The Girl Who Lives In My Garage • Jenlisa

fourteen

"Are you sure she'll be here?" Jisoo asks under her breath, tousling her hair and tugging at her shirt. It's the most nervous I've ever seen my composed, put-together sister, including the day of her driver's test, the ACTs, and when she had the lead in the school play. She's got it bad for Rosé.

"Positive. We have math next hour, and she always hangs out here beforehand. I see her every day, we're together every split seconds of the day Chu."

"Okay."

"Stop messing with your hair. It looks fine." Jisoo nods and removes her hands, but only for a few seconds. When we turn the corner, sure enough, Rosé is approaching us with a big smile flustered on her face, phone in hand, textbook and notebook.. she's wearing a little bit plain for today I wonder why "Just be cool," I whisper.

We approach Rosé, and she looks up from her phone, giving us a huge, full-cheek smile. "Hi, people, people, people."

"Hey, Chaeng. What's up?"

Chaeyoung shrugs and pockets her phone. "Nothing. Just wasting time before class."

I nod. "Yeah. Us, too. Hey, have you ever met my sister?"

Chaeng turns her attention to Jisoo. "You're Jisoo, right? I heard a lot about you"

"You know my name?" Jisoo asks, and all my hopes for her coolness fly right out the window.

Luckily, Chaeng just laughs. "Yeah, you're in my literature class, right? And of course you're my friend's sister, you know?"

"Right." Jisoo smiles so wide it looks like it hurts.

"So, Jisoo, why don't you ever come out with your sister?" Chaeng nods in my direction.

At this point, Jisoo seems to try to pull "cool" out of somewhere and shrugs nonchalantly. "Oh, you know. Most of the time I have other plans."

I resist the urge to snort. If her "other plans" include studying and sleeping, then she's totally telling the truth.

"Well, do you have other plans for tonight?"

Jisoo's eyes go wide. "Tonight? No," she stammers. "No. I don't think so."

"Good. Don't make any. Hanbin's parents are out of town, so he's having a few people over. Nothing major, but we'll have a good time. I expect both of you to be there." Chaeng nods at me.

As much as I want to say yes, to ask if I can bring Lisa, that's not what Jisoo needs. Jisoo wants to hang out with Chaeng; she's going to hang out with Chaeng, no little sisters involved. "Actually, I'm kind of grounded right now, and I can't risk sneaking out tonight if you ever forget. Thank you."

Chaeng winces. "Parents who actually care? Ouch."

"Yeah," I say with a laugh. "Sucks, right?"

"I wouldn't know," she says and turns to Jisoo. "Jisoo? What about you? I bet I can get Bobby to D.D. for you."

"Sure," she says with too much enthusiasm. "That would be great."

"Cool. Be ready around ten. I'll tell Bobby to look for the better half of the Kim sisters."

"Very funny," I say.

The warning bell rings, and Chaeng hops off the wall, picking up her books. "If we're late to this class one more time, I'm going to get detention. Again. See you later, Jisoo."

"Later."

Jisoo and I walk down the hall, side by side, while Chaeng runs like flash in the hallway to get in the room on time. When we're well out of earshot, she whispers, "Oh my god, she knew my name."