Neverland

in your reflection there's much more than you see

The red Jeep sputtered to a halt just before Sandy's, and Jennie groaned, rubbing the dash.

"Come on, baby, we're so close," Jennie muttered as she hit the gas. The car stuttered for a moment, deciding if it was going to move before pushing on through the streets and towards the bar. Jennie let out a sigh of relief and steered the car to park in front of Sandy's. She saw Junho's truck parked along the street. Well, she supposed it was probably Jisoo's now.

Jennie felt the usual stab at her chest as she thought of Uncle Junho, gone far too soon. Not unlike most people in Jennie's life. She ran a quick hand through her hair and got out of her car, straightening out her Sandy's shirt as she walked up to the bar. She unlocked it and headed inside, immediately greeted by the sight of Jisoo sitting along the bar and with a coffee cup and bottle of whiskey in front of her.

"Really, Jisoo?" Jennie sighed, as she started flipping on all the lights. "It's barely eleven."

"What better way to start your day when everyone hates you," Jisoo smiled sarcastically as she took a long sip of her spiked coffee.

"I don't hate you."

"Resent...hate...same difference," Jisoo said, as Jennie took her place behind the bar to do a quick clean up before they officially opened.

"When are you going back to...wherever you came from?" Jennie sighed.

Jisoo put a hand to her chest like she'd been wounded. "Ouch, baby girl."

"I just want to be prepared this time. Not surprised like the first time you took off."

Without me.

The words went unsaid at the tip of Jennie's tongue and she swallowed them down. The same bitter pill she'd been swallowing for years. Jisoo had always been leaving her when they were young, going off and doing whatever it was that she did. Jennie would never know what the truth was, because Jisoo always insisted that she was off gallivanting in some magical world. She repeated it so often that it landed her in a mental institution not long after Solar and their father died.

"You were a kid, Jennie, I couldn't take you with me," Jisoo sighed

Again.

The same excuses again and again and-

"That's not even what I'm talking about," Jennie lied. "But it's good to know you're still feeling guilty about it."

Out of nervous habit, her hand reached for the necklace around her neck, fingers pinching the silver acorn. Jisoo's eyes flickered to the movement, frowning at the necklace before looking back up at Jennie.

"How am I supposed to not, when you're still bitter about it," Jisoo said, pouring an extra generous pour of whiskey into her cup. Jennie wondered if there was even any coffee in there.

"You can't just drink whatever you want, Jisoo," Jennie said, taking the bottle from her and putting it in its rightful place behind the counter.

"Just put it on my tab."

"The same tab your rent is coming out of," Jennie gave her a look. "You know, Dara can't afford to put you up forever-"

"I'm gone after the wedding, Jendeuki," Jisoo said with a stiff smile. "Assuming you still want me there."

The news, though expected, still stabbed Jennie in the chest. That plus the guilt of having that pit in her stomach whenever she tried to talk to Jisoo. Maybe Jisoo had been a shit ticket, but Jennie hadn't really given her a chance since she'd been back. With a defeated sigh, Jennie rounded the bar, grabbing a glass on her way and sitting on the stool next to Jisoo. She reached back over the countertop to grab the whiskey bottle and poured herself a shot. Looking back at Jisoo, Jennie ran her fingers along the edge of the glass.