"It is my birthday?" Lisa asked quietly from the backseat of Somi's car. After they had calmed Lisa down, the younger girl had been ecstatic that they were going out for pizza.
Chaeyoung had explained to her that it was her birthday, but Lisa still couldn't quite believe it. The Thai girl assumed she would automatically remember when it was her birthday. She felt out of place.
"It's March 27th, Lili, that's your birthday," Chaeyoung laughed softly, placing her hand on Lisa's knee and absentmindedly tracing circles in her jeans.
"Are you sure?" Lisa tilted her head to the side.
"Yes, goofball," Chaeyoung laughed and shook her head. "Why would we be lying about that?"
"I did not remember," Lisa looked down at the ground and sighed. "I did not know my birthday."
"Well now you do," Somi spoke up from the driver's seat. "You were born on March 27th. Which is today. Which makes today your birthday."
"Oh," Lisa whispered. Chaeyoung reached out and took her girlfriend's hand, pressing a kiss to the back of her palm.
"It's no big deal," Chaeyoung said softly. "You know now, that's all that matters. Now we just get to celebrate."
"With pizza," Lisa mumbled, a small smile creeping onto her face. Chaeyoung couldn't help but laugh.
"Speaking of pizza," Jennie pointed out the window as Somi pulled into the parking lot of the brick restaurant. Lisa's face lit up, and Chaeyoung had to grab her hand to stop her from hopping out of the moving car.
"Someone else is having dinner with us, too," Chaeyoung smiled, noticing Toby's black truck in the corner of the parking lot. Lisa paused, giving her girlfriend a look of confusion.
"Who?" she asked. All the girls unbuckled their seatbelts and exited the car once Somi parked. Chaeyoung pointed in the direction of Toby's truck, where Maia was just exiting the passenger side.
"Be careful!" Chaeyoung called after Lisa, who had already taken off across the parking lot. Luckily, Maia saw her coming, and practically had to catch the girl when she wrapped her in a hug.
"It is my birthday!" Lisa smiled widely when she pulled away from the hug. Chaeyoung jogged over to meet up with them, motioning for her roommates to follow.
Toby fist bumped Lisa, causing both of them to make exploding noises. Chaeyoung and Maia both made eye contact, and the younger girl rolled her eyes.
"Sometimes it's like raising a child," Maia joked, causing Chaeyoung to burst into laughter.
"I know what you mean," the blonde girl reached out and fixed the beanie on Lisa's head, just as her three roommates caught up with them.
"Uh, guys, this is Maia and Toby," Chaeyoung turned to introduce her friends. "They're in our art class."
"And these are my roommates," she turned to Maia and gave her a soft smile. "Jisoo, Somi, and Jennie," she pointed to each girl. Lisa giggled behind her.
"Jisoo is mean," Lisa whispered to Toby, earning a playful glare from the Korean girl.
"I'm hungry," Jennie announced, nudging Lisa in the direction of the entrance. The younger girl laughed, running back to Chaeyoung's side so she could grab her hand and lead her into the restaurant.
They all slid into a circular booth, with Lisa squished happily between Jisoo and Chaeyoung. She glanced down at the menu she and Chaeyoung shared, running her fingers over the small type.
When their food got to the table, Chaeyoung had to grab Lisa to stop her from burning her hand on the hot pan. Laughing, the blonde girl cut them both a slice and pizza and sat back down.
"Happy birthday to me," Lisa mumbled with a mouthful of food. Giggling, Chaeyoung kissed Lisa's cheek and nodded.
"Happy birthday to you, goofball," she crinkled her nose and took a bite of her own pizza.
"How does it feel to be 19?" Maia spoke up from the other side of the booth. Lisa furrowed her eyebrows, thinking about this for a moment.
"I feel... the same," Lisa shrugged. "Just happy."
"I think that's pretty good, then," Chaeyoung nudged the younger girl. Lisa smiled and leaned against Chaeyoung, taking a sip of her water and sighing contently. She was surrounded by her favorite people, and she loved the feeling.
"I missed this feeling," Lisa confessed quietly. Everyone had already moved on to different conversations, and Chaeyoung was the only one that heard Lisa's hushed words.
"Missed what?" Chaeyoung whispered, reaching out to smooth out Lisa's hair. The Thai girl smiled up at Chaeyoung, realizing she had made an effort to listen to her.
"This. Love," Lisa motioned around the table. "I like these people, and I think they like me. It feels good."
Chaeyoung couldn't help the small smile on her lips. She was glad Lisa was slowly getting to know that feeling. The girl deserved it more than anyone in the world.
"I like the feeling too," Chaeyoung whispered, poking Lisa's side and making the girl giggle.
The rest of the dinner went smoothly, at least, until the end. Just as the waiter was taking away their empty plates, a different plate was placed down in front of them. Lisa furrowed her eyebrows and looked up.
"We heard it was someone's birthday," the waitress smiled, pulling a lighter out of her pocket and lighting the candle on top of the small slice of cake. Everyone pointed to Lisa, and the cake was slid in front of her. Chaeyoung grabbed the younger girl's hand to let her know it was okay.
"Haaaappy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you,"
Lisa didn't see who started singing, because the minute the song started her entire body froze. This was too familiar. Her grip on Chaeyoung's arm tightened just as she was swept away.
[[TRIGGER WARNING - VIOLENCE/ABUSE - Skip to the end of the italics if you'd rather not read.]]
"Happy birthday to you..."
Lisa smiled softly and looked up from the makeshift cake in front of her. When Skylar had found out Lisa would be spending her birthday home alone, the blonde girl had driven over immediately. All they had available was a leftover slice of apple pie, but the two girls had stuck a candle in it and made it work.
"You really don't have to sing," Lisa laughed, crossing her legs on the couch and looking over at her friend who sat next to her. Skylar just shrugged and continued singing.
"Happy Birthday to you..."
Lisa froze when she heard the garage door opening. Her uncle wasn't supposed to be home for another few hours. Her heart immediately dropped in her chest and she looked over at Skylar with a panicked look on her face.
"Happy Birthday, dear Lis-,"
Lisa leaped across the couch, cupping her hand over Skylar's mouth and shaking her head. Just as Skylar opened her mouth to question the girl, they both heard the echo of the door closing.
"You can't be here," Lisa whispered, grabbing Skylar's hand and practically dragging her down the hallway. "Stay here," she pushed her friend into the bathroom and gave the girl a pleading look.
"Pranpriya?!”
Lisa flinched, refusing to meet Skylar's eyes as she closed the door. This wasn't going to end well. She practically sprinted back into the living room, blowing out the candle and throwing it behind the couch.
"Yeah?" she called back as casually as she could, sitting down on the couch. As soon as he entered the room though, she stood up. She could tell just by the way he was walking that he was drunk. Great. Happy Birthday to her.
"I thought I told you to clean this house?" he spat, moving towards her. Lisa flinched, and he wasted no time in grabbing her arm, causing her to stand up straighter.
"I-I did," Lisa bit her lip and glanced behind him. "I cleaned the whole kitchen and the entire downstairs... I-,"
"The garage is a fucking mess," he growled, pushing her up against the wall. Lisa internally cursed herself.
"I didn't realize the garage counted as part of the house," she half-whispered, squeezing her eyes shut when he leaned in even closer to her. She could smell the alcohol on his breath.
"Are you fucking stupid?" he whispered between gritted teeth, taking his time to fully pronounce each syllable. Lisa held her breath, bracing for what was to come.
When the younger girl didn't respond, a beer bottle was smashed against the wall beside her head. Lisa inhaled sharply as the glass fell around her feet and she felt what was left of the liquid now dripping down her side and soiling her clothes.
"Clean it up," he growled, letting go of her and taking a step backwards. Lisa instantly bent down, looking around nervously before trying to scoop the shards of glass together with her hands. He stood above her, laughing at the brown eyed girl's flustered state.
"Hurry," he chuckled, stomping his foot and making Lisa jump. Before she could react, she was being pushed backwards. Lisa stumbled onto her bottom, her back hitting the wall.
"I can clean it tomorrow," she quickly scrambled to her feet, cursing herself when she felt the glass crunch underneath her shoes. "Or... or I can even do it tonight, I-I..."
"You will do it tonight," he took a step forwards, pressing the sharp end of the broken bottle right underneath her collarbone. Lisa whimpered, inhaling sharply and trying to remain as still as possible.
Her shirt ripped as the man drug the sharp glass across her skin, leaving a crescent shaped cut directly beneath her collarbone. Lisa bit down on her lip as hard as she could, feeling pain sear through her body.
"I hate to do this to you, Pranpriya, but you just never learn," he slurred, leaning forwards and letting the last piece of glass fall to the ground. Lisa could feel the blood seeping through her shirt, but she wouldn't dare look in fear that it would make her sick.
"I-I'm sorry," Lisa whispered, feeling tears forming in her eyes. She couldn't cry. Not now, not ever.
"Don't say it if you don't mean it," he hissed, shoving her backwards into the wall. Lisa squeezed her eyes shut, but sighing in relief when she heard his heavy footsteps disappear up the stairs.
The first thing that crossed her mind when she opened her eyes was the glass digging into the bottom of her shoes. She quickly grabbed the dustpan from beside the couch, wincing as pain shot up her arm each time she moved her torso.
Just as she stood up to throw the broken glass away, she saw movement out of the corner of the eye. The second Lisa saw Skylar staring at her from the hallway, she dropped the dustpan and quickly crossed the room.
"You need to go," she said between gritted teeth, refusing to meet the girl's eyes. She grabbed Skylar's hand, pulling her towards the back door.
"Oh my god... Lisa, what just happened?" Skylar whisper-yelled, grabbing Lisa's arm once they made it to the door. Lisa stared straight ahead, opening the door.
"You need to go, Skylar," Lisa voice grew low in the back of her throat as she tried to hold back tears.
"Holy shit, you're bleeding," Skylar pointed to the gash in Lisa's shirt. The brown eyed girl reeled backwards and shook her head. "You need to call the cops or something," Skylar started at her with wide eyes.
"You need to leave!" Lisa snapped, yelling in panic at the girl in front of her.
"Lisa, you-,"
"What was that, Pranpriya?!" the man's voice boomed through the house once more. Lisa's eyes went wide and her skin practically turned white.
"Go," Lisa hissed quietly, turning to Skylar. The blonde opened her mouth to protest, but hesitated when she saw the distressed look in her friend's eyes.
Her uncle turned the corner just in time to see Lisa shoving Skylar outside and slamming the door behind her. A look of panic flashed across the brown eyed girl's face when she turned around and came face to face with the drunken man.
"Who was it?" he growled, his voice practically emotionless. Lisa attempted to back up, but was only able to take a step until she hit the wall.
"I said, who was it?" he took a step forward to match her pace.
"Skylar," Lisa confessed, squeezing her eyes shut and looking down.
"She's not allowed here again," he raised his voice. "Do you hear me?" Lisa brought her hands up to wipe her eyes, unsure of what to say.
"I said, do you hear me?!" he yelled, grabbing the front of the younger girl's shirt and practically lifting her off of the ground to meet his height. His other hand was used to land a hard slap against her face, causing Lisa to yelp in pain.
"Y-yes sir!" she gasped, struggling to try and plant her feet on the ground. She was sent stumbling backwards moments later, immediately bringing her hands up to cup her stinging cheek.
"I told your mother she should've fucking killed you before you were even born," he laughed bitterly. Lisa watched as he moved to storm down the hallway, but stumbled into the coffee table, which sent a flower vase crashing to the ground.
"Clean this up," the man spat, kicking the broken pieces of the vase aside and storming upstairs. Lisa stood frozen until she heard the slam of the bedroom door, which threw her back into reality.
Lisa gasped, suddenly being whisked back into an entirely different place. She could hear muffled voices, but her ears were ringing so heavily that she couldn't understand what they were saying. There was only one thought on her mind. Get out.
Somehow the Thai girl managed to clamber over everyone and scramble out of the booth. The moment her feet hit the ground, she made a mad dash for the nearest door.
Chaeyoung didn't hear the waitress' petty comment, or the confused whispers of the other restaurant-goers. No, the only thing on her mind was getting to Lisa.
The blonde girl ducked under the table, taking everyone by surprise when she nearly knocked over the other diners as she made a mad dash for the door. The moment she pushed through the glass doors, she looked around desperately for Lisa.
Her eyes landed on the figure moving ahead of her, and she took off.
"Lisa!" she called after the younger girl, practically leaping forwards. Her fingers enclosed around the brown eyed girl's wrist just before Lisa left the curb. A car whizzed by, sending Lisa stumbling backwards into Chaeyoung's arms.
"Lisa," Chaeyoung turned the Thai girl around to face her. Brown eyes met and Lisa panicked, attempting to pull away. Chaeyoung tightened her grip.
"Lisa, look at me," Chaeyoung grabbed Lisa's shoulder and held her in place. The younger girl froze, searching Chaeyoung's face for any possible threat.
"It's not real," Chaeyoung whispered, feeling Lisa's muscles relax slightly.
"Lili, breathe," the blonde girl inhaled slowly, motioning for Lisa to do the same. The younger girl took in a deep breath, her bottom lip trembling. Moments later, her shaky knees gave in underneath her and she fell to the ground. Without hesitation, Chaeyoung knelt beside her and pulled her into her arms.
"It's not real," Chaeyoung repeated, feeling Lisa's arms wrap around her neck as the younger girl buried her head into Chaeyoung's shoulder. "It's not real," she continued to whisper softly.
Rubbing circles in Lisa's back, Chaeyoung rested her chin on the top of her girlfriend's head and continued to whisper the same three words over and over again. She'd say them forever if it would make Lisa believe them.
Lisa continued to cry into Chaeyoung's shoulder for a while, and Chaeyoung jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Is she okay?" Jennie whispered, squatting down next to the blonde girl. Chaeyoung took a deep breath and glanced down to Lisa before nodding softly.
"Can I....?" Chaeyoung glanced towards Somi's car. "Is there any way you guys can get a ride home with Maia? I need to take her somewhere," the blonde girl nodded down to Lisa.
"Consider it done," Jennie gave Chaeyoung a soft smile before standing up. "Make sure she knows she didn't ruin anything, yeah?"
Chaeyoung nodding, sending a thankful smile in Jennie's direction before tapping on Lisa's shoulder.
"I need to show you something, Lisa."