Catch The Stars

Chapter 44

Outside is better.

It's cold, freezing, her breath forming big clouds as it rushes out of her lungs, but it helps calm down her rapid pulse and racing thoughts.

She's walking along the deserted road, kicking at some pebbles frozen snow on the ground. It's getting dark, and people have started to hang up Christmas lights everywhere, and Jennie can almost watch them all light up one by one as people get home from work.

Her nose is running, and she wipes at it with the sleeve of her coat.

It's gross.

Roseanne and her always have fights like this. It's nothing new, and sure Jennie is always hurt by them, but she's certain that Roseanne gets hurt, too.

It all boils down to Jennie being too naive and optimistic and, well, not really having anyone to look after her, so Roseanne feels responsible in a way, and being the realistic, grumpy girl she is, she tends to be too harsh whenever they have disagreements.

Jennie doesn't know what makes this fight so different. Why it hurts so damn bad.

She also has no idea where she's walking, but it's already been half an hour, and her toes are freezing in her sneakers.

So are her fingers, which she realizes when she pulls her phone out of her jacket to check the time, her fingers almost stiff as she tries to press the buttons on the screen.

She already has a bunch of missed calls from Lisa and concerned text messages, even some from Jisoo, whom Lisa must've called to see if Jennie went to meet up with her.

Jennie doesn't have the energy or will to talk to any of them right now.

Sometimes she feels like no one takes her seriously. Like she's some kid that needs constant supervision. Like they're just waiting for her to screw up so they can scold her and make her feel like shit.

Like, okay, Jennie knows she tends to make stupid mistakes, and that she messes up more than the average person should, but she's trying, right?

That should count for something.

Jennie puts her phone away again, closing her eyes and shudders when a gust of ice cold wind nips at her cheeks. She's at a park now, deserted and quiet.

The benches are covered in a layer of frost, which doesn't come off when Jennie rubs over it with her hand, only serves to scratch at her palm painfully. She sits down, and immediately regrets it when her butt starts to freeze.

Oh whatever.

What a shitty day.

A rustling sound from the bushes next to her barely makes her jump; she's too cold for that.

But Jennie turns her head to look for the source of it, and smiles a bit when she sees a grey, fluffy cat peeking it's head out from the bush.

She hates to take her hand out of the warmth of her jacket pocket, but she wants to pet the cat, so she lowers her hand and makes some stupid noises to get the cat's attention.

It looks at her curiously for another few seconds before jumping out of the bush and walking over to her, where it immediately starts to nuzzle against Jennie's leg.

Jennie smiles and strokes the cold fur of the cat, feeling the vibrations of it's purrs. "Hi cutie," She mumbles, her teeth chattering violently. Oh. Alright.

She's colder than she thought.

"Aren't you cold?" She asks. The cat sits down between her legs and lazily blinks up at her. "Nah, it must be warm and toasty under all that fur, huh?"