“I’m Tiffany.”  The girl smiled brightly, causing her eyes to form lovely crescent shapes.

“I’m Taeyeon.”  The taller girl smiled back, showing her dimples.

It may have been a long time ago…

But I remember exactly how we met.

I knew there was something different about you.

But I never said a word.

“Did you do the homework?”

“It took quite a while, but yeah, I did.  I don’t think any of my answers are right, though.  How ridiculous is this?  It’s the first day of school and our teacher gives us 80 math questions to do.  I don’t think students are supposed to work past bed time until the 8^th grade.”

“You have a bed time?”  Taeyeon laughed at Tiffany.

“Yes, because I kind of like my sleep.  It’s nothing that you should be teasing me about, you big meanie.”

“You’re short… and ugly, too.”  Taeyeon stuck her tongue out.

“At least I don’t laugh like an old lady!”

I didn’t know it back then…

Well…

Maybe my heart did, but my brain sure didn’t.

I never said a word.

“How was your summer?”  Taeyeon herself had matured over the holiday but her smile never changed.

“I… ate everything.”  Tiffany laughed and dodged Taeyeon’s attempt at ruffling her hair.

“Whoa, I think you grew!”

“Really?”  Tiffany gasped.  “Come here.  I want to see if I’m taller than you.”

“That would never happen.  I was taller than you last year!”

“Well, things have changed!  I’m taller than you now!”  She cheered happily and danced around.

“Whatever.  Taller people hug better.”

“Oh, shut up.”  Tiffany smiled and playfully shoved Taeyeon into a wall.

I had great timing when I think I started to realize it…

I never said a word.

 “You and Nichkhun are seriously so cute together!”  Taeyeon pinched Tiffany’s cheeks, making the latter blush.

“Are we?”

“Yes, really!  Oh, here he comes!  I’ll leave you two alone.”  Taeyeon ran to join the other friends, leaving Tiffany alone with Nichkhun.

We’re cute together, huh?  Then how come I’ve never felt so lonely in my life?

Tiffany couldn’t figure it out.  It seemed that the spark was fading… if there was any spark to begin with.

It breaks my heart to realize how much time I wasted…

Time that I could’ve spent with you.

It bothered me deeply.

I just never said a word.

“I don’t think it’s working out, Tiffany.  You’ve changed…”

“Have I?  I’m not the one who’s suddenly trashing your friends to your face or lecturing others about how their love isn’t right, am I?  Look at us in the mirror and don’t tell me that I’m the one who’s changed.  I get it now; your excuse of being tired all the time.  You’re tired of us.”

“So maybe I am.  You’re not doing your part of the relationship.”

“I am.  We’re still young.  We’re not married yet.  So stop acting like you can control everything I do.  Even if we were married, you still shouldn’t.  I feel really bad for your future girlfriend, you know?  Give her a heads up will you?  Don’t act sensitive and respectful when in reality, you’re just as terrible as you think I am.”

I didn’t feel any pain when he left me…

But when you were too busy for me, my heart was shattered.

I just never said a word.

“Hey, do you want to meet up after school this week?”  Tiffany managed to catch Taeyeon in the stairwell between classes.

“Uhm… which day?”

“Maybe Friday?”

“I can’t, Friday.  That’s when the first council meeting is.”

“Uhm… Thursday?”

“Aw, but I have to stay after school on the other days.  Thursday’s the only day I have off.”

“Then… maybe the weekend?”

“I have volunteering on Saturday and I need to do my homework on Sunday.”

“Oh…”

“Hey, I gotta go.  I’ll see you later!”

So I tried becoming close with you again…

I tried to become your best friend again…

I didn’t mean to fall in love with you.

You didn’t notice it.

But I never said a word.

“Tiffany!  Hi!”  Taeyeon ran towards Tiffany from the other end of the hallway.  All of the students in the classrooms stared towards the dork in amusement.

“Yah, Taeyeon, people are staring!”

“Hehehe… Oops…  Can’t I be happy to see you?”  Taeyeon reached forward to pinch Tiffany’s pink cheeks.

“E-eh…  Yeah.”  Tiffany blushed slightly and backed away, tripping over her own foot.

“Whoa!  Be careful!”  Taeyeon caught her by the shoulder and laughed, making Tiffany’s face turn even redder.  “You’re so cute when you’re embarrassed.”

“Ahh… stop it!”  Tiffany pulled away and avoided making eye contact.

I don’t know if I should call it a good feeling or if I should label it as a curse.

I hated it and loved it at the same time.

But I never said a word.

“Tae?  Why are you crying?  Are you alright?”  Tiffany sat down next to Taeyeon, who was crying into her hands.

“He asked me out…”

“What?  That’s great!  Why are you crying?”

“Because he cancelled on me…  And then I saw him outside, holding hands with another girl.”

“Oh man…  What a jerk.”

“I can’t help it.  I like him so much.  And it hurts even more.”

“He doesn’t know what he’s missing, Tae.”

Is it wrong to wish you didn’t like anybody else?

“I don’t know what to do.  I have so much to do over the weeken-” Tiffany was cut off by Taeyeon’s back hug.

“I miss this.”

“Miss what?”  Tiffany’s heart started pounding again.

“Spending time with you.  You know, just the two of us.  I miss that.”

“Hm, me too.”  She tried to avoid stuttering, picturing herself smacking the butterflies in her stomach that were teasing her about how much she loved Taeyeon.

But moments of pure bliss can’t keep happening.

They all have an end.

I’ll miss them.

But I promised that I wouldn’t say a word.

“I got accepted!”  Taeyeon ran towards Tiffany with her university acceptance letters in her hands.

“Which one?”

“Every one that I applied for!  I got in!”

“So which are you going for?”

“I still don’t know… but Harvard is so far away.”

“Hey, go for the one you really want.  Don’t turn that offer down just because you’ll miss your home too much.”

“It’s not home that I’ll miss.  I’ll miss you the most.”

“I’ll visit you, don’t worry!”

“What if we grow apart?”

“Well, you better make sure that we don’t!”

“I promise I won’t let it happen.”

____

But words can’t promise anything.

“I promise I’ll always be here for you.”

“I’ll never leave you.”

You kept every single promise except those two.

“He proposed!  I’m getting married!”

“Wow, congratulations, Tae!”  I forced a smile.

“What about you?  Don’t tell me that you don’t have a boyfriend yet.”

“Uhm, well.”

“Does my Tiffany not know what it’s like to fall in love?”

“… I do.  I’m just haven’t told them yet.”

“Well do it soon, before you lose the chance!”

I already lost the chance…

“You may now kiss the bride.”

I painfully watched you, the one I’ve loved for over ten years, marry someone else.

I wasn’t good enough for you.

I tried my best but it wasn’t enough.

I never gave up but it wasn’t enough.

I wasn’t good enough.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Tiff.  What’s up?”

“Nothing much.  I’m working on my next project for work.  What about you?”

“I’m on my way to Leeteuk’s house.”

“Wait, are you driving?  You shouldn’t use the phone and drive at the same time.”

“Don’t worry about it, I’m fine.”

“Yeah well, I will worry about it.  Call me back later.  I want you to be safe, o-  Taeyeon?”

After a series of tire screeches, I heard no response.

“Taeyeon?!”

It didn’t matter how much I cried or begged the nurses at the hospital.

Nothing would bring you back.

They just looked at me sadly.

One was even kind enough to drive me home.

But after weeks of crying and refusing to leave the house, nothing changed.

What’s the point?

I could never see you again.

But the time came.

“Is there anyone who would like to say a few words before the burial?”

My entire life was spent chasing you.

I put everything aside to help you.

We grew up together,

We laughed together,

And

We cried together.

But tonight I’m crying alone…

Because I never said three words to you.

I love you.