Chapter IV.

---

"So, are you writing another book?"

They're just walking around the neighborhood now, hands casually intertwined and fingers easing smoothly to lace together like pieces of a puzzle. Tiffany likes this—this feeling; it's pleasant.

And warm.

And tingly.

And horribly cliché it's frightening.

"No, nothing comes to mind." Tiffany's honestly taken aback that the sun's setting.

Did time usually pass as fast like this...?

"Lost your inspiration?"

And Jessica merely shrugs in response; coolly matching her stride with the jock's as if already accustomed to their steady pace.

Tiffany wonders if Jessica even realizes it.

"What kept you writing?"

Tiffany knew—at least, had a gut-feeling of what it was, but it'd be nice to hear Jessica's point of view. The writer always did have something meaningful in each book; in each passage; in each line. She wants to know what Jessica sees.

Wants to know how Jessica thinks.

"Personal issues. Moronic masses we call society; y'know, people."

Tiffany can only blink; incredulous. Flabbergasted? Bewildered? Jessica always does manage to take her by surprise.

"You're..." Tiffany begins, pondering on words to say. "...incredibly pessimistic."

"I was influenced."

"You don't moodle?"

"Moodle? That isn't a wor—"

"Y'know, moodling; by Jane Champagne." And Tiffany watches Jessica quirk an amused brow; feeling satisfied from the slight surprise that tint those brown eyes.

"'Musing and mentally doodling'..." Jessica trails to herself, pondering. "...I'm rather surprised you know that."

Tiffany merely shrugs in response before getting to the point.

"All you see are the negatives, Jessi; where's the positives?" She says, realizing the sudden slip of a nickname that had just popped out for the ice princess. 

Tiffany's thankful Jessica doesn't seem to be fazed. Didn't even appear to have noticed.

Jessica only blinks.

Tiffany isn't sure what to feel when she hears Jessica scoff beside her then; as if the mere thought was preposterous enough.

"What positives? There's nothing at school I see that's considered positive."

But Tiffany doesn't miss the slight tinge of sorrow spilling from rigid lips.

"Friends? Teachers? Anything?"

She hears Jessica laugh wryly to herself then, and Tiffany isn't sure just how to react.

"I have no friends. Teachers are bothersome, so no; there isn't anything."

"What about me?"

And Tiffany isn't surprised it takes several moments before Jessica responds; her voice incredibly low that Tiffany needs to tug her just a little closer to hear.

"Nothing." Tiffany needs to blink twice before Jessica's words registers properly in her head.

"What?"

"Nothing..." But Jessica doesn't let her hand go; inching even closer; their shoulders almost touching. "...There's nothing I can describe about you."

"Nothing?"

Tiffany sees that small smile grace the ice princess' lips before she speaks; her reply non-chalant.

"...Nothing bad, that is."

Jessica 5 + 1, Tiffany 6.

---

"Highest average?"

"95%—and nothing less."

Tiffany whistles as they seat themselves on a bench near the lake; watching children play with their hand-made sails. Tiffany takes out a bag of bread that she bought from a nearby convenience store; just so she could feed the birds that continue to flock close by.

"85, 'cause I'm happy with it." 

And Tiffany hears Jessica hum as she throws pieces of bread for the birds to eat.

Tiffany takes a short glance at a well-dressed man that seats himself across from them before turning her attention back to Jessica.

"Rate me." 

Tiffany chuckles at Jessica's peculiar question. Who would have thought the ice princess cared about rankings?

"You're out of my league." Tiffany replies with ease as she leans back on the bench; eyeing the man in front of them. 

Jessica's surprised tone reverts her attention back to the ice princess, her brows raising in question.

"Really?" Jessica asks, voice filled with curiosity but expression showing skepticism.

"There's plenty of jocks out there, but there's only one ice princess." Tiffany responds, feeling laughter erupt from as she watches Jessica crease her brows; incredulous. But it was the truth. "What would make me special than the rest?"

"...Nothing."

And Tiffany playfully nudges Jessica with mock hurt; the ice princess giggling heartily beside her.

"What about me?"

She watches Jessica think then, the smile still plastered on her lips as the ice princess keeps mum. Tiffany decides to throw another bread crumb before the girl responds.

"95."

"Why?"

"Because I want nothing less."

And Tiffany erupts into full blown laughter; not caring whether she scared the birds away or the man seated across from them. Jessica was catching on.

...She's just as smooth.

"Smiling's my favorite, y'know." Tiffany hears Jessica begin as she finally settles down from the rich, fleeting atmosphere of bliss. "...You make me smile."

And Tiffany feels amusement course through her veins as she watches Jessica duck her head down to hide behind curtains of blonde. Tiffany wants to interject, knowing full well what comes next, but she's curious what it'd feel like to hear it slip from Jessica's own lips.

"So, I guess...you're my favorite."

"Oh god," Tiffany starts, feeling the immeasurable pain of laughter beginning to bubble in the pit of her stomach again. "that was terrible. Painful and cringe-worthy. And to think I thought you were smooth..."

Tiffany isn't surprised to see the quick change in Jessica's expression; her face showing relief and content as she slouches back lazily against the bench.

"I honestly wanted to see if cheesy lines work. I knew it wouldn't."

Tiffany can only roll her eyes in distaste.

"Promise you won't do it again. It really doesn't fit your image."

And Jessica nods in agreement.

"Promise."

Tiffany doesn't know why she's raising her hand and lifting her pinky, but there's something indescribable about the feeling that comes rushing in when Jessica links their tiny fingers together; pinkies curling into a lock.

And they seal a childish promise.

"...You're so weird."

And Tiffany shakes her head from the words that escape Jessica's throat.

Way to kill the moment.

"You're so uptight."

"You're way too loose."

"Go slip into something more comfortable."

"Like what?"

"...Like a coma."

And Tiffany laughs when Jessica lands her a playful slap against her arm.

"Fine. Be that way." Tiffany thinks their little banter is over until Jessica slyly mutters under her breath. "...Don't wear skinny jeans if you got no skinny genes."

And they burst into laughter once again; feeling slightly embarrassed when they see the man from across, stand and move to another bench away from them.

"The only reason I'm fat is 'cause you're so sweet to me."

Even Tiffany herself has to cringe from the words that spilled from her own lips; shuddering at the mere line. Jessica's gentle, light laughter caresses her ear drums and it's getting harder for Tiffany to decide.

...I don't want to go home just yet.

The sun has already set.

"You're actually pretty easy to get along with." Tiffany says, unsure of why she even bothered in the first place.

She only shrugs when she sees Jessica stare at her questioningly; probing her to expand.

"I am," Jessica muses almost confidently, and Tiffany wonders why the sudden smirk on her face until she hears the ice princess' next words; it makes her grin from ear to ear. "once people learn I'm just as attractive on the inside as I am on the outside."

Tiffany only quirks an amused brow.

"...I like you." Tiffany states then, grin growing wider. Tiffany needs to hold in another burst of bubbling laughter as she watches Jessica's eyes widen from surprise. "You honestly remind me of when I was little, short, stubby, naive, and irritably stupid."

"...I should warn you that I'm currently picturing duct tape over your mouth." Jessica responds with a growing smirk on her face.

Tiffany raises a confident brow. ", aren't we?"

"On second thought, I should just freeze you a million times over."

"With your eyes?"

Jessica scoffs but the smile still paints her expression. She's having fun. "Don't tempt me."

And Tiffany clucks her tongue in amusement as she stands to stretch; content.

"...Tiff?" And she looks to the side from hearing a nickname given by the ice princess, "Let's go home."

It's Jessica who offers her hand this time, and Tiffany hides her surprise as she laces their fingers together; the third time that day.

---

"I guess this is it, then."

"I guess so,"

Tiffany isn't sure what else to do. 

She wasn't lying when she told Jessica she never went on a date before, and now that they were at the end, she was stumped. She has to admit that they got a lot closer thanks to their mock trial, but was this their last? Would they still talk and chat comfortably like they did hours ago? There was no reason for them to talk anymore, Tiffany knew, and she was worried.

She liked spending time with Jessica.

"Jessi," Tiffany doesn't know how, when or why they even started calling each other by their nicknames in the first place, but it truly shows how significantly tighter their bond became. "what are we?"

"Girlfriends."

"Pretend girlfriends."

"Still girlfriends."

"So we're friends?"

"Aren't we?"

Tiffany takes in the small, warm smile emitting from Jessica's lips. 

She can't help but return such a radiant gesture as they stop in the middle of the sidewalk; Jessica pausing abruptly.

"Because I don't want you to be the only one to drop me off," she begins, letting go of Tiffany's hand as she turns to face the athlete. "we'll separate from here. Your house is on the other side, right?"

"How'd you—"

"You told me just now."

And Tiffany rolls her eyes from Jessica's growing smirk.

"Not going to kiss me?"

Tiffany isn't prepared to hear such bold words coming from Jessica's mouth, and the athlete slightly recoils from the impact. 

She's taken aback—surprise evident on her face and eyes wide as she stares at the ice princess in pure bewilderment. Perhaps she should be more amazed at how Jessica seems completely unfazed; or was the bookworm just joking?

"I'm not kidding."

Scratch that.

Tiffany's unsure of how to react, hand lifting to play with her wristwatch out of habit once again. The cold, rough leather doesn't quell the sudden dryness in ; doesn't relinquish the nervousness that's beginning to rise in her system. Is she malfunctioning? Are the gears in her body refusing to work?

Did Jessica even want a kiss?

Was she really not kidding?

Is she merely screwing around with her head?

Did she, herself, even want to kiss the ice princess in the first place?

"Since this is a 'mock' date," Tiffany's eyes flash quickly to meet Jessica's brown pools; the athlete unconsciously glancing at the ice princess' lips before raising back to meet deep auburn. "shouldn't we follow through with a 'mock' kiss?"

Tiffany can only quirk a curious brow in response; throat suddenly dry.

"How do we 'mock' a kiss? Air kiss?"

That's sort of lame. Tiffany inwardly thinks, unsure as Jessica takes a step forward.

"Well, I was thinking a simple kiss." And Tiffany's eyes widen from another step Jessica takes towards her. "Not full on the lips, of course. That'd be real."

Her brows crease when Jessica attempts to close the remaining gap between them; peeling Tiffany's hand from fidgeting with her wristwatch. Tiffany lets her hands fall back to her sides as Jessica looms nearer; their noses barely touching. Tiffany wonders then;

Why the sudden confidence?

"This is for practice, isn't it?" And Tiffany tries hard—excruciatingly hard—to suppress a shiver when Jessica allows her hand to travel slowly up her forearm. "Preparation for a 'real' date?"

Tiffany really wants to just take her.

Really.

She has the urge to just hold her and wrap her arms around her; to keep her and have her.

But she's not here for me.

"I can't."

She wants to be prepared for someone else's date.

Why was she even over-thinking it in the first place?

Tiffany didn't expect her answer to evoke such an expression from Jessica. Perhaps anger or mock hurt, but a bittersweet smile? Jessica's hand rests on Tiffany's elbow now; weakly latching on as the bookworm replies solemnly; quietly.

"What's stopping you?"

Did Jessica really...

Tiffany feels Jessica rub her thumb against her cotton sleeve; the motion quelling the athlete's fountain of disappointment at calling a rather'wonderful' event, off. 

But Tiffany made a promise; and she intends to keep it.

This was just a fleeting moment of bliss anyway. That, or the cause of raging hormones.

"She found you first." Jessica's eyes immediately narrow at her statement, but the slight frown on her face doesn't stop Tiffany from voicing her opinion of the truth. "She had you first." And Tiffany releases Jessica's hold on her elbow, the ice princess numbly allowing her hand to slip beside her. "TaeYeon had her eyes on you first."

Tiffany sees the swirls of understanding envelope those lush, brown eyes as Jessica speaks; a wry smile tainting her lips.

"You're changing the way I see things."

Tiffany doesn't fully get what Jessica means until she slips her glasses off; the bookworm's change in appearance gnawing her insides all over again. Tiffany really liked how Jessica looked without them. How insanely attractive and irritably appealing the ice princess came off as without oval frames covering her face. 

She looks more fragile, more gentle, more innocent and more naive.

This is the Jessica hidden between the lines of her six books.

"My perception of things I thought I was so sure of—that I thought I knew of..." Jessica continues, seemingly oblivious of Tiffany's steady gaze. "...I'm not so sure anymore."

"What do you mean?"

She sees Jessica chuckle lightly as she fingers the frames of her glasses between her hands.

"Like a jock."

Tiffany scoffs, playfully nudging the bookworm; eyes smiling.

"I told you, there's nothing special about me. I'm just one jock of many." Tiffany watches as Jessica lifts her glasses to squint through lenses; peeking between halves of clarity and obscurity. "But you, you're the one and only ice princess."

"You made me break my promise."

"Promise?"

Jessica's smile grows wider as she returns her glasses' position atop the bridge of her nose.

"To never date a jock."

"Well, this isn't really a date is it? It's just pretending."

"Pretending to be dating is still dating."

And Tiffany really didn't expect it then. 

The athlete can feel tidal waves of foreign emotions drown her already—malfunctioning system; short-circuiting what was left. The ripples and waves that crosses the shore of her heart, submerges it into an abyss of fleeting tranquility.

Tiffany's frozen from the cold touch of absolute zero against the corner of ; the ice princess' breath tickling her cheeks. 

"Your friend may have laid their eyes on me before you," Jessica playfully whispers against the corner of her lips; skin grazing; electricity sparking; mind screaming. "but it was you who I saw first. Shouldn't I have a say in this too?"

And Tiffany can't move beneath Jessica's bright, smiling eyes.

The score; Jessica 7, Tiffany 6.