YOU & ME | JENLISA

Chapter 9

Jennie

Dusk was settling in, spreading pink and orange hues stretching across the sky, knocking out all of the blues. I watched it for a while, it reminded me of how simple and beautiful life was. No matter what troubles the day brought, the canvas got wiped clean and tomorrow had the possibility to be different, and to be better.

For Kai's party, I wore a lace bralette under a leather motor jacket and distressed blue denim shorts, paired with a few gold necklaces. My dark hair fell past my shoulders in loose curls and a bottle of Bud Light was the perfect hand accessory to complete my look.

"Damn Jen!" Kai feasted his eyes down my body and nodded his head in approval. "Come dance with me."

The song of choice was 'Simply the Best' by Tina Turner. The whole room bellowed out the chorus, throwing our hands in the air and jumping around like idiots. That's what I loved about my hometown. The high school parties were always a vibe. These kids, we knew each other. We grew up together. We knew each other's families, from each passing generation to the next. Nothing sketchy ever happened, drinks could be left unattended and everything felt safe, and comfortable.

Even with Kai, we were best friends once. We drifted apart, actually we didn't drift apart. We repelled like two South Pole magnets. I gave him my virginity, he gave me a break-up text the very next day. Funny thing is, we weren't ever in a relationship. Just friends, deeply connected friends. Those childhood boy-girl best friends that are inseparable and when you reach a certain age, you kind of owe it to each other to see where things could go, sexually.

That was a long time ago, I mourned the loss of my best friend and moved on with my life. Now there's an unspoken rule in place that disallows either of us to mention our old friendship, our hook up or the text message that read: Sorry Jen, I don't want to be friends anymore.

"Why were you dancing with the jerk?" Rosé asked, handing me another lukewarm beer.

"Letting bygones be bygones and all that." I tipped the liquid to the back of my throat and swallowed it down in one big gulp.

"You see too much good in people Jen, it's your worst trait."

I laughed into the glass bottle, it echoed around the spout. "I actually think it's one of my redeeming qualities."

She rolled her eyes.

"Hey, Kai?" She called out towards the dance floor. "I can see the outline of your pin sized dick through the material of your trousers." She wiggled her pinkie "It's so small!"

"Fuck you Rosé!" He called back, causing us both to burst out laughing.

"The cops are here! Scatter!" Someone shouted in from the garden. Rosé glanced over at me questioningly and I shrugged. Deputy Kwon pushed through the crowd ordering everyone to return home.

"I'm going to slip out the back door and walk home, his car smells like cantaloupe and it makes me nauseous." I jumped off the seat and scurried out the back door, while hiding myself amongst the chaos.

Thick clouds obstructed the half moon and the night air felt damp like another downpour was imminent but it wasn't cold, rather humid and sticky. I kicked a few fallen twigs and walked through the dewy lawn, manoeuvring through the tranquil streets of Guri, taking a few seconds to take in the sweet little gardens residents put their efforts into making. Lights lit pathways and gnomes smiled back at me with cute faces. Lawns were trimmed neatly and fertilised with food to make them greener, even in the dark.

The further I walked towards the trailer park, the messier the gardens became. My hand clasped around the pepper spray bottle in my purse and I kept myself visual at all times. The gardens went from potted flowers to old mattresses and abandoned shopping carts real quick.

"Let me see her! Let me fucking see her!" My heart lunged when I heard shouting coming from somewhere within the darkness. "You can't stop me from seeing her!"

"You don't got the money prick, so you're not coming in here. She doesn't even want to see you. She's in pain right now because of you. Fuck off!"

Sounds of a struggle played out into the darkness, it caused dogs to bark and made me pull out my pepper spray, to get ready. When I turned the corner, I could see them.

A father and child fighting.

Or rather Lisa fighting to get into her own house, with her father violently refusing her entry. I held back, feeling like this was too dangerous to walk past.