Apologies for not updating in a while. I got caught up in looking for colleges to attend here. I really want to go back to school. Strange? Maybe. Besides that, I've been researching some things for this fic and I'd like to give you all a heads up before this story continues. This story will deal with mental illness, self harm, abuse, and other dark matierial. I told you guys before that I pretty much had to rewrite some chapters becuase it was just way too dark. If any of you feel like I should rate this story M, or even just a chapter should be rated as such, please do let me know. The dark stuff won't happen in the next few chapters, but it eventually will occur. With that being said, I hope you enjoy this happy chapter :)

A week and a half passed by since I’ve last been outside in the real world. I couldn’t handle it, being out was too much too soon. Obviously, I wouldn’t be able to stay home forever, but for now that seemed like a great idea.

Sunny came to see me every day. She brought food over and talked about how her day went. Before she left, she’d always make me read to her. I read Ulysses to her, starting from the first chapter. Yeah, I could’ve been done with the book by now, but I decided to read only when she came. It’d be more interesting that way.

Whenever I was alone, though, I was always thinking about one person.

Jessica.

Why hadn’t she come to see me? She knew where I lived; she even gave Simon directions here! Then again, was I really that important to her at all? Yeah, she wanted to be my friend but that didn’t mean she had to care that much about me yet. Here I go again, thinking I’m important to somebody.

‘You are important to somebody. Does the name Sunny ring a bell?’

I smiled, remembering what she told me all those nights ago. I was important to her and really, I guess that counts for a lot.

It was noon by the time I thought to take a walk into the tree-filled area around my home. I haven’t really explored much since I moved here. I grabbed a bag and packed a sweater, a water bottle, and a random book just in case I found a place to read… or if I just got bored from walking.

Before I got out the door, I heard an engine from outside. I dropped the bag and looked out my window. It was her. It was Jessica.

I ran out to the front and down the short series of steps. She got out of her car and ran to me, wrapping her arms around me.

"I'm so sorry, Taeyeon! I promise something like that won't happen again!" She said erratically.

I just stood there, not really sure if I should be enjoying this as much as I was.

"Taeyeon?" She pushed back a little and faced me.

"I-it's fine. S-Simon was there for me."

"It's not fine. I wasn't there when you needed m... Well when you needed someone."

"I went to Sunny. She helped me."

She separated herself from me. "R-right. Sunny. Look, I still feel like I owe you something. First, I wasn't there when you were in trouble and then I don't show up for a week. Not a very good friend if you ask me."

I shook my head. "You don't need to do anything."

She held both my hands. "Please, Taeyeon let me do something for you. Anything, I’ll even buy you a dog.” We both laughed at the suggestion.

I stayed quiet for a moment before I spoke. I retracted my hand and looked towards the trees. “Would you…like to take a walk with me?”

“I would.” Her response was immediate. I faced her and placed my eyes on her nose. Jessica smiled. “One day, you’re gonna have to look me in the eyes.”

I looked down and walked into the woods. I hope so.

-

I took a look at my wrist watch and figured we’d been walking for fifty minutes. It was mostly silent except for Jessica’s mumbling right behind me. I don’t really know what she was saying but I could guess she cursed the God that made walking through a forest so difficult.

“So, ouch, how’ve you been?” Jessica asked.

“I’ve been okay.”

“Did you do anything fun during the week?”

“Sunny came over after work all week.”

“Oh.”

Did she not like that?

“Who is Sunny to you anyway? Is she like your girlfriend or something?”

I stopped walking and Jessica bumped into me.

“S-Sunny isn’t my girlfriend!” I practically yelled.

“Woah calm down. Any louder and people will think someone’s being murdered out here.”

“I’m s-sorry. You j-just caught me off guard.”

Jessica’s eyebrows rose. “You got a problem with a girl dating a girl?” She asked.

“No, at least, I don’t think so.”

“You either do or you don’t, Tae.”

I shook my head. “I don’t have a problem with a girl dating…a girl. None at all.”

Jessica smiled. “Then we’re going to get along just fine.” She walked along the trail we had been following.

I stood in place, dumbfounded by what she had said.

“Come on, Tae. I think I smell lake water.”

I rushed to her and followed her lead. After a few moments of me gathering my thoughts I asked her about what she had said earlier.

“About girls liking girls.” I said

“Yes?”

“You…like girls?” I asked carefully.

Jessica chuckled. “Very much actually.”

“O-oh.” Out of all the responses in the world, I use the stupidest one.

“Does that make you not want to be my friend anymore?” Jessica questioned.

“No! I still really want to be your friend!” Screaming how much you want to befriend someone isn’t embarrassing at all. Jessica just laughed and continued walking on.

I’m friends with a girl who likes girls. Why does that fact make me feel warm inside?

-

“Check this out, Taeyeon!” Jessica said excitedly.

We trekked for thirty minutes more before Jessica had spotted a lake. It was surprising to discover such a particular area like this existed near my home. I knew that this place would definitely become a new reading spot. The scenery was beautiful and the many noises that the wildlife made almost had the whole entire setting seem like if it was straight out one of those nature books.

“Tae! Come in the water, its freakin’ amazing!” Jessica was already knee deep in the water.

“I didn’t bring any extra clothes.” I said as I walked towards the water.

“Just roll up your pants. Hurry up!”

I smiled and shook my head. “You’re not going to get me in there.”

She crossed her arms and smirked. “Oh really?” I nodded. “Well, what if I did this?” She crouched down and splashed water onto me.

I shrieked embarrassingly. “Jessica!”

She just laughed and pointed at me.

Two can play at this game. I got closer and splashed water back at her.

“Taeyeon!” She giggled.

We splashed one another back and forth. Jessica moved backwards the more I went towards her. Then, once our abdomens were partly covered by the water, we slowly got closer to each other and that’s when she hugged me.

“Jessica?”

“Sorry, I’m a sore loser.”

Before I could say anything she had pulled me down with her into the water. She let go and I quickly got up, moving back towards the shore.

“Where you going, Tae?” Jessica shouted, partly laughing.

“I’m going to dry off!” I shouted back.

“Wait for me!”

-

“So where did you go?”

“What do you mean?”

Jessica and I were seated near a tree on the shore. She suggested we take off our shirt and pants and lay them out in the sun, but I suggested otherwise. We were quite for a few minutes before I finally pushed myself to ask where she had gone off to the day I had that anxiety issue.

“You know what I’m talking about.” I looked to her and saw her looking into the lake. She her lips and sighed.

“Alright, since we’re friends now, that means you get to know everything about me.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You tell your friends everything about you?”

She smiled and looked down. “Only the ones I feel like I can trust.” Then she looked at me. I quickly placed my eyes on the trees behind her.

“After I left with Simon, I got a call from my mom. She told me that something was wrong and that I needed to come home as soon as possible. I told her off; I said that I’d only go if it was a serious emergency. Normally when she says to go home she wants to scold me and tries to get me to study marketing or some dumb crap like that.”

 “Why don’t you go home? It’s not far away.”

Jessica thinned her lips. “My family doesn’t live in Korea, Taeyeon. I’m the only one here.”

“Where are they?” I said quietly.

“California, right in the heart of San Francisco.”

“I see. What made you go back?”

“My mom said she wasn’t trying to change my mind. She said it was about my sister.”

“What happened?”

She sighed again. “This is where it gets tricky. My sister…isn’t really the sanest person around.”

I waited for her to continue.

“She has Somatization disorder. It’s like she’s sick and she can feel that she is but doctor’s never find anything wrong with her. It doesn’t help when she throws a fit whenever a doctor can’t diagnose her with something. Last week was when things got worse. She physically assaulted some nurse who wouldn’t let her see a medic. I mean arguing with someone is one thing, but actually hurting someone? Point is, almost every doctor in the state of California either won’t attend to her or won’t even acknowledge that such a patient exists so my mom called me and wanted me to convince my sister to come try seeing a doctor here.”

“I’m sorry.” I said.

“Please don’t be sorry. I don’t need-”

“No. While you were gone, I thought you didn’t want to see me anymore. I thought you forgot about me or something. I’m sorry for thinking like that.”

“I’d never forget about you.” Jessica said sternly. She got up and walked to me. “I honestly don’t think that’s even possible at this point.”

I smiled and stood up as well. “I hope you are right.”

-

“What’s your sister’s name?” I asked.

“Krystal, but sometimes she prefers Soojung.”

“Does she already have a doctor here?”

“She does, we just haven’t met him or her yet.”

I nodded. We were in front of my home.

“So when are you going to tell me your story?”

I shifted uncomfortably. “Uh, well what would you like to know?”

Jessica sat on the roof of her car. “Everything.”

Be brave.  “Well,” I said as I joined her on the vehicle. “I grew up a couple of hours away from here. My mom and dad both have jobs that put more than enough food on the table. I have…a brother. He’s younger than me. I…I miss him from time to time.”

“What’s his name?”

“Jiwoong, he’s in his last year of high school.”

“So he’s eighteen?’

I shook my head. “Nineteen. He was held back a year.”

“Why’s that?”

“He lost motivation one year. He became depressed and my parents kept him home almost every week of the school year.”

I felt Jessica put a hand on my shoulder. I turned to her and smiled, looking down at the glossy hood.

“He’s better now though, right?”

“Yeah, he is. He joined his school’s soccer team and ever since then he couldn’t be happier.”

“What about your parents?”

I sighed. “They aren’t that supportive of him. I mean, they were there for him during his depression, but they wanted him to strictly focus on his studies. They didn’t even go to his first game.”

“You did?”

“N-no. That’s how I know they didn’t go. They were at home working on God knows what.”

We stayed silent for a couple of minutes. Jessica laid back and pated the empty space next to her. “Watch the sky with me.”

I followed suit and stared into the orange sky. The sun was setting; the clouds were various shades of purple and red. It was beautiful, just like it was the day I first visited the city.

“I’m sorry for leaving you like that. I would’ve gone to you before I left. I just really wanted to get home.” Jessica spoke.

“You went to see your sister. Family is more important than some girl you just met.” Oh no, don’t drag your self-esteem down in front of Jessica.

She reached for my hand. “You’re important to me too, Taeyeon. Sure, I barley met you, but that’s why I’m trying to get to know you better. I want to be someone you go to when you need help. I want someone you confide everything too.”

“Why?” I whispered.

“I don’t really know. All I know is that I want to be one of your closest friends.”

I don’t know if it’s normal to feel the way I did when Jessica told me those things. My face burned up, my heart felt like it was beating harder than usual, my stomach felt strange and my toes crinkled. I was speechless, I really couldn’t think of anything to say. So we lay there, watching as the sky darkened and the moon appeared.

“I think I should head back to my apartment.” Jessica said.

“Ok.”

She got off the hood and helped me down. She smiled again and put her hands inside the pockets of her pants. “I hope you had a good time. It was nice talking to you about things I can’t really tell other people.”

“Not even Jonghyun?” I asked.

“Especially not Jonghyun. He’s just like a teacher to me, nothing more and nothing less. Maybe one day I’ll be able to talk with him as if we’ve known each other since forever, but I doubt that’d ever happen.”

I just nod and smile. “Thanks for today, Jessica.”

“Don’t thank me. I had fun; we should do this again real soon.”

I agreed. The thought of spending another day with her like this made beyond happy.

We stayed there silently. She gazed at me and all I could really do was stare at something else.

“Good night, Taeyeon.”

“Good night, Jessica.”  

P.S. I thought about another story idea and decided to post it up. It'd be like a side story just in case I ever needsome inspiration of this fic. It's titled 'Slum Love' and it'd be cool if you could check it out :)