Jennie
Age Fifteen
I didn't go to school today.
I never miss school if I can help it.
Today, I couldn't help it.
Couldn't mentally survive another day of the taunting.
I made it through yesterday, tears blinding my eyes as I walked home, and cursed Kim Jisoo with every step I took. I ate lunch in the restroom and sped to my classes before anyone could see me in the hall. I haven't seen Jisoo once after I slapped her.
A few days off from school will prepare me for becoming the target of my bullying classmates.
Jisoo has made everyone believe we had sex and that I wanted a round two. Heck, I'm glad we never made it to round one. Giving her my virginity would've been a giant mistake on top of going to the dance with her.
No more dances or school functions for me.
I slapped her and she deserved it. She had taken me to the dance as a prank straight out of a '90s chick flick—ask the geek to the dance as a joke and then publicly humiliate her.
I'm in my bedroom, reading to Mingsoon, when I hear the front door slam shut. Fear spirals through me. My mother is at her boyfriend's for the week, and it's too early for Joohyun to be out of bed. I drop my book at the sound of roaring footsteps and scurry to the corner of my room where a baseball bat is hidden. I settle Mingsoon into the closet behind my clothes and tell him to shush. My sister hangs out with sketchy people, and I've prepared myself in case she pushes one to flip their lid and hurt us.
My door flies open, and Sam stands in my doorway.
"Jennie!" he shouts. "What were you fucking thinking?"
His face is red, fury in his eyes, and a vein in his neck is twitching underneath the skin.
This isn't the Sam I know.
No.
This crazy, irate man isn't him.
"What ... what are you talking about?" I stutter.
"Going to the dance with my daughter!"
Whoa. What?
"Wait ... Jisoo is your daughter?"
He winces. "How could you not know that?"
I shrug. "I've never seen you two together."
"His mother was in the car with me," he grinds out.
I met Jisoo's mom when we went to her house to take pictures before the dance. I didn't notice she was the woman in the passenger seat of Sam's car, but I knew there was one and children in the backseat. None of them were Jisoo, so I had no idea they were her siblings. I'm not dumb. As soon as I saw them in the car, I knew Sam's secret. He has a family. I said nothing to Joohyun, in fear of her flipping out on me or anyone else.
Sam is the least of my worries at the moment.
Well, he was ... until now.
I gulp. "I didn't know she was your daughter."
Sam shakes his head and continues to talk, frustration lining his features. "You know now, and I know why she's been depressed, wallowing around the house with a broken heart. I'm sure it's over you and the fact that I saw you walking home in the middle of the night for who the fuck knows what reason." He snarls. "Looks like the apple doesn't fall far from the tree with us interested in trailer trash."
I flinch at his words.
Sam has never made me feel ashamed of where I live. That's something I always admired about him.
The tears falling down my face seem to shake off some of his temper.
He bends down in front of me on one knee. "Jennie, I don't want to be mean, but keep your mouth shut about me and your sister. It could end harmful to you."
I silently stare at him.
"You've never seen me here. Got it?"
"I'm sorry ..." Tears fall faster with each word. "I didn't know!"
"What the fuck is going on?" Joohyun yells, stomping into my room. She stops with her arms crossed. Her eyes turn cold and suspicious when she notices Sam next to me. "What the fuck are you doing in my sister's room?"
Sam stands and wipes his hands down his pants. He points to the closet and keeps his attention on me, ignoring Joohyun. "Mingsoon, the whimpering baby you're trying to hide in the closet, I'm his father." His finger swings around to the corner of the room where I keep all Mingsoon's essentials. "You see those diapers? I pay for them." He gestures to my bedroom. "You like your home?"
Not particularly.
"I'm the one who helps pay the bills here," he says louder before pointing to my sister. "I'm the one who takes care of her and puts food in this house."
"You son of a bitch," Joohyun yells.
Sam leans back down to meet my eyes. His tone is softer, but his eyes are full of warning. "Jennie, if you say one word about me ever stepping foot inside here, you'll regret it. You and your entire white-trash family will regret living in this town. Same goes for Mingsoon. If you want him to be safe and well taken care of, you'll keep to yourself. The only times you'll go to school is to learn, and then you'll come back home. Stay away, or you'll be put away."
My heart slams against my chest. What is going on?
"I thought you were a good person."
"Here's a quick life lesson for you, Jennie: quit thinking people are good. All you're going to get is let down."
He steps away, bumping into my sister while walking out of my bedroom, and I jump at the sound of the door slamming. I run out into the living room to make sure he's gone.
"Good job, you dumb bitch!" Joohyun screams behind me. "Whatever it is he's pissed about, you keep your goddamn mouth shut about it, okay? Sam is someone you don't want to cross. He'll ruin our lives and take Mingsoon from us. Do you want that to happen?"
I shake my head, blinded by tears. "No ... no, of course not."
"Then, what you saw, you take to the grave. Understood?"
"But ... but—"
"There are no buts. Now, go to your room and read or whatever the fuck you do." She pauses. "Hold that thought. Watch Mingsoon for a while. I need to blow off some steam after the problems you caused today."
