Lilies

Chapter 10

Danielle had walked to the dairy by now, after calming down from her encounter with Jake, and entered the store, looking around for Haerin.

"Minji?" she called. She already knew what she was looking for.

"Oh, Danielle! You should have been here earlier!" She responded from the back of the store.

"Minji? Where are you? What are you talking about?" She appeared from behind several boxes and walked up to her.

"Oh, boy, Danielle, it was intense, this big fella just walked into the store and went up to her, and socked her across the face! There was blood just gushing everywhere and -

"Her? Haerin? Blood? Wait, slow down!"

"Yeah, Haerin. Some guy went up to her and just belted her across the face, she -

"Blood? She was bleeding? Gushing?"

Danielle was getting panicked now.

"Yeah." Minji replied. "but it wasn't like, gushing, just, you know, several drops."

"Who was this man?"

"Jake, the store manager's son. Good looking guy, too. He was -

"Minji, please tell me where Haerin is, right now. Do you know? Is she alright?"

"She went home to treat her wounds, and I think she was fine. A little riled, but fine."

"Thank you so much, Minji." Danielle said, before walking quickly out of the store.

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Haerin walked home, slowly, thinking about everything that had just happened, trying to let out all the anger. Her parents were gone, and she was sitting, alone, on the couch in her living room. Her shirt was off, and she was wearing only her undergarments, trying to dab at her wounds, hissing whenever the powder and ointments stung her body.

"Ouch!" she muttered quietly, "Stupid Jake."

She groaned in frustration loudly and fell back on the couch in madness, wanting to hit something but not knowing what to do - everything in her house was too easily breakable for that. There was too much anger inside her now, too much aggression - she needed some way to let it all out.

She was trying to bandage a cut on her neck when she heard the gate open. She looked out her window and saw Danielle, walking quickly towards the door.

Danielle reached the front door and knocked lightly, saying.

"Haerin? Are you in there?"

"Yes." Haerin replied, still heated but trying now to calm herself.

"May I come in?"

"Yes."

Danielle creaked the door open softly and made her way to Haerin on the couch, no words spoken just yet, only a prolonged stare of concern and love.

She sat down and placed a hand on Haerin's shoulder, lightly.

"Haerin." she almost whispered, "I know what happened, I'm sorry, so sorry. It was my fault."

"No, Danielle. It wasn't your fault. Don't say that." and Haerin hushed her quietly.

Danielle nodded and looked over Haerin's bare body, hands running tenderly over her skin. Danielle leaned into Haerin's ear, hands wrapped around her shoulders lightly, and whispered.

"Does it hurt, Haerin?"

"No " said Haerin, but winced as Danielle's fingertips ran over a bruise.

"I'm sorry." said Danielle quietly, but she did not remove her hands.