ISABEL'S JAW WAS held open slightly as Jake Sim approached her and Jungwon. Had she really phoned him instead of Jay? The boy was wearing a pair of dark lounge shorts and a long sleeved, yellow and black striped polo shirt that had a light blue collar. He looked tired which was no surprise considering it was way past two a.m, and his hair was a little bit tousled.
Isabel still managed to find him the most attractive boy ever, and she quickly shook herself out of her trance and turned to Jungwon, bidding her goodbye before following after Jake.
The pair were consumed by silence. Jake had his hands shoved in his shorts pockets and Issy stumbled beside him, causing him to chuckle softly before removing his hand from the comfort of his pocket and to hold onto her arm to keep her stable.
The Park girl was far too out of it to realize they were walking the complete opposite way to the holiday home, and instead going to the twenty-four hour convenience store. It wasn't until her eyes landed on the lit up shop that a glimpse of confusion took over her features and she turned her head to look up at him.
"What..." She began, gulping to try and gather her words. "Why are we here?" She slurred out and a long sigh fell from Jake's lips as he lead her over to the empty bench outside the store.
"You need to sober up," He tells her once she's sat on the bench. "You can't go back in this state." Jake explained and Issy only nodded her head, not asking any questions. "Now stay here, okay. Don't wonder off." He ordered, and Isabel sat up, giggles leaving her lips.
"Okay, Jakey..." She grinned, her face close to Jake's as their eyes met. The two were so close that they could practically see every detail on their faces, and Jake could smell the strong scent of alcohol leaving her mouth. The older boys eyes trailed down to her plump, reddened lips and he subconsciously found himself biting his own lip.
Before anything could happen — not that Jake would do anything due to Isabel being highly intoxicated and him having a girlfriend — a stray cat brushed across Jake's leg, making him jump back slightly in shock.
Isabel's eyes widened at the sight of the cat and she immediately bent down in her sitting position to smooth the cat as the Sim boy went inside the store. She had always been a dog person growing up and never really liked cats at all, but she was far too drunk to even care about her preferences and feelings towards the animal.
Easily getting distracted, Issy's eyes landed on the flowers that were scattered across the outside walls of the shop and the kids tattoo machine that she once wasted tons of money on when she was younger. Her eyes also fell on the gumball machine that was beside the tattoos and despite her queazy mindset, she felt her breathing hitch at the memory that came with the machine.
The memory that made her realize just how much she liked Jake Sim.
An excited beam was plastered on fourteen year old, Isabel Park's lips as she impatiently waited in line to use the gumball machine with her friends.
Her older brother and his friends were currently occupying the machine, taking their time because they made it their mission to get a piece of bubblegum in every colour.
"Jay," Issy whined, sticking out her bottom lip to pout in annoyance. "Hurry up, you're taking forever!"
"Shut up, Issy," Jay yelled back, turning the knob on the machine. "You're so annoying." He huffed and Isabel instantly rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest.
"You're so annoying!" Issy returned the insult childishly, shoving her brother out of the way so that she could finally have her go. Her smile grew and her eyes enlarged as she quickly brought of the only coin she had from her denim shorts pocket and eagerly slotted it into the coin slot and turned the handle.
Her fists clenched as she impatiently waited for the bubblegum to roll along its spiraling pathway, before it eventually reached the opening. Without another thought, Issy reached out the grab it, and as soon as it was in her hand, it was immediately knocked out.
Her eyes widened in shock and a gasp left her mouth as she watched as it rolled into a drain.
Anger filled her veins as she turned to look at Jay who had shoved her back. "What the hell, Jay?!" She furiously yelled. "That was my only coin!"
"Oh," Jay pouted, faking his look of regret and sadness. "Too bad." He broke out into a grin and shrugged, before turning and picking up his bike that was laying on the floor; his friends following after him besides one — Jake Sim.
"Here." Jake smiled, holding his hand out that currently had a blue gumball in. As soon as Isabel's eyes landed on it, they widened and she couldn't help but feel her cheeks heat red at his kind action.
"Uh..." She awkwardly begins. "Are you sure? I can just get another one next week." She spoke, and Jake simply shook his head, shaking his hand as a way of telling her to take it from him.
"Have it, you didn't deserve that — Jay was just being an ass." He chuckled at the thought of his best friend, and Isabel slowly nodded and hesitantly reached out and took the gum from him.
"See ya, Isabel!" Jake waved, quickly climbing on his bike and catching up with his friends, leaving the fourteen year old Issy Park with a fluttering heart. He was the first boy to ever show kindness to her. He was the first boy she ever had a crush on.
When Jake finally returned to Issy, breaking her from her daze, he had his hands filled with a water bottle and two ice lollies. Her eyes instantly widened at the sight of her favorite ice lolly in his clutch and a beam spread across her cheeks as she reached out for it.
"Nu-uh." Jake shakes his head, pulling his hand away from Isabel and holding out the bottle of water he'd bought for her. "You can have the ice lolly once you've finished this." He told her and shoved the bottle into her hands, making her scoff.
"But it'll melt." She pointed out and Jake shrugged.
"You better hurry then."
✿
Once Isabel had finished the iced bottle of water, she was now peacefully enjoying her mixed berry ice lolly, whilst Jake enjoyed his weird (Mom Is Alien) flavored snack.
Issy could feel her heart pounding against her chest as she felt herself begin to slowly sober up and realize just how close her and Jake were sat. The side of her thigh was touching the side of his, and as they leaned against the back rest of the bench, their arms constantly brushed against one another.
"I'm sorry for phoning you." The Park girl announced, breaking the comfortable silence they were sat in.
A breathy chuckle passed through Jake's swollen lips (swollen due to the coldness of the ice lolly) "I was already awake." He revealed, and Isabel's eyebrow raised.
"You were?"
The boy nodded his head and turned to look down at her; their eyes instantly meeting and the younger girl could feel her breathing hitch as she couldn't help but wonder if he ever felt the same way she does — even if it was just slightly.
"I was worried for you." He simply shrugged, a small smile appearing on his mouth. "It was my baby sisters first time going out to a party alone." He teased, nudging her playfully as she felt her heart tear into millions of pieces.
Instantly, Isabel's shoulders slumped and she turned her head away from him and down at her lap, quickly feeling sober due to the sadness that overtook her body. She'd lost her appetite and so now, the ice lolly was melting and dripping down her hand.
"Oh..." She sighed, biting her bottom lip, refusing to make eye contact with the boy again. She felt so... silly for ever thinking he could possibly see her in the same light she did. "Right..."
"Did you have a good time?" Jake wondered, continuing to eat his ice cream.
"Yeah," She slowly nodded. "Jungwon seems nice. I'm really starting to like him." Issy expressed, a smile making its way to her lips at the thought of the dimpled boy — the girl unbeknownst to Jake, who had seemed to tense up to the way she spoke about the Yang boy.
Eventually, as time passed and both Issy and Jake finished their ice cream, a huff escaped the girls lips as she felt her eyes begin to grow heavy.
"I'm tired." She moaned out as Jake stood up, her looking up at him as he chuckled at her behavior.
"Come on," He spoke, nodding his head to the direction they had to walk in. "We're not far from home."
"But I'm too tired to walk." It wasn't usual for Issy to be like this. She wasn't one to be bratty, but with the alcohol rushing through her veins, she didn't care.
A long groan came from Jake as he threw his head back and flared his eyes. "You think you're such a princess." He joked and squatted down in front of her. "Get on." He ordered.
A part of her was telling her not to get on and just suck it up and walk, however a massive part of her was telling her to just do it — and because she was drunk, she finds herself listening to the devil on her shoulder, and without another word, she's climbing onto the Sim boys back.
✿
Once they finally arrive at the home, they quietly enter and make their way through the home, Issy not waiting around to say anything else to the boy. She was done. She couldn't — wouldn't waste her time waiting for him, nor would she continue to be delusional and think a simple brotherly action from him was something more.
She was fed up.
"Goodnight, Isabel." She heard Jake softly say, instantly making her halt her movements as she approached the bottom of the stair, one hand on the railing. Her heart continued to beat faster than ever and she shut her eyes to compose herself. She wasn't going to do it. She wasn't going to allow him to change her mind again. She couldn't do it anymore.
And the first step to moving on was her name...
"You know I don't like being called Isabel," She sighed.
"So stop."
✿
I lowkey wanna make them become KINDA enemies to lovers — like not exactly enemies, there's js a bit of THICK tension between them ygmmmm?? idkkkk lol