First Times

It took Lisa 3 days to figure out how to say hi back

When Jisoo wandered out of her room around noon, Lisa was still lying on the couch, trying to bore a hole into the ceiling with her bare eyes.

"Whatcha doing?" Jisoo lifted Lisa's legs to make room for herself on the couch. Lisa didn't respond. Her brain was still stuck in that park hours ago, trying to figure out...well, she wasn't sure what yet. But she was sure she should have done something other than gape at Jennie when she introduced herself.

She was pulled back into reality by Jisoo waving her hands in front of her face.

"What?" She felt like she was on the cusp of an epiphany, but Jisoo had yanked her away at the last second. Now she was never going to figure out what to do.

"I said, what're you doing just lying here with your face all scrunched up? You look like you're about to pop a blood vessel."

"I'm trying to figure something out..." She drifted off mid-sentence, mind already back on her dilemma.

Jisoo knew better than to disturb her when she had that look. She ruffled Lisa's hair, much to Lisa's chagrin, and strolled off back to her room. She didn't know what Lisa was thinking about, but for something to stump the usually clever girl, it must have been really complicated.

Watching the invisible gears in Lisa's head spin so hard she could practically hear the steam was less fun than running into Seulgi's room and walloping her with a pillow anyways.

---

Lisa finally figured it out on Wednesday night, when the three of them were having dinner together.

"And I swear, she's starting to condition me to waking up late too. When I'm over there, it's not like I have anything else to do when she's sleeping in."

"You could talk to her sister. She seems pretty nice."

"Yeah, but every time I do more than say hi to her, it's like..."

"OH MY GOD I SHOULD'VE SAID HI. OH MY GOD JISOO I SHOULD'VE SAID HI."

Seulgi was so startled by the sudden exclamation that she spit her water full in Lisa's face. Jisoo was doubled over in her seat. She was laughing so hard. Lisa wasn't even phased by it.

"THERE'S NO TIME I HAVE TO GO PRACTISE. I'LL SEE YOU LATER DON'T BOTHER ME BYE."

---

Sunday morning and Lisa had a game plan. She was not going to be dumbfounded this time. She, Lisa, was going to be smooth. The first part of her morning went off without a hitch. Books. Seniors. Birds. She wondered if the geese minded that the bread today was slightly damp from her hands sweating so hard.

Her eyes were already searching the path as she packed up her stuff. And like magic, there she was. That brown hair tied up in a ponytail, wisps falling around her neck as she wiped away some sweat. When she spotted Lisa, she smiled and waved. Lisa grinned and nodded back. And mentally high fived herself.

She slowed down until she was standing by the bench in front of Lisa. "Hi. Jennie right? I'm Lisa." Another mental high five. She was on a roll.

"Hi! Nice to finally meet you, Lisa." Jennie chuckled, "I was worried I'd scared you the other day."

She outstretched her hand and Lisa took it instinctively. As soon as they made contact, Lisa was suddenly acutely aware of two conflicting thoughts.

First, that she had never felt any hand as soft as Jennie's. Second, that her hands were embarrassingly sweaty and still had bits of bread crumbs on them. Lisa couldn't figure out if she never wanted to let go or if she wanted to whip her hand away immediately in hopes that Jennie hadn't noticed how gross they were. She ended up just standing rooted to the spot grasping her hand and staring at Jennie while Jennie giggled at her.

"So, you never told me the other day. What's that you're reading?"

Lisa gave her head a shake and withdrew her hand. At a normal pace. And subtly wiped off her hands on her jeans. She was still determined to be smooth.

"Music history, I like to study here in the morning. The fresh air helps clear my mind. What about you?" Lisa watched as Jennie did her cool down stretches against the bench.

"Me too! It's always packed in this park in the afternoon, running in the morning's the only time I have the path to myself." They both turned to watch two old guys smack each other upside the head while arguing over something. Jennie laughed, "Well, mostly to myself."

Stretching her arms behind her back, she tilted her head and smiled at Lisa, "You like geese?"

Lisa was caught off guard by that. The question that is. Definitely not that Jennie's arms stretching back were causing her chest to push forward. Nope definitely not that. At all. She gulped and turned away, focusing hard on an old guy doing the same stretch in the background.

Jennie cleared her throat and Lisa realized she had forgotten to answer her. Eyes glued to the old guy's sweat drenched shorts in an attempt to focus her mind, she missed the way that Jennie's eyes stayed glued to her face, soaking up every expression and nuance.

"Uhhh yeah. I mean no. I just like the way they waddle." What the hell did I just say, now she thinks I'm some idiot that comes to the park to watch birds waddle. Lisa was mentally bemoaning the death of her pride, when she realized Jennie was laughing.

"You're really cute, you know that?"

Lisa turned so red she thought she'd burst, and it just made Jennie laugh louder, clapping her hands happily and throwing her head back. Lisa couldn't help but grin back at her.

"You're gorgeous."

She hadn't meant to say it, it just sort of slipped out. This time it was Jennie's turn to blush. No one said anything for a moment, but Lisa couldn't tear her gaze from Jennie's stare. After a second, Jennie turned just the faintest shade redder, and her eyes found something really interesting in the gravel by Lisa's foot.

"Listen," she said, wrapping up her headphones and sliding them into the ipod case strapped around her arm, "I usually head over to this cafe down the street from here to grab a drink before I head home. I was wondering if you wanted to join me?"

Lisa nodded her head so hard she thought she was going to get whiplash. And when she saw how it made Jennie laugh, she figured it'd be worth it if she did.