After (Jikook version)

Chapter 21

The streets are dark and quiet once I get away from the frat blocks.. The other frat houses aren't as big as Jungkook's. There are so many things I don't understand about Jungkook, why is he in a fraternity with a bunch of preppy, rich kids if he's a punk, and why does he go from hot to cold so quickly? I don't know why I even bother to waste my time thinking about him, after tonight I am beyond done trying to be friendly with him.I can't believe I kissed him. That was the biggest possible mistake I could have made,and the second I let my guard down he attacked, worse than ever. I'm not stupid enough to trust that he won't tell anyone, but I hope his embarrassment over kissing "the virgin" will keep him quiet. I will deny it until the grave if anyone asks. The last thing I need is gay rumors going around about me during my first months of college.

After an hour of walking, I finally reach the campus. I stop at the coffee house and grab a cup, I might as well stay awake.I need to come up with a good explanation for my mother and Seulgi for my behavior tonight, not the kissing,they will never know about that, if they did my mother would come here and kill me herself, but that I was at a party. Again, I really need to have a talk with Seulgi about telling my mother things; if I'm an adult now, she doesn't need to know what I am doing all the time.By the time I reach my dorm, my legs and feet hurt and I actually sigh in relief as I turn the knob.But then I nearly have a heart attack at the sight of Jungkook sitting on my bed."You've got to be kidding me!" I half scream when I finally regain my composure.

"Where were you?" he asks calmly."I drove around trying to find you for almost two hours."

What?

"What? Why the hell would you be looking for me?" I ask in disbelief.

As in, if he was going to do that, why didn't he just offer to take me home earlier? More importantly, why didn't I ask him to as soon as I found out he hadn't been drinking? Oh, that's right because there is no way he would have done anything nice for me.

"Because... because I don't think it's a good idea for you to be walking around at night,alone."

I laugh at his words. I may not be the toughest guy but I'm not a sissy. He furrows his eyebrow, frowning at me and I laugh.

"Get out, Jungkook!" I say in between laughs.

I am not laughing because I find this funny, I am laughing because I am too drained to do anything else. Jungkook looks at me and runs his hands through his hair. In the little time that I have known this frustrating man that is Jeon Jungkook, I have learned that he does that when he is either stressed or uncomfortable. I hope it's both right now.

"Jimin, I'm—" he begins, but his words are cut off by a terrible pounding on the door.

"Jimin!Park Jimin, you open this door right now!" It's my mother.

"Oh my God, Jungkook, get in the closet,"I whisper and grab his arm,yanking him up off the bed and surprising us both with my strength.He looks down at me, amused. "I am not hiding in the closet. You're eighteen."He says it and I know he's right,but he doesn't know my mother.

I groan in frustration and she pounds again. I check the mirror, wiping at the bags under my eyes, and grab my tooth paste, smearing a little on my tongue to conceal the smell of vodka. When I open the door, my mother and Seulgi are standing side by side and mu mother look furious.

"Hey. What are you guys doing here?" I say to them, but my mother pushes by me and goes straight for Jungkook.

"So this is why you haven't been answering your phone? Because you have this . . . this . . Tattooed troublemaker in your room at six a.m.!" She shouts.

My blood boils. I am usually timid and sort of afraid when it comes to her.She has never hit me or anything but she isn't shy when it comes to pointing out my mistakes:

"You aren't wearing that, are you,Jimin?

"You should have brushed your hair again, Jimin"

"I think you could have done better than that on your tests, Jimin."

She always puts so much pressure on me to be perfect all the time, it's exhausting.For her part, Seulgi just stands there glaring at Jungkook, and I want to scream at both of them—actually at all three of them. My mother for treating me like a child. Seulgi for telling on me. And Jungkook for just being Jungkook.

"Is this what you do in college,young man? You stay up all night and bring boys back to your room? Poor Seulgi was worried sick about you, and we drive all this way to find this. What have you been doing? Drugs? Smoking? Watching porn?"she says, and Seulgi and I both gasp.

"Actually, I just got here. And he wasn't doing anything wrong," Jungkook says, and I am shocked.

He has no idea what he is up against. Maybe this would be a good fight. My subconscious temps me to grab a bag of popcorn and sit down in the front row to watch.

My mother's face gets mean."Excuse me? I certainly was not speaking to you. I don't even know what someone like you is doing hanging around my son anyway." Jungkook absorbs the blow mutely and just remains standing and staring at her.

"Mother," I say through my teeth.

I'm not sure why I'm defending Jungkook, but I am. Seulgi looks at me, then at Jungkook and back to me again. Can she tell that I just kissed Jungkook? The memory is fresh in my mind and makes my skin tingle just thinking about it.

"Jimin, you are out of control. I can smell the liquor on you from here, and I can only assume that this is the influence of your lovely roommate and him," she says, looking at Jungkook

"I am eighteen , mother, I have never drank before and I didn't do anything wrong. I am just doing what every other college student is doing. I'm sorry that my cell phone battery died, and that you drove all the way here, but I'm fine." I sit down after my speech and she sighs.

"Young man, could you leave us for a minute?" She asks Jungkook, her voice calmer than it was moments ago.

Jungkook looks at me as if asking if I will be okay. I nod and he nods back and walks out of the room. It's a strange revelation, me and Jungkook against my mother and girlfriend. Somehow I know he'll be

waiting somewhere just outside the door until they leave.

For the next twenty minutes, my mother sits on my bed and explains that she is just worried about me ruining my chance at an amazing education and doesn't want me to drink again. She also tells me that she doesn't approve of my friendship with Hoseok, Jungkook, or anyone else in their group. She makes me promise that I will stop hanging around with them, and I agree. After tonight, I don't want to be around Jungkook anyway, and I won't be going to any more parties with Hoseok, so there's no way my mother will know if I am friendly with her or not.

Finally, she stands up and claps her hands together. "Since we are already here, let's go get some breakfast and maybe do some shopping." My mother suggests and Seulgi smiles.

I nod in agreement. It does sound like a good idea and I am starving. My thoughts are still a little stifled by alcohol and tiredness,but my walk home, the coffee, and my mother's lecture have sobered me.

"You'll need to clean up a little and change, of course." She smiles her condescending smile. I go get some clean clothes out of my dresser and change in the closet. I touch up last night's makeup and am ready to go.When we open the door , and we all three look at where Jungkook is sitting on the floor, leaning against the door across the hall. When he looks up,Seulgi grasps my hand.

"We are going to go into town," I tell  Jungkook. I find myself wanting to pull my hand out of Seulgi's. What is wrong with me? This is the girl I love, I am straight and only like Jungkook as a friend. ' Was that kiss just as friends?' My subconscious says but I mentally smack him.

"Oh, okay," Jungkook says and for the first time he looks vulnerable, and maybe a little hurt.'He humiliated you' my subconscious reminds me. Which is true, but I can't help feeling guilty as Seulgi pulls me along past Jungkook and my mother gives Jungkook a victory smile, causing him to look away.

"I really don't like that guy," Seulgi says, and I nod.

"Me, either," I whisper.But I know I'm lying.

Thank you for reading!