in every universe (one shot-s) | JENLISA

i've always had you

6 years old

It's the first day of school and Jennie is nervous. And also excited. And extremely curious. And she also really needs to pee but has no idea where the bathroom is and all the other kids are being overly loud as they head out to recess and it's just way too much at once for her.

She finally has the courage to ask her teacher, Miss Lynn. She's nice and so pretty and her smile is kind and makes her feel at ease.

Only, when she finally makes it out to recess everyone else is already paired off and playing in small groups and she's the only one standing there alone.

And now the nerves are definitely back and her lower lip starts to tremble and she really doesn't want to cry because she's a big girl now but she just doesn't seem to be able to help it.

Her hands are curled in tight fists which she only notices when there's a gentle hand that reaches for them, smoothing them out and taking her hand in theirs. She looks up and meets bright brown eyes and a soft, small smile and the girl says, "Let's play," and Jennie's lip stops trembling and her eyes widen and her lips form in a grateful smile and she goes.

9 years old

Jennie thinks the whole thing is pretty stupid.

Boys are gross. There is no way Lisa is going to go over to their group and kiss Brayan on the cheek.

Her face tells her as much. Not going to happen.

She is relieved. She really doesn't want her friend — her best friend — to get boy cooties. Yuk.

And why are they playing this stupid game to begin with?

"Because it's fun!" Joy tells her when she asks just that. "Girls kiss boys all the time on TV, it's no big deal," she adds with a shrug, but the way she can barely contain her snickering has Jennie narrowing her eyes in a glare.

"I am not getting anywhere near them," she crosses her arms defiantly and says with a disgusted face and Lisa visibly shudders in sympathy, throwing the group of boys a look that says she very much will not go over in a million years. 

Joy groans. "Fine. But you have to kiss someone, those are the rules," she says to Lisa.

Jennie rolls her eyes but she is right. Those are the rules and she knows that Lisa never likes breaking the rules, even those from a made-up game during recess.

Lisa glares at Joy before sighing and nodding. With a shrug, she leans forward and pecks Jennie on the cheek.

Then she looks at her with a smile that says "You're the only one I could kiss," and she smiles brilliantly back, happy that her best friend was smart enough to get around the rules of the game and that she chose Jennie.

10 years old

So, as it turns out, boys are not that gross anymore. She's not sure when this change happened, only that it did.

All of a sudden, all her friends are getting their first boyfriends, most of whom have chosen Valentine's Day to give them a card asking them if they'll be their valentine.

Jennie received one such card from Fred. She looks back at him after being sent the card through a train of hands toward the front of the class and finds his eager face trying very hard — and failing miserably — for nonchalance. She frowns.

He is nice, she supposes. He never did pull her hair or say mean things; he was actually always the one to try to make the other boys behave when they were being stupid. But, Jennie didn't really need him to do any of that. She's always been able to stand up for herself and she's also always had Lisa by her side.

So yes, Fred is nice, but she just doesn't really need or want a boyfriend.

She sighs. She feels bad for him, but it's for the best. She ticks the 'no' box but adds a scrawly "Sorry. Friends?" at the bottom and sends the card back.

She turns to Lisa who has always sat next to her and finds her looking at her with a curious expression. Jennie makes a face, tongue sticking out, and Lisa tries to stifle her giggles so the teacher doesn't call them out.

Jennie loves it when Lisa laughs. Her eyes get all shiny and even more brown and Jennie thinks she looks really pretty when she does.

She definitely doesn't need a boyfriend. She's got her Lisa.