What Is - Jenlisa (Book 2)

Chapter 17 - Try Harder

Hello, I'm Brianna Stella Manobal, but you can call me Bree, and you?"

"I'm Jennie...N-nice to meet you, Bree..." Jennie managed an awkward reply, staring at Lisa with questions in her eyes that she couldn't even verbalize.

"How the hell did she have a daughter?", "Adopted?", "Accident?", "Got a husband?", "Then why the hell is she--?". "Divorced?" So many thoughts raced through Jennie's mind, thinking of all the possible scenarios to explain the child on the phone. And a big slap to her face of how stuck her life was taking care of the things she left behind - her parents, their house, her friends - while Lisa completely lived a new life without her. She never wished any harm to Lisa, in fact, the opposite, but this realization stung. Thanks to Bree's giggles, Jennie's mind was brought back to the actual situation.

"I have a stuffed toy named Jenjen, Mommy named it for me and she--," Lisa quickly pulled the phone away from Jennie. "Ookay baby..." turning the call off of speaker, nearly dropping it in her panic. "... that's too much information to share right now," she said with a nervous chuckle and then pursed her lips in embarrassment while giving Jennie an apologetic look.

"I'll call you back before bedtime, okay? Tell Auntie D, I said Hi."

"Okay, Mommy! I love you!"

Lisa softly smiled, looking at Jennie eye-to-eye, before leaning her forehead to Jennie's and whispering back, "I love you... always," she said, letting out the words she'd been holding in for a while. Though those words were meant for Bree, Jennie felt like it was for her too, and she couldn't stop her heart from racing, feeling a familiar warmth that she thought she had lost all these years, it was a bittersweet feeling... with doubt and hope intertwined.

Lisa ended the call and pulled back slightly, waiting anxiously for Jennie to say anything, hoping she'd cleared up at least one of the many misunderstandings between them, but nothing came. Jennie was stunned, utterly speechless, still trying to piece together everything she just heard. With, of course, red flags waving, warning bells, and alarms blaring in her head saying, "DO NOT FALL FOR IT!" But still, that warmth was something she'd craved for so long.

"I'm sorry," Lisa mumbled, "I know this is a lot to take in... I didn't mean to ruin the night like this..." Jennie reluctantly opened her mouth, shutting it just as quickly, not knowing where to start or what to say.

"Please talk..." Lisa pleaded, "Tell me what you're thinking...if you have questions j-just...ask."

"I want to go home..." Jennie softly said, avoiding Lisa's eyes. "...alone," and walked past Lisa but soon felt Lisa's hand on her arm again.

"Are we...okay?" Lisa asked, hating herself for losing control once again. Jennie didn't say anything and just looked at Lisa's hand before slowly pulling it away.

"Just forget tonight, I-I mean not Bree, but me wanting you back...I won't-- I won't say anything stupid again... I'm sorry," she pleaded following Jennie to the hallway but Jennie kept moving forward, with only one thing in mind, she needed some air.

"Jen... please, don't do this," Lisa begged, that if she could kneel she would, but Jennie kept walking as fast as she could. "We were okay back there...I thought we were..." she said desperately, trying to catch up to Jennie. "Jen...just talk to me, slap me, yell at me, I don't care..."

"...I- I'm sorry. I know I'm impulsive, I talk without even thinking, I'm selfish and impatient but..." holding Jennie's hand to stop her from walking, "...Jen, I'm running out of time."

"Out of time? Do you think you can erase everything you've done in six weeks? Is that how you plan to fix everything? Six years of ghosting me while living your life to six weeks of apologizing and all should be fine? Is that it?" Jennie bitterly said, snatching her hand away from Lisa.