long story short (chaennie)

home sweet home

"No. No. Oh God, no!"

Jennie closed her laptop with a click and pushed it away from her. Then she started knocking her head rhythmically against the café table while chanting softly under her breath. "This isn't happening. This isn't happening."

Across the table, Hanbin stirred his latte serenely. "Jen. Babe. I know that law school has caused you to partially lose your mind, but could you just rein it in for a second? I'd appreciate that."

Jennie lifted her head. She knew she probably looked like death, but that was how she felt.

"My roommate just emailed me. She's moving to Canada with her fiancé," she said in a brittle voice. "She was perfect—sweet, studious, quiet as a mouse. We never had a single argument."

Her brother raised his eyebrows but said nothing.

"She's leaving—get this—tomorrow. The semester starts in four days, Bin. I don't have time to search for another roommate! I can't just trawl Craigslist for randoms!"

Jennie was actually blinking back tears at this point. They were stress tears, and she was used to them. This was how she lived now. She flicked them away expertly and continued.

"I have to get at least a 3.9 this semester, and I don't have time for distraction in the form of some... some chatty Cathy undergrad, or a first year who's going to want to pick my brain about how to get into the law review. Nor do I have time to downsize to a studio."

"You couldn't anyway, you have to stay in that place or Mom and Dad won't keep covering your share of the rent," Hanbin pointed out.

Jennie stifled a groan and sank her head onto her hands.

Above her, she heard her brother remark conversationally, "I miss old Jennie. Fun Jennie, who used to go out drinking with me, and actually had time to hang out and do things that weren't work dates. What happened to her?"

"She went on vacation," Jennie snapped, raising her head, "when I started law school. I got two A minuses last semester, Bin. Two A minuses!!"

She paused. Even thinking about those subpar grades was deeply upsetting. She pointed one finger at her brother. It was shaking slightly, and its chipped fingernail polish was just a reminder of what a shell of herself she'd become. "Tell me you understand."

"Jennie... Do you think you're maybe overreacting a little? Just a tiny bit?" Hanbin was gazing at her with equal parts concern and amusement. "Okay, okay. I understand. Try to relax." He scooted his chair over to Jennie's side and rubbed her back soothingly in small circles. "Come on, Jen. It's really going to be fine."

Jennie rested her head on his shoulder and took several slow, deep breaths.

She did feel better—having a brother for a best friend was so valuable sometimes. After a while she said, with some acidity, "You don't even know. You were smart enough to choose a career that doesn't require grad school, and you live with your perfect boyfriend who you poached from me."

Hanbin rolled his eyes fondly and laughed, and Jennie forced a smile. To be perfectly honest, she missed dating Kai. "Dating," of course. But it had been so nice. She'd had a handsome, charming date to any social occasion that required her presence, and he left her alone the rest of the time to study. When they did hang out, Kai was whip-smart and a gentleman, and gave her plenty of pointers that she used to stay at the top of her class. But their fauxlationship had ended after her first year of law school when Kai graduated, went to work for the district attorney's office, and moved in with Hanbin, who he'd been seeing all along.