jennie finished her work at home as her last few classes wrapped up, with an excuse that she was incredibly sick. she couldn't go back to that building, and see all those people who knew about it. she wasn't healed, not in the slightest.

of course, that would take a long time. after the sudden revelation that someone had supposedly been close to you hurt and humiliated you in the worst possible way, it was like pouring a bucket of salt on a wound.

but, she knew that she had to put aside her fear at one point. jennie tried to leave the house on several occasions, but even at the slightest possibility of seeing a classmate, she would bolt back into her house, and lock the door, almost ready to have a mental breakdown.

she did that with jungkook on accident, when he stopped by at her house the other day, not recognizing him. it took him around fifteen minutes to calm her down through the door, until she finally opened it for him.

and once again today was a day where she couldn't back away from her fear of seeing her other classmates, it was the night of senior prom. this has been the day the old jennie had been looking forward to the entire school year. even before she had met jimin, jungkook, sooyoung, seulgi, or taehyung...it had still been her highlight of the year. she didn't think she would go with a date, but not jennie wasn't so sure she'd be able to leave the house.

it took a lot of willpower. but she was just so scared. she was scared of people looking at her differently, making her feel like she did something wrong. however much taehyung had said to her that day worked to some degree, because jennie started to take off some of the blame, and believe that it wasn't her fault. she just didn't want to stop believing that. the brunette didn't know if she could handle that again.

jennie kim didn't even know if she was the same person anymore. the old jennie wore miniskirts, shorts, makeup, crop tops, anything trendy and stylish. now she was just a fumbling mess in oversized t-shirts, sweatpants, and hoodies trying to hide all her newfound insecurities.

their group was silent at first when chaeyoung and lalisa walked inside the venue with jennie. she clung to them, carrying a strange child-like innocence, as one would look when approaching strangers. but she knew everyone there.

she felt very uncomfortable. sooyoung tried to ease the tension, grinning wildly at the rest of them.

"i feel like it's been a while since we have all been in one room together. so i just wanted to say...fuck you all, i had to wait here for twenty fucking minutes until your late asses showed up."

seulgi snorted. "you know me sooyoung, always late to the party, but never to the airport."

"i can tell you got that off of instagram."

"fuck you, i did."

jennie let a small smile slip from her lips, and this didn't go unnoticed. taehyung grinned instantly once he saw that, then turned to irene, who was watching jennie with concern.

"relax irene. she'll be fine."

"i know. i just didn't think that would happen to her."

"no one did, but that's besides the point. she's trying to get better now, and rather than moping around like many other people do after a traumatic incident, jen is bouncing back a lot faster. don't you think?"

"she's a strong person i suppose." irene snorted. "i guess i have you to thank for that. you broke her heart so many times she just learned how to heal herself again and again."

taehyung awkwardly laughed back at that, then turned to the brunette. she was supposed to be his date, but he didn't care much about the fact that they weren't matching, or that she didn't have a corsage, or that he didn't get his boutonnière.

"here." taehyung shrugged off his blazer, handing it to jennie, who took it graciously and wrapped it around her exposed shoulders.

"thank you."

"aw, that was so cute." jungkook gushed. "taehyung, did you finally ask her—"

"jungkook, please shut up." lisa resounded, kicking her ankle with her toe. he groaned on instant, shooting her a glare.

when taehyung turned away from the two, jennie was nowhere to be seen.

•

when the incident occurred, that had been a few weeks before prom. it wasn't like jennie immediately dropped everything for prom. no, she took sometime to even get out of the house. that had taken almost all of her time up until prom.

she'd only talk to her inner circle of friends, and family. nothing less, nothing more.

"there you are." taehyung beamed at the brunette, sticking a hand into the pockets of his dress pants. "lalisa is getting drunk off of cookies."

"that sounds like her." she responded, watching taehyung's tall form sit down on the bench next to her. she was at the back exit of the venue, she had been out here, alone, for quite a bit of time. jennie strangely liked the silence now. the loud commotion of people and parties didn't appeal to her anymore.

"tell me why prom is more boring than i imagined it to be?" jennie frowned. "i really expected it to be a night of fantasy."

"it's different for everyone, i guess. but nothing in our lives are ever going to be like a fairytale."

"i suppose." jennie knew her life was not a fairytale. not at all.

"being in there gives me anxiety." jennie sighed. "i can't do it. too many people, it reminds me of dahyun's party, when everything went downhill."

"then don't go back inside if it scares you." taehyung looked to her. "no one's forcing you to."

"i know...but, you guys. i don't want to seem like a downer. you should go and have a good time."

"they can have a fun time without us. and it's fine. i don't mind sitting out here with you."

"no, i'm being serious, you don't have to pity me and sit here with me—"

"jennie, it wouldn't matter if i was pitying you or if you were just as normal as before, if you were sitting out here by yourself, i would sit with you as well. don't you remember? you're my date. i'm not just gonna' leave you alone."

jennie smiled to herself, feeling content for the first time in a while. safe.

"can you believe that we only started to become friends because i wore a miniskirt on the first day of school?"

"i would, that seems like something i would've done back then." taehyung snorted, then sighed to himself. "god, i was such a fuckboy."

then he changed, slowly but surely. he messed up a lot this year, but it only changed him in the end for the better. he was happy with who he was for once.

"yeah, you were." jennie laughed. "but wow. look at us now. i can say that both of us have changed a lot, taehyung."

"i wouldn't disagree with you."

he was startled, and jumped a little when jennie hugged him tightly. her small arms laced around his shoulders, then let out a loud sigh.

"thank you. you confused me a lot, but i think that the way i see you is still the same."

taehyung blinked, then nodded. "yeah, me too."

"i know hugging isn't that far off from it, and it might seem strange, but just know, had i told you this like a few weeks ago, i would've totally kissed you, taehyung."

taehyung smiled to himself. "yeah...me too."

•

when jumi pulled over the eight students to the side of their graduation hall, sooyoung held up a hand.

"sunsaeng-nim, can this wait until i've already started crying?"

jumi rolled her eyes. "no. mainly i wanted to congratulate jungkook. you graduated, i'm genuinely surprised and relieved that i won't see you next year."

jungkook gaped at her, chaeyoung and lalisa shared a loud laugh. when jumi turned to the others, she smiled more fondly.

"thank you. you made my math class just a little bit more enjoyable to teach. i watched you all change and become young adults this year. i always enjoy teaching twelfth grade just for this reason, it's the transition stage into becoming adults and having responsibilities. and of the many years i have taught here, i have never seen a group of friends that were as close as you all. it's quite softening to watch, how you all were very different from each other, but the same."

"when chaeyoung punched that student in the cafeteria, jisoo told me how strange it was that one of our top ten students in the graduating class was ready to just risk it all for a friend like that. she had a full ride waiting for her to college, but yet she was willing to start a fight just to defend a friend. you don't find that often nowadays."

"so, promise me that you'll keep in touch. i can guarantee that you will never find a group of friends to replace any one of you guys again. this is rare, and special. whatever paths you might take, whether it be a dancer, or a musician, or a college professor, be there for each other in some shape or form. and don't lose who you are. your identity. it's special and unique to you. i can say for each one of you, the way that you're headed? you'll be fine ladies and gentlemen in the future."

jumi never verbally expressed her feelings much, she always kept a semi-professional relationship around her students, but she would always talk about those eight to her boyfriend whenever she got home.

she watched them leave after she dismissed them from her, heading to the backstage of the hall. dong jumi was very proud of them.

because she always knew that there's always a light at the end of the tunnel. and despite seeing them at their dark days, the sleepless ones, days where they couldn't bare to look at each other without screaming, they always fell back on each other.

and all because of a miniskirt.

the end.