"Hey Lisa."
"What happened? Are you okay? Which hospital is it?" I hear shuffling in the background.
"I'm okay, I just couldn't sleep."
"Jeez Nini, I thought something bad happened...can we agree that insomnia phone calls start with 'Hey Lili'..not 'Hey Lisa?'" The shuffling stops.
"Sorry....I just can't sleep..." I trail off, there's just too much in my head right now.
"Do you want me to come over?"
"No..I think I'll be fine. Go back to sleep. I'll text you later."
Lisa sighs over the phone, and the shuffling starts again, "I'm on my way."
"What? Lili I'm fine."
"Are you really?"
"Yes. Maybe having a cup of coffee is causing my insomnia."
"Okay...But I'm bringing breakfast later and we're going to talk about this."
"Okay. Goodnight Lili."
"Get some sleep, Nini. Goodnight."
~
It was around 8am when Lisa barged into my room and forced me out of bed. I really need to change the passcode of that door.
"Wow you really meant it when you said later." I chuckle, grabbing the cup of coffee Lisa had out for me.
"Yes, because the last time.." She trails off, and I don't question it, "I just wanted to hang out too. It's Saturday and you've been such a workaholic that I figured if I stopped you from going to the office today then I can at least spend some time with my best friend."
"Awwww Lili misses her Nini." I tease and Lisa rolls her eyes at me, "Yeah whatever, just help me set the table."
~
"So..now that breakfast is out of the way, do you want to tell me what's really up with you?" Lisa asks while making herself comfortable on my couch. I knew she wouldn't let what happened earlier go that easy.
"Nothing is going on."
"Jennie."
"Lisa." We stare at each other, neither wanting to back down. Two stubborn best friends.
"It's Rosie." Lisa says after a while.
"What about her?"
"You tell me."
"There's nothing to tell we're coworkers..friends."
"You and I both know you and Rosie can't be just friends."
"We can and we are."
"It's only a matter of time, Nini."
"Until what?"
"Until those old feelings resurface."
"You know I've moved on..we've both moved on. It's been years."
"It has...but you know you never really got your closure..the both of you..I mean you just kinda stopped. Was there even a formal end?"
"We didn't really have a break-up..but we both knew that it was over. It was a mutual understanding."
"You only ever said it was over..not really what happened..I know the distance was probably hard on you both, but I don't know..you guys went through high school and part of university together.."
"It wasn't hard at first..the distance." I look down, playing with my fingers...not wanting to remember but remembering anyways.
It was late, the snow outside was piling up higher and higher, I couldn't sleep knowing that in just a few days she'd have to go. I turned to my side, watching as Rosie slept peacefully.
"How can you look so beautiful even when sleeping?" I whisper, carefully tracing the contours of her face with my finger, "I don't want you to go." I admit for the first time since Rosie told me she got accepted into her dream school back in Australia, "But I don't want you to be unhappy. We'll make it right?" I kept asking rhetorical questions, hoping that I'll find an answer on my own...an answer that's not 'time will tell.'
I don't know how long I was up nor do I know when I slept...the next thing I knew I was being woken up with kisses.
"Hmmm..." I groan.
"Morning Love. Did you sleep well?" Rosie asks, I probably have dark circles under my eyes.
"I was up for a bit, but not long. Are my dark circles that bad?" I chuckle.
"No, but you just look..kinda tired? Do you want to sleep some more?" Rosie asks, already tucking me back in.
"I'm fine. I don't want to waste my weekend in bed all day...although if you were to join me.."
"Jenjen, you." Rosie turned red, and I laughed at her flustered face, "I'm kidding. I just want to enjoy the weekend. It'll be a while before we get another."
"Hey, we talked about this." Rosie sat down at the edge of the bed, taking my hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.
"We did..I know..it's just I'll miss you." I held her hand tighter, I couldn't lift my head..if I looked at her, I'd cry, "Don't worry okay? We'll graduate and then I'll move back here..and that future we planned will happen. We'll make it Love, I swear we will."
"Pinky promise?" I sniffle, looking at her and holding my pink out.
"Pinky promise." She locks our pinkies together with a smile, "Now we've made an irrevocable promise." I smile.
We'll make it..we will.
~ ~ ~ ~
"Are you sure you have everything? Passport? Boarding pass? Headphones? Charger?"
"Love." Rosie holds me by my shoulder, "I have it all. You've checked at least a million times now." She laughs and I'm only able to give her a half hearted smile.
"I know..everything is all set. You're all checked-in, all you have to do is go through those doors." I motion towards the glass doors past the security checkpoint.
"I know." Rosie nods, shifting her hands from my shoulders to my hands.
"The others should be here soon to say goodbye too." I give her hands a gentle squeeze before letting go. If I held her hands any longer I might not be able to let her go.
"Speaking of the others." Rosie gestures behind me with a tilt of her chin.
"Roseanne Park!" I hear Lisa's dramatic ass before I see her, and when I do see her it's just a blur of dark brown hair that crashes into my Rosie.
"I can't believe Rosie's already leaving." She dramatically cries, while Irene and Seulgi come up with a chuckle.
"She thought we weren't going to make it. Seriously, with the way she was in the car it was like she's dying or something." Seulgi laughs.
"Leave it to Lisa to still give out laughs on a day like this." Irene gives me a pointed look.
"It is a happy day Rene. We'll be fine." I smile and Irene nods, satisfied with my answer.
"Okay Lili that's enough, stop strangling my Rosie." I peel Lisa from Rosie, and my best friend stares at me with worried eyes. Like with everyone else, I just smile at her. Silently telling her I'm fine, even though I'm not..but I trust Rosie..I trust us..we'll make it.
Everyone said their goodbyes and although they tried to stop it, everyone's eyes were teary.
"Look, I haven't even cried yet." I turned to Rosie, but as I said that a lone tear finally fell.
"We'll be okay, Love." Rosie pulls me into her arms, hugging me tight, "I promise you. We'll make it." She sniffles and soon all of us are in tears and I'm a sobbing mess in the middle of the airport, but I don't care.
When it was time for Rosie to almost board, I finally let her go. Watching as she made her way through security and finally disappearing.
"Nini." Lisa puts her hand on my shoulder.
"We'll make it. It's just for a bit." I place a hand over Lisa's and the group takes me back to our apartment, which seems bigger even though it's a small 1 bedroom.
~ ~ ~ ~
"So how are your classe so far?"
"Good! Everyone's really nice and the projects aren't too bad. My group mates are pretty chill too!" Rosie began to go on about her life back in Melbourne. How she's met up with some old friends and relatives. She's having fun and I'm happy for her. Watching her from the screen she looks like she's free.
"You sound like you're having fun. That's good, though you might be crying over how much you miss me." I tease her.
"You'll never let me live that down."
"Nope, it was cute." I laugh.
"So what? You don't miss me anymore?" Rosie squints her eyes at me, "Lisa told me about what's her face getting close to you and that insane rumour spreading."
"Huh? What's her face? And what rumour?"
"That senior you know who."
"Ahh you mean June?"
"June July whatever her name is."
"First of all, June is sweet and totally dating Ian."
"Okay well there's still that rumour."
"What rumour? I haven't heard anything, you know I don't care about gossip."
"That we broke up. Apparently people have been asking Lisa if it's true or not." Rosie huffs, arms crossed.
"Ahh.." I nod, and Rosie gets closer to the camera, "What happened." She asks.
"Nothing." I shake my head.
"You're not a very good liar, Jenjen."
"Really nothing."
"So people haven't been trying to ask you out?"
"I should ask you that."
"Jennie."
"Roseanne."
We stare into each other's eyes before breaking into a fit of laughter.
~ ~ ~ ~
"I miss you."
"Well hello to you too, Love." Rosie chuckles over our facetime call.
"You don't miss me?" I pout and Rosie laughs even more.
"Rosieee." I whine, squinting and realising that her background looks different, "Wait where are you? That's not your room."
"Of course I miss you. Lisa told me it's that time of week, did you take ibuprofen? How's your tummy?" She doesn't answer my question.
"You didn't answer me."
"Okay here's my answer, I'm home." I hear Rosie's voice twice and when I look up from my screen there she was.
"Rosie." I get up from our bed, "Hi Jenjen." Rosie has tears brimming.
"Hi." I wrap my arms around her waist, resting my head on her shoulder, "You're here." I whisper.
"Mhm, I'm here. I'm home." Rosie wraps her arms around me, holding me tighter.
"I missed you."
"I missed you more, that's why I had to see you."
"How long are you here for?"
"Just for a week."
"I'll take it."
~ ~ ~ ~
"After Rosie's visit things between us changed for the better. But of course things only lasted for so long. The effort was there but you can tell we were slowly becoming two different people." I sigh, recalling when things really started to end, "It was the start of the end, but neither of us could stop it because we didn't even know it was happening."
"What do you mean? How can you both not have realised it? I remember you guys talking or texting literally all the time." Lisa looks at me with furrowed brows.
"The calls and the texts were more like an obligation because we were a couple...whereas before, the conversations would just flow and flow until one of us finally falls asleep on call."
"Really?"
"Yeah...I mean it got to the point where we were so busy we would only facetime once a month...and then just texts....and Rosie just calling me Jen or Jennie....it was just two people drifting apart."
"So then? You guys just stopped talking?"
"Kinda."
"So there was no breakup talk?"
"Yeah..we just knew I guess...it saved us from heartbreak."
"Did it?" Lisa looks at me.
"No..but I don't think either of us could have done it y'know? I mean we were together for 5 years and we wanted to make it work so badly...but being broke college students and being in a long distance relationship really put a strain on our relationship. We were young and we thought that love was enough, but it wasn't. Love was the start, but it could only take a relationship so far."
"So you still love her?"
"I don't think I'll ever stop loving her...but that doesn't mean I'll pursue it."
"Why not?"
"I..." I began, staring at Lisa who was waiting but I had nothing.
"I think you need to talk to her." Lisa says after a few moments of just staring at me, "You need to clear your history with her."
"You mean you want me to get closure and get the formal breakup?"
"I think she still cares about you."
"Well we were friends."
"You guys were never just friends Nini." Lisa shakes her head, "But seriously though..Rosie..she.." Lisa smiles softly, "She had that same look on her face when she saw us at that cafe. The same look she had when she first saw you in high school."
"It could just be nostalgia Lili."
"Think what you want Nini." Lisa shrugs, grabbing the remote and putting on a random show on Netflix.
~ ~ ~ ~
"Okay so problem." Mina looks at me with a nervous smile.
"I hate when you have that smile Mina.." I sigh, already feeling the headache.
"Our couple can't make the shoot..."
"Why not?"
"There's an emergency...so they both had to fly out of the country."
"Well there's nothing we can do about that...an emergency is out of our control.." I shake my head.
"What's wrong?" Rosie peeks her head in, "Where's our couple?"
"Out of the country for an emergency."
"Oh..well that's not good."
"Yeah...so where can we find another pair to take their place in a short amount of time?"
"How about you Jen?" Mina looks at me, "You did that one Cartier thing."
"Yeah but that was just my hand. Plus, the storyline follows..."
"Actually it'll be an interesting surprise." Rosie interrupts me, "Everyone's already expecting the guy and the girl so if we do the best friend pair...I think that'll garner more talk."
"Right...but where can we find someone to be my partner?"
"How about Jisoo?"
"You want Lili to kill me?" I chuckle, already imaging Lisa's reaction.
"Who's Jisoo?" Rosie asks, with a raised brow.
"A friend of ours."
"More like a friend with former benefits." Mina says just loud enough for me to hear.
"Mina." I glare at her and she chuckles, "Can we just get back on the topic of finding a couple?"
"I thought we've already established you'll be half of the pair Jen?" Mina has this look in her eyes.
"I have to discuss this change with the brand you guys brainstorm until I get an okay." I find an excuse to leave.
"I'll come with you." Rosie smiles at me. But I can tell she's up to something, but I just don't know what.
~ ~ ~ ~
"So they agreed." I return to the set.
"Great! Now we just need to find your partner."
"You don't have to, I'm her partner." Rosie smiles at everyone and I turned to look at her shocked..cause why would she suggest that..we'd have to act like we're in-love with each other?!
"You two?" Mina looks at me and then at Rosie.
"Would it be bad?"
"Visually, it's amazing." Mina says, causing everyone to chuckle, "But your chemistry..." Mina paused, "Maybe I should just call Jisoo and bribe Lisa?"
"Personally I want to see this." A staff member blurted out.
"I mean it's worth a shot." Mina nods, "What do you think Jen?"
"We can try, but let me call Lili and see what Chu's up to."
"Okay." Mina nods and I leave the set, because I can feel Rosie's eyes on me.
~
"What's up Nini?" Lisa answers my call after two rings.
"Well hello there my bestest most amazing friend in the world." I greet her warmly.
"You need something from me." Lisa deadpans, "And with that kind of greeting I have a feeling it's something big."
"Kinda...just promise me first you won't get mad."
"Why would I get mad, if anything I'm about to eat good for a while." Lisa chuckles.
"Just promise me first."
"Okay okay, I promise."
"Cross your heart?"
"That serious?!" Lisa says over the phone.
"Yes."
"You're scaring me here Nini but cross my heart and hope to die."
"So we hit a snag at the shoot and now I'm being forced to play one of the lovers..."
"Okay where do I come in here? Do you want me to be your partner? I don't thin.."
"Mina wants Chu to do it." I blurt out, interrupting Lisa. The line went silent after that, I checked my phone to make sure I was still connected and we were.
"Don't you guys have anyone else?"
"Well Rosie volunteered."
"Is it bad that I don't want to say yes?"
"No...I understand where you're coming from Lili."
"But I also don't want you doing this with Rosie...not with your past still so unsettled."
"Mina thinks we don't have any chemistry."
"You two? Have no chemistry? Are her eyes okay? Now I wonder how you two are at work for her to think that. I mean I guess she doesn't know your history." Lisa pauses and I wait.
"Did you already ask her?" Lisa finally speaks up.
"No, I wanted to talk to you first...plus I'm sure she would discuss it with you too."
"I can't speak for her...but I know that she would want to help you out."
"Lili, if it makes you uncomfortable I can just partner up with Rosie. I don't want us fighting over this."
"But we won't. I promised I wouldn't get mad and I'm not. She's assured me many times that she cares for me, that she's moved on. I mean the three of us get along well...Jeez Jen, of all the people you chose to have a fwb relationship with it just had to be my Chu." Lisa chuckles.
"I didn't know you had a thing for her back then...So is that a yes?"
"I'll call her and see if she's up to it."
"Okay thanks Lili."
"I got you Jen. But in return, please have that talk with Rosie."
"Lili..."
"You just asked me if my girlfriend, someone who was in-love with you before, would play your lover..I think it's a fair trade. Plus, I know you'd just avoid the talk with her until she leaves."
"Exactly, she'll leave anyway. Why do we need to hash out the past?"
"Because I don't want you to be lonely anymore."
"Lisa."
"It's my only condition. And I feel bad for pushing you to do something you're not ready for, but sometimes Nini, you really don't know what's best for you."
"Alright."
"Good. I'll go call Chu now.."
"Thanks." I end the call, taking a deep breath..trying to find a moment of peace.
After 5 minutes, I got a text from Lisa telling me her and Jisoo were on their way.
~ ~ ~ ~
A/n: because i was already online i thought might as well upload this now. Im so nice right? Lol.
Anyways, do you think I'll give you guys the Chaennie endgame here? Lmk, cause yall know how i get sometimes heheh.
Okay till next time.
Laters~