There was a lot of light in the apartment, along with messy sheets and a woman lying on the bed trying to wake up properly through tired eyes. They fluttered open through one blink, two blinks, and then the third one came along before she managed to gain the strength to sit up.

For a moment she almost forgot what had happened that night, but she didn’t need to be reminded. Despite her aching head from a slight hangover, and her dry mouth, she could faintly remember what happened. She saw a blurry image, waiting for it to clear up, like when she waited for her camera to focus on something when she took pictures in the park…

Long, golden brown hair with pale skin, small frame, and delicate hands. She could almost hear the sarcasm run from the girl’s lips, her soft voice and colorful vocabulary. It played around her head like a broken record; Jessica…

She turned around slowly, missing some warmth, which had long left her judging by the cold. The space was, needless to say, empty and with no presence. Tiffany wasn’t quite sure of what to expect by that; she wasn’t hurt, she wasn’t going to cry, nor did she feel pain.

Still, there was something unpleasant lingering around, something that resembled disappointment and that sinking feeling you get when you give your hopes up. She didn’t really expect Jessica to stay, and she mostly wanted her one night stands to be gone an hour later.

Tiffany didn’t remember when she fell asleep, and she didn’t remember Jessica leaving either. Maybe it was right after, maybe an hour later; she didn’t know or she didn’t want to know. The only thing she did was to get up from the bed, morning sun seeping through the dusty and broken shutters by the window. Her feet guide her to the bathroom, splashing some water onto her face, the cold calming her racing mind down again. She left, it wasn’t a big deal, and she’d get over it in five minutes anyway.

Her eyes guide themselves up to the mirror, watching the tired reflection of her skin. Dark circles and leftover makeup lingered beneath her eyelashes and made her look like a panda. She wasn’t sure if she was going to laugh or not, but she smiled ever so slightly before lifting her hand towards the end of the medicine cabinet that was her mirror.

She halted her movements however, the moment a yellow post-it note was in her sight. One she hadn’t even remembered plastering on there, for the record, her hands tearing it off for her to read it clearly.

“Baby, you’re the best - J”  

A light nudge awoke her from her recollecting thoughts, the light pressure of someone sitting beside her on the black, leather sofa. “We’re on in five, stop smoking and get up,” Taeyeon said then, with a puff of smoke escaping Tiffany’s red lips, but at that point she couldn’t really give a damn for the no smoking sign or Taeyeon’s bossy words.

That incident and that note was two years ago, and she had no idea how she came to think of it in that moment. Tiffany didn’t give that one night stand much thought later, because she’d have gigs and talent scouts and a future record deal to think of during that time. A lot had happened during a couple of years for the band; sometimes Tiffany could barely keep up.

One night they were at the right gig at the right time, with an offer to play at an even bigger event, before suddenly singles and albums were a part of the conversations. Soon enough they did professionally make and release their first single; no lie, it was tough as hell and they’d spend many restless nights to perfect everything, but the realization of releasing their first single kept them going. They’d worked so hard for this, they were damned if they were going to fail that one shot.

To their own relief they didn’t, and it sold well to be from a rookie band. It wasn’t an instant all-kill, but they gained a steady fan base throughout the months, and with more exposure the more they sold. It kept them happy and busy at the same time; interviews, radio shows, live shows and even album preparations.

This was one of their bigger shows, possibly the biggest one yet and their first international music festival act. They were backstage outside the Australian heat and sun that summer, Seohyun drumming on random surfaces and Tiffany should have practiced a bit more, but instead of feeling nervous for the coming show, she was thinking about something or someone else.

It had been two years, how did she even remember? Why was the image of the note she threw away so clear to her mind all of the sudden, as if she went back in time?

“You guys are up next,” a man said absentmindedly while not looking up from his iPad at all. Probably too focused on getting everyone else in order. Tiffany didn’t care; she simply got up to throw her halfway finished cigarette out somewhere, before grabbing her guitar.

The nerves kicked in gradually, and it only increased the more she moved towards the stage, the crowd shouting wildly. A male host was introducing them, shouting their name out loud to the fans and those who didn’t know who they were. Loud enough for it to echo through the speakers, the bass from the random background music heavy on her heart, her fingers gripping the guitar tightly.

“Let’s blow their minds,” Taeyeon said while adjusting her red jacket, looking up at both Seohyun and Tiffany herself with a small smile. She was the eldest of the three, and she’d always had this type of responsibility to her, something Tiffany admired.

Taeyeon held out her hand as they stood in a small circle, Tiffany’s hand following before the youngest placed hers on top for their ritual chant. It sounded a bit stupid, but it was tradition, and it usually calmed her nerves down; it meant that she wasn’t alone in this.

 “One – two-three, TTS!”

And Tiffany thought the show was going to go great, a blur of her walking down the huge stage, huger than the ones before. She could barely remember getting to her assigned place, strumming the first notes, jamming along the crowd while singing her own parts. Her heart was still beating rapidly, the adrenaline of the crowd cheering coursing through her veins and various banners in the crowd.

Two years had passed and she’d seen the world; lit it up as her own stage, playing their songs with a smile on her face, hips swaying lightly to the music.

She felt great, she felt alive, but there was an odd hunch. A hunch that she couldn’t ignore, that almost drove her insane, even if there wasn’t anything to expect to begin with. She let her gaze fall through the crowd, through the back, towards the middle, and down to the front. There was a smile plastered on her face, as if she was paying attention to the fans, and even if she was, it was only half of it.

Tiffany was searching for something, her mind told her to even if she had no idea for what, but it didn’t take long before she suddenly recognized a certain golden brown haired woman in the midst of the crowd. The surprise hit her so hard, that she strummed the wrong note and almost missed a beat, but she was quick to recover, playing it off as if it was nothing.

Impossible; it couldn’t be her; she hadn’t seen Jessica in over two years. It wouldn’t really make sense, because the world may be small, but it still felt odd.

She continued to play however, waking up the crowd by singing along or smiling ever so slightly, but it felt a bit lost. To be honest, after the sight of her, Tiffany couldn’t really concentrate. Her guitar was fine, the show went as expected, well except for that little mishap, and Seohyun and Taeyeon were doing well as well. She wasn’t doing any mistakes, but her mind seemed to be elsewhere, trying not to look over at that direction again.

“Thank you Sydney!” Taeyeon shouted through the microphone after the last song, her hands in the air while waving to the crowd. Her small stance lit up then, a bright smile on her face, and even Seohyun was grinning from ear to ear. Glowing from their face and sparkling eyes, red cheeks by the heat, both of them looked so complete then. As they belonged to the stage and Tiffany wanted to feel the same.

When Taeyeon turned around to face her, a huge smile on her face, it faded slightly. Tiffany hated that she could read her so well, and there was something running through her gaze that resembled confusion for Tiffany’s sudden mood change. Tiffany shook her head ever so slightly, plastering a new smile on her face to the crowd.

Maybe she should stop thinking, and concentrate about that they just performed their biggest event yet but she couldn’t. An image of golden brown hair, pale face, soft skin, thin frame and easy-going voice…

“Tiff, what the hell happened?” was the first thing Taeyeon asked when they stepped off the stage and got rid of all the random gadgets connected to them. The said girl could only shrug, because she didn’t know why it happened, not really.

“Nothing,” Tiffany replied shortly, shrugging off the stiff jacket to only wear the crop-top underneath. It was hot outside, they were in Sydney during the summer, and the general heat from the whole stage and event didn’t help. Small beads of sweat were tricking down her neck, as she tied her loose hair up in a ponytail. Her mind went back to Jessica, wondering why she was there. Did she know they were playing? Did she actually remember the band? Did she remember her?

Why in the hell did Tiffany care to begin with? She never cared for a one night stand, or anyone who was in her bed no matter what hour, because she didn’t do relationships and she wouldn’t either.

But she couldn’t ignore the strange yet slightly pleasing flutter in her stomach or the giddiness in her nerves as she took out another cigarette from her Marlboro pack. They’d calm her nerves; they always did.

She tried to distract herself, but she couldn’t, and soon the curiosity took over her. She had to find her before she’d disappear again. “I’ll be right back,” Tiffany excused herself, ignoring Seohyun’s confused look and Taeyeon’s protests, something about having to meet the manager, but she couldn’t care. She had to know, even if she wasn’t sure about what she had to figure out.

But how would she find her? Jessica could be anywhere, the festival was huge and Tiffany couldn’t go in peace, not without people hanging around backstage to get an autograph.

The cigarette was still in her hands, and she took another drag while trying to figure out what to do. She didn’t have her number, obviously, and she still couldn’t go out…

“Looking for me?”

With a small yelp Tiffany couldn’t help but let escape, she lost the grip on her cigarette, turning around to meet a pair of eyes she hadn’t seen for a while. A small spark in them, something playful, with an equally as mischievous smile on her lips.

“It’s been a while,” Jessica began, leaning on the metal pole. Up close Tiffany could see the tight, white skirt on her slightly fuller body, but it wasn’t really meant in a bad way. The curve of her waist was a bit more prominent, and she looked very… for the lack of better words, hot.

“Yes, it has,” Tiffany voiced out then, hating how she sounded so love-struck. “You’re here, in Sydney?” was the only thing Tiffany could ask, a bit too fast, and a bit too eager. “What a strange coincidence.” She had to try to smooth down the awkwardly keen vibe she must be giving.

Jessica didn’t really seem to care, shrugging softly before adjusting the sunglasses on top of her head. “I came to visit my sister, we went here together,” Jessica replied. “She’s actually a fan of your band, but I lost her in the crowd, and she’s probably climbing over the fence to be her starstruck-self.”

Tiffany couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped her lips. “And how did you get in here?” she had to ask, because she was pretty sure Jessica didn’t actually have a backstage pass.

“I’m too short for that,” she said then, not really answering her question. “I just passed by security when they weren’t paying attention, you should tell them that the guards here ,” Jessica finished a bit humorously, still a small smile on her pretty face, and Tiffany had no idea over how she was supposed to feel about that sudden unusual feeling.

“You look good,” Jessica complimented then, standing in front of her, and Tiffany had no idea over what was even going on. They hadn’t spoken a word to each other after one night two years ago, and yet they were talking to each other as if they knew each other. “Photos don’t seem to do you justice.”

Tiffany had no ing idea if that was a pick up line that didn’t seem to make sense, or if Jessica was trying to be friendly, but she nodded either way. She couldn’t be too sure with Jessica, because she’d only known her intimately, and they hadn’t even known each other for twenty four hours before she suddenly left.

“Same goes to you Princess,” the title came out from her lips naturally, just like when they first met, and then multiple images went through her head. All about the playground, where they played around like children under the city lights, to her then apartment and everything that happened then.

“Calm down, I’m not going to jump on you or anything,” Jessica said then, as if reading Tiffany’s wandering mind at that moment. She wasn’t sure if she actually felt relieved by that or rather not, it was a tough question, because she didn’t know how she even felt about anything right then.

But a moment of silence passed them by, filled with something in the air that made Tiffany want to take another smoke, her lips wanting something and her foot tapping a bit impatiently. It was as if she was waiting, but she didn’t know what she was waiting for.

Another second or two, and the tension in the air fell down to nothing as she could feel the press of Jessica’s lips on hers. Warm from the heat, a bit dry, but still as soft and hard as she remembered it to be. Her chest was pressed against hers, Tiffany trying to hold her balance. She didn’t even know who leaned in first; was it her? Was it Jessica? Or maybe both of them at the same time?

Either way she found herself a bit lost in the feel of it all with her hand on Jessica’s neck to pull her closer, the taste of summer lemonade on her lips, and something she couldn’t pinpoint. She didn’t even know that she sort of missed it, not until that moment which felt like the end of a long countdown.

Why did she feel like that? It was just a kiss, nothing serious, yet…

They parted after a moment, Jessica being the first to let go. There was something hiding in the spark of her eyes again, something a bit lustful, a bit frisky that couldn’t mean anything good. “Where will you be tonight?” she asked, a bit breathlessly, tilting her head slightly with her now red lips.

“Four Seasons,” was the only thing Tiffany could say, not really knowing what was going on or what she was getting herself into. The only thing she could think of was the fact that she was glad she wasn’t sharing a room with anyone, even if she wasn’t really grasping the fact of what might happen.

Jessica let out a small smirk then, placing the sunglasses on top of her sly gaze. “Good, I’ll meet you in the lobby,” she said then, probably not understanding how risky that was because technically, Tiffany was a celebrity with people almost everywhere. A scandal of Tiffany’s real uality couldn’t come out, not when the band was so new, trying to make their way.

But why didn’t she seem to care?

“I’m only free after midnight,” Tiffany said then, making it sound even more like something she shouldn’t think too much about; like another one night stand which she shouldn’t be having. Yet Jessica only smiled, before leaning in to another hard kiss on her lips. Leaving Tiffany surprised to say the least, but she kissed back, enjoying the feeling.

“See you then,” Jessica waved goodbye, her lips still red from Tiffany’s lipstick, before walking away with a certain sway to her hips. Something that seemed a bit too casual and effortless, but Tiffany had a feeling it was more for a tease than anything else, and she had to think over the fact that this woman claimed she was straight.