“Dude you look like hell, what happened?”

Jessica looked up from the book she was currently reading with a nonchalant look. She peered at her with eyes that were bloodshot before looking back down and continuing reading. Taeyeon simply shook her head and frowned as she sat down next to her best friend and eyed her carefully.

Taeyeon studied the way her eyes began drooping ever so slightly before she opened them fully and continued reading, Taeyeon sighed, “Have you been staying up all night again? You know that it’s not good for your health, right?”

Jessica looked up before staring at Taeyeon with a faraway look in her eyes, “It’s not that I have been staying up late, it’s just that I couldn’t sleep. I wasn’t able to.” 

Taeyeon looked up already feeling guilty for insinuating things that she wasn’t certain of anyway, “Was it the nightmares again?”

Jessica shut her book and faced Taeyeon with a saddened look, “I cant get rid of them, Taeyeon-ah.” She later stood up and continued, “I don’t want them anymore.” Jessica then proceeds to walk away and all Taeyeon could do was watch after her best friend. 

“Maybe if you stop thinking about it, you’ll get over it.” she mumbled as she saw Jessica round the corner and head to her first period class.

Jessica opened the door to the classroom and headed inside. She ignored all the weird looks being thrown her way as she walked through the lines and sat down on her desk. She didn’t even look up once Taeyeon walked through the door and took her seat which was a row in front of hers. She sighed before facing the window next to her and watching the leafs rustle when the wind met the tree. A few couldn’t hang on and they fell to the ground far below their place. 

“Hi.”

Jessica cringed at the suddenly loud voice coming from in front of her before turning her gaze over to that obnoxious sound. It was that girl from yesterday. What was her name, again? Jessica couldn’t recall. She watched as the nameless girl took a seat next to Taeyeon and flashed her a grin that made Jessica stare just a second too long. Jessica was caught off guard by the way she shone brightly, the sun couldn’t even compare to the dazzling that was her smile.

Taeyeon smiled back at her and Jessica began feeling envious because Taeyeon’s never smiled at her that way before. Never smiled at her in a way that her eyes shone brightly with mirth upon seeing the girls face. Sure Jessica remembers a time long ago in which Taeyeon smiled proudly at her and not with pity as she does now, in which she used to have faith in her and trust her. Jessica knew that it was her fault for causing a distance between Taeyeon and she, but Taeyeon must understand that Jessica was trying, could she not see? 

The girl then proceeds to move a lock of hair from her face and push it behind her ear, in the process she caught Jessica’s eyes and she smiled softly and Jessica was mesmerized by the way her eyes smiled along with her. Jessica didn’t have any time to react as the girl quickly turned back and focused on the teacher in front of them. 

What was that, Jessica thought, that feeling she got in her chest. She suddenly felt weak as she tried to focus on anything but the girl sitting just a few feet from her. Her hair was rustling as the wind blew though the open windows and Jessica couldn’t help but stare. 

She shook her head and instead focused on the book in front of her instead of the girl but suddenly the words strung together to form another alternate reality, could not longer provide much interest and she found it confusing because she enjoyed reading about other peoples lives instead of being here in her own, living in the here and now.

Her vision was beginning to blur as her eyes droop with lack of sleep and the last thing she saw was the color of the girl’s hair shining as the sun shone on it, light brown. Jessica finally closed her eyes and slept yet this time without seeing red.

“Are you just going to leave her there?” 

Jessica heard voices. 

“She’ll wake up when she wakes up.”

Jessica’s eyelids flutter slowly open. 

“But she’ll miss her next class.” 

Jessica lifted her head and studied the scene in front of her. It was Taeyeon talking to the new girl, her eyebrows furrowed, the were talking about her, no. She sat up straighter causing the book that she was previously resting on to fall to the floor creating a loud enough thud to rose attention and cause the two girls to look at her.

The girl next to Taeyeon gave her ‘small smile and she brought her hand up to wave just slightly, “Good morning.”

Jessica tried her best to smile but she could tell that it might’ve looked like a grimace instead of a smile but even so she replied, “Hi.”

Taeyeon looked between them before smiling, “Great, you’re up. Go to your next class Jessica.” She waved to them before speeding off into the hallway and catching Sunny’s hand along the way. Sunny simply smiled up at her and they rounded the corner  and out of view.

Jessica eyed the other girl before asking, “Are you not going to you’re next class?” She rose to her feet before packing her belongings and shouldering her messenger bag. Tiffany simply smiled before doing the same, “Glad to meet this version of you.”

Jessica looked away before shaking her head, “About yesterday…” 

“Its fine.” Tiffany interjected. “And about my next class… I believe you have music, I do too.”

Jessica nodded before walking past Tiffany and heading to the door, “I guess we should get going if we don’t want to miss out.” 

Tiffany smiled before studying the girl next to her. She didn’t seem like that mean girl yesterday morning, however she did still carry that air of mystery around her and her eyes - they were still dark, a bit too dark actually. She couldn’t really imagine Jessica doing anything to cause trouble et she also knew that she couldn’t really judge her that quickly when she doesn’t really know her at all. Everybody holds secrets.

-

Taeyeon walked through the crowded halls of the school, a single destination in her mind. The lunch room.  She pushed past her fellow seniors and walked through the opened door. She looked around before she spotted Tiffany and Sunny in their regular table chatting aimlessly. She smiled at the sight of Sunny’s smiling face, the grand smiles that caused her eyes to smile along with her. She absolutely loved that smile. 

She walked through the people waiting in line to get their lunch before approaching their table, Tiffany noticed her but before she could say anything that would blow her cover, Taeyeon reached a finger to her lips indicating for Tiffany to stay quiet before she smiled over at her. She did as indicated before finally taking the last few steps needed to be standing just behind Sunny, she smirked before placing her hands over Sunny’s eyes, shielding her vision. 

Taeyeon smiled before leaning in and whispering in Sunny’s ear, “Meet me in the library after school.” Taeyeon felt Sunny’s hands covering her own before she pulled Taeyeon’s hands away and turned to face her, their faces just a few inches apart, “Alright.”

Taeyeon smiled before retracting and flashing Tiffany a smile before waving at her and heading the opposite way, towards her own table that consisted of having Sooyoung, Jessica, and another girl with blond hair, Tiffany didn’t know her name.

“What was that about?” Tiffany questioned as she peered over Sunny’s shoulder and studied Taeyeon carefully. Sunny shrugged before looking down at her lunch a blush tainting her cheeks carefully. Tiffany noticed before raising an eyebrow and then it dawned on her. Now it made sense, the way they looked at each other, the playful banter, the lingering touches. It was finally clear. “No way, are you guys dating?”

Sunny began coughing as she looked at Tiffany with wide eyes and Tiffany grew even more confused, “Are you not?” Sunny looked away before grabbing her orange juice and taking a long sip, clearing she answered hesitantly, “Taeyeon and I… you could say our relationship is distinct as apposed to the others.” 

Tiffany simply gave her a knowing smile, “So you’re not dating.” Sunny rolled her eyes before a blush adorned her cheeks and she stole a quick glance over her shoulder before catching  Taeyeon’s gaze and exchanging a smile. She turned back and noticed Tiffany’s expectant look, “Alright fine, we are dating. But don’t mention it to anybody, alright.” She paused, “you don’t mind, do you?”

Tiffany shook her head, “Love is love, no matter the type of person it is.” Sunny smiled before reaching over to take Tiffany’s hand and giving it a soft squeeze. “Thank you.” 

Tiffany nodded before giving her a smile of her own and she looked up and was really surprised to see Jessica looking over at her. Jessica quickly looked down and proceeded to continue reading that book of hers. “Jessica really likes reading, doesn’t she?”

Sunny looked behind her and nodded, “She’s always loved reading even more so since her mother used to read to her when she was little, I guess she picked it up as well. You could say it’s her hobby.”

Tiffany stared at Sunny with a confused and interested look in her face, “You seem close to Jessica. Are you guys friends?” Sunny looked away from the table, silence engulfing them before Sunny sighed and looked up, facing Tiffany, “Jessica and I… it’s a whole different story.”

Tiffany just stared at her and was about to question Sunny further before the ringing of the bell rang, indicating the start of classes again. Sunny stood up and threw the garbage away and waited for Tiffany to do the same thing. 

Okay, Sunny and Jessica had something in the past, be it friendship or something of the sort. Taeyeon and Jessica are friends, along with everyone else that sits with her at lunch - that