blush, opening it and turning to Lisa. "Is it okay if I help you?"
Lisa nodded, smiling excitedly. Jennie laughed and gently turned Lisa so she was facing her. She began brushing the blush on Lisa's cheeks, which caused the younger girl to giggle.
"That tickles," Lisa whispered, trying to keep her face as still as possible. Jennie laughed and nodded in agreement. She set the blush brush down and grabbed the lip gloss, dabbing a small amount on her finger and dotting it across Lisa's lips.
"Smack your lips," Jennie instructed, turning back to the counter and beginning to look for an eyeshadow brush. She immediately looked back up when she heard a loud clapping noise.
"Ouch," Lisa mumbled, bringing her hand away from her face and rubbing her lips.
"No, I didn't mean smack your lips," Jennie laughed and quickly wiped the excess lip gloss off of Lisa's hands. "I meant rub them together. Like this." She demonstrated with her own lips.
"Oh," Lisa giggled, imitating Jennie and then looking at the older girl hopefully.
"Good job," Jennie gave her a thumbs up and grabbed a palette of eyeshadow, opening it and holding it between them. "Pick a color."
"This one is..." Lisa furrowed her eyebrows and pointed to the color that caught her attention. "It is pink... but it is... it is... glowing?"
"Sparkly," Jennie laughed, swiping the brush across the color Lisa was pointing to. "Sparkly, shimmery, shiny - all those words work."
"Shimmery," Lisa whispered, liking the new word she'd discovered. It tickled her lips when she said it. "Shim... shimmery," she giggled.
"Exactly," Jennie crinkled her nose and tapped the space between Lisa's eyes. "Close your eyes, and keep 'em closed until I tell you to open them again. Okay?"
Lisa nodded and squeezed her eyes shut. She felt Jennie's fingers holding her head in place and she giggled when the brush swept across her eyelids.
"You can open them now," Jennie set the brush down on the counter and watched as Lisa turned to look at herself in the mirror. She closed one eye, trying to get a glimpse of the eyeshadow.
"Shimmery," she noted, smiling at herself in the mirror. She turned back to Jennie and giggled softly. "Is there more?"
Jennie held up the cylinder of mascara and debated whether or not to use it. Lisa furrowed her eyebrows and studied the colorful container.
"What is that?" she asked, tapping the mascara. Jennie unscrewed the lid and showed it to the younger girl.
"It's mascara. It goes on your eyelashes," Jennie explained. Lisa nodded and bit her lip.
"You don't have to do it if you don't want to," the older girl began to screw the cap back on, but Lisa reached out to stop her. The younger girl shook her head and smiled nervously. She needed to be normal.
After a few minutes of Lisa struggling to keep her eyes open, Jennie finally was able to get a decent amount of mascara on the younger girl's eyelashes. Lisa sniffed, wiping the tears from her eyes and turning to look at herself in the mirror.
"Do I look pretty?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.
"Of course," Jennie laughed and piled all of the makeup back into the small bag. "Is that what you're wearing?"
Lisa nodded and fluffed out her skirt slightly, with a soft smile on her face. "Yes. Will Rosie be happy?"
Jennie just shrugged and leaned against the doorframe. "I thought you didn't like parties?" she asked, genuinely curious about Lisa's sudden interest in the going out.
"I want to," Lisa shrugged. "I want to, for Rosie."
"You're sure?" Jennie raised an eyebrow. Lisa just smiled and nodded.
"Yes. I am sure," she crossed the hallway and sat down on Chaeyoung's bed, bending down and tugging her white converse onto her feet. They were the only shoes she liked to wear. It seemed that every other pair she tried on had something wrong with them. They were either too itchy, or too loose, or way too small. So she stuck with what she knew.
Before Jennie could respond, both girls heard the front door of the apartment slam shut. Lisa's face lit up and she hopped up from the bed.
"Rosie!" she called, practically falling down the stairs. She grabbed the banister at the bottom to steady herself and smiled widely at Chaeyoung. "Hi," she giggled.
"Careful there, Lili," Chaeyoung laughed, tossing her bag aside and giving the younger girl a once over. "What are you...?"
"I am dressed," Lisa twirled in a circle and smiled proudly. "For the party."
"Party?" Chaeyoung raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, party?" Lisa tilted her head to the side and approached Chaeyoung. "Remember? You were talking about it yesterday."
"Oh, right," Chaeyoung nodded, remembering her conversation with Jisoo. "I didn't realize you would want to go."
Lisa bit her lip. Truth is, she was scared of going to this party. But her desire to be normal and please Chaeyoung was greater. "I want to go, can we?" she asked hopefully, studying Chaeyoung's face.
"Well since you're already dressed..." Chaeyoung laughed softly and twirled a piece of Lisa's hair around her finger. "I guess I should go get ready?"
"Yes!" Lisa smiled excitedly and practically tackled Chaeyoung into a hug. She could prove to the older girl that she was normal. "Thank you, you're welcome."
Lisa waited patiently in the living room, watching an episode of Friends while Chaeyoung got dressed. She was so entranced by the characters on the screen that she didn't hear the soft footsteps coming down the stairs.
"Is this okay?" a soft voice came from behind her. Lisa turned around, her eyes widening when she saw Chaeyoung. The older girl was wearing black jeans with a burgundy top underneath her signature leather jacket. Lisa struggled to find her words.
"Pretty," she said after a few moments, scrambling to her feet and hurrying over to Chaeyoung. She ran her fingers over the smooth material of the girl's jacket. "You are so pretty."
Chaeyoung blushed and hid her face, which only made Lisa giggle. "We're riding with Jisoo and her date, so whenever he gets here we're gonna leave," Chaeyoung explained, reaching out and placing her hands on Lisa's waist. The younger girl shivered.
"Are you sure you wanna do this, Lili?" Chaeyoung asked, pressing her forehead against Lisa's and feeling the younger girl's warm breath against her skin. "If you don't feel comfortable, we don't have to go."
"I want to," Lisa furrowed her eyebrows. She didn't like Chaeyoung trying to get her to admit that she was scared. She had to be normal. "I want to," she repeated, finality in her voice. Chaeyoung sensed this and decided not to push the topic any further.
"Hey, it's okay," Chaeyoung laughed softly, still slightly concerned. "I was just making sure."
"Oh," Lisa mumbled, shaking her head and looking down at the ground. "Do I look weird?" she asked, taking a step back and smoothing out her shirt. She was growing increasingly nervous.
"You look beautiful," Chaeyoung gave her a soft smile. "But what's new?" she raised an eyebrow.
Lisa blushed, looking down at the ground. "I think you are so beautiful, Rosie. I am glad I get to tell you." She reached up and ran her thumb across Chaeyoung's bottom lip, studying her face intently.
Chaeyoung's face turned red and she shivered. Lisa slowly moved her hands up to Chaeyoung's shoulders and stood on her tiptoes, bringing their lips together softly.
Lisa felt the all-too-familiar feeling of butterflies in her stomach. It wasn't something she ever wanted to forget. No one else made her feel like this. Only Chaeyoung.
"Hey losers, our ride's here!" Jisoo called, jogging down the stairs and interrupting the two girls. Chaeyoung jumped, turning around and quickly trying to hide her frustration. Lisa whimpered at the loss of contact.
"Y'ready?" Chaeyoung asked, turning to Lisa. She bit her lip, looking down at the ground. She wasn't sure about this, but she had to prove to Chaeyoung that she could be normal. Lisa didn't want to lose her. So she nodded softly.
"Let's go," Chaeyoung grabbed Lisa's hand, leading her towards the door. The small gesture gave Lisa a burst of confidence, and she skipped happily behind the older girl. She quickly realized that skipping wasn't normal, though, and slowed her pace to a simple walk.
Within the fifteen minutes it took to get to the party, the sun disappeared behind the horizon. Lisa squeezed her eyes shut in the back of the car. She didn't like the dark. There were bad things in the dark. Anything unknown was bad.
"Lili," Chaeyoung nudged the younger girl's arm, bringing her out of her trance. "We're here." Lisa nodded quickly, crawling out of the car behind Chaeyoung. She was instantly met with the loud pounding of the bass coming from the house.
Chaeyoung glanced at the younger girl, concerned. "Are you sure about this?"
"Yes," Lisa nodded firmly. "I told you already."
Chaeyoung took a deep breath, squeezing Lisa's hand and slowly walking towards the house. To be honest, Chaeyoung didn't quite like parties either. But Lisa had been so serious about wanting to come. Chaeyoung didn't want to take the opportunity away from her.
Lisa followed timidly behind Chaeyoung. The loud music was physically painful in her ears, but she forced herself to endure it. For Chaeyoung.
She jumped when a drink was shoved in her hand the moment they set foot in the house. Lisa tilted her head to the side, sniffing the liquid and then bringing the cup to her lips. Before she could take a sip, though, Chaeyoung practically snatched it out of her hands.
"Don't drink that, it's bad," she warned, shaking her head and placing the cup down on a random table. Lisa furrowed her eyebrows, picking the cup up again and studying it. It smelled all too familiar.
A nauseating feeling washed over her and she quickly set the cup back down, shaking her head and backing up into Chaeyoung. "Bad," she whispered, clenching her fists.
"Hey, hey, it's okay," Chaeyoung grabbed Lisa's hand and led her into the kitchen. She had to speak loudly to be heard over the music. "What do you want to do?”
"What... what is there to do?" Lisa scanned the room. A couple was pressed up against the wall, practically eating each others faces. Lisa grimaced.
"I'm not sure, honestly," Chaeyoung shrugged. "This is Jisoo and Jennie's turf, not mine. They can barely get me to come to one of th-," she stopped speaking when she realized Lisa wasn't paying attention to her.
Instead, the younger girl had her eyes fixed on a group of teenagers in the living room. A crowd had formed around two college aged boys, staring each other down. Suddenly, a punch was thrown, and Lisa flinched.
"Shit," Chaeyoung cursed under her breath, grabbing Lisa's hand and pulling her out of the room before the younger girl had to witness anything else. She located the back door and quickly led them both out into the backyard.
"Why were they fighting?" Lisa asked shyly, glancing back in the direction of the house. She followed Chaeyoung over to a circle of chairs on the patio.
"Alcohol makes people do crazy things sometimes," Chaeyoung shrugged, biting her lip when she heard a crash coming from inside the house. She cursed herself for allowing Lisa to come with them.
"I do not like alcohol," Lisa shook her head and looked down.
"Neither do I," Chaeyoung admitted, reaching out to take Lisa's hand. At the same time, though, the younger girl remembered that she was supposed to be normal. Lisa jumped to her feet and glanced towards the door.
"I want to go back inside," she said nervously, walking towards the door. Truth is, everything about this place was terrifying her. The loud music, the people, the flashing lights - everything. She hated it. But she wanted to spend time with Chaeyoung.
She shuffled towards the door and pulled it open slowly. Just as Chaeyoung caught up behind her, two guys stumbled through the door and practically slammed into Lisa. She scrambled backwards, bringing her hands up just as she fell to the ground.
"Please," she shook her head, feeling her hands begin to shake. They were too drunk to notice her, they just walked straight past the Thai girl on the ground. Lisa whimpered.
Chaeyoung balled her fists and glared at the two men before quickly running to Lisa's side.
"C'mon," she said softly, giving up on allowing Lisa to try and stick out the party. She knew it was bothering the girl. "How about we get out of here?"
Lisa wiped her eyes, looking up at Chaeyoung and feeling a lump form in her throat. This wasn't normal. Chaeyoung wanted her to be normal. She shook her head slowly.
"Well too bad," Chaeyoung grabbed Lisa's hand and pulled her up to her feet. "I don't want to be here either, Lisa."
"Really?" Lisa tilted her head to the side. Chaeyoung nodded quietly, leading Lisa around the front of the house.
"But parties are normal," Lisa whispered. Chaeyoung laced their fingers together and looked at the younger girl questioningly.
"What?"
"I am not normal," Lisa shook her head and brought her hands up to wipe her eyes. "I need to be normal. Normal is good."
"You're crazy," Chaeyoung kept a firm grip on Lisa's hand. "What's wrong with not being normal? Who wants normal?"
"You," Lisa pointed to the older girl. "Jisoo too."
Chaeyoung suddenly remembered the conversation Lisa had happened to overhear and was instantly washed over with guilt.
"I don't want normal, Lili," she stopped walking once they reached the front of the house. "I want you. I don't need normal."
"But..." Lisa looked down at the ground and sighed. "I am annoying. I am not normal. No one will like me unless I am normal."
"Hey, don't you dare say that," Chaeyoung cupped Lisa's face and stared her straight in the eyes. "I like you. Jisoo likes you. Somi likes you. Jennie likes you. So many people like you. You don't have to be normal. Normal is overrated."
"I am sorry," Lisa whispered. Chaeyoung shook her head.
"You have nothing to be sorry for, babe," she kissed Lisa's forehead and pulled the younger girl into a hug. "To be honest, I probably hate parties just as much as you do."
"You do?" Lisa giggled softly, pulling away from the hug.
"I do," Chaeyoung reiterated what she had said. She gave Lisa a goofy smile and cupped the younger girl's cheek. "I hear there's a really good frozen yogurt place just a few blocks away. I think we should do check it out."
Lisa's face lit up and she nodded quickly. "I like froyo, much better than parties." Chaeyoung laughed and rolled her eyes playfully.
"Me too, Lili," she led the younger girl down the sidewalk, kicking a pebble as they walked. Maybe Lisa was right, this wasn't normal. But hell, this was exactly what she wanted.