Girl Crush- Little Big Town (Or Harry Styles if you loved his cover)

It was an early morning for Irene, one that involved no Wendy and a very grumbly Yeri. Wendy had opted out of a ride, claiming that Joy wanted to walk over to the coffee shop. Irene was hoping that she could use Wendy to see if the barista had made any moves on their friend, though having Wendy alone with her gave her a bit of a pout. 

“Are you upset that Wendy isn’t here?” Yeri muttered from the passenger seat. She seemed a bit tired in Irene’s mind, only one eye slightly open and a yawn that persisted out of her. “Because I feel like we both know that she is beyond nuts for you Ice Queen.” 

“You know if I had ice powers I'd freeze you for saying that,” Irene bit back before moving her eyes back on the road. “And I know it’s just-”

“The presence of a flirty Joy Park causes you massive unrest.” Irene could feel her cheeks blush at Yeri’s astute conclusion. “You need a chill pill Bae, those two are the most platonic set of buffoons that you could picture. Hey stop here really quickly.” With a swift stop and a press of her emergency lights, Irene was about to ask Yeri why she needed a pause before she noticed the unassuming girl walking down the street. 

Seulgi seemed to be bobbing her head to music, fully prepared for the long trek before her to the school on the other end of town. “Seul!” Irene yelled as she leaned over Yeri a bit, “Get in here! You are gonna freeze!” The girl looked at Irene and Yeri in the car with surprise and then a smile before she ran into the car and hopped into the back.

“Wow thanks Irene! I didn’t think you went past here for school,” Seulgi said as she buckled up. 

“She doesn’t, but she offered me rides and so her path has changed.” Yeri said softly from the front. Irene nodded before extending the invitation to Seulgi. Before the girl could reject Yeri cut her off, “She’ll take it. Thanks Irene. Be here at the same time Seulgi, the Ice Queen has melted her heart for us.” Irene was about to scowl before she noticed  the soft smile Yeri had on her resting face. 

Irene had made it a subtle task to watch Yeri daily, making sure she was well fed, provided for, and even somewhat rested. At times she could hear slamming items and doors alongside the yelling that had plagued the small home Yeri shuffled in and out of. On multiple occasions, Irene had wondered what was truly going on. 

“You are doing the thing,” Yeri said, eyes still closed. “You are overthinking my situation. I know because you have a habit of tapping the wheel. Which in theory is fine...but you can’t change their habits. They foster me for money not because they care Irene.” 

And that was what it boiled down to. In the past days Yeri had made a number of unsettling discoveries. Ones she wasn't all too sure how she would process. “You know,” Irene began slowly. “I have it on good authority that with everything going on, you might want to talk to Tiffany about your situation. She has a similar issue with her parents.” 

“What are you dining with our advisor Irene?” Yeri said with a scoff. Irene pulled into the coffee shop and stopped the car before looking over at Yeri with a worried look. “Alright I will consider it. Now can we grab some caffeine before I pass out.” 

It was a small victory for Irene, she couldn’t do much but maybe her new favorite Advisor could. 

~~~

A rare day with no Wendy was something Irene never looked forward to. It seems that she had missed the girl by a couple minutes, though the barista did say that Wendy left a credit there for Irene and Yeri. Of course Wendy also had said credit set so high that Seulgi’s drink was covered with a handsome tip left for the barista anyway. So with the first set of classes breezing by, Seulgi being the person to stop her in the hall was the most surprising. 

“Irene,” someone said from behind her. Irene turned and was met with Seulgi. “I was wondering if we could talk?” 

“Of course. I’m headed to the gym to change, let’s go.” The girls fell into step, heading towards the lockers. Their cheer coach had gone into labor, finally, and that meant the replacement was due to arrive today. This meant the break after cheer camp was cut short and the members of her squad were in need of a refresher before meeting their mysterious coach. This, however, seemed to not be what Seulgi was wondering because the girl looked beyond nervous. “Something wrong?”

“Kind of…” Seulgi said, chewing her inner cheek. “I was wondering if you and I could actually work together on the duets project?” 

Irene looked at Seulgi with surprised eyes. “Oh?” 

“I know you probably wanted to stare into Wendy’s eyes while you sang some song about stars again-”

“Hey!” 

“But I have been wanting to put together this performance for a while and I need a strong dancer…”

“Why not ask Byul?” 

“Too y for her,” Seulgi replied. 

“Hwasa?” 

“It’s not really her style of dance.” 

“Wheein?” 

“Obviously going to stick to her bestie.”

“Then Yeri?” 

“She’s too cute.”

“Jennie?”

“Singing with that freshman.”

“Sunmi?” 

“I’ll have a heart attack…” Seulgi said with a slight blush. Irene laughed softly before thinking again. 

“I assume you don’t want to work with the upperclassmen?” 

“No, they never really talk… it’s like they only appear when they want to stir trouble.” Irene nodded in agreement. 

“What about Joy?” Irene saw Seulgi take a big gulp before looking around nervously. Irene narrowed her eyes at the normally adorable girl. “What?”

“Well Joy,” Seulgi looked like she regretted coming up to Irene instantly. “She may have asked… Wendy to sing with her…” 

“I’m sure Wendy told her that she and I-” Irene’s voice died off at Seulgi’s sympathetic expression. “She didn’t did she?”  It was a question that really required an answer. Seulgi seemed more than sorry for spilling the beans before Wendy had the opportunity, or maybe she knew what the consequence of telling her this before their conditioning session would be. Slamming her locker shut, Irene marched through the doors and into the gym where the cheer squad was. She could hear the quick steps of Seulgi racing behind her but merely stood before the group. 

“Listen up!” Irene yelled out. Her face may have been a stoic as ever, but her voice instilled chills in the squad. She could see all of them panic slightly and with good reason, Irene hadn’t spoken to them like that since Wendy and Yeri joined the squad. “We have a new coach coming in today which is why I wanted to have you all here thirty minutes before our practice usually starts. We are going to do a lockdown dance routine, flyers you and your bases practice your stunts.” Everyone looked at Irene with a nod. “Before that though, thirty-minute conditioning. This means bleachers, lunges, cartwheels, and handstands.” She heard them all groan. “Do that again and I’ll have you doing suicides for so long, the soccer team will take pity on you. No move!”

A majority of the girls walked over to the bleachers in the gym to begin their assignment, except for Jennie who was rushing towards her with an annoyed look. “What crawled up your Bae?”

“Nothing,” Irene said calmly. “I want this new coach to know we are nothing short of perfect.” 

“Perfection is not me running up and down these bleachers,” Irene heard Joy say with a scowl as she approached. “What is with you? Usually, you only do this when you’ve done something stupid to this adorable hamster here.” Joy wrapped an arm around Wendy who was blushing. Irene made an effort to have her face stay calm at the sight. “You didn’t even say hello to her, how mean of you.” 

“Joy…” Seulgi said softly. It took three seconds before Joy realized just why the squad was being put through Irene’s version of hell. 

“You told her didn’t you,” Joy said with annoyance. Seulgi merely nodded before Joy let out a groan. “You idiot! You could’ve waited until AFTER! Now we have to run these ridiculous relays because you couldn’t hold off asking her to be your partner!”

“I thought Wendy had already told her!” Seulgi countered. “How was I supposed to know that she had been avoiding Irene!” 

Jennie and Yeri could hardly believe what was happening. “This is because of the duets?!” Yeri exclaimed. Irene didn’t move a muscle, but Seulgi nodded her head in agreement. “Unbelievable,” Yeri muttered. “Let’s go Jennie, better finish these before these idiots piss her off any more.” 

“You know,” Joy said, crossing her arms. “Wendy didn’t have to agree.” Irene’s eyes looked at Wendy and Joy, one with a devilish grin, the other with eyes so wide Irene thought they’d fall out any second. “All I did was twirl my hair a little, bat my eyes and she turned as red as a tomato…” 

“No!” Wendy shouted out looking to Irene. “That’s not- I mean I promise you I-”

“Park,” Irene said with a cold voice. “I believe you’re next in line for conditioning. You too Kang.” Seulgi walked away with a low sorry, while Joy just gave Irene a wink and smile before str