Precious Things || Jensoo

Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

I'm having palpitations. It's not my normal stabbing chest pain, just anxiety-laden heart poundings that will not go away. In half an hour, Jennie Kim is going to meet me at the front gate and come home with me.

This is about the best and worst thing that has ever happened to me. No, scratch that, not the best because the best thing was me getting to go to her house, even if I was only there for twenty five minutes and I did only see the kitchen.

Her coming to my house is a different experience altogether.

I'm rather grateful that she wore jeans today because, although my grandfather prefers skirts, I'm not sure Jennie owns one that doesn't end a good two inches above the knee. That would probably be enough to send him into an apoplectic fit. And her shirt isn't too revealing either. Normally, that would be slightly disappointing but today it's a good thing.

It doesn't matter, though. She's still dressed trendily enough for him to take an immediate dislike to her; I know that. And he will speak to her and I doubt that her responses will be in the language, tone or level of politeness he's accustomed to; not that Jennie will be rude, but my grandfather has a peculiar set of opinions about what's polite and what isn't.

I can practically smell disaster, and it's all of my own creation. And yet, here I am, about to go through with it.

When you're waiting for something good to arrive, time seeps forward in little moments, each extending out to a lifetime. When you're dreading something coming, it's on you like a tiger waiting to pounce.

I don't know if I can't wait or if I'm dreading this. There's more dread, I think, in the end, and that's probably why the bell rings before I even notice it's time and I've been staring at the clock non-stop.

I take a deep breath and pack up my bags. My hands are shaking and it's only when I look up and realize that most of the class has left that I find I've been rather slow. Jennie clearly thinks so because she's leaning against a desk a few away from mine and watching me. She's waiting for me.

Jennie Kim is waiting for me.

I smile at her, rather wanly, and tilt my head.

"Ready?"

"Uh, yeah."

On consideration it was a stupid question. She was waiting for me; of course she was ready. Then again, my head is spinning so I'm likely to say a lot of stupid things.

My grandfather will be oh-so-amused about that.

I don't want them to meet, but now seems like a rather silly time to be thinking that. They're about to meet and there's basically nothing I can do about it.

With my heart beating so fast it should explode, I lead Jennie from the classroom and down the corridor. We walk silently, and I don't know if she's regretting agreeing coming to my house or just thinking about her next manicure. I can never tell what Jennie is thinking no matter how hard I study her.

As we emerge into the afternoon sunlight, I can see the stiff, upright figure of my grandfather at the gate. I chance a glance at my companion but she doesn't seem to be noticing anything in particular. She certainly doesn't look in any way nonplussed.

When we finally get to the school gate, my mouth is so dry from a combination of fear and uncertainty that I have trouble pushing my sentence out through my lips.

"Grandfather, this is Jennie. Jennie, this is my grandfather, Mr Haynes."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir." Jennie shakes his hand formally and I try not to gawk at her natural manners and style. She never struck me as the kind to associate with senior citizens on a regular basis.