Stay With Me

After the death of my little brother my household had obviously been shaken to the core. That’s to be expected after any death, but when it’s a child the impact of the atrocity has the ability to cause the foundation that makes a house a home crumble into nothing. Our family was no different.

My father worked exceedingly hard to give my mother, brother and I the best life he possibly could. Being a man of few words when it came to emotions it was what he used as his way to express his dedication to us as a family. It wasn’t always easy to see that when you’re young or in pain. I got a lot of my inability to talk about my feelings from my Father.

I had always looked up to him in many aspects growing up and wanted nothing more than to make him proud of me. I wanted to be just like him and my brother seemed to be a mini version of mom. He was compassionate and always wanting affection from everyone around him. I, on the other hand, was in my room with crayons, paper and dad’s old briefcase. Jams was my talent and I was going to showcase his abilities to all of the world.

My mother seemed to be an endless source of understanding and patience when it came to playing the roles of Mom and Dad for the important functions and milestones my little brother and I had as we grew. That was until the bruises started to form on Austin’s back.

I was only twelve and he was nine. I didn’t really understand the heaviness of the word cancer and its stages, I just knew that the higher it gets the worse off you are. Austin was a stage four. There was very little to be done however every option was exhausted. That was when the fighting had started.

Of course Dad was there for the Doctor’s appointments and major hospitalizations. He wasn’t there for the bloody noses in the middle of the night, the times where Austin would cry because his body hurt and he couldn’t find any relief. My mother was beside herself.

Often times I’d sit on the stairs and listen to their heated conversations when they thought I was asleep. Dad wasn’t there. He still had to work to provide for the family. She would argue that he’s missing the last of the life their son had, and he wouldn’t accept that Austin’s life was going to end. There would be a cure, he would pay for it, end of story. If he worked hard enough, he could work away the situation. Being grown now, I don’t know that I would have been able to do things differently were I in his shoes. When something hurts you try to escape it.

I remember sneaking into Austins room some nights when the arguments would last all night and climbing into bed with him. I wanted to tell him that I was sorry I wouldn’t let him play with me all those times he had begged me to. I’m sorry that I didn’t like all of the hugs he always wanted to give me, and if he wasn’t in too much pain I would be okay to hug him then. All I could do was hold his hand and tell him I’d do better. I didn’t want to cause him pain.

After he passed away Mother became half a person. I wasn’t Austin, although sometimes I tried to be. She would try to over compensate her mother role as she didn’t have Austin to give the majority of her affection to. I grew into my teens and it became too much. I didn’t know how to process anything and I shut her down. How could I have expected her to do anything different than leave me when I didn’t show her the love she needed? My father and I didn’t do what we were supposed to do, and now we were paying for it with her irrevocable loss.

My father does his best to express his love for me now that we’ve become half of what we used to be. We were all the other had left and regardless of our losses any kind of affection has still been awkward. You’d think we’d learn right? I wish it could be easy, but it’s very much in the overwhelming department.

The lunch we just had with my ‘hero’ and his red-faced manager was the first time in my life that I heard him express to another person what I meant to him. It felt a bit uncomfortable and I assumed it would even in the most earnest of situations – but the fact that it was in reply to Jimin who was lying to my father’s face the entire meal made my blood completely boil. What was this guys’ problem?

“I’m really happy that you’ve decided to teach the group English, Jenna.”

I cracked my knuckles in the passenger seat of the car, looking out the window. I had to be extremely careful of my tone and replies. My Dad often times was able to tell if something was upsetting me and I couldn’t let him know the real reason. I wanted to for a brief moment. Was it really worth lying to him? I sighed.

“I don’t know if I’ll be any good at it.”

“Of course you will be, you used to tutor kids in high school. Besides, you’re my daughter. You will excel in whatever you decide to do.” I could hear the smile in his voice.

I’m so sorry Dad.

“Thanks. I’ll give it a shot.” And a few shots to Jimin if I had any say about it.

“This is also a good way for us to, you know.. spend more time together.”

There was the awkwardness.

“Yeah, that’s true.”

“Soon after we shoot release their new video we’ll be heading to Japan. The guys haven’t officially debuted there, but I got them a contract for a simulation game...”

“Like… the Sims?” My eyebrows raised. I’d like a copy of that, I could build four small walls around Jimin and never let him go to the bathroom.

“No, it’s for dating.”

I definitely didn’t want a copy.

“Anyway, with you as their tutor it makes much more sense for you to come for the few weeks we’re gone. You’ll have access to what you need at the company, we’ll get you your own official key card and everything.” He patted my knee.

I gave a light smile and looked over my father’s face. So it wasn’t the most honest of situations, but maybe in a sense – this could be good for him. He didn’t have to tell me that he was in pain because regardless of how well he hid it, I knew. I knew because I could hide it all just as well, and I could never break in front of him. If I was broken, how would I ever be able to pick up the pieces again? How would I ever be able to be strong for him? To be his shoulder that he may need? I knew he still felt guilty for all the time we lost that we’ll never get back and my hanging around BigHit may result in some of his guilt to lessen.

I drummed my fingers on my phone before looking back out the car window. Alright, maybe I’d let a Jimin Sim have a bathroom.

Maybe.

-

Jimin ran his hands over his face, letting it rest in his palms with his elbows on his knees while the guys spoke amongst themselves in the quiet room. They didn’t know why they were here and he wasn’t about to tell them. They’d find out soon enough.

The end of their meal had run smoothly enough. He found himself unable to stop watching Jenna for most of it, often times forgetting he was supposed to eat. She was obviously angry and uncomfortable and he wanted nothing more than to tell her how sorry he was. Losses like the ones she experienced were monumental – and here he was putting her through all kinds of frustration.

There was another part of him however that he couldn’t seem to ever filter, the playful side that tried to make light of any situation. Life was too short to stay serious all the time, to not smile or joke around. Call it part of his DNA or whatever, but had to refrain from leaming in to pinch her cheeks and tell her to chill out.

Raking his fingertips over his forehead slowly he tilted his head to keep his eyes on the clock of the conference room. They should be here any moment.

“What are you all dressed up for?” Jin leaned closer to Jimin in his seat.

Jimin didn’t have time to answer as the door open and Mr. Clark entered the room. Where was she? Jimin sat up and leaned back in his chair while the rest of his members sat upright.

“Mr. Kim?” Mr. Clark sat at the head of the table. “Could you get us another chair?”

She walked inside.

All eyes were on her, including Jimins. She seemed uncomfortable at best, tucking her hair behind her ear as she stood awkwardly beside her Father. Mr. Kim was like a dog playing fetch, briskly walking toward the door to get the chair as ordered.

“You can sit here if you want.” Jin stood, offering his chair. Mr. Charming, as always.

Jenna gave her usual polite smile, the kind that never reached her eyes. “Thank you.”

Jimin watched her out of the corner of his eye as she took Jins seat beside him. So did everyone else. Taehyung had his usual grin plastered to his mouth that he tried to hide behind his fingertips and Jungkook looked positively nervous as was both of their usual reactions when they were allowed to have close proximity with someone of the opposite gender. Jimin did his best not to roll his eyes.

Mr. Kim came back after having retrieved a chair, invisible tail wagging. Jimin raised his eyebrows as Jin took it and rolled it between the small space between him and the object of everyone’s attention. There were other more convenient places to put the chair. He made sure Jin caught his look that screamed ‘really?’ as he almost begrudgingly made room.

“As I explained to Jimin today everyone’s ability to speak English is pretty important if you’re to communicate with your growing fan base in America. Everyone is at a different level in their abilities,”

Jimin didn’t miss the small glance Mr. Clark gave to Jin. Ha, careful Casanova.

“This is my daughter Jenna. While we’re here she will be helping you to learn more English whenever your schedules allow it. Sometimes it may be in a group and others individually.”
Everyone bowed and she did her best to do the same from her seat.

“The shooting for Just One Day will take place in two days.” Mr. Clark spoke again, claiming everyone’s attention away from his obviously uncomfortable daughter.

“Soon after that we’ll be making preparations for a trip to Japan to get ready for your fan club opening there as well as take part in KStars Wonderland. In that time frame I hope you’ll utilize Jennas knowledge of not only the English language but also to gain a better understanding of the English speaking fan base. She is of the target age group.”

Taehyung looked positively gleeful as he wiggled his fingers in a wave toward Jenna. She blinked a few times, giving a little nod in return.

“This will obviously take some time, so please do your best to learn all you can. We’d like to invite you all over for a barbeque at our new house this evening so we can get know each other better.”

Jenna got paler, if that’s possible, but the rest of the members seemed extremely pleased. A girl and Korean meat. It was like Christmas without the wrapping paper. Jimin felt like he was getting ready to go to the dentist to get a whole bunch of fillings he didn’t need.

“Mr. Kim, you have the address?”

“Yes sir. What time works best for you?”

“Dinner is at six.” Mr. Clark stood and Jenna quickly followed suit.

As they said their goodbyes, Jin leaned toward Jimin quietly. “She’s the girl from the picture isn’t she? How did you..?”

Jimin smirked, still in his chair and giving it a little spin toward his bandmate. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

“Do you know her?” Taehyung was quick to interrupt the conversation. “She single?”

Enough was enough. The smirk automatically left his face as he looked up at Taehyung. “She’s a lesbian.”

“A lesbian? Well.. I guess I can understand. If I was a girl I’d probably be a lesbian too.”

Jin hit Taehyung on the backside of his head. “Whatt?? I would!”

-

In the end it was a pretty good thing that my father had hired people to help us unpack.

Through-out the rest of the afternoon they worked endlessly and regardless of my attempts to help them I was always ushered away politely and told to go rest. The people were extremely kind and respectful in a way I hadn’t experienced before.

Dad was out buying food for the evening and I was doing my best to hang up the few family pictures we had to make the walls not seem so barren while Jams delighted himself with playing with a chew toy in the center or our living room. I adjusted the frame of my mother and Austin once more on the wall, “Is that even, you think?”

Jams looked up at me and I smiled a bit. “I think so too.”

I felt a vibration in my back pocket and dug for my phone, typing in my new lock screen code. That was a mistake I’d never make again, ever.

New message from Eric.

I let out a slow breath as I made my way to the couch, sinking into the soft cushions before I allowed myself to click the envelope icon.

Hey.

I raked my teeth over my bottom lip as I stared at the word. I hadn’t anticipated hearing from him for a while. I quickly wrote back a ‘Hey’ in reply as my knee started to bounce in place. I wasn’t good with stuff like this, even through texts.

The notification that he read my reply appeared and dots started to stream across the screen. It felt like forever. Was he sending me an encyclopedia? My stomach started doing flip flops.

I wanted to say I’m sorry for how things ended that night. I shouldn’t have left, I hate that I did.. and I’ve been kind of fucked up the few days you’ve been gone already. Do you think that when you came back, we might still have a chance?

I closed my eyes and tried to think past my sudden headache. He sure got right to the point didn’t he?

The whole reasoning behind my comfort in the relationship with Eric was the ease of it all. He wasn’t complicated, he didn’t pry and he wasn’t forceful. I just enjoyed his company. It was never those heartbeat moments where time would stands still like in those Twilight novels or whatever. I didn’t know from the moment we met that we’d be together. It all legitimately sort of happened.

We were together for seven months and I was never good at fulfilling my duties as a girlfriend. I forgot valentines’ days, anniversaries and I didn’t even realize it was his birthday until the day of. So many girls in school would fawn over all these dates and seemly important relationship moments. I tried hard to show enthusiasm as I heard about second and third kisses, the third week anniversary of their second movie while they were busy scribbling guys names redundantly on their textbooks. I didn’t know how to put myself in the same mindset regardless of my attempts.

The knot in my throat that was always there tensed a little as I looked up at the picture of my mother’s smiling face as her arms encircled my giggling brother. “What do I do, Mom?”

Is that my answer?

I looked down at the screen and sighed, thumbing a reply. I don’t know Eric. Things just didn’t feel easy anymore.

Ok

I hit the power button once to make the screen turn black and tossed the device to the couch beside me. Couldn’t there be just one day that was easy?

My father came in the door with a few helpers behind him, everyone’s arms full to the breaking point of grocery bags. Dad would be damned to make a second trip to the car anytime he’d do groceries – better get it all done in one swoop even at the risk of everything falling out. I felt a bit guilty towards the poor guys behind him. I couldn’t even see their faces past the bags my father obviously piled on top of them. .

“Jenna, can you get the door behind us please?”

I quickly did as my father asked, flashing an small apologetic smile toward the people that stumbled in behind him.

No, there wouldn’t be many easy days ahead. Our guest would be arriving in a few hours. They all seemed polite enough when I had tried to gauge their reactions to my new teaching position. One seemed overly enthusiastic, another petrified and one.. well.. I didn’t want to know.

I peaked into the kitchen watching my dad unpack what looked like a whole bunch of meat and lettuce. I scratched my head, going over and picking up one of them. “Salad? You hate salad.”

He opened the fridge and started putting in some items. “Apparently it’s a trend in Korea to wrap their meat in it, I’m not sure why but – when in Rome..”

“Oh..” I put the lettuce down and started making my way out, “I’m going to get ready.”

“Jenna, a moment”

I paused.

“The guys seemed pretty excited about their new English teacher.”

Ut oh. “I wouldn’t put it like that..” I shifted a little.

He gave a slight smile. “Are you and that boy, Evan… I think?”

“Eric.”

“Yes, Eric.”

“Dad… are we really having this conversation?”

He pulled out a chair. “Trust me, this isn’t exactly easy for me either. I just..”

“I know.” I busied myself looking down at my fingers.

“The way they handle guy groups in Korea are a far cry from the way they do in America. They are very limited to girl interaction. I’ve never had a problem with you and guys before, however I just need you to be careful. They’re very respectful and I doubt they’d…”

I put up a hand. “Dad, you can rest easy. I don’t know what Eric and I are but, I can assure you that I’m not looking to get involved in anything.”

He nodded, “Well, then..” he cleared his throat.

I pointed toward the exit. “I’m going to..”

“Yes.. yes of course.”

I made my way out of the kitchen, looking down at Jams who followed closely behind me. “Good family chat, huh?”

He sneezed.

-

“I expect you all to be on your best behavior. “ Their manager said for the millionth time before they got out of the car in the Clark family drive way. Jimin scanned his eyes over the house as he got out of the car behind the Hoseok and Yoongi.

“I hope she’s nice.” Jungkook said nervously from behind them.

Jimin threw his arm around the youngest of the group, “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you from the crazy American.”

“I think it’s girls in general Jungkook is afraid of. Don’t worry. Jimin said she’s a lesbian, she won’t hit on you.” Taehyung messed with Jungkooks hair which Jungkook quickly tried to fix.
“A lesbian?” Jungkook questioned.

“Quiet!” The manager hushed them as he rang the doorbell.

The video screen by the buzzer flashed to life. “Hello?”

“Oh yes, Miss Clark. It’s us.”

“Come on in.” The buzz of the lock sounded off and Mr. Kim opened the door. Jimin tried to catch a small glimpse of her face as he walked past but he was too late. He hoped she was in a better mood at least.

The guys filed into the door, instantly taking off their shoes in a messy pile.

“Where are the slippers?” Yoongi asked quietly as Jimin put his shoes to the side.

“Welcome.” Mr. Clark was standing at the top of the stairs beside his daughter, all eyes went automatically to his feet. He was wearing loafers.

“Oh..” Yoongi adjusted his sock.

“Please.. make yourself comfortable.” Mr. Clark motioned for them to enter.

“Do we put our shoes back on? Or..” Hoseok looked confused holding one of his sneakers.
Even though she couldn’t understand, Jenna made her way down the stairs to the entry way and opened the closet door beside. Inside amongst different coats and hats were an array of individually bagged slippers.

Jimin watched her silently. She was casually dressed in jeans much like the ones she was wearing when they first met and t-shirt that had the word OBEY written across the back. She held up a few and smiled apologetically. “I read on Wikipedia….”

Cute. Jimin tried to meet her eyes, but she seemed content to look everywhere but at him.

Mr. Kim smiled and took them thankfully, “That was very kind of you Miss...”

“You can call me Jenna..”

Their manager looked up toward Mr. Clark with a smile as he bowed then bowed back toward his daughter as she gave out the rest of the slippers. “Jenna. Thank you.”

The table was grandiose, full of delicious smelling foods and a wide variety of meat. Any nervousness seemed to be momentarily forgotten as the guys gave small groans of appreciations at the smell.

“I was totally expecting hamburgers.” Taehyung said as he reached toward a plate, which Mr. Kim quickly smacked his hand away from.

“Wait”

Taehyung flashed a cheese grin. “I’m sorry.” He said in English, bowing.

“No no, help yourself.” Jenna picked up the plate and handed it to him.

Jimin watched as Taehyung slowly took the plate, crossing his arms across his chest.

“Are you sure she’s a lesbian?” Taehyung said towards Jimin, not taking his eyes off Jenna.
Jin took the opportunity to give Taeyhyung a strong pat on the back. “Thank you.” He smiled at Jenna.

“No problem.”

“We have a nice patio in back with a table and drinks, why don’t you kids go sit outside and let the adults chat a while?” Mr. Clark said, filling his own plate.

They quickly obliged and followed Jenna out the backdoor into the spacious back yard. The patio was dimly lit and the smell of burning wood lofted in the night breeze from the still glowing fire pit to the side of the table. They stood sort of awkwardly, holding their plates as they surveyed the seats.

They looked at Jenna, and she looked back at them all quickly before back to the table. Jimin suppressed a laugh. Was she blushing or was he seeing things?

“Um… please, sit anywhere.” She fumbled to her seat and the rest of the guys followed suit. How did Jin always end up next to her?

“You have a very beautiful home.” Namjoon spoke up as he picked up his fork, smiling kindly at her.

“Thank you.”

“Is it much like your home in America?”

“It’s a little different, but it’s comfortable.” She wasn’t comfortable.

“We should probably introduce ourselves again, huh? I’m Namjoon, I’m the leader of Bangtan. I speak pretty good English, so if you need any help with translating or..”

Jenna returned his polite smile. “Thank you, I think a good amount of you speak pretty good English though – right?” Finally, she looked at him.

Jimin was in the middle of shoving some steak into his mouth, but gave a bright show-time smile in her direction around the mass that was still halfway past his lips. “Mmm.”

“I need a lot of help, I don’t know a lot of English.” Taehyung chimed in. Jimin coughed a little as he swallowed.

“I’m Taehyung, I’m eighteen and I sing in Bangtan.” He held out his hand for her to take.
Jimin stuffed more meat in his mouth, chewing slowly as he watched. Down boy. Are you going to start humping her leg too?

“It’s nice to meet you, Taehyung.” She took his hand .

“You can call me V. If that’s easier.”

He wasn’t letting go of her hand.

“Okay, V.”

Jimin kicked the leg of Taehyungs chair and the sound of it screeched across the pavement below them. All eyes were on Jimin who just chewed, smiling at Jenna.

“I’m Hoseok, It’s nice to meet you.” He interrupted the odd silence. “J-Hope.”

“Yoongi”. He waved.

“Call me Jin.”

“Ju..Jungkook.”

Everyone looked at Jimin.

He just waved. “We’ve met.”

Jenna didn’t look at him nor return the gesture. He shifted in his chair. How long was she going to be like this?

“We should play a game! Help break the ice, I think.” Taehyung patted Jungkooks shoulder.
“I’m not very good at games.” Jenna gave a nervous laugh.

“Oh, you’ll do fine. Just a question an answer game. I’ll go first. When did you know you were a lesbian?”

Namjoon all but spit out his food and Jenna’s face went completely blank.

“We all support gay and lesbian rights.” Taehyung quickly back peddled.

“Yah! Babo.” Jin swatted Taehyung on the back of the head.

“What?!”

“I’m not a lesbian..”

All eyes went back to Jimin who coughed into his hand. “Where is the bathroom?”

Jenna just stared at him and this time it was Jimin who felt like looking away. “What? Nature calls.”

“Allow me to show you.”

Oh, she was pissed. Jimin was just scoring all kinds of points. He waited until she was walking through the door before backhanding Taehyung across the back of the head.

“Yah! You did it to yourself dude!”

“Idiot”. Jimin said under his breath before following the girl in her march into the house and down the hall.

She spun around and stood quietly for a moment. Whatever she gave him, he knew he deserved it. Rubbing the back of his neck he stepped closer, bracing himself internally for whatever he was in for.

“So it’s not enough to blackmail me but you have to embarrass me to? What.. did you need more entertainment in your life so you get me to tutor you in a language you speak perfectly so you could talk shit about me to your friends?”

Jimin lifted his hands. “Taehyung is a horny bastard and I just said it to keep him from hitting on you, that’s all. I really…” He sighed. “I really wasn’t thinking.”

“Yeah that seems to be a going trend with you.”

Jimin slid his lips together, looking at her face as he tried to think of what he could possibly do to make peace with the girl in front of him. He was already in the lie of his speaking English too deep to go back now, but he couldn’t continue with the animosity. He needed to call a truce, and he wasn’t sure how to do so.

“Alright.” He breathed, moving to stand beside her as he dug out his phone and pulled the few screen caps of her messages with the Eric guy up. “Look.” He deleted them for her to see.
He felt her eyes on him after he did so and he cleared his throat a little before meeting her gaze. “Can we be cool now?”

She scoffed. “That’s all you had? You said you had a whole lot more on there.”

He shoved his phone back into his back pocket. “I lied.”

“Why? Why do any of this?”

Jimin shrugged a little, “I didn’t like that your dad was trying to change everything. I don’t do well with authority I guess, and I thought if I said I didn’t know English I wouldn’t have to listen.”

Jenna shifted by his side. “I can’t say I get it completely because I haven’t been in your shoes but, I can understand to some degree.”

“So… you’ll still tutor us?”

She didn’t answer and he turned to face her, trying to decipher her thoughts. There it was. That wisp of hair that always ended up across her cheek. Jimins fingers itched by his side and he had to stop the appendage from betraying him to help her move it from her face. She didn’t seem as angry as before and he didn’t want to push his luck.

Finally, she looked at him.

How was it that just an action so small could cause him to lose his thought process? Her fingers found the hair his own wanted to move and he watched as she tucked it behind her ear.

“Yeah. Just, no more lies okay? My Dad… he’s a little rough around the edges when it comes to business but, he’s a good guy.”

A slow smile spread across Jimins face. “So, friends?” He offered her his hand.

“I don’t know that I’d go that far.”

He draped his arm around her shoulder. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Jenna blinked up at him a few times before walking out of his embrace, flicking on the light to the room beside them that he realized to be the bathroom. “You’re lucky, somewhere along the line today I decided you didn’t deserve one of these.”

“I don’t deserve a bathroom?”

She shook her head and he watched her retreating figure as she left him standing there.
Jimin turned and shut off the light she had just turned on when he was sure she was gone. He didn’t really have to go, and he thought he’d take the opportunity to learn a little bit more about the girl who for the past few days seemed to take up a lot of this thoughts.

Her bedroom had to be somewhere close by, right? He shuffled down the hallway, opening one of the doors and peering inside. Empty. Huh.

Making his way to the next door, Jimin peered into the darkness and spotted what looked like a vanity. Girls had those right? He flicked on the light. The room was plain, maybe she didn’t have time to decorate it yet? He skimmed his fingertips over the vanity, looking over it’s contents. “I think I have more makeup than this chick.”

He opened one of the draws and found a few notepads and pens, nothing too interesting. Looking around he sat down on her bed with a sigh. There was nothing fun, he bounced on the bed a little in a small sign of displeasure. There was a picture on the night table and Jimin stretched his body over the mattress to grab it.

The girl had her arms wrapped around what had to be her mother. The two were identical, light ivory skin and long black flowing hair. He ran the pad of his thumb over the face of the smiling girl in the picture. This was a real smile, the kind that lit up her eyes to make them dazzling in a way he was surprised a photograph had the ability to capture. In all the pictures he’d seen in her phone with friends and that Eric guy there was not one smile that was close to the one he held in his hands now.

“So, you can smile?” He whispered.

Suddenly there was a low growl. Jimin froze in his seat, looking around slowly. What the?
How did such loud barking come from something so small? Jimin lifted his legs from the floor as quick as a flash from the myriad of barking that was as loud as a car alarm.

“Easy! Easy Fido!” He picked up one of her pillows and tried to swat it at the little monster.
If it was possible, it got louder.

“Chill! Nice dog! Want a treat? Wanna go outside? What do you want?!?”

The dog was going nuts and Jimin knew he was going to get caught. He jumped up from the bed and high-tailed it out of the room – but the little shit was fast.

“Back! Get back!” He ran out the hallway, past Mr. Kim and Mr. Clark who turned to watch the commotion.

Jimin ran outside and perched on his chair, much to the disruption of everyone sitting around the table.

“What the?!” Yoongi lifted his feet.

“Jams? What are you doing out??” Jenna hurried over and picked up the little fur ball.

Jimin scowled. “What do you feed that thing?”

The dog was quick to quiet in Jennas arms as she took her seat. “Whatever he wants.” She gave him some left over scrap of meat on her plate. “I swear I shut my door. I’m sorry .. he won’t bite.”

Jimin raised his eyebrows as moved to sit comfortably in his chair. “Right….”

“He’s cute, can I pet him?” Jin was by her side, lifting a hand tentatively.

She offered a polite smile and nodded. “Yeah sure.”

Jimin watched in displeasure as the dog seemed to turn into a different creature entirely, even leaning it’s little face into the curve of Jins palm. Of course he liked Jin.

“What’s his name?” Namjoon asked, getting in on the petting action.

“It’s Jams.”

“Nice doggie..” Jimin put his hand out. If he liked Jin then what was the difference? The dog growled.

Namjoon smirked. “Jimin, even Jams the dog doesn’t like you.”

“Shut. Up.”

Jenna looked up questioningly.

“Don’t ask.” Jimin replied.

The night ended quietly and they had a few laughs, mostly at Jimins expense. After helping clean up and saying their polite goodbyes the guys made their way back to the dorm. It wasn’t until everyone else was asleep that Jimin pulled out his phone on his bunk, flipping through his pictures in the darkness of the room.

He’d already broken the small treaty he made with Crazy. He didn’t delete everything and he wasn’t sure why, but he couldn’t. Not this. He looked into the eyes of the girl that stumbled into his life and sighed. This picture was a far cry from the one he had looked at earlier that night in her room. The picture of a girl who seemed like a different person than the one he would be getting to know for the next year.

Why did you save me?

Her voice in his dream echoed quietly in his mind. The dream where she was so small and he wanted nothing more than to wipe her tears away.

“Because you’re worth saving.” He whispered to the screen.

He didn’t know when he’d decided. Maybe it was when she knocked him backwards completely naked to the floor of the locker room, maybe it was when he felt the air flow from his body and into hers and his heart reacted before his mind, maybe it was when she shifted awkwardly when her father spoke about their hardships at lunch earlier that day. He wasn’t sure, but he was certain that what he wanted in that moment.

“I’ll make you smile again, Jenna Clark. I promise.”

Notes

Please tell me what you guys think. :)