Tell Her

1

It was a lot more raucous than usual in the cafeteria today. It honestly didn't make sense to me how people can eat and talk out loud at the same time. It doesn't bother me, but it's not a comfortable thought either.

But I guess that's just how my not so sociable self would think.

"Freen, you listening to me?" Lisa asked, bringing my attention back to her. I forgot she was even here and missed what she was saying. The noise in this part of the school is just too overwhelming for me.

But I nod, remembering we were talking about Chiquita's upcoming 14th birthday and the surprise birthday party we were planning to throw for her at home. "Yeah, I'm following." I replied, perching up my glasses and eyes re-focus on her.

Lisa sighed, taking her phone out to show me something, "Here's the kind of cake she likes so tell Nam she can change the color but not the design, okay?" She said, scrolling through the designs she saved for the said event. "Sorry for this sudden task on you, the council handed me too much work and I just couldn't find the time."

I smiled understandably, "It's okay, Lisa. I don't mind doing it, I'm her sister too. I was just wondering why we need to talk about that here, of all places."

"Oh, about that." Lisa grinned shyly, "Jennie is meeting me here in a minute for lunch so might as well run this over with you while I wait."

I rolled my eyes at that.

Of course.

Lisa and I were step-sisters, and growing up with her exposed me to how love and relationship works. I realized it doesn't have to be exclusive to men and women when she started dating the cheerleader, Jennie Kim, two years ago, and that our parents were supportive of it.

I wasn't as open to everything until my mom re-married to Marco Manoban 10 years ago, it was a major adjustment on my part. But the best thing about it was gaining instant two sisters. They were both cheerful and funny girls, very welcoming and warm.

It felt like a family again and I'm beyond grateful for them.

"We could have just met at the back of the gym or somewhere quiet, you know? It's too loud here and I barely heard what you said about the costumes we need to wear." I added, knowing Jennie must be running straight here from her pre-lunch cheer squad meeting.

Lisa laughs at that, "You have to get out of your comfort zone sometimes, Freen. You're 17 for crying out loud." She said, "Also, I didn't say we need to be in costumes, I said dad wanted to hire someone with a costume for party tricks or something like that."

I raised my eyebrow at that, already feeling the laughter bubbling up in my throat, "Are you kidding me? Chiqui's 14!"

Lisa laughs out loud, clenching her stomach and throwing playful punches on the table. I can't help but laughed with her. The idea of throwing a magician into this supposed middle schooler birthday party is beyond me.

"Hey girls!" Jennie greeted merrily, giving me a side-hug and kissing Lisa's cheeks. "Sorry it took a while, Rośe was being an ass with Jisoo again." She said, sighing like it was something of unusual occurrence.

Rośe and Jisoo are the best cheer flying-duo in the academy. They're known to be wild in competitions but they just can't get along with each other. I even saw them brawling one time and I rarely come watch the cheer practice, only when Lisa drags me to it.