If You Do...Then?

Ch. 2

It has been months since Jessi visited the Tuans.  Mark and his group didn't see her again after the party and left for home a few days later.  Jessi never returned Mark's texts or calls again.  She concentrated on work, maintaining her father's house, and taking care of her brother.  Andrew was Mark's other best friend.  He had told Mark that Jessi had to prepare the girls for a coming recital and dance competition which was why she couldn't hang out.  Mark didn't need to know that Jessi was avoiding him and all of their friends since the party.  Mark called Andrew one morning and asked, "How is Jessi?  Dad said he hasn't seen her even in church.  The parents are worried about her."  Andrew sighed and said, "She needs time to clear up some personal business.  She is also talking about heading to New York to audition for Julliard.  Dad is finally getting remarried and she doesn't need to maintain the house as much anymore."

Jessi left for New York and made it into Julliard.  She was in New York a year before she was called home to California.  Her grades were the best, but her father's health wasn't.  Nor did they have the finances for her to remain in school back east.  She dropped out of school and returned to Arcadia and returned to teaching dance to school age girls.  Andrew was attending classes at UCLA on scholarships and grants.  Their new mother was already burning through the savings shopping for her two girls and enrolling them in the best prep schools in LA.  Jessi didn't hang out with anyone anymore, she was barely even eating or sleeping choosing to work two jobs now teaching dance during the afternoons and working for a call center at night as a customer service representative.  She was getting home from work when Papa Tuan walked over to her and hugged her tightly for a moment and said, "Mark and the boys are here.  We are throwing a pool party tonight, come by."  She nodded and said, "I will try.  I am off tonight."  He nodded and smiled before saying, "Go and get some sleep, you look dead on your feet."  She nodded and smiled weakly before walking inside.  Andrew came out of his room and accepted her car keys, "I filled it up on the way home, bro."  He kissed her head and whispered, "I am going to be hanging with Mark and the guys.  Come out with us this afternoon."  She shook her head and whispered, "No thanks, I don't want to see another girl wrapped around him and getting shown the door again."  Andrew sighed, "I am getting worried, Jessi."  She shook her head and whispered, "I wasn't born to be happy, big bro.  One of us has to pay the piper so the other can dance."  He kissed her head and whispered, "You've more than paid the dues, little sis."  She shook her head and whispered, "This tune is expensive.  It costs love and happiness both things I have long since gave up possessing."  She walked into her room and closed the door softly so as not to disturb the others.  She had moved downstairs to the basement since the girls needed her bedroom and had taken it over when she moved out to New York.

Jessi showered, then hit her bed falling into a deep sleep.  Six hours later, Andrew walked into her room and shook her awake, "Come on.  Let's go."  She stretched and looked at the clock before sitting up.  "Bro, I am too tired."  He kissed her head and whispered, "Come on, no one is here but you and me.  Let's get out of this madhouse and have some fun for a little while."  She nodded and accepted the shopping bag he handed to her.  "No protests, put that on and let's go."  She walked into her bathroom and came out wearing a black and white bikini, short denim shorts, her hair pulled up into a ponytail, and a pair of sandals on her tiny feet.  He took her to a salon and got her nails done, both hands and feet.  They returned to their house and walked across the street and entered the Tuan house after Andrew knocked.  Joey hugged Jessi and pressed a kiss to her head.  "You look delicious, baby girl.  Where have you been?  I haven't seen you physically in over a year."  She sighed and said, "New York, then working two jobs to keep us afloat."  He sighed and said, "I may marry you myself to get you out of that house.  That woman is killing you."  She shook her head and whispered, "It's not your problem, Joey.  I will settle it soon."  He shook his head and gripped her hand dragging her out to the back where the boys were clowning around with all of Mark's American friends.  Mark saw her and was stunned.  She was smaller than she had ever been.  Her bones were almost visible, her hip bones were more pronounced.  Even her lovely, chubby face was slender and small.

Jr looked at Jessi and gasped at the way she looked.  She was beautiful before, now, she was gorgeous, smaller than she had been over a year ago.  Her curtain of black silky hair was pulled up in a vibrant red cascade of silk with magenta and pink drip dyed tips.  Jackson saw her and whistled, "Damn Jessi, you are causing a party in my pants, baby girl."  She blushed slightly and shook her head, "Wow, Ga Ga.  That was really...just wow."  The other six members of Got7 face palmed as Jackson walked towards her and hugged her tightly.  She held onto him after a moment and gripped his shoulders for dear life.  He lifted her up and whispered, "I have you, baby girl.  If that idiot Mark doesn't see you for the babe you are then you turn these amazing eyes my way."  She kissed his nose and whispered, "He is still with Wendy though."  He shook his head and said, "Nope, she got too possessive and nasty for his tastes and he gave her the heave ho out the door."   He twirled her around and said, "You weigh little more than a plushy, babe.  Aren't you eating?"  She shook her head and whispered, "I haven't had much of an appetite lately.  I've been working two jobs and have an interview tomorrow for a third."

"No, Jessi, enough is enough.  You are working yourself to death as it is."  She looked at Andrew and Joey who both protested.  "We need the extra income, I don't want you working and going to school at the same time, Andrew.  You need to concentrate on one thing at a time."  He sighed and said, "Baby girl, you are already working graveyard shift, still teaching at the studio, and you have been doing extra shifts at work to cover for the others.  You only get maybe four or five hours to sleep and eat in between jobs as it is."

Raymond looked at Mark and asked softly, "Do you see what I meant?  She doesn't eat.  She doesn't sleep hardly at all, she works and works and works.  Look at her right arm, she is cutting herself too.  Joey discovered that little habit a few weeks ago while he had been at her house visiting Andrew and playing video games with him.  She has depression and won't address it with a doctor because it would mean another bill her family can't pay."  Mark looked at her and asked, "Why did it get this bad?"  Raymond sighed, "She gave up on waiting for you to remember her.  Meeting Wendy was the last straw.  We haven't seen Jessi for more than a few minutes at a time since the party you brought Wendy home for.  Her father is worried sick about her.  About what she will do with herself when he dies.  It's coming, John is suffering from stage 4 lung cancer.  She is working hard to keep his bills from swamping their family while his wife blows through his savings and disability checks.  He wants you to honor the contract and marry her.  He wants you to take her back to Korea with you and get her the help she needs."

"She doesn't see me as more than a friend."  Mark protested.  Raymond shook his head, "You are talented and handsome, but you are blind as a bat when it comes to the obvious things in front of your face.  That girl has loved you since she was thirteen years old and has waited silently as you dated girl after girl for her chance.  When she met Wendy she cracked and shattered under the pressure of her disappointment.  She realized then that you would never see her as anything more than a friend and that girl next door.  She has been working to get over her one sided love for you."

Jackson set her down and maintained his hold on her.  "I missed seeing you last time since I had to film in the jungle."  She nodded and wrapped her arm around his waist.  "I missed you, Ga Ga."  One of the girls at the party called over, "You look like one of those bone thin models from New York.  You know, the ones with eating disorders and heroin problems?"  Jessi sighed and said, "When the choice between sleeping and eating is presented to you, would you choose to eat or sleep?  I chose sleep.  My family is no longer financially blessed like yours, we are dirt poor and barely scraping by so food is the least of my concern, Ji Na.  I pray you never know what that feels like."  Ji Na snorted and said, "You are bringing the party down, Jessi, how like a downer.  You were more fun a year ago when you worked as the hired help."  Jessi nodded and said, "And you were nicer when you weren't cock wrangling for a rich husband to feed your jones for fashion and attention."  Ooh!  The others called out.  Ji Na would have slapped her but Jessi beat her to it and said, "Oops, someone unleashed my inner bitch.  I best leave before she busts ugly all over Ji Na's latest nose job.  By the way, I'd sue.  You look like shit."  Andrew bit his lip and cheered his sister inside his head.  Mark was stunned.  This was definitely not his Jessi.  She had never been this sharp tongued or cruel before.  Raymond nodded and said, "See?  She needs you, son."