JENNIE'S POV
Lisa drags me into a nearby Walmart and takes me straight to the medical supplies section. She grabs a box of bandages, tears it open, and pulls one out without hesitation.
"You can't do that without paying," I scold, quickly snatching the box from her hands.
"Relax, I'll buy it, okay? But let me put the bandage on the claw marks that bitch left on you," Lisa says, gently tugging the box back from me.
"Fine... but promise me you'll pay for it," I beg, still worried.
"Of course. I've never stolen anything," she reassures me as she carefully places a few bandages over the scratches on my hand.
"Really?" I ask, raising an eyebrow suspiciously.
She hesitates, then sighs. "Fine, it happened one time, okay? I've never shoplifted again because I got caught."
I chuckle at her flustered tone. "What did you try to steal?" I ask curiously.
"Like hell I'm telling you, it's embarrassing," she mutters while inspecting my bandaged hand.
"Please! I'm dying to know," I pout dramatically.
"I'm not telling you," she insists before suddenly pulling me closer and giving me a quick peck on the lips.
I crinkle my nose in mock annoyance, which only makes her laugh. She reaches out and boops my nose with her finger.
"You can look at me like that all you want, but I'm not telling you," she teases, still laughing.
"Come on, let's go to the frozen food aisle," Lisa says, wrapping her arm around my waist and steering me down the aisle.
"Why?" I ask, confused.
"For your bruised hand," Lisa chuckles, shaking her head.
"Oh... right," I say sheepishly, lifting my hand. It still throbs with pain. Irene had squeezed it so damn hard.
"Here," Lisa says as she grabs a small bag of frozen peas from the freezer and presses it gently against my wrist, now purple and swollen.
"Thank you," I whisper.
"Anything for you, my love," she replies, wrapping her arms securely around me.
I grin slyly. "Good. Then tell me what you stole."
Lisa groans loudly. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"
"Nope," I reply, emphasizing the pop on the P.
"Fine," she mutters, her cheeks turning red. "I tried to steal a High School Musical toothbrush that played one of the songs."
I burst out laughing so hard people in the aisle glance at us. "That's it?"
"Yeah! I was nine, okay!" she says, covering her face with her hands.
"Fuck, you're adorable," I murmur, which makes her peek out from behind her hands in shock.
Unable to resist, I pull her closer and kiss her softly.
"I love a High School Musical toothbrush stealer," I whisper against her lips.
"Shhh, you're ruining my street cred," she teases, trying to look tough.
"What street cred?" I challenge with a grin.
"Ouch! That hurt," she chuckles, grabbing my chin gently to pull me in for another kiss.
Afterward, we head to the checkout line. In front of us stands a mother hugging her little daughter tightly. My heart warms at the sight, but when I glance over at Lisa, she wears a troubled expression.
I squeeze her hand, intertwining our fingers. "What's wrong?" I ask softly.
She hesitates, averting her eyes. "I saw... it's just that... well, I saw my mom in the bookstore."
My chest tightens. "What happened?" I ask worriedly.
"You got hurt, that's what happened. And that's what needs to be focused on," she says quickly, trying to deflect.
"Lisa, not everything needs to be about me," I tell her gently. "You're important too. Your struggles are real. You don't need to shove them aside."
"But I'm not good at talking about these things. I've never done it before," she admits, her voice quieter.
I can't let her keep bottling this up, it'll tear her apart. So I tug her gently out of the line, away from the crowd, until it's just the two of us in a quiet corner.
I wrap my bandaged hand around her waist and caress her cheek with my other. "Lisa, I'm right here for you. I love you. You can tell me anything."
She exhales shakily. "Okay," she sighs.
"Well, before you called for me... my mom came to talk to me," she begins slowly.
"What did she say?" I ask, squeezing her shoulder in reassurance.
"Same old things as always. She was drunk... and pissed off that I quit my job," she explains.
Her voice falters. "And... and—" she pauses, looking away.
"She mentioned my dad. Not like how she normally does. She didn't blame me or curse his name. She looked so... broken, Jennie. I don't know if it was real or not. I don't know," she whispers, her eyes glassy with tears.
I've never seen her this vulnerable. It makes me want to protect her with everything I have.
She buries herself in my arms, and I hold her tightly.
"She looked so heartbroken, Jennie. She looked like the day my dad left," Lisa whispers into my shoulder.
"She made it seem like we were cursed, Jennie. She said everyone would eventually leave us. Leave me," Lisa adds, her voice breaking as she cries into me.
I gently lift her chin so she'll look at me. I wipe away her tears and say firmly, "I'm never going to leave you. I love you too much to even imagine a day without you."
Lisa lets out a shaky laugh and gives me a small, hopeful smile.
"Really?" she asks softly.
"Yes, really. I love you so much, Lisayah," I reply, chuckling lightly to ease her pain.
Her smile grows wide, radiant, and it captivates me. Suddenly, her hands slide around my neck, pulling me down into a kiss.
We lose ourselves in it, passionate and desperate, before realizing
Oh Gosh
We're still in Walmart!
We quickly break apart, cheeks flushed, and hurry back to the line to pay for our things before heading to the car.
When we finally pull up at my house, Lisa immediately bolts out of the car. I chase after her only to find her clinging to a tree branch, trying to climb up toward my window.
I burst out laughing. She looks back at me, puzzled.
"My parents aren't home, get down!" I yell through my laughter.
"You couldn't have told me sooner?! Now how am I supposed to get back down?" she whines, still laughing.
It takes her nearly ten minutes to awkwardly maneuver her way back down. By the time she lands safely, she's a sweaty mess and completely out of breath.
She tries to hug me, but I put my hands up. "Nah-uh! You're a sweaty mess."
"Well, no shit. I tried to climb a tree," she retorts, wrapping her arms around my waist anyway.
"Ewww," I giggle. "Come on, let's go inside. Then you can take a shower because you're sticky."
"Okay, thanks," she replies, following me inside with a sheepish grin.
YOU ARE READING
My Chemistry Tutor
Fiksi PenggemarThe school knows Lalisa Manoban as the badass who always speaks her mind, but the truth is that she is barely holding on. She is forced to work long hours to support herself and her depressed mother and just wants to be reassured and loved by someon...
