"Tiffany. You know I think you would be great as a solo artist. Put you with a guitar and you seem to be able to come up with such poignant heartfelt melodies and songs. Honestly it's such a shame, but unfortunately, the compant doesn't currently have a slot for a solo artist of your style, and the president has made it know that he wants you to be trained to be paced in a large girl group. Something of a totally different feel with what you are clearly comfortable with. We're getting there, but I want you to know we really have to work hard, the board is decided on the final draft of girls within the next half-year or so and the president has made it clear to be you have to be on the list."

“I will work hard songsaenim.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tiffany sighed as she texted Nayeong to see where she was. It was hard enough as it is so sing in front of anyone who wasn’t Lexi, but even harder when she had to do it without the familiar comfort of a guitar. To her, a guitar was like a pacifier for a baby. It really serves no actual purpose except to soothe her nerves. The melody was secondary to the lyrics, but the melody made it easier to get her feelings across. To top it off, she had to sing songs she couldn’t connect emotionally with in a heartfelt manner while acting cute and pretty! It’s like going against every grain of her body! But she had no choice.

Tiffany sighed again and pushed all thoughts aside as she saw Nayeong approaching with…Jessica? Whatever, it’s not like she was against the two of them becoming friends. Nayeong could use with more friends, even if it was inconveniently a girl Tiffany lusted after.

These days it wasn’t so bad. Between being concerned for Nayeong and trying to work out her ‘stage fright’ and a million other things, Tiffany didn’t have much time to get all hot and bothered over her gorgeous roommate. But every once in a while, Tiffany would catch herself running her eyes over Jessica’s body, caressing every dip and curve with gleaming orbs, darkening and dilated with lust. More often than not, these occasional lapses in self-control resulted in hours spent in front of the wooden dummy until her knuckles and fists were red and smarting, which was a much more welcome and familiar sensation compared to the slow-burning that left Tiffany all hot and wound-up. And as Tiffany watched the two approach her, she knew this was one of those days.

“How was your day Pancakes?”

Tiffany saw Jessica arch a shapely eyebrow at the cheesy term of endearment.

“Okaley dokely! Hi-dilly-ho! Fan-freaking-tastic!”

“There’s no need for sarcasm Patty Cakes.”

Now both eyebrows were raised.

“Whatever, let’s find Taeyeon and go home. By the way, why did you change clothes and…why do you smell like Jessica?” Tiffany was already mentally scolding herself the moment the words left . How creepy would that sound to Jessica? How the hell would she know what Jessica smelled like in the first place? How the hell would she explain to Jessica that her distinctive faint scent of tangy freshly peeled tangerines always drove Tiffany Hulk-crazy with lust?

Jessica and Nayeong froze. Darn Tiffany for being so flippin’ observant! Tiffany on the other hand, took their widened eyes and slightly agape lips to be a sign that she really had freaked them out with her creepiness.

“I uhh…” Tiffany’s mind was sprinting in circles trying to find a suitable non-creepy explanation.

“I accidently spilled coffee over the both of us and I had to use Jessica’s shampoo and body wash in the shower,” Nayeong replied smoothly after a moments pause. Jessica just nodded, rather too enthusiastically, but Tiffany didn’t notice, she was just relieved she didn’t have to explain her stalker-like behavior. Taeyeon joined the throng at that moment and saved both parties from delving into the matter any further.

The four started to make their way out of SM when Tiffany realized she had left some Korean pronunciation notes she needed in her locker. She told the others to wait in the lobby as she sprinted back to grab her stuff. The remaining three stayed and made small talk.

As Tiffany retrieved her notes from her locker, she heard the gossiping voices of the four people she loved the most in the world. The Cheap Plastics. Their voices were slightly muffled by the wall of lockers between them but Tiffany heard what she needed to hear.

“Jessica was really mad wasn’t she?”

“Yea…I can’t believe she jumped you like that Yeonhi.”

“Whatever! It’s not like I was even talking about her! Crazy ! She and that deserved it! Next time it won’t just be coffee I dump all over their cheap whorish asses!”

Tiffany had heard enough. She didn’t give a crap about what those girls say about her, but she would not have them talk about Nayeong in that way! Tiffany slammed her locker shut and strode angrily over to the four girls.

“What did you call her?” Tiffany’s voice was soft, almost breathy. There was a definite menacing edge underlying those words.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Yeonhi scoffed.

“What did you call my friend?” A little stronger now, a harsh grating in her voice that caught Yeonhi’s attention, made the girl narrow her eyes, daring Tiffany, goading her.

“Since when did trash talk?” Yeonhi spat. Tiffany couldn’t explain it. She could care less what they said of her, but for some reason, it cut much deeper when the same was said of Nayeong. That silly woman was hers to protect and cherish.

Just like Lexi…yes…exactly like Lexi.

Tiffany strode right into their circle and stood nose to nose with Yeonhi. Actually it was nose to lip as Yeonhi was a bit taller, but the girl’s stature did nothing to intimidate Tiffany. Everything part of Tiffany was challenging Yeonhi, her stance, her closeness, her burning eyes, which had dilated into cesspools of fire. The shorter girl had a dominating air about her that almost cowed the taller girl. Almost.

“What. Did. You. Call. My. Friend.” Tiffany demanded once more, her voice dangerously soft. Yeonhi could almost swear she heard a low growl.

“. I called her a ,” Yeonhi whispered provokingly into Tiffany’s face, her own voice also held an edge. She wouldn’t let Tiffany cow her. Her ego wouldn’t allow it. She had insulted and abused this girl in front of her for months, made her out to be a cheap- and human trash. She would not allow something she had deemed sub-human to frighten her into submission. That would be admitting that she was either wrong or she was not even on par with this piece of filth.

Tiffany breathed in deep through clenched teeth. They were so close she was breathing in Yeonhi’s exhaled air. Tiffany gripped her sweatpants, trying to control her rage, trying not to go berserk, trying to keep herself from striking out at the girl, from going all Short Round on her and smashing that pretty face into the tiled locker-room floor.

“You need to apologize,” Tiffany said as she took a step back, breathing deep calming breaths. Yeonhi took the retreat as a sign that Tiffany had submitted. She gained confidence and she grew bolder.

Big. Mistake.

What she hadn’t realized was that the distance between the two was now perfect for Tiffany to strike.

Yeonhi smirked.