Letterman

Chapter 5

"You should come. It'll be fun."

"C'mon, Rosie." Lisa presses, moving across their room and kicking Rosie's leg in the process. Rosie groans, laying on the carpet since both of their beds are covered in maybe-piles of party clothes. "It's just a party. We haven't gone to one since summer."

"That was, like, a couple weeks ago." She points out unenthusiastically.

Lisa huffs. "It feels like it's been years."

Rosie watches her cousin whirl around their room, sorting pretty much all of her clothing into piles. Lisa's quest to find the right outfit has become a little disastrous. Clothes are strewn everywhere with no sense of organization at all. Rosie has her suspicions about why Lisa is trying so hard for this (Jennie), but she doesn't voice them.

It's not like Rosie doesn't want to go to the party. She does. She does, but she has a reputation to uphold as team captain and getting trashed in front of everyone doesn't fit into that. Plus, she's tired. Why isn't saying no ever enough?

"You probably shouldn't even be going." Rosie has to dart her eyes around to keep up with her cousin's wild pacing. "There's a test Monday. You know if we lose our scholarship we'll be-"

"I know. Trust me, I know." Lisa mutters. "Dad won't let me forget."

Lisa changes course to kneel down beside her, capturing Rosie's hands in her own and giving a tight squeeze. She smells like fancy perfume. It must be that new one she bought yesterday.

"No offense, Roro, because I say this with complete and total love, but..." Lisa trails off, glancing to the side, uncertain. Rosie frowns. "The rest of the team is beginning to think you're a bit of a prude. You almost never stay out at the Old Mill for team bonding time-"

"-because it's just drinking and Truth or Dare-"

"-and we miss you. You don't have to stay late or anything, it's just nice to have you around... oh and, also, I need a wingwoman so please." Lisa tacks on that last part with a hopeful, cheesy smile.

Whatever defiance that had been nestling in Rosie's chest disappears. She gives in.

"Yes!" Lisa is on her feet again. "Come help me pick a lipstick."

They start with Lisa first. It's honestly a bit of a chore to piece through Lisa's extensive set of clothes while she's being so picky, but they get it done. The more and more time they spend doing this-sorting through different shoes, giggling at makeup like they're twelve, having fun-the more Rosie thinks she made the right decision to go.

"Do you think I should go with blue or pink?"

Rosie pads over to her closet, half-listening to the quiet sounds of Lisa moving around frantically in the bathroom. She must really like Jennie.

She better not be an asshole. Based on what Rosie has seen so far from the Vipers-from Jisoo-the chances of Jennie turning out to be a douchebag are high.

Sighing, Rosie sorts through her closet, pushing aside thin crop tops and sweaters for a jacket. It's probably chilly out and she gets cold easily. She brushes her fingers over her small collection of coats, trying to guess if any of them would fit well with her outfit. There is one jacket in particular that comes to mind.

Rosie plucks Jisoo's jacket out of the closet. The red and black colors stand out against the rest of her closet-which is mostly lighter colors, sweet pinks and vibrant yellows-calling out to her the way a siren calls a sailor to sea. Rosie curiously runs her hands over the insides of it, finding that there is a name scribbled on the jacket's collar. Kim Jisoo. She slips it on without another thought.