^ Joey
Jennie was so used to feeling annoyed or disliking pretty much anyone she had to have contact with, that it didn't take much for her to realize she had somehow developed a crush on Jisoo. But that didn't mean she had any idea what to do about it. Or how it happened in the first place.
Jisoo was the exact opposite of who she usually went for. She was happy and bubbly, always positive, constantly talking, always curious and asking questions, sweet, kind, silly without worrying what other people thought, not afraid to go after what she wanted and...
...maybe that was the point.
Someone had finally started breaking down Jennie's walls because for the first time in a long time, she had let someone in her life that was more than just something superficial.
She would blame Professor Lee for that, but Jennie was afraid she would have to thank him too. Because ever since that tiny ball of sunshine found her way into Jennie's life, things had started to change, even before Jennie realized it.
—
Jennie stood in the dark room alone that morning. She liked to get there before classes started when she had film to develop. It was easier to develop her own photos without idiots that didn't know what they were doing bumping around the room with her. She had finished with the chemical mixtures and was cleaning up while her prints were drying.
"This is new."
"Holy shit!" Jennie spun around, dropping the container she had just washed on the ground. The plastic box bounced on the ground as Jennie stumbled into the table in the dark room.
"Holy shit is right." Jung chuckled as she tugged on a photo being held to the line by a clothes pin. She walked over to the dim light offering the light glow in the dark room and held the photo up.
"What are you doing here?" Jennie asked, picking up the dropped container and setting it on the counter.
"You aren't the only one that likes to be the alone in the dark room." Jung commented before grabbing another photo and examining it like she had the last one. "These are really great, Jennie."
"Really?" Jennie asked quietly, stepping forward to see what pictures Jung was giving praise to. Her eyes went wide when she saw which ones were being held under the light, "Oh, actually, those aren't—"
"Aren't what?" Her professor turned to her, holding out the photos for Jennie to take.
"Aren't the ones I had planned on using for my final portfolio." Jennie took them back before walking over to the line of drying photos. She pulled a couple from the line and walked back over to her professor.
Jung took them and looked them over while Jennie watched her carefully. The room was dark but not dark enough for Jennie to see that her professor was less impressed with these.
"Remember when I told you to make me feel something?" Jung pressed her lips together tightly before looking over at Jennie, "Whatever is going on with those first photos— that what I was talking about."
She turned and walked out of the dark room, leaving Jennie speechless. Jennie looked down at the photos in her hand. They were good. Really good. The color was incredible, the lines sharp, she had been excited to show her professor and what had just happened was no where near what she was expecting. She went back to the line and let her eyes trail along the photos still hanging up before picking up the ones her professor had looked at first.
The difference was obvious. It would have been to anyone, not just someone who knew good photography. Half the photos were ones she had taken on her own. It didn't matter the subject or the location— the ones she had taken when Jisoo was with her were better. By far.
At least Jennie was right about one thing. Jisoo was the key to putting emotion into her photos. Even without being in the photo herself.
She looked over the ones her professor had liked. They were from the junk yard— glass shards littered the ground. Their bright colors a stark contrast to the rusted cars in the background. The light from the afternoon sun reflected off the glass scattered on the ground, casting reflective light across anything large enough to become a backdrop for its glow. Specks of light and color covered cars, broken doors and old forgotten treasures. They had become the canvas for a new treasure. A painting that shifted with the sun. Giving new life to broken pieces from past lives.
She shuffled through the photos, one by one until she landed on one that had Jisoo in it. Usually Jennie liked to keep her photos fairly simple. Letting the scene speak for itself. Not letting people, faces or bodies distract from what else was there. But the photo with Jisoo in it was stunning.
She kept going and stopped on the photo she had taken of the quiet house at the end of the block. The one with the porch light left on. The first time she had fallen asleep wondering about Jisoo. Even then, with the girl on her mind, had changed the way her photos turned out.
What was it about her that made that possible? Jennie pulled photo after photo off the line, examining them then dropping them in a pile to reach for the next one.
Jisoo's arms lifted above her head, glass clutched in her hands tightly, the muscles of her arms accentuated by the light of the afternoon. Her face was steady, her eyes determined, her lips pulled down into a slight frown. She was powerful. She pulled your focus, like it was an unwritten rule that she be the center of your attention. The shattered glass at her feet, the chainlink fence twisted and decaying behind her only added to her beauty. A sun amidst the stars.
Jennie got to the last photo and held it gently in both hands. It was hard to believe she had taken it. She brushed her thumb over the image, like she was somehow trying to let her fingertips feel the softness of the girl within the picture. She let out a deep breath and dropped the final picture on the top of the pile.
For as much as she was trying to ignore her feelings for Jisoo, one look at these photos and it was obvious the way she felt.
—
The entire drive to the junk yard Jennie had been arguing with herself about what to do. Jung was right, whatever was happening when she took those photos was making her work better. But could Jennie really take whatever feelings she was starting to have for Jisoo and just use them for her photos? Or would that just be a bonus of trying to figure out exactly what it was she felt for Jisoo? Did she even want to let this thing with Jisoo go on more than it already had?
Joey didn't have the answers for her. He just tilted his head and whined quietly when Jennie asked for his opinion. Typical. He was never much help in these situations.
Jennie sat in that ripped up car, Joeys head laying lazily on her lap, with a book in her hand that she was only pretending to read. She couldn't stop thinking about Jisoo and the whole thing was just confusing. She had been so good at keeping people at a distance. The fact that Jisoo had seemed to bypass that so effortlessly made Jennie even more curious about the girl, which only fueled her desire to be around her.
After finishing with her photos that morning Jennie decided that was enough school for one day. She didn't have her own midterms until later in the week and didn't feel the need to study anyway.
She knew Jisoo was taking her midterm that afternoon, but maybe she could spend some time with her once she was finished. Would that be too obvious? They already had plans to study on Tuesday, surely she could wait one more day.
Joey let out a yawn before standing up and stretching his front legs out and hopping down from the seat. Jennie watched him, shutting her book and bringing her foot up onto the seat so she could rest her chin on her knee. She knew it was pointless to try to pretend she wasn't thinking about Jisoo. Ever since she had seen her pictures come to life in that dark room, she knew it was useless.
——
Jisoo tapped her pencil furiously on the edge of the desk while she chewed nervously on the nail of her thumb on her other hand. She had managed to study for 4 whole hours after Jennie had dropped her off at home (after plenty of scolding from Chaeyoung and the most awkward phone call of her life with Soojoo) before passing out from exhaustion. As soon as she woke up Monday she felt nervous and nauseous— were phantom hangovers a thing? Cause it sure did seem like this was one really long, awful hangover that just continued to mock her poor life choices. Despite that, she was determined not to fail her midterm.
Jisoo had made it through her other classes that day only mildly distracted by the feeling that she wasn't prepared for her midterm that afternoon, and the looming 'coffee date' with Soojoo she had agreed to once her midterm was finished. Half a packet of cookies and a grape soda later, she was walking into the auditorium hoping her sugar high and Jennie's tutoring was going to pay off.
She had been sitting in there for 50 minutes, it was her and 3 other people still taking their tests, and the more she tried to focus on her paper, the more her brain wanted to shut down.
Who the Hufflepuff was Sigmund Freud?! Was he one of those guys with the tigers? What does that have to do with Psychology?
"Times up." Professor lee took his glasses off and rubbed at the inside corners of his eyes tiredly. It seemed like he enjoyed midterms just about as much as his students did.
Jisoo let out a groan and dropped her head down onto her desk with a thud. At least she had managed to finish most of the test, only being short by a few questions. She packed up her bag and secured it on her shoulders before dragging her feet to the front of the auditorium and handing over her test with a forced smile that looked more like a grimace.
Professor Lee seemed sympathetic but also amused at Jisoo's lackluster attitude over her test and simply gave her an encouraging nod as he added her test to the pile already in front of him.
Jisoo walked out of the room, hands clutching the straps of her backpack, replacing one anxiety with the next. Her focus on her midterm had made her completely forget about meeting up with Soojoo for coffee, until she walked out into the hall and towards the exit of the building. She hoped Soojoo wouldn't be waiting outside for her, that would at least give her 5 minutes of a break as she walked to the coffee kart on campus. What she saw on exiting the building was the last thing she expected though.
Jennie was lazily leaning her back against a tree just outside the building. Her hands were in her pockets and despite the fall air that had just started to actually feel cool enough for a jacket, she had on a simple pair of black ripped jeans and a tank top that hung loosely on her shoulders. Even more surprising was the German Shepard sitting happily at her feet.
Of course she wasn't alone though. Flipping her hair over her shoulder and leaving flirty touches on Jennie's arm as she spoke was the new flavor of the week. For whatever reason, Jennie had stopped bringing her 'study buddies' to their tutoring sessions in the library, which Jisoo was grateful for. But apparently Jisoo had gotten used to seeing Jennie without a girl hanging off her arm and this view sent a wave of frustration through her.
Jisoo brushed it off as the unpleasant memory of having to break up countless make out sessions, but something in the back of her mind told her it might be more than that.
The new girl tried to pet Joey but the dog moved away, clearly uninterested in the girls attempt to bond. This made Jisoo snort quietly, watching the awkward interaction. Both Joey and Jennie seemed completely unaffected by the girls presence and that made Jisoo feel a little less jealous.
Wait. Jealous?
She didn't have time to think about it though, because Jennie turned her head and made eye contact with her and Jisoo's smile grew without her permission. Seconds later the large dog was bouncing his way to the brunette, completely abandoning the new girl trying to cozy up to Jennie.
Jennie followed, completely ignoring the other girl, leaving her with a frustrated and embarrassed pout on her face.
"Hey buddy." Jisoo directed her smile at the dog, crouching down to pet him. She laughed as he knocked into her happily, leaving slobber on her face. Jisoo stood up and wiped at her face as Jennie walked up to her. "Please tell me you didn't dognap Joey and need me to hide you both."
Jennie shook her head, giving Jisoo a small lopsided smile, "We were going on an outing and Joey suggested we invite you." She reached down and scratched the top of Joeys head.
Jisoo tried to hide her smile as she put a hand on her hip, "Joey suggested?"
Jennie shrugged, managing to keep her face neutral. She was about to say something else when she saw a familiar face making her way towards them. She cleared her throat and dropped her stare to the ground.
Jisoo noticed the playful energy disappear and worried she had done something. She looked to where Jennie's attention had been and felt her stomach drop. Soojoo hadn't seen her yet, although she would soon, so if she was going to make a decision about what was going to happen next it would have to be quick.
"Well, Joey." Jisoo bent over and squeezed Joeys face in her hands gently, "Where are we off to?"
——
Jennie still wasn't sure what she was doing as they made the drive back to town. She felt especially awkward when Joey followed her obediently across campus, bringing more attention to herself than usual. She wasn't about to leave him in the car though, and with every step it was becoming more clear she hadn't really thought her plan through all the way. Honestly, did she even have a plan? She was regretting her spur of the moment decision, that is until a very attractive girl Jennie vaguely remembered from one of her classes approached her and went all baby talk on Joey.
She pretended to listen to the girl as she waited for Jisoo to come out of the building. She was sure most of her class had exited already and Jennie started to worry she had missed her completely. But then she glanced back towards the building and saw Jisoo's bright smile.
Jennie knew she should probably be careful about whatever it was she was doing. She didn't want to give Jisoo the wrong idea— she still hadn't figured out her own feelings or what she was going to do about them. And she didn't want to hurt Jisoo by just using her for her photos. But that smile drew her in and whatever problem her mind was stuck on earlier that day seemed to fade into the background.
Approaching Jisoo she tried to keep herself from smiling, but did a poor job and was only able to keep it to a small half smile. Jennie noted Joey's excited response to getting Jisoo's attention— although he was terrible with advice, the dog was an extremely good judge of character.
"We were going on an outing and Joey suggested we invite you." Jennie reached down and scratched the top of Joeys head, giving herself something to do to try and get rid of the nervous energy filling her body.
Jisoo had already gotten Jennie to do things she otherwise wouldn't without even trying. Trying to remain cool and disaffected when her insides were twisting at this revelation of feelings was going to be a challenge.
"Joey suggested?" Jisoo tone was playful and Jennie noticed the upwards twitch of her lips before she pulled the bottom one between her teeth.
Jennie shrugged, getting ready to say something flirty, deciding it wouldn't hurt and Jisoo probably wouldn't think it was out of the normal anyway. Until she saw that face. Then her confidence left her completely, she cleared her throat and her eyes dropped to the ground.
Jennie knew Jisoo had been avoiding Soojoo— at least thats what she assumed after their big fight at the party. But she had only heard half of the argument before leaving to go outside and neither her or Jisoo had brought it up at the junk yard. Maybe Jennie read the entire situation wrong and they were still together.
This is exactly why Jennie didn't do feelings. They were too complicated.
It was that moment that Jennie felt stupid about the whole thing and decided it was better to use whatever she was feeling to ace her photography class but not actually let Jisoo get to her. She would keep her distance.
But then Jisoo was walking with her and Joey across campus, they were climbing into her car, and Jennie realized she was right back at square one.
Not sure how she had even ended up in this situation but even less sure of what she was going to do about it.
—
All it took was a quick text telling Soojoo something had come up and they were off. Jisoo had seen Soojoo read the text and saw firsthand the disappointed expression on her face. She should have felt guilty about it, but didn't.
She knew she had made the right decision to end things with her, and doing it again over coffee wasn't going to be good for either of them. Soojoo would understand. Eventually.
So instead of coffee and breakup part 2, Jisoo was climbing into the passenger seat of Jennie's car and putting on her seatbelt before even questioning what they were doing. So far she had been pleasantly surprised by how her time with Jennie had gone lately. Sure it always started out a little iffy— but by the end of it, it was actually pretty great.
It was always a little different and little unexpected with Jennie. Jisoo was so used to people telling her not to do things- having someone practically pushing her into new situations was different. It's not like Jennie didn't care, at least Jisoo thought she might, at least in her own way. It was just more "of course glasses are a good idea, cupcake. We are smashing glass after all." And less "if there even the tiniest chance you could get hurt then I don't think you should do it". Which was refreshing.
Jennie wasn't holding her back in an effort to keep her safe or protected. And she was actually quite good at pushing her to do things outside of her comfort zone. Even if it did always feel like they were just one step away from doing something completely illegal. Jisoo was pretty sure they hadn't gone that far. Yet.
"So where are we headed this time?" Jisoo turned to face the back seat, reaching her hand out to pet Joey as he stuck his head between the two front seats.
Jennie looked at her out of the corner of her eye and raised an eyebrow but stayed quiet.
It took about 5 second without an answer before Jisoo was launching into her next question, "Does Pete know you have Joey? We aren't going to getting trouble are we? I mean he seemed cool with you being at the junk yard so I guess it would make sense that he would be cool with you taking his dog too.."
"Joey's mine." Jennie commented, checking her mirrors before making a left turn.
Jisoo looked at Jennie curiously, "I didn't know that. I thought you'd be more of a cat person."
Joey snorted at the comment and pulled his head away from Jisoo's hand grumpily.
Jisoo scrunched up her nose in the dogs direction and leaned her shoulder into the seat, "Why was he at the junk yard then?"
Jennie chuckled softly and glanced over at the girl in the passenger seat, "You really are a journalism major, aren't you?"
Jisoo felt her cheeks start to warm, slightly embarrassed with how quickly she had filled the silence with nonstop questions, "Well, yeah." She shrugged with a shy smile.
"Pete likes the company, and it keeps Joey stuck in the apartment less when I'm busy." Jennie reached her hand behind her and Joey immediately licked at her open palm happily, before shifting on the seat so his face was pressed against the window.
Jennie rolled the window down and Joey stuck his head out, the wind blowing his fur and causing his tongue to flap out of his mouth. Jisoo giggled watching the dog bite at the wind and the sound of it made Jennie smile.
It was crazy how the simplest things seemed so much more carefree with Jisoo there. Jennie had driven this road dozens of times, had the view of Joey sticking his head out the window in her side view mirror, her hand making waves in the wind as her own arm stretched out of the car. She didn't think just having someone sitting next to her would change the way that all felt. But it did.
——
Joey let out a whine as he lowered his head into the seat nervously, causing both girls to jump. They had been sitting in front of the house for a while now completely silent.
"How did you even find this place?" Jisoo asked shifting in her seat. Maybe this outing with Jennie wasn't such a good idea after all.
Jennie's elbow was resting on the door, her fingers slowly twisting her hair into a tight curl as she scanned the old house. It was perfect for what she wanted. But it was creepy as hell.
"It actually belongs to my family." Jennie took a breath and undid her seatbelt before reaching in the back seat, patting joeys head then grabbing her bag. "It's been empty for years though."
Jennie opened the car door and stepped out onto the soft ground. The driveway had been taken over by weeds and grass. Upon arriving, Jennie wasn't even sure where it was and just opted to park on the lawn.
She slung her bag over her shoulder, gripping the strap that fell across her chest tightly as she took a few tentative steps towards the house.
It was an old house, 4 huge pillars lining the front that held up the second story wrap around deck. Tall Windows with shutters on their sides— at least there were a few still attached to the house. Some had fallen off or were hanging by hinges. Some had been boarded over in an attempt to close off the house. But years of weather and trespassers had left a few windows uncovered.
The porch was weathered and worn down, matching the side of the house with its chipping paint. The woodwork that was once impeccable and detailed was twisted and rotted with age.
Leaves, weeds and plants from years of abandonment covered the yard surrounding the house. A few tall trees swaying with the weight of their branches creaked quietly. They had to be over a hundred years old.
Jennie pulled her camera from her bag and looped the strap over her neck. She tugged her hair out from under the strap and let it fall loosely back over her shoulders.
*click*
Jisoo watched Jennie approach the house and turned back to the dog still laying in the back seat, "well, ready we follow?"
The dogs ears perked up and Jisoo took that as a good sign, until a paw came up in an effort to cover his eyes as he buried his face into the seat cushion.
"Some guard dog you are." Jisoo mumbled as she climbed out of the car. She opened the back door to let the dog out— he didn't budge. So with a sigh she walked to the front of the car and watched Jennie who had just stepped up to the porch.
Jennie stopped at the bottom of the stairs and kicked over a couple rocks on the ground near the porch. The 3rd overturned rock revealed a key pressed into the ground. Jennie smiled to herself as she picked it up and walked up to the big double doors after making her way up the few steps onto the porch. Her hand brushed down the seam of the doors before her palm found its place on the doorknob. She turned the key in the lock, hoping it would still work.
She gripped the handle tightly, turning the knob with one hand while using the other to push against the door to open it. It took a few pushes before the hinges groaned and the door creaked open slowly. She was surprised the key actually worked, but that was a lot easier than finding a window to climb through.
"Please tell me we aren't actually going inside." Jisoo crossed her arms over her chest and rubbed her palms on her upper arms. Her skin had goose bumped and she wasn't sure if it was from the cool fall air or the spook factor of the house.
Jennie turned around and gestured with a nod of her head for Jisoo to follow her, "We have an hour till sundown. I don't intend to waste it." With that she took a step forward, crossing the threshold into the house.
Jisoo watched Jennie disappear into the shadows of the house and before she knew what she was doing she was stepping up onto the porch and following her blindly into the large house.
She took a step in and stopped to let her eyes adjust. Light came in through cracks in boards and windows- shattered, dirt covered, or intact but the room was still dim. Dust swirled through the room, particles catching light and glistening. The large room Jisoo was standing in had once served as a parlor. It had a large entrance, couches and chairs lined the walls of the room. An incredible chandelier hung in the center of the room, complex arrays of crystal prisms dangling from its copper frame to illuminate the room with refracted light.
Cobwebs hung from the crystals above her and filled the corners of the room. Dried up leaves littered the floor, no doubt having been blown through broken windows over time and the countless autumns the house had seen. Dust covered the furniture, turning what was once bright and crisp fabric into dull and dreary colors sagging and clinging to their frames.
The walls were lined with mirrors of all shapes and sizes. The frames more intricate than anything else in the room. Hand crafted encasing clinging to warped and filthy mirrors. It seemed odd to Jisoo, that there were no paintings, pictures or portraits. Only mirrors. But even covered in dirt, they would catch the reflection from the crystals on the chandelier and rainbows of refracted light would stretch across dull wall paper and worn carpet.
On the other end of the room, Jennie stood in a wide doorway that lead to what looked like a dining room. Jisoo crossed the room and stopped just being Jennie, watching as she lifted her camera and snapped a picture.
The long rectangular dining table was still set as if it was waiting for the owners of the home to come home for dinner. Plates lined the long table, silverware, wine glasses and napkins all laid out delicately. Candle sticks stood in the center of the table, the wax melted down, and droplets left on the cloth covering the hard wood.
It was as if whoever had lived here had vanished in the middle of living life. Preparing for dinner one second, gone the next.
"Who did you say lived here?" Jisoo whispered as she peered into the dining room.
Jennie lowered her camera and turned her head to look at Jisoo, "I didn't." Her voice was a low whisper.
"Great. Cause thats not creepy at all." Jisoo rolled her eyes and smacked Jennie's arm playfully.
Jennie laughed before stepping further into the dining room. She ran her fingertips along the table leaving a trail in the dust as she looked around the room. "I've heard stories, about this house." She looked over her shoulder at Jisoo before disappearing through a doorway.
Jisoo followed and found herself in a kitchen. The sun was still up and lit the house well enough that it was easy to see their surroundings. The sounds from the world outside gave a feeling of normalcy that clashed heavily with the abandoned state of the interior of the house. Feelings of nervousness came in waves— mostly when turning corners or noticing a spider or something more out of place than the rest of the house. Besides that, the house wasn't actually as creepy as Jisoo expected it to be.
"This is the first time I've been here though." Jennie walked over to the sink and turned the handle— nothing happened.
"Its beautiful." Jisoo commented, leaning on a counter then pulling away quickly. She made a face of disgust and brushed at her elbow that was now covered in dust.
"Uh huh." Jennie smirked, "Its a dump."
"Well now maybe." Jisoo teased, "But I'm sure it was awesome back in the day."
Jennie kept walking through another door way and smiled as she entered the room. This room was large just like the one they had first been in. It must have been a library or music room— There were large shelves lining the walls, empty now, but Jennie could imagine them full of books. There was a Grand Piano tucked away to one side of the room. The keys were towards the center and Jennie brushed her fingers along them as she walked by. She stopped at the end of the piano and hit a few high keys. It was out of tune and as she made her way down the keyboard a few keys failed to make sounds.
Near the end of the piano was the beginning of a staircase. It spiraled behind the piano and around the room, the stairs leading to the second floor balcony that looked over the music room before disappearing down a hallway. The railing was a smooth dark wood with intricate carvings along the railing posts. The stairs were carpeted with a dark red fabric. Even with the dust from years of being unused, the color was deep and vibrant, inviting her to follow the pathway that led upstairs.
On the wall at the top of the stairs was a stained glass window. Yellows, reds, and oranges filled the frame creating a picture of the sun. Its placement caught the light from the setting sun perfectly, casting a colorful image on the wall that seemed to rotate around the room as the position of the sun changed.
"Woah." Jisoo breathed out as she stepped into the room. "This place just keeps going, doesn't it?" She walked to the center of the room and spun in a circle slowly, taking in the tiny yet complex details throughout the room.
The carved detail along the frame of the book shelves, another extravagant chandelier, the balcony over looking the room, the spiral staircase, hardwood floors... Jisoo wished she could have seen the house while it was being lived in. Everything looked like it was from a movie or straight out of a dream.
She couldn't imagine what it was like when it was clean— the colors of the fabrics bright, the beautiful hard wood floors polished, the shelves full of books and piano vacant of dust.
*click*
Jennie was bent over the piano, the lid held open to reveal the wires and sound board inside its body. Some wires were snapped, curling chaotically or hanging loosely, while the rest remained taught and firm in place. The black and white keys laid out perfectly still, the cast iron frame of the piano solid and smooth. She blew out a puff of air and dust swirled from its home on the keys, spiraling into the air and catching the sunlight.
*click*
"What are they?" Jisoo head was tilted back, her eyes watching the crystals on the chandelier closely, "The stories, I mean."
Jennie lowered her camera and looked over at the other girl, captured by the look of awe on her face. She watched Jisoo until she took her eyes off the crystals above her and looked at Jennie, a curious childlike expression. Jennie tilted her head and squinted her eyes at Jisoo.
Was this girl for real?
Jisoo just smiled at her, her lips parting, a crinkle around the edge of her mouth forming. Jennie ignored the itch in her fingers to snap a photo. So far the only photos she had taken of Jisoo were when the girl didn't know it was happening. Moments when she was just being Jisoo.
Jennie adjusted the strap of her camera so it hung loosely at her side. She took a few steps towards Jisoo, then moved to stand behind her, leaning over her shoulder slightly to speak close to her ear. Jisoo turned her head slightly to the side, curious as to what Jennie was going to do.
"The house belonged to my fathers family. Its been in the family since around the 1800's." Jennie pressed one of her hands against Jisoo's low back, prompting her to slowly move in a circle. "The story goes, my great great great grandfather lost his wife in a tragic accident, leaving him a single father of a young girl. But being wealthy and attractive, it didn't take long for him to find a new wife."
Jisoo felt Jennie press her hand gently on her back and took another step, following her lead to spin more.
"To all but my grandfather, his new wife was cold, cruel and completely obsessed with beauty. His young daughter was the perfect child- caring, kind, warm and most of all, beautiful. Which was threatening to his new wife."
A gust of wind blew outside, causing a tree branch to scratch against the frame of the house. Air flowed through a few broken windows, picking up dried leaves from the floor and brushing them along the hard wood. The hair on Jisoo's arms stood on end as goosebumps spread across her skin. From the cool air, the story, or Jennie's feather light touch she wasn't sure.
"When my grandfather died unexpectedly, from a cause the town Doctor couldn't name, things began to get unbearable at the estate. The widow, now stepmother, was cruel to those who served her, and even more so to her grieving step daughter."
Jennie led Jisoo over to one of the large mirrors on the wall. It was partially shattered and their reflections were warped by the cracked glass but Jennie held Jisoo's stare intently.
"The new wife grew jealous of her stepdaughters beauty and threatened to kill her. So she fled. As soon as the step daughter was gone, the wife replaced any portrait of the young girl with a mirror. That way she could bask in her own beauty instead of be constantly reminded of the young girl who's brightness outshone her own."
Jennie stepped closer, her hands landing gently on Jisoo's hips as her front barely pressed against Jisoo's back. Jisoo swallowed hard at the intense energy surrounding them. Jennie's stare, the gentleness of her fingertips like she was nervous to touch her, Jennie's breath landing on the back of her neck and blowing stray hairs against Jisoo's skin.
"The young girl ran, afraid for her life." Jennie whispered directly in Jisoo's ear, earning a shiver from the girl.
It was as if in the span of the few minutes Jennie had started the story that the sun had dipped lower in the sky, making it noticeably darker in the house. The air grew cold and the light coming into the house lessened, casting shadows across the room.
There was an entirely different feel to the house without the sun filling it's rooms. It was eery, and with every word Jennie spoke, Jisoo could feel herself grow more nervous.
"Until she was deep in the woods," Jennie voice went quieter, "she came upon a house. Inside, 7 lumberjacks—"
"Wait." Jisoo spoke up, the nervousness on her face relaxing slightly.
"Sleepy, happy, dopey, sneezy.." Jennie chuckled before stepping back away from Jisoo.
"You're ridiculous." Jisoo turned and glared at Jennie while she shook her head.
"I had you pretty good there." Jennie smiled and adjusted the strap around her neck, pulling the camera in front of her again.
Jisoo had to laugh at herself, she had totally fallen for it and had easily been sucked into the story. Something about Jennie's voice seemed to capture her attention no matter what she was saying. It was the same way when they studied— Jisoo wondered if that's why her grade had improved. Even if she wanted to ignore her, she could never quite tune Jennie out.
Jennie snapped another photo with the shadows filling the room differently than they had before while Jisoo tried to stay out of her way.
Watching Jennie be distracted with her camera, Jisoo decided to make her way upstairs. The deep red carpet lining the stairs felt soft under her silent footsteps as she moved upwards.
Jennie turned and saw Jisoo taking slow careful steps. She was half way up the staircase, directly above the piano, her fingers gripping gently to intricately carved wood railing, sliding upwards gracefully. The last remaining light of the setting sun shone perfectly through the stained glass window at the top of the stairs. The colors cast a warm light that surrounded Jisoo completely, making her glow.
*click*
Something about watching Jisoo ascend the stairs silently, the light kissing her brown hair, the look of curiosity and pure contentment on her face made Jennie's heart pick up speed.
It was always the simple things that caught her eye when she took her photos. Until now, she had no idea it would be the same kinds of things that caught her heart.
*click*
Jisoo heard the shutter of the camera and turned to look behind her with a mischievous grin, "Coming?"
Jennie lowered her camera and returned a smile without thinking. Jisoo started running up the remaining stairs and around a corner out of sight. Jennie chuckled and shook her head before following Jisoo up.
Upon turning the corner, Jisoo was nowhere in sight. Jennie tilted her head slightly trying to listen for sounds to figure out where she had gone.
"Alright cupcake, trying to get me back is useless." Jennie stepped carefully down the long hall, leaning forward to look through open doorways as she went. She was on her third door when she heard a floorboard creak.
Jisoo jumped through the doorway, hands out in front of her, "boo!" She yelled with a wide smile.
Jennie gave a bored sigh and blinked slowly at the girl.
"Alright fine." Jisoo rolled her eyes in defeat and turned away from her, "but I found a door that's locked. It's the only one." Jisoo led Jennie to the end of the hall to the last door.
It had a brass handle with an intricate pattern carved into it. It looked like a tree, it's branches curved and weaving across the small space. Below the handle was a keyhole. Jennie tried to turn the knob but it wouldn't move.
"Told you." Jisoo said smugly, "Locked."
Jennie turned and gave her an annoyed expression, "Find a key then."
Jennie stepped back and looked around the hallway to see if there was anywhere a key could be hidden. She kicked at the carpet on the ground, using the toe of her boot to turn up the corner. When she looked back up, Jisoo was hopping up and down next to the door with her hands above her head.
"Cupcake?" Jennie raised an eyebrow and watched her curiously, "What on earth are you doing?"
"My dad—" Jisoo hopped up, arms raised, "Used to-" Hop "Put the keys-" Hop "above the door—" She landed with a smile as something clattered to the floor, turning to face Jennie with a wide smile, "So I couldn't reach."
Jisoo bent over and picked something up, when she stood back up she held out a small key in her hands.
"Lucky guess." Jennie took the key from Jisoo and went to unlock the door.
Jisoo just smiled to herself and waited for Jennie to open the door.
The door creaked loudly as she pushed it open and stepped inside. This room was unlike the others. The other rooms in the house had been left as though no one cared. Belongings still out, nothing covered or cleaned. This room seemed to have been cared for. There were white sheets thrown over the furniture and everything tucked away neatly.
Jennie tugged on one of the sheets and it fell away to expose a tall wooden dresser. The wood was clean and smooth as she brushed her fingers across it. She tried the drawers but found them empty.
Jisoo had walked to the other side of the room, tugging on another sheet, it fell to the floor, a vanity underneath. A small stool sat in front of the wide mirror and set of small drawers. A silver hand held mirror lay glass down on the top of it, next to it a matching silver case.
Jisoo opened it up and found remnants of makeup inside. She sat down on the stool and opened up the drawers slowly. Most were empty, the last one held a book.
She pulled it out and opened it up with a smile, "Hey Jen, check this out."
She stood up and walked to the center of the room and sat down on the edge of the large 4 post bed. The mattress creaked when Jennie lowered herself next to Jisoo and leaned over to look through the book.
Jennie pulled her camera up and over her head and set it on the bed behind her. For such an old bed, it was actually quite soft.
Jisoo moved the book so it was open on both of their laps and flipped back to the beginning. "It's full of old photographs." Jisoo spoke softly like even a harsh tone could damage the delicate photos in front of them.
They were mostly taken in the very house the two girls were exploring. But seeing the difference in life that inhabited it was breathtaking. They could see the years change as they flipped through the pages. Children grew older, clothing styles changed, decorations in the house updated. It was like watching a century of time happen right before their eyes. Towards the end of the book the pictures became more clear.
"Wait." Jennie gripped the edges of the book and brought it closer to her face, "I know them."
"Who?" Jisoo whispered and shifted so her face was right next to Jennie's, peering into the book at a photo that was probably only 20 years old.
The darkness of the room made it difficult to see details in the photos. The room was now only being lit by the sun barely still showing over the horizon.
"Those are my grandparents." Jennie whispered, lowering the book to her lap again. She flipped the page quickly, inhaling sharply at the new photo in front of her. "And.. that's my dad."
Jisoo smiled and looked at the picture closely, "Does he still look like that?"
Jennie's finger brushed against the photo paper, almost like she was trying to touch something inside the picture. She flipped the page without saying anything to another photo of the same man, this time he looked older.
Jisoo noticed the silence and turned to Jennie and immediately saw the slight frown and furrowed brow.
"Jen?" She asked hesitantly, paying attention to the girls features.
"Hmm?" Jennie forced her face to be neutral but swallowed hard, her throat completely dry.
Jisoo moved her hand to Jennie's leg and gave it a gentle squeeze. "um, you ok?"
This felt beyond awkward. Jisoo still wasn't sure they were even friends, and she could tell Jennie was upset. How do you know how much comfort to offer someone you aren't even sure is your friend?
Jennie cleared her throat and shut the book gently, sliding her palms over its cover until her fingers could curl around the edge. "Yeah. I just haven't seen him since I was a kid."
Jisoo took her hand back slowly, still trying to figure out what to do in this situation.
"It's just weird, is all." Jennie shrugged, shaking off whatever sadness that had been lingering.
Jisoo held Jennie's gaze for a moment, she actually looked unguarded for once. Something about the way Jennie was looking at her seemed different. And it didn't feel like it was just the photos. This look was new, but had started the day before, at the junk yard.
By now Jisoo had picked up a few things about the dark haired girl— sarcasm was her way of avoiding feelings, she was meaner when she felt threatened, she had walls a million miles high and no intention of letting anyone breach them.
But with the way she was looking at her... it wouldn't hurt to try, right?
"You know if you want to talk about—"
Jisoo was cut off by the sound of the piano at the bottom of the stairs. Both girls heads whipped to the direction of the door. Whatever was happening between them just now halted abruptly. It was only a few keys, hit in a random sequence- but it didn't matter, they were both upstairs with no one around for miles.
Jisoo laughed nervously, "Very funny, Jen."
Jennie kept her eyes locked on the door and stood up slowly, whispering back, "Wasn't me, cupcake."
Jisoo's nervous smile dropped, "if you're messing with me, it's not funny."
A few more piano keys were hit, sending a shrill sound throughout the house. Something crashed to the floor- a lamp or decoration, they weren't sure. Both girls jumped, Jisoo was on her feet and holding onto Jennie's hand without a thought.
Jennie's heart started pounding and she had to remind herself to stay focused on the sounds coming from downstairs and not about the hand holding onto hers tightly.
"Would anyone else be here?" Jisoo whispered, the hand not holding onto Jennie's taking hold of the girls arm, getting as close to her as possible.
Jennie shook her head and looked around the room quickly. She noticed the window and went right for it. Jisoo followed quickly, no intention of letting go of Jennie anytime soon.
The dark haired girl tried to open the window with one hand but years of being shut gave it the advantage and it didn't budge. She cursed under her breath before turning to Jisoo, "I need both hands, sweetheart."
Jisoo nodded quickly but didn't let go. It wasn't until Jennie lifted their joined hands that Jisoo really registered what she said and that she hadn't in fact let go. Jisoo let go with a sheepish look and wiped her palms nervously on her thighs, still standing closely to Jennie.
After a few tries, Jennie forced the window open, the wood cracking in protest. She glanced across the front yard, brought two fingers to her lips and let out a loud whistle.
Jisoo's eyes went wide and her hand flew up to pull Jennie's away from her mouth, "Are you crazy?!" She whispered harshly, "You just told the murderer where we are!"
Jennie turned around and grabbed Jisoo's hand again (both girls felt less nervous immediately) "I also just told Joey where we are."
She pulled the smaller girl across the room to a closet and pulled open the doors. Thankfully there was nothing left inside, because a single article of clothing would have made it impossible for the two of them to fit in the small space. Jennie pulled Jisoo in and struggled to shut the doors. The closet doors were made of tilted slats, allowing the smallest amount of light to creep through so they weren't in complete darkness.
Jisoo's arms were held up in front of her, sandwiched between their bodies tightly, her hands covering her mouth nervously. There was a sound of scratching on the stairway and Jisoo's palms moved to grip Jennie's shoulders tightly, bringing their bodies snug together.
Jennie suddenly couldn't think about anything besides what was happening inside that closet. If they were going to die, she figured there were worse ways than with Kim Jisoo holding onto her for dear life.
Jisoo was trying to control her breathing, puffs of air falling steadily against Jennie's cheek. Jennie knew it wasn't on purpose— there was literally zero room in that closet, but every breath made her body shiver. Jisoo was focused on the closet doors, eyes locked on the crack between the two doors that she didn't notice Jennie's eyes studying her face.
She couldn't help it, it was the closest she had ever been to Jisoo and if she thought she was beautiful before...
Her long eyelashes fluttered quickly, her honey brown hair looked like silk, her heart shaped lips looked pink and soft. Jennie licked her own lips as her eyes scanned Jisoo's features. Her eyes were breathtaking, and despite the situation, seemed warm and caring. Like she could see the good in anyone.
Maybe she would see the good in Jennie.
Being pulled from her daze, the girls heard barking. It started far away, on the other end of the house and slowly grew louder. They heard heavy, uncoordinated steps up the stairs followed with what had to be Joey barreling into a wall or door.
Jennie smiled, pictured her large dog fumbling through the house to save the day. Jisoo noticed and her attention was finally pulled away from the closet doors behind Jennie. She tried to hide her own smile as she took in their surroundings and the situation now that Joey was on his way to save them.
"Shhh." Jisoo chastised, trying to fight a smile, "We aren't saved yet."
Jennie made a serious face mockingly and nodded, their forehands nearly hitting in the process. Jisoo shifted slightly, their bodies pressing together differently as they readjusted their positions in the closet as Joey got closer. Jisoo's hand fell to Jennie's hip causing Jennie to take in a sharp breath.
Then he was there, just outside the closet. Fierce barking followed by shrill squeaking.
Jisoo threw the closet doors open, Jennie nearly falling on her back because of it, and they both came stumbling out of the closet. Jisoo was ready to let out a war cry and go Warrior Princess on their attacker when she saw what exactly they had been hiding from.
In the corner of the room sat a terrified, tiny, fluffy squirrel. It was back against the wall with Joey trapping him there.
Jisoo let out a loud laugh and Jennie turned around to see what was happening. She saw the scene and brought a hand up to cover her face and shook her head, "Let him go, Joey." she breathed out relived and snapped her fingers.
Joey immediately stopped his growling and began panting happily as he made his way over to the girls still standing just outside the closet. The squirrel ran frantically for the window, escaping onto the ledge before running and leaping onto a tree branch near the house.
Jisoo was still laughing and brought a hand up to hold her chest over her heart, "Oh my gosh I almost had a heart attack over a squirrel."
"Your face was priceless." Jennie smirked and made her way to the bed where her camera was still sitting.
"Oh please." Jisoo teased, her hands landing on her hips, "I felt how fast your heart was beating in that closet."
Jennie was glad she was facing away from Jisoo as soon as she felt her cheeks warm up. If Jisoo only knew the real reason her heart had been beating so quickly.
"Right, you got me." Jennie tried to play it off casually, putting the camera strap back around her neck.
She wasn't sure which would be more embarrassing— admitting to be scared of a squirrel, or admitting that just being near Jisoo made her heart pound like she was running laps. Deciding to blame it on the squirrel, Jennie took one last look around the room before walking over to the window and closing it.
Jisoo sat on the edge of the bed with Joey at her feet, scratching his head gently as Jennie walked around the room, throwing sheets back over furniture and getting ready to leave. Instead of putting the photo album back, Jennie tucked it under her arm and made her way to the door.
"As much fun as this has been.." Jennie pressed her lips together and nodded towards the hallway.
Joey hopped up and took off down the hall, barreling down the stairs quickly. Jisoo stood up and followed Jennie out of the room, shutting the door behind her. They made their way back through the house and out the front door. Once on the porch Jisoo stopped on the deck and leaned against railing.
Jennie shut and locked the door and went to stand next to Jisoo. Joey was running around in the yard, digging into the ground and looking for the next best stick. Jennie looked at Jisoo who was watching the dog with a smile before leaning her forearms on the railing and tilting her head to look up at the sky.
"Its comforting." Jennie interrupted the silence quietly after a moment. It was mostly a thought she was having to herself that had accidentally come out of her mouth.
Jisoo looked over at her before matching her position, leaning on the railing. "What is?"
"The stars." Jennie replied without taking her eyes off the lights above them in the sky.
The house was about an hour outside of town, the next house wasn't for a mile or so. The usual light pollution from campus wasn't there to hide the stars above them.
Accident or not, the words were already out there, she might as well continue.
"To think how small we are in comparison. All the lives we've led, people we've been.. nothing to that light." Her voice was smooth and sounded as though she was speaking of something secret. Something magical.
Jisoo looked at the girl next to her, tapping her fingers together in front of her as she considered what Jennie was saying, "You sure you're not a philosophy major?"
Jennie chuckled softly before standing up and pressing her palms on the railing in front of her, "Well, cupcake. I should probably be getting you back."
"I suppose so." Jisoo let out a heavy sigh, she knew she couldn't keep ignoring reality by tagging along with Jennie, but she had enjoyed it while it lasted.
Jennie whistled as she stepped down off the porch and walked over to her car. Joey immediately ran over and hopped into the back seat before Jennie shut the door behind him. Jisoo made her way down the steps slowly and over to the car, slightly surprised when Jennie opened the door for her and waited for her to climb in before shutting it gently.
She thought back to their first meeting and how different things were already. It went from Jennie swearing at her under her breath, to her actually being kind without being told to be. Jisoo smiled to herself while she watched Jennie walk around the car to get in the drivers seat. The smile Jennie gave her as she started the car confirmed what she should have already known— of course they were friends.
Jennie started up the car and shifted into drive. She saw Joey get comfortable in the back seat and turned to look at Jisoo before looking back to the road. Jennie couldn't help but smile, the memory of the day playing over as she drove.
Jisoo was beautiful, and being so close to her that night made Jennie realize she couldn't just ignore her feelings. The way her heart was pounding against her ribcage, the simplicity of a touch making her whole body feel more alive. The constant itching in her fingers to capture every moment, every look, every smile.
Jisoo had somehow found her way into Jennie's world without her even noticing. She had started to break down the walls Jennie had desperately clung to before she knew what was happening. It seemed almost ironic that at the same time, it felt like Jisoo was somehow putting the pieces back together.