The storm was over. Chaeyoung was almost certain of that. She’d known that it had been slowly passing overhead these last few months; in fact, she’d known it had been receding ever since she and Lisa had sat down with Rachel at Jimmy’s diner and agreed to put their troubled past with her behind them. Chaeyoung had felt that indisputable shift in weather almost immediately following that day. She’d been acutely aware of the subtle change of tide; how one day at a time the skies had gradually been clearing, the wind dying down around them both, the waves settling beneath their feet. However, it was the evening that she and Lisa had laid with one another on the beach following prom that had truly marked its end. They’d stayed together that night under the stars (the two of them nestled against one another on the blanket that Lisa had brought with her) until the sun had risen low on the horizon and bathed them both in its glorious light.
Side by side they’d watched a new dawn break and with it, the storm that had been harassing them for the best part of the past year. At last the turbulent water that she and Lisa had been sailing had settled completely and instead of the ferocious waves that had been coursing against them at every turn they were faced with a sea so smooth that they had practically glided through it towards their ultimate destination. They had finally made it. Their difficult voyage had come to an end and they were no longer sailing to the promise of an idyllic paradise because they’d reached it. They’d weathered the storm together and all that was left for them to do now was moor in the harbour and step on to solid ground where the land was firm and unyielding beneath their feet; where the glow of the sun was warm against their faces, the bird’s song music to their ears and the landscapes undeniable beauty a compliment to their eyes.
The only obstacle that still remained between them and this magnificent utopia was the impending trial, and it was so close now that Chaeyoung could almost smell the sweet scent of the flowers which adorned the Garden of Eden that awaited them on just the other side of it.
“Ow,” Chaeyoung complained as something solid collided with her ribs painfully and succeeded in swiftly diverting her attention away from her silent reflections. “What was that for?” she questioned, turning in the direction the assault had come from to find Jisoo eyeing her closely. Chaeyoung had a mild look of annoyance on her face and couldn’t help but sound more than a little aggrieved by the sudden disturbance to her meditations.
“You’re staring,” Jisoo laughed, her eyes flitting in the same direction that Chaeyoung’s had been focused to find Lisa building a sandcastle with Jules closer to the shoreline of the beach.
“I am not,” Chaeyoung said as her gaze returned to her girlfriend again.
“Yes you are,” Jisoo disagreed, a throaty chuckle escaping her lips. “You’re staring at her and you have been for the last ten minutes.”
“I’m not allowed to stare at her?” Chaeyoung asked her incredulous.
“Not at Jules,” Jisoo teased playfully. “She’s six. It’s a little bit inappropriate don’t you think?”
“God, you’re such an ass,” Chaeyoung said, hitting Jisoo on the arm and rolling her eyes at her friend. She returned her gaze to Lisa, a content smile appearing on her face as she studied the brunette who was tousling her younger sister’s hair playfully. Chaeyoung saw Jules whisper something in to Lisa’s ear in response to the gesture and the older girl threw back her head and laughed animatedly at whatever it had been.
“You’re smiling too,” Jisoo observed; her voice soft as she studied Chaeyoung. The corners of her mouth turned up in to a similar expression reflexively at the browneyed girl’s obvious contentment. “It’s nice to see her so happy isn’t it?” Jisoo asked, placing a hand on Chaeyoung’s shoulder in understanding.
“Yeah,” Chaeyoung said quietly, lowering her hand to Jisoo’s knee and squeezing it lightly in acknowledgement, her eyes never leaving her girlfriend.
“It is.” They continued to watch Lisa as Jules scooted closer to her, the younger girl wrapping her arms around her sisters’ shoulders affectionately as Lisa levelled out the sand that they’d collected in their bucket in order to create another turret for their sandcastle. When she’d finished, Lisa lifted one hand up to rub Jules’s forearm tenderly and the younger girl kissed her quickly on the cheek before taking the bucket from her grasp and tipping it upside down next to the rest of their creation. Lisa leant forward on to her knees and carefully helped Jules to lift the bucket up, the six year old jumping up and down excitedly on the spot when it came away and left a perfectly formed and ideally shaped pile of sand behind it. Lisa held up her hand for Jules to high five and the younger girl obliged enthusiastically, Lisa’s fingers enclosing around her sisters for a brief moment before she released them again. Chaeyoung felt her smile grow wider as she admired the obvious transformation that Lisa had undergone since she’d first met her. She was so different now that she was almost unrecognisable as the person Chaeyoung had first encountered almost ten months ago.
The deeply troubled girl that she’d approached in the school hallway had completely disappeared that night on the beach following prom, had vanished in to some unknown void that Chaeyoung secretly hoped she would never return from. Lisa was so full of life now, so blissfully grateful for every moment, so carefree that Chaeyoung couldn’t help but smile every time that her eyes fell on her girlfriend, no matter what the brunette was doing. Lisa could be sat, lounging on the sofa watching a movie with Jules or quietly reading a book and Chaeyoung would notice that her cheeks were starting to ache at the involuntary smile that had appeared on her face at the sight of her girlfriend. Chaeyoung’s muscles were so unused to having to maintain the countenance for any prolonged length of time that they would protest profusely but she didn’t mind the discomfort it caused her at all. In fact, she welcomed it with open arms. She welcomed it because she vividly remembered every time that her girlfriend had sobbed violently against her chest until the verge of suffocating.
She remembered with perfect clarity how Lisa had been unable to face her reflection in the mirror, how she’d struggled to express herself, to complete the most menial of tasks with any particular ease. Chaeyoung remembered how Lisa had hated herself so vehemently that she’d rather have died than suffer another day in her own personal prison. She remembered every heartbreaking moment like it had happened just yesterday but instead of filling her with a melancholy that made her chest ache painfully and her eyes brim with tears, those memories now only served to remind her of the incredible journey that her girlfriend had made. Watching Lisa now as she played with Jules, Chaeyoung believed wholeheartedly that her girlfriend’s journey was definitely something that was worth smiling about. It was because of this that despite her friends teasing, Chaeyoung took every opportunity that she could to stare at Lisa, to smile at her, to appreciate her transition from the despondent girl that had careened in to her life like a runaway train and somehow managed to blossom in to the one that sat before her now.
Even from her position fifteen feet away Chaeyoung could see the newfound energy that Lisa exuded; she could see her recently discovered confidence, her relaxed and unfazed posture. All those troubled thoughts that had plagued her so much in the past no longer seemed to exist and instead of festering in a perpetual state of selfhatred Lisa was now thriving in one of selfworth. Whenever Chaeyoung looked at Lisa now she felt a sense of pride surge within her so unexpectedly that it took her breath away; the air in her lungs catching in her throat and making her heart beat furiously in her chest. It was pride that Chaeyoung had felt when the anniversary of Lisa’s accident had passed with barely even a mention from her girlfriend. She and Lisa had been spending the day with the rest of their friends and Jules at the park, the group taking a picnic with them that Luca had attempted to sample at every available chance he was afforded.
At one point, Somi and Jennie had wandered over to an icecream truck with Jules and Jisoo to buy them all a popsicle, leaving Chaeyoung and Lisa sitting alone on the grass with Luca and their things. Lisa had been staring out in front of her, watching the rest of their friends as they tried to choose which flavour frozen treat they were going to buy, her left hand stroking the growing puppy sat beside her on the top of the head when out of nowhere, for the first and only time that day, she’d alluded to her past misfortune.
“It’s been a year,” was all she had said somewhat cryptically. Her demeanour had remained unaffected as she’d referred to the accident, but the tone she’d used was soft and gentle instead of solemn and grave, as though the anniversary wasn’t a terrible reminder of something that had happened to her but a celebration of a year of her life that she’d almost missed out on.
Chaeyoung had been observing Jennie and the rest of their friend’s when Lisa had spoken but she’d turned to look at her girlfriend in response to hearing the words, surprised that they’d left her lips so casually and without any apparent prompting. She’d studied Lisa for a moment as she’d continued to subconsciously scratch Luca behind the ear, the small dog licking enthusiastically at the back of her in response to the attention he was receiving. Her chocolate eyes had remained firmly focused on the group in the distance and a small smile had played on the edges of her mouth as she’d observed Jisoo lift up Jules so that she could see the available options better. Somi had quickly done the same with Jennie when she’d seen her friend assisting Lisa’s sister and the three older girls’ had all burst out into fits of laughter at the gesture; Somi’s lighthearted mocking of Jennie entertaining them all immensely. Chaeyoung had approved of the way that Lisa’s smile had grown wider as she’d continued to view the scene before her so she didn’t say anything in response to the comment she’d made. Instead she’d opted to simply reach down for her girlfriend’s free hand and squeeze it in silent acknowledgement of the reference, no further words needing to be said in regards to that fateful day. That had been almost three weeks ago, on the first day after school had broken up for the summer. Now Chaeyoung sat with the others on the secluded beach where Lisa had spent most of her childhood in adventurous recreation with Jisoo. It was the Korean girl’s seventeenth birthday, so they’d all stolen her away from her house earlier that morning in order to allow her parents time to set up the surprise party that they’d meticulously planned. Chaeyoung knew that Lisa felt guilty for the fact that Jisoo hadn’t celebrated her sweet sixteenth the previous year because she was so upset by everything that had happened surrounding the accident. So, as a result, the younger girl had decided that she was going to do her utmost to help ensure that her best friend’s birthday this year was twice as great to make up for the one she’d missed out on.
“Ahem.” Jennie cleared her throat deliberately, drawing Chaeyoung’s attention back to the here and now again, the browneyed girl having apparently slipped once again to her own musings “You do know that you’re drooling right?” she teased Chaeyoung, a light chuckle escaping her lips as she observed her friend’s blatant fixation on Lisa. Chaeyoung turned to the girl and lifted a hand to wipe at her mouth in response to the remark.
“It’s not drool, its sweat,” Chaeyoung informed Jennie, shaking her head now that her thoughts were no longer occupied with ruminations of the past few weeks and the new version of Lisa that had emerged like a beautiful phoenix from the ashes of a broken girl. She returned her gaze to her girlfriend who had unintentionally made her an easy victim of her friends mocking and watched as she helped Jules to collect some water in a bucket so that they could finish the construction of their sandcastle.
“Yeah, ok, whatever you say Chaeng; of course it’s ‘sweat’,” Jennie said, making air quotations with her fingers as she’d voiced the final word out loud.
“It is sweat,” Chaeyoung said in her defence as she glanced back at Jennie once more and used the back of her hand to remove another layer of perspiration which was coating her forehead. “It’s really humid today so I’m going to sweat. I’d be concerned if I didn’t in this weather.” She remarked.
“Well, it looked a lot like drool,” Jennie laughed as she lounged on a towel opposite the browneyed girl. She was propped up on her elbows wearing her bikini, her legs outstretched in front of her as she sunbathed.
“Not that we could blame you if you were drooling.” Emily commented from her position on the floor. The brunette had now become a permanent fixture of their group and was lying on her stomach next to Chaeyoung with her legs bent up behind her head and her feet crossed over at the ankles.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Chaeyoung asked her a little too possessively.
“Just that Lisa’s hot,” Emily answered indifferently as she flicked through the magazine in front of her. “If I had a girlfriend that looked like her I’d drool too. There’s nothing wrong with that.” Emily stopped what she was doing for a moment to glance in Lisa’s direction. “You’re just lucky she’s wearing a tshirt,” she continued, noting the tightfit, grey top Lisa had on. “Otherwise you’d probably be sitting in a puddle of water right now.”
“Eww,” Jisoo said, making a disapproving face at Emily’s choice of words.
“Not like that,” Emily responded, rolling her eyes and throwing a nearby tennis ball at her. “Would you please get your mind out of the gutter?”
“Can we please change the subject?” Chaeyoung begged; feeling extremely uncomfortable that they were so openly discussing her attraction the younger girl and the affect that she could have on her. Chaeyoung glanced back in her girlfriend’s direction and bit thoughtfully on her bottom lip as her eyes took in the tshirt and snapback that Lisa wore to protect her scars from the harshness of the sun, the new tissue fragile and more susceptible to burning then the rest of her skin. Lisa had only recently shared with Chaeyoung the advice her physician had given her after the accident had left her skin littered with the imperfections. She’d told Chaeyoung how he’d recommended it best to try to keep her scars out of direct sunlight for at least a year; that if she did it would help to reduce the risk of damaging the flesh further and potentially causing the blemishes to become even darker and more obvious than they already were. Chaeyoung had discovered through this new understanding that this had always been a large part of the reason that Lisa had never taken her tshirt off when they’d gone to the beach together. That all she’d been doing was following his advice to the letter.
However, Chaeyoung was also well aware that this hadn’t always been the only reason Lisa had complied with the recommendations, that before they’d shared that night together on the beach following prom Lisa had hidden her scars beneath her tshirt because she was ashamed of them, because she was embarrassed that they marked her body and brashly displayed to the entire world exactly what she’d been through. Lisa’s didn’t feel that way now though. Her insecurities in regards to her scars had been another unanticipated victim of prom night and she’d finally managed to defeat them, putting them to rest with all her other troubles and concerns relating to the accident. Chaeyoung now knew without a shadow of a doubt that the only reason Lisa continued to wear her top was for her own wellbeing; that it was done with the sole intention of protecting a body that she’d grown to love from any further injury. Lisa wanted to value her body the way that it deserved to be. Shielding it from damage when at one time she’d been more than happy to inflict it upon herself was one way that she could do that.
“I honestly can’t believe Lisa’s wearing a tshirt in this weather.” Jennie said observing her and Jules’s progress from where she sat. “She must be so hot in that thing. I mean I’m hot in this and I’m practically naked.” She jested, gesturing to her bikini meaningfully.
“You might as well be naked wearing that thing,” Jisoo returned lightheartedly, making a point of ogling her friend’s swimwear which was actually no worse than any of theirs. “I mean, damn Jennie. Can we talk about your abs for a second?”
“No, we most definitely cannot,” Jennie replied quickly, putting an end to that particular topic of conversation and swiftly returning it to the original one. “Seriously though, it’s fucking boiling today.” She stated as though they weren’t all aware of that fact despite Chaeyoung having mentioned the exact same thing earlier. “How has she not dropped dead from heat exhaustion?”
“Leave her alone,” Somi objected gently before Chaeyoung could do so. She was using one of the many magazines they’d brought with them to fan her face as she watched the girl in question pinch Jules’s cheek lovingly.
“Yeah, you know why she’s wearing it Jennie. Do you really think she’d choose to otherwise?” Chaeyoung asked her friend.
“Yeah ok fine,” Jennie allowed. “I’m just impressed that she’s not selfcombusted yet, that’s all.”
“You know, I’m actually convinced that the only reason she’s wearing it today is to stop Emily eyeing her up,” Jisoo commented drily, a broad grin on her face. “I know Lisa says it’s because her scar tissue is more sensitive to the sun or whatever but she didn’t seem to worry about that when she stripped in front of me the other day.”
“You do know that you pantsing her at the supermarket last week doesn’t count as her ‘stripping’ in front of you right?” Chaeyoung asked shaking her head at the recollection of the older girl’s prank. “They aren’t even anywhere near close to being the same thing you dumbass.”
“Sure they are,” Jisoo disagreed indifferently.
“No they aren’t” Jennie disputed. “Lisa doesn’t actually have any scars on her legs Jisoo.” She reminded her friend.
“Yeah and even if she did most supermarkets use artificial lighting anyway so why would she need to worry about the sun being a problem?” Somi added logically.
“All I’m saying is that I find it interesting that Lisa didn’t seem to mind flashing some skin when Emily wasn’t around,” Jisoo teased playfully.
“If I remember correctly Lili smacked you across the face really hard afterwards,” Chaeyoung chuckled at the memory. “I’d argue that she definitely did mind.” The Korean girl rubbed her cheek, the memory of the sting that Lisa had left there with her right hand still vivid.
“Miss Bae was right. She really could be a boxer,” Jisoo acknowledged begrudgingly. “My face hurt for three full days afterwards.”
“You can’t really complain,” Somi said. “You totally deserved that slap Jisoo. In fact, I kind of wish she’d hit you harder to be honest.”
“Well that was rude,” Jisoo responded feigning insult.
“Doesn’t make it untrue,” Somi returned; putting down her magazine and picking up her bottle of sunscreen so that she could start applying a generous layer to her arms.
“It was her fault it happened,” Jisoo informed them. “She made herself an easy target. Lisa should know better than to wear sweatpants around me.” Jisoo answered bluntly. “She knows better than that. She’s such a fucking idiot sometimes, I swear…”
“Jisoo,” Somi complained drolly, “Surely you shouldn’t be using language like that when you’re pregnant. What about the baby?” Jisoo had told Somi and Jennie about her pregnancy the first day of summer break and although they’d initially been shocked by the revelation they’d soon celebrated the news with her, both of them noting their friends obvious enthusiasm towards the unplanned turn of events.
“The baby can’t hear it,” Jisoo said blithely in retort, waving her hand in front of her. “I’ll watch my mouth once it gets here but until then I can say what I want.”
“I still can’t believe that you’re going to be a mom,” Jennie admitted, lifting her sunglasses up so that she could get a better look at the Korean girl.
“Me neither,” Somi seconded, “I’m happy for you and Ezra, I am, but I’ve already told Liam that we’re never having sex again.” She said lightheartedly. “There’s no way that I’m ready to be a mom yet.”
“Its times like this that makes me happy I’m a single lesbian,” Emily said. “No offense,” she added sincerely after a beat, meeting Jisoo’s eyes.
“None taken,” Jisoo acknowledged kindly.
“Wait, what happened with you and Rachel?” Somi asked Emily in realisation. “I thought you were going to contact her.” She said, recalling how Chaeyoung had given the other girl Rachel’s full name so that she could look her up on Facebook.
“Yeah so I kind of changed my mind about that,” Emily began in answer to Somi’s question. “Don’t get me wrong she’s hot and everything,” she said, “but I thought about what you’d all said about her and I decided that the prospect of dating a complete sociopath wasn’t as appealing as I’d first thought.” She paused for a moment and rolled on to her side to face the rest of the girls’ properly, supporting her head with one hand. “I mean, I know that I might be desperate but…I’m not that desperate.” She said and the rest of the girl’s laughed.
“This is exactly why I enjoy you hanging around with us so much.” Jisoo chuckled in obvious amusement at the most recent addition to their group. “You’re the most sensible lesbian that I know.” She stated, causing Chaeyoung to roll her eyes subtly, “even if you did have me worried there for a little while.”
“Yeah,” Jennie agreed. “It’s nice to hear that someone else isn’t completely mental.” She commented pointedly. “Chaeyoung and Lisa have lost their minds by forgiving her for everything that she did to us.”
“To us?” Chaeyoung questioned; quirking up her eyebrow in response to Jennie’s words. “What did Rachel ever do to you guys?”
“Um, hello?” Jisoo said, seemingly dumbfounded that Chaeyoung even had to ask. “She tried to mess with Chaelisa.”
“Oh my God,” Chaeyoung muttered under her breath on hearing the nickname Jisoo had assigned to her and Lisa’s relationship.
“No one messes with Chaelisa and just gets away with it Chaeyoung.” Jisoo said defensively, continuing on undeterred by Chaeyoung’s comment. “She was trying to sink my ship and that is completely unforgivable. I mean, who exactly does she think she is?” She asked, not really seeking an answer.
“A crazy bitch?” Jennie answered regardless.
“Ok, firstly,” Chaeyoung said neutrally, “Can you all please stop referring to us as Chaelisa?”
“Oh come on Chaeng,” Somi complained making an unhappy face at the request, “It’s cute.”
“Plus, it’s much less time consuming then having to say both of your names when we refer to you.” Jennie added. Chaeyoung groaned and shook her head, astutely aware that she was very unlikely to win this argument no matter how many times she tried.
“Fine,” she grumbled, momentarily forgetting what she’d been about to say. “Where was I?” she asked, her forehead creasing in thought.
“You’d just given us your ‘firstly.’” Emily prompted her helpfully.
“Oh right,” Chaeyoung said remembering. “Secondly,” she went on firmly, holding up two fingers, “can we have less of the name calling?” she asked. “You know how much Lili hates it.”
“That’s why I’m doing it when she isn’t around,” Jennie answered meekly. “Do you really think I want to upset your girlfriend? All she’d have to do is make that stupid face she does and I’d feel instantly guilty. No one here wants that, least of all me.”
“Upsetting Lisa is like kicking a puppy,” Somi concurred regretfully, remembering back to the role she had played in the other girls’ admission to rehab. “We wouldn’t ever say anything bad about Rachel in front of her.”
“Can you just not say anything in the first place?” Chaeyoung beseeched of them. “Help me out here ok? Lisa’s so happy right now and I swear to God if any of you do something to change that I’m going to kick all your asses.”
“Alright Chaeng calm down, there’s no need to get violent,” Somi responded. “We won’t say anything in the future ok?”
“Speak for yourself Somi,” Jisoo disagreed. “I’m not promising that.”
“I don’t see why you guys are so upset that Lili and I made our peace with her anyway?” she questioned. “You make it sound like we’re friends with Rachel now when we aren’t.” she informed them. “We just agreed to leave the past behind us and move on from what had happened. It’s not like I’m going to start inviting her to hang out with us all the time.”
“You do know that Lisa told me that you’d invited her to sit with us the day that you’d spoken in the diner,” Jisoo told her knowingly.
“What is with you two having to tell each other everything all the time?” Chaeyoung moaned goodnaturedly, her eyes roaming back towards her girlfriend for an instant. “Ugh, I can’t believe that she told you that.”
“Why? Were you hoping to keep it a secret?” Emily laughed at Chaeyoung’s reaction.
“Kind of,” she admitted grumpily. “I was just caught up in the moment of it all, ok?” She confessed. “I thought that I’d try to be civil but contrary to popular belief I haven’t forgotten that she put me in the hospital. I might have forgiven her, but I’ll always remember what she did. I’m not foolish enough to completely let my guard down around her.” She confessed. “I mean, Lili is right, we’re all going to bump in to her from time to time so we should at least try and be nice to one another,” she recognised somewhat grudgingly.
“Lisa has made you soft in the head,” Jisoo noted, casting an eye at her best friend who was forging a make shift flag out of a stick and a candy bar wrapper to adorn her and Jules’s sandcastle.
“Lili is just trying to be the bigger person here.” Chaeyoung said with a hint of approval in her voice at her girlfriend’s generosity.
“Yeah but that’s because she’s soft in the head,” Jisoo returned. “You don’t think her skull would have caved in so easily if she wasn’t, do you?”
“Jisoo!” Somi protested shocked.
“What?” The older girl said, lifting her arms in front of her innocently. “Isn’t it a little bit insensitive to be saying that when the trial is starting tomorrow?” she questioned. “So Lisa can make jokes about things like that but I can’t?” she asked bewildered. “That’s such a double standard.” She moaned. “I mean, look at her. She doesn’t give a rat’s ass about the trial and she’s always making fun of herself,” she said, gesturing in Lisa’s direction. “She’s so stupid now.” She went on, her tone affectionate. “She makes inappropriate jokes about it all the time.” She continued. “I can’t believe I’d completely forgotten that this is what she was like…” Jisoo revealed. “She’s all perky and annoying again.” she stated. “Actually,” she paused, considering something for a moment.
“I think she’s even more perky and annoying now then she was before all this.” She acknowledged chuckling. “God, I mean look at the little dimwit.” She instructed warmly, her tone betraying her fondness for her best friend as she pointed at her in the distance. “She’s practically glowing.” “I think that’s sweat,” Emily chortled referencing Chaeyoung’s earlier response.
“No it isn’t,” Jisoo said resolutely and no one argued with her because they knew deep down it were true. They all watched Lisa for a moment from their vantage point, the girl at the centre of their conversation crouching low to the ground in order to allow her sister to clamber on to her back now the pair of them had apparently finished building their sandcastle. She hooked Jules’s legs under her armpits and stood up, her sisters arms draped loosely round her neck as she wore a broad grin on her face and Lisa started to carry her back in their direction. “Who would have guessed she’d become such a little shit when she finally got over her depression,” Jisoo grumbled, observing her friend as she walked towards them.
“You’re just pissed because she’s managed to prank you eight times in the last month and you’ve only managed to prank her twice,” Jennie said, her eyes following Lisa as she carefully navigated a path across the hot sand.
“I think my favourite one was when she covered your doorway with cellophane wrap and you got tangled in it.” Somi chuckled.
“What about the time that she put lemon juice and vinegar in Jisoo’s water while she was in the restroom at Jimmy’s?” Emily offered.
“I don’t know,” Jennie said thoughtfully, “I still think the batch of cookies she made using salt instead of sugar was the best. The picture I took of your face as you had your first bite is the best one I’ve ever seen of you.” She said, addressing Jisoo.
“Jisoo you have no one to blame but yourself.” Chaeyoung informed her. “You’re the reason that she’s turned in to a little shit,” she reminded Jisoo unsympathetically, a warm smile on her face at the recollection of the one which consumed Lisa’s after each successfully carried out trick. “You started this prank war when you superglued those coins to the corner of her desk. Do you know how long it took her to realise that’s why she couldn’t pick them up?”
“Yeah, but I’m with child now,” Jisoo reminded them all, moving her hand across her stomach emphatically. “She should be taking it easy on me. After all, I didn’t prank her when she was recovering from her accident. It’s only fair that she pays me the same courtesy.”
“You’re such a sore loser.” Emily said perceptively.
“She isn’t winning,” Jisoo scoffed offended at the insinuation.
“Yes she is,” Somi said simply.
“I’m just taking my time to formulate the ultimate payback prank that’s all.” Jisoo shared with them all. “Then we’ll see which one of us is winning. My next prank is going to be better than all of hers combined.”
“Yeah, well good luck with that,” Emily said sarcastically, underestimating Jisoo’s talent for friendly revenge.
“Good luck with what?” Lisa asked, squatting down as she reached them so that Jules could jump off her back. She pulled her snapback off her head and threw it on top of her towel so that she could run her fingers through her hair and untangle the knots that had formed as a result of her sweating.
“Nothing,” Jisoo replied quickly before anyone else could answer, not wanting to give up the advantage that an element of surprise would lend to her next prank.
“How’s the beach house coming along?” Chaeyoung questioned her girlfriend meaningfully, quickly diverting the conversation away from its previous subject matter. Lisa met her girlfriend’s gaze meaningfully and smiled at her, the sight making Chaeyoung’s cheeks ache as they were now prone to do, her grin having broadened exponentially.
“It’s not a beach house. It’s a princess castle.” Jules said; overhearing the older girl’s question to her sister and answering before Lisa could.
“My mistake,” Chaeyoung chuckled and Jules twisted on the spot from side to side bashfully, her facial expression making her look the spitting image of Lisa when she was feeling embarrassed.
“It’s finished now isn’t it Jules?” Lisa said placing a hand on her sister’s shoulder tenderly.
“Yep,” Jules said proudly. “It even has a flag so visitors know that the princess is at home.”
“That’s so awesome,” Jisoo remarked sincerely. “Do you want to come and see it?” Jules asked them all, holding out one hand for Chaeyoung and another for Jisoo.
“Sure,” Chaeyoung replied, taking the offered limb as she pushed herself up in to a standing position. Jisoo stood up too and enclosed her fingers around the younger girl’s delicate hand and Jules began to lead the two of them to view the creation that she and Lisa had worked so hard on. Both Somi and Jennie shared a brief look with one another before standing up and hastily joining the other three girls.
“You’re not going to go and see it too?” Lisa asked Emily, noting the other girl had stayed in place and was studying her closely.
“I thought that this might be a good opportunity for us to talk,” Emily said, ignoring Lisa’s question and standing up in front of her.
“What about?” she questioned as she crouched down to pick up a bottle of water which was lying on top of her bag. Emily took a step towards her and Lisa uncapped the container in her hand and brought it to her lips to take a large sip.
“You know what,” Emily replied neutrally.
“I’m going to tell them,” Lisa informed Emily knowingly, realising what the other girl was referring to. She put the cap back on to her bottle of water and started picking at the label on it distractedly so as to avoid meeting Emily’s probing eyes.
“When?” Emily asked her.
“I’m just waiting for the right moment,” Lisa told her, throwing her bottle back on top of her bag and finally lifting her gaze to Emily’s.
“You keep saying that,” Emily reminded her.
“I know but I mean it.” Lisa responded; wiping her hands on the front of her tshirt to rid them of the condensation the bottle had left on them. “It’s just never seemed like the right time.”
“Lisa this has been going on for months…” Emily noted. “You’re shit out of time. You have to tell them now. You can’t leave it any longer.”
“I’m going to tell them,” Lisa repeated more firmly. “I just don’t think it’s fair of me to drop it in their laps and expect them all to deal with it, especially Rosie and Jisoo…”
“Lisa, this is it, ok? You have to tell them tonight which means you’re going to have to drop it in their laps.” Emily said. “If you don’t tell them by the end of today then I’m going to have to do it.”
“No,” Lisa responded quickly, running a hand through her hair. “I have to be the one to tell them.”
“Then you need to do it soon,” Emily encouraged her.
“I’ll tell them after the party later, I promise I will,” Lisa resolved. “I won’t risk doing it before and ruining Jisoo’s birthday though. It’s not fair on her. I already spoilt it last year. Today has to be perfect.”
“You just need to bite the bullet and get it over with,” Emily encouraged; placing a hand on Lisa’s shoulder, “I’m a big girl ok? I can deal with the aftermath, whatever it might be.” Lisa didn’t seem convinced and glanced in the direction of her friends who were talking enthusiastically with Jules. Chaeyoung seemed to sense she was being watched because she turned her attention from the younger girl’s imaginary princess palace and tilted her head in Lisa’s direction, a smile appearing on her face when she saw her girlfriend watching her. Lisa returned the gesture in acknowledgement and Chaeyoung broke the eye contact between them when Jules pulled animatedly on her arm to show her something else. “Are you going to be completely honest with Chaeyoung about how much time we’ve been spending together?” Emily asked noticing the exchange between Lisa and her girlfriend.
“If I’m telling her the truth then I should probably tell her everything.” Lisa accepted, looking back in Emily’s direction.
“She’s going to be pissed when she finds out that we’ve been meeting up without her.” Emily recognised.
“She’ll be fine,” Lisa dismissed easily. “It’s not like we’ve been sneaking around behind her back and having an affair. We’ve just been talking.”
“Do you think she and the girls will be upset that you waited so long to tell them?” Emily questioned, rubbing the back of her neck and feeling guilty that she was the reason Lisa had withheld the information from Chaeyoung for so long.
“I guess we’ll soon find out,” Lisa replied, glancing over at Chaeyoung who was explaining something to Jules.
“I know why you’ve been putting off telling them and I appreciate it,” Emily said gratefully. “You were trying to protect me but you can’t any more. They have to know the truth before they walk in to court tomorrow and see me there.”
“I know,” Lisa accepted.
“Lisa they need to know that my uncle is the one that hit you.” Emily stated.
“I just don’t want them to blame you because of your relationship with him,” Lisa admitted. “Rosie really hates him Emily.” She shared, knowing the words to be true even though Chaeyoung had never actually expressed them aloud. “Jisoo does too.”
“I hate him for what he did to you as well,” Emily admitted, “but he’s my family Lisa and I can’t help but still love him regardless. My parents want me there tomorrow for moral support and I’m going to be no matter how guilty he is.” Lisa glanced between her friends and Emily uncertainly.
“I’m just worried about how they’ll react towards you when they know.” Lisa disclosed. “What if they don’t want you hanging out with us anymore? I like that we’re all friends now…”
“It is what it is,” Emily told her. “I can completely understand if that’s how they feel. You shouldn’t feel bad about that. I’d probably feel the same way if the situation were reversed.” Emily paused for a moment and took another step closer to Lisa whose eyes had lowered to her feet which were kicking at the sand distractedly. “Lisa, my uncle ran you down,” Emily stated conclusively, pulling the brunette’s dark eyes back to her. “He hit you and left you in the road to die,” she said bluntly to hammer the reality of the situation home. “He was driving with a suspended license and he ran off instead of staying to help you to so that he could avoid getting in trouble. He should never have been on the road to begin with and he almost killed you because he was too stubborn to accept the fact that his heart condition meant he wasn’t safe behind the wheel of a car. He’s going to go to jail for what he did to you and he should…he should go to jail, even I know that.”
“God, I should have told Rosie and the others earlier,” Lisa said sighing heavily, “but I just couldn’t bring myself to share this with them.”
“I know you didn’t want it to cause any drama,” Emily said understandingly, the pair of them having discussed it when they’d met up to talk about the newly realised link between them. “I understand that alright? After everything that you’ve been through you were all finally happy and you didn’t want to risk losing that but…you just have to be honest with them and tell them that’s how you felt…”
“Emily…” Lisa began but she stopped when she felt someone tug on the back of her tshirt. She turned around to find Jules standing behind her, the rest of the girls lagging a few feet behind as they approached.
“We’re going to go swimming,” Jules informed her conclusively leaving no room for any argument from her older sister.
“You are?” Lisa asked, tapping Jules on the end of the nose with her index finger lovingly; the other conversation she’d been involved in quickly dropped in light of the rest of the group’s fast approach.
“Mmhmm,” Jules replied. “I want you and Emily to come too,” she said, reaching for Lisa’s arm. “Me and Chaeyoung are going to have a fight with Somi and Jennie so you have to be the spectacles.” Lisa laughed gently at her sister’s misuse of the word ‘spectacles.’
“You mean spectators,” she corrected the younger girl.
“That’s what I said,” Jules responded as Chaeyoung came up beside her.
“You’re going to fight Somi and Jennie?” Lisa asked her girlfriend, lifting one eyebrow in a silent question.
“Jules’s going to sit on my shoulders and try to push Somi and Jennie over,” Chaeyoung explained to her girlfriend.
“Jennie’s going to sit on Somi’s shoulders because she’s small too,” Jules said quickly in explanation, her words rushing out of her mouth airily in her enthusiasm. “Then we’ll fight.” She buzzed excitedly. “So you and Emily have to come and watch with Jisoo.” she said. “Please?” she implored desperately. “Will you come?”
“Of course I’ll come and watch,” Lisa smiled, placing a hand on Jules’s shoulder. Lisa started to take a step forward as the rest of the group also began to make their way to the water’s edge but Jules dug in her heels and turned to face her sister stopping her immediately.
“No wait,” Jules said pushing on Lisa’s stomach to stop her in her tracks and almost succeeding in knocking her over. “You need to take your tshirt off first silly.” She reminded her. “Otherwise it’ll get wet.”
“Jules…” Jisoo started to object to the small girl’s request, shaking her head slightly from side to side meaningfully when she looked up at her. “Lisa can wear it in the sea if she wants to. She has a different tshirt that she can wear later so it doesn’t matter if it gets wet.” Lisa looked in her best friend’s direction before glancing around at the faces of the rest of the group, noting their half expectant looks as they awaited her reaction.
“No but if it gets wet then it’ll be ruined,” Jules said, not understanding Lisa’s reason for wearing it. “Here, I can help you.” She offered Lisa, pushing up the bottom of her top eagerly to assist her sister out of the item. Lisa took Jules’s wrist in her own and for the briefest of moments the rest of the assembled group thought that she was going to reprimand the youngster and refuse the aid the she had extended to her but instead she kept her hold on to Jules’s arm and studied her sister closely while she deliberated what to do next.
“Ok, just for a little bit,” she relented, sighing heavily as she noted the confused look on her sisters face at having her hand detained. She stroked Jules’s hair with her free hand and crouched down in front of her so that they were similar heights. “Thank you.” She told Jules appreciatively releasing the six year olds wrist so that she could grab hold of the bottom of her tshirt. “I really appreciate you helping me because sometimes I get my head stuck,” she joked, sticking out her tongue and making her sister laugh.
“Me too,” Jules said and Lisa smiled at her. Jules quickly started to pull up on Lisa’s tshirt without difficulty, the older sibling lifting her arms in order to allow her to haul it over her head until it was completely removed. Jules smiled pleased at her accomplishment and she dropped Lisa’s tshirt on to the towel at her feet out of the way. “There you go,” Jules said, beaming from ear to ear. “Now you won’t have to throw it away because the sea water made it all salty.” Lisa’s mouth curved up in to a small smile as she played with the hair at Jules’s temple while the six year old lifted up a hand to prod carefully at the scar on the older Manoban’s forehead. Lisa scrunched up her nose at the contact and wriggled it from side to side, making Jules giggle noisily. “You’re scar is just like Harry Potter’s.” Jules told her thoughtfully still nudging the mark with her finger, the comparison only just coming to her. “You used to read it to me remember?” she asked her.
“Yeah I remember,” Lisa replied, looking nostalgic.
“You said that Harry got his scar because he survived Lord Voulevont’s curse.” She enlightened her, completely mispronouncing Voldemort’s name. “You said that he was one of the most powerful wizards to ever live,” Jules told her. “You said that his family’s love protected him and that…that’s why he was so powerful.”
“Oh god,” Jisoo whispered under her breath, starting to tear up as she watched the exchange, already imagining where the conversation might be heading. The Korean girl’s reaction earned her a smack on the arm from Jennie who didn’t want Jisoo’s noise to interrupt the interaction between the two sisters. “So that means that you must be the most powerful witch to ever live,” Jules continued, unaware of Jisoo’s comment because it had been spoken so quietly.
“Why?” Lisa questioned, amused by her sisters imagination.
“Well, because you have more scars then Harry has,” Jules answered rationally. She moved her fingertips to find the scar on Lisa’s side briefly before they settled on the one in the middle of her sister’s chest. “The accident…” Jules started, looking at Chaeyoung and thinking about how she was a unicorn and had been protecting Lisa ever since it had happened, just like Harry Potter’s magical friends had protected him when he’d gone to Hogwarts. “It was…it was a curse too wasn’t it?” She questioned naively, her fingers grazing over Lisa’s scar as she stuck out her bottom lip in concentration as she examined it closely. Lisa didn’t say anything immediately but she considered Jules’s question seriously, coming to the conclusion that just as Harry Potter’s survival of the Avada Kedavra curse had been both a blessing and a burden, so had her survival of the accident.
“Yeah Jules,” Lisa answered, stroking her sisters upper arm with the back of her knuckles. “It was a curse but do you know what?” she said looking at all her new friends standing around her. “It was a blessing too.” Jules lifted her eyes to meet Lisa’s.
“Is that good?” she asked uncertainly.
“Yes,” Lisa replied. “It’s just like in Harry Potter.” She explained, lowering her voice to a whisper.
“Do you remember how he made all his new friends after what happened to him?” she asked Jules and she nodded in the affirmative. “He went to Hogwarts and he met Ron and Hermione and he had lots of crazy adventures, didn’t he?” Jules nodded her head again and looked at Lisa’s friends who were stood around them. “Do you have crazy adventures with everyone too?” Jules asked her.
“Sometimes,” Lisa admitted as Jules’s small fingers traced the scar on her chest again, studying the blemish carefully with her dark inquisitive eyes.
“Did someone like Lord Voulevont come to steal your heartbeat memories away from you?” she asked Lisa after a few minutes as she tried to piece everything together in her head so that it all made sense. Chaeyoung could see Lisa tear up evidently touched by Jules’s words and the way that she’d clung on to what she’d said to her that day they’d gone to the park together with Luca.
“They tried to,” Lisa told her, sniffing loudly and releasing a loud, audible breath as she tried to keep her composure. She cast a quick look in Emily’s direction and met her gaze, their eyes locking on one another’s before Lisa returned them to her sister. Jules was pressing the palm of her hand against the scar that ran the length of Lisa’s sternum, feeling the beat of her heart.
“Were you protected from the curse because mama and papa love you so much?” Jules asked her simply.
“Yes,” Lisa responded. “I was.”
“I love you too,” Jules declared easily. “Do you think that I helped protect you too?”
“Yes,” she answered again, finding herself rendered almost speechless by her sisters openness. “You did.”
“I’m glad that they couldn’t steal them,” she said pleased, meeting Lisa’s eyes and grinning widely, her white teeth clearly visible. Lisa picked up Jules’s hand and kissed the palm of it softly, her lips lingering there before she pulled the younger girl closer and kissed her again, this time gently on the top of her head.
“Me too,” Lisa admitted and Chaeyoung felt her eyes wellup at the heaviness of the words.
“You must be super magical,” Jules said in awe as she prodded Lisa’s scar again. “I bet that you’re stronger than Harry and Dumbledore together.” She complimented; smooshing her hands against one another to demonstrate her point as she’d uttered the final word. “I hope that I’m as magical as you are when I’m older.”
“You’re already magical,” Lisa praised sincerely, feeling more than a little astounded. “You are super super wonderfully magical Jules.” She said pinching the younger girl’s cheek. “Everyone falls under your spell the minute that they meet you.”
“They do?” Jules asked.
“Yep,” Lisa responded, nodding her head. “You don’t even need to use a wand and that’s how I know that it’s true magic.” She said wiping at her eyes. “Only the best wizards and witches can cast spells without them.” Lisa felt Chaeyoung put a hand on her shoulder supportively and she reached up one of her own to sit on top of her girlfriend’s gratefully.
“Are you still sad about the curse?” Jules asked, noticing Lisa’s moist eyes. She glanced at Chaeyoung, wondering whether she was holding Lisa’s hand to make her feel better. “I don’t want you to be sad.” Jules told her thinking she’d upset her by bringing it up.
“I’m not sad Jules,” Lisa replied truthfully.
“Then why are you crying?” she asked her.
“It’s because I’m really really happy,” Lisa told her, using her thumb to brush Jules’s cheek. Jules beamed and wrapped her arms around Lisa to give her a hug and kiss her on the cheek.
“So then…we can go and play now?” Jules questioned hopefully and Lisa nodded her chin against her sister’s shoulder.
“On one very important condition,” Lisa said; pushing Jules back so that she could get a better look at her. She rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hand again whilst Jules watched her looking worried by her words.
“Wwhat?” she stuttered anxiously and Lisa couldn’t help but smile at the sound as it left her mouth, remembering all the times she’d sounded just like that.
“I want to be on your team,” Lisa shared with her. “I don’t want to sit and watch.”
“Ok!” Jules agreed instantly, clapping her hands together before reaching for Lisa’s hand and pulling on it. Lisa stood up and Jules’s little feet drove them both instantly forwards towards the water as she tugged her sister along by the arm enthusiastically.
“Jisoo are you crying?” Jennie asked the Korean when she turned to follow the two of them and noticed the other girl hadn’t moved and was wiping at her eyes furiously instead.
“No,” Jisoo said and Jennie gave her a pointed look. “It’s just my hormones,” Jisoo said as an excuse and Jennie and the remaining three girls all laughed kindly at her response.
“It’s ok Jisoo,” Emily said, turning around so that she could move towards the shoreline. “If I wasn’t a complete robot I’d be crying too.” She confessed, placing a hand on the older girl’s shoulder as she came up alongside her. “That was probably the cutest shit I’ve ever seen in my entire life.” She said before wandering off and following Jennie and Somi as they made their way to join the two sisters.
“Jesus,” Chaeyoung breathed as she walked up to Jisoo, following in Emily’s wake.
“I know right?” Jisoo said to her, the pair of them turning to watch as Lisa ran in to the water with Jules, the two of them hand in hand. “She’s so much like Lisa, isn’t she?”
“You’re telling me.” Chaeyoung agreed. “What is it with the Manoban’s and their goddamn gift with words?” she asked.
“Who the fuck knows?” Jisoo returned. “Maybe their mom fed them books instead of oatmeal when they were growing up?” she suggested and Chaeyoung couldn’t help a reflexive smile from playing at the edges of her mouth. “Where the fuck did all that even come from?” Jisoo said swivelling around on her heels and wandering across the sand beside Chaeyoung who had started walking towards the others. “Do they just pull that shit out of thin air or what?”
“No idea,” Chaeyoung chuckled, turning to consider her girlfriend, who had managed to get Jules on to her shoulders and was standing patiently waiting for Somi and Jennie to assume their positions. The two older girls struggled in their task and Somi’s grip on Jennie accidentally slipped, causing her to tumble in to the water with a loud splash that made Jules giggle. Emily quickly moved over to assist Jennie back up on to Somi’s shoulders and between the three of them they succeeded in getting ready for the imminent battle to commence.
“What a bunch of fucking idiots,” Jisoo laughed, watching as Lisa bounced Jules up and down on her shoulders in time with the waves.
“You’re smiling,” Chaeyoung said noticing the broad beam which lit up Jisoo’s features as she watched the group in front of her and repeating the Korean words from earlier back to her.
“Yeah, well I’m happy.” Jisoo returned not missing the reference.
“Happy birthday Jisoo,” Chaeyoung bade her. “I hope that so far it’s been better than last year’s.” Jisoo surveyed the scene in front of her for a beat before answering.
“It is,” she confirmed. “It’s been better than last year’s ever since I answered the door this morning and found Lisa smiling like a doofus on the other side of it.” Chaeyoung smiled at Jisoo sadly, unable to really know just what last years’ birthday must have been like for her but able to conjure up a pretty good idea.
“Are you coming in?” Chaeyoung asked extending a hand for her friend not knowing what else to say to her.
“Yeah,” Jisoo said, taking hold of it and allowing Chaeyoung to lead her in to the waves to join the others’ who were already immersed in their game. For the next half hour the group took it turns to battle one another, Lisa and Jules remaining undisputed champions and defeating Jennie, Somi, Emily and Chaeyoung in differing combinations whilst Jisoo refereed. It was only when the dynamic sisterly duo were up against Emily and Jennie that they finally lost; Chaeyoung resorting to underhanded tactics and tickling Lisa’s stomach until her hold on Jules slipped and the six year old dropped like a stone into the water. She appeared from beneath the waves a few moments later, laughing melodiously and imploring for Chaeyoung to do it again as she jumped up on to Lisa’s back in preparation.
“Jules I need to have a rest for a minute alright?” Lisa said; looking a little breathless and struggling to extract the youngsters’ limbs from around her torso until Chaeyoung helped her out.
“Are you ok?” Jules asked her worriedly.
“I’m fine,” Lisa reassured her. “You’ve just tired me out that’s all,” she said, adopting the same tactics Chaeyoung had with her and tickling Jules on the tummy.
“You’re a little monster.” She teased goodnaturedly. “You’ve got too much energy for me.”
“Hey, Jules…why don’t we play tag?” Jennie suggested, gesturing the small girl over to her and giving Lisa a welcome reprieve.
“Ok,” she agreed easily, splashing over to the other girl and tapping her immediately on the arm. “You’re it!” she shouted as she bounded off again quickly. Lisa observed the game for a few minutes before finally wading back over to the shoreline with Chaeyoung closely in tow.
“Hey,” Chaeyoung said, coming up behind her girlfriend and placing a hand on the small of her back as they stepped back on to the hot sand and allowed their feet to sink beneath it, coating them with the small particles as they adhered temporarily to their skin. “Are you sure you’re feeling alright?”
“Yeah,” Lisa assured her, twisting her torso slightly and linking her hand with Chaeyoung’s. “I just needed something to drink and a chance to sit down. Jules is such a handful sometimes. I think she’s got the energy of seven cheetahs. There is literally nothing that seems to tire her out.” Lisa guided Chaeyoung over to their things and reached down to pick up her tshirt which she quickly put on before retrieving her bottle of water from on top of her bag and finishing it off eagerly.
“Wow, you really were thirsty,” Chaeyoung noted as Lisa recapped it and tucked it inside her bag out of the way.
“Yeah,” Lisa returned, dropping on to her towel and wasting no time in throwing herself on to her back, evidently exhausted. “I don’t think I’m used to all this exercise. It’s making me dehydrated.”
“Why don’t you have a nap?” Chaeyoung suggested, staring down at her girlfriend and easily noticing the telltale signs that she exhibited when her body was craving sleep.
“Aren’t you going to come and lie down here with me?” Lisa asked ignoring the question and posing one of her own.
“It depends whether you’re going to sleep or not.” Chaeyoung replied honestly.
“Why?” Lisa questioned, pushing herself up on to one elbow to look at her properly.
“Well, because if you’re going to sleep then I’ll go back to the others and let you rest,” Chaeyoung said.
“What if I want you to stay here with me though?” Lisa hinted.
“Do you?” Chaeyoung enquired mischievously and Lisa smiled wide and stretched her uppermost arm out in front of her dramatically so that it was pointing at her girlfriend.
“So honey now,” she started singing playfully, her voice strong and cheeky. “Take me into your loving arms…” she persisted, sitting up on to her knees and crawling forwards towards Chaeyoung, both hands now palm up in front of her imploringly.
“Lili…” she laughed but Lisa continued on audaciously.
“Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars,” she went on, her face ablaze with amusement as she swept one arm in an arc above her head gesturing to the sky. She reached for one of Chaeyoung’s hands and held it between both her own as she carried on with her nonsense. “Place your head on my beating heart.” She sang, pulling gently on Chaeyoung’s hand.
“You’re such a dork.” Chaeyoung chortled as she obeyed Lisa’s silent command and fell on to her knees in front of her, landing on her own towel beside her girlfriends’. “What are you even doing right now?”
“I’m just…thinking out loud,” she said frivolously and Chaeyoung rolled her eyes, knowing that she’d walked straight in to that.
“You couldn’t have just said ‘yes’ instead of singing to me?” Chaeyoung asked her as Lisa lay on to her back again and lifted up one arm so that Chaeyoung could lie beside her. Chaeyoung complied and Lisa wrapped her arm around her girlfriend’s shoulder, pulling her against her as she chuckled to herself.
“Are you telling me that my musical reply didn’t answer your question?” Lisa queried.
“The only question it answered was whether you listen to too much Ed Sheeran or not,” Chaeyoung teased.
“It is practically impossible to listen to too much Ed Sheeran,” Lisa defended as Chaeyoung buried her face against the younger girl’s chest and started to draw delicate circles over her sternum with her index finger.
“Well you’d know,” Chaeyoung sighed, turning her face and planting a soft kiss below Lisa’s jaw. “You’ve had his album on repeat ever since it was released a few weeks ago and you’re still not bored of it.”
“Ed Sheeran’s album is a very handy tool when you’re in a relationship,” Lisa revealed as she rested her chin on top of Chaeyoung’s head. “Do you know how many great pickup lines are on it?”
“Are you serious?” Chaeyoung laughed.
“I don’t joke about Ed Sheeran’s lyrical genius.” Lisa retorted evenly.
“Ok,” Chaeyoung said, twisting away from Lisa and on to her side so that she could see her better. “Why don’t you try a few out on me?”
“Ok,” Lisa accepted Chaeyoung’s challenge keenly. “I will.” Lisa sat herself up and looked at Chaeyoung determined to be proven right. “What about this one?” she questioned, cracking her knuckles and leaning closer to Chaeyoung, her eyes looking in to her girlfriend’s deliberately. “I could look in to your eyes until the sun comes up.” Lisa said softly, no trace of a smile or any glee in her voice as she spoke, her chocolate orbs fixing on Chaeyoung’s and making her girlfriend’s cheeks heat as she blushed. Chaeyoung knew that it was supposed to be a line but she also knew that Lisa meant every syllable of what she’d said; her girlfriend’s voice full of affection and her eyes unwilling to surrender themselves to anything else except her brown ones.
“That should not work that well,” Chaeyoung said and one side of Lisa’s mouth turned up in the corner.
“Tell you what…why don’t you put your open lips on mine and slowly let them shut?” Lisa urged, leaning forward so that her mouth was hovering just in front of the taller girl’s.
“I fucking hate you,” Chaeyoung said smiling brightly despite her words.
“Rosie…you know they’re designed to be together,” Lisa told her seriously, quirking an eyebrow.
“Can you stop now?” she pleaded, her eyes dropping to her girlfriend’s lips and making her bite her own in an attempt to resist the urge to kiss them.
“Don’t fight it.” Lisa said. “You know you want to kiss me now.”
“Nope,” Chaeyoung disagreed, closing her eyes so that she could no longer see her girlfriend’s lips but failing to shake the image of them from her head when she could feel Lisa’s breath tickling her skin tauntingly.
“Why not?” she asked, “I’m adorable,” Lisa told her, changing her position so she could nibble Chaeyoung’s ear lobe playfully. She attacked it until Chaeyoung opened her eyes again, her hands pushing Lisa away as she tilted her head in order to avoid the assault. “Would you just kiss me like you wanna be loved already?” Lisa pleaded. Chaeyoung shook her head refusing to give in. “Please.” Lisa pouted. “Why won’t you just give me love?”
“Jesus, can you please not do that?” Chaeyoung requested covering her eyes with her hand to avoid having to look at the expression her girlfriend often relied on to get her own way.
“Fine,” Lisa grumbled, “but just remember that you need me, I don’t need you.”
“Why are you so fucking cute?” Chaeyoung said exasperated, feeling her resolve break as she lowered her hand to look at Lisa again.
“I don’t know…do you think it’s because I’m in the A team?” Lisa questioned.
“Haven’t you finished yet?” she enquired and Lisa shook her head.
“I could do this all day,” she informed her, meeting Chaeyoung’s eyes confidently.
“I’d rather that you didn’t.” Chaeyoung shared with her.
“Rosie, all I want is the taste that your lips allow and then I’ll stop, I promise.” Lisa pledged with a smug look on her face.
“Ugh,” Chaeyoung groaned, unable to stop the smile that appeared on her own. “Fine.” She relented tilting her head forward and kissing Lisa who had shuffled closer to her, her lips connecting with her girlfriend’s perfectly, as though they really were meant to be together. Lisa gently pushed Chaeyoung on to her back and rolled on to her front on top of her, their mouths still joined and her hand planting itself firmly on Chaeyoung’s side whilst the other one played with her hair.
“I told you he was a lyrical genius,” Lisa said arrogantly, lifting her head to part their lips but continuing to stroke Chaeyoung’s hair with her fingers lightly.
“His words are still nothing compared to yours though,” Chaeyoung argued, the compliment coming easily because she believed it wholeheartedly.
“Yeah but you can’t blame him for that,” Lisa started, meeting Chaeyoung’s gaze. “It’s not his fault that he doesn’t have the inspiration that I do.” She said turning the commendation immediately back to Chaeyoung and making her blush again.
“What is it with you Manoban’s and the way that you make everything that you say sound beautiful?” she questioned. “I’m pretty sure you could read the menu at Jimmy’s and it’d sound like poetry. Jules is just as bad. It must be a genetic thing…” She mused thoughtfully.
“The Manoban’s are to words what the Park’s are to being ninja’s.” Lisa joked.
“We do make pretty good ninja’s,” Chaeyoung agreed. “I think it helps that you look good in black.” She said, taking Chaeyoung’s mouth in her own again and kissing her deeply.
“Can you two please get a room?” Jisoo grumbled, having meandered unnoticed back up to join them with the other girls. “You’re making me nauseous.”
“You’re pregnant,” Emily stated.
“It’s probably morning sickness.” “It’s one o’ clock in the afternoon.” Jisoo noted.
“Well then it’s afternoon sickness.” Emily corrected in response to the information.
“Umm…guys…” Jennie said when Lisa and Chaeyoung still hadn’t parted. “I’d like to offer you a friendly reminder that there are children watching this.”
“Yeah, plus Jennie is here too.” Somi said quickly.
“Are you calling me a child?” Jennie asked as Chaeyoung and Lisa disengaged from one another grudgingly and finally looked up at the intruders on their private moment.
“No I was calling Jisoo a child.” Somi clarified, smiling haughtily at her friend.
“It’s supposed to be my birthday and all I’m getting is abuse from everyone.” Jisoo complained. “How is that fair?” she grumbled lowering herself on to her towel as Lisa and Chaeyoung sat up.
“That’s what birthdays are for,” Jennie pointed out. “You didn’t think you could be the centre of attention and not get ridiculed did you?”
“You guys could at least tell me what time my surprise party starts to make up for it?” Jisoo asked knowingly.
“You could at least pretend not to know about it?” Lisa beseeched, as Jules sat down in her lap. She enveloped the younger girl in her arms when she sat in front of her and rested her chin against the crook of Jules’s neck as leant back against her chest. “Your parents have put a lot of effort in to organising it so at least try to act surprised when you arrive.” She instructed looking at her best friend who was sat beside her.
“I will,” Jisoo assured her and when they eventually all arrived at her house a good few hours later to shouts and cheers of best wishes, she actually did.
“Are you buying this at all?” Lisa asked Chaeyoung who was standing behind her, her hands around the younger girl’s waist as they watched Jisoo walking around playing the shocked guest of honour.
“Not even a little bit,” Chaeyoung said, rocking Lisa from side to side gently in her arms.
“Wow, she’s a really crappy actress,” Lisa laughed, her eyes darting to Jules and Regina, Jisoo’s sister, who were hugging each other excitedly in the corner of the room.
“At least she tried,” Chaeyoung approved.
“I’ll give her an A for effort,” Lisa allowed, “but she gets a D minus for presentation.”
“You’re such a dork,” Chaeyoung chortled, kissing the side of Lisa’s neck as they continued to watch their friend greet the numerous guests who had gathered at her house.
“How was that?” Jisoo asked Lisa and Chaeyoung when she’d finally finished welcoming everyone.
“Awful,” Lisa told her truthfully as Chaeyoung said, “terrible.”
“Seriously?” Jisoo questioned. “Did I not act ‘surprised’ enough?”
“You didn’t act at all.” Lisa laughed. “I’ve literally seen better performances on the Disney Channel and most of the new shows on there are appalling.”
“Is this what you got me for my birthday? Insults?” Jisoo enquired. “Do you at least have the receipt so I can take them back and exchange them for store credit?” “
I wouldn’t bother,” Chaeyoung said, “the only thing you’ll be able to buy with it is an Ed Sheeran lyric.”
“I don’t know,” Lisa pondered. “It might get you a Lego House.”
“Ok, I’m done,” Chaeyoung stated; feigning exasperation and releasing her hold on Lisa. She wandered off through the crowd to find Jennie, Somi and Emily leaving the two best friends alone.
“Something I said?!” Lisa called after her before returning her attention to Jisoo.
“So if your insults aren’t my present than what is?” Jisoo asked Lisa with one hand on her hip as she waited expectantly.
“I thought I was going to be your present this year?” Lisa put to her.
“Well then where the hell is your bow?” Jisoo retorted. “You could at least look the part. I mean, Jesus Lisa…you’ve made like zero effort” Lisa rolled her eyes and reached in to her back pocket to pull out a crumpled up envelope.
“Here,” she said, thrusting it in Jisoo’s direction to shut her up. “Happy Birthday.” Jisoo took the envelope from Lisa and opened it, pulling out a key on a chain.
“What’s this for?” Jisoo asked her.
“When you figure it out you can have your present,” Lisa replied evasively.
“Why are you so fucking annoying?” she asked, shoving the key in her back pocket out of the way.
“Trust me,” Lisa said meaningfully. “It’s going to be worth it. You’ll love it.”
“I hate you,” Jisoo objected. “No you don’t.”
“No, you’re right. I don’t.” she agreed. “I actually kind of love you.” Lisa looked over Jisoo’s shoulder to Ezra who was approaching them.
“Hey,” he said, sliding a hand round Jisoo’s waist. “Can I borrow her for a minute?” he asked, addressing Lisa.
“Depends if you’re going to use that minute to take her up to the bedroom and knock her up again?” Lisa returned.
“Lisa!” Jisoo exclaimed but Ezra laughed unoffended.
“Consider that payback for all the grief you’ve given me and Rosie over the last year,” Lisa said turning to Ezra and telling him, “She’s all yours.” She winked at Jisoo and stepped past her to go in search of the rest of her friends.
“Oi Lisa,” Jisoo bellowed after her and Lisa turned around to face the older girl.
“Yeah?” she responded, lifting one hand to scratch her left temple and finding the now hidden scar there.
“Does this open something?” She asked and Lisa just smiled.
“Maybe,” she replied ambiguously before returning to her previous endeavour and walking away.
“Remind me why I’m friends with her?” Jisoo asked Ezra and this time it was his turn to just smile at her. Lisa soon found the rest of her friends in the living room, either spread out across floor or occupying one of the sofas. When she joined them she took a seat on the arm of one of the loungers beside Chaeyoung who reflexively pulled her into her lap as she continued to listen to Jennie and Somi’s spirited debate about who Jisoo should name her child after. The five of them remained there for the majority of the party with Jisoo joining them on and off as the evening progressed, ducking in and out of conversations with her relative’s and other family friends. Eventually, Jisoo’s mum and dad brought a cake in to what was the largest room in the house and everyone crowded around the coffee table in order to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to the birthday girl and watch her cut the cake.
“Here you go,” Anna, Jisoo’s mom said as she handed her daughter a knife which she took without reservation. Jisoo shuffled closer to the table and pushed the end of the knife in to the soft layer of cake frosting, recoiling almost instantly when the whole thing exploded in her face, covering it with white decoration.
“Shit!” Jisoo cursed, discarding the knife on to the table and wiping the icing from her eyes. She searched the room for Lisa who was still sat with Chaeyoung in one of the chairs. She was lounging back against her girlfriend’s chest coolly, Chaeyoung’s arms wrapped around her waist and she held up nine fingers with a smirk plastered all over her face. “Lisa!” Jisoo cried, gobsmacked that she’d managed to prank her once again whilst the guests around her laughed goodnaturedly at the birthday girls’ misfortune.
“What?” she asked innocently.
“What the hell…” Jisoo started, lifting her arms out at her sides.
“Oh yeah…” Lisa said casually, appearing thoughtful. “I might have put a balloon in the cake. It’s ok though. Your mom and dad have another more edible one for everyone else.” Jisoo stood up from where she’d been sitting and walked over to Lisa, all eyes in the room on her. Lisa didn’t try to escape, didn’t try to move, resigned to her fate and the knowledge that Jisoo was probably going to beat the living shit out of her.
“I’m so proud of you right now,” Jisoo laughed instead, surprising the younger girl, the Korean apparently impressed with Lisa’s well executed and unexpected prank now that the initial shock had worn off. “Look at you all grown up. You’ve come so far…” She said removing some cake topping from her face with her index finger and smearing it over Lisa’s. Jisoo leant down and hugged Lisa tightly, taking the opportunity to rub her still coated cheek against her best friend’s and the younger girl hugged her in return, not really caring that her face was also getting covered in frosting. “You do realise I’m only going to come back at you ten times harder for this,” she whispered in to Lisa’s ear.
“I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.” Lisa replied, her voice also low, the noise in the room around them drowning out their conversation.
“You better watch your back Lisa,” Jisoo warned her, retreating from the embrace.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be waiting,” she provoked the older girl.
“Are you going to give me my present yet?” Jisoo asked, “You know I think it’s only fair that you do considering that you just blew up my cake.”
“Have you figured out what the key is for?” Lisa questioned her as Chaeyoung dabbed at her cheek with her thumb and removed some of the frosting from it. She sucked on it to remove briefly before repeating the process again.
“No,” Jisoo admitted.
“Then you’re just going to have to wait.” Lisa reiterated causing Jisoo’s countenance to turn in to one of frustration. Jisoo looked like she was about to say something but was cut off before she had the chance by someone calling her name.
“Hey Jisoo!” Jules and Regina called in unison and Jisoo turned at the sound of her name only to be accosted by more cake frosting which Lisa’s sister and her own had thrown in her direction.
“Ok,” Jisoo said, picking up a handful of cake icing and throwing it at them both, “that’s it.” She muttered before reaching for another and starting an impromptu food fight in the lounge by throwing it at her cousin who then proceeded to retaliate by launching a handful of the chips he was still eating at Jennie and Emily. Chaos erupted in the room after that and Lisa leant back in to Chaeyoung’s chest and sighed as she watched; the sound of laughter and shouts of enjoyment filling the room around her.
“You’re face tastes good,” Chaeyoung commented, removing another piece of cake topping from Lisa’s cheek and licking it off her index finger. Lisa laughed and reached up to wipe at her own cheek with her thumb so that she could try out the frosting for herself.
“Mmmm, that is good but,” Lisa started repeating the same thing again and this time tracing her thumb across Chaeyoung’s lips, covering them in a think later of icing. She smiled at Chaeyoung and planted one of her hands against the side of her girlfriend’s neck as she twisted around in her seat to take her girlfriend’s mouth in her own. Chaeyoung felt Lisa suck softly on her bottom lip, her tongue tracing the contour of it to remove the icing that she’d put there only moments ago. “That tastes better,” Lisa exhaled, studying Chaeyoung’s relaxed features and playing with her long blonde hair rhythmically with her fingers. Chaeyoung kissed the hollow of Lisa’s neck as the younger girl allowed her eyes to roam around the room at the other occupants who were still preoccupied in friendly tactical warfare. She watched as Jisoo smashed some of her actual birthday cake in Ezra's face and Jennie was cowering with Somi behind the sofa, trying to avoid any further involvement in the whole affair.
Finally, Lisa’s gaze came across Emily who was standing in the opposite corner of the room and had just managed to use Jules as a human shield against a stray skittles attack. Emily turned her attention to Lisa when she sensed her watching and Lisa felt her stomach drop at the realisation that tomorrow everyone would know that it had been her uncle that had been responsible for her accident. “It will be tomorrow though,” Lisa thought to herself as she listened to the sound of Jisoo’s deep laugh and returned her attention to Chaeyoung, who sat watching her affectionately, her fingertips playing with one of her hands, “because there’s no way in hell that I’m going to ruin today.”
A/N: Ok, so here’s the sitch…this is massively (sorry it’s so long) a filler chapter but I needed it to tie up a few loose ends before the story finishes. The next chapter is the trial, the one following that is Chaeyoung’s birthday and then the epilogue. Thanks for reading. I hope it doesn’t suck too much.