Cliché or not?
Sweeter than stories, more than love story.Cliché or not?
"Tippani. You're such a dork," announced Taeyeon
"Oh yeah Taeyeon?" I whipped my head around trying to keep up with the subject change. We had been talking about Taeyeon’s love of 90s ballads and pop and I was not sure when we had switched topics.
"Yeah Tippani," she replied and sent a pebble skittering in front of us on the sidewalk. Tippani, So difficult to change and correct Tiffany name. Tippani just for Taeyeon accents. We were just heading home from my birthday celebration at our favorite studio. Taeyeon was escorting me home as usual. There had been a string of assaults in the area and my normally over-protective best-friend was even more so of late.
When an elaboration did not seem to be forthcoming I broke the silence. "TaeTae. Why is that?"
"You're a ing walking cliché," Taeyeon shoved her hands deeper in her pockets and nudged me with her shoulder. The nudge and the half smile she sent my way took some of the sting out of the accusation.
I shrugged. I could not refute Taeyeon statement. I did love a good cliché, especially if it was a love story. "Clichés are the best part of my life Taeyeon."
"They are a fantasy Miyoung," Taeyeon, Only her called me Miyoung, my Korea name. I love when she called me Miyoungie. Kim Taeyeon, the ever practical, ever logical pointed out.
It's probably why we got along so well. Taeyeon was my dance partner and grounded economist planning and weighing each step before she took it. I on the other hand was her flighty artist who couldn't keep a "real" job and instead worked three part time jobs trying to pay the bills while pursuing my dreams, whatever those dreams might be that day.
"Why is it bad to have a dream Taeyeon?" I asked.
"That's just it, Hwang Miyoung, it's a dream it's not real life." I shoved her off the sidewalk and into the road. I hated when she called me Hwang Miyoung. It was my Korea motherland for me. My father had named me Miyoung much to my mother's dismay and my father had avoided it by calling me Miyoung. He always called me Tiffany or Stephanie. I always felt like I was a little kid in a lost when people called me Miyoung, Tiffany, Stephanie and Taeyeon knew it.
She chuckled and stepped back on the sidewalk and pushed me gently into a lamp post without breaking stride.
I punched her gently in the arm in retaliation. "I have enough real life in my life thank you very much Taeyeon. What I want is fantasy."
"You can't always get what you want Tippani," Taeyeon intoned.
"Speaking of clichés," I said drily.
"Whatever Pany."
I stopped walking, forcing Taeyeon to stop and focus on what I was saying. "But seriously TaeTae, even the strictest diet has cheat days. That's exactly what my fantasy world is a cheat day. My sweets in a life of health food." I began to walk again and added grimly, "Or more likely whatever little food I can afford."
"Don't get melodramatic Pany. It's not that bad."
"Most days, no, but I'm living on homemade bread because flour is the last thing left in my pantry and I don't get paid for another two weeks. I'm allowed to have a brief moment of self pity and more importantly I'm allowed my escape." I opened the door to my apartment building and nodded towards the stairs silently asking Taeyeon if she wanted to come up for a bit.
She nodded and came into the lobby and began to follow me up the four flights of stairs to my apartment.
"I suppose." There was a pause in which the only sound was that of our feet echoing in the stairwell. The hollow sound only added to my slight melancholy. Taeyeon finally broke the silence with a quietly murmured, "You know Tippani, you can always ask me for help. I won't let you starve."
I sighed heavily and glanced back
Comments