“Lisa?” Amy said, peering in to her daughter’s room from the doorway with an anxious expression on her face. Lisa opened her eyes, her lids fluttering heavily as though she’d been sleeping for so long that they’d forgotten how to work. The light that greeted her was blinding and harsh, forcing them instantly closed again until she was able to work up the courage and the effort to open them fully.
“Lisa,” the soft voice came again from somewhere close by, a hint of audible concern etched in it. Lisa pried her eyelids open to search for the source of the sound but instead they fell on to the ceiling above her bed and the white tiles of the hospital room that she occupied. All around her was the slow, rhythmic sound of electronic beeps and as she struggled to remain awake, to pull herself fully out of the deep slumber that she’d been consumed by she felt a gentle touch on her right arm and slowly twisted her head in response until she was greeted by the sight of her mom.
The older woman looked tired as she sat in the chair beside her bed and her eyes were dark and laden with the weight of her endless nights of worry. She smiled at Lisa sadly when their eyes finally found each other and the youngster wanted to reciprocate the gesture but found that she couldn’t, that her body would not obey her command no matter how much she willed it to. Lisa cleared her throat and licked at her lips, her mouth feeling dry and parched from a lack of oral fluid intake as a result of the nasogastric tube which was providing her nutrition during these early stages of her recovery.
“W…w…whe…” she started stuttering, her voice low and hoarse; the use of it making her throat protest painfully.
“What?” Amy probed kindly, brushing the hair at her daughter’s temple lightly with her fingertips and leaning closer to her small form, her elbows resting on the bed and sinking in to the mattress.
“W…w…ww…where’s….R.rr..Rosie?” Lisa asked and Amy’s forehead creased in confusion.
“Lisa,” she started, wearing a sympathetic look on her face as she continued to play with her daughters’ hair comfortingly. “Who’s Rosie?” Lisa felt her stomach lurch horribly at the question and a panic welled up within her that made her chest constrict tightly and trapped all the air in her lungs without leaving any way for it to escape. “Lisa,” Amy said urgently, sitting down on the edge of her daughter’s bed and shaking her shoulder roughly with one hand. “Lisa, wake up.” Lisa muttered something inaudible as she dreamt and Amy moved the hair out of her daughter’s eyes, noting the thin sheen of sweat that glistened on her skin and the way that her breathing was more laboured than usual. Her limbs were twitching in the bed as she slept and Amy could see the same distress on her daughter’s features that were always present during one of her nightmares. “Lisa,” Amy said more firmly, shaking the girl on the bed vigorously, determined to rip her from the bad dream she was obviously trapped in.
“You need to wake up now sweetheart,” she encouraged, her voice strong and loud as she shook her again, “Lisa!” This time Lisa’s eyes flew open and it took her a moment to orientate herself, her eyes darting from side to side and being brutally accosted with her bedroom wall and the multitude of photos which littered it. Lisa felt disorientated and her chest still heaved rapidly as her lungs fought to replenish the air which she’d previously believed to have been imprisoned within them. As her breathing started to settle and her faculties returned to her, Lisa’s eyes managed to focus on one of the photos directly in front of her on the wall. It was a picture of her and Chaeyoung during one of their many trips to the beach and Lisa closed her eyes and smiled to herself on seeing it; a slow, relieved sigh escaping between her pursed lips. “Lisa?” Amy asked tenderly, her fingertips moving back and forth across the fabric of her daughter’s Ed Sheeran tshirt in an attempt at comfort. “Are you ok?” she asked uncertainly. Lisa rolled over on to her back beneath her covers and met Amy’s troubled eyes.
“Yeah,” she answered, wiping at her forehead with the back of her hand to rid it of the perspiration which coated it. “I’m ok,” she sighed truthfully, placing a grateful hand on her mom’s forearm.
“Nightmare?” Amy questioned knowingly and Lisa nodded her head minutely in answer to the query.
“Yes,” Lisa replied.
“It’s been a while since you last had one,” Amy remarked and Lisa shook her head in disagreement.
“No it hasn’t,” she responded, pushing herself up slightly in the bed so that she could talk to her mom properly.
“You haven’t said anything,” Amy commented as Lisa leant back against the head board, her eyes glancing at her alarm clock to find that it was just coming up to nine in the morning.
“I know,” Lisa said, reaching for the spare pillow beside her and pulling it over in to her lap. “I didn’t want to worry you,” she shared with Amy, her hand manipulating the fabric of her pillow case distractedly as her eyes watched.
“Are they still about the accident?” Amy probed interestedly, taking hold of Lisa’s hand to stop its fidgeting.
“Not exactly,” Lisa replied evasively.
“Do you think that we need to talk about them?” Amy asked and her daughter lifted her eyes and smiled at her.
“I don’t think so,” she said, squeezing her mom’s hand before elaborating a bit further. “It’s kind of weird but I actually find them useful.” Amy studied Lisa for a few moments, evidently debating whether to press the issue any further but she decided against it, trusting that if it was anything serious that her daughter would tell her.
“Ok, but you know where I am if you change your mind.” Amy accepted, leaving the offer open for future use.
“Yeah, I do,” Lisa acknowledged, squeezing her mom’s hand once more. Amy tucked a loose strand of messy hair behind Lisa’s ear and smiled happily, placated by her daughter’s response. “You know,” she started, her voice lowering deviously, “the reason that I actually came up here was to let you know that Jisoo’s out in the back garden destroying my flower beds.”
“She is?” Lisa asked spiritedly, her eyes lighting up in excitement.
“Yes,” Amy confirmed nodding, the corners of her mouth turning up in to an even wider grin. “I guess she finally figured out what the key that you gave her unlocks.” Lisa threw the pillow she’d been picking at to one side and quickly whipped back her duvet cover, almost hitting her mom in the face with one corner of it in her eagerness to go downstairs and join her best friend. She flew out the opposite side of the bed to where Amy was sat perched and hurried for the door to her room. “Please put some shoes on before you go outside!” Amy entreated, watching as Lisa disappeared hastily through the door, one hand lifting in to view over her right shoulder in silent recognition of the instruction. Amy shook her head from side to side in amusement as she heard Lisa bound down the stairs two at a time and she stood up, laughing to herself as she made her way out of her oldest daughters’ room and towards Jules’s.
Once downstairs, Lisa barely stopped in the hallway long enough to slide her feet in to her crocs before hurrying out the back door and on to the crisp lawn of the garden. Her eyes immediately fell on Jisoo who, with shovel in hand, was digging a very large hole in the soil which used to home a small segment of her mom’s petunias. Lisa allowed herself to watch Jisoo for a minute, pleased that her friend had finally realised which lock the key she’d given her for her birthday opened.
“So,” Lisa said, a smirk appearing on her face as Jisoo turned her attention in her direction. “You finally figured it out huh?” Jisoo plunged the shovel in to the ground by her feet and leant on the handle as she studied the younger girl approaching her.
“No thanks to you,” Jisoo replied, wiping at her forehead with the back of her hand. “Would it have killed you to give me a hint?”
“What can I say?” Lisa returned as she made her way across the distance between them. “I thought that you were better at riddles than this. I mean it’s been five days Jisoo. I thought that it would only take you two at the very most.”
“Well excuse me for having baby brain,” Jisoo responded smiling as Lisa came to a standstill in front of her.
“That’s seriously the excuse you’re going to use?” Lisa laughed. “Why don’t you just admit that you’d completely forgotten about the treasure chest we’d buried here during seventh grade?”
“I didn’t forget,” Jisoo said sounding insulted by the accusation. “I just temporarily misplaced the memory, that’s all.”
“You’re such an idiot,” Lisa chuckled, stepping forward and picking up the shovel to take over the digging excavation from the Korean girl.
“You say that like it isn’t a trait that I picked up from you,” Jisoo remarked and Lisa rolled her eyes and shook her head as she continued to heap dirt in to a pile by her feet. When the edge of the shovel collided with something solid and produced a loud dull thud, Lisa turned to meet Jisoo’s gaze briefly before dropping the tool on to the ground beside her. The two of them crouched low to the ground over the hole and began clearing the earth from around the edges of the moderately sized chest with their hands to expose it further.
“Give me some help lifting it out,” Lisa directed as she reached a hand down to find the grip at one end of the box. Jisoo manoeuvred herself so that she was positioned at the opposite end of the chest and copied Lisa, taking a firm hold of the other handle in her grasp. Together the two of them lifted the concealed ‘treasure chest’ out from the ground and moved over to the grass. They carefully lowered the container on to the lawn and fell to their knees in front of it, Jisoo reaching in to her tshirt and removing the key which was hanging loosely round her neck on a chain. She pulled it over her head and pushed it in to the lock, jostling it a little in order to overcome the stiff layer of rust which had formed on the metal catch. Lisa and Jisoo shared a look before the latter girl turned the key to the left until it clicked, signalling that the latch was now open.
“Do you even remember what we put in here?” Jisoo asked, her fingertips settling around the corner of the lid.
“Yes,” Lisa answered honestly. “Don’t you?”
“Of course,” Jisoo lied.
“Remind me to get you acting classes for your birthday next year,” Lisa said, shaking her head from side to side. Jisoo elevated the lid and pushed it back so that the chest was open. Inside, the contents were covered in a thick plastic coating and Lisa pulled it in opposing directions with both hands to reveal the treasures within.
“Oh my God,” Jisoo practically squealed, removing a small, perfectly preserved teddy from inside. “Is this Miguel?”
“Yes,” Lisa verified, taking the offered stuffed toy from her. “That’s Lucia.” She informed Jisoo, pointing to the doll she now held in her hands. “She was the first doll that I ever had.”
“Hey look at this,” Jisoo said, pulling out an album of photographs as she placed the doll back inside. Lisa scooted closer to her friend as she flicked open the first page and revealed a photo of the two of them on Jisoo’s fifth birthday. As they browsed the album Lisa and Jisoo found themselves reliving their friendship, a hundred different memories littering the pages before their very eyes. “I remember this day,” Jisoo said with a nostalgic smile on her lips as she pointed to a picture of Lisa and her on their bikes outside the Manoban’s house. It had been Lisa’s fifth birthday and her parents had just bought her the bike as a present. “It was the first time that you’d ever been on a bike,” Jisoo commented, laughing lightly to herself. “You couldn’t figure out how the brakes worked and ended up driving it in to a tree to stop.”
“Alright. You don’t need to rub it in.” Lisa grumbled goodnaturedly. “You’re parents bought you your first bike when you were four so you had a year of experience compared to me…”
“I told you that you could try to ride mine but you said that you were too scared.” Jisoo reminded her. “Yeah and I was,” Lisa substantiated, hugging the slightly musty smelling teddy bear closer to her chest. “You were taller than me and I thought I’d fall to my death because your bike was so big.”
“The irony is that you ended hurting yourself more on your bike than you probably would have on mine. You broke your wrist, didn’t you?” Jisoo chuckled and Lisa nodded.
“Yeah, I spent the rest of the day in the emergency room and it took me three months before I could even bring myself to try cycling again.” Jisoo closed the book and settled it on the grass in front of her before rummaging through the chest again.
“There are so many great things in here,” Jisoo said trying to squeeze her head in to her favourite baseball cap which she’d worn every day for two whole months before her parents could convince her to do otherwise. Lisa sat up on to her knees to peer inside the chest and pulled out a notebook. “Is that the log of cat activity we kept when we followed Mrs Reid’s tortoiseshell around the neighbourhood?” Jisoo asked.
“Yeah listen,” Lisa responded, opening the first page and reading the entry aloud.
“Day 1, 10.20am. Misty is licking her paw. It looks like she is enjoying it. Probably stepped in some peanut butter. 10.23am. Misty is now rubbing her paw behind her ear. Probably saving the rest of the peanut butter for later when she’s hungry. Good idea. I’m going to try it.”
“Wait, what does that say?” Jisoo questioned pointing to something highlighted with an asterisk written just below the entry.
“Note: I am hungry. I want a peanut butter sandwich. L.” Lisa laughed, putting the notebook back in the chest. “We were so lame.”
“No we weren’t.” Jisoo disagreed, studying the box before her and reaching over for Lisa’s hand. “You were lame.” She teased, before meeting Lisa’s chocolate eyes. “This is awesome. Thank you. I really love it. All of our favourite things from growing up are in here.” She remarked, moving a few items aside with her free hand. “I know,” Lisa acknowledged.
“I thought that you could have it and give some of the stuff in it to the baby,” she said, rubbing the back of her friends hand with her thumb and handing Jisoo her favourite childhood teddy bear with the other. “I thought there were a lot of good memories in it.” She explained. “I’d hoped that maybe you could share them…you know, when they’re a bit older. Tell them all about our crazy adventures. Maybe it’ll inspire them and their best friend. Then someday maybe they’ll make something similar…” she trailed off reticently.
“You know,” Jisoo said, removing her hand from Lisa’s and instead wrapping it around the younger girls’ shoulders. “I can only hope that my kid is lucky enough to one day have a best friend as amazing as you are.”
“They will,” Lisa said with certainty, blushing at the compliment. “There’s no way they can grow up with a mom as bighearted and as kind as you are without being just as friendly and likeable. They’re going to have more friends then you’ll be able to keep up with.”
“It’s not the quantity that matters. It’s the quality.” Jisoo said seriously. “I’d rather they had one friend like you then twenty who weren’t.”
“Really?” Lisa asked.
“Yes,” Jisoo replied. “In fact, I was talking to Ezra the other day and we decided that we want to name the baby after you.” She told her. “I know the others have been joking about me naming it after one of them but I always knew, ever since I decided to keep it, that I only ever wanted it to have your name.”
“Wait, which one?” Lisa asked trying to make light of the situation at a loss for what else to say. She narrowed her eyes and caused Jisoo to smile.
“Pranpriya,” she answered simply. “I know that you don’t really like it but I do.” Jisoo informed her. “I suppose I could have called her Lalisa or Lisa but I thought that might get confusing when you’re in the same room together. Besides, either name represents the same thing.”
“What’s that?” Lisa questioned.
“Strength, resilience, loyalty, intelligence.” Jisoo listed off easily. “All the qualities I’d want for them to have.” Lisa didn’t really know what to say in response to Jisoo’s gesture because she felt so completely overwhelmed by it. The fact that Jisoo would want to name her child after her was a truly wonderful privilege and she was touched that her best friend had even considered the possibility yet alone decided to act on it.
“What if the baby is a boy?” Lisa asked her, still not knowing what else to say in order to thank her for the distinction. “You can’t really call him Pranpriya, can you?”
“No,” Jisoo laughed. “So we thought we’d call him Liso instead.”
“Liso?” Lisa asked. “Yeah Lisa,” she said emphasising her best friends name.
“Liso” Lisa smiled at the thought Jisoo had obviously put in to this decision and nodded her head.
“Liso,” she repeated. “I think that has a really nice ring to it.”
“So what do you think?” Jisoo asked her. “Is it ok if we name the baby after you?” Lisa didn’t say anything but nodded her head as she wiped at her moist eyes. “Is that a yes?” Jisoo asked and Lisa nodded her head again. “Yeah,” she answered; her voice thick with emotion.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get a better honour than that in my entire life.”
“Then it’s settled.” She remarked, pulling Lisa in to her side further and rubbing her upper arm. Lisa returned the hug and embraced Jisoo in return, her arms enveloping the older girl and holding her tightly as she leant her head against her shoulder.
“Happy birthday Jisoo,” Lisa wished her belatedly, turning her face up to look at her friend.
“Thank you for being conscious for it this year Lisa,” Jisoo joked and Lisa sat back and hit her playfully, causing Jisoo to laugh. “What?” she asked still chuckling. “I mean it. It really helped to make the day more of a celebration.” She mocked and Lisa pushed her again. Jisoo rubbed at her arm dramatically in response to the shove but soon took on a more serious countenance. “Honestly though Lisa thank you for the present.” Jisoo said appreciatively. “You were right. I really do love it.”
“This is only a part of it,” Lisa said, a smug smile appearing on her face. “It is?” Jisoo asked.
“Yes,” Lisa returned. “I was waiting until the settlement from the driver was confirmed before I told you but now that a decision has been made about that I guess I finally can…” She said trailing off thoughtfully. “We’re going to Disneyworld in a few weeks; my parent’s, Jules and I.” Lisa told her. “We wanted you to come with us too… if you want to that is…”
“Are you joking?” Jisoo asked.
“No, I’m serious.” Lisa assured her. “I know you won’t be able to go on some of the rides because of the pregnancy but it’s a chance for you to have one final vacation as a kid before you become a mom.” Jisoo pulled Lisa in to a ginormous bear hug. “Is that a yes?” Lisa asked, repeating her friend’s earlier question back to her. “You want to come too?”
“Yes!” Jisoo said conclusively. “That’s most definitely a ‘yes’” Lisa wrapped her arms around Jisoo’s torso and held her close.
“I love you Jisoo,” Lisa declared. “Thank you for being my big little sister.”
“Great…now I’m crying” Jisoo said laughing, her tears blurring her vision.
“It’s the hormones,” Lisa chuckled, still holding on to Jisoo tightly.
“No it isn’t.” Jisoo disclosed honestly. “It’s because I love you too and I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost you Lisa.”
“You would have been fine.” Lisa said rubbing Jisoo’s back with one hand comfortingly.
“No,” Jisoo responded, shaking her head so that Lisa could feel the movement against her cheek. “I wouldn’t have.” Lisa released Jisoo and held on to her shoulders as she pushed her back to look at her.
“I guess that we could spend the whole day arguing about this if we really wanted to but, it’d be kind of pointless considering…” Lisa stated; smiling as Jisoo wiped at her eyes. “So, how about we go upstairs and you can cheer yourself up watching Jules practice her birthday present for Rosie?”
“Ok,” Jisoo agreed, putting all the treasures from their past back in to the box and closing the lid securely. The two of them stood up and carried the trunk inside, abandoning it in the hallway before going upstairs to find Jules singing to herself in her room. Jisoo stayed with the younger girl whilst Lisa got dressed and after they’d all had breakfast, the three of them busied themselves with preparing for Chaeyoung’s birthday barbecue until it was eventually time for them to leave.
“Here Luca,” Lisa beckoned, patting her thighs with both hands, her posture slightly bent forward. The Springer spaniel bounded over to her enthusiastically and Lisa hooked his leash on to his collar. She handed it to Jisoo to hold and her mom handed Lisa her guitar which she took from her gratefully.
“We’ll see you a bit later on,” Amy said to her daughter who was untwisting the guitar strap in her hands. “Try not to eat all the food before we get there.” She teased as Lisa untangled it and placed it across her shoulders so that the instrument was now resting upside down against her back.
“I won’t,” Lisa replied as she reached down for Jules’s hand protectively. “Are you sure that you don’t want a lift there?” Amy asked glancing back in to the kitchen to check the oven and make sure her cakes weren’t burning.
“No thanks.” Lisa answered. “It’ll be the only chance we get to walk Luca today so we might as well make our own way there.”
“Alright,” she said, kissing Lisa’s forehead gently and then placing another kiss against the top of Jules’s head. “Be careful.”
“We will,” Jules said holding on to Lisa’s hand tightly as she opened the front door. Lisa waved goodbye to her mom and together she, Jisoo, and Jules made the journey to Chaeyoung’s house, stopping outside on the front path when they arrived.
“Ok Jules,” Lisa said, crouching down in front of her sister and placing a hand on her shoulder. “This is your big moment ok?” she continued. “Are you ready?” Jules nodded and Lisa reached in to her sister’s backpack and retrieved one of Luca’s tennis balls. Lisa stood back up and faced the house, launching the small projectile up at Chaeyoung’s bedroom window with her right hand, missing it by a mile.
“Want me to do it?” Jisoo offered and Lisa reached in to the bag to remove another ball hidden inside.
“No I can do it.” Lisa said defensively, remembering how she’d managed to throw her pill bottle so effortlessly in to her waste paper basket only a few short days ago.
“If you say so,” Jisoo laughed and Lisa threw the new ball at the window again, the small missile hitting it firmly in the centre of the glass. Lisa gave Jisoo a haughty look.
“You do know that isn’t Chaeyoung’s bedroom window, right?” Jisoo laughed.
“What? Of course it is.” Lisa refuted.
“Nope,” Jisoo said simply as the window opened to reveal Chaeyoung’s mom, Rosalie.
“Lisa?” she said, leaning out the now open gap and glancing at the trio which stood in her front garden.
“Oh…Hi Mrs Park,” Lisa greeted, her cheeks blushing profusely in her embarrassment.
“What are you three doing?” Chaeyoung’s mom laughed.
“We’re….uh….you see…” Lisa stuttered feeling mortified. “It’s just…”
“If you’re after Chaeyoung she’s next door,” Rosalie said, pointing at the window one over and then disappearing from view for the briefest of moments. Just as she returned to her previous position Chaeyoung opened her bedroom window and peered out of it, the smile plastered on her face making her eyes sparkle luminously.
“Lili?” Chaeyoung said chuckling as she surveyed the scene beneath her. “What are you up to?”
“Nothing,” Lisa said as Jules shouted, “Happy Birthday Chaeyoung!” at the top of her lungs and clapped her hands nosily together, drowning out the older girl almost completely. The youngster bounced up on to the balls of her feet excitedly and tugged on Lisa’s arm in order to urge her in to action.
“Ok, ok…” Lisa said in response to Jules’s pleas, glancing back up at Chaeyoung who had leant her elbows on the window frame. She watched as Lisa spun her guitar around her torso so that it was now in front of her and Jules hurriedly removed Ailuj, Lisa’s stuffed unicorn toy, from her backpack as her sister started to play a few chords on the instrument. Lisa stumbled over the first couple and internally cursed herself at the error.
“Damn it,” Lisa muttered as she paused momentarily to stretch out the fingers of her left hand.
“Come on!” Jules said animatedly, motioning for Lisa to play again and the older Manoban complied, repeating the same sequence of chords more accurately on the second attempt.
“Unicorns I love them. Unicorns I love them. Uniuniunicorns, I love them. Uniunicorns, I could pet one if they were really real. And they are! So I bought one so I could pet it. Lalalala.” Jules sang loudly, holding up Ailuj as Lisa played her made up accompaniment to the song her sister had plagiarised from Despicable Me. Jules repeated the same lyrics again a second time before changing them to something more original. “Happy birthday unicorn. I love uniunicorns. Happy birthday unicorn. I love them!” Jules finished and both Chaeyoung and her mom clapped the girls’ performance from their high vantage point. Jules looked at Lisa who was also clapping and took a low, overly dramatic bow causing the older girl to laugh.
“Jules wait there for me, ok?” Chaeyoung called down, pointing at the younger girl before disappearing out of sight. Rosalie followed suit and a few moments later the front door of Chaeyoung’s house opened and the browneyed girl emerged and made her way over to where the trio remained standing. As soon as the door was open Jules ran over to Chaeyoung and threw her arms around her waist, Ailuj now forgotten and discarded on the ground by Lisa’s feet.
“Happy birthday unicorn!” Jules wished the older girl and Chaeyoung crouched down to hug her.
“Thank you for the birthday song,” Chaeyoung told her sincerely, relaxing her hold on the seven year olds small form.
“Did you like it?” she asked.
“I loved it.” Chaeyoung replied as Lisa approached, Ailuj in hand and her guitar slung around her back again.
“Don’t ask me why she chose that song,” Lisa said in greeting, holding the stuffed toy out for her sister to take. “She said that you’d know why she had…”
“I do,” Chaeyoung shared. “It’s mine and Jules’s secret, isn’t it?” Chaeyoung asked the youngster, standing up as Jisoo and Luca came to a stop beside them.
“Yep,” Jules said, squashing Ailuj in her arms. Lisa looked between Chaeyoung and Jules.
“Should I even ask?” Lisa questioned, raising an eyebrow.
“It’s probably best that you don’t.” Chaeyoung responded, taking a step closer to her girlfriend and enclosing her neck with her arms. “Hey.” She said alluringly in greeting.
“Hi,” Lisa reciprocated, her hands instinctively finding their way around Chaeyoung’s hips. She pulled the browneyed girl closer against her and kissed her deeply on the lips. “Happy birthday,” Lisa said warmly, one corner of her mouth curving up in to her familiar crooked smile.
“Thanks,” Chaeyoung said as Lisa tilted her head forward and kissed her again. Her mouth lingered against the soft flesh of her girlfriend’s and Lisa darted her tongue inside Chaeyoung’s lips so that it tousled with the browneyed girls’ keenly.
“Ahem,” Jisoo cleared her throat and Chaeyoung reluctantly separated from Lisa to look at her friend. “Aloha,” the Korean said once she had Chaeyoung’s attention. “What am I? Invisible?”
“I wish,” Chaeyoung kidded, letting go of Lisa to hug the other girl.
“Happy birthday,” Jisoo wished.
“Did you get me something good?” Chaeyoung questioned and Jisoo indicated Lisa on her right.
“I brought you Lisa,” Jisoo quipped.
“So then…you did.” Chaeyoung said thoughtfully, grinning at Jisoo who rolled her eyes.
“Oh geez,” she groaned. “Here we go.”
“Are you going to kiss again?” Jules asked, tugging on Chaeyoung’s shirt and looking up at her sister and the other older girl.
“Jules!” Jisoo chortled. “What have you been doing? Hanging around with Somi?” she asked. “I didn’t realise you enjoyed watching them kiss so much. I’m going to have to keep my eye on you in the future.”
“You made them kiss before,” Jules complained, referring back to the time Lisa had been in hospital over Christmas.
“Yes but I’m allowed,” Jisoo informed her jovially. “I’m the captain of the Chaelisa ship and you’re the…you’re the first mate…” she said. “The first mate can’t make them kiss. Only the captain can do that and I’ve just eaten. Give me a few minutes for my stomach to settle ok?”
“What’s a Chaelisa ship?” Jules asked, looking confused. “You know what, don’t worry about it.” Jisoo said, “I’m going to take Luca inside to get some water.”
“Bye,” Jules said waving at Jisoo.
“Oh no,” Jisoo said, giving Lisa and Chaeyoung a pointed look as she took hold of the young girls’ roving hand in her own. “You’re coming too.”
“What? Why?” Jules asked.
“Just…come on,” Jisoo encouraged, pulling an unwilling Jules behind her as she made her way inside.
“So,” Lisa said, returning her hands to their previous resting place around Chaeyoung’s waist. “Are you seriously not going to tell me about this whole unicorn thing?”
“Maybe one day I will.” Chaeyoung answered; her tone noncommittal.
“Not today though?” Lisa asked her and Chaeyoung smiled brightly at the question.
“No,” she said kissing Lisa’s forehead over her scar. “Not today.”
“Did you get any good presents for your birthday?” Lisa asked her, changing the subject as she rocked Chaeyoung in her arms gently from side to side.
“Yeah,” Chaeyoung replied. “I did.” she said, kissing Lisa beneath the jaw, her hands finding their way to her girlfriend’s cheeks so that she could tilt her head up and expose her throat further. She placed a delicate kiss against the hollow of Lisa’s neck and felt the younger girl swallow hard in response to the sensation.
“W…what did you…g…get?” Lisa probed struggling to concentrate while Chaeyoung was trailing kisses back along her jaw line.
“Money,” Chaeyoung whispered as her mouth came to hover by Lisa’s ear, her hot breath causing a shiver to run down the length of the browneyed girl’s spine. “Clothes.” She continued, her voice still lowered and strangely seductive despite the words it spoke. “A new softball mitt.” She murmured, kissing Lisa’s neck again. “You…” she finished flirtatiously. Lisa gulped.
“J…J…Jisoo’s…good with…g..gifts.” Lisa stuttered feeling flustered as one of Chaeyoung’s hands pushed up the front of her tshirt and the other groped at her buttock.
“I kind of love it when you stutter because you’re all hot and bothered.” Chaeyoung admitted; sucking lightly on the spot just above her girlfriend’s collar bone, one hand now stretching the fabric of Lisa’s top to expose the supple skin beneath the neck line whilst the other moved round to fiddle with the button on her denim shorts. “It’s a nice change from you stuttering because you’re stressed.” She smiled against Lisa’s flesh.
“Y…yeah…w…well…I kind of l…love it…when I…c…can…breathe,” Lisa stammered, her eyes closed. She felt Chaeyoung’s hand move to the side of her face and her girlfriend connected their lips and kissed her deeply, her tongue roaming expertly inside Lisa’s mouth. Lisa sank in to the kiss, her chest pressing against Chaeyoung’s firmly as the taller girl sucked on her tongue and tickled the roof of her mouth, the fingertips of her right hand grazing the scarred skin of Lisa’s left side tenderly having abandoned the fastening on her shorts momentarily.
“I’ve paid to watch things less pornographic than this,” Kai said interrupting the moment and causing Lisa to snap her head back so fast that she was almost positive she’d just given herself whiplash. “Hi Lisa.” He said; a huge smile splashed across his features, his arms crossed over his chest as he quirked up an eyebrow. Lisa coughed at the air caught in her throat and the taste of Chaeyoung still stayed painfully on her lips.
“H…h…hi.” She managed to choke out, shaking her head from side to side in order to clear it, causing him to chortle heartily.
“Sorry,” he apologised holding up one hand. “Don’t let me stop you guys. Carry on as you were.”
“Jesus,” Chaeyoung groaned, rubbing Lisa on the back pacifyingly with one hand to try and help her catch her breath. “Why is everyone that we know a complete pervert?” Chaeyoung complained, removing her other hand from Lisa’s stomach as a car pulled up at the curb and Somi and Jennie got out. “Speaking of…” she said, putting on a smile and offering them a wave. Lisa cleared her throat again and met Kai’ gaze as Chaeyoung stepped out of her hold and approached her two friends. Chaeyoung’s brother walked over and stood next to her so that they were shoulder to shoulder, his eyes watching Chaeyoung as she hugged the other two girls’ who were offering her the gifts that they held in their hands.
“Do you need a drink of water?” he asked Lisa who was still facing towards the house.
“Actually…” Lisa started, swallowing hard, her voice raspy and hoarse as she turned her head to look at him.
“I think I do.” Kai met her gaze and laughed, nodding his head in approval, an amused smile on his face.
“I’m not surprised. I was getting thirsty just looking at you,” he commented, winking. “I seriously need to get myself a girlfriend.”
“Perhaps if you weren’t so depraved you’d have one.” Lisa stated, punching him on the arm as he flinched away from her. “There’s something seriously wrong with you wanting to watch your sister make out with her girlfriend.”
“I’m a teenage boy,” he said in his defence, still covering his upper arm with his hand protectively. “We’d pretty much watch anything. Besides, from the back you couldn’t even tell it was her.”
“Oh my God,” Lisa returned, making a face. Kai was about to say something in response to Lisa’s objection but was beaten to the post by Chaeyoung.
“Hey Lili,” Chaeyoung called, drawing her girlfriend’s attention to her as she made her way back towards the younger girl.
“Yeah,” Lisa breathed as Chaeyoung wandered along the garden path towards her. Somi and Jennie waved at Lisa in greeting and she returned the gesture easily.
“Hi guys,” she greeted warmly.
“Are you alright?” Chaeyoung asked perceptively, forgetting the earlier question she was going to ask her girlfriend when she saw Lisa’s countenance. A soft chuckle escaped her lips at the sight of Lisa looking so rattled.
“I don’t think so.” Lisa answered truthfully; still completely bewildered by everything that had happened in the last five minutes. Chaeyoung linked her free arm with Lisa’s as she came alongside her and she started to lead her back in the direction of the house; Somi and Jennie following closely behind them talking to Kai enthusiastically.
“Why what’s wrong?” Chaeyoung questioned.
“Don’t ask,” Lisa chuckled as they came to a stop just by the front door.
“Aren’t you guys coming in?” Somi asked as Kai stepped around Chaeyoung and made his way back inside.
“Just give us a minute,” Chaeyoung requested of her friend.
“No problem,” Somi agreed, reaching forward to take Chaeyoung’s gifts from her. “I’ll take these inside. That way you’ll have your hands free…”
“Somi,” Lisa grumbled and the younger girl winked at her before entering Chaeyoung’s house.
“Take your time you two,” Jennie added as she disappeared behind Somi.
“Can we relocate somewhere?” Lisa asked as Chaeyoung took both her girlfriend’s hands in her own.
“Sure,” Chaeyoung agreed, moving both of Lisa’s hands round to the small of her back as she pulled her in to her. “Where do you want to go?”
“Anywhere that all these sexual deviants that we call friends and family are not,” Lisa said seriously. Chaeyoung laughed at her girlfriend’s agitated expression and traced the outline of the scar on her forehead as she studied her features.
“Yeah but babe,” she started, lowering her voice slightly, her tone soft, “you’ll still be there.” She said pointedly.
“What are you trying to say?” Lisa asked shrewdly and Chaeyoung placed a hand on the back of Lisa’s head and drew it forward so that she could kiss her tenderly just above her right eye.
“Nothing,” she replied lightly. “I’m not trying to say anything at all.”
“Good because I still have your birthday present to give you,” Lisa replied suggestively, meeting her eyes again. “So you might want to be careful what you say…”
“Why?” Chaeyoung asked playing along and compressing Lisa in her arms tightly. “What did you get me?”
“You’re just going to have to wait and see aren’t you?” Lisa teased, bringing her mouth closer to Chaeyoung’s. The taller girl tried to move her head forward to kiss Lisa but the browneyed girl retreated away from the contact, eyeing Chaeyoung mischievously. “Don’t you have any selfcontrol?” She asked and Chaeyoung pulled Lisa in to her once more, her mouth almost, but not quite meeting her girlfriends who had turned her head at the last minute.
“Sure I do,” Chaeyoung responded unconvincingly, opting to quickly kiss Lisa on her exposed cheek instead. “It’s just that I seem to have misplaced it…temporarily of course….you know how careless I can be sometimes…” she rambled, kissing the side of Lisa’s neck repeatedly, her girlfriend squirming to try and free herself from the assault but failing, Chaeyoung’s arms clamped around her torso tightly.
“Rosie,” Lisa said giggling, the high pitched noise sounding far too girly and unusual coming out of her mouth. “Stop it,” she halfheartedly protested, pushing her hands against Chaeyoung’s chest.
“I’ll stop it when you stop being so attractive.” She proposed before capturing Lisa’s lips in her mouth as she struggled in her grasp. Lisa, caught off guard, allowed herself to get lost in the kiss, her body relaxing instantly, all thought of escape vanishing when her girlfriend’s mouth was pressed so gratifyingly against her own. “This is your fault really,” Chaeyoung exhaled against Lisa’s skin as she kissed beneath her jaw and sucked on her pulse point. “You can’t blame me for my lack of selfcontrol when you come over to my house looking like this.”
“I always look this this,” Lisa reminded her, taking Chaeyoung’s mouth in her own again for a moment.
“I know,” Chaeyoung breathed, her mouth hovering just in front of her girlfriend’s whilst her hand pushed up the hem of Lisa’s tightfitting tshirt again to expose her stomach, “and it’s a massive problem for me.” Lisa’s eyes fell to Chaeyoung’s lips and she licked her bottom one briefly before biting down on it hard.
“Rosie…” Lisa pleaded as her girlfriend’s hand moved up to rest over the side of her chest. “Mmhmm,” Chaeyoung responded, exhaling deeply so that Lisa could practically taste her girlfriend in the particles of air she’d expelled.
“I fucking hate you sometimes,” Lisa sputtered, finally succumbing to Chaeyoung’s advances and bringing their mouths together, pushing up on her toes to force their lips more firmly against one another as she deepened the kiss pleasurably. She thrust Chaeyoung up against the side of the house by the door, pinning her there with her hips as one hand came to rest on her neck, the other fixed firmly around her right buttock. Chaeyoung’s hands found their way up under Lisa’s tshirt where they roamed her back freely, knocking against her guitar from time to time in their wandering. Lisa felt Chaeyoung smile against her lips and parted the two of them, her pupils dilated as their eyes met. Chaeyoung lightly brushed one of Lisa’s upper arms and smiled at her girlfriend happily.
“You know you’ve got your work cut out for you Lili,” Chaeyoung teased cheerfully as she caught her breath. “I don’t know how your gift is going to beat Jisoo’s.” She joked. “She’s clearly winning in the present giving department so far.”
“Please,” Lisa scoffed. “Jisoo’s got nothing on me.”
“Prove it,” Chaeyoung challenged her.
“I will.” Lisa accepted smugly. “Just, not right now…” she said; the insinuation clear. “You can have the rest of my present later.”
“I don’t know if I can wait until later.” Chaeyoung admitted, leaning her upper torso back but pressing her hips against Lisa’s further.
“Well, you’re going to have to.” Lisa notified Chaeyoung, tapping her softly on the nose with the point of her index finger. “So you should probably go and find that selfcontrol that you ‘misplaced.’” She suggested, making air quotations with her hands as she stood back and side stepped round Chaeyoung in to the house. Chaeyoung smiled to herself and followed in Lisa’s wake, pushing herself away from the side of the house to join the rest of her assembled visitors in the kitchen with her mom, brother and younger sister Alice. Her dad was outside preparing the barbecue while Chaeyoung opened her gifts from her friends, including the real one that Jisoo had bought her which had been tucked away in Jules’s rucksack for safe keeping. It was later, when the rest of the party guests started to arrive and the celebrations really began to get in to full swing that Lisa, two guitars in her hands, sauntered over to where Chaeyoung was sitting with the others.
“Lili, why do you have my guitar?” Chaeyoung asked her, lowering the glass of juice she’d been about to drink on to the garden table so she could reach for the instrument hesitantly.
“I want to sing a duet,” Lisa said, placing her own over her shoulder again.
“What? Now?” Chaeyoung questioned surprised. “You mean…here…in front of everyone?”
“Yeah,” Lisa replied.
“Alright, nice try Lili,” Chaeyoung laughed, placing her guitar down on the ground at her feet. “Pull the other one, ok? I’m not stupid. You were just saying a few weeks ago that you’d never do that. You said that you don’t sing in public…”
“I know I did,” Lisa recognised, cutting her off, “but I thought that seeing as I’m starting my life over again perhaps I should try something new.” She said a little anxiously. “Besides, if I remember correctly you told me that if I ever got good enough again that you’d love to play guitar together.” Chaeyoung studied Lisa closely, looking for any falsehood in her words and finding none. She clearly remembered the day that Lisa was referring to, back when they had been nothing more than friends. They’d been in the younger girl’s bedroom with Jisoo after a particularly bad day for Lisa and Chaeyoung had helped her now girlfriend to pick up her guitar for the first time since the accident. The two of them had worked their way through Demi Lovato’s ‘Heart Attack’ together and the smile that had appeared on Lisa’s face at the small accomplishment had made Chaeyoung feel as though she’d just won a million dollars on the lottery she’d been so overjoyed to see it.
“I’m not joking Rosie,” Lisa said seriously, noting her girlfriend’s hesitation. “I want to sing a duet with you. It’s a part of your birthday present…” Chaeyoung still didn’t look convinced by Lisa’s words so the younger girl walked over to the stereo player which was blaring out ‘The Script’ and turned it off. She plucked at her guitar strings as the conversation around her started to die down, the realisation that the music had stopped sinking in to the gathered guests. Lisa waited hopefully, her eyes fixed on Chaeyoung who sat with the rest of their group and Jules. When the other girl didn’t stand up to join her, Lisa glanced around at the people jotted all over the backyard and thought it best that she said something in answer to their questioning looks.
“Sorry to…umm…interrupt…but…I…well…ok…so…if you know me, then…well…you know that I don’t really do this…ever…” Lisa started, looking around at the faces who were now watching her intently, her eyes lowering to the ground every so often in her shyness, “but…well…Chaeyoung was the first person that really made me believe that I could ever play the guitar again…you know…when I injured my hand…” she shared, not divulging her whole backstory because she was aware that not everyone present knew it. “So…I want to play a song…you know…with her…if that’s ok?” she asked timidly. “Kind of as a…thank you…I guess…” she explained. Lisa looked back at Chaeyoung who sat examining her, unmoving and she noticed her sister’s eyes skimming between the two of them worriedly. On meeting Lisa’s gaze, Jules stood up from her seat determinedly and picked up Chaeyoung’s guitar, holding it out to her when the other girl still didn’t budge.
“Here,” Jules said, smiling brightly as Chaeyoung’s eyes fell on her. “She’s really good, I promise.” The youngster reassured Chaeyoung and the older girl took the instrument and stood up, making her way slowly over to Lisa.
“WOOO!” Jisoo shouted clapping loudly watching the spectacle unfold. “Get it Lisa!”
“Yeah, you got this!” Jennie encouraged. “Lili, are you sure about this?” Chaeyoung asked quietly, slipping her guitar strap over her shoulder as she came to stand beside her girlfriend. “Yeah,” Lisa said; her nerves palpable. “I can do this…I mean…it’s just me and you here right?” she asked and Chaeyoung smiled. “Yeah, it’s just me and you.” Chaeyoung lied helpfully. “Ok, so…I’ll just…I’ll look at you and then it’ll be fine…” Lisa impelled herself, looking at the guitar in her hands. Chaeyoung placed the palm of her hand on Lisa’s reassuringly.
“Lili you know that don’t have to do this?” she told her and Lisa looked around at the spectators faces indecisively.
“I know but…I want to.” She replied simply.
“Ok,” Chaeyoung said. “As long as you’re sure though?” Lisa looked around the backyard once more before nodding her head in the affirmative. “I’m sure.”
“Alright, so what are we going to play?” Chaeyoung asked already having a vague idea. She adjusted her guitar to a more comfortable position and Lisa just gave her a small smile in answer to the question as she started to play the instrument, the music that filled Chaeyoung’s ears making her eyes moisten automatically. After a few bars had passed, Lisa started to sing, her eyes fixing on Chaeyoung’s and never leaving them.
“All I knew this morning when I woke, is I know something now, know something now, I didn’t before.
And all I’ve seen since eighteen hours ago, is brown eyes and freckles in your smile, in the back of my mind making me feel like…
I just wanna know you better, know you better, know you better now.
I just wanna know you better, know you better, know you better now…”
Chaeyoung could see the way Lisa’s hands shook and hear the slight catch in her voice caused by her anxieties, so she took a step towards the younger girl, supporting her in the best way that she could. She strummed on her own guitar, picking up the tune as she joined in with her girlfriend, their voices blending together in harmony as Chaeyoung started singing.
“I just wanna know you better now, know you better, know you better now.
I just wanna know you, know you, know you.
‘Cause all I know is we said ‘Hello.”
And your eyes look like coming home.
All I know is a simple name.
Everything has changed.
All I know is you held the door, you’ll be mine and I’ll be yours.
All I know since yesterday is everything has changed.”
Lisa swallowed hard, her hands still playing the instrument in them as she gave Chaeyoung a small, tentative nod to continue.
“And all my walls, stood tall painted blue.
And I’ll take them down, take them down and open up the door for you.”
Chaeyoung went on, stepping closer to Lisa, trying to reassure her.
“And all I feel in my stomach is butterflies, the beautiful kind, making up for lost time, taking flight, making me feel right.”
Chaeyoung held Lisa’s gaze as her girlfriend joined in once again.
“I just wanna know you better, know you better, know you better now.
I just wanna know you better, know you better, know you better now.
I just wanna know you better, know you better, know you better now.”
Lisa’s speech faltered for a moment as she glanced at the people watching the performance, but Chaeyoung pressed on, the browneyed girl soon catching back up again when her chocolate eyes darted back and met Chaeyoung’s ones.
“’Cause all I know is we said, ‘Hello.’
And your eyes look like coming.
All I know is a simple name.
Everything has changed.
All I know is you held the door.
And you’ll be mine and I’ll be yours.
All I know since yesterday is everything has changed.
Come back and tell me why, I’m feeling like I’ve missed you all this time.
And meet me there tonight, and let me know that it’s not all in my mind.”
Chaeyoung nodded her head up and down, prompting Lisa to sing by herself, encouraging her silently, a warm, delighted smile on her face at the pride that welled up within her as her eyes fell on to Lisa’s left hand which was struggling to keep up but still managing it despite its impairments.
“I just wanna know you better, know you better, know you better now.
I just wanna know you, know you, know you…
All I know is we said, “Hello.”
And your eyes look like coming home.
All I know is a simple name.
Everything has changed.
All I know is you held the door and you’ll be mine and I’ll be yours.
All I know since yesterday is everything has changed.”
Chaeyoung’s voice merged with Lisa’s again.
“All I know is we said, ‘Hello.’
So dust off your highest hopes.
All I know is pouring rain and everything has changed.
All I know is a new found grace.
All my days I’ll know your face.
All I know since yesterday is everything has changed.”
Lisa finished, heaving a huge sigh of relief as she strummed a few final notes, a large, all encompassing grin breaking out across her face as the crowd around her clapped. Lisa caught sight of her mom and Rosalie standing together by the kitchen door and they both smiled in her direction when their eyes met. Lisa reciprocated the gesture but dropped her gaze to the floor, feeling more than a little selfconscious. Chaeyoung released her guitar and moved it around so that it rested across her back. She took a step forward and pulled both her girlfriend and the instrument she held in to a heartfelt embrace, her chin settling against Lisa’s shoulder, her arms crushing her enthusiastically. Chaeyoung turned her face and planted a quick kiss against Lisa’s cheek, a small audible laugh escaping her lips.
“That’s the song I wanted us to sing together at prom,” Chaeyoung whispered in to her ear happily.
“I know,” Lisa nodded against her, finding it difficult to reciprocate Chaeyoung’s hug because of the cumbersome guitar between them. “I’m sorry I was late…again,” she added laughing, “but…that was so fucking scary…” she admitted.
“You weren’t late,” Chaeyoung assured her. “You’re never late, you’re just…you get everywhere in your own time…that’s all.”
“Thank you for singing with me,” Lisa said grateful for her girlfriend’s support.
“Well, I couldn’t just leave you hanging could I?” she asked, releasing her hold on Lisa. “I mean, it’s not like I have a valid excuse like you did…”
“Rosie,” Lisa groaned in objection to the reference, looking back around at the crowd who had already started to resume their previous conversations.
“Babe, I’m just messing with you,” Chaeyoung promised as Jisoo, Somi and Jennie came over, the Korean patting her best friend on the back to get her attention.
“Well done Lisa,” Somi praised animatedly, taking Lisa’s hand in her own.
“Yeah, you rock Lisa.” Jisoo seconded. “Who knew that we were living in an episode of Glee? All we need is that piano guy…what’s his name?” she asked, a puzzled look on her face as she pondered it. “Doesn’t matter,” she said, shaking her head, unable to recall it. “Seriously though, first it was Chaeyoung at prom and now you…what’s going to happen next?” she questioned, considering something witty to say. “Is Somi going to break out in to ‘Like a Virgin’?” Lisa gave Jisoo a look, scrunching up her face.
“It’d be more ironic if you did.” Lisa said laughing. “I think it’d be funnier if Somi performed ‘I wish.”
“I wish?” Somi asked, not able to recollect the song. “Yeah, you know…‘I wish I was a little bit taller….I wish I was a baller…’”
“Oh my God, that is perfect!” Jennie laughed.
“I don’t know why you’re laughing Jendeukie,” Somi chuckled despite being the butt of the joke, “you’d sing that cat lady song from Youtube.”
“What cat lady song?” Jennie queried.
“Oh I know!” Jisoo said, bopping her head as she started to sing.
“I love cats, I love every kind of cat, I just wanna hug all them but I can’t…can’t hug every cat…”
Jisoo started dancing and everyone except Jennie laughed.
“Screw you all,” she groaned, still annoyed that she was thought of as the spinster of the group. “I’m not going to grow old with fifty cats.”
“Not with that attitude,” Chaeyoung mocked as Lisa stepped over to the table and placed her guitar on top of it out of the way.
“I hate each and every one of you,” Jennie said, huffing in pretend dislike. “I’m going to hang around with Jules from now on. At least she doesn’t abuse me like this.”
“You’ll get on well with her,” Lisa said dryly. “Jules loves cats.” Jennie glared at Lisa spiritedly.
“You all suck,” Jennie said dismissively, lifting up one hand and making her way back over to where Jules was talking energetically with Alice. “Later losers.”
“On that note, I’m going to put some music back on.” Jisoo commented, taking a minute to look at the stereo a few feet away. She shrugging before heading over to scroll through Chaeyoung’s iPod, probably in search of some Destiny’s Child.
“I’m going to go and intervene in her DJ session,” Somi told them shaking her head. “I’ve listened to enough Beyoncé to last me a lifetime. Do you have any Justin Timberlake?”
“Probably.” Chaeyoung replied, shaking her head, thinking that she’d heard enough Justin Timberlake to last her a lifetime as well.
“Excellent,” Somi said; joining Jisoo, the two of them almost instantly getting in to a heated debate about which song they should play.
“I am going to take this upstairs,” Chaeyoung said to Lisa half sighing as she pulled her guitar back round so that it sat across her front. “Then I’ll come back down and you can help me check the cake for booby traps. I don’t trust Jisoo not to have tampered with it after you put a balloon in hers.” Lisa couldn’t stop a crooked smile from appearing on her face at the memory.
“’Booby traps’ sounds so inappropriate in my head.” She commented chuckling and Chaeyoung rolled her eyes.
“I’ll be right back,” she informed Lisa ignoring her previous comment. “Don’t go anywhere,” she instructed, pointing her index finger at the browneyed girl.
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Lisa said mischievously and Chaeyoung eyed her suspiciously before making her way in to the house and up the stairs to her room. Chaeyoung had just finished putting her guitar back on the stand in her bedroom and was about to leave again when she heard the floor board creak behind her and she turned around to find Lisa leaning her weight back against her bedroom door, one hand wrapped around the handle as she rocked back on to her heels. It audibly clicked in to place and Lisa’s hand moved down to quickly twist the key in the lock and secure them inside.
“What are you do…” Chaeyoung started, choking on her words when Lisa reached down and unabashedly pulled off her tshirt to reveal the soft contours of her torso and the black bra that she wore.
“…ing?” she finished, her eyes growing wide as Lisa discarded it on to the floor.
“Lili?” she asked, stunned.