Chapter 1: New Neighbors

English was by no means Jessica's favorite class.

She was no more inclined to pick up a book than the next seventeen year old girl. She only took AP because it was easy and looked good on her transcript.

“Ok guys, I know there's only three days until winter break but I need you to hand in any late work for the quarter” the teacher leaned on her desk, “My inbox is open all weekend but grades are officially due Monday.”

There was a faint groan from every student followed by a, 'we've-heard-this-all-before,-can-we-go-home-now' collective sigh. Jessica watched the clock like she always did. It would be inaccurate to say she didn’t pay attention, she was a good student, but every couple minutes or so her gaze floated back to the black and white clock on the wall.

3...2...1-

BEEEEEEEPPPP

Finally.

As she walked down the rapidly filling hallway she caught a glimpse of a certain dorky danshin heading her way, arms flailing. 

Christ... she thought.

As the shorter girl approached, Jessica attempted to hide herself behind the thin door of her locker...

“Yo Sica!” ...unsuccessfully. “I’ve been looking for you all day, where you been?”

Hiding from you, is what she wanted to say. She knew Taeyeon was tracking her, she had been since September. Every Wednesday she would look high and low recruiting anyone and everyone to join SM High's Gay- Straight Alliance; but being in her regular circle of friends Taeyeon made sure to berate Jessica with a little more enthusiasm.

Lucky me.

“Class, Taeyeon. I've been in class because this is school. You'd know if you came more than once a week.”

“Well then Captain Sassypants.” She said with an over-dramatized look of anguish. “I just wanted to remind you that today is the GSA's Holiday Party and there's gunna be cake and brownies and rainbows throwing up all over the place, not to mention all of your friends will be there including yours truly” she laid a hand on her chest dramatically “Its gunna be really awesome so come this time ok? It starts at--”

“Look Taeng” Jessica interrupted, slamming her locker and turning to face her classmate “How many times do I have to tell you before you get it: I don’t want to join.” There was a distinct ferocity in her words.

She noticed the girl before her flinch and her face dropped. She hadn’t realized she was being that harsh, it was just kind of... a habit. She tried to soften her eyes and adjust her tone. She even stuck her hand out to steady her now startled friend.

“Its not because I don’t like gay people or whatever, I would just rather not be involved in any clubs right now. My course load has me losing sleep as it is, I don’t need any extracurriculars” she started towards the main doors of the school. 

“Yea but Sica, this time its just a party!” Taeyeon- who quickly recovered- was now walking backwards in front of her “No obligation to join whatsoever. Your sister will be there too!”

“Another reason not to go” she pushed her friends shoulder causing her to spin to her side “Besides, I have things to do, the quarter ends this week. Don't you have any work to make up?”

She snorted “Yea right, like I do work”

The ever studious and responsible Kim Taeyeon everyone.

They went through the doors and were greeted by the sharp winter air.

“Right. Well have fun at your party thing, I'm gunna go home and you know, not fail my last year of high school.” At that Taeng gave her her famous merong. Jessica walked out to the parking lot towards her moms car throwing a hand up and calling behind her,

“Tell the gays I love them but duty calls!”

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The first thing Jessica noticed when they drove onto her street was a big orange and white U-HAUL parked in front of their neighbors house.

Great, just what they needed. New people.

Jessica wasn’t exactly the friendliest kid on the block. Her expressionless face and cold disposition often made her seem... unapproachable. Last year a kid named Onew tried to ask her to prom, he got as far as her locker before she threw him an impatient look, complete with sassy raised eyebrow. He literally ran away. Since then, the underclassmen had referred to her as the Ice Princess. Needless to say her people skills needed work. Which is why she wasn’t particularly excited about strangers in general, let alone living less than twelve feet away from them. She was about as welcoming as a barbie doll with a hand grenade.

What if they were loud?

What if they were nosy?

What if they had a dog?

What if they were spies?

What if they had a son?

What if they had a daughter?

Her friends had about being gay but since she's never actually been in a relationship, no one could be sure. Of course that being said, it could also be the perfect indicator. On the other hand, most of her friends were gay so it could just be the homo-normative effect. this is getting too complicated.

In any case, She wasn't ready to test either theory just yet. 

Ugh... I need a nap.

“Looks like someone finally bought the Lee's house. Which means we'll be getting some new neighbors, eh Jess?” Her mothers tone was cheerful and genuinely excited. “It's about time too, that house has been on the market for almost a year”

I can barely contain myself.

When they pulled up to their house Sica walked in and straight up to her room, ignoring something her mom had said on the way in. Her head was throbbing like an open wound- she swore she needed an ace bandage- and she just wanted to be left alone.

Her room was a soft pink color that had an instant relaxing effect. There were stuffed animals and beanie babies strewn across the left wall and clothes on almost every inch of the floor. Her fluffy white comforter welcomed her with a refreshing coolness on her face and an ice pack on her head. The smell of her sheets alone made her drowsy but the window beside her bed frame shone a bright light in her face. Since it was still early the sun was high in the sky and reflecting off the glossy surface of the snow on the new neighbors rooftop, almost blinding Jessica.

She loved the snow, she really did, but she loved sleep more.

With a simple tug of the shades the room was dark and Jessica drifted into unconsciousness.

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“HEY, BRING THAT BOX IN HERE WOULD YA?”

Jessica was jerked awake by the sound of a woman’s(?) voice. It was hard to tell because it had a certain husky quality to it but she was almost sure it was a woman.

Like it matters

She tried to fall back aslee--

“HEY MOM, COULD YOU PLEASE BRING ME THAT BOX?!”

The voice sounded like it was right in Jessica's ear but after jerking awake and giving her empty room a once- over, she deduced that it was not in fact burglar who had climbed through her window.

“MOM!!”

She could not for the life of her figure out where this strange voice was coming from. It wasn’t her mom, Krystal was at that party, and the Lee's were never this loud- Oh .

The U-Haul.

The Lee's didn’t live next door anymore. Her nightmares were becoming reality.

Immediately Jessica pulled up her window shade. If these people were going to be disturbing her sleep on a regular basis, she'd at least wanted to get a good look at them so she could imagine stabbing them in the ears later.

From her window she could see very little. Some of the roof, some of the front yard, a lot of siding, and about half of a room through a window slightly lower and to the left of hers. She figured that’s where the shouting had come from as she now saw that the room was filled with boxes that read a name she couldn’t quite make out.

It was quiet for a few minutes.

I guess her mom brought her the box

Jessica, now thoroughly annoyed, felt her stomach growl and realized that it was 5:30 and already dark. Her mom always warned her about napping too late, claiming she wouldn’t be able to sleep at night, but no matter how long she napped or how much sleep she got Jessica could always sleep more. This is a fact. Like Global Warming or Evolution, controversial, but irrefutable.

Responding to the call of nature she went downstairs to feed her grumbly tummy. She settled on a tuna sandwich and some milk and plopped down on the couch to watch her shows. 

Some 20 mins later...

“HYO!! COULD YOU GET THE LAST COUPLE BOXES?”

The Ice Princess puffed out her cheeks and clenched her fists in frustration.

I can see the headlines now: “Neighborhood Saved by Local Girl! Sound Barrier still Intact!”

Seriously, how could these people be so loud?!

For the second time that evening, curiosity got the better of our Heroine and she felt the urge to look out the window, if for no other reason than to scold them. After all, these people were torturing her and she hadn't even seen what they looked like yet, all she knew was that there was a mother and daughter.

They’re just new neighbors. Its not like they’re terrorists or drug lords-

She hesitated.

Oh my god what if they’re terrorists or drug lords.

They could be a family on a crime spree.

Jessica twitched, and with totally calm walk in an incredibly not weird way, she sauntered over to the front right window of her house and peeked through the blinds with curious eyes.

What she saw was not a terrorist nor a drug lord (Or so she assumed). It was a girl of about her age with bright blonde hair tied up in a loose bun, wearing a half shirt and rolled up baggy jean pants.

Huh... she doesn’t look like a criminal.

The girl bent down and picked up the last two boxes in front of the house and threw them onto her shoulders, turning just so that it gave Jessica a good look at her perfectly toned abs and muscular arms.

Jessica felt her face flush and her eyebrows shoot up.

On second thought... damn.

Quickly correcting her face, she realized that it had been pressed up against the glass for the better part of a minute and there was now heavy condensation on the window. Thouroughly embarrassed, she wiped and the glass and somewhat reluctantly returned to her seat on the couch when the girl disappeared inside what she assumed to be her new home.

Still in a slight state of shock Jessica thoughts reeled over this girl.

Her body is so well toned, she must play sports... or maybe she just goes to the gym a lot? I should go to the gym sometime. Nah, I might run into her. Though maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing? Stop. I don’t even know her. She could still be a serial killer. She could do it too, with those arms. Her legs are short but she could probably outrun me, I mean did you see those calves? And what was up with that outfit anyway? Its December, wasn’t she freezing? Well I guess moving boxes all day would work up a sweat. Oh my god I didn't even look at her face, what is wrong with me. How could I though with that body? I wonder how old she is? She looked about my age but I could be wrong. Is she gunna transfer into my school? I need to stop thinking about this.

Groping in the dark, Sica's hands found a pillow and promptly placed it over her face to stop the rambling.

Chill out Sica, shes just a new neighbor. You've met new people before. Breathe. 

And she did. Her overwhelming curiosity for this girl left her feeling both emotionally and physically drained. With the TV still being on last weeks Pretty Little Liars , the exhausted girl decided to numb her mind with some dramatic television. She watched until 9:30 when she decided to go to bed.

Accustom to her usual routine of Lie-in-bed--->Fall-asleep, Jessica expected rest to come easily. Tonight, this was not so. She adjusted pillows and blankets, positions and stuffed animals, but all to no avail. This had never happened to her before and for a while she was borderline frightened.

Something was off, the window was cracked.

Every so often from that tiny slit just above the sill she would hear the rustle of cardboard, or the thunk of plastic on wood. She thought she even heard faint music playing from somewhere and the occasional raspy voice accompanying it.

This was both frustrating and relaxing. She couldn’t quite explain it but the sounds created a kind of symphony of their own, they had a rhythm. A rhythm that lulled Jessica into a state half consciousness and held her on the edge, holding her breath.

And for once Jessica Jung Sooyeon did not sleep through the night.

And for once she was ok with listening.

Somebody call Darwin.