YOU & ME | JENLISA

Chapter 2

Jennie

Thunder destroyed my eardrums, sounding even louder bouncing against the concrete walls and floor. I could feel the vibrations through my body, taste the electricity on my lips. Images of my dad invaded my mind, images of him crashing the car and bleeding out without any help in this storm. I hated the intrusive thoughts but they always violated me anyway.

A sound of crying made my ankle boots stop still, I wasn't alone here. I turned around the last corner to see the figure of someone sitting with her back against the rooftop door, her head lowered into her hands as she sobbed vehemently. Lisa?

My heart palpitated and my brain screamed at me to turn around. Lisa was dangerous, accused of unthinkable things and I was trapped inside a dark stairwell alone with her.

Walk away Jen, she's probably only crying because she took a shit load of drugs and is hallucinating heart-eating monkeys or something equally as disturbing.

Slowly I turned on my heels and took a few steps back down but her sobs and sniffles penetrated through my conscience, so I stupidly turned back.

"Are you okay?"

Her head rose up to see me, until now, I don't think she even knew that I was here.

She looked so broken, like her soul had been utterly destroyed leaving behind the exhausted shell of a human being. Her fair skin shined in the flickering light, wet from her glossy tears and her pink eyes finally registered me after silently staring for a few seconds.

"Shit." She breathed out using the sleeve of her black hoodie to wipe away any trace of her sadness. Her eyes were a muddy shade of brown, surrounded by blood vessels and swollen tear ducts. Right now, Lisa didn't look like that kid from the wrong side of the tracks, a hooligan or roughly brought up person. She was low, lost and vulnerable. Some might even say human.

I fished into my pocket and handed her a Kleenex, while she curled her lip up at me "I don't need a tissue!" she spat out venomously and looked at my offering with disgust.

"It's for your nose... you... uh... have a nose bleed."

She touched the droplet of blood running down her upper lip and looked at her fingers. Then she snatched the tissue out of my hand and balled it into her nostril.

I wrapped my arms around myself and snaked my eyes around the stairwell, feeling awkward. Lisa clambered to her feet, towering head and shoulders over me, and instinctively, I backed away.

"I swear to god Jennie, if you tell anyone about this, I will fucking kill you."

My brows knitted together, completely dismissing her threat because my brain went straight to her using my name. Nobody calls me Jennie anymore, I didn't even think she knew that I existed, let alone calling me by the name that I last used when I was in elementary school.

Caramel brown strands of hair hung loosely over her face, like curtains - in a hairstyle that you would see from the 90s. It was only because she had her head in her hands roughing it up, usually her hair was styled to more modern day standards.

"Get the fuck out of here!" Her voice was loud, and echoing around the stairwell. It was another threat, this one given more by the tone of her voice and not by what she said.

After swallowing down a gulp, I remembered my place and it wasn't here, challenging her threats so I nodded my head and stepped forward.

"Woah!" She stumbled back, trying to get away from me and I grabbed her arm to stop her from falling backwards down the stairs but she shoved me off aggressively. "Don't touch me, don't fucking touch me! Just leave. Jesus! Just get out of here!" She argued.

"S... sorry." I went to push on the door bar so I could go onto the roof and hopefully get a phone signal but she pounced on me. Grabbing my wrist and pushing me away from the door.

Her body pinned me up against the wall and she held my hand hostage beside my body. "What the fuck are you doing? Are you crazy? There's a thunderstorm, you can't go on the roof!"

"I have no signal, I need to call my dad."

She looked down at our two bodies, as if realising the stance that we were in and immediately released the grip on my hand and stepped away, putting as much distance between us as possible. She seemed embarrassed now, I swear her cheeks pinked slightly and she pushed back her hair, calming herself down.

"Not on the roof." She pulled out her own phone and glanced down at the screen. It was an old model phone, like a burner and I could see that she had service.

Her brows pulled together and for a second, I thought she was going to offer it to me but then she slipped it back into her jeans pocket.

"Sucks to be you." She walked away from me, with her sneakers tapping against the concrete steps. I followed behind. Lisa flung open the gymnasium doors and walked over to the far corner. She took a seat alone, she was always alone.

"Oh my God, Jen! What happened? What did she do? Are you alright?" Krystal pulled me aside, with the whole dance team rallying around me.

"Nothing. No. I'm fine." I reassured them.

"Did she touch you?" Rosé asked, floating her eyes down my entire body to make sure that I wasn't hurt.

"No." I lied, while deciding it was best to not tell them that Lisa pinned me against the wall and threatened my life.