A/N to every reader : Bad day for me today, fallen ill again. Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this story (:

Word count : 2071

Chapter Three

‘Morning Jessica!’ Tiffany smiled as she saw Jessica wearing her shoes, while Tegan was already prepared to go for school.

‘Morning,’ Jessica gave a light smile while Tegan was beaming at Tiffany.

‘Morning Tiga,’ Tiffany approached the young girl as she bent down to give her a hug.

‘Good morning T,’ Tegan giggled.

‘Right, let’s go for school,’ Jessica took Tegan’s hand. As she was about the open the door, Tiffany stopped her abruptly, ‘Aren’t we going to school together? I mean we have History lessons today.’

‘I have to bring Tegan to school,’ Jessica didn’t even look into Tiffany’s eyes.

‘How about we go home together once we’re done with our lesson?’ Tiffany asked again, eyes hopeful that Jessica will say yes.

‘We’ll see how it goes,’ Jessica turned the door knob and left with Tegan. Tegan turned and gave Tiffany an encouraging smile before the door was completely closed.

‘Okay…’ Tiffany’s voice was quiet, injured.

Did I do something wrong?

--
This time their history class is about Hitler. 

'So, does Jessica think that the world is still not fair?' The professor asked jokingly. 

'It’s still kinda unfair in its own way, I guess,' Jessica smiled. 

Unknowingly, Tiffany was smiling too. 

'Tiffany? How about you?' The professor smiled. 

'What Jessica said was true though. But I guess it depends on our own point of view. Just take an example. If you see a young woman with a child, would you think of her as a bad student despite her young age?' Tiffany blurted out of sudden, almost saying Jessica's name. 

Jessica narrowed her gaze at Tiffany, feeling slightly betrayed. 

She promised to keep it as a promise, didn't she? 

'We're all judgmental,' Jessica said it in her matter-of-fact tone. 

'Not all though. I see it differently. What makes you think that a lady with a child under her care means that the child belongs to her?' Tiffany looked back, clearly hinting on something. 

'History lesson, not personal opinion lesson,' Jessica averted her gaze back on the screen. 
--

That day, Tiffany waited for everyone to rush out of the theatre again. She packed her bag, carried it over a shoulder and stood next to Jessica. 

'Are we going home? Tegan's waiting,' Tiffany tapped her feet excitedly. 

'No. I'm moving out. I found a new place,' Jessica said while still looking at her tutorial notes, though her ear piece is in her ear.

'What’s going on? You were just laying on my shoul-' 

'Tiffany, that's it. You're just my flat mate and nothing else more. And whatever that happened yesterday, you should forget it,' her icy tone returned. Tiffany hates Jessica's icy tone. She knew that Jessica was just putting a strong front; she needed to tear Jessica’s walls down, but how could she, when all Jessica does is to act so cold and unbothered?

‘Come on Jessica, let’s go home together,’ Tiffany paused, ‘Please...’

Jessica tapped her pen and looked up at Tiffany, only to meet the latter’s eyes; full of hope of wanting to go home with Jessica.

Jessica nodded her head and Tiffany laughed almost too loudly as she helped Jessica to pack her stationeries into her pencil case.

--

They went home together, for the first time despite staying together for 29 days. Tiffany had imagined the route back home for today to be happy and exciting, but that was what she'd imagined in the morning. 

They didn't anything to each other. Just silence. They walked together until Tiffany decided to break the ice. 

'When are you moving away?' Tiffany asked quietly. 

'I don't know. Next week maybe,' Jessica didn't look at Tiffany when she replied her. 

'Did you say those words because you are angry with me?' Tiffany asked softly as they walked. 

'You broke the promise you made earlier last week,' Jessica stopped walking abruptly. 

'I was just making an analogy, Jessica,' Tiffany pleaded as she looked apologetically at the latter. 

'You nearly mentioned my name,' her tone is acidic. 

'But I didn't. I stopped at the right time, didn't I?' Tiffany said, still looking at the latter. 

‘Next time, please don’t do things that you're not confident of doing so,' Jessica replied still reluctant to look at Tiffany.

'Okay,' Tiffany nodded as her head hung low and she dragged her steps back home. 

**
Tegan greeted them with smiles when they'd both reached home. Jessica as usual, gave Tegan a soft kiss on her forehead while Tiffany just shuffled back into her room. 

'Is she okay, Mummy J?' Tegan tilted her head sideways. 

'She's fine,' Jessica smiled lovingly at Tegan as she unpacked her bag and placed her books on the study table. 

'But you are not,' Tegan sat on the bed, dangling her legs in the midair as she watched Jessica. 

'Why did you say that?' Jessica replied, still occupied with her books. 

‘It’s kind of obvious. You didn't name me as 'love' when you replied me,' Tegan giggled. 

'Well, I'm kinda feeling upset,' Jessica sat next to Tegan, ' she broke her promise.' 

'Who? Tiffany?' Tegan looked at Jessica. 

'Yeah,' the blonde nodded. 

'Did she say that I was your daughter in school or something?' Tegan guessed. 

'Almost there. She brought up an example without mentioning both of our names,' Jessica looked at the younger girl. 

'Mummy, I'm not afraid of the judgmental society. But you're,' Tegan looked into Jessica's eyes. 

'I’m more afraid that you'll get hurt by those unnecessary comments,' Jessica softened her tone. 

'The moment when Mummy Kat decided to throw me alone with you, I've heard many comments in school. Rude comments coming from uncultured human beings,' Tegan shrugged. 

'You didn't tell me that!' Jessica exclaimed. 

'You have your life to be busy about, Mummy. Besides, when I learn to keep things to myself, I explore more than being taught in lessons. Though heart to heart talks with you are the best,' the younger one giggled. 

Jessica brought Tegan closer to herself as she whispered,' I'll do my best to promise my little baby,' while Tegan nestled into Jessica's hug. 

**

When Tiffany is upset or feeling moody, she plays her guitar, her beloved pink guitar, with her back facing the door. She’s a girl who loves to sing her stress and unhappiness out if she couldn’t find someone to confide to.

Strumming her guitar with light yet firm , she found herself feeling better after all the things that had happened for the whole of the day. Yet a part of her still felt the sadness that is weighing the whole of her heart down; so heavily, so effortlessly, the sadness is pulling the whole of Tiffany down.

Tiffany didn’t understand what she is currently feeling; it is just Jessica giving her a cold shoulder today, it is just the same familiar disappointment she felt when Jessica rejected her offer of going back home together earlier in the morning, it is just something minor, so why is she feeling all these unnecessary emotions that is clenching every little part of her heart?

The more confused Tiffany is, the louder she played her guitar that she didn’t even realize that somebody is already in her room.

‘Are you playing your guitar, or are you trying to break your guitar strings?’ somebody mocked.

‘What?’ Tiffany snapped, clearly shocked by the comment and the intruder, who is none other than Jessica Jung.

‘Wow, sorry. Just chill. Wanna have a bottle of beer?’ the blonde offered.

‘Dunno,’ Tiffany shrugged as she turned her gaze back to her guitar, with her fingers on them, trying to play a short melody.

Whenever the latter is upset or confused, she replies with a ‘dunno’.

The blonde settled herself next to Tiffany, with two ice cold bottle in her hands. She nudged Tiffany with her elbow, spoke with the cutest voice that Tiffany has ever heard from Jessica, ‘don’t be angry with me.’

Tiffany tried her best to hide her smile as she’d heard Jessica, while still playing random melodies on her guitar. Suddenly, her face was squeezed by two ice cold beer and with Jessica looking straight into her eyes.

‘I’m sorry; I shouldn’t have been so harsh with my words. Forgive me please?’ Jessica spoke with her puppy eyes, blinking at Tiffany.

‘No,’ said Tiffany with eyes fixed on Jessica.

‘Why,’ Jessica inched her face nearer to Tiffany’s.

‘Because, you…’ Tiffany paused.

‘What about me?’ Jessica looked back, determined to receive the latter’s forgiveness.

‘You’re freezing my face with the ice bottles!’ Tiffany screamed out of sudden, with in a square shape, eyes wide open.

‘Shhh, Tegan’s sleeping,’ the ice bottles are pushed closer to one another.

‘But really…’ Tiffany tried to shake her head, but failed.

‘I owe this guitar player an apology. Please your highness, enlighten my soul about how I can make you forgive me,’ Jessica joked.

‘Not funny. Try harder,’ the brunette seems unimpressed but in actual fact, she is surprised by how Jessica is playing with her now, emotionally and physically.

‘You want to see something impressive?’ the blonde made a think-hard face.  Tiffany nodded.

‘Okay then,’ Jessica smirked, ‘let me show you,’ Jessica’s face was getting nearer to Tiffany’s face, the ropes in the Tiffany’s stomach are pulled tighter with every inch that Jessica’s face is getting closer and closer to her face, ‘something impressive,’.

And then lips sealed, heart race, face blush.

Tegan giggled as she saw the scene while she quietly moved her way back into her room.

‘Forgiven?’ Jessica gave a goofy grin after seeing Tiffany’s blushing cheeks.

‘Don’t play with me,’ Tiffany shook her head and gave Jessica a sad smile, ‘You know you’re always forgiven no matter what you’d done to me.’

‘Tiffany,’ Jessica sighed, ‘we’ve barely known each other yet I’m given the power to hurt you. Don’t you think it’s a little too fast?’

‘We’ve barely known each other and you kissed me,’ Tiffany gave a forceful laugh.

‘Now I’m going to let you know more about me,’ Jessica offered the beer again.

‘Anything,’ Tiffany shrugged with a heavy heart.

Yet no words was exchanged, no questions asked, no laughter, just silence. An eerie silence that Jessica didn’t know how to react to, so she decided to talk about someone, someone named Katherine.

‘Katherine,’ they both said in unison.

‘You first. It’s your story time, anyway,’ Tiffany gave in, the fact was that Tiffany wanted to talk about Katherine but she didn’t want the word ‘Katherine’ to be spoken out of Jessica’ mouth.

‘Katherine, she is Tegan’s biological mother. She’s my ex too,’ Jessica gave an empty-hearted laughter, ‘I knew her when we were 15. Do you believe in love at first sight?’

‘No,’ Tiffany shook her head. Tiffany really didn’t believe in love at first sight but when she first saw the blonde, she knew that Jessica was different from the rest.

‘Me neither, but she was my exception.’ The pain in Tiffany’s heart began to swell. ’You know she’s just this pretty girl, walking about in school with long, huge curls. She accidentally banged into me in school during one of the afternoons and we just chatted and talked and got attached in the end. We’re together, I was very attached to her while she treated me as if I’m some toy, something that can be easily disposed once she’s gotten bored of it.’

Tiffany nodded, knowing there’s more to come.

‘But one day during March, after dating with her for three years, she told me that she is pregnant,’  a gasp was let out of Tiffany’s mouth. ‘And the father of the child happened to be Katherine’s ex-boyfriend’s.’

‘And the child is Tegan?’ Tiffany asked softly.

Jessica nodded.

‘I was almost crazy, almost. I broke up with her not long after and I thought I could entirely remove her from my life, or so I thought. But I was wrong,’ Jessica looked out of the window.

‘What happened?’ Tiffany took her careful approach.

‘One day, during January in 2010, she brought this young, cute little girl with pink ribbons tied on her hair and wearing a blue pinafold dress, to my door step. And Katherine passed me this envelope and told this girl that she’d be back ten years later…’

‘And she just left like that?’ Tiffany interrupted Jessica.

“Yes.”

“What was inside the envelope?”

“20 thousand cash and a card saying ‘I’m sorry’.”

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