let's be friends so we can make out by dollfacerobot on ao3
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The first time Roseanne sees her is before her big appearance. Jennie and her brother are by their car, in the parking lot. Roseanne is waiting for Mike to finally hang up his phone – it is getting annoying – and there they are, two new faces in the sunlight, walking towards the school building, laughing. They are both handsome but the girl shines in a way that people rarely do. Everything about her screams “loved” and “confidence”. They are almost out of sight when the girl turns around and shoots Roseanne a glance that goes through and through.
Roseanne decides she dislikes Jennie a couple of hours later; when the Kim siblings have marched through the halls like they owned them (and the truth was, they do now) and have successfully drawn all attention to themselves. When she sees Jennie flirting with Mike in front of her locker. When Jennie looks her directly in the face as she passes her and yet ignores her.
Within two weeks, Roseanne and Mike are broken up and he’s running after Jennie. Within a month, Roseanne eats lunch alone. And then there’s just silence.
I am probably the only one to see her for who she really is, Roseanne thinks to herself as she presses her books to her chest and hurries through the crowd, her eyes fixed on Jennie at the end of the hall. They all think that she is just lovely. Jennie is lovely, perhaps, but with a lot of poison in every smile.
They all used to think Roseanne was lovely, too. Probably they still think so. She used to hate it, but seeing as she’s let Jennie push her out of her own life with nothing but a few smiles – she knows it is more, yes – she might have to admit they’re right. She’s not just nice, she’s soft. And she hates it.
They have gym class together, and it’s just another parade of Jennie Kim shining at volleyball. When they put away the net, Roseanne corners her. “I know what you’re doing”, she says, and it sounds more angry than she feels. “I can see right through you.”
“Can you?”, Jennie asks with this innocent tone in her voice and takes a step towards her. Her eyes are immense, and Roseanne finds herself taking a step back. Jennie comes closer again. “Can you, really?” Her voice is like velvet. She’s so close Roseanne can see the little drops of sweat beneath her hairline. It occurs to her that Jennie Kim may in fact be made of lovely.
“I know what game you are playing”, Roseanne forces to tell herself and moves forward. “You might have everyone else fooled, but I-” She stops when Jennie starts smiling.
“So play with me”, she says and her smile broadens as she leans forward and breathes into Roseanne’s hair. Roseanne can’t move. At all. When Jennie leaves her, all caught up in the net, leaning against the wall, she realizes that while she might have no idea about Jennie Kim, she was looking right through Roseanne.
Days pass, then weeks. It becomes painful to walk the school, more painful to see her. Jennie gets crowned prom queen; it’s the last thing that belonged to Roseanne. She doesn’t want it, either. It doesn’t take her long to admit that she just wants to talk to Jennie again.
Next time they’re alone is outside on the parking lot. Jennie waves, but Roseanne pretends not to see her. Too open, too wide. Out In daylight the prospect of facing her scares her too much.
But she finds her again, in the library, and keeps following Roseanne around, quizzing her about the work she’s doing. “What do you want?”, Roseanne asks, finally, after about half an hour has passed.
Jennie throws her hair back. “Isn’t it obvious? I want to be your friend.”
Roseanne doesn’t ask why. She stares down on her hands, her bitten nails. Jennie’s are painted deep red. “You don’t”, she says, picks up her books and goes.
It’s around the time that Jennie and Mike are seen kissing behind the school when Roseanne decides to push back. It’s easy to find Jennie; she usually leaves behind a trail of admirers. She couldn’t care less about him but Roseanne’s still relieved then Mike is not with her.
When they’re alone, Jennie smiles at her and the room lights up a bit, but Roseanne keeps going and then she’s standing directly in front of her, and closing the distance. Jennie’s smile has faded, her lips are open, her breath all over Roseanne’s face. “What are you doing?” Is that panic?
“Being your friend.” Roseanne kisses her. Jennie’s lips are soft and taste berries. She sighs. They are so close that Roseanne can feel Jennie’s eyelashes brush her cheek. “It’s what you wanted, isn’t it?” A clock is ticking in the background. It’s still ticking when they have already left the room.
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HIII SURPRISE!!!
