Painted Faces

Jennie has many questions running through her brain as she idly picks at the books in her locker. She doesn’t really need anything from inside, but Lisa and Chaeyoung are down the hallway and Jennie would rather not run into them.

Lisa’s presence is what has her thinking too much. Jennie is just desperate for answers from herself. When did she start having an interest in girls? Or does she even like girls? Perhaps Lisa is simply an outlier. Also, what did Lisa put on her face last night? 

“Jennie?” 

She jumps, knuckle scraping against the cool metal in her haste to remove her hand from the locker. “What?”

Jisoo is looking at her strangely. “I’ve been calling your name for the past minute. Are you okay?”

Jennie takes a deep breath, nodding in a hurry. “Yeah, of course. Nothing wrong.”

Jisoo blinks at her. “Nothing is wrong, huh? You were just staring into your locker like a weirdo and pulled all the skin off your knuckles because nothing is wrong?”

Jennie pulls her hand up, noting that yes, she’s scraped her skin and is now bleeding. “Oh, my bad.”

Jisoo grabs her finger gently, looking far too worried for a Monday morning. “Hang on, Chaeyoung carries around band aids, right?”

Jennie wants to laugh at that, because Chaeyoung does carry band aids after years of tripping over nothing and hurting herself, but a larger part of her panics because with Chaeyoung comes Lisa.

“No!” Jennie scrambles for an excuse, finally just wiping the blood on the bottom of her shirt. “See? It’s fine.”

Jisoo gapes at her. “You did not just wipe blood all over your designer shirt. Oh my gosh. Who are you? What have you done with my best friend?”

Jennie pushes her by the shoulder, a playful scoff escaping her lips. She doesn’t offer Jisoo an answer, taking her by the hand and pulling her in the opposite direction of the two down the hall. Perhaps Jisoo can distract her.

The rest of the hallway parts when Jennie takes the center, strutting in a way that screams at the rest to move out of her way. Jisoo follows like the loyal best friend is, smiling at the kids that Jennie ignores.

She recognizes most of their faces, it’s hard not to when Jennie has been locked in these walls with them for years, but she can’t place names to many faces, just the few that she remembers from classes or the ones that frequent the parties around town. The same can’t be said for the rest of them, they all know Jennie in one way or another.

Jennie, the volleyball star that’s led the school’s team to championship after championship. Jennie, the rich girl whose mommy and daddy live in the biggest house of the nicest neighborhood across town and wears Gucci on a regular Tuesday. Jennie, the pretty girl that the boys all flock to.

Jisoo elbows her, nodding to their left. “He’s watching again.”

Jennie doesn’t bother glancing in his direction, already knowing who is watching them. “Just ignore it.”

She suddenly dreads the day Hyunjin finally approaches her and asks her out. Not because he’s not nice, the complete opposite actually. Jennie likes Hyunjin, he’s nice to her and doesn’t treat her like half of the student body, but she’ll have to hurt him by turning him down now.

Jisoo shrugs. “You should give him a chance. He would treat you well.”

So would Lisa , is Jennie’s first thought. She immediately shakes that away, cursing Jisoo for only making her questionable thoughts return again. Damn her.

“I’m just not interested in him.” Jennie sighs.

Her best friend eyes her once again, and it almost makes Jennie angry because she knows Jisoo has somehow picked something up that Jennie doesn’t want her to.

“But?” Jisoo pushes.

Jennie scowls, scaring some underclassmen that nearly crashes into her. The scowl was meant for Jisoo, not the stumbling fool, but Jennie doesn’t even attempt to clear that up. She knows another rumor about her being an evil monster will be floating around because of it soon enough.

“But nothing.” Jennie spits out, her ire rising every face she catches staring at her.

Jisoo hums, that condescending hum that means she sees right past Jennie. “Right. I’m just saying, usually you say ‘I don’t have time for dating’ or ‘No one around here will love me right’ when I ask you about boys lately. You said you weren’t interested in him . So… who is it? Jackson? Jungkook? Jae?”

“Can you name someone whose name doesn’t start with a J?” Jennie snarks playfully. She should be irritated by Jisoo’s pestering, but her best friend does know how to push her without actually pushing her. She guesses that it comes from their years of pissing each other off on accident; they’ve learned what buttons not to push and Jennie has a big red button that says steer clear when it comes to her romantic prospects.

“So their name doesn’t start with a J? Good to know. That crosses out like forty percent of my guesses.”

Jennie smiles, noticing Jisoo drop the line of questions. She has no doubt that Jisoo will come back with a new list, but she’s safe for now. Besides, she’s somehow managed to not think about the Lisa thing for a solid five minutes and that is a plus.

Now if she can just find a way for that five minutes to turn into the rest of her life.

---

Jennie is happy to leave the friendly captain stuff to Nayeon, she’s much better at interacting with people than Jennie is. It’s why they make a good team, she supposes. Jennie is the ace, the one that pushes them harder and harder, Nayeon is the social butterfly, the one that comforts them when Jennie pushes too hard.

They make a pretty good team, and had Nayeon not been her number one rival on the court, she thinks that they might even be good friends, but Jennie can’t let her Volleyball scholarship slip through her finger, even for someone like Im Nayeon.

Her scholarship is important to her, much more important than a possible friendship. Everyone knows Jennie will be going to college after high school, even with her bad grades. Jennie is just determined to make her own way there with an athletics scholarship rather than her parents' money, which is what everyone else is expecting of her.

“You’re distracted today.” Is Nayeon’s greeting once the rest of the girl’s shuffle off toward the changing room. “Everything okay?”

Jennie wishes Nayeon weren’t so nice all the time. It would be easier to dismiss her if she were a jerk. “I’m okay. Thank you for checking.”

She expects Nayeon to walk away, but the girl doesn’t move, offering Jennie her water bottle instead. Jennie hesitates, but her dry throat screams at her to accept the gesture of camaraderie, and so she does, chugging half the bottle down. She wipes the water on her chin with the bottom of her shirt, ignoring the cheers from the benches.

Nayeon’s gaze follows the noise. “I could kick them out, you know.”

“They’re not why I’m distracted.” 

“So you admit you’ve been distracted.” Jennie wants to curse at the triumphant look on Nayeon’s dumb face, but the girl merely shrugs at her. “It still has to be annoying that they sit and stare at you the entire time.”

Jennie thinks about it for half a second, but shakes her head in refusal. “No thanks. It’ll piss them off more than anything. Don’t need more people talking about how much of a bitch I am for kicking them out of the gym.”

Nayeon hesitates for a moment, eyeing the gathered group of boys. “You’re not a bitch for wanting privacy.” Jennie thinks she might be done, but Nayeon continues with a cheeky grin. “You are a bitch for drinking all my water though.”

Jennie smacks her in the stomach, not hard enough to hurt, and waves her off. Nayeon lets her go, but Jennie can feel her gaze on her all the way to the locker rooms. 

The other girls offer her a half hearted greeting when she stumbles in. Jennie returns it, but she doubts they care. It’s more of a formality than anything, and Jennie is okay with that. She’s fine with being the outsider that only hears the whispers of gossip between the others. Really, she’s fine.

Jennie is the only one left when Nayeon finally decides to join the locker room. Nayeon gives her a pat on the back, and it’s a lot more friendly than anything she got from the rest of the girl, but Jennie merely gives her the same halfhearted smile that the others got.

She slips out while Nayeon is still changing, a bit shocked when she walks out to find the group of teenage boys gone. She can’t remember the last time she got to leave the locker rooms to silence. She’s used to being cat called as she walks out, a scowl her only way to prevent them from approaching her.

She thinks about going back to thank Nayeon, because this is no doubt her doing, but a familiar eye peeking through the window of the gym door has her walking toward the exit instead.

The eye widens when they catch sight of her, the owner of said eyes throwing the door open for her. “Hey there, stranger!”

Jennie blinks up at her. “Hi, Lisa.”

Something inside her bristles at the sight of Lisa’s bright grin, not necessarily in an uncomfortable way, but it certainly doesn’t rest gently either. Lisa doesn’t notice her internal battle, slipping an arm through Jennie’s and pulling her away from the gym.

“How’s Leo?’

Jennie’s brain barely registers the question, too focused on the way her skin burns at the younger girl’s touch. “Huh?”

“Leo!” Lisa chirps. “Don’t tell me you don’t remember us feeding Leo.”

Jennie makes the connection quickly. Lisa had mumbled the name off hand when they were feeding the cat, she hadn’t thought Lisa would remember it. “No, I do. Leo is fine.”

Lisa isn’t deterred by her lack of enthusiasm. Jennie finds it a little strange, even knowing Lisa’s reputation for being a rather likable sort, the way she clings to Jennie like they’re friends. Sure, they were friendly Saturday night, but that’s because Jennie has a low tolerance for alcohol and her filter tends to disappear when inebriated; it’s why so many people approach her during parties and avoid her in the hallways. She’s ready to go back to being strangers so she can stop thinking about the way her stomach flips when she sees Lisa, but the exchange student is making that hard when she is holding her and talking to her like this.

“Good. Do you think I could come check up on him after school?” Lisa continues dragging her through the corridors of the school despite Jennie’s useless feet that she’s tripping over.

Jennie doesn’t even need to think up an imaginary reason that Lisa can’t do that because there’s a real one. “That’s not a good idea. My parents will be home and I don’t think they would like someone like you there, Lisa.”

Jennie only notices how harsh her words are when Lisa’s smile drops. She instantly feels like an asshole, which she usually does when she blows off  people, but this time guilt follows.

“Someone like me?” Lisa glances at Jennie’s expensive ass shoes and then back to her own dirty sneakers. “Oh.”

Jennie grabs her arm quickly when Lisa attempts to let her go. “No, it’s not like that.”

“Isn’t it?” Lisa’s friendly demeanor is gone, a shell of the happy girl is all that’s left, and Jennie marvels at the fact that she actually cares that the playful quirk of her eyebrow is gone.

“It is.” Jennie admits, squeezing Lisa’s forearm in an apology. “But they’re assholes.”

Of course they are. It’s where Jennie gets it from.

Lisa relaxes a bit. “But you aren’t.”

It's the first time anybody has ever said that to her, and it’s kind of untrue, but Jennie likes having somebody think more of her for once, rather than the opposite.

“But I’m not.” Jennie doesn’t believe herself when she says it. It sounds nicer coming from Lisa’s mouth. “They won’t be home tomorrow.”

Jennie drops Lisa’s arm finally, only now registering that Lisa has brought her back to her locker. Jennie steps away to grab the last of her things that she’ll need for tonight, hoping Lisa picks up the very unsubtle opportunity she’s giving her.

“I can walk you home tomorrow then?”

Jennie snorts into her locker. “I don’t walk.”

Jennie gives pause at the silence that follows, glancing back at the girl that’s been plaguing her thoughts. Lisa is frowning, staring at the ground with a pondering look on her face. Jennie sighs, deciding to give the girl an out since before she has an aneurysm from thinking too hard.

“Jisoo can drive us.” Jennie tells her. She hesitates only a moment before making a suggestion. “You could ask Chaeyoung if she wants a ride, too.”

Maybe Jennie shouldn’t offer rides in her best friend’s car before actually asking Jisoo, but Jisoo has always been kind and offering a ride to their fellow classmates seems like something right up her alley. 

“Cool.” Lisa grins. “Cool. Cool cool cool.”

“Lisa, please stop saying cool.” Jennie hides her smile in her locker. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Lisa, for the first time since they’ve met, does something that makes sense to Jennie and walks away. She notices a skip every few steps Lisa takes, and Jennie has no idea if that’s a normal Lisa thing or if she’s excited by how their conversation went. Not that Jennie was staring at her or anything.

Jennie grabs the last book from her locker, noting that she was intentionally stalling to talk with Lisa. It should be a big red flag that she’s entertaining Lisa when Jennie wants nothing more than to forget about Saturday night, but she can’t find it in her to care at the moment. So much for getting over things.

“I didn’t know you were friends with Manoban?”

Jennie sighs. She should have known that Nayeon would find a way to irritate her one last time today. “We’re not.”

Nayeon leans against the locker next to Jennie’s and… and hold on… how did Lisa know exactly where Jennie’s locker is in the first place?

“Does she know that?” Nayeon smirks that funny smile of hers with her charming two teeth in front. 

Jennie slams her locker door shut. “I don’t have friends. Everyone knows that.”

“You don’t have friends because you shut everyone out around you.” Nayeon watches her walk away. “You’re not half bad, you know?”

She doesn’t know why people keep saying things like that to her lately, but it leaves a little warmth in her chest to hear it. Lisa’s words put her skin on fire, a little concerning considering Jennie’s normally below average body temperature, but Nayeon’s words feel a lot more bearable. She thinks it probably means something that she would still rather be smothered by the warmth Lisa gives instead. Still, Jennie figures Nayeon is trying to be kind. She could return the favor.

“Hey.” Jennie turns abruptly. Nayeon looks genuinely surprised that she’s acknowledging her, probably already prepared for Jennie to continue stomping away and ignore her like she always does. “Thank you for today. For sending those boys away.”

She doesn’t wait for a response, but she does catch the look of surprise cross Nayeon’s face. It’s a little satisfying to see, actually.

Jisoo is waiting for her in the parking lot, her music still able to be heard, even with her windows up. Jennie wants to laugh at the way her best friend is rocking back and forth, pretending to have a guitar in her hands. She settles for tapping her knuckle on the glass, regretting it when her skin hits the glass. She forgot about nearly taking her whole hand off earlier today when she was avoiding Lisa. She’s lucky she didn't hit it during practice.

Jisoo startles at the noise, her knees flying up and hands flailing so badly that she accidentally hits the horn. A few people glance their way, but they lose interest when they note Jisoo behind the driving wheel. The entire school is used to Jisoo’s silly antics at this point.

She slips in quickly when Jisoo finally unlocks the door. She turns the music down before Jisoo can even register her presence, not eager to lose one of her five senses just because Jisoo has an addiction to rock music. To all music, really.

“Hello, your majesty. Your lowly servant waited an extra ten minutes for you, perhaps you should reward her for her patience.” Jisoo wiggles her eyebrows.

Jennie shakes her head, pulling out a credit card from her purse. She doesn’t bother checking whose name is on this one, neither of her parents will notice the tiny purchase she’s planning to make. “Ice cream?”

Jisoo wipes a fake tear from under her eye. “How sweet.”

“You are so annoying.” Jennie makes a grab for the ceiling handle when Jisoo  finally pulls out of the parking lot at a speed that is at least ten over the speed limit. “Can I talk to you about something first?”

Jisoo never takes her eyes off the road, but she does hum in response. It’s probably all Jennie is going to get from her best friend, for Jisoo may be a dangerous driver, but she’s also a focused one. Those two factors seem to counteract one another, leaving Jisoo with a credible license.

“Um, right. So Lisa, you know her, right?”

“Manoban? She’s friends with your buddy, Chaeyoung?”

“Chaeyoung isn’t my buddy.”

“She picks you up from my parties when you’re drunk and you ruin the reputation of the people who try to make fun of her. I’d say you’re buddies.”

Jennie doesn’t bother refuting her comment. She and Jisoo have this conversation at least once a month, and although Jennie likes to think that there’s never a clear winner, Jisoo always has a fair point.

Jennie, she bought you a ticket to the talent show. Jennie, you got Ken kicked off the basketball team because he touched her butt. Jennie, you and Chaeyoung sit together during pep rallies. Jennie, you and Chaeyoung are friends.

All valid points from Jisoo that Jennie would like to not think about, because she was telling the truth when she told Lisa her parents were assholes. Jennie is not allowed to bring people like Chaeyoung and Lisa around her home. The only reason Jisoo is allowed to hang out at her place is because she has nice clothes and a personality that no one can resist.

Even if she and Chaeyoung were friends, she would never let Chaeyoung feel bad because her parents thought less of her. So… no. They aren’t friends or buddies or whatever Jisoo wants to call them.

“Anyway.” Jennie ignores the smug look on Jisoo’s face. “I told Lisa we could give them a ride home tomorrow. That’s okay, right? I can pay for your gas.”

“You already pay for my gas.” Jisoo reminds her, pulling into the ice cream shop’s drive through. “But yeah. Of course it’s okay. Do you know where they live?”

“Well.” Jennie looks anywhere but Jisoo, knowing the girl will pick up on something she doesn’t want her to if she looks at her. “Lisa stayed at my house after the party Saturday. It was… it was just a favor for Chaeyoung, but Lisa found the stray cat that I feed, the one that climbs the tree and sits by my window-” Jennie flushes when she catches Jisoo’s eye. She’s rambling and Jisoo has noticed. “-she just wants to come check on the cat is all. I told her she could.”

Jisoo watches her for a few moments in silence and Jennie’s breath catches when Jisoo opens her mouth. “I think-”

“Welcome to Berry Cream, can I take your order?” 

Jisoo twists in her seat. “Oh! Yes!”

Jennie falls back in relief, vaguely aware of Jisoo ordering off their regular ice cream orders. She’s dodged a bullet, and it’s all thanks to the person operating the Berry Cream speaker. Jennie has never been so thankful to eat calories in her life.

Jisoo doesn’t start her sentence back up, merely driving forward in the line like a polite customer. Jennie thinks that maybe Jisoo has forgotten what she was going to question Jennie on, and she was going to question her. Jennie has learned to decipher all of Jisoo’s faces over the years and that was her ‘Jennie, you’re on some bullshit and I’m going to call you out’ face.

It isn’t until they’ve finally gotten their ice cream and parked in the parking lot that Jisoo turns to her, just when Jennie thinks she might be safe. 

“All four of us can go to your house. I can bring them back afterwards.”

“Oh.” Jennie desperately tries to come up with an excuse other than no I want to be alone with her. “You don’t have to, you have other things to do,”

“No, I don’t.” She says bluntly. “Besides, you’d probably make Lisa walk home afterwards, you bitch. I’ll just take her home.”
Jennie can’t even fight her words because it’s true, so she agrees. “Fine.”

She may have escaped Jisoo today, but she knows that Jisoo will pick up on her odd behavior around Lisa the moment the four of them get together. She can already tell that tomorrow is going to be a disaster.