• Afternoon after the dance •

I pull out my phone and decide to text Jungkook. It's really random but I feel really alone and I want to see him. I've been thinking about him an awful lot since yesterday when I saw him at the dance.

-

Me-
Can you please come over? I really need to talk to you, it's important. I know you probably don't want to talk to me or even look at me, and that you hate me...but I need to tell you something that you should have known a long time ago. I only want to tell you to protect you, I don't want you to get hurt.

Kookie🍪-
-Seen-

Me-
Kookie, I know you saw my text. Don't ignore it, just please come over to my house.

Kookie🍪-
-Seen-

-

I start to get annoyed when he doesn't text me back, but surprisingly, I hear a knock at my front door. I stand up from my bed and walk down the stairs and go to answer the door. I open the front door and smile when I realize it's Jungkook. "Jennie, I have somewhere to be right now. Can you please hurry up?" He asks, making my smile go away. Why can't he be polite to me, why would he even be a little rude to me? I have never seen him this way, he started acting this way when he started dating that blonde. She's a bad influence on him, that's for sure.

I step aside and he walks in. "I'll tell you in my room." He instantly walks up the stairs and I follow him after I close the door behind us. Once we're inside my room he turns to me. "Why have you been acting so rude to me?" I ask. He tilts his head and stares at me with his eyebrows knit. "I honestly don't even want to answer you right now, because you obviously know why." He tells me. "The whole, you liking me, thing? That's such a stupid reason." I tell him, causing him to let out a rude laugh and shake his head as he looked outside the window.

"Unbelievable." He says under his breath. "So what? The feelings I used to have for you, were stupid?" My eyebrows knit at his words. "Used to?" I ask. He runs his fingers through his hair looking extremely frustrated, I honestly don't understand. "Yes! Used to, what? You expect me to still have feelings for you, while you pushed me away? I was passed the breaking point, I was tired of waiting for five years, Jennie. A person can only take so much emotional neglect, and that's what you did to me." He tells me, making my heart feel sad.

"I got over you a long long time ago, and I'm honestly so happy that I did. Or I might have gone mad, I might have hurt someone. I'm so very happy that I got away from you when I had the chance, your attitude and your sad excuse of what you think love is, is so toxic. A suffocating sort of toxic." He adds. My eyebrows knit. "So what now? You love Lalisa? She'll never replace me." I tell him, completely ignoring all the things that he said about me being toxic, because I know I'm not. "Oh my God Jennie!!!" He yells, making me jump. He's never raised his voice at me like this, it's honestly scary.

"Are you serious!? I'm with her for a reason, I'm not with her to make you jealous or make you want me. I'd never want to hurt her the way you've hurt me. I'm not sorry that I found someone to love that isn't you. I'm not sorry that she's better than you and that she makes me feel like I'm on top of the world. And I'm not sorry about how I'm talking to you, I've waited all my life to talk to you and tell you how I felt.. and when I did you shut me out and treated me like I was nothing." He tells me. "She's everything that I looked for in you but you didn't have, and by frankly.. I think you will never value more than Lalisa, because she's everything that you'll never be."

He tells me without hesitation, and I can't believe that I'm hearing all this from him. Loving someone else so much that he can tell me what she really really means to him. I can change him, he could be mine again. "Oh.." Is all that I can whisper. "Yeah, oh. What do you have to tell me? So I can leave." He says, I don't want him to leave. I walk up to him, pulling on the back of his neck, connecting our lips. But he doesn't kiss me back, at all. I hold on tight to him, hoping, but he instantly pushes me away, "You have some nerve." He spits at me as he walks out of my room.

"Jungkook!" I call after him, my lips quivering as I'm close to tears. "Just leave me alone Jennie." He says as he walks through the front door, and out to the sidewalk. He's probably going to meet the blonde, and I hate her for it. I never knew that I could hate someone so much the way that I hate Lalisa. I hate her with all my soul and heart.

**

I wipe my lips furiously, hating the taste of her. I hate it, I hate it. I feel my phone vibrate, I take it out of my pocket and smile, instantly picking it up. "Hi." I greet, "Still up for ice cream?" I ask. "Hi, and of course. I'll just be a little late, I'm putting my study supplies away.", "Okay, I'll go pick you up?" I ask. "I can meet you there." She says, "Okay, I'm going to pick you up." I say crossing the street to the park.

She chuckles, "Jungkook, you don't have to." She says. "Too bad, I'm coming for you already." She lets out a cute breath, "Fine, I'll wait for you on the porch.", "Okay." I can't help but smile again. "Okay." She replies. "Bye." We say at the same time, and I can already imagine her smiling. We end the call and I walk at a faster pace to get to her house. The air is fresh, and it helps me clear my mind, I want my mind to be free of anything bad when I'm with Lalisa.

I'm obviously not going to tell her right away, I'll tell her at the ice cream shop about what happened with Jennie. The ice cream shop is kind of our hang out place, I know that we can work things out because there isn't really anything to hide. When I get to her block, I jog up to her house, I instantly smile when I see her. "Hi beautiful." I say, her cheeks turn pink. She walks up to me and I pull her into a hug, she instantly hugs me back. I kiss her forehead, "You ready?" I ask. She nods and looks up at me setting her chin on my chest, she puckers her lips and I chuckle.

I give her what she wants by kissing her lips, she smiles against my lips and I caress her face as I deepen the kiss. She sets her hand on my chest and lightly pushes me away, she's always a tease. She grabs my hand and we head towards the ice cream shop. I wouldn't want to be with anyone else.

**

There's another knock at the door and I run to answer it, hoping that it's Jungkook. I open the door and it's not. "Taehyung?" I ask. He's wearing his black leather jacket, along with a black shirt, jeans and a beanie. "How dare you?" He asks right away. "What are you talking about? We're not together anymore, stop coming around." I tell him. "You let him kiss you?!" He yells, my eyes widen. "What are you talking-", "Don't act stupid!!!" He yells, forcing his way into my house. I stand back, scared of him.

"You let him touch what's mine?" He asks in a husky voice as he pulls me against him, my hands gripping his arms to stop myself from getting too close to him. "I'm not yours anymore Taehyung." I tell him. "Oh yeah? Then who do you belong to then, huh? Who? Jungkook?" He asks. I bite my lip. "Jungkook doesn't want you baby girl, he has Lalisa." He tells me. "No! That's a lie, he's liked me for more than five years and I finally feel the same way." I confess for the first time out loud.

He freezes to my words, his eyes filling with anger. "What? You still like that twerp? Towards the middle of our relationship I knew that you started getting jealous of them." He tells me. "You don't think I know that you believe in lies like that?" He asks me. "Yes, you got a problem with that?" I answer with another question. "But you're mine." He tells me.  "I was yours, just face the fact that you've lost Taehyung." His eyebrows knit, "No, you face the fact that you've lost. Just yesterday I was holding you and we were having a great time at the dance." He tells me.

"And you made up the damn lies that Areum and I had a thing, which I promised you that we didn't. But you wouldn't listen to me and you would never listen to me, like our whole relationship when I told you that I would so anything for you. I love you Jennie, it hurts me so much. I've already past my breaking point. I'm done, I'm broken.. and I'm afraid that I'll.." The conversation I had with Jungkook a while ago, comes to mind.

"No, I can still change his mind." I say. He looks mad now, "Excuse me? Were you not hearing anything that I was saying? Are you deaf or something? What do I have to do to get my words through that thick skull of yours? That skull thicker than the earth's core." He asks, "Nothing Taehyung, because you heard me. I have faith that I can win Jungkook back, that's all I've wanted and that's all I still want." I say, pushing him away from me. Why am I acting like this? I remember when I was crazy about Taehyung, I couldn't get enough of him.

Then I saw how Jungkook acted with Lalisa, like how he'd act with me, but he acted lovey dovey with her and it honestly pissed me off. It made me realize that I was missing out on a good guy, that it had always been Jungkook. I'd like to think that I still have a chance with Jungkook, it also got me mad that no matter how bad I treated Lalisa, it didn't keep her away from him.

It makes me wonder if she really does like him. She saw everything that I'm barely seeing now. The way he used to smile at me, he smiles at her but bigger. He can't even look at me anymore, I'm a disgrace to him. "Don't you think that Jungkook would hate you for what you do everyday to his girl? I know for a fact that she doesn't tell him, because if she did, he really wouldn't talk to you. And maybe even his mother wouldn't talk to you because you and I both know that Jungkook's mother is crazy about Lalisa. Crazier than she ever was and will be about you." Taehyung's voice takes me out of my thoughts.

"I don't do anything to her, all the bucked lies and rumors about me doing things to her.. they were never true." I lie. "Areum told me at the dance that you'd do horrible things to Lalisa, and that you hurt her real bad one time. That one time she had bruises on her legs was because of you." I roll my eyes, "If Areum tells you so much, why don't you have her lie to you and tell you that she cares about Lalisa. She was just apart of it as I was." He rolls his eyes, "I highly doubt that, and now you admit to doing it? Now's not the time to try to bring others down with you Jennie. You should be woman enough to own up to all the bad that you've done to the good.", "I didn't do anything!"

"Come on!!! The only class you have with her is Gym and everyone knows that's the best class to mess with someone in." He tells me. "Baby, don't rip us apart for someone who's already made up his mind." He says. It makes me wonder if I'm willing to let my forever friendship and possible love relationship to go to waste if I continue to be with Taehyung. But, Lalisa is also the problem, she's got to go. "I don't know what I want right now Taehyung." I tell him.

He bites his lip and looks down at me. "Okay, we'll see about that." He says. "Taehyung, don't do anything stupid." I tell him. He just walks to the door, with this look on his face. A really mad look on his face, like he was ready to hurt someone, or himself. "Don't worry about it." He says, and I go against his demand.. I become very worried. Jungkook.

**

He looks at me and smiles. "What?" I ask nervously. "You don't want me to look at you?" He asks, still smiling. He always asks the same thing when I question him when he's staring at me. He knows that he's making me blush. His hand holding onto mine as he sat on the other side of the table as we sit in the ice cream parlor. A few employees wave at me, it's my day off. "No, I do." I say shyly as I look down at my ice cream, moving it around with my spoon. His thumb running on the back of my hand that he's holding, drawing circles.

"Lalisa.." I look up at him. "Something happened today that I have to tell you about." I move my ice cream to the side and lean into the table. "It's about Jennie." He says, I should have known. I instantly feel sick to my stomach to the sound of her name being said. Her name will always make me want to run and hide. "What happened?" I ask, trying to keep my cool. "She kissed me." He tells me, my heart was pounding like crazy.

I stare at him in shock, "I pushed her off me right away, and I told her to leave me alone." He says. I stare at our hands, his grip got tighter. "I didn't feel a thing, I promise you that." He says. I look up so that our eyes meet, "I believe you." I tell him. He smiles. "I'd never lie to you." He reassured me, and I know he wouldn't. "I know you wouldn't." I tell him, believing him. "I just wanted to tell you, because I want this relationship to be clean." He tells me, and I begin to feel guilty. He instantly notices my expression. "What's wrong?"

I bite my lip and pull my hand away from his. He grabs his chair and sits right next to me. "Lalisa, what's wrong?" He asks, quieter so I can hear him at a personal level. "I've been too afraid to tell you." I start, I feel my eyes watering.

**

I see her eyes water and I become worried, is she second guessing what I just told her? What if she wants to break up with me? My heart is pounding so hard that my breathing becomes rough. I don't want to lose her, I'd hate myself for it. "What is it?" I ask, I set my thumb on her chin and make her look up at me. Her tears looked like they were ready to fall and her bottom lip was quivering.

"Jennie has been bullying me ever since you confessed to her." My eyebrows knit, more than six months ago? "What?" I ask in disbelief. It made me think a lot, no wonder why Lalisa felt jittery around Jennie. It all adds up now, in a way I should have known. I've been so blind, I thought that she would just act like that because of me.. it was all because of me. "Why didn't you tell me?" I ask her. "I was scared, I didn't want it to get worse." She says. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Her tears fall. "No, it's fine." I say.

I run my thumbs over her cheeks, I'm not mad at her. "I didn't want you to think differently of her." She whispers, she's still so caring about someone who has hurt her. I stare at her face, "It doesn't matter now, I already do." I say. "But Jungkook, I feel so horrible." I'm confused, "Why would you feel horrible? You're the victim, the person who should be feeling horrible is Jennie." I explain. Her eyes still look sad. "Look, seriously. You don't have to feel horrible." She shuts her eyes. I press my lips against hers, her softness and taste is all I need and want. "Lalisa.." I whisper with my lips inches away from hers, I know she's all ears.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you." I bite my lip, "Nooo." She whines as she looks at me. "It isn't your fault." Her voice shakes. I hate this, I hate myself for not knowing sooner. Jimin and Chae warned me in the past about Jennie and I just gave her the benefit of the doubt that she wouldn't be so cruel. But I end up being the cruel person, not being able to know what's wrong with the girl that I love. I think about all those times that she would come running to me right after PE.. and that one time her uniform was all ruined.

I'm so blind, my goodness. I hate myself. "Jungkook." I hear her voice, I meet her eyes. "It's not your fault." She tells me again. She lifts herself to sit up straighter in her seat and her face is leveled with mine. "Please don't think this is your fault, I tried my hardest to hide it from you because she said she'd hurt me worse if I were to tell you. I didn't want to get hurt more for telling you." She whispers. I stare at her for a long time, the girl I love... getting hurt by the girl I used to love.

"Let's just forget.." She whispers. "Please let's forget that this ever happened and let's go and forget together." She pleads. "I want to win that grand prize at the arcade." She says. I can't forget, and I won't, but I'll pretend for her. "Let's go then." I tell her, standing up and grabbing my trash. She smiles wide and she waits for me to walk up to her. I unexpectedly pick her up, "Jungkook!" She gasps, holding onto me. I run out of the ice cream parlor with her in my arms, she buries her face in my neck and laughs as she holds onto me.

I hold her so tight, showing her some sort of strength and protection I have to offer her. It may be long overdue, but I still want to show her. She just hugs me back. I just want her to feel better. I set her down and she kisses my cheek, we head over to the arcade and play for hours. At the end of the day, we win the damn thing and I hold the huge teddy bear all the way home for her. I'm so happy that I spent the whole day with her. "I love you." She whispers to me as she stands on her porch as she hugs the giant thing.

"I love you.." I whisper back and she kisses my lips quickly before pressing her forehead against mine. She slowly pulls away and smiles at me, of course I smile back. I watch her walk into her house and wait until she closes and locks the door before I begin to walk back to my house.

**

The sky is cold, dark clouds hover in the dark blue, making the moon appear angry. Jungkook walks home by himself, satisfied with the day he spent with Lalisa. Though, the thought of the girl he loves getting hurt by his past, still made his hands twitch with anger and his heart ache with sorrow. Jungkook continues with his walk, slowly approaching the park that had many memories. All of which he had forced himself to forget, he didn't want to remember. His phone beeps and he examines it.

-
Eomma-
Baby, on your way home can you please get a gallon of milk? I will pay you back.

Jungkook-
No problem Eomma, I'm on it.

Eomma-
Thank you my love.

-

The boy just simply turns the corner and heads to the liquor store just a short way down. Jungkook happily trots into the liquor store and purchases the gallon of milk, says goodnight to the store owner and heads out of the store. He stood before the store entrance and looked up at the sky, wondering why it was so gloomy tonight when earlier in the day it was clear and happy. Jungkook wondered a lot about all sorts of things, but all his wonders come to an end when he remembers that he needs to get the milk home to his mother. He starts to finally head home, inhaling the fresh air.

"If it isn't Jungkook." Jungkook hears from the alleyway, Taehyung approaches. "Hi Taehyung." Jungkook answers innocently, he doesn't have a single suspicion. "What are you doing out so late? Where's your little girlfriend?" Taehyung questions, making Jungkook nervous. The younger boy now feeling uncomfortable about the question that has to do with his girlfriend. "Taehyung, I'm only trying to get milk to my mother." Jungkook tells him as he tried to walk around Taehyung. "Oh no no, we have something to talk about." Taehyung slings his arm over the young boys shoulder, pulling him into the alleyway. "I-It's very late, my mother will worry."

Jungkook tries to get out of the situation, he could sense that something wasn't right. He had never seen Taehyung this way and he had noticed that Taehyung's eyes were red, from either crying or being intoxicated. "Oh, you're a grown boy. You can fend for yourself." Taehyung shakes Jungkook's body as they stand in the barely lit alley, Taehyung grabs the gallon of milk and throws it on the floor. Taehyung then throws Jungkook against the aluminum garage door of the liquor store.

"How could you betray me Jungkook? I thought we didn't have problems, I thought that we had an understanding." Taehyung grabs Jungkook by the neck, Jungkook pushes back. "What are you talking about?", "I told you to stay away from my girl!" Taehyung yells, instantly plowing his fist into Jungkook's gut, knocking the air out of him. Jungkook falls to his knees, clutching his stomach. "What do you mean?" Jungkook questions as he tries to catch his breath. "You kissed my girl." Taehyung growls before plowing his fist into the side of Jungkook's face. "She kissed me!" Jungkook says as he holds his face.

"Liar!" Taehyung yells, he grabs Jungkook by a fist full of his hair, making him stand up on his feet. Taehyung throws his fist into the boys face several times. The anger inside Taehyung only grew. "Why aren't you fighting me back!?" He yells kneeing Jungkook in the gut several times, once in the face. "Why am I going to fight for someone I don't love!?" Jungkook yells in pain.

Taehyung throws Jungkook against the garage door again. "I hate you, I hate you for making Jennie love you. I hate that she loves you and doesn't love me." Taehyung punches Jungkook in the face over and over again, and Jungkook takes every punch. Jungkook's left cheek was cut and his face swelling, he was a bloody mess. "Aye!!!! GET OFF OF HIM!!" The owner of the liquor store yells. Taehyung fixes his hood and runs off, Jungkook falling to the floor against the garage door.

"Jungkook, let me help you." The owner helps Jungkook up. "Do you need me to call your mother?" He asks. "No!" Jungkook says quickly. "No thank you, I'm actually on my way home. Good night." Jungkook bows to the store owner and limps his way over to the gallon of milk. The store owner watches Jungkook walk out of the alleyway, concerned, but yet he did nothing more. Jungkook walked as fast as he could to his house, arm around his gut and possibly not even able to see very well.

The young boy fights to get home, he needed to get his mother the gallon of milk she wanted. He didn't even care too much about his condition, he just wanted to get home. Jungkook stumbles onto the porch of his house, knocking when he figures that the door is locked. He hears footsteps, his vision going blurry. "Jungkookie you're home with the-" once his mother sees his face and clothes she screams at the top of her lungs.

"Jungkook!" She cries. "I brought your milk... Eomma." He says in slurs. He nearly falls but she grabs him right away, pulling him into the house. He falls to the floor and she follows, sitting on the floor with him, not caring about the gallon of milk. "Baby... what happened?!" She cries hysterically. He can barely even keep his eyes open, "Lalisa.. I need her to be.. o-kay..." was his second worry, not once did he worry about himself.

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