The next morning, Dad was waiting for Jennie and I with breakfast when we came downstairs. He had enough tact, thankfully, to not ask about our sleepover or about what I’d thought of BoA while Jennie was with us. 

She left just before noon, and I walked her to the door. “I’ll see you soon,” she promised. “My parents want to see a movie with me tomorrow night, but I’m free every other night this week. I thought of something we might be able to do together next weekend.” 

“Oh no,” I joked. “It’ll be fun,” she insisted. “Trust me.” We stood together for a moment, face to face, and she looked like she wanted to say more. 

“I’ll see you around, then,” I said. She nodded. “Not going anywhere.”

“I remember,” I assured her. “Just... be careful. No skydiving before I see you again, okay?”  

“I can’t promise that,” she joked. “Message me, alright?” “Yep.” She leaned in before I could react and kissed me on the cheek, then took a couple steps back, grinning, before she turned away and descended the porch steps. I sighed and leaned against the door, watching her go and, at last, turned to go inside and closed the front door behind me.  

Dad was watching me from the living room, an eyebrow raised. I colored instantaneously and he asked, “Just friends, huh?”  

“That looked worse than it was,” I mumbled. “I’ll let you off the hook,” he acquiesced, “if you tell me what you genuinely thought of BoA last night.”  

I shrugged my shoulders. “Not much to think about. She tried kind of hard, didn’t she?”  

“Because it’s important to her that you approve.” He folded his arms across his chest, looking concerned. “It’s important to me, too.” 

“Well... maybe she and I are just meant to coexist,” I suggested, turning away from him. “We don’t have to be best friends.”  

He let out a sigh. “I didn’t say you did, Lisa. Just... promise me you’ll give her a chance, alright? You hardly spoke to her last night.”  

“I’ll give her a chance,” I agreed quietly, and then mumbled, “It’s not like I have much of a choice, anyway.”

* * *

“Welcome to McDonalds. What can I get for you?” The man in front of me took his time with the menu on the wall. It was Three Burgers again, back for his daily meal with a 45 still etched onto his left cheek. I felt physical pain as I watched him speak. “How are you this stupid?” I wanted