CHAPTER 12

"NEED"

⸭«»⸭«»⸭«»⸭«»⸭«»⸭«»⸭«»⸭«»⸭«»⸭«»⸭

She couldn't concentrate. How was she meant to concentrate when all she could think about was Lisa?

Jennie's eyes drifted shut at the thought of her, she couldn't help it. There was just something about Lisa that made her feel…there was just something about Lisa that made her feel.

She knew most people didn't particularly approve of what was happening between them, whatever it was that was happening between them, but Jennie couldn't care less. How was she meant to care when Lisa could make her forget everything just by looking at her?

The whirlwind she experienced around the tall girl had softened, everything about what she felt around her had softened the moment she'd said the word need and Jennie had known what she was talking about.

She needed her. Lisa needed her.

Jennie couldn't care less that she had been talking about what she'd said to her on the Friday of the Gangnam High game, the fact that she had registered was that Lisa needed her. Jennie knew enough about Lisa to know that the tall girl never needed anything and had a feeling that the word 'need' seldom left and the fact that she'd used it in a context with her, had softened her so much.

She'd never been needed. Not by someone other than her mother and Jennie had always had a need to be needed, by someone else, someone who cared enough to tell her that they needed her. True, Lisa hadn't finished the sentence, but Jennie knew that she hadn't needed too. She'd seen it in her eyes, felt it in the way Lisa kissed her and the moment she knew she was right, everything that had an edge between her and Lisa had softened.

Her world was now so soft because the thai girl needed her. She didn't care what happened between them after she had given Lisa what she wanted and she didn't particularly care either, what mattered was the fact that right now, she was needed.

Sighing dreamily, Jennie's eyes drifted open and the smile that was on her lips faded slightly as she realized that Miyeon was eyeing her suspiciously and that Kai, who she hadn't really spoken to since Lisa had scared him off a few weeks ago, was watching her in a way that made her uncomfortable.

Straightening, Jennie glanced down at her textbook as she heard a small giggle come from one of the other girls that was sitting around the lab and knew that everyone knew what she was thinking about. Embarrassed, Jennie focused on the Chemistry textbook in front of her and pretended not to hear the whispers of two of the girls.

Glancing at Miyeon, Jennie knew she was in for it. Miyeon didn't tolerate people drifting off while they were going over the material for the upcoming competition in Science, especially when it was so noticeable everyone knew that the person had drifted off.

Glancing up from her book, Jennie offered Miyeon a peace smile and knew that her friend wasn't buying it. Instead, the brunette snapped her Chem textbook closed and announced that they were taking a break.

"Thank God! How long have we been working for?" Jennie glanced across the table at Kai, who had only just begun speaking to her after the Lisa had scared him off a few weeks ago. Smiling at his question, Jennie shrugged and glanced at the clock.

"Close to three hours," Miyeon replied and Kai raised his eyebrows disbelievingly at her before shaking his head.

"That's absolutely insane. The competition's not for another two weeks and we're studying all of this now because?" Jennie let out a small giggle at Kai's words and watched as he turned to Miyeon with an accusing look on his face.

"Because if we don't do it now, when will we do it? I mean, the amount of material we have to get through is insane!" Miyeon replied good-humouredly and Jennie stared at her for a moment, wondering where on earth her friend's bad mood had gone.

"So? It's called the weekend Miyeon. We'll get it done, after all we've got Jen on the team now and apparently she can kick ," Kai said, slinging an arm around her shoulders. Jennie laughed a little and pushed his arm off her shoulders, not feeling quite comfortable with it resting around her.

"Don't believe everything you hear Kai. What happens if I choke?" Jennie teased, placing her books in her bag as she realized that Miyeon probably wasn't going to start on a new subject.

"You can't. Imagine what Miyeon would do to you!" Kai exclaimed dramatically and Jennie choked back a laugh at the look on Miyeon's face. The brunette was glaring at Kai as she too put her books in her bag.

"I think I can imagine that," Jennie said dryly and it was Kai's turn to choke back a laugh, as Jennie stood up and straightened her shirt, before slinging her bag around her shoulders.

"Glad you know her so well," Kai said and Jennie smiled at him, her mind beginning to wander back to Lisa. "So, are you walking home?" Kai continued and Jennie only half-heard him as she began remembering the way Lisa had kissed her and the rawness of her voice.

"Uh-huh," Jennie returned as she fought a shiver when her mind wandered to what it felt like when Lisa’s hand was touching the skin of her back.

"Mind if I come with you?" Jennie snapped back to reality when she felt Miyeon nudge her in the ribs. Blinking, she looked at her friend before looking at the brunette boy who was watching her with hopeful eyes.

"Oh, uh, what were you saying Kai?" Jennie asked blushing as she realized that she'd spaced out about Lisa again. Miyeon stared at her and Kai chuckled, not offended that she hadn't heard his question.

"I asked if I could walk with you." Jennie looked at him and smiled, realizing that it might be nice to have some company on the walk back to her place.

"Sure. I'd like the company," she replied and missed the triumphant look that passed over Miyeon's face. Instead, Jennie tucked her hands in her pockets as she waited for Kai to finish gathering his things.

"Like the company, huh?" Jennie jumped when she heard Miyeon's voice in her ear and her head whipped around to look at her friend who was grinning.

"Yeah. Why are you looking at me like that?" Jennie replied, raising an eyebrow at Miyeon's rather gleeful gaze.

"It's just nice to see you want to be around someone who's-" the look on Jennie's face stopped Miyeon mid-sentence and immediately Miyeon regretted starting the sentence. She should have known Jennie would get defensive or even angry any time she tried to talk to her about how bad Lisa was for her and Miyeon had a feeling that if she'd finished that sentence, she really would have put her foot in it.

"Are we ready to go?" Kai approached the two before Jennie could snap at her best friend and she glanced at him before ordering herself to calm down. Taking a deep breath, she forced a smile at the tall brunette  boy and nodded.

"Yes actually, I am. See you Miyeon," Jennie stiffly said and left the room with Kai trailing behind her.

Why did Miyeon have to bring up Lisa at every opportunity? She'd made her feelings towards the tall girl clear to her when she'd warned her away from her and Jennie knew that it annoyed Miyeon that she hadn't particularly heeded that warning.

What was she meant to do then? Ignore Lisa?

At the thought, Jennie bit her lip. How could she ignore Lisa? Even at the start of term when she was more afraid of her than attracted, how could anyone ignore her when she spoke to them? And what about now? What about now that she knew L