Need You To Need Me | Jenlisa

XII.

As soon as they entered Jennie's house, the latter was welcomed with a second set of flowers that were handed to her by the governess.

"From your mother, Miss Kim"

Jennie had nodded, took the flowers in her hands again and assumed the same expressionless face she had early on.

Jennie's house was exactly what you'd expect someone like Jennie to live in. In the middle of an open space, there was a set of fluctuating stairs that led to the second floor, where the bedrooms were. An aseptic-looking kitchen stood in the left corner. The steel counter was immaculate, making it look like it never had been used before.

The house, with its extravagant furniture and pronounced character, made a great impression on a first time guest. But, at the same time, gave the general feeling of lacking something: human presence.

If it wasn't for the fact Lisa had been there countless times in the last four years, she'd say she had just stepped foot into a cine graphic set.

She had always preferred Jennie's previous house. It was a three-floor, western-inspired villa. It had been nothing compared to the modern mansion Jennie's family currently lived in, but it sure felt like a home.

It had been before the Kim's family company reached the success it had nowadays; a time when Jennie's mum still found time to cook her daughter's favorite food when she came home after having a bad day at school. Or when she would actually saw her father. Not like she could say she did nowadays.

Maybe that's why Jennie was valuing her birthday differently this year. Since turning eighteen was considered a big deal, maybe she'd hoped that her parents might have showed up then.

But even if that was the case, one couldn't say. Jennie's expression remained stoic at almost any occasion. And even when it looked like something had broken through her high walls, there was no certainty that what Jennie let the world see was truthful.

Still, Lisa felt like something was different today. What she had not seen with her eyes she had felt. Jennie's disappointment was tangible. Her parents absence had really struck her.

But again, Jennie didn't let her emotions transpire like a normal person. She'd either have a break down when things were too much for her handle or she'd hide the current feeling with a different one. Anger or disguise.

If she felt hopeless, she feigned confidence. If she felt lonely, she camouflaged it with recklessness. If she felt hurt, she showed indifference.

That day, Jennie was a mixture of the three. And not even all the years of knowing her could come useful to Lisa to predict Jennie's behavior.

"Let's go upstairs"

Jennie led the way. Lisa, who was walking behind her, couldn't help but stare at the way her body moved. When she walked, her spine remained straight and her head high at all times. When she went up the stairs, her hips swayed slightly, following a hypnotizing pace.

Another thing Lisa had always noticed was how Jennie made absolutely zero sounds when she walked. It was like her body levitated.

She couldn't help but think how the silence of Jennie's steps matched the one of the house.

Once they where inside her room, Jennie had waited to the side for Lisa to come in as well before closing the door.

Even if she hadn't, Lisa thought, it wasn't not like anybody would disturb them. She was pretty sure the help around the house was trained to behave like ghosts.

Jennie had then proceeded to stand beside the wall-lengthen window that occupied one side of her bedroom. She stared at the perfectly curated garden outside for a while. Lisa watched her from behind. Neither of them muttering a word.