Cherry Chapstick | JenRene + JenYong

Chapter 01: Curiosity Kills The Cat

Ever had something happened to you even though you never think about it, not even once in your life? 

Well, I never had any of those, not until this morning. The first day of high school that happens to be the day where I had a super bad hangover from one of Lalisa's wild party last night.

"This was never the way I planned

Not my intention

I got so brave, drink in hand

Lost my discretion."

I kicked off my blankets, trying hard to shut off last night's memories from my brain while Katy Perry's song blasted off from my lesbian sister's room which unsurprisingly located next to mine.

"LOWER IT DOWN!" I shouted as I opened her room, greeted by the rainbow flags on the walls. She turned her head slightly, her hand carefully ironed the ebony color of her hair.

Wait a moment... She never ironed her hair this early in the morning. "What time is it?" I asked before she answered, my hazel eyes widen at the clock that showed 07:00 AM on it.

"WHY DON'T ANYONE WAKE ME UP?!" I screamed and ran to the bathroom, preparing myself to take a speedy-shower and make-up session.

 30 minutes later...

"Jennie Rutherford Kim, hurry up we're going to be late!" Yerim called loudly, I replied hurriedly as I ran down to the marble stairs of our mansion "I'm coming!" 

Mom sat at the mahogany and leather sofa, phone on her right hand, and coffee on the other. "Wyatt, tell me my schedule for this afternoon," she said to one of her assistants on the phone before she stands up and kissed me on the cheek, "be careful you girls," she said.

The moment we sat inside our black Mercedes-AMG S65, I swallowed a pain-reliever for my hangover, Yerim squinted at me with her deep-brown eyes "uh-oh, had a rough night?" her lips tucked to the side. 

"Must be nice to kiss the other it girl in school," she sipped on her lemon-infused water.

"Shut up" I hit her arm with my vintage Chanel backpack.

She snickered before continuing to scroll through her Instagram. I sighed and took my phone from the pocket of my bag, trying to block last night's memory off of my mind.

***

Our driver, Mr. Miller opened the car door for us and we walked inside the majestic building which looks more like a castle than a school, well... Welcome to Rutherford High School which belongs to my father's great-great-grandparents Cecilia Prudence Rutherford and Emmett Walter Rutherford. 

Some students were hugging, they must've missed each other after the long holiday. Some were laughing at the freshman that tries too hard, they wore bag with a big GUCCI on it and sweater with thousands of Chanel logos, even the store mannequin dressed better than that. 

In the field, boys were playing basketball and some girls were cheering from the bleachers. Ugh, the classroom will reek of testosterone from all of those sweats.

Finally, after a ten minutes walk,  I've arrived at class 2-H. My feet automatically brought me to the only seat next to the window that hasn't been taken yet. I opened the window, allowing the sun-lights caresses my face and the smell of pine fills up my lungs, ahh... How I love school in the morning.

"Close the window, will you? It's cold." Someone orders me, it sounds demanding mixed with a little hint of politeness, so it won't sound completely rude. 

I turned around slowly, did they didn't know who I am? How can they order me like that? The room has a heater it can't be that cold to the point where they can't stand it.

I cursed a thousand times inside my mind as my eyes met the dark-hazel of her eyes. She has the same height as me, and a smirk formed on her ivory-face as she recognized me almost immediately.

My nana, Blanche Rutherford once said "the power to question is the basis of all human progress and it is born from inquiry and curiosity." Most of times, I would use her saying to gain more knowledge in school.

But I regret ever using it yesterday night at Lalisa's last day of the holiday party. As my curiosity and inquiry brought me to the mess that I am today. A woman who questioned her sexuality.

Her right hand tucked a strain of her long black hair to the back of her ear, "nice to see you again, Jennie Rutherford Kim" she said, putting a light-pressure on my first name before completely saying the rest of it.

Maybe Nana Blanche is wrong because at this moment I swear the proverb "curiosity kills the cat"  is correct in so many ways since all I want to do is to jump from the still-open window next to me. 

Kissing Irene Bae at that party was a mistake.