Imperfectly Perfect [Chaelisa]

forty two

When Chaeyoung hears her phone ring, she nearly falls out of bed, because she hadn't been expecting that. She reaches out and grabs her phone, taking note of the time, 3:26AM, but she's a little more focused on the fact that Lisa is calling her.

She taps on the green icon to answer the call and clears her throat. "Hi, Lili. It's- um, it's 3AM."

"Rosie," Lisa's voice is shaky and Chaeyoung frowns, "I need you."

"Oh, okay," Chaeyoung sits up and rubs at her eyes, trying to wake herself up. "What's wrong? Can you not sleep?"

"I just-" Lisa cuts herself off with a sharp intake of breath and Chaeyoung frowns, "please, Rosie. Just talk to me. Please."

"I will come to your house." Chaeyoung decides, because Lisa sounds upset, and it sucks to be alone when you're upset. "I will be fifteen minutes, I will take my mom's car, and um- use the Bluetooth thing to stay on the phone with you."

"You don't- it's late, I shouldn't have even called," Lisa gets out between quick bursts of breath, "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. I meant it when I said you could call me if you need me." Chaeyoung says, pulling on some sweats and a hoodie, grabbing Nala and carefully making her way downstairs, trying her best not to step on any creaky floorboards. "What's wrong?"

"I think- I woke up from this horrible dream and-" Lisa chokes back a sob, "I can't breathe."

"Lili..." Chaeyoung grabs her mom's car keys from where she knows she keeps them, slips on her Converse and heads outside to the car. "I promise I'll be quick, but- um... try not to think about it? I know that's the dumbest advice ever. Um... tell me about what music you've written lately."

"I, uh," Lisa sniffles, "I wrote a little thing- uh, about you. It's- it's more of a- a poem. But with guitar."

"I would like to hear it sometime. Maybe you can teach me the chords and I'll play piano for it." Chaeyoung suggests, putting her phone on speaker and setting off to Lisa's. "That'd be nice. Now, uh, I need you to stay as calm as you can when I ask you this, but what was your dream about?"

"It- oh, I can't-" Lisa cuts herself off with a sob and Chaeyoung feels her heart break, because she hates hearing her girlfriend cry. "I need you."

"I'm on my way." Chaeyoung promises her. "And I'm going as quick as I can, baby. But I'll still be a little while and I know it sucks. Can you maybe wake one of your parents up? They could- um, help you."

"They both have work tomorrow and I don't want to- they'd worry about me." Lisa says. "And they'd take me to the doctor's about this and they'd stress about it too much and I don't want to worry them, Rosie. Please don't tell them."

"I won't." Chaeyoung replies. "Not if you don't want me to."

"How far are you?" Lisa asks, her voice trembling, "I went downstairs. The door's unlocked and I'm just- in the lounge."

"I'm- um... about ten minutes away." Chaeyoung estimates. "But I'm going quickly. Like... over the speed limit quickly."

"No!" Lisa practically shouts through the phone. "Slow down. God, slow down. I don't want you to crash."

Chaeyoung does as her girlfriend says. "Okay. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you."

"It's okay. But be careful." Lisa says. "I need you here. With me. Alive. Not in a fatal car crash that's my fault because I called you."

"It wouldn't be your fault, though. I'd be my own for speeding." Chaeyoung replies, tapping on the steering wheel. "But- um, if I get a ticket, I'm making you pay for it."