our gentle sin

trust

7.

LISA POV

Friday meant a day of freedom. I hadn't seen Mina since Monday and she had invited me over to her house, since my place wasn't safe anymore. I caught the bus to her house. She lived in a nice family area and the nearest bus stop was only a five-minute walk from her house.

"I missed you." I was greeted by a tight hug from Mina when she opened the door.

"I missed you too. Are your parents home?"

"Mum is, but we can just go to my room."

I followed Mina up the stairs and into her room, making myself comfortable on her double bed with her sitting beside me.

"Hey, how come you didn't message me yesterday?" She asked.

"Yesterday was time with the nuns, remember?"

"Yeah, but didn't that finish at 15:00?"

"I ended up staying longer. I'm friends with one of them now."

"You're friends with a nun? What's that like?"

"It's cool, I guess. She's cool."

"What did you guys do?"

"I took her to a supermarket; she doesn't really leave the convent so I wanted to take her out."

"She doesn't leave the convent? Like ever?"

"Well, no not really, but the head nun said that she could help me more, so I thought may as well make it fun and take her out places."

"Try not to corrupt her."

"I don't think it'd even be possible, to be honest. She is... perfectly devout."

"You could bring her out to meet everyone else."

"I could ask her, but she doesn't like people a whole lot."

"She likes you." Mina pointed out.

"Yeah, just about."

"Why doesn't she like people?"

"I think it's more that she's used to the Sisters in the convent, people like her. I don't think she had much of a choice in spending time with me, although we are getting friendly now. Still, I think meeting you freaks would be overwhelming for her."

"Why, because we're gay?"

"Just sinful in general, she scolded me for drinking."

"How did she know you drink?"

"I told her."

"You told a nun that you, the Pastor's daughter, gets drunk? Why would you do that?"

"I don't know, she asked."

"Let's hope it doesn't get back to your Dad."

"I already told you, I'm pretty sure he already knows."

"True, but no need to confirm it."

"I don't think she'll tell anyone, like I said, she's cool."

"A cool nun? I'm intrigued. I think you should introduce us. Before you say no, I will pretend to be a perfectly straight child of God."

"Okay, I'll ask her, but just you. And we have to act like we're not dating."

"Yes ma'am."

Mina and I hung out for a couple of hours. My Dad texted me in between to check where I was. I said a friend's house; I didn't specify.

I thought about Jennie. Right now, it was 17:00, so she had her free time. She was probably reading, she told me she likes to read. I wonder if she had thought about me at all, I wonder if she actually liked coming out with me as much as she said she did.

At 18:00, Mina's phone rang.

"It's Jisoo," she told me before answering. "Hello?"

I couldn't hear what was being said at the other end of the phone, so I waited for Mina to fill me in.

"She wants to know if we want to go to the bar?"

"Sure." I nodded; it was a good job I always carried my fake ID on me.

"Yes, we'll come... Okay, we'll be there soon."

We ordered a cab and made it to our usual bar and sat at our usual table, where Jisoo and Nayeon were already sitting.

"Hi, guys." Jisoo greets us both.

The place was loud and I knew it would only get louder as the night went on. Once again, Jennie briefly crossed my mind and what she would think about me being in a place like this.

"Drinks are on me. What do you guys want?" Nayeon asked.

"Strawberry Daiquiri for me." Jisoo answered.

For the third time today, I thought about Jennie. Yesterday I had made a promise to her that I wouldn't drink. I'm not sure why I promised her. Something in the way that she looked at me when she asked made me not able to say no, but now I had to choose whether I would break that promise.

Realistically, she would never know that I'd broken it since I wasn't seeing her until Sunday, but every part of me wanted to keep that promise more than I wanted to drink. If I drank now, it would be breaking her trust, even if she didn't know it, and I really didn't want to do that.

I was confused about my relationship with God, this was undeniable, but I hadn't severed it completely. I knew I couldn't change my sexuality, but maybe I could work on my faith. I wasn't riddled with sin by any means, but regardless, the first step to working on my relationship with God and religion was to keep the promise I had made to my new nun friend.

"Lisa?" Nayeon got my attention. "What do you want to drink?"

"I'm good with just a lemonade, thanks."

"With vodka?"

"Nope, on its own." I clarify.

"What? Why?" She shakes her head in confusion.

"Lisa made a new nun friend that doesn't like it when she drinks." Mina interjected.

"Really?" Jisoo asked. "You made friends with a nun?"

"Yeah, but I just don't feel like drinking tonight."

"So, it's not because the nun doesn't want you to?"

"No." I lied.

"Okay, suit yourself and watch us get drunk." Jisoo teased.

As an hour went by, I realised that this was not fun sober. The smell of people's sweat and all the shouting was irritating, and I found myself just wanting to go home.

"Hey, I think I'm gonna head home," I said into Mina's ear.

"What? Why? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just kind of tired."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, no, it's fine. I mean it's not like you can anyway; my dad would end up seeing you. Have fun. I'll see you tomorrow." I kissed Mina and then stood up. "Bye, guys." I had to yell to get Jisoo and Nayeon's attention.

"You're going?" Jisoo asks.

"Yep, I'm tired."

"Okay, drinks tomorrow night?"

"Maybe. We'll see." I tell them before leaving, despite knowing I had no intentions of going out drinking with them tomorrow night or any other night.