Chapter 6
Closer (a taeny @ coachella fic)Day 2: Lake Eldorado
It’s 11:49 am and we finally went back to our tent in Lake Eldorado, to get a cold shower and a change of outfit for Day 2. I was wearing my black floral kimono fringe, gray sleeveless top, short ripped jeans, black Sandro velcro sneakers and I turned around and posed a little for Yuri who was trying to match her clothes behind me.
“How do I look?” I asked her while I was fixing my top.
“You look fine Tiff.” Yuri commented as she glanced at me for a brief moment, going over her second pair of t-shirt this time.
“Just fine?” I said with my eyebrows raised, braiding my hair to give me that semi-natural wavy look later.
“Yeah,” she said short.
After tying the ends of my hair I searched around and saw the summer hat I brought with me yesterday and a pair of sunglasses placed on the small table. If I had my phone fixed I could’ve had taken a selfie at this time to post it on my Instagram.
“Hey Yuri can I borrow your phone?” I was applying some bb cream on my face, sitting on the edge of the bed. “I want to take a selfie.” I told her.
“Yea sure, it’s right there on the bed I think,” she was wearing a white tank top now, and her black bra was visible from the back. I noticed a purple-red mark on her right shoulder just below her neck area as she fixed her hair to the side. Okay I’d have to ask her about that later.
I picked up her phone on the bed and unlocked it with ‘1205’. She had a notification about a text message from Hyo with 2 kiss mark emoji’s next to her name and it was only just received about 5 minutes ago.
Am I seeing this right? Kiss mark emoji’s? And two of them? Okay, I obviously wasn’t meant to see that. But wait, Hyo? As in.. Taeyeon’s cousin Hyoyeon? She and Yuri? Plus that suspicious love bite? Could it be that last night they…
I pieced two and two together and I almost did a facepalm for not realizing it earlier.
So this is what Taeyeon has been telling me..
“Yuri…uhmm.” I cleared my throat feeling awkward, her phone still in my hands, “...you got a text from Hyoyeon,”
“.” I heard her curse under her breath as she turned around. ”give me that,”
She took the phone from my hands in one swift motion and I examined her face as she read the text message from Hyoyeon. She had a raised eyebrow and a smug look on her face while she was typing her reply. This girl never hides her emotions well.
“So that’s what you guys have been keeping me in the dark from since breakfast?” I continued going over my makeup, back facing her as I was trying to put on my eyeliner while using a small mirror.
I heard her sigh. “It’s embarrassing okay?”
Embarrassing? When was this ever embarrassing for her?
I knew Yuri since high school before she even came out as a lesbian and I know about most, if not, all of her ‘admirers’ since 9th grade. I knew she had her ‘player’ tendencies in high school and she’d brag about the girls, and even guys, that swooned over her.
The last time I can recall that she was this discreet was when she had something with that junior who turned out to be in a relationship with one of our classmates in senior year, in which she found out too late. She still admitted it anyway after one drunk night and she had her reasons to hide it, but that was a different story.
I don’t get it, as far as I know she and Hyoyeon are both single. Was it because they are colleagues? Well that wasn’t a problem for her before… I can’t think of any other reasons why… Oh wait, there is one! That one time, this has happened before!
“Yuri, oh my god, don’t tell me you…” I said in a voice a pitch higher than normal, craning my neck to look at her in the face with my eyes wide. She knew what I meant by that and I know that she knew judging from the reaction on her face.
I get it now, she was the one who was whipped this time. Oh Hyoyeon, you are a jem for breaking my bestfriend. What an extremely rare occurrence.
“Yeah I know, just go take your damn selfie,” she gave me her phone and pushed me away lightly.
“Ha! Thanks, I promise I wouldn’t read your texts,” I laughed lightly at that.
I opened my account on her Instagram app and used the front camera. I fixed my summer hat and sunglasses and posed as I pressed the capture button, satisfied with the way how the picture turned out. I swiped and chose my recent favorite filter. Hmm I look nice, not bad for someone who just got her heart broken last night.
I posted my picture with a caption ‘getting ready for Day 2! #Coachella #Weekend1 P.S: I’m using Yuri’s phone right now because I broke mine,’ and tagged Yuri at the bottom part.
“What happened to your phone anyway…” Yuri asked as I returned her the phone.
“It’s not opening, and it didn’t charge when we went to that charging booth last night,” I said.
“Those charging booths are unreliable sometimes, have you tried charging it here yet?”
Okay, why didn’t I think of that? I scattered the contents of my bag to find my phone and got the charger on the top of the table. I plugged it in our portable power bank as I waited for it to do something, anything at all. Please work.
The screen lit up seconds later and it displayed the battery bar to indicate that it was charging.
“Oh my gosh! It worked!” I gasped.
“Told ya,”
I opened it immediately and I was bombarded with dozens of text messages after a few seconds of loading. I scanned at my inbox and locked it quickly as soon as I saw the name of the sender, placing it back on the table to charge. Who else? I scoffed angrily and continued going over my makeup.
“So that has been texting you huh,” Yuri said, she was peeking over my back all this time. “…after what I told him last night? The nerve!”
“Yuri stop…” I said to her as I was applying my chapstick.
“Okay but I swear if he bothers you again just tell me and I’ll-” she muttered.
“I don’t want to talk about him.” I cut her off.
“Well I have an idea, let’s talk about something else then,” Yuri sat on the bed and motioned for me to sit down with her.
I sighed as a response and went to her side, getting a pillow to hug and tuck under my chin. “Okay, let’s talk,” I said.
“About your new found friend Taeyeon,” Yuri started.
“What about her?” I responded nonchalantly.
“You do know that she’s single and she swings that way, yeah?” she asked.
“Yeah,” I nodded curtly, looking at my nails. I braced myself for what she was going to say next, for some reason I have a feeling where this conversation would lead to.
“And you do remember my friend in high school who liked you right?” she switched into her protective mom voice. That tone that she uses when she does a sermon.
“I do,” I replied short.
I knew that she was going to bring this up. Of course I remember her, she was the first girl who ever confessed to me. How could I possibly ever forget that?
“And then you led her on for months.” she said as a matter-of-factly.
“That was a different time, Yuri. I was sixteen then, I’m twenty three now.” I retorted. And the first girl whose heart I got broken.
“I’m just saying,” she trailed off, letting her back hit the bed.
“What are you implying?” I turned to look at her, lightly hitting her arms with the pillow.
“What I mean is that if this friendship is gonna continue after she comes back to London, which is most likely going to happen considering she’s invited us to a dinner party and we’re meeting her friends later…” Yuri paused, “You know what? I don’t even know why I’m more concerned for her at this point.”
“Yuri, I’m pretty sure that she’s just being a nice person.”
“Really Tiff? That’s what you think?” she said with a teasing voice, sitting up on the bed. “That’s not what Hyoyeon told me last night.”
“What—”
The tent door busted open, revealing a wet haired Sunny and Sooyoung with a towel on her head.
“Wow the shower is the best.” Sooyoung said as she went for her bag placed in the chair near us.
“Yeah, I’m so glad we splurged a bit for this,” Sunny replied, drying her hair with the towel.
- - -
“Wow, I didn’t think it would be this hot today.” I said as I walked along the crowd of Coachella, shielding my eyes from the dust using my sunglasses.
“I told you to put on sunscreen.” Yuri commented, her eyes were currently glued to her cellphone, face serious.
“Is that Hyoyeon you’re texting?” Sunny said, elbowing Yuri on the sides.
“It’s not her, have you been getting texts from…” Yuri paused, suddenly looking at me and back to Sunny, “erm.. it’s the .”
“Just ignore him, I already blocked his number.” I said.
“Oy, I got a text too.” Sooyoung said, showing her phone screen to us. “…he said he wants to meet Tiffany tonight to talk, he gave a place and time.”
“He sent the same text message to me this morning,” Sunny responded.
“Guys, can we please just enjoy our time here? I’m honestly not in the mood for that.”
My phone vibrated in my pocket and I pulled it out to see an unregistered number. I raised my eyebrows, instantly thinking that it was him and put it to silent mode. I proceeded to stuff my phone on my small bag, ignoring the looks of concern and worry the girls were giving me as we walked to the Mojave tent.
I didn’t touch my phone for the rest of the afternoon, I literally just jammed to the bands that were performing on stage. For the record, I didn’t know 2 out of the 3 bands that has performed since we got here but they provided good music and I liked it, and the whole crowd agrees.
We were situated at the right back side of the crowd as we already arrived late. A lot of people would stay in between the breaks so we didn’t get to move to the front that much. It was that crowded. But I didn’t care, if we’re going to have fun I think we shouldn’t give a damn and go all out even though we’re all practically cramped in here like sardines. I realized that these people are dealing with it too, so I wouldn’t complain anymore.
I didn’t drink the can of beer Sunny was offering me this time because I wanted to stay completely sober for this singer that I was waiting for. And then the current band on stage announced that they were playing their last song and the crowed “aww-ed” in unison. I couldn’t hide my excitement though.
“James Bay is next right?” I asked Sooyoung who was busy with her can of beer that was given to her by Sunny. I knew that she was also a fan of him.
“Yeah, I can’t wait!” she answered back, I can sense her giddiness.
I jammed to the pop-rock song and “woo-ed” with the crowd, I needed to get this off of my chest, and to at least pretend that I’m not dealing with something right now for the sake of my friends. I catch their concerned looks but I tell them not to worry and just have fun like were supposed to.
By the time the second chorus came I already memorized the lyrics and sang with the crowd, or more like yelled with them. Good thing I brought earplugs or I would be deaf right now. This is some serious destressing, the people didn’t mind though because they were yelling too. I live for this sense of unity.
After the last performance and the goodbye speeches of the band, I looked at my wristwatch and it was already 4:10pm, and that means there’s still 20 minutes before James Bay. I sat down on the grass covered with a picnic blanket, courtesy of Sooyoung’s ex-boyfriend, and we waited for James Bay as I thought of what to wear for the dinner party tonight.
What would Taeyeon like? I guess she likes the edgy type, she totally has that rocker vibe.
Now I feel bad not knowing a thing about Taeyeon’s band, and I don’t even know her band name. I didn’t get to ask her. Very nice Tiffany, to think that you’re going to meet her bandmates tonight too, and that ‘girlfriend’ of hers.
I decided to just ask Sunny since she’s practically done her research on Taeyeon already. I waited for her to finish her conversation with Sooyoung about this wine she tested before I called out to her.
“Sunny.”
“Yes?” she looked at me.
“Can you tell me the things you know about Taeyeon’s band?” I asked her, moving a bit closer so she could hear. “their band name and all.”
“Their band name is Diadem and they formed about 3 years ago, they consist of four members,” she looked up as if trying to recall. ”and that’s all I would let you know for now, the rest is a surprise so you could just ask her later.” she winked.
“Diadem? Like the symbol for royalty?” I ignored her obvious teasing.
“Yeah, they also have their debut album on Spotify, I checked it out last night and it was so great!” Sunny fangirled. “I should ask Taeyeon for a signed copy of their album.”
“Oh, is that why you were being so nice to her this morning? She has your number too.”
“Hey, that was genuine, when am I ever not nice?” Sunny said in a slightly whiny voice.
“Seriously Sunny you’re asking that?” Yuri suddenly said, she was listening to our conversation all this time. “Each time that I had introduced my ex-girlfriends to you, maybe,” she snorted jokingly.
Me and Sooyoung laughed at the same time.
“I was just trying to warn them about what they were getting into,” Sunny replied, her face stoic. “I like Hyoyeon though, she’s nice and she’s got you whipped, I need to witness puppy Yul before I die,”
“Wait, so…you and Hyoyeon are actually a thing?” Sooyoung interjected, face filled with confusion as she looked at Yuri.
“Hyoyeon is not my girlfriend. I wanna clarify that,” Yuri said, exhaling loudly through her nose as she massaged her temple.
“I just thought that you two hit it off well so I just assumed you were dating,” Sooyoung commented nonchalantly.
“You’re totally right Sooyoung,” Sunny commented and looked at me for a brief moment. “they fit so well with each other,”
“Yo people! It’s James Bay!!” someone from the crowd suddenly yelled and pointed out to the singer who was mentioned.
“Oh my god!” Sooyoung got up and she pulled me up with her. I saw James Bay walking out from the backstage as he was waving to the crowd.
All the blood rushed from my feet to my face as I jumped and fangirled with Sooyoung.
“Hey everyone,” he said through the microphone, picking up his guitar as he started strumming. “I hope you enjoy.”
The crowd cheered loudly.
Comments