A/N : Apologies for the late update. I hope this chapter would be good enough though. With the sadness, followed by memories and then slight fluffy-ness at the end.

Hope you guys would enjoy this chapter and Happy Chinese New Year !

Word count : 2814

 

Stars Align (Chapter Eight)

‘Get her on the phone now,’ Tiffany had demanded.

‘Miss Hwang, but Mrs Hwang is really busy and she can’t get to you at the moment,’ the receiver had apologized on the phone.

‘So her daughter isn’t important?’ the brunette was so close to raging.

‘Who said so?’ Tiffany heaved a sigh of relief after hearing her mother on the phone.

‘You,’ Tiffany paused, ‘why are you always so busy that you don’t even have time for a phone calling session?’

‘Awww baby,’ Mrs Hwang had looked down and dropped her pen, ‘it’s all about work, isn’t it?’

‘Do you mean you’re always occupied with work or are you trying to ask me question?’ Tiffany had raised her curious tone across to her mother.

‘I am always occupied by work, of course. So, what happened to my dearest girl?’ Mrs Hwang had asked carefully, knowing that any single word that she’d uttered wrongly would ignite the fire in Tiffany.

‘Why is Katherine Nicole back?’ the brunette had gritted her teeth, it’s still funny how Katherine has been in Tiffany’s life for 25 years, yet mentioning her name still causes resentment to rise in Tiffany’s heart.

Mrs Hwang had massaged her temple using her right hand while holding her mobile using her left hand, ‘Tiffany, do you really want to talk about it?’

“Since I’ve already brought up the topic, why would I not want to?”

“She isn’t in her best condition right now”

‘What do you mean by that?’ the brunette raised her eyebrow.

‘She has fallen ill, and it’s not exactly curable. She wanted to go back to Korea to visit her daughter and her friend,’ a sigh could be heard from the receiver’s end.

‘What exactly happened?’ Tiffany couldn’t stop her thumping heart from beating faster, though she did dislike Katherine, she didn’t want Tegan to be entirely motherless.

‘I guess it’d be better if you could ask her face to face.’

And the call had ended with an ‘I’m sorry.’

-/-/-/-/-/

‘Good morning beautiful,’ Katherine had greeted Tegan with a thin smile.

‘Morning,’ the latter had walked past Katherine with a slight smile.

It has been a week since Katherine had moved in and the four of them seemed to be getting along quite well with occasion quarrels. But those quarrels were often resolved with Katherine being the one who apologized first.

‘Good morning,’ Tiffany had offered Katherine a cup of orange juice when the latter had walked into her direction.

‘Thanks?’ Katherine accepted the juice with an awkward bowing of head.

Since it was a Saturday morning, Jessica had gone for her morning shift work and the house was only left with the three of them.

Katherine had woken up earlier than expected to prepare some pancakes for Tegan and had settled them on a plate with a cup of milk on the dining table. The younger girl was munching happily on the pancakes as Katherine and Tiffany were in the kitchen, watching her eat.

‘So, you prepared all these for the girl?’ Tiffany had rested her elbows on the counter top as she watched Katherine opening the refrigerator for a bar of chocolate.

‘Yeah, I’ve done them. There are extras on the other plate if you’re hungry though,’ Katherine had undone the chocolate and was met with the aluminum foil.

‘Are you ill?’ Tiffany let the words rolled out of her tongue but she spoke in a hushed tone.

‘What did you say?’ Katherine had gone nearer to Tiffany, ‘I am not.’

The former had avoided the word ‘ill’ as if it was a taboo.

Tiffany sighed before she continued, ‘you’re avoiding the word that means you’re, ill.’

‘Stop it, the girl is outside,’ Katherine had walked some steady steps before she legs gave way and she almost fell.

‘Oh my gosh,’ Tiffany had rushed to the latter’s side and grabbed hold of her before she fell. The brunette had carefully helped the latter to her seat before she frowned.

‘Thanks,’ the latter had muttered, still grabbing hold onto her chocolate bar.

The chocolate bar was snatched and was when Tiffany had peeled the remaining aluminum wrapping before it was returned to Katherine.

‘Thanks,’ Katherine had whispered this time with a choky voice.

‘What exactly happened to you?’ Tiffany had neared herself across the smaller dining table in the kitchen.

‘Can we talk later? I want to bring the girl out to have some fun today. Jessica has given me the permission to do so,’ Katherine looked up at Tiffany with hopeful, teary eyes.

‘I’ll go with you guys. I wouldn’t interrupt. I just have to make sure you’re fine throughout the whole day,’ Tiffany spoke with a determined tone.

‘Sure, thank you,’ the woman with chocolate bar has squeezed Tiffany’s hands and the latter had nodded with a sad smile.

-/-/-/-/-/

Where are you?

Outside with T and Katherine.

I thought it was supposed to be some bonding time between both of them while we go on for a date for today though ):

Sorry hun, will make it up to you some other day (:  

 

Tiffany pressed gently onto her lock button as she looked at Katherine with a thin smile.

‘Jessica?’ the latter asked while Tegan was her ice cream and holding hands with Katherine.

‘Yeah, she thought we could hang out today and was a little disappointed that we couldn’t,’ Tiffany shrugged.

‘You really should have spent some time with her. She likes to go on dates,’ Katherine couldn’t help but smile with the mentioning of Jessica’s name.

‘Isn’t it good?’ Tiffany asked.

‘What do you mean by that?’ Katherine turned to look at Tiffany, dumbstruck.

‘I mean it is good, I guess, that at least I know you’ve been true to Jessica since the first day you’d met her in the school,’ the brunette had continued looking at the front as she spoke.

Katherine had chuckled at Tiffany’s sentence, causing Tegan to look at her with a pair of curious eyes.

‘Why, girl?’ Katherine had stopped and squatted down to meet Tegan at her eye level.

‘Ice cream for you?’ Tegan had her chubby smile on her face as she offered her ice cream.

‘Sure,’ and the chocolate girl had taken a fast and a bite at the cone before they continued walking again.

‘Why are you crying?’ Tiffany had whispered as she saw Katherine whipping her eyes.

‘I’m just afraid moments like these wouldn’t last anymore. That I wouldn’t have a chance to wake up to say ‘Good morning beautiful’ to the child; that I wouldn’t have the chance to kiss her goodnight; that I wouldn’t have the chance to have ice cream session with her anymore.’

‘You’d be able to do so, don’t be such a pessimist,’ Tiffany had placed an arm around Katherine’s shoulders and gave her a squeeze.

-/-/-/-/-/

‘I think you should be more patient with Katherine,’ Tiffany had said as she took a bite on her muffin.

‘What do you mean? Are you like trying to go to her side just because you’d spent a day with her?’ Jessica folded her arms and spun her chair around.

The pair was alone in the room while Katherine and Tegan were spending some quality time together in the living room, watching Dora the Explorer.

‘No, it’s just,’ Tiffany hesitated before she continued, ‘she’s not feeling well these couple of days so we should be patient with her and yeah.’

‘You,’ Jessica stood up and narrowed her eyes at Tiffany, ‘you’re lying.’

‘Oh Jess,’ Tiffany tried to fake a laughter.

‘Oh Tiff,’ Jessica smirked at Tiffany.

‘Okay okay, but you’ll have to keep this a secret,’ the latter gave in.

‘Yes yes,’ the blonde looked at her expectantly.

‘I’d called my mother and uhm, asked her about Katherine. And my mother said Katherine has an illness which I suspect she’s suffering from hypoglycemia, but a more severe one,’ Tiffany has spoken in such a fast pace that it took Jessica five seconds to respond after hearing the story.

‘Okay, hypoglycemia… and you called your mother asking about Katherine… Wait, you mean you and Mrs Hwang know Katherine beforehand?’ the blonde suddenly sat up straight.

‘I uh…’ Tiffany gulped.

‘Say it, Tiffany Hwang. If not I’ll not talk to you,’ the blonde folded her arms, crossed her legs and was slightly glaring at Tiffany.

Tiffany had wanted to laugh at the way how the blonde had said it so immaturely but she realized she couldn’t do that because Jessica is someone who takes her words seriously.

‘Well, Katherine and I used to be playmates,’ the brunette had laughed at the memory.

Flashback

Tiffany was fourteen while Katherine was fifteen.

 ‘Katherine?’ Tiffany tapped her shoulders.

‘Yeah?’ Katherine asked, refusing to look at the latter.

‘Are you angry with me? You haven’t been answering my calls for the past weekend. Did I do something wrong?’ Tiffany pouted.

‘No you didn’t. You’re such a lovable playmate, I wouldn’t be angry with you even if you’d done the most severe damage to me,’ Katherine’s words were pouring comfort into Tiffany’s vein and the latter had heaved a sigh of relief.

That was Katherine’s childhood best friend, Tiffany Hwang. They have grown up together since they were four and had been the best playmates of each other.

Of course they had to be best friends; both of their parents are famous and powerful in the business world. Both of their parents were, too, best work mates of each other and the two families couldn’t deny that without either of them, their business wouldn’t be as huge as they are now.

Just like how both of the families depended on one another in the confusing business world, Tiffany depended on Katherine like how a Koala needed a tree to be hung onto.

‘Rin, I’m bored you know. My family has been out of the town again,’ Tiffany dropped on pen on the table and supported her chin with her right palm.

‘I get it, Tiff. But I have my school project to work on right now and I can only spend time listening to you instead of having a real heart to heart talk. I’m really sorry,’ Katherine replied as she focused intently on her laptop screen.

It was the fact. That night after Tiffany had called Katherine to invite her for dinner at the brunette’s house, Katherine had decided to bring her laptop along as she’s a project to be done within these three days.

Katherine only wanted to accompany the latter since she knows the feeling of being unwanted even when you have a family in the world with you. But being the older one amongst the two, Katherine had been really busy with her school work and for the past few days, she didn’t have enough time to spare for Tiffany.

‘Look at me please,’ the brunette had laid her head on Katherine’s shoulders and the latter sighed.

‘Tiffany, look. Give me an hour for me to finish the project while you go revise your work and we’ll have a ladies talk later at night, okay?’ the latter looked over at the brunette.

‘Really?  Pinky promise?’ Tiffany looked at the latter with bright, hopeful eyes.

‘Yes. Pink promise instead. If I don’t finish my work by an hour, you can own all the pink things that I have. Now please let me focus,’ Katherine gently combed Tiffany’s bangs and the brunette had left for her revision.

That night, Katherine managed to rescue all her pink items and the both of them had spent the night talking about how they wished they weren’t from a rich family and how they wished they were real blood sisters.

-/-/-/-/

‘What is this?’ Katherine’s father had thrown her report slip onto the table.

‘It’s my report slip,’ Katherine sighed and hung her head low.

‘I heard that Tiffany had scored better than you did,’ her father gave her a disapproving look.

‘That’s Tiffany’s ability and not mine. You can name her as your daughter if you want, I don’t mind not being yours.’ With that said, Katherine left the room with a slam from the door.

The conversation has been replaying on Katherine’s head as she settled herself in her soft gray arm chair as she looked out of her window.

For the past years, Katherine’s father has been the one that did all the comparison between the both of them. Her father could compare the way how different both of they acted, how different the way they dress, how different Katherine would be if both Tiffany and Katherine were the same age. Even though the results slip part wasn’t even logically, the latter still hated comparisons.

Comparisons made Katherine felt as if she was insignificant and unworthy to be their daughter.

Her phone vibrated in her hands and it has immediately broken Katherine’s train of thoughts.

‘Are you okay? You haven’t been around for a week and I couldn’t find you. Did I do something wrong again? – Tiffany’

Katherine sighed as she switched her phone off. Why would it be tiffany’s fault? The latter had done nothing wrong but to always be texting her at the wrong timings. Katherine knew that Tiffany was innocent and shouldn’t be blamed for what Katherine’s father had said to her, yet there was a residue of resentment remaining in her heart.

-/-/-/-/-/

‘So you tell me if I did anything wrong,’ Tiffany pulled her arrow till the straining of the string could be heard before she released her arrow forcefully.

‘No dear, of course you didn’t,’ Mrs hwang had handed her a drink as Tiffany rested the bow.

‘Mum! I don’t get it. It has been three years since Katherine has become so emotional and bipolar. One minute her actions were screaming ‘I love you like a younger sister’ to me, next second she gets all cold to me. I’ve had enough!’ Tiffany threw her hands up in exasperation.

‘Honey, that’s because Katherine has been living under stressful expectations from her parents. You have to understand that,’ Mrs Hwang placed a towel in Tiffany’s palm.

‘Such as?’ the brunette continued walking in such a fast pace that Mrs Hwang has trouble keeping up.

‘She’s constantly being compared to you with every little thing she does.’

That sentence had left Tiffany standing rooted on the ground.

‘What? But why?’ the brunette frowned as her mother walked closer to her.

‘Katherine is the only daughter at home, just like you. But the Salphone’s family is always a competitive one. They have a big business to handle and they want Katherine to be up to the standard before she takes over the company.’

‘But she didn’t even tell me that… I didn’t even know…’ Tears in her eyes begin to form slowly.

‘She couldn’t tell you that. She didn’t know how to. Talk to her sometime, maybe she’ll open up to you,’ Mrs Hwang gave Tiffany a reassuring smile that melted her troubles away for a few seconds.

-/-/-/-/-/

‘Katherine?’ Tiffany had knocked on the Salphone’s residence’s door.

‘Hi Miss Hwang,’ one of the maids bowed upon seeing Tiffany.

‘Hi, may I know where Katherine is?’ the brunette looked around but saw nothing but grand decoration in the house with a few maids being busy with their work.

‘I’m sorry Miss Hwang, but Miss Salphone has already left for Korea two days ago. But she did tell me to pass you a letter if you ever pass by our residence,’ the maid had handed Tiffany a letter before she’d gotten herself busy with her work.

Hey Tiff,

I’m really sorry about this. The family is giving me such a huge burden that I couldn’t carry with me every time I see you. I hate how they drag you into such dramatic situations when you shouldn’t even be in, in the first place.

You know I’m always here whenever you need me, right? I’m just a phone call away. Sorry to leave you alone.

-/-/-/-/

Since then on, Tiffany had slight resentment for people who left her without a word and the resentment had begun to build up gradually every time she couldn’t figure out why she was being left alone just because Katherine couldn’t face the stress given by her Father.

-/-/-/-/-/

‘That Katherine and her letters giving,’ Jessica hissed.

‘You aren’t angry with me for keeping such an important thing from you?’ Tiffany widened her eyes in disbelief.

‘Why would I be? You’d accepted my past, so why would I mind about your past? Besides, I think we’re so meant to be; to have the same exact person in our past and here we are, all by ourselves,’ Jessica moved nearer to Tiffany.

‘Yeah, I suppose,’ Tiffany giggled as she gently rubbed her nose against Jessica’s nose.

 

 

 

Comments please :D