RUTH❌

43. the dark

Only four remained in the circle.

As the days went by, the number mulishly lessened before their eyes, and it was now at the scarily, small number of four. One plus three. Two times two. 

Only three boys and one disturbed girl.

Her current reality felt more dynamic because of it, like any bad thing could happen at any moment, and it was out of everyone's control.

"At first, I didn't think it was serious. I- I just thought it was a prank. I thought someone was pranking me. From the notes, to the pictures, and the calls...I thought it was a prank." Jennie rubbed her eyes with her sleeve as she reminisced the past that ruffled up the present.

Those orbs studied the floor as she continued,

"But," She shook her head generously, "It's nothing like a prank. It's a nightmare. And we're living in it."

The clock continued to tick unshyly, high above on the wall.

The four decided to be in the living room this evening after hours of engaging in pin-dropping silence. Jungkook, Yoongi, and Jennie sat like statues on different couches, and Taehyung stood against a wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

Whether it was a late P.M. or early A.M., none kept track of the time that was casually passing them by. They just let it happen.

The raven licked at the salty liquid that wet her lips before bringing them back out. "When I started high school, I just wanted to fit in, be popular, and, I just wanted people to know my name. I didn't want to be mean to anybody."

"I mean...I didn't intend to. I wish I never was," Jennie backtracked, "I just want to take everything back and restart how I did high school. Maybe if I did things differently, none of this would have ever happened."

Seconds later, she dared herself to peer over at Jungkook, who was sitting a couch away from her.

He had nothing to willingly say to her—or anybody. He hasn't ever since it happened.

Jennie took in a deep breath before placing her hands, enclosed together, onto the arm of the sofa.

"I'm sorry."

There wasn't much she could say except for that line. It was one of the most genuine "sorry"s she had given in her life.

See, Jennie had been discharged from the hospital hours after Lisa's passing, and the guys thought it'd be bad for her health to tell her the instant she came staggering out of that hospital room. So they didn't.

However, she figured it out the next morning.  The silence, tension, the way they were acting, and the blonde's absence made it obvious enough for her to ask—unfortunately knowing the answer already.

She could only sob in disbelief. The detail that afflicted more emotional pain was learning about Lisa's pregnancy. The blonde hid it too well for Jennie to even guess.

"I'm really sorry."

He couldn't respond to her at the moment. Instead, Jungkook stayed lost somewhere in his own deep—and rarely—dark world.

As expected, it was affecting him the most.

Lisa was one of the first girls he had ever connected with on a personal level. Not only was she a best friend, but she also felt like his life partner.

His soulmate.

Their only bad times were influenced by the lies on both ends. However, it always ended the same. They'd learn about it, be mad at each other, build the courage to talk about it, hug, kiss, and makeup—then back to square one. They both had skeletons in their closet and they had grown quick to accept it. Lisa and JK couldn't risk losing what they had over things that happened before they knew they would sweep each other off their feet.