16

                                    

                                          
"You... what?" I back away from her.
"No, Lisa, I know it sounds bad, but it's actually not that bad. I mean, I like you, and you like me. Because of me, we finally got a chance to know each other. What we have is real, and I know you feel it too. We were practically made for each other. Rosie is a bad friend anyway-"
"You used her? To get to me!? Jisoo! What is wrong with you!?" I back up even more.
"You did the same thing!" She points out.
"That's different. I did that for my friend! You...You ruined my friendship with Rosie! I didn't even know you! If you would have just left us alone, none of this would have ever happened."
"I did it for us because I really like you." She steps closer to me, trying to make me understand with her pleading eyes.
"Then why didn't you just talk to me like a normal person!" 
"Because!"
"Because?"
"You never even looked my way, no matter how hard I tried. It was like there was this wall you built to block me out, and no matter what I did, you just didn't look my way. All of my achievements were done to impress you. I wanted you to see me. But all it did was push you farther away from me. So... I did the only thing I could think of. I was desperate. I'm sorry."
"How long have you liked me?" I can't keep the disgust off my face. 
"Lisa," She reaches for me.
I jerk away. "Lisa please,"
"Answer the question!" I demand.
"Why are you being like this? I thought... I thought you would understand." She says with a sad look on her face.
I want to feel nothing for her, to be done with her, but seeing her like that makes my guts all twist together. I have to look away from her.
"I know what I did was wrong; trust me, I know. But what you did was worse, and I don't even think you see how wrong it is or even feel sorry for doing it." I say.
She takes a step towards me, and I back away again, wrapping my arms around myself.
She tries again, and again I jerk away.
"LIsa," her voice wobble, and her eyes water.
"Rosie is my best friend, and yeah, she's been awful lately. But she didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve what either of us did to her. And I have to make this right. Just... leave us alone." I push past her to leave but she grabs my arm.
"I know you like me too. I know you do. This was real. How I feel about you is real."
"How long?" I don't turn to look at her. 
"Lisa please, just calm down."
"You're an awful person." I pull free from her grasp and run out of there.
The first thing I do is look around for Rosie, hoping she hasn't gotten too far. But she's nowhere to be found, so I call her, but she ignores my call. So I call Jungkook.
"Hello?" He answers. 
"Kookie, I fucked up." 
"Really?" He sounds smug.
"Just shut up and listen. You were right about the whole Jisoo thing coming back to bite me. I was wrong about her. She's awful. She betrayed me and Rosie. She used Rosie to get to me. Rosie knows now and we have to find her. I have to make this right. Please, I need your help."
"Holy molly. Karma went overboard this time. Okay, I'll see if she'll answer my call. Go to her house. I'll meet you there."
"Okay," I wipe my tears and start jogging out of the park.
"We'll find her, don't worry." He assures me before hanging up. 
I wish I had my bike.
But before I can get very far, Crush pulls up in front of me. I've never been so happy to see his face.
"Lisa? What are you doing? Aren't you supposed to be on a date with Jisoo?"
"Crush! I need a ride! Please." I beg. 
"Okay. Hop in." He shrugs.
"Take me to Rosie's house, now!" I demand. 
"Can I ask what happened?" He makes a U-turn. 
"No," I say.
"Okay. But no more free subs at work." I glare at him. "I don't make the rules." He says.
"Fine, Jisoo is a liar. She used Rosie to get to me. Rosie found out, and now I have to find her and make this right. I was so stupid, I let my stupid feelings get in the way of my friendship. Rosie didn't deserve that, any of it."
He sighs but drives me to Rosie's house.
Jungkook isn't here yet, so I run up to the door and knock loudly. Joy opens the door.
Joy is like the taller, more mature version of Rosie. They look almost the same except that Joy is curvier and has longer hair. She looks older, not in her body but in her eyes. Like she's just tired and has seen it all already.
"Lisa? Crush?" She eyes us. 
"Is Rosie here?" I ask.
"No, she just left." 
"Where!?" I demand.
"What happened? She looked pretty upset."
"Please Joy, I fucked up and have to make it right." 
"Help the kid out," Crush says.
She sighs and says, "Fine, but if Rosie asks, it wasn't me who told you. She said she was going to go to a party. To blow off steam. Have any ideas?"
"Tzuyu." I declare.
"Hey, what'd I miss?" Jungkook jogs up to the house, out of breath.
"We have to go to Tzuyu Chou's party, now!" I grab his scrawny arm and drag him towards my house.
Joy sighs and watches us go. "So..." Crush says.
"No." She slams the door in his face. Ouch.
Poor guy.
"Can you at least explain what happened?" Jungkook asks as we walk to my house.
"I don't want to talk about it..." I sigh. 
"So you're done with Jisoo then?"
"Yeah, whatever." 
"Lisa?"
"I don't know what you want me to say! She's awful, I fucked up, now Rosie's hurt because of it."
"I'm just asking if you're officially done with all this Jisoo stuff." 
"Yeah, I have to be."
"So, you don't have any feelings for her anymore?" 
"Kookie! Can we focus please?"
He sighs in defeat.
When we get to my house, I hop on my bike and let Kookie borrow Hanbin's bike, then we take off. Luckily, Jungkook is actually pretty well connected and knows where the party is, so I don't have to wander around aimlessly. Although it is a pretty long bike ride.
We pull up to the house, and I see Rosie's bike there. That makes me feel both relieved and terrified.
"Okay, we can split up and conquer more. I'll text you if I find her first, you do the same. Got it?" Jungkook asks.
"Got it, don't approach her. Let me." 
"Okay."
We park our bikes out front and head inside. It's almost identical to the party I went to when I was snooping on Jisoo. Tzuyu's house has a lot less wow factor, though. As usual, people mingle, and I look from group to group to find Rosie.
I make my way out back, and my heart stops when I see her sitting alone on a lawn chair, looking into her still full cup.
I only take one step when, "Look out!"
I whirl around and get tackled into the pool.