Thirst | JENLISA

Chapter 13

The next morning when Jennie wakes up, she's disappointed and concerned to find the space on the bed empty next to her, an indication that Lisa is missing, and Jennie panics. Her first instinct is to check the bathroom, and then downstairs, and when Lisa still isn't anywhere to be found, she goes back to her room to look and see if Lisa left a note. She didn't, but the pajamas she borrowed are folded neatly at the end of the bed. Maybe she left a note somewhere else? Jennie searches the house again, this time running into Irene in the kitchen, literally.

"Woah, Jennie. What's got you so freaked out and worried?"

"I'm not worried," she says, too quickly. "And I'm not freaked out either."

Irene snorts, "Yeah, sure, whatever you say. " She resumes making her breakfast while Jennie sits at the island counter, slamming her head down and groaning. She doesn't move or say anything else, not daring to talk about it. For all she knows, Irene has no idea that Lisa even stayed over again, and she doesn't need to know. She's pretty sure Irene wouldn't support the forming tradition. She's beyond grateful when Irene puts a cup of coffee next to her and gives her shoulder a pat before leaving the room. She can face the conversation another day. Or not at all.

Getting ready for school is a struggle. Every time any noise happens anywhere in the house, Jennie looks for the source, hoping its Lisa, but it never is. She's finally ready, jumping when Irene asks her if she's ready to go and ignoring the curious look Irene gives her.

She tells her "one sec" before darting up the stairs to her room to unlock and open up the window for Lisa. Just in case. But if anyone asks her, she will insist that she 'just forgot' to close it. Until then, no one needs to know or suspect anything at all.

***

Jennie's day goes on like normal, except that she's next level distracted, thinking about Lisa and hoping she's okay, wondering why she left without saying goodbye or without a note. Had Jennie done something in her sleep? The idea almost has Jennie falling out of her desk. If Jisoo and Rosé notice, they don't say anything, but then again, if they did, Jennie's probably too out of it to hear them.

Everytime she's in the hallway, she looks out for Lisa, in case she's snuck back into the school. She hasn't. When they all meet up for lunch in the library again (Jennie's idea to meet inside rather than outside, just in case Lisa comes by, not that any of her friends need to know that), she half expects to walk through the door and see Lisa chatting with her friends at a table, but she isn't.

They decide not to plan today, which makes Jennie look even more suspicious for wanting to meet inside, but she just stammers about it being too hot, even though it's winter. Everyone looks at her like she's lost her mind, and Jisoo opens her mouth to speak, probably to say something that makes Jennie want to crawl under a rock, but then Jiyong walks in and interrupts, much to her relief. "Hey guys! What'd the grape say when it got crushed?"

"Uhh..."

"Nothing. It just let out a little wine!" Jennie hardly registers the joke, but laughs anyways, just for Jiyong. Rosé snorts and the other two roll their eyes. Jiyong laughs the most out of all of them, as usual. "You guys need a better sense of humor."

"Maybe you need to be less of a dad," Jisoo comments, under her breath but loud enough for everyone to hear. Rosé snorts again.

"Dad?" Jiyong chuckles nervously before changing the subject. "Anyway, what are you guys up to? Scheming? Shenanigans? Anything I can help with?"

Rosé shrugs. "Just homework. Hey, are you any good at algebra?"

"Hey, I thought I was gonna tutor you?" Irene brings her hand to her chest in mock offense. "I can't believe you're choosing Mr. Dad Joke over me."