JENLISA IMAGINES

Lovin' Can Hurt (A)

Lisa practically skips in to the cafeteria, and for a girl who never skips anywhere; it’s a big deal for her. But today, as for the past year, she just can’t help her happiness. A huge grin comes over her face when she spots the reason for the happiness sitting at a table near the doors to the fields, nose buried in a book as usual.

She glides up to the table; wide grin still plastered on her face to greet her girlfriend of a year now, Jennie Kim. She hooks a finger over the book and pulls gently down to gain Jennie's attention. The brown-haired beauty’s gaze shifts upward, and Lisa speaks as she leans in for a kiss, “Hey hon.” But instead of the usual enthusiastic response, she feels Jennie's finger on her lips, stopping her. Confused, she pulls back, raising an eyebrow. “Hon? What is it?” she asks worriedly.

Jennie lets out a sigh. “You and I need to talk.” She says with great seriousness.

Lisa pales, shocked. Even though Jennie is the first real long-term relationship she’s ever had, even she knows the doom that accompanies those words when said by a significant other.

Instantly she thinks back over the past year, from the moment they started dating, to their six-month anniversary where they had gone hot air ballooning, their recent camping trip to the Rockies, and all the dinners, picnics and little shared moments in between. She scours these memories looking for any possible mistakes she could have made. Forgotten dates perhaps? A missed birthday? A misread signal from Jennie? Some unknown important milestone that she had let pass by in her ignorance?

“Oh,” she says nervously, hands clutching the single strap of her backpack that’s thrown over her shoulder. “Ummm, ok.” She swallows audibly. The look of trepidation is clear on her face as she stands before Jennie, nervously shifting from foot to foot.

“Look Lisa,” Jennie begins hesitantly. “I just…don’t really think this is working between us.”

Lisa pales further. This can’t be happening.

Jennie continues. “You and I, we clearly aren’t meant for each other. I thought we were great until I realized something.”

Lisa's apprehension increases, her knuckles tightening on her backpack strap. “Wh…”she tries. She has to take a steadying breath before starting again. “What do you mean?” her voice is quiet, tense with worry.

“I mean,” Jennie says, crossing her arms and legs and giving Lisa a pointed look, “That you, are only with me for my money.” She points accusingly at a shocked looking Lisa.

“J…Jennie,” is all Lisa manages to get out. What is happening right now? “What,” she stutters. “What money?”

Jennie is beginning to get annoyed and she scowls at the darker woman. “Don’t pretend you don’t know! Who’s paid for our big dates?” she holds up her hand and begins to bend down her fingers as she lists them off. “The dinners at Bean's. Me. The hot air balloon ride. Me. The shopping at all those fancy boutiques, the limo rides, the ballroom dancing? Me. Me. Me. Oh! And let’s not forget the most recent, and most expensive, our trip to the Rockies? Now who paid for that again? Oh that’s right,” she is practically baring her teeth at Lisa now. “ME!”

Lisa is shivering now, barely able to form coherent thoughts. “J…Jennie,” she starts. Her voice is shaky and she’s trying not to cry. “I…I don’t understand. Why are you saying these things?”

“Don’t play dumb with me ‘my love,’” she adds air quotes for emphasis, the last two words coming out in an extremely mocking tone. “The only reason you were EVER interested in me is because of my money. Because I could give you the finer things in life that you couldn’t afford. You claimed to love me, but all you really loved was the convenience of dating a rich girl. That and the connections you could gain with my father being who he is. Why do you think I’ve never taken you to meet him? I was worried about this exact thing happening, and lo and behold it has.” She lets out a bitter laugh, shaking her head.

“Well I’m sorry you wasted all that time, because it’s over. You and I?” she pointed between the two of them. “We’re done.”

Lisa feels like she’s been hit by a train. She can hardly breathe, tears are gathering in the corners of her eyes and she can feel the sweat gathering on her palms as her grip on her bag has become white knuckled. She watches as Jennie reaches in to her bag and pulls out her checkbook, flipping it open and scribbling for a moment. She rips it out and tosses the slip of paper at her. It lands perfectly, and slides to a stop in front of the shocked woman.

“Here,” Jennie says bitterly. “This should compensate you for all the time wasted ‘wooing’ me to get your prize.”
Lisa spent a moment simply staring at the dark haired girl before slowly glancing down at the check in front of her and back again. She does this several times before slowly reaching out her left hand and picking up the item. Briefly, she scans the amount. She gasps slightly. In her hand, she holds a check for the amount of one hundred thousand won. It’s more money than she’s ever seen in one place in her life, and yet all she can feel is nausea. Slowly, she puts the offending item back down on the table, face down, unable to stomach looking at it. “Jennie,” she croaks out, her throat nearly closing up, and her mouth dry.

“What?” the heiress asks bitterly? Not enough for you? Well too bad. That’s the last you’re getting out of me. You should go now.” She turns away from Lisa.

“But,” Lisa squeaks out, her voice nearly non-existent.

“Goodbye Lisa.” Jennie says with finality, refusing to look at the other woman.

Lisa gapes at her in shock, mouth opening and closing like a fish, small sounds of pain and shock the only things escaping from her mouth. “Aah,” she voices as the tears start to flow. It’s such a tiny sound but so incredibly full of anguish. In a flash, she’s covered her mouth and dashed out of the cafeteria, the doors leading to the fields swinging behind her.

“Whoa,” Irene, Jennie's best friend and someone who had become Lisa's friend as well since she and Jennie had begun dating, spoke from Jennie's side. She had been watching the whole thing from a distance and had heard everything. “Don’t you think that was a little harsh?”

“Hmmph,” is Jennie's only response as she scowls at the floor.