Precious Things || Jensoo

Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

I'm nervous.

I hate giving presentations in front of the class. The fact I'm doing it with Jennie just makes me even more nervous. I don't want to fuck up her presentation. I'm so jittery on the day our project is due that I can barely sit still through breakfast.

My grandfather frowns at me disapprovingly and I don't care. I can't stop it, no matter how hard I try. I jitter all the way to school where my grandfather tells me to take this project seriously and pats me on the shoulder.

I've put more work into this one assignment than any other I've ever had; exactly how is that not serious? Shrugging my satchel more solidly onto my shoulder, I head into school.

History is not till third period, so that gives me two lessons to pretend to be distracted while I fill up with panic inside. I don't think Jennie notices, because the few times she talks to me in passing she seems quite calm and not at all put out by my intense anxiety.

By the time History comes around, I'm practically incapable of speaking. This does not bode well for a verbal presentation. As I hover into the classroom, shaking so hard my feet barely stay on the ground, Jennie waves me over to where she's sitting. She normally sits one row forward of the back and I normally sit in the front row, so I wander back to find out what she wants. She waves me into the seat next to her, on the left, and I raise an eyebrow.

"Isn't that Krystal's seat?"

"Yeah, but she can find somewhere else today."

"Um..."

"Just sit down, Jisoo. We should discuss things before we do our talk and, honestly, Krystal is pissing me the fuck off lately."

I sit down. Far be it from me to deny Jennie anything she asks.

Ten seconds later, and rather predictably, Krystal walks in the classroom. Spying me in her seat, she stalks up and stands in front of me.

"Get up."

I look at Jennie. Then I realise that this is actually not her fight. Jennie opens her mouth to say something, but I get there first.

"No."

"Get the fuck out of my chair, chica."

I sigh. "It's not your chair, Krystal. It's the school's chair. Second, you're like fifth generation American, so stop putting the Latina on. Third, I'm just sitting here for today's lesson so that we can get this talk done. I promise you can have your chair back once I'm done. So long as I don't catch anything off it."

There is an incredibly long pause.

And then Jennie starts snickering, covering her hand with her mouth to stop the laughter from really spilling out.

I stood up for myself.

I did it well.

I'm not a doormat, goddammit.

Krystal stares at me. And then she leans down, close to my face. "Don't ever speak to me like that again. You're just a pathetic little poser who wants to be someone. You're not. Don't you forget it."

Then she leaves, finding a seat on the other side of Jongin, who's sidled in next to Jennie and is looking confused.

Jennie just rolls her eyes.

Miss Charles has arrived and is now tapping her desk with the whiteboard marker to get our attention. There will be three presentations today and Jennie and I are due to go last. I wish we were going first; at least then we could get it over and done with.

Instead I sit here and mull over what Krystal said. I know she was just intending to be harsh, but in a way she's right. I am a poser. Jennie and Jongin are the coolest people in our grade, by far. I have no business hanging around them. I am not cool.

High School is very rigorous in enforcing these rules.

It doesn't matter though. After today I will be a minor blip in the story of Jennie Kim' life. We will have done a project together. We will have done it well. We will have gotten along.

There will be nothing more than that.

I give a little sigh and it must be louder than I thought because Jennie leans over and says: "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just nervous," I fib.

"It'll be fine Jisoo. It'll be just fine. We did a good job."

"I hate public speaking," I mutter. Miss Charles sends me a pointed look for talking during someone else's presentation so I shut up.

Time rolls around, like it always does.

Before too long it really is the hour at which Jennie and I must meet our History Project destinies. I look so nervous that she pats me on the shoulder as we stand at the front of the class.

I let Jennie do the introductions, explaining what our project was and our multimedia portion. She also does the controlling of the DVD remote because she doesn't have to peer at the buttons like some geriatric person confused by technology.

The mockumentary goes over like a house on fire. Jongin in a puffy shirt and wig pretending to be Christopher Wren is a huge hit. Krystal in frilled skirts gets a few wolf whistles which she greatly appreciates.

Jennie's narration is so perfect that I want to fall at her feet and worship her for it.

I want to do that anyway, if I'm going to be truthful about it.

After the giggling subsides, I talk the class through Europe in the seventeenth century. It's stuttering and not nearly as graceful as Miss Jennie Kim, who positively shines doing the rest of the world.

We're done five minutes before the bell is due to go, and Miss Charles is the first to speak.

"Brilliant job, girls, brilliant job. Educational and entertaining, the best kind of presentation."

I blush and Jennie stands there like she gets compliments every day. She probably does. I hardly ever get them.

I do however get As, and I think I just scored another one of those. Miss Charles is certainly looking that way.

We're sent back to our seats and Jongin gives me a thumbs up. From the other side of him, Krystal sends me another black look. She really doesn't like me hanging with her friends.

It's okay.

The bell rings. And that, I feel, will end me hanging with her friends forever.

I'm packing my bag when I feel a tap on my shoulder. It's Jennie.

"We were awesome! You were awesome."

Her incredible grin is infectious and I find my own mouth stretching to meet her happiness.

"You were awesome," I agree. "I stuttered."

"I totally didn't notice."

And then it happens.

The most amazing moment of my life to date. And there have been a few to pick from lately.

Jennie throws her arms around me and squeezes. Jennie Kim gives me a hug.

Awkwardly I put my hands on her back and hug in return. I kind of pat, because to be honest, I don't hug and don't have a freakin' clue what I'm doing. That's okay, though, as she doesn't seem to notice.

And then it's over and she's swaying out of the class. If I wasn't so dazed from her hug, I'd probably have my eyes glued to her impeccable ass.

I swallow.

Okay, so that was probably the end to my association with Jennie.

But what an end. Oh, what an end!

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