A/N: Ok peeps, slight change. Park Soojin is now Park Kahi. I finally realized that the person I was imagining as Soojin actually fit the description of Kahi pretty well... Now I haven't gone back to change it in the previous chapters as I'm kinda feeling lazy right now...but yea...just a heads up.

Without further ado...

“Tiff?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m sorry.”

“What is this nonsense Jessica?”

“Those things I said to you…you never really let me apologize…I’m sorry.”

“Jessica, there is nothing to apologize for, and I am not one to say something and mean something else. I won’t forgive you because there is nothing to forgive. So don’t ask again.”

“Tiff?”

“Hmm?”

“Can you call me Jessi from now on?”

“Whatever you want princess.”

“Yah!”

“…”

“Tiff?”

“Hmm?”

“I like you.”

“…I like you too Jessi.”

“Tiff?”

“Darn it Jessica! If you’re going to keep me up at least let me get something out of it!”

“Goodnight Tiff.”

“Night Jessi.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A week later, the board finally came out with a tentative name-list for the girls to be put into a new girl group. There were eight names.

Tiffany wasn’t one of them.

Jessica had been distraught and upset the entire day over the news and Tiffany ended up taking the older girl home early, telling their dance instructor Jessica wasn’t feeling well and would need some TLC.

Tiffany herself was not as upset per say, she felt more sorry than anything else. Mr. Lee had his heart set on having her in the group, but the board was not convinced that Tiffany would fit in the image of the girl group they wanted to promote.

Cute. Bubbly. Bright.

None of which was Tiffany. Which was not a problem if Tiffany could at least present that image when she needed to. But she couldn’t.

Jessica had fallen into an exhaustive sleep after rampaging through their dorm and throwing a huge incensed fit about how the board members were ‘complete imbecilic idiots’. Tiffany was just strumming absentmindedly on her guitar when the doorbell rang.

Tiffany quickly got up to answer the door in case the person rang a second time and woke up Jessica.

It was Mr. Lee, and he looked really flustered and upset.

“Mr. Lee I –”

“One week. I convinced them to give you one week to change their mind. I’m pulling all sorts of strings here my dear. I need for you to be in that group! You need to try. I know you’re nothing like what they want, and I wouldn’t have you any other way. Somber, macabre, and seriously unsmiling. That’s you and I would never change that for anything. But I–”

This time it was Tiffany’s turn to cut him off.

“I wouldn’t think of failing Mr. Lee. I’ll see you and the board in one week,” she assured him with what she hoped was a bright smile. What? She may as well try being bright and bubbly now shouldn’t she?

She saw Mr. Lee do a double take and let out a slow calming breath.

“Tiffany…you are an amazing girl. You have a conviction and devotion I haven’t seen in most trainees. I just wish they could see what I see in you,” Mr. Lee sighed.

“And they will,” Tiffany said as she stepped up to give Mr. Lee a hug that was long overdue.

She felt the man instinctively wrap his thickset arms around her, his cheek resting on the top of her head. Being a father came naturally to this man. It was truly a shame he didn’t have his own children and ended up with someone as messed up as her instead.

The buttons of his suit pressed into her cheeks and Tiffany felt a sudden burning in her eyes. There were no tears, but the burning was warning enough. Tiffany quickly pulled away and bowed low to the man in front of her, trying to hide her moment of vulnerability. But the man wouldn’t have it. He wanted a proper goodbye. He brought her back up by her shoulders and Tiffany saw a hint of uncertainty in his eyes before he tentatively leaned in and pressed a loving kiss on her forehead.

A fatherly kiss.

The burning was almost searing Tiffany’s eyeballs now and she thought them in danger of bursting into little orbs of fire, but she kept herself still.

“Goodbye Tiffany…”

“Goodbye…Mr. –” Tiffany couldn’t bring herself to say it. Her eyes were almost blurring over in their desperation to keep the tears at bay. Mr. Lee seemed to understand. Without another word or a glance back, he walked away, leaving pieces of a twelve-year-old Stephanie trailing behind him.

Tiffany immediately went to the bathroom and splashed her face with cold water, trying to get rid of the burning. She looked at herself in the mirror and saw Stephanie blink back at her. This Stephanie was had tear-streaked eyes and was crying for someone who would never come back. She slowly brought her hand up to touch her cheek where Mr. Lee’s suit button had made an indent. Almost the exact same spot where…

Tiffany blinked…and Stephanie was gone.

She shook her head to clear the image and then she thought of the one place that could possibly help her.

DaMasque.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The place wasn’t open, but this was perfect for Tiffany. Now if only she could be sure that Kahi would help her.

She called Kahi’s number and the woman told her to come in through the third side entrance. Kahi was there to greet her right at the door, looking actually quite pleased to see Tiffany. Going in, Tiffany found the girls of the club getting ready. This was what she wanted to see.

These girls transformed themselves into kittens every night. They obviously didn’t have lustful feelings towards their patrons, yet they skillfully manage to convince each and every one that they are completely and utterly desirable in the hours they’re paid for. Convince these patrons that as a girl, they would want nothing more than to ‘jump their bones’ so to speak. Convince these lustful men and women that they would want no one else but them.

Tiffany could passingly convince most people she was a bumbling fool, but even that act hadn’t gotten past Jessica. Plus the bumbling, meek, clumsy act involved Tiffany staring at the ground half the time. Hiding your true emotions were hardly a difficult thing to do when you could conceal yourself behind a curtain of hair.

Tiffany wasn’t an actress, but she would have to learn to become one. She turned to Kahi.

“I need to learn how to become a bubbly, bright, ditzy, brainless, conventional, boring Barbie. The perfect role model of young girls all around apparently.”