RENDEZVOUS

22 | dark dangerous secret

the chemistry exam was on tuesday, and jeno managed to avoid jaemin for around forty eight hours.

in all fairness, jaemin did try extremely hard to find jeno and get some answers out of him, but jeno had a certain skill for getting what he wanted.

to make matters worse, nancy seemed progressively more and more off the longer the week went on.

"nance...?" jaemin's voice trailed off as he edged closer round the side of the school building, after they'd all gotten out of the chemistry exam that day.

nancy was collapsed against the wall, holding her phone away from her ear as a voice yelled down it, screaming at her without a moment to breathe. her eyes were puffy from crying, mouth drawn into a bitter line as she endured the endless stream of words spitting out of her phone.

"you asked how it went and i told you the truth!" she tried to shout over the person on the other end, choking back a sob, "it's only the second exam! mom..."

"you're pathetic! you should have worked harder, you stupid girl-"

nancy hung up and dropped the phone into her lap, eyes brimming with a fresh set of tears.

"hey, is everything-" jaemin began softly.

"go away," nancy cut him off with a miserable sniff.

"but i could help if-"

nancy stood up and shoved past him, angry tears pouring down her cheeks. "i don't want anymore of y-your useless help!" she snapped, pushing him so hard he stumbled backwards onto the gravel. "fuck off and leave me a-alone..."

jaemin was stunned. before now, nancy had always acted so sweetly around him, complimenting him on absolutely everything, wanting to spend more time together. his head was still muddled trying to piece together what the hell was going on.

it reminded him of what jeno had said the day before.

"maybe there's a reason for that..."

he'd said it in such a grim, knowing tone, as if he knew some dark dangerous secret jaemin wasn't even aware of. it didn't make any sense.

jaemin sighed and dusted off his school trousers, continuing on his way towards the school gates.

jeno?

jaemin's brooding gaze caught jeno standing at the school gates with renjun, spotting the pastel rainbow school bag from a mile off. he picked up the pace on his long legs to try and reach them before jeno's mom's car pulled up, hoping to get some kind of explanation from his best friend.

"you sure you still wanna study at mine?" jeno asked renjun from all that distance away, "i don't want you to do worse because of me..."

renjun chuckled and dug an elbow into jeno's ribs playfully. "i won't do worse," he assured him, "i like studying with you! and besides, i'm still waiting for a chance to meet your cats."

jeno brightened then, breaking into a grin. "oh yeah!" he exclaimed, "they like to sit in the tree when it's hot and they don't come down until it's dark again. i'll make them come inside today though, if you want."

"jen, you know i'm dying to meet... whatever your cats are called- what are they called again?"

"mongo and melun," jeno answered, just as his mom pulled up outside the school. he glanced around, eyes widening in alarm as he saw jaemin speed-walking towards him.

"jenny, what the fuck are those names-"

"is that the time?!" jeno screeched, flinging open the car door and shoving renjun inside, "hi, mom! let's go!"