always have been, always will be | jensoo

A Little Change Could Never Hurt

"Hold still."

I fidget against the mascara applier in Jisoo's hand, making her smudge it.

"Jendeuk! You made me smudge!"

"This is stupid." I grumble, wriggling around on Jisoo's toilet, sitting crosslegged. She peered intently at my face, licked her index finger, and fixed whatever smudge was there. "Let's go play video games with Jin."

"Nuh uh." She shook her head, bringing out her mom's blush that was kept in the drawer by the sink. "I'm gonna put blush on you."

"Why?"

"It'll bring out your cheeks."

Jisoo said this as if she knew what it meant. Her mother had gotten her a subscription to Cosmo in the beginning of the summer before we were set to start junior high. Suddenly, she'd lost the baseball cap, which had once been her signature accessory, and ditched her ripped up jeans.

Now, she was wearing skirts in bright colors, dainty sandals, and applying lip gloss. I was at a loss. Her next endeavor was to try and doll me up in bothersome makeup.

"Here, come look in the mirror." She got me up by the hand, pulled me over to the sink, and stood behind me as we both looked at my face. I wasn't impressed, in fact, I thought I looked far too shiny.

But Jisoo's eyes sparkled, and a smiled played on her lips as she watched my face in the mirror. "What am I thinking?" She whispered in my ear, eyes glued on my mirror image.

"I look beautiful?" I guessed, biting my lip. Her face evaporated in a toothy smile, and she gave me a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Exactly right."

"Can I wash this stuff off now?" I asked, hopeful.

"Sure." She handed me a wash rag from the cabinet and stood behind me. "Don't scrub too hard, or you'll make your skin all red."

I happily turned the water on, dousing my face with soap.

The long car drive gave me time - too much time - to dwell on my own thoughts. We pulled up outside our new home. Atleast for now it was.

Furniture had already been ordered. I'd thought ahead to everything we would need and bought it without a second thought. I would not make this a chore for myself, I just wanted a place I could call my own as quickly as possible.

And as we brought our boxes up, looking around the loft, I thought that I had done a pretty good job. We spent the day scattering our things throughout the living room and our bedrooms. Putting our books on already purchased and placed bookshelves, throwing our sweaters and jeans in the closet to be hung up later. Knick knacks went on the shelf, and then we hooked up the most important thing - the stereo.

We threw our pillows on our beds and cranked up the volume so that we could hear it even in our separate rooms.

"Jennie!"

"What?" I called from my own room.

"This kicks ass!"

I laughed out loud, giddy even lying down. "It so does!"

Listening to the music, enjoying my happiness for a few seconds, I once again let myself drift off.

***

I couldn't tell you exactly when it happened. I think it would be doing a great disservice to tell you it happened all at once, in a split second. Because that's just not the case.