Spark's Fly

Chapter 2

Usually I get up earlier, but because of Jisoo’s late arrival I start things later in the day. Our first stop is the gym. I invite Jisoo to join me but she insists she can’t.

“I don’t have anything to wear.”

“I can get you something in the store.”

I let my eyes analyze her figure as I decide what size to pick out for her. As my eyes travel up her legs realize just how long they are followed by the realization that she’s tall.

Most of my days are spent around fellow Amazons, but for the average person on the street both of us look like giants. I should remember this since my manager is average height. When we walk together I have to slouch down so I can hear her over the surrounding crowd. But Jisoo is just a little shorter than me. A comfortable height difference. A height that would make it possible for her to put her arm over my shoulder while I put my arm around Jisoo’s waist.

“I think it’s best I use this time to study my notes.”

For a moment I’m lost for what she means, then I remember what we’d been talking about. I also notice she’s holding up her phone. An app is open I recognize it as the notes my manager usually studies; they outline my day’s events.

Leaving her to that I begin my intense training. I lose myself in that, forgetting almost completely about Jisoo as she sits on a work out bench, her head down, eyes fixed on her phone.

At the end I swing a towel over my shoulder as I use the end of it to wipe the sweat from my eyes. When I turn to let Jisoo know I’m done I find her sitting with her lips pursed in a look of concentration. An intense look on her face that tells me she’s not paying attention to the world around her. When my sisters get like this I like to sneak over and jump scare them. I move slowly in order to do this, looking like a ninja in my black spandex.

The best scares come from behind so I don’t stop the sneak until I’m directly at her back. Before I can lunge I notice her thumbs moving across the screen as she types something. Leaning down she still doesn’t notice me as I try to sneak a peek. I doubt it’s my manager notes would make her this entranced. Perhaps the texts of a lover?

I bite my lip as I scan the page. A messenger isn’t open but Google Docs. Before I can stop myself I read: “Hold on, you’re losing it. The water’s high, you’re jumping into it. And letting go and no one knows what you cry, but you don’t tell anyone that you might not be the golden one and you’re tied together with a smile, but you’re coming undone.”

“That’s so…sadly beautiful.”

Jisoo looks startled as she turns back to face me. The look in her eyes tells me I’ve just peaked into something personal as she clutches the phone to her heart.

I had expected us to experience problems our first day but I hadn’t suspected it would be because of something I’d do.

I lean away as I hold up my hands in apology, “Sorry, I shouldn’t have pried. But your writing—you did write it?”

She nods looking as if admitting it pains her.

“Those words evoke so much imagery,” I motion up at the sky like the pictures are appearing in clouds above me, “it’s tragic and yet…it’s beautiful.” I look back down, “Is writing your passion?”

Again I can tell from her eyes that I’ve treaded on fenced in territory. Space with a large “No trespassing” sign set up in front.

“It’s just a hobby.”

I can tell she means the words as a brush off but her voice is filled with regret.

“That’s too bad. You have some real talent. Have you never considered doing something with it?”

“Once,” she gets a faraway look in her eyes. For a long beat she becomes lost in it, then she continues, her voice sounding as if it’s still coming from that distant place, “I used to dream of writing and singing my songs.”

“Why don’t you?”

Before I can say more she breaks in, “My dad said I can’t sing. That I should save the spotlight for those who are actually talented.”

Her voice breaks at the end as her eyes drop. My eyes follow hers, landing on her phone which is tightly gripped in her lap. Her words say she’s done with the dream but the way she clutches her phone tells me she hasn’t given up yet.

“I could hear those words in a song,” I give her a reassuring smile but I don’t think she sees as her eyes remain fixed on her phone, “If you wanted to sing, did you learn to play any instruments?”

“I took guitar and piano lessons, but…I’m not anything special.”

“Did you ever write melodies for your songs?”

I’m reminded of a time I went to the zoo with my family. There was a petting zoo I talked my parents into taking me. I really wanted to pet a goat there and tried to entice it with the food they provided us. But no matter how much I called to it, or how tantalizing I tried to make the food, it kept its head turned away.

I feel like I’m there again as I try to draw Jisoo back to me, out of the shadows and into the light of hope.

“I wrote a few songs, but none of them were any good. I realize that now, now that I’m grown up.”

The way she says it makes it sound like a bad thing.

“Weren’t things so much simpler when we were young? Sometimes I think it would be nice to have never grown up,” for a moment I think I see her head lift but her eyes remain down, “Never lost those unrealistic dreams, like being a princess living in a giant pink castle.”

There. I see it. A smile playing at the edges of Jisoo’s lips. My chest swells with the little triumph as I consider how to draw her out more.

“I once made a castle,” I’m surprised when she takes the next move, adding, “it was made out of popsicle sticks. I built it with a slide and everything.”

“That sounds amazing. I made a ranch house for my horses out of shoe boxes.”

She looks like she’s going to say more but a cough to the side interrupts her. I frown as I turn to see a muscular man standing to our side. His eyes are fixed on Jisoo, specifically the machine on which she is seated.

Curling back into herself, Jisoo rises, nodding bashfully in apology, as she skirts to the side. I feel my mouth tense with displeasure as I shoot the man a dirty look before following Jisoo as she heads back to the locker room.

Catching up, I slow as we walk in sync, “If you ever want a second opinion on your music I’d love to lend an ear.”

Again she does that opposite hand ear tuck as her cheeks redden in a cute way. She doesn’t agree but she doesn’t disagree either.

“When we get to know each other better, consider it.”

She’s looking at the floor but I still catch the edges of her mouth curve in a smile.

I almost run into the wall.