- broken wings // chaennie

Party aftermath.

After any big party there's always 2 things that are guaranteed: fresh gossip that the whole school will most likely forget about in the matter of a few weeks and of course a ton of new couples that probably wont last very long. Sadly I'm still as single and chaeyoung less as i was before the party. The first day back to school has everyone still on a buzz discussing what they heard went down most of it obviously over exaggerated to make the nights events seem way more thrilling than they actually were. The reality was mostly a bunch of drunk college kids doing what most drunk college kids end up doing, stupid stuff. Irene had already let me know that she was going to be with seulgi this morning and not to wait up, this didn't surprise me at all but i was happy for them of course. I entered the building listening to my favourite playlist so I wouldn't look like a complete loner. I sat in a seating area but felt my AirPod get pulled out when i looked to my left i saw taeyong sat beside me with a huge smile on his face. I had been texting him a lot lately and we became closer to one another, it felt oddly nice to talk to someone that wasn't Irene for once. "You look like you have something exciting to tell me so spill" I could easily tell by the look taeyong had given me once i spoke that I was very correct. "Well i heard that after the party and many drinks momo finally kicked sana to the curb and is apparently now flirting with heechul, a pretty popular senior" I let out a laugh feeling proud of momo and happy that karma seemed to be finally catching up to that snake sana. "I bet sana is pissed since both seulgi and momo rejected her ass" taeyong nods and laughs at my comment
"She's beyond pissed, i feel like we should all avoid her just in case she explodes" just as he said that the devil herself passes by but of course shes holding hands with a new victim looking very pleased with herself. Everyone already knows that by tomorrow she will have moved onto the next and then the next.the bell goes and i say bye to Yong as i head to my class. It makes me extra happy to see the familiar red head sitting a couple of rows ahead of me in her usual seat.

Lunch time

Finally lunchtime had come around and boy was i starving. I grabbed my food and sat at my new lunch table with seulrene (my new name for Irene and seulgi since they're so inseparable that they might as well be one person) and our new found group of friends aka seulgis friend group. Luckily taeyong was also at this table since he was part of the dance team and was pretty close to seul. It was more crowded than i was used to but i actually kind of like it. I spoke to people i had barely made eye contact with in the past but now I'm talking to them as if we'd been friends for years. Lunch went by so fast and i was about to head off to class when i heard my name being called, i turned around to see jaehyun one of the boys from our table "can i speak with you in private for a sec?" I nodded and followed him. I felt panic. Rush over me thinking about what he could possibly need to talk to me about what if he confesses? Oh god i hope he doesn't i don't want to ruin our friendship of 2 seconds this quick by rejecting him. We stopped in an empty corner and he opened his mouth to speak but before i could stop myself i spoke "I'm sorry but i have to reject you i like girls, i hope this doesn't ruin our friendship since i was enjoying getting to know you" i blurted it all out and he blinked at me before erupting into a fit of laughter. I felt kind of offended "oh no sorry if you thought that but i think you've gotten my intentions very wrong. I'm here to ask if taeyong has maybe spoken about me to you?" I raised my eyebrow and noticed that he looked down to the floor after saying that last sentence to me... oh he like Yong!!1 i feel like a total idiot now. I smiled like a huge idiot knowing that his feelings were reciprocated "maybe he has" jaehyun looked at me like an excited puppy that had just been told that it was time to go for a walk "really? Do you think i should... confess to him?" He looked so nervous. I nodded enthusiastically and before i could say much more he thanked me and ran off. Why am i helping everyone else get with their crushes but still failing majorly to confess to my own?.

After school, on the way home.

I was walking my home on my usual route when i got a text notification

Chaeyoung
Hey nini! I just got a call from the vet and she said that shes going to release our baby back into the wild today. I was wondering if you wanna come?

I instantly broke out into a smile realising she had given me a nickname and my fingers typed as fast as they could

Me
I'd love to come, what time?

Chaeyoung
In an hour. Ill come meet you at your house! See you soon.

Oh my GOD. I rushed back home so fast to prepare and make both my house and i presentable. She was perfectly on time which did not surprise me one bit. Her red hair was tied back into a ponytail and she had that toothpaste advert type smile with all her sparkly teeth showing. We headed straight to the veterinary clinic and eat with the vet. She took us with her in her van to a safe place to let the bird be free again. We said our goodbyes and let the newly healed animal go back into the world. I felt like an actual mother saying bye to her cold and it hurt a little. Me and char headed back to my house since she insisted on walking me home. I stood awkwardly at my door and cleared my throat "do you want to maybe um come in for a bit?'
"I cant believe I'm being invited into the secret lair of jennie kim" i laughed and let her in. The only person i let inside my home was Irene and even that took me months to let happen. Chaeyoung looked around the living room. A small frown appeared on her face "you don't have many pictures, don't you're parents hang them up?" I thought for a few seconds. I usually avoided speaking about my family but for some reason i wanted to tell chaeyoung. Everything but i just decided it was better to switch subjects. "Would you like anything to drink?" She raised her eyebrow at me "you're avoiding my question?' I sighed and took a seat and patted the space beside me signalling for her to sit which she did "i live alone, I had since i turned 18. My mother pays the bills but she doesn't want anything to do with me, its been like that since my father passed. I wasn't close to her growing up by i was my fathers shadow. His death really made things hard so i moved out. Looking at pictures of him still hurts. I don't like telling people i live alone because i dot want people to know i have a dysfunctional family" chaeyoung nods and genuinely looks like she interested in what I'm saying. It's nice to open up to her "theres nothing to be ashamed of. You went through a hard time but you're pretty strong for being able to independent" she smiles at me softly. "If you think about it you're like our bird baby, you went through a hard time but slowly you were mended and you got to spread your wings and fly to find better thing" i looked down, i loved her comparison but i dont think I'm quite mended yet "i think my wings are still broken and need some time to heal yet" she took my hand and squeezed "ill be your personal vet and help you he your wings working again" her comment made me feel like maybe that was possible, maybe i could be ok again. Maybe park chaeyoung will be able to mend these broken wings of mine.