Drive | Jenlisa

Part 1: Sick and full of pride

All we do is drive
All we do is think about the feelings that we hide
All we do is sit in silence waiting for a sign
Sick and full of pride
All we do is drive

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Seoul, 2021

Jennie rolled her eyes for the nth time that winter night. Lisa had been smoking again. It wasn't like she was against it or anything but her girlfriend kept putting that small piece of poison in her lips and she was tired of tasting the bitter and minty taste of Marlboro every time they kiss.

Her girlfriend wasn't always like that--or she was, at some point. But that was back in college where they had been partying nonstop in Tokyo with the girls. Now, college seemed like "a lifetime ago" as what had Jennie put it every time she passed by their graduation picture that was hanging on the hallway near their bedroom. She wasn't even sure when she last saw Rosie or Jisoo. Was it during Rosie's daughter's first birthday? Or Jisoo's wedding?

"How can you run out of coffee? McDonald's always have coffee." Lisa's annoyed voice brought her back to her senses.

She rolled her eyes again, then cough a little as she pressed open the car window on her side, letting the smoke out. The drive-thru cashier was saying something to Lisa but Jennie was too tipsy and tired to even listen to their conversation. She just wanted to go home, take a nice, warm bath, and sleep in her most comfortable sleeping dress.

"20 minutes, for a cup of coffee? Are you kidding?" Lisa's voice was getting louder in the empty drive-thru and Jennie knew she needed to get in between her girlfriend and the poor cashier before things get rough.

"Can you give us our other orders, please? While we wait for the coffee." She calmly said and Lisa looked at her like she killed a bird.

The cashier nodded and immediately went in, probably too tired to argue with Lisa.

Jennie turned to look at her girlfriend. "We can just eat in the parking lot while waiting for that damn coffee."

Lisa shifted, exhaling the smoke out of her lips. "What are you mad for?"

"I am not mad. I am tired, Lis. I had a long day at work and you've been arguing with that cashier for five minutes just for a small cup of coffee."

"That we paid for!"

Jennie grimaced at her girlfriend's loud voice, looking away. "I know. Don't shout at me."

She heard Lisa let out an empty dry chuckle, puffing that cigarette on her lips. She used to find it attractive whenever Lisa smoke--the plump of her lips, the rising of her chest, the smoke coming out of her mouth--but now, it felt as if Lisa was trying to slowly kill herself with that fucking smoking poison and Jennie just couldn't look at it.

"We're here again, huh?" Lisa said after a moment, sarcasm in her tone.

Jennie only sighed, resigned, as she tried to shift her attention at the falling snow from the December skies, wondering where did they go wrong.

***

Tokyo, 2012

She and Lisa used to dislike each other. A lot.

She knew it the moment she saw Rosie, her supposed best friend, was laughing comfortably with a tall girl that she had never seen before.

"She's a transferee from Thailand. She's taking a dance something major." Jisoo whispered to her ears one day during class. "I heard she likes girls."