Together - Jenlisa

Chapter 2

TOGETHER - CHAPTER 2

The house was dead quiet when I woke up the next morning.

I wasn't surprised, though, my father was probably gone and would return some time in the middle of the night, hopelessly drunk.

I went downstairs to the kitchen, where the sink was overflowing with a scattered stack of dirty dishes. I opened the refrigerator door to find nothing in it but a jug of expired milk and a carton filled with two broken eggs. Groaning, I slammed the door shut, clenching my fists into a tight ball as I made my way out the door to go to school.

Walking on the sidewalk, I noticed a cotton candy pink BMW driving by me. In the BMW was a group of giggling girls, with Irene being one of them. The driver was Irene's best friend, Chou Tzuyu. Tzuyu's fire red hair tossed behind her effortlessly, as she drove by me.

"Loser!" I heard one call after me as they drove away.

I dropped my head low, as I made my way towards school, while they were probably already halfway there in Tzuyu's stupid pink BMW.

When I got to school, I walked by the parking lot. I couldn't help but notice Tzuyu's pink BMW standing out from all the other cars. I had to claw my fingers into my palms to resist myself from keying her car.

The hallways were empty when I got to school, signaling that I was probably late, again.

Pushing open the doors to my first period class, history, I grudgingly made my way towards my desk. Before I even got to sit down, Mr. Ho Sung called me out.

"Jennie Kim, care to explain why you're late for the second time this week?" Mr. Ho Sung asked, tapping his fingers, impatiently on his desk.

"I drove by Jennie while going to school today, and I saw her smoking weed!" Tzuyu answered before I got to say a word. She batted her eyelashes innocently, pouting out her lip, this bitch. Was she actually that delusional to think that she looked cute batting those spider legs that hung on the edge of her eyelids?

"Is she telling the truth, Ms. Kim?" Mr. Ho Sung asked, raising a bushy eyebrow at me.

"Of course I'm telling the truth! I have five girls as witnesses!" Tzuyu exclaimed, pointing to her row of friends. One of them is Irene.

Four out of the five girls immediately nodded. Irene was hesitating, but after a while, she finally dropped her head low, nodding weakly.

I took in a deep breath of air, feeling my cheeks flush with embarrassment "Mr. Ho Sung, I was not." I quietly said, digging my nails into my flesh.

Mr. Ho Sung didn't look convinced. "Are you telling me that six girls are lying?" his voice low and dangerous, looking at me with disappointment.

I hated this feeling, this feeling of weakness and powerless.

"No." I mumbled

Mr. Ho Sung was already writing down a detention slip me, shooting out his hand for me to collect. Clutching the end of the detention slip, I took it out of his hands as I shoved it into my back pocket.

"Go to your seat before you get into further trouble" He spat

Sighing, I walked towards my seat. Passing by Irene, she looked up at me with a concerned frown. Rolling my eyes, I glared at her as I sulked down in my seat.

***

The hallways were empty during lunch. I was by my locker, stuffing in my books from morning classes, while taking out the rest of my books for my afternoon classes. Just as I was about to close my locker, a voice called out.

"Jennie!" someone squealed

Turning around I spotted Irene, all by herself. She was smiling at me like we were still best friends, but I stared at her as if I didn't recognize her.

She used to be like me, a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl. But, standing in front of me now, she was wearing a short skirt that wrapped around her hips, a hot pink blazer, and a six inch high boots. Her face was covered with various colors, and I could easily tell that she had her hair bleached into a blonde color.

"What?" I gritted through my teeth, too angry to stare at her in the eye

She gave me a sympathetic smile, shifting her green eyes down. "I wanted to say sorry, about this morning"

I snorted, shaking my head. I reached into my back pocket, waving my detention slip in her face. "it's a little too late for that"

Her smile faded, as she knitted her perfectly plucked eyebrows together. "I know I just feel really bad"

"You should" I glared at her "Because of you, Mr. Ho Sung probably thinks I'm high every time I'm in class"

I never had the guts to say this to Irene in front of her friends. I knew that they would gang up on me. But seeing Irene in front of me, completely alone, I felt like I was in charge. I felt as if I had the power to bring her down, the way she did to me for two years.

"I did it to keep my-"

"Fucking Reputation" I finished for her, the word rolling off the tip of my tongue as I stared at her with disgust. "I know"

***

After all classes were over that afternoon, I walked up few flights of stairs to get to the fourth floor detention room, which was specialized for juniors.

Entering the room, I watched as Mrs. Soo, one of the oldest staff members in this school, lay her head flat on top of he surface of her desk. I heard a short snort from her, as I scrunched my nose with disgust, finding myself a seat at the desk in the back row.

The room was extremely quiet, making even the clock that hung up on the wall sound loud when each handle ticked.

In the room with me was only one other person. I recognized the guy as Bambam, who was in my biology and economic class. He was my lab partner in my biology, but he barely ever showed up to that class. I was always stuck doing the labs by myself, while he was probably cutting class with his delinquent friends.

"What are you looking at, sweat pea?" he suddenly spoke up, as his eyes met mine from across the room.

I gave him a glare, rolling my eyes. "Don't call me that."

He shrugged, as he slouched down in his seat, kicking his legs up as they rested on the desk. "I'll call you whatever I want, sweet pea" He emphasized

I gagged, flipping him my finger. I knew this guy was a delinquent, but he had to be annoying too?

He must've noticed my royally pissed off expression, because the smirk on his face fell. It was replaced by a soft smile. Bambam placed his legs down from the desk, sitting up straighter. "Listen, let's just start over alright? I'm Bambam"

I narrowed my eyes at him, nodding "I know" I paused. "You're the asshole who never shows up to lab, leaving me without a partner."

He chuckled, shaking the blonde hair away from his face "It's not like I'd be any help, anyway. So you're that Jaime girl?"

"Jennie." I corrected, crossing my arms

He nodded. "Right. So, what are you in detention for? I've never seen you around here" I sighed "Tzuyu snitched on me, lying to Mr. Ho Sung that I was smoking weed before class"

Bambam smirked, shaking his head. "And that dick head believed her?"

"Her." I nodded "and her five other minions"

Bambam shrugged, giving me a smile "I kind-of feel bad for you" I frowned "kind-of?"

"Yeah. I would feel entirely bad for you, except, I really want some weed right now" He grumbled. Glaring at him, I groaned "You're completely hopeless"

He smirked at me, lifting his head up as his eyes met mine "That's what everyone tells me"