Jade’s POV…
Waking up early, I got ready for my outing with Dijonae at Bon-Bon, a popular Mexican restaurant. It felt refreshing to have a female friend to hang out with and chat about girly things for a change.
Throughout high school and college, I had longed for this kind of connection with another woman. I wanted it so badly that I even tried to forge friendships with Jiho and Shauna—but, well, we see how that turned out. My friendship with other women was mostly affected because of my close friendship with Kookie.
When Jiho first joined our friend group, things started off great between us. But everything fell apart when she accused me of sabotaging her chances of having a romantic relationship with Kookie.
After taking a quick glance at my reflection in the full-length mirror on the back of my closet door, I grabbed my light blue jacket from the foot of the bed, then gathered my keys, phone, and purse from the nightstand.
Humming along to Jooyoung’s Wet, I stepped into the living room just as Tae’s ringtone blared from my phone.
“What are you up to?” he asked, sounding a bit out of breath.
“Meeting up with a friend,” I replied, opening the door and stepping into the hallway.
“What friend?” he inquired, his breathing slowly steadying. Before I could answer, he added, “As far as I know, Kookie, Jimin, and I are your only friends. And since they’re currently in my living room pestering me, I know you’re not meeting up with them. So, who is this ‘new friend’ you’re seeing?”
“She better not be meeting up with that nutcase Barney again!” Kookie’s voice rang out, sharp with irritation. “Put her on speaker!” he demanded.
“I’ll put the call on speaker after you calm the fuck down,” Tae shot back before adding, “Don’t let Bryan get under your skin. He’s not worth the stress.”
“Who the hell are you meeting this early in the damn morning?” Kookie growled, completely ignoring Tae’s attempt to soothe him.
“Her name is Dijonae Armstrong,” I answered as I made my way toward the elevator.
“Uh-huh,” he muttered, his tone thick with skepticism. When he asked, “Where exactly did you meet this Dijonae person?” I knew for sure he didn’t believe me.
Just as I was about to respond, Wendy stepped beside me. She was dressed in a vibrant orange, form-fitting dress that ended just above her knees. Her curly hair cascaded freely down her back, and today, she wore minimal makeup—a surprising change. Usually, her heavy application made her look like a circus clown.
“Morning, neighbor,” Wendy greeted, eyeing me up and down with a strange expression.
"Morning," I replied, giving Wendy the same look she was giving me.
"You're looking pretty this morning. Who’s the lucky person you’ve gotten all dressed up for?"
"Myself—" I began, but was interrupted by Kookie calling my name, reminding me he was still on the other end of the phone.
"Listen, whatever Wendy has to say to you right now is not important! I asked you a question, and I expect an answer," he bellowed into the phone, nearly deafening me. "Tell me, where and when did you meet this Dijonae person?"
I took a few steps away from Wendy to ensure our conversation stayed private before responding. "I met her at Blood Ties the same night I injured my ankle trying to stop you, Jimin, and Tae from leaving my apartment to go beat up Bryan."
YOU ARE READING
Playing With Fire
Fanfiction"I'll go into the kitchen to grab a few more glasses and snacks..." I started to say, but Jade linked her arm with mine and blurted out, "I'm coming with you." Turning to face her as soon as we were in the kitchen, I asked, "What's wrong? What have...
