TAEYEON'S POV

-December 13-

All of Tiffany’s friends sat in the back with us. They kept looking over at me, like they were examining me. Like I was some sort of science project laid out on a table for them to scrutinize. I turned back towards the front to listen to the lecture, but the constant movement beside me from… was her name Sooyoung? Anyway Sooyoung’s constant shifting in her seat distracted me. She seemed to be trying to focus on the lesson, but what having a hard time. What is happening with them? I never would have thought they would start listening in class. I ce again to look at Sooyoung, but this time she was looking in my direction, so she immediately became embarrassed once she realized that it was bothering me and she sat still for the rest of the class period.

TIFFANY'S POV

“Hey Jessi why is everyone back here today?” I asked Jessica, confused when my friends sat in the back of the classroom with me and Taeyeon instead of in the middle of the classroom with their desks put together. “Because. We know you like her Tiff. Just admit it already. Plus we want to see just how interesting this stuff actually is for you to know how to do the homework and offer to help before Seohyun.” replied Jessica, taking out the notebook she had only used as a pillow until now. “The second reason is pretty good but I’ve told you already I don’t like her like that. She’s just a friend.” I replied. My thoughts on what I felt towards Taeyeon came back and hit me all at once. I’ve been trying to avoid them, but they just keep coming back.

                My mind wandered as I walked back home. Alone. Taeyeon stayed a little late after school and said she said would get to my apartment a little late and to go home myself. I feel so lonely right now, walking through the park we always crossed on our way to my apartment. I walked past the stick that I tripped over, causing Taeyeon to catch me. I felt the need to be back in her arms. I peered over at the empty space beside me, wondering what was so important that she had to leave me. I came out on the other side of the patch of trees, near the road. I began to cross. I heard a low growl which grew louder and louder with every passing second. I turned my head towards the noise and stopped in my tracks, frozen, as a large truck came barreling towards me. I heard running footsteps behind me. Everything after that happened like slow motion. I felt myself being pushed to the other side of the road and hear my skin scraping across the rough surface of the concrete below me. I felt the pain shoot up my arm and throughout my body. I heard a thump beside me and I looked to the side to see Taeyeon, face down, on the sidewalk. I pulled myself up and sat next to Taeyeon. I helped her lift her head, seeing a large scrap across her left cheek, the blood trickling down her face like red tears. I felt my eyes well up with tears and I could not control myself as I began to cry at the sight of her condition. It’s entirely my fault. “I’m sorry Taeyeon. I’m so sorry. This is all my-“she cut me off suddenly. “It’s not all your fault Tiff, I could have landed in a better position than on my face, you know.” she chuckled. “But why did you stop in the middle of the road? You scared me for a minute there.” she asked, her eyes full of concern and worry.  “I was about to scare you from behind and I saw you deep in thought, so I understand why you didn’t check the street before crossing, but why did you stop?” “I heard it coming towards me so I turned and I saw it right there and I just got so scared I froze up.” I replied as she helped me stand up. She turned to me and enveloped me in her arms. I felt what I’ve been wanting to for a long time. I felt protected and loved in her arms. I wanted to be like this forever. The answer to the question that has been bothering me for a very long time became apparent to me in that moment. Kim Taeyeon, I like you.

TAEYEON'S POV

                We entered Tiffany’s room and she immediately started freaking out. She cleaned the blood off my face delicately; it sent shocks throughout my entire body. I’ve never felt like this before. Tiffany Hwang, you do some strange things to me. She ran into the bathroom and grabbed a band-aid out of the box sitting on the counter before running back to me and placing it on my face ever so gently. “I’m so sorry Taeyeon…” she began to apologize again. “Stop worrying about it ok? I’m fine now, thanks to your wonderful remedial skills” I said as I shot her a reassuring smile, making sure she realized that I didn’t want her to apologize anymore. I grabbed the Totoro plush from the side of her bed and handed it to her, then got the Biology textbook out of my backpack and sat down next to her once again; turning to the page we left off on and began to explain it to her.

                I lay in bed on my back and stared up at the ceiling. Even though it had healed a little bit, it still hurt. I brought my hand up to my cheek and ran my fingers down the band-aid Tiffany had previously placed on my skin with such care and gentleness. I was rushed back to the moment I saw her standing in the middle of the street, frozen and unmoving.

I watched the truck barrel down the empty road as a look of horror crossed Tiffany’s face. I felt myself as if through a daze, walking, and then running towards her. I launched my body towards her and threw our bodies at the sidewalk. I let go of her as she passed the road, landing on my face. I felt my skin being torn away and a blast of pain through my entire face before everything went black. Then, she was calling out my name, but it was hard to hear, as if she was yelling through a haze. Louder and louder it grew, until I could hear her fairly clearly, shaking my body, trying to wake me up. She helped me sit up and I saw tears fall from her beautiful eyes as she began to cry, blaming herself and apologizing over and over again.

I was thrown back into the present, but I could still feel her soft hands running across my face as I drifted off to sleep.