"You will not believe what just happened," Seulgi said, throwing her bag down on the grass of the quad and sitting beside Jisoo, across from Chaeyoung, who was sitting between Jennie's legs, leaning back against her and eating an apple.
Lisa had been home with laryngitis for the past two days and Seulgi was missing her girlfriend. This latest occurrence had put her in an even worse mood.
"What's up, Seul?" Jisoo asked.
The only good thing about Lisa being gone was that Seulgi had actually felt liked by her friends. It's not that they were ever mean before, but she had been unsure of how exactly she fit in, but they had all acted as normal around her, like friends, even with Lisa gone, and that was something she was happy about - a little bit relieved too. Not that she'd ever admit it though, she was content to keep those feelings to herself. Actually acknowledging them would make her vulnerable.
"I've been kicked out of one of my classes. Apparently I give too much commentary. Since when is wanting to talk about a subject in class a bad thing?!"
"What class was it?" Chaeyoung asked through bites.
"Economics. I just suggested that the textbook was too biased towards the ethics section."
"Well that sucks. But you get free periods now rights, that's of the good," Jisoo sympathised.
"No. I have to transfer. The only class with any availability is Art. I am not an artist. I can't even draw a straight line with a ruler," Seulgi groaned exasperatedly, dropping her head into her lap.
"You'll be in my Art class then," Jennie piped up for the first time, her arms wrapped around Chaeyoung's middle.
She had collected and dropped home the blonde each day that week, apart from Tuesday afternoon when Chaeyoung had to stay back for debate practice. It was now Friday and Chaeyoung was coming over to Jennie's house that evening for dinner, officially meeting Jennie's Mom for the first time. The younger girl was nervous, wanting to make a good impression and the brunette had started rubbing her shoulders during this lunchtime to try and ease the tension, which resulted in the comfortable position they were currently in.
Seulgi looked pleasantly surprised at this development.
"Really? I thought I was going to be stuck in there with the hippies and feminists drawing pictures of women's-"
"We're looking at hidden images at the moment," Tara Jennie interrupted before Seulgi could finish her sentence, "Ink drawings and stuff."
"Well at least I'll have a friend in there."
Jennie heard the slightly insecure tone in Seulgi's voice, hidden amongst her general loudness, but there nonetheless.
"Yea," she said with a warm and reassuring smile, "You will."
Seulgi acted nonchalant but Jennie saw a happy glint in her eye at her words.
"So that guy Jinyoung called me," Jisoo said to the group.
"The guy you met this weekend?" Chaeyoung asked.
She had called Jisoo after her dinner and movie date with Jennie and they had exchanged tales about their evening, in the process of which Chaeyoung had learned of a guy named Jinyoung that her best friend had shared a few dances and was now smitten with.
"The studly hunk you were dancing with on Saturday?" Seulgi asked.
"The very one. Asked if I wanted to do something tomorrow. Well, yesterday he said tomorrow, so today. Tonight. We're going out. He's picking me up in his car and everything."
"There's many advantages to dating someone with a car, Chu," Chaeyoung smirked and Jennie blushed, thinking of the make-out sessions that Alexis' back seat had provided a safe haven for, especially in the mornings before school started, the time saved from driving and not walking giving them ample opportunity.
"And I'm still stuck riding on the bar of Lisa's bike. I don't know why her parents won't let her use their car. It's not like they're ever sober enough to use it themselves," Seulgi scowled.
"Um, anyway," Jisoo continued, "I really like him. He's super sweet. He even called me princess."
There was a chorus of 'Awws' from the other girls.
"Where does he go to school?" Jennie asked.
"Oh he's one year older than me," Jisoo said, biting her lip, "Yea he goes to UCSD."
Chaeyoung's eyes widened slightly, Jennie felt her tense up and placed a quick kiss on her neck.
"Uh, Jisoo, I know you're a smart girl and you don't need me to say this, but..."
"I know, Chaeyoung. I'm not gonna do anything I don't want."
"Cool. Well that's good then and I'm happy for you."
"Me too, Jisoo," Jennie said with a smile.
"And you know, older guy, he'll know how to please," Seulgi interjected.
"Um, thanks for the...encouragement, guys."
"So where is he taking you?" Chaeyoung asked.
"Some friends of his are in a band that are playing on campus."
"Oh, GOT7?"
"Um, yea, I think that's what he called them. Do you know them, Seulgi?"
"No, me and Lisa were gonna go to the show before he got sick. I have the flyer at home so I remembered the name. The singer is a hottie."
"Cute guy, music and dancing. I am very much looking forward to my night. What're you all up to?" Jisoo asked with a broad smile, happy she had such a good group of friends she could talk with.
"Soup."
Seulgi's answer was met by a circle of confused faces.
"I have to bring Lisa soup. I was told it was what a girlfriend does when their significant other is sick."
"That's sweet, Seul," Jennie said.
"Yea, well...what is our favorite duo doing?"
"Chaeyoung's meeting my Mom," Jennie said, squeezing her girlfriend's middle section, eliciting a playful giggle and a squirm from the blonde.
"I thought you two were keeping a low profile with the parentals?" Jisoo asked.
"Only mine," Chaeyoung answered, sighing at the reality, "Ms. Kim is already cool about us."
"Are you worried that she'll think you're defiling her daughter and sneak rat poison into your food? I saw that in a magazine article once."
Chaeyoung's head spun around to look not at Seulgi who she would expect to come out a statement like that, but at Jisoo.
"I-I am now!"
"Baby, shush, she's not gonna try and poison you," Jennie reassured, glaring daggers at her girlfriend's best friend.
"Yea, Chaeyoung, just, you know dress well and make a good first impression."
"You're right, Seulgi," Chaeyoung said, jumping up, inadvertently making Jennie fall backwards. She surprised everyone else by turning on her heels and running towards the entrance of the school.
"Chaeng, where are you going?!" Jisoo shouted after her.
"To get new socks!" Chaeyoung shouted back.
"Oh. Of course. New socks. Why does she need new socks?"
"Seulgi said dress well," Jennie explained absently, having recovered from her slight tumble. She got on her feet and looked towards where her girlfriend had run off, "I gotta go after her."
She ran off in the same direction, leaving both Jisoo and Seulgi looking on, bewildered.
Jennie caught up with the blonde just as she was about to leave the school grounds, grabbing onto her from behind. Chaeyoung struggled instinctively for a moment before relaxing and turning in the brunette's arms, hugging her.
"You good now, babe?" Jennie whispered into her ear after a minute.
Chaeyoung nodded into the taller girl's shoulder and Jennie walked them to a bench that was near them.
Chaeyoung sat and brought her hand up to her temples, rubbing them before she laughed self-deprecatingly.
"I am such a spaz."
"You're my spaz. And you know, your socks are fine," Jennie said with a grin.
"I know. But what if your mom does think I'm...I'm defiling you, or I'm wrong for you or, or she hates me!"
"Babe, she's heard me gushing enough about you to know you're not wrong for me. She also respects my decisions and knows that if we were being...intimate, that I wouldn't let it be about anything but love and respect. And, you know, I'd probably tell her."
"You'd, you'd...tell her?" Chaeyoung asked, surprised.
"I mean, not in detail or anything, but she'd probably know anyway. We're pretty close, Chaeng. Look, that's not even an issue, so lets not worry about it, okay?"
Chaeyoung's head was spinning slightly and she took a deep breath to gather her thoughts.
"Okay. Freak-out over. What kind of flowers does your Mom like?"
"You don't have to get-"
"Please, Jennie."
"Lilies. She likes lilies."
There was a loud ringing in the distance signaling the end of lunch. Both girls stood up and started back towards the school wordlessly. Chaeyoung stopped at her locker to get some books, and Jennie leant against the other ones, waiting for her.
"So I'll meet you at Alexis after school?" Chaeyoung asked as she loaded some books into her bag.
"Sure. Do you want me to collect you for dinner too?"
"No, I'll walk. But thanks," Chaeyoung said as she closed her locker, "Better get to class."
They moved off and towards their respective classrooms. Jennie stopped outside her English class and gave her girlfriend a quick peck.
"Chaeyoung, promise me you won't get all nervous and jittery when you're in Chemistry? I don't want your beautiful hair getting singed by a Bunsen Burner."