Believe me, I can't help but love you

"Ruby Jane - tell me you didn't forget. I know you're a little absentminded sometimes, but you remembered, right?"

The thing is, Jennie did forget.

She doesn't say it out loud, but her mother lets out a sigh on the other end of the phone like she can sense it and Jennie winces. She flops back onto the sofa and tries to contain her own sigh as she runs a hand through her hair. Chaeyoung spares her a concerned look from across the room.

"No, of course I didn't forget," she lies poorly. "How could I have?"

"You've always been a forgetful thing," her mother says, thankfully sounding more amused than upset. "Didn't one of your friends buy you that calendar for Christmas?"

Lisa got it for Jennie's birthday, actually, and it was a gag gift to cover up the real gift of Taylor Swift VIP passes to a concert. Jennie hated Lisa for about five minutes that day (but not really).

"You promised to be at your cousin Chahee's wedding," her mother interrupts Jennie's thoughts. "You promised months ago."

Jennie vaguely recalls a phone conversation with her mother in a dirty club bathroom after a few shots where her mother mentioned weddings and dates. Jennie had agreed easily – Lisa was just outside and Jennie didn't want to keep her waiting.

"Right, I know that," Jennie tells her mother. She watches Chaeyoung nearly knock Jisoo off a barstool and the squabble that ensues. She smiles.

"So you'll be here, right?"

Any amusement Jennie was feeling evaporates and she pulls away from the phone to groan into a pillow. Chaeyoung looks worried again, but Jisoo just rolls her eyes at Jennie.

"It's been really busy these last few weeks," Jennie begins, but halts when her mother cuts her off.

"You promised," her mother whines, sadness spotting her tone. "Your cousin Chahee is really looking forward to seeing you at her wedding."

"Alright," Jennie folds, "yeah, fine, I'll be there."

"Ruby Jane," her mother warns, sensing the hesitation in Jennie's voice.

"I'll be there!" Jennie says more firmly, her voice chipper and loud enough that Lisa finally pokes her head out of the kitchen with a confused look on her face.

Jennie's mother laughs and Jennie smiles at the sound. She really does miss her mother, if she's being honest, even if her mother can be overwhelming at times. Jennie relaxes onto the sofa, zoning out as her mother prattles on about dresses and tuxes and flowers and other things that Jennie figures must make a wedding perfect.

Jisoo lands on top of Jennie, knocking the breath out of her.

"Jen, I'm breaking up with you," Jisoo says seriously as she shoves a cookie in her mouth.

"Chu, what the fuck-"

"Jennie!"

"Chaeyoung's cookies are better than yours will ever be – I'm leaving you for her," Jisoo says, not looking put out.

"Sorry, Mom," Jennie says into the phone, unceremoniously dumping Jisoo onto the floor. "It's just – well, it's Jisoo," she explains, like that's a legitimate excuse. Jisoo's been her best friend for years, way before they went to college together, so Jennie's mother is definitely familiar with the wild and loud explosion of a person that is Kim Jisoo.

"Of course," Jennie's mother says, like that makes sense. "Oh, and don't forget, you said you were going to bring a date."

That brings a bitter taste to Jennie's mouth. She did have a date in mind when she'd originally been told about the wedding, as she'd been dating this guy and they were really hitting it off. Kai was sweet and charming and he really swept Jennie off her feet. It was naïve, maybe, for Jennie to think they'd go to a wedding together that was months off, but young love and all that.