so, do we like each other or not? // JENLISA

Chapter 3

Over the next few weeks, Lisa's desk at work only became more precarious. The three projects she’d taken the lead on had turned into five, and with the majority of them going to print in the following month, she’d taken to piling everything up into her very own office-based Bryce Canyon. People knew not to come too close to her, because her new paper trays hadn’t arrived yet and they didn’t want to become the latest person to get yelled at for accidentally knocking an entire pile of proofs onto the floor.

No one, except for Chaeyoung. She hadn’t received the memo that Lisa's desk was a danger zone.

“Careful,” Lisa snapped as she came ricocheting towards her in her wheelie chair. It was Monday morning and Lisa had been to a grossly unsuccessful event the previous afternoon – no Lia in sight, but Soohan had sniffed her out within minutes of her walking through the door. In the end she’d left after a half hour. It had taken Jennie twice as long to notice she was gone.

“Sorry,” Chaeyoung said, her voice even giddier than usual. “Good weekend?”

“Not especially. Yours?”

“Pretty good. I mean, yeah – great, actually.”

Lisa glanced up to find her grinning. She frowned. “That’s… nice. Did you do a lot of drugs, by any chance?”

“No! I mean, yeah, obviously,” Chaeyoung corrected herself, perching her elbow on the edge of Lisa's overflowing desk and leaned her chin on her hand. “But that’s not why it was good.”

For a second, Lisa waited for an explanation. Then she realised which hand Chaeyoung was leaning on.

Her mouth dried out. “Wait. What is that?”

Chaeyoung shoved her fist directly under Lisa's nose. “August proposed, Lisa! It was such a surprise and I’m so happy.”

“Holy shit,” Lisa spluttered, grabbing Chaeyoung's hand and examining the diamond that was sparkling from her ring finger. “That’s amazing. God, congratulations.”

Chaeyoung squealed and dove forward for a hug. Lisa clung onto her, squeezing back the tears in her eyes so they wouldn’t be visible when they pulled apart.

“Tell me everything,” she said, continuing to hold onto Chaeyoung's hand as she started explaining exactly how August had asked her to marry her.

And, oh, Lisa was the worst friend in the world. She was smiling and she was happy – she was – but the tiny part of her that couldn’t be truly pleased for another person when they were doing better than she was had reared its ugly head, and all she could think of was how Chaeyoung and August had been together for less time than her and Jennie and yet they were already flying ahead of them.

Stop it, she snapped at herself, nodding along to Chaeyoung's story. She’s your best friend. Stop being so ugly.

Because she was being ugly. She could feel the jealousy dripping from her.

“Chaeyoung, that’s amazing,” she said eventually. “I’m so pleased for you. And you’re going to have the most gorgeous wedding ever, I can already tell. When do you think it’ll be?”

Chaeyoung delivered the final blow. “Probably early next year, actually.”

“Seriously?”