Almost Love: A Blackpink High School AU

Chapter Eleven: Are You Okay?

Jennie's P.O.V.

I shook my pom poms vigorously as the basketball team made their way onto the court for the second quarter. This was the time that we definitely needed school spirit. And I, Jennie Kim, was one to provide it. I led our group through a few different cheers, catching Yeji's glare a few times. God, what was her problem?

About half way through, I started feeling a little sick to my stomach. It was rather similar to the aching pain I had not too long ago when Jisoo was tutoring me. It wasn't as bad, at least not yet, but it was still present during my cheers and back handsprings. Irene seemed to notice my decreased school spirit and confronted me.

"Jen, are you okay?" she asked, resting a hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" I said, putting on a plastered smile.

"You don't have to lie to me," she sighed. "I know you're not fine."

Irene never took "no" for an answer, but did it in the nicest way possible. I've never been able to figure out how she's so intimidating but amiable at the same time. Mysteries of the universe, I guess.

"Okay," I confessed. "I feel a bit sick, but not too bad to where I can't cheer."

"Jennie, if you're sick, you can't be cheering right now," Irene said seriously. "And you definitely can't do halftime."

"I can do it, Baechu," I said with the same amount of seriousness. "Besides, who else would lead the team if I couldn't?"

Before she could respond, the scoreboard sounded, signalling the end of the first half. And you know what that means? It's showtime. The girls and I all sauntered out to the court, and when the music started playing, I lost all feeling of the pain in my stomach. For the three-minute-long time frame of the peppy Doja Cat song, I didn't feel a sliver of pain, but when the song ended, it all rushed back to me. As the crowd in the stands started cheering for us, the pain surged in my stomach, to the point where I was starting to breathe heavily. I was worried that I might have a panic attack in front of the majority of the school. Irene escorted me off as the basketball team ran back on.

"Yeah, you're not okay." She looked me straight in the eyes. "Go get some air. I'll lead the girls."

"Thank you," I said, quickly hugging her before I rushed out of the gym.

I ran down the hallway as fast as I could, hoping that I wouldn't collapse on the hardwood floor. I passed a few people who gave me odd looks, but I shrugged it off. I rushed to one of the bathroom mirrors, trying to catch my breath. My speed wasn't even that fast, but my breathing was almost at a standstill. I grabbed the edge of the sink, clinging to it for dear life. This felt like a mixture between a panic attack and a stomach ache, and I hated both options.

"Jennie?" I turned around to see a familiar dark-haired girl behind me. "Are you okay?"

I couldn't lie to her. "No."

She inched a bit closer to me. "What's wrong?"

"That's the thing. I don't know," I whispered the last part. "I was perfectly fine earlier, and now, it's like some demon came and sucked it all out of me."

"Hey," she said softly, placing her hand on mine. She looked me straight in the eyes, but in a calming, caring way. "I promise you, you're going to be okay." Her voice was a whisper because she was so close.

I nodded, trying to hold back a tear from the pain. But I couldn't help it. It fell anyway, along with a few more. Without even thinking, I threw myself onto Jisoo, causing her to stumble backwards a bit. I began to cry into her chest, my hands grasping her shirt in tiny fists. Once she steadied herself, I felt her arms wrap around me as they lightly held my head.

"It's okay," she said sweetly. "I've got you."

I don't know how long I stayed in her arms. She held me where my head was nuzzled slightly into the crook of her neck, which was a feeling that I could get used to. It was probably several minutes before I let go, but she didn't seem to mind.

"I'm really sorry," I rushed to say. "I know that was weird and abrupt and-"

"Jen," Jisoo interrupted. "It's okay. You don't need to apologize. I'm happy to have helped."

I gave her a smile back. "This might sound weird, but would you come outside with me? I just don't want to be alone." I paused for a moment. "Unless you were going to finish watching the game..."

"Of course I would." She beamed. "And I don't really mind missing the game. Sports aren't really my thing."

She walked out with me slowly and I soon felt myself grabbing her arm lightly. As we strolled out into the darkness of the school parking lot, I felt a cold breeze hit me. It caused me to shiver a bit against Jisoo, since I was only in my short-sleeved cheer uniform. Plus, I didn't think I'd need to wear leggings, so my legs were freezing. We sat down on a bench as I breathed in the night air. Irene was right. It did help.

Jisoo seemed to notice my constant shivering and wrapped her jacket around my shoulders. I gave her a look of surprise, but she only smiled in response. I held the jacket close to me, bathing in its warmth. The cotton material felt nice between my fingers.

"T-Thank you," I stuttered.

"That's what friends are for, right?" she said with a smirk.

Something about that phrase made my stomach churn. "Right."

I shrugged it off and gazed up at the stars above us. I loved watching the stars. I couldn't point out any constellations, but I always admired how beautiful the twinkling lights were.

"The stars are beautiful tonight," I sighed.

"Yeah," Jisoo said, looking up at them.

"Especially that one." I pointed up to a bright one with a slight orange tint to it.

"That isn't a star," she responded. "That's Mars. And if you look to the right of it..." She guided my hand along to showcase a bigger one with a more white color to it. "...you'll find Jupiter."

"How do you know this much about stars?" I asked, turning towards her.

"I took an astronomy class my junior year," she spoke. "I guess it paid off, because now I can impress you with my knowledge."

"You already have impressed me, astronomy knowledge or not," I said softly, gazing into her espresso-colored eyes.

Even in the darkness of the night, I could still see Jisoo's bright smile. It made me so happy whenever I saw her grin. I gently rested my head on her shoulder, which was actually quite comfortable. I felt Jisoo wrap her arm around my shoulders and hold me close. Now it was my turn to grin. Something about her embrace made me feel so special and cared for. How had I not noticed how amazing of a person Jisoo was until now? I pondered that question as I nuzzled back into the crook of her neck.