𝐁𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐑𝐎𝐘𝐀𝐋𝐄

▄︻デ𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐄══━一

It was dark outside the bus. Though the passing scenery was barely visible, Jayeon still found herself staring out of the window. Her cheek was pressed up against the cold glass of the window, sending a numbing sensation every time she readjusted her positioning.

Her favourite song, Pluto, by Xdinary Heroes, blasted through her headphones as she tried to block out the sound of her chatty classmates excited to go on a two-day residential trip.

But as soon as Jayeon received the peace she believed she deserved, a hand gently removed her headphones from over one ear exposing her to the sound of his loud voice.

"Why are you always frowning." Jake, one out of two of her best friends, asked.

Jayeon sighed deeply. No offence to Jake, but at a time like this she wished she had sat next to Jay. At least she wouldn't have to listen to Jake blabbing about physics; she hated the subject and was failing in it, too.

"You should smile more, I can't just let my best friend waste her pretty face," Jake told her. He then placed his pointer fingers at either corner of her lips and brought them up to make her forcefully smile.

Jayeon remained silent and brought his hands away from her face. She folded her arms and went back to her original position.

"Hey, do you want to lean your head on my shoulder?" Jake offered as he peered over her shoulder. "The windows are uncomfortable." He said, tapping on the glass with his index finger.

"No thanks." Jayeon declined politely before continuing to look out the window.

"Yo, is she sleeping?" Jay, reaching across the aisle that separated their seats, nudged Jake. The Aussie boy shrugged as a response.

"Jayeon?" Jay called out to the girl who sat awfully still. "Tap her," Jay instructed his friend.

Jake was hesitant but complied. Jayeon shifted, turning to face him, but Jake quickly redirected her gaze, pointing at their friend on the other side.

Jayeon sat up in her seat, pausing her music and pulling her headphones down where they sat around her neck. "Yes, Jay?" She asked in a neutral voice.

The American paused for a moment before he finally remembered what he originally wanted to say. "I've baked some cookies. Would you like some?" He asked with a gentle smile.

Jayeon glanced between the stack of neatly packed chocolate chip cookies and his face. They were wrapped in plastic and tied with a cyan bow. Those were her preferred choice of cookies as well as her favourite colour.

"Yes, please," Jayeon said, finally cracking a smile. Jay handed over the packet. Once received Jayeon carefully loosened the bow around the plastic, placing the ribbon on her lap.

The second she'd opened the packet, the smell of the mouth-watering cookies reached the smell of the nostrils of the person behind her. The packet was then ripped from her hands.

"Mm, well don't these look good." Ni-ki grinned, holding the packet of cookies in his grasp as he stood over Jayeons seat.

"Oi, give it back," Jayeon said, unbuckling her seat belt and kneeling on her seat. She was now face-to-face with her classmate.

"What I just wanted to try?" Ni-ki shrugged, holding the cookies in his left hand

Jayeon stood on her seat and tried to snatch it away, but Ni-ki raised his hand into the air. They were now out of her reach.

"Nuh-uh-uh." He waved his finger in her face. "Let me have one, then you can have them back."

"Fine," Jayeon agreed, huffing.

Ni-ki slowly opened the packet and took the first cookie from the batch. And the second he did, Jayeon snatched the packet out of his hands and slumped back into her seat.

Ignoring Ni-ki's cries about how unfair she was, she slipped a cookie out of the packet and took a bite. "These are really good." She turned to Jay with a smile.

He had been waiting anxiously for her feedback. But once she said what she had it felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

"Thank you." Jay breathed out, releasing the breath he never knew he held. Jayeon tried to hand the packet back to him. "No, no, you can keep it." He told her.

"Are you sure?" Jayeon questioned, tilting her head slightly, and Jay nodded vigorously. "Thank you." She smiled.

"So can I have one more?" Ni-ki leaned over her seat and peered down at her.

"Yeah, sure." Jayeon sighed, she took a cookie out and held it up for Ni-ki to take.

"Thank you, you're actually like the best ever, I won't forget your sacrifice!" He cheered, falling back into his seat.

"You want one," Jayeon asked the boy seated next to her.

"Nah, you enjoy them." Jake declined with a smile.

"Don't complain when I finish them all." And with that, Jayeon had gone back to silence. Her headphones were on full blast; she watched shopping hauls whilst she snacked on cookies.

Knowing Jayeon was unable to hear them, with a sly smile Jake turned to Jay across the aisle. "So is this how you move to her?" Jake asked, whispering. "Baking your way to her heart, huh?"

"What?" Jay playfully slapped Jake's friend's arm as he laughed. "I'm not moving to her. We're all friends. And friends share, right?" He added.

"Then why didn't you offer me any at first, huh?" Jake scoffed, folding his arms. Jay was silent. "Exactly!" Jake pointed out.

"Just keep your voice down, okay," Jay said in a hushed tone, trying to make the younger calm down and shut up.

"She can't hear nobody with those damn headphones on." Jake snickered, pointing towards her with his thumb. "So you have a crush on our little Yeonie over here."

"She'll kill you if she hears you calling her that," Jay warned.

"Well, she can't hear me, and she'll only know if you tell her, which I doubt you would." Jakes lips then contorted to a smile, he began to swing his feet back and forth. "So now let's talk about this little crush of yours."

"No, we are not going to," Jay told him. "Plus, did I ever say I had a crush?"

"No, but - "

"Shut up and go to sleep," Jay instructed him. Over time, he'd notice how the chatter died down. Even Jayeon was knocked out cold, her head was leaning forward and her phone and cookies were slowly slipping from her hands.

"Whatever, " Jake huffed with a childish pout.

Jake placed all of Jayeons items into her bag, knowing she'd make a fuss if she wasn't able to find them the next morning.

He slouched in his seat and repositioned Jayeons head onto his shoulder, she'd wake up with a sore neck if he hadn't. He covered them with his baseball team's jacket. And soon enough, Jake had fallen asleep alongside everyone else.

▄︻デ𝟒𝟐 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐍══━一