Chapter 7.
Please Stay With Me.
Please Stay With Me | Chapter 7
A few days passed and I still couldn't gain the courage to tell my classmates and friends that I'm leaving to San Francisco, and wouldn't be coming back anytime soon. I wanted to tell Jessica a few times, but she's always in a good mood and I didn't want to wreck it. She was depressed for quite a while but didn't show how hurt she was, because of Jaejoong.
I stared across the classroom and watched as my Science teacher wore her safety glasses, and started doing some demonstration on an experiment that we'll be doing soon. Although my eyes are on her, my mind wasn't. I wasn't concentrating and just kept thinking about how I'm leaving in two days, I really can't imagine myself away from my friends, especially Jessica...
...and Jaejoong.
Someones hand started to appear before my eyes, waving at me. I didn't care and kept thinking about how much troubles I've had in shortly one month.
"Jennifer," someone called out to me.
I ignored the call and kept thinking.
"Jennifer!" the same person shouted.
I sighed in frustration and slowly turned to my left, to where my best friend was sitting at. I softly blinked and stared at her.
"Yes, dearest best friend of mine?" I replied weakly.
"What's up with you lately? You seem so... dead."
I sighed and turned back to the front of the room and watched as our teacher kept going on and on and on about, whatever she's saying, that no one is even listening to.
"Nothing," I let out a heavy sigh, once again.
My sighs that comes like once every minute is probably annoying Jessica so much, so I guess I should stop but I don't know why, I can't control it. It just keeps coming. Just like when you're sleepy, you can't help it but yawn.
Two lessons of Science passed by just like that, we're now having our soccer training. Since it's the last day to practice, Mr. Park seems to be stricter than ever. He shouts at you for the littlest mistake like losing the ball while your dribbling across the field, to one of the members on the other team.
I have to admit, our team is pretty strong now. We're as good as the senior team, or maybe even better. We had draws a few times and we've won a few times, and lost of course. Training went on throughout the whole lunchtime and I got really tired. Before training even ended, I almost finished my water bottle.
After training ended, we entered our class more tired than ever. When Jessica and I dropped our dead and tired bodies onto the chair in front of Donghae and Jaejoong, they gasped. I laid my arms on the table and rested my forehead on it, I just wanted to sleep at that moment. Seconds later, I felt a soft tap on my back.
I unwillingly and slowly lifted my head up and turned around from the right way, so I wouldn't have to see his face.
"Yes, Donghae?" I said weakly.
"What happened to you girls?" he asked softly.
"We... were murdered," I joked, which wasn't funny at all.
-
"WHAT?!" I shouted on top of my lungs.
I couldn't believe a single word my mother was saying to me. I was right, she is one crazy mother. How can she do this to me? Don't I deserve to look for my own happiness? Don't I deserve to have my own freedom? Don't I deserve to choose my own husband?!
"Why me? Why not Nicole?" I added.
"Nicole is slightly older than him and I'm sure he wouldn't be Nicole's type," she said calmly.
"It's not like he's my type either," I hissed.
"You have no choice," she said harshly.
"Is that how it is?"
Suddenly, I wanted to cry. I'm not crying because I'm marrying some er who I have no idea is, and who I haven't seen before. I'm crying because it seems like my mum doesn't care about me at all, she makes me feel like some toy that she just uses and sell to gain whatever profit the other family is giving her. She makes me sad.
"We're having a party on Friday night before we leave to the airport at 1am. Invite your friends, tell them you're leaving and never coming back."
I ignored her and held my tears back in. I sat on my bed with my back facing her, she's probably thinking how much of a rude child I am.
"You're not going to regret this marriage, trust me," with that, she left my room.
I watched as she disappear through the doors. I stomped against the hard tiles and shuffled with my blankets, I lifted them up and threw them onto the ground. I stomped on them while growling and screaming. At times like this, I really wish I had a punching bag.
My tears started spilling out like crazy. They came sliding down my cheeks one by one, and I was wondering if it'll ever stop. At the same time, I pulled out my phone from my track pant's pockets and dialed his number. After a few rings, he answered the call.
"Jennifer!" he squealed.
"Donghae, I need you to do me a favour..."
-
"Players from both teams, please make your way to the centre of the oval. Your game is about to begin," the commentator said aloud through the microphone.
The day has finally arrived. Our team is ready and before we headed out to the oval, we gathered with the coach into a circle bending over with our heads in the middle. We told ourselves we could do it, and we've been training for this day.
"No matter what the results are in the end, it doesn't matter. Just do your best," Mr. Park said happily.
His words really touched me and surprised me. He's been pushing us in our trainings and I thought he would've said something like we have to win, but he didn't. After we cheered and hi fived one another, we headed to the centre of the oval. We stood on our half in front of the other team. They were all tall, all of them was probably around Sooyoung's height. But who cares, they're going down.
The referee flipped the coin to determine who will start with the ball. Our team's leader Yuri, chose tails and left the other team with heads. I watched as the coin flipped in mid-air, seconds later it landed onto the referee's palm and he slowly opened it. It was heads.
Curse that coin.
I watched as the mid fielder on the other time stepped onto the ball. She was in the centre of the oval, staring straight at each one of us, like as if she's checking us out. Oh, what a ert. The referee blew his whistle and she started to kick the ball to her left, to one of her team mates.
The girl then started running along the side of the field, and I saw Yoona chasing after her. Yoona wasn't fast enough for her, she reached the goals in no time. I watched as Seohyun, our goal keeper, started to panic. The girl on the other team booted the ball towards the goals. Unfortunately, Seohyun couldn't block it and it went in.
They scored the first goal.
Seohyun picked the ball and moved on with the game. She threw the ball to Yuri and Yuri started to dribble with the ball across the field. She kicked it towards Jessica and Jessica started to charge towards the goal. Just when it looks like she was about to try to get a goal, she kicked it towards me and confused the other team. I kicked it as hard as I could, and I watched the ball as it made its way towards the goal keeper on the other team.
IT WAS IN! I ran up to Jessica and hi fived her, we're don't just communicate well verbally, we're even better on the soccer field.
Half an hour passed, and it was time for a ten minute break. We went to where our coach were and sat down on our seats. We started wiping our sweats and had a drink. It was half time and we were losing by two goals, not that much of a difference. We can catch up!
I pulled out my watch from my sports bag to check the time, it was almost 11am. We've got half an hour to go, I hope I can make it in time to watch Jaejoong play his big match. They probably started the game already. I feel bad that I couldn't cheer him on at this time.
-
The whistle blew, telling us that our game has come to an end. The seven of us stared at one another and softly smiled, we're happy with the results no matter what. It was a close match, it doesn't matter whether we lost or not. At least we enjoyed the game. We did much better compared to last year.
The two coaches from both team stood in the middle of the field. The representative of the Soccer's State Championship League went up to them with the trophy in his hands. The seven of us watched as he handed the trophy to the other team's coach.
My heart itched, but I guess I have to accept that fact that we lost by one goal.
I pulled out my watch and checked the time, it was 11:30am. The representative of the trophy kept speaking, his speech was so long and boring. I wouldn't stop yawning. I tapped my feet against the grass impatiently, I need to get to the main hall as soon as possible!
'Hurry up!' I said to myself.
Oh great. The coach of the other team started to make a speech, and his speech is longer than the representative! I checked the time again, it was now 11:47. I'm really running late. What made me really mad was the representative took time to put on the medals on each one of the players.
Can time get any slower?
Finally, after we were dismissed, I left the other girls and rushed to the main hall by myself. While running, I kept checking the time. It was 11:58am. Before I entered through the main entrance, I noticed someone standing outside the change rooms, staring at me.
"Donghae!" I shouted. "Did you guys win?"
His expression told me things didn't seem really right.
"Jaejoong is inside..." he ignored my question. "He's really—"
I stopped listening to Donghae and just pushed the door open and saw Jaejoong standing in the middle of the basketball court. The whole hall was dark, the only light source was the exit sign near the doors, glowing in green. I slowly walked up to him, his back was facing me.
"Jaejoong..." I softly called out his name.
He turned around straight away after he heard my voice. Once I reached him, there was a minute of silence and we just stared at each other, not caring how awkward the atmosphere was. I smiled at him and without hesitating, I threw my arms up and hugged him around his shoulders. I felt his arms around my waist, it tightened.
"Thank you Jennifer..." he whispered.
I don't know why he thanked me, and I didn't bother to ask why. I don't care about anything, I just know that right now, Jaejoong's in my arms and I'm in his.
"...for giving me the strength to fight for the championship."
I smiled. So that's why he thanked me, I nodded telling him I understand. I tightened my arms and suddenly, the thought of leaving just popped up into my mind. Why did I have to think about this stupid departure at this moment? The thought of leaving Jaejoong killed me more than him rejecting me.
"We won..."
His two words made me gasped and I unwrapped my arms and took a step back from him. They were joking around with me, Donghae and his fake emotional face. Everything was a lie. Suddenly, Jaejoong started laughing.
"WE FINALLY WON!" he shouted.
I laughed along with him. Jaejoong looked so silly at that moment, he was so happy that he wanted to pick me up and spin me around. I stopped him before he could start carrying me.
"Congratulations..." I said softly.
"Did you win your soccer match?" he suddenly asked.
I never expected Jaejoong to care about my match at all, I thought he completely forgot about it.
"We lost," I said calmly.
There was a sudden awkward silence, and I had to think up of something rather quickly to destroy it. It was then, the thought of my party started popping up in my mind. As much as I don't want to invite him, I have to. I don't want to leave him without informing him beforehand.
"Busy after school?"
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