|18| he's not drunk
—TAEHYUNG'S POV—
I was lucky enough to find Lilo in the phonebox before the cops could. As we drive back to the house, she explains everything from the passenger seat and my hands grip the wheel tighter at the sound of Jaebum's name.
Her hair is tied into a frizzy ponytail while her skin, bare feet, and short satin robe are dirty. A cheek rests in her hand as she gazes out the window. She's been pretty quiet ever since I picked her up...
"We'll be home in about 25 minutes." I break the silence.
She responds with a delayed nod, then speaks softly.
"I spoke to my mom..."
"Really? ...What did you say?"
"That she's a bitch."
"Lilo."
"Well she snitched on me! I mean what kind of mother completely tears you down for your choices and relationship like that?! Whatever, I never want to see that woman again."
"She's not that woman, she's your mom..."
Lilo rolls her eyes and sighs at my response, resting her head against the window in exhaustion.
"Tae, I know you treasure your mother and all, but sadly not all of our moms are angels who bake us treats in the morning. That woman stopped being my mother the moment she picked up the phone and called the cops on me... I just can't forgive her this time."
Not a sound in the car can be heard besides the engine. My lips stay sealed and eyes focus solely on the road. I can tell she's mad, and nothing I say will erase the betrayal she's just had to endure.
As soon as we get back to Hoseok's, everyone hugs Lilo with relief but she pauses the moment she notices Mina tied to a chair with bruises.
"Mina!" She runs and crouches to grab her face. "What did you guys do to her?!"
"Now wait a second! You didn't see the way she attacked us!" Hoseok points, "That girl is nutty!"
"That girl is my best friend. Taehyung, why didn't you bring her to the hospital?"
"I had to collect you first before the police found your trail."
"Hang on..." Winter finally stands from the couch, grasping everyone's attention.
"If Jaebum sent Mina here to abduct Lilo... Doesn't that mean he knows where we all live? We're not safe here."
Hoseok tosses his hands, "Oh sure, trash my house and then leave."
"So now we have to move?" Lilo looks up at me with rounded eyes. I stroke her hair with an exhale.
"I'm not sure. I'll have to find another property to lease first."
"We're baaaaack!" Teddy practically sings with her hands behind her back as she enters with Jungkook and Jimin. Jimin now wears a cast and sling to support his broken arm, shyly waving with the other and smiling at us until his eyes are thin lines.
"Oh! Lilo's back! What did we miss?"
"A lot," Hoseok replies.
"Jimin! Your arm!" —But before Lilo can panic, he shows her a reassuring beam. "It's okay... It doesn't hurt too much. Doctors say I should be better in about 6-12 weeks."
"Look! I drew a ladybug on Jimin's cast to make him feel better!" Teddy yanks on his arm to show Lilo but he only yelps. "Ow! Teddy be careful!"
"Sorry honey! Oh, and Lilo! You'll never believe what happened!!"
"What??"
"Ok so, there was this old lady in the bed next to Jimin's who had bron-chiii-tisss... whatever that means, but she was super sweet! We talked, she called me pretty, pinched my cheek, we talked some more and then BAM!" Teddy holds out a stitch plushie doll with two arms.
Lilo gasps with full-blown pupils and slowly retrieves it.
"Awww Teddy."
"She said it belonged to her granddaughter before she grew up. I know the one I got you for your birthday is far away right now, so I want you to have this one until you're allowed back home!"
"...Thanks Ted, you have no idea how much I missed this." She pulls her into a hug.
"Wait... Seulg— I mean Mina, still hasn't woken up?" Jungkook points. I crouch down behind the chair to untie her, "Nope. I'm going to bring her to the hospital."
"I'll come with you." Jungkook takes out his keys.
"It's fine, I don't expect you to make two trips there."
"I don't mind. There's this hot new nurse—" Jimin punches him with his good arm and Jungkook suddenly coughs, loud and forcefully as Winter scowls from the couch.
"W-what I mean is... There's this averagely looking nurse—"
"Just get out."
"Yes babe." He bows.
With one arm slung around each of our shoulders, we manage to carry Mina through the foyer.
Once he opens the front door, a throbbing migraine strikes my temple and I suddenly fall to one knee with clenched teeth. Jungkook stumbles from the weight drop, drilling me with a stare of concern.
"Whoa, are you okay?"
"Yeah... Just give me a sec."
He chews on his lip nervously, looking around before whispering,
"...This is the drugs, isn't it? You know, maybe I should just take her—"
"I said give me a sec." My voice deepens. "I can make the journey."
"Can you? I mean you're destroying yourself bro... I'll just tell the others you—"
"You'll tell the others nothing." I practically growl as I grab his collar harshly. Jungkook gawks at me with his signature wide eyes and parted lips.
"I haven't taken anything since I started therapy, so there's no need for you to bring it up. I can break out of habits Jungkook."
"But this is cocaine. Even if you stopped taking it, that shit catches up to you bro. Just like right now. Soon you'll have red eyes and wrinkles and—"
"Look, let's just go to the hospital and come back so we can work out a plan. The longer we stand here talking, the more danger everyone's in."
I don't allow him to respond, flinging Mina over my shoulder and taking her to the car myself. I feel Jungkook's concerned stare following me before he catches up.
—9:30PM—
—LILO'S POV—
Once Taehyung and Jungkook left, I helped the others clean up the living room, then took a needed shower.
The hot water against my cuts and stab wound hurt like hell, and now I'm sat alone on the couch with my legs up in front of the tv. Not that I'm watching it... My mind is too overrun with paranoid thoughts.
It's scary to think that Jaebum knows where we all are right now. Just when I tell myself he'll leave us alone, he bounces back. I guess he really wants revenge on Taehyung for killing his dad. And then there's Mina... I'm so worried about her.
Footsteps trail into the kitchen and soon after, Hoseok pays me a glance before opening the cabinets.
"Oh. You're sitting down there alone? Shouldn't you be upstairs resting?"
My head shakes, "Not sleepy. Besides, I'd rather wait for Tae to get back."
He hums a nod while laying ingredients along the counter with his back turned, probably preparing dinner.
"What are the others doing?" I ask.
"Winter's napping. I think Teddy's catering to Jimin in their room."
Suddenly the front door opens, shuts and locks. I jump with a shallow gasp but luckily, it's just Taehyung and Jungkook.
"You two made it back safe. Thank God..."
"You were sitting here waiting for me?" Taehyung opens his arms for me. I hug his waist securely and let him kiss my forehead.
"Of course. Everything's getting so intense, I have to know you got back safe."
"Aw, that's so cute I want to puke." Hoseok cheeses. Jungkook walks past him to reach the fridge. "I need a drink."
I try restraining the urge to hold the back of my leg but snake-like hisses slip through my teeth. Taehyung holds my arms,
"You okay?"
"No... My calf hurts." I point to the wound Mina created. He sits me down and examines it closely...
"Wait here."
Once he's gone, Jungkook collapses on the couch beside mine with a wine bottle in one hand and an apple in the other.
Taehyung comes back with a first aid kit and forces my legs over his lap.
He takes out a needle and I immediately jump back. "Whoa!"
"You want it to stop hurting don't you?"
"I-I don't get any pain killers or anything?!"
"It won't hurt long, I promise."
I fall into nervous silence and slowly lie on my back with my leg arched over Taehyung's lap. He begins to stitch my skin back together and my nails dig into the pillow that's cushioned over my mouth to muffle my screams.
"Yikes..." Jungkook cocks his head, skinning the apple with a knife. "Get you a man who sews your leg back together."
"Ouch! Careful!"
"Sorry. Let's talk to distract you a bit. You'll be happy to know we brought Mina safely to the hospital."
"Really? How's she doing?"
"She's in a coma. The doctors will give us a call when she's woken up."
"Good. It's killing me not being there for her... It's weird, Jaebum said she thinks she's Seulgi but she called me bestie before she attacked me."
"Then it seems that her mind is strong. She's still in there somewhere, perhaps she'll remember you when she wakes up."
"Ow! ...I hope so. We've been best friends since we were 8 after all."
After the stitches, he places a few closure strips over the skin and lightly slaps it. "You're done."
"Thanks..."
"I'm going upstairs to change."
"Okay." I kiss his lips when he leans down and pouts. He jogs upstairs shortly after.
Jungkook giggles from the other couch with the wine bottle's neck in his fist. He's been growing out his hair lately, but now also sporting a wet look. I can tell he's tipsy by the way he fluffs his stringy bangs.
"Are you drunk already?" I chuckle.
He waves his hand. "I'm not drunk."
"Sure. Why are you eating an apple?"
He twirls the skinned fruit in his hand and examines it with squinted eyes, as if it were a jewel.
"I always need finger food to enjoy alcohol. Wine is great with cheese but... An apple will do."
He takes another loud chomp, then drinks. I can't help but laugh.
"You're really strange when you're drunk."
"Shhh... I'm not druNk. You are." He sips some more.
*:・゚✧*:・゚✧ 🌙
"I get a lot of deja vu dreams, you know? I believe the life of a person is all planned out... Like right now, how you're with Winter and I'm with Taehyung..... —Wait no, that's not right." He breaks into drunken laughter. "The way YOU'RE with Taehyung and I'M with Winter. For example, you're doing something but at that moment you think, if I act differently, will it change my future? And then you act differently from what you were going to do... BUT you changed your move! It's all planned out already! I have many dreams like this... What do you think Lilo? Should I be a fortune-teller?"
"I think you should lay off the wine." A chuckle escapes my lips when I retract the bottle.
He barely puts up a fight, letting his hand flop while he pouts and airs a depressed sigh.
".....Do you think she loves me?"
"Winter? Of course she does. Otherwise she wouldn't be with you."
"But she never says it. No— She's never said it. I'm always the one confessing... I just wish she'd tell me once, you know? Just one time. At least then I'd know I have nothing to worry about."
"She's just waiting for the right moment. Winter isn't exactly an easy nut to crack."
"You don't get it Lilo. I don't even know her birthday. I asked but she doesn't tell me. I don't know who her family is, her background, her favorite music... Nothing. At first, I liked the mysteriousness but now I wonder... She must be keeping these things from me because she doesn't like me, right?"
My lips tug into an empathetic frown.
I don't know if it's just the wine, but I've never seen Jungkook insecure like this before. This must be something that's really bugging him.
Out of nowhere, he squints his eyes, purses his lips and spreads his arms with a bouncing eyebrow.
"Whatever, I'm JK."
Hoseok approaches us with a pair steaming bowl of noodles, "Bon appetite. Is this guy drunk-rambling again?"
"YaRh! Shut Up HoBi, I'm not DrUnK. I'm just a deep guy, you know."
"Whatever." He sits beside me. "The others can come down for dinner when they're ready."
"I should probably call Taehyung down." I say.
As he pours himself another glass, Jungkook giggles under his breath at my comment.
"What's so funny?"
"Taehyung. Wonder what that guy's up to."
"Not sure... Probably taking a shower?" I answer awkwardly, pinching a ball of noodles between my chopsticks.
"I bet I know..." He chuckles again.
My eyebrows and head slowly turns to Hoseok as I chew, who has a similar expression to my own. "Uh... What?"
Jungkook drunkenly moves his hands around. "Ddon't tell anybody I told you, buuut..." He leans in and whispers,
"Taehyungie... does... d-r-u-g-z..."
I lean back and look at him strangely before resuming my food.
"You mean the sleeping pills? I already know, but he's off them now."
"Not pILLssss ya' silly goose." He boops my nose. Hoseok's eyes suddenly widen.
"Dude maybe you should shut up—"
"CoCaINe......."
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