lessons in love || chaennie

chapter seven

Jennie checked her hair one final time in her car mirror before grabbing the small bouquet of flowers she had bought and exiting Alexis. She smoothed down her blouse and skirt and walked towards the large oak front door of the Park household. She rang the doorbell and held the flowers in front of her, standing almost on her tiptoes in anticipation.

What she wasn't expecting was the door to open to reveal a middle-aged man with greying hair wearing glasses and a business suit. Assuming it to be Chaeyoung's father and knowing that he didn't have any knowledge of his daughter's gender preferences, much less that she was actually in a relationship with a girl, she quickly dropped the flowers behind a potted plant before the man had a chance to see them.

Chaeyoung quickly ran down the stairs and towards the main door. Her parents had arrived home from their conference two days early and she hadn't had a chance to inform Jennie of their arrival. She had told her parents she was going to the movies with a friend and was just finishing her outfit when she heard the doorbell, right on the dot of 6 o' clock. She had smiled at the thought of her girlfriend and their date before realizing one of her parents was sure to answer to door. She slid in beside her father and saw that Jennie looked a little panicked and her dad confused.

"Um, Dad. This is Jennie. The, um, friend I'm going to the movies with."

She felt wrong about calling Jennie just a friend, but still wasn't quite sure how to approach her coming out to her parents. She looked to Jennie quickly to see if there was any signs of hurt at the phrasing, but if there was the brunette was hiding it well.

"Nice to meet you, sir," Jennie said and extended her hand.

Mr. Park looked pleasantly surprised at the gesture, any other friends of Chaeyoung's he'd met, however briefly, had avoided eye contact and barely mumbled a greeting. He had put it down to just teenagers being teenagers but was glad this new friend seemed to have some semblance of manners. He took the girl's hand and shook it firmly.

"Always nice to meet a friend of Chaeyoung's," he said cordially.

"Okay! So um, bye, Dad. I'll be home later. Jennie's driving so we won't be walking after dark or anything. I'll be on my cell if you need me," Chaeyoung spoke up, walking onto the front porch with Jennie.

Mr. Park nodded and reached into his pocket, handing a bundle of notes to the blonde.

"Uh, no, Dad, I don't want...I mean, thank you, but I don't need..."

"Just take it, Chaeyoung. Have a good evening."

Chaeyoung didn't get a chance to respond as the door was closed, leaving the couple alone. Jennie reached behind the plant and picked up the flowers, rubbing off some stray pieces of dirt.

"I brought you flowers...but I didn't want your Dad to think...Um, here," she said and thrust the bouquet into her girlfriend's hands.

"Oh Jennie," Chaeyoung said, bringing the flowers up to inhale their scent and marvelling at how thoughtful the brunette had been, "I...come on, you deserve plenty of kisses for this and I think your car is a more appropriate place."

Jennie blushed and grinned in delight as she was dragged towards the Bug, getting in the driver's side as Chaeyoung went around, hopping in and doing up her seatbelt.

"I don't trust there not to be prying eyes around here..." Chaeyoung started, placing her flowers carefully in the backseat.

"No, I understand," Jennie said with a smile, starting Alexis and driving in the direction of the mall.

"I want them to know about us. I want everyone to know about us, I just don't know how to..."

"Babe, I really do understand. You have to come out in your own time. And besides, it's not like I'm your dirty little secret or something. Your friends know. My mom knows. We're going out on a public date. You have nothing to feel bad about. And when you do decide to tell your parents, I'll be beside you the whole way."