Circles and Circles || Jensoo

Chapter 11

Eight years previously...

Jisoo sat in her bedroom, watching the rain stream down her window, grumbling about the unusual weather for a California day. Where the hell had the sun gone? Come to think of it, where had the sun in her life gone? Jennie used to be her sun and her moon and her stars. She'd told her that once, and Jennie had responded with a single raised eyebrow, then had basically launched herself at Jisoo, tickling until she had cried submission. Jennie had never been very good at the romantic stuff. Now Jisoo felt like her world was tipping a bit, but she knew she could hold on. After all, she still had Jennie. Didn't she?

She did. She had to be strong about this. Jennie was her girlfriend and she'd be damned if she'd let her go without a fight. She had once told Jennie that she would take care of them both, and she had done so for two years. Sure, they'd been rocky at times, and her family certainly hadn't helped them along, but they'd reached an uneasy truce on the subject, and things were okay. Jennie was allowed over for dinner. Her mother basically kept silent, both around Jen and on the topic of Jen, or, sometimes, any word beginning with J. Her father, with his usual diplomacy, was friendly and tactful and tried to get everyone to see both sides. Jen had been there through her parents' separation, and then through their even harder reconciliation. Rules had been formed, and for the most part, kept (Jisoo's parents surely didn't need to know about the few times Jennie had been secretly bundled into Jisoo's bedroom, did they?).

So, things had been okay. Until lately. Until Lalisa. Jisoo practically gagged at the name. God, she hated the girl. She'd turned up at King High a few months before, and Jennie had basically adopted her. At first, Jisoo had been in agreement. After all, if Jennie hadn't shown an interest, Lalisa would have known no-one, and Jisoo knew better than anyone that new girls need friends. If it hadn't become so damned obvious that the bitch was after Jennie in every which way possible, Jisoo might have even come to like her.

Now THAT had caused endless arguments. Jennie refused to see it. She claimed that Lalisa was only a friend, didn't want to be anything more, and that Jisoo needed to trust her: "We've been together for two years, for Christ's sake! Surely there's some trust around?"

There had been a small explosive episode that had ended when Jisoo had just simply walked out of Jennie's house, unwilling to hear any more on the subject. But they'd made up. Jisoo smiled warmly, remembering the making-up, and her hand unconsciously went to her throat, to the small, red-stoned pendant set in gold that Jennie had given her as apology. Jennie rarely bought things as an apology; Jisoo had stamped that out early on. She had pointed out that she refused to be bought, so that whenever Jen did actually buy her something, it had damn well better mean something. Jisoo fingered the stone, and leaned back, still watching the rain come down.

So they were good. Sort of. Jisoo still thought that Lisa was after Jennie in the worst way. Jennie thought Jisoo was paranoid and that she was owed some trust, which wasn't the problem. Jisoo DID trust Jennie; it was Lalisa she didn't trust.

Jisoo picked up the well-thumbed note that was sitting next to her. It was succinct.

Chu,
We need to talk. Meet me at Stenson's Point at 8. I need to show you something.
Jennie

It was definitely Jennie's handwriting, and the perfume that was so gentle on the paper was the scent Jisoo knew so well. Still, it didn't say much and, while Jennie didn't write often, she would have expected something a little more affectionate. Okay, granted, they hadn't exactly parted well the last time Jisoo had seen Jennie. She'd left a party in disgust, leaving Jennie with Lisa in a drunken haze - their drunken haze, not hers - and, while she hadn't been amused, she had figured that they'd both get over it, like they normally did. Perhaps the note was Jennie's attempt to make up again. The question was, how the hell was she supposed to get to Stenson's Point?

Stenson's Point would have made a great make-out spot if there had been room for more cars. Instead, it was really just a stopping place on one of the cliff roads that afforded decent views of the city and enough parking for maybe one or two cars. There was nothing special about it that Jisoo could think of. She knew she was going to have to ask Jin for a ride there, and that he was not going to be happy about it. She would have to offer to do his chemistry homework for him or something. UCLA had forced him to take the course and he was not exactly happy about it.

In the end, it took a huge amount of cajoling to get him to pick her up and take her. She wisely neglected to mention that it was at Jennie's behest until they were well on their way. Jin swore and threatened to turn around, but Jisoo convinced him to go on. Whatever was going on, she promised that she'd make it quick. The other option would be for Jin to simply drop her off and for her to get a ride back with Jennie, but Jisoo had to admit that she was nervous. She was half-scared that Jen had brought her up to this relatively isolated spot to break up with her. If that was the case, having Jin at her back would help.

Her thoughts were cloudy, and she stared out the window of the car as they made their way up the winding road. Jin tried to engage her in some light-hearted banter. His failure led to less light-hearted banter and more coercion into dumping Jennie and finding a nice boy to date. She'd heard it all before and in a few short, but pithy sentences told him where his chances stood.

It was pretty dark when they arrived. Two cars already occupied the meagre off-road parking, and the bend in the road that was behind them would have been the least safe place in the world to leave a car. There was just enough room for Jin to squeeze his car in.

The rain was pouring down, the sky opening its gates and drenching the world with its bounty. Jisoo could see shit-all through the window of the car.

"I'm getting out," she announced.

"You're crazy!" Jin exclaimed. "Well, it's your funeral." He turned the radio up.

Jisoo got out of the car, and pulled the hood of her rain coat over her head. Shutting the door behind her, the darkness left her momentarily blinded. She thought she could make out two people standing beyond the other two cars. Jisoo made her way over. As she approached, her vision cleared as her eyes adjusted to the night. The rain still made the image hazy, but as she got closer she could see them standing too close to each other. Lalisa's arms were wound around Jennie's neck and there was no mistaking what they were doing.

Jisoo screamed, anger bursting through her sides, her fists clenching in fury and agony. Jennie looked up, pulling back, startled. Jisoo could hear Jin's yells as he somehow appeared from behind her. He must have followed her after all, but she couldn't hear what he was yelling over all the noise in her ears, the blood rushing through and deafening her. She barely saw Jennie push Lalisa away.

Too fucking late, she thought.

Jisoo stood, hands clenched, tears pouring down her face in the rain. She barely saw Lisa move away from Jin and Jennie. Jin raised his fist; Jennie pushed Jin back as he moved to hit her. She barely saw Jin as he stumbled through the rain, only a few short steps.

She almost didn't see the car that took the corner too wide, sliding in the slick, black, oil-dark of the night, tyres squealing as its lights found Jin. What Jisoo heard was the sickening crunch as the car collected its unintentional quarry. And what she remembered was the smell of rubber on the bitumen as his body hit the ground.

Later, she would remember watching, through the red and blue lights, the retreating figure of Jennie fading into the darkness.

* *©clomle44* *