As I came upon the river, I saw a group of students hanging together behind the auditorium playing some sort of game. I couldn’t quite tell what they were doing but as I got closer, they were clearly theater students doing whatever it was that theater students do. Maybe an improv or body movement game. I didn’t know. But I saw that Jisoo was part of the group, moving along with the rest of the them, freezing in odd poses, tapping each other on the shoulder, laughing whenever some one in the group made a goof.

“Let’s take a break,” said the teacher overseeing the class. “Stretch out and clear your minds.” Jisoo caught my eye, smiled widely, waved, and then rushed over to me as I got closer to the group of students.

“Hey roomie,” said Jisoo once she approached me. “What are you doing over by the aud’ at this time of day?”

“Nothing really,” I said. “Just walking.”

“Just walking?” said Jisoo with a puzzled look. “That’s kinda… odd. Are you okay, Jennie?”

“Yeah,” I said. “I’m all right.”

“Tell me,” said Jisoo, dramatically narrowing her eyes like she was trying to shame a secret out of me. “You think you’re slick and you can hide something from me, but I see right through you.”

“Well,” I said with a drawn out sigh. “Yeah, I’m not just walking around here. I’m avoiding someone.”

“Hmm,” mused Jisoo, nodding knowingly, following along with me. “Go on.”

“I’m avoiding…” I said with a pause, searching for the courage to open up. “Kai. From our dorm.”

“Kai?” she asked perplexedly. “Why are you avoiding him?” Her eyes widened suddenly, probably remembering when Kai had come to our room and beginning to piece things together. “Is something going on with the two of you?”

“No,” I said quickly. “I mean, I don’t know.”

“What!” she said, grinning widely across her face like she was beaming with excitement. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“No,” I said again. “Jisoo, it’s not like that. Kai likes me but I’m just… I don’t feel the same way.”

“You don’t?” she said. I could tell she was confused. “He’s a cute boy, Jennie. What’s the deal? Is he too weird or something?”

“It’s not that,” I said. I knew that I had avoided this conversation for far too long with Jisoo. Apart from Lisa, she was the closest person I’d grown to know up at school and although it was certainly difficult for me to admit these truths to my external world, I needed Jisoo on my side. For that to happen, I had to open up to her.<