Short Story Title: See You On The Next Trip

Chapter Title: Lisa’s Outburst

Before anything else, I wanna give a shoutout to my friend Siggy of Areneyow. Thank you for PRESSURING me. I wouldn't have done this without you.

As always, please try to enjoy. lol

It’s past 11AM. The three girls were left by themselves when Mrs. Manoban went back to her office to finish some work before flying to Switzerland. The room remained still, Lisa kept herself busy by switching channels every time she gets bored from the previous channel. Jennie, on the other hand, focused herself on her phone, swiping up and down on her feed. Chaeyoung did the same thing. Everyone was literally in their own world, letting time pass by.

As Chaeyoung goes deeper in her feed, a video of food shows up. She intensely watched how a lasagna was made, making her crave for some. She closes her phone, letting her hunger grow even more. “You guys hungry?” She asks, glancing back and forth at Lisa and Jennie.

“I’m good.” She heard Lisa say.

“I’ll have whatever you’re having,” Jennie replies, her eyes still glued on her phone.

Without waiting for another second to pass by, Chaeyoung goes out on her way to get something she craved for two minutes ago.

Alone with Lisa, Jennie can’t help but glance at the girl, watching some cartoon she found amusing. “Are you sure you’re not hungry?”

Lisa gives her a nod, not even sparing her a glance a she did. Taken aback by Lisa’s response, Jennie decided to walk over Lisa’s bed. However, Lisa didn’t budge to give her some space on the bed unlike earlier. Funny as it may seem, Jennie knew something was off. She takes the chair next to Lisa’s bed, hoping that the latter will notice her.

“Hey Lisa, check this out.” Jennie shows her phone that projects the meme she saw on her feed. She hoped Lisa would find it funny but to no avail, Lisa just nodded once again.

Not liking the treatment, Jennie took it to herself to confront the latter. “Alright, what’s going on?” She asks, standing right in front Lisa, blocking the latter’s view.

Lisa moved left and right, trying to have a better view of what she was watching, however, Jennie was obviously trying her best to get her attention. She groans, looking away from Jennie while crossing her arms. “Jennie, I’m watching.” She says with a tone so unfamiliar with Jennie.

“Answer me first.” Jennie replies with a firm voice.

“Nothing’s going on. I was watching what else do you expect?” Lisa answers, growing a little bit more impatient. She massages her temple, trying not to burst out. She knew it would be a mess if her temper gets uncontrolled.

“No!” Jennie yells, earning a glare from Lisa, it didn’t scare her though, for what it’s worth; she was surprised that the girl had finally spared her a glance, “You’re responding to me with only a nod! Also, you sounded so off when you asked me about me visiting my grandmother. You even responded ‘whatever’ to me when I offered you a food. How is that nothing?” She adds.

“I’m tired Jennie, of course I’d be like that.” Lisa says, her voice soft but felt cold for Jennie.

It wasn’t like Lisa. That’s what Jennie kept saying to herself.

“No.” Jennie says, earning a groan from Lisa that translates to ‘just cut it off’, but she isn’t going to stop until she knows. Jennie had always been the kind of person that wouldn’t be able to sleep if something is bothering her. She needs to know. She wants to know. “I know you, you’re not like that.”

Lisa scoffs sarcastically, leaning back against the pillows. “Jennie, we’ve only known each other for a week, who are you to tell me that you know me.”

That was it. That was enough for Jennie to feel a slight pang of pain. What Lisa said is true, but she didn’t expect the latter to mention it. After all, she thought she knew Lisa they way Chaeyoung and Jisoo knew her. And she thought Lisa thinks that way. But the latter didn’t. Yes, she had only known the girl for a week, but she’s not stupid to not know that something’s wrong. She’s not oblivious about the changed in Lisa’s tone or mood. She doesn’t know why but she knows how Lisa talks to her. She had already memorized it. That’s why she knows, even with the slightest change in Lisa’s voice, that something is wrong.

“You’re here out of pity, right? Because you feel bad?” Lisa says, sounding way too confident that her assumptions are correct. Like she was so sure Jennie stayed out of pity. Like him.

Jennie could feel something inside her hurting. Her eyes widen from shock. She couldn’t believe Lisa thinks that way, she wanted to be mad, but she can’t. Her body remained still, her arms glued to her side, and her fists clenched so tight— whoever sees it might think that her fingers are going to pierce skin. She feels nothing but sadness and disappointment. But she finally understood. She looks at Lisa, the girl seemed uncomfortable and in pain. There was something in her eyes that Jennie couldn’t put her finger on; she looked bothered. The way Lisa looks at the window piqued her interest. She wanted to ask why the girl thinks that way. But she knows she shouldn’t, at least not right now.

“I’m not here out of pity, if that’s what you’re thinking...” Jennie paused seeing Lisa turn her head slowly to look at her, when their eyes met she continued, “I’m here because you’re my friend and I’m worried. But thanks for letting me know that you could be a jerk sometimes.” She stared at the girl, making sure that her orbs were darted on Lisa’s.

Lisa watched Jennie grab her things. Jennie’s word struck her, making her realize that her temper already got the best of her. It was useless to say a word, seeing how determined Jennie is to leave. She kept mum and waited for Jennie to say something but without sparing her a glance, Jennie walked out of the room, leaving her alone with the beeping sound of the machine and the gibberish words from some cartoon channel.

Her eyes landed on the remote control, letting her them stay there as she reflects on what just happened. She closed her eyes, slowly, remembering how Jennie looked like as they spoke to each other. How the argument played out while she was unaware of her temper getting out of control. She recollected everything and with every second that she remembered, it made her hate this side of her even more.

She remembered every movements Jennie had made, how her orbs moved little by little— as if she was trying to hold something back, or how her voice quivered while she spoke. She remembered how different the silence that fell between them earlier.

“What a ty move Lisa,” she says to herself.

After about a minute of thinking, which is Lisa just calling herself ty numerous times, she decided to chase Jennie. She gets down the bed, grunting a little when she felt pain in her leg, she grabs the metal rack where her dextrose is hanging. She felt throbbing inside her head but that didn’t stop her from going out of her room.

Rooms after rooms, Lisa could feel the throbbing getting stronger and heavier. She clutches on the left side if her head with her free hand, trying to ease the pain by massaging it. It worked for a minute but as soon as she reached the end of the hall, a pair of hands grabbed her before she loses her balance.

“Lisa! What the hell are you doing outside?” Chaeyoung says, grunting a bit when the metal rack hit her forehead. “Ouch…”

“Jennie...” Lisa mumbles before losing her conscious again.

Grabbing her head while grunting as she sat up, Lisa finds herself waking up from another sleep. She looks around, only to see an empty room. No sign of Chaeyoung or anyone. The room was quiet. And Lisa didn’t like it.

Her head shifts at the door when she hears the knob twisting, she smiles weakly, seeing Chaeyoung.

“You’re up,” Chaeyoung says, hastily giving the girl a glass of water. “How are you feeling?”

“F-fine...” Lisa says, her voice cracking.

Chaeyoung was fighting every fiber in her to ask Lisa about what happened. She knew Jennie walked out. She had bumped into the girl at the lobby minutes before she bumped into Lisa. Unfortunately, Jennie didn’t tell her anything. The girl basically passed the responsibility of telling her about what happened between them to Lisa. But she knew something was up. It was already given by the way Jennie glared at everyone she passes by and how she was literally storming out of the hospital.

“You should rest Lisa,” Chaeyoung says and Lisa could sense the disappointment in her voice. She hung her head low, clutching on the glass as she watches the water move around inside. Chaeyoung sighs, she hates seeing Lisa like this, “Wanna talk about it?”

Lisa sighs, leaning back on her pillows. “It was just me thinking that everyone is here out of pity.”

Chaeyoung sighs. She knows this phase all too well. She and Jisoo to be exact. They’ve seen how Lisa push people away. How she wanted to distance herself from people who showed that they cared. Or how she wanted no one to protect her but herself. Lisa had a hard time trusting people. She can’t blame her though.

“Lisa...” Chaeyoung whispers, walking closer towards Lisa. “Not everyone is like him you know.”

Lisa runs her palm across her face like any typical disappointed human being. “I know that, but it got the best of me and I don’t know why.”

“Jennie is genuinely worried about you, she may be a new friend to you, but her deciding to stay here is not out pity.”

, Lisa thought to herself.

“And that’s how I lose friends...” Lisa mumbles, smiling weakly at Chaeyoung.