What the heart wants

Chapter 15

Nayeon looks out the window. The sky is dark and large clouds hangs above them. The rain begins to sprinkle on the car window at first as gentle as a butterfly's kiss and then it becomes a pitter-patter. She sees people running for cover outside as the rain gets stronger and starts pouring down like the floodgates in heaven have been opened. The rain seems to follow her everywhere, just like the demons she carries within her.

She casts her eyes towards Jeongyeon and holds her gaze. Jeongyeon realises that Nayeon is not looking at her so much as through her, almost as if her head is transparent. Her elusive eyes are empty tonight and it bothers Jeongyeon a little.

"It's the thoughts that keep you at nights that scares you the most." Jeongyeon tells Nayeon. They're home and laying on the reclining chairs which are slightly wet from the earlier downpour. The sky has cleared up enough to reveal a starlit night.

Nayeon looks at her puzzled. She locks her eyes with Jeongyeon and tilts her head to the side.

"I have them, everyone has them. It's okay to be vulnerable." Jeongyeon moves around her chair to sit next to Nayeon and squeezes her hands.

"You don't have to be strong all the time. You know that right?" Her question is loaded and Nayeon lets out a soft sigh.

"You worry too much about me. I'm fine." She lies back, counting the stars with her eyes hoping Jeongyeon would give this line of conversation a rest.

Jeongyeon gives her hand another gentle squeeze. "When you're ready to talk, you know where to find me."

Jeongyeon sees the older girl carefully school her expression into a blank stare but the starlit sky shows the flicker of pain in her dark brown eyes.

Nayeon wishes for a sky without stars for the first time in her life.

"Where's Nayeon and Jeongyeon? I'm about to start the film." Jihyo looks around the room.
They have planned to watch Train to Busan  because they're all too tired for any other activity after a long day of walking and wandering around the market and carnival.

"I saw them making out in the patio about five minutes ago." Chaeyoung laughs as she puts an arm around Mina.

Mina tenses a little and Chaeyoung wonders if she should remove her arm. Maybe its too much too soon after asking her out on a date? But she eventually relaxes so Chaeyoung just leaves it there.

"We weren't making out, we were holding hands." Jeongyeon smacks the back of her head as she appears behind them. "Move your fat ass."

"I'm not sitting with you." Chaeyoung scowls.

"Fine, I'm sitting on you." She plops down on Chaeyoung's lap who whines and tries to push her away.

Nayeon sits on a pillow on the carpet by Mina's feet. She's not ready to fight with anybody for a seat and she's too tired to fetch a chair from the living room.

"Children, behave." Jihyo warns and Jeongyeon reluctantly moves from Chaeyoung's lap to sit on the floor by her feet next to Nayeon.

Once the film starts Chaeyoung kicks her every once in a while gently pretending to be scared and Jeongyeon gives her the finger.

Nayeon's eyes grow heavy from the strenuous activities of the day and she leans slightly backwards to rest on the couch. Mina takes her legs off the floor to give her enough space to rest and folds her leg side wards on the couch.

"You shouldn't have done that." Chaeyoung whispers closely in her ears and Mina jumps a little.

"Why?"

She gets her answer ten minutes later when she finds Nayeon turned slightly to her side, one of her shoulder resting against the couch, her face nestled in the edge of the cushion by Mina's feet and fast asleep. She looks years younger as she sleeps there, like a child even and Mina has to resist the urge to run her fingers through her hair afraid she'll wake her up.

Jeongyeon pulls out her phone and takes a picture but the flash makes Nayeon stir. Chaeyoung shakes her head at her disapprovingly. Jeongyeon gives her an apologetic smile.

"I was just resting my eyes." Nayeon tells Jeongyeon who's staring at her with a grin. Jeongyeon grins wider.

Nayeon turns to look at the screen, leaning back against the couch and drawing her knees to her chest.

Two minutes later she's sleeping again despite  the deafening noise the zombie film on the screen is making.

"Should we just leave her alone here?"  The girls gather round a sleeping Nayeon after the film is done.

Momo looks at Dahyun like she's crazy. "No, I'm going to grab my blanket and pillows and going to sleep on the carpet with her."

"That sounds like fun. Maybe we can watch another film. I'll get my blankets as well. " Tzuyu professes.

It starts a chain reaction of sorts because when
Nayeon wakes up next morning covered by her blanket, Momo's hand is wrapped around her middle and Tzuyu is spooning Momo. Sana's leg is carelessly thrown over Nayeon's body and Dahyun is laying half on top of Sana. Below them Jihyo is sleeping with her back turned away from their feet facing the screen and she's holding Jeongyeon who's sleeping next to the screen. Mina's head is right above Nayeon's, her hair gently falling all over Nayeon's face and one of her hand lingers on Nayeon's chest. Chaeyoung is cuddled up next to her.

She can't believe she dozed off in their home theater, but she is grateful for how she wakes up. Surrounded by the girls, she feels lighter for the first time in a long while. She goes to move Mina's hand that's over heart but changes her mind because it calms her, so she lays her hand over hers and goes back to sleep.

Jeongyeon wakes up after a while and snaps the picture perfect moment of all the girls huddled together on her phone.