Jennie felt her heart breaking for you.
As she watched you at your desk from the doorway of your shared bedroom, she heard you sniffling and watched you tangle your fingers in your hair.
There's so much work scattered across your desk from your college classes.
Usually, you're bright-eyed and excited to learn and study.
Or, that's what you make people think.
This sort of façade that you put on is one Jennie has seen through so many times before.
But she's never confronted you about it.
She felt it wasn't a good idea and that, maybe, in time, you'd drop the facade for her and open up about what was going on.
But today, after arriving home from practice to see you starting to fall apart, she was so worried about you and knew she had no other choice to try and get you to open up to her.
She didn't say a word as she crept up behind you.
You were starting to cry a bit, clearly overwhelmed from everything, and she knew you'd try to hide and deny that anything was wrong if she spoke up now.
She put her arms around you and kissed your shoulder, making you jump.
You turned around to face her and a rush of sadness came over her as soon as she saw the tears in your eyes.
"What are you doing home?" You asked and wiped your tears as if that would help disguise that you'd been crying.
She didn't say a word. She just took your hand and made you get up from the chair so she could lead you to the bed.
She had you sit down at the foot of it before she sat behind you, pulling you into her arms to hug you from behind.
"Tell me what's wrong."
"Nothings wrong." You tried to say but she heard the crack in your voice.
"You're lying." She said as she brushed the tips of her fingers along your arms. "You don't have to try to be perfect around me, y/n. Whatever facade you put on for others doesn't work on me."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Stop." She whispered and tilted your head back against her shoulder, so you could stare up at her, your teary eyes meeting her worried ones. "I know you better than you know yourself."
You sighed shakily and stared down at your lap.
"Are you feeling overwhelmed with school work?"
"Maybe." You whispered, almost ashamed to confess such a thing.
"You're so hard on yourself."
"I have to be perfect, Jennie. My parents expect me to be. They want me to be a perfect student, a perfect daughter. I have been my whole life. I've tried so hard to be. I've never failed a class, I've never gotten a bad grade. I've never complained if I feel stressed. I have to be perfect."
"You're perfect just the way you are, y/n. Not with this facade, but the real you. The real you that you show me is perfect just the way she is."
"That's nice but it's not the way my parents think."
"Well, your parents need to stop putting you under so much pressure. You're an adult, y/n. You make your own choices. Stop pretending to be someone you're not."
You bit your lip to hold back a sob but it fell regardless and all Jennie could do was hold you tighter, hoping it'd help.
"You're not going to be perfect all the time. You're human, y/n. It's okay to feel stressed or pressured or overwhelmed. You don't have to be ashamed of feeling that way."
"I don't want to let anyone down," you sniffled.
"The only person you should be worried about letting down is you. If you're overwhelmed, say so. If this isn't what you want, if you're feeling let down and disappointed because of that, you have to do what's right for you. Not for me, not your parents, not your friends, not for anyone but you."
You put your head against her shoulder and looked at her again. She sent you a sad smile before kissing your forehead lovingly.
"If your parents can't let you be yourself, if they can't accept you for who you are, then you should take a step back until they come to their senses."
"I know you're right." You sighed. "It just feels so much easier said than done."
"Everything is going to be okay, y/n. Drop the facade. You'll see that the people who love you for the real you will still be right by your side, cheering you on in whatever you decide to do with your life. You only get one life, y/n. Don't waste it trying to be somebody you're not."
You cracked a smile as she kissed your shoulder.
"Stop trying to please your parents and be a perfect daughter and a perfect student. You're perfect just as you are. I will always love you and stand by you. I want you to feel better."
"Thank you, Jennie." You smiled.
"Don't thank me. Just looking out for my girl, because I love and care about you so much." She said, kissing your head. "No matter what happens, I've got you. Be kinder to yourself. You deserve it, my love."
You closed your eyes and took a deep breath, deciding to take a little time away from what your parents wanted for you so you could try to do a little soul searching and find out what you want for yourself.
Telling your parents this wouldn't be easy, whenever that day would come.
But you've got Jennie by your side every step of the way and you don't need anything else.