PART II

She’s been thinking, a lot actually, about her feelings towards Jessica. Yuri’s word was on reply on her mind though she was sure enough that the other girl said it just to and nothing more. That simple teased somehow makes her think, what is Jessica for her, no, what exactly she feels about the younger girl.

Is it special?

Like… love, maybe?

But she does love Jessica, she loves her because she’s her roommate, best friend, they shared a lot of things. Sure, she loves Jessica. But only as best friend?

She gotta think so many times for that until she came to one realization, her heart seems liking Jessica in a special way.

Tiffany was window shopping that night, looking for a right thing for a gift to Jessica, today is her birthday and she haven’t congratulate her since she was out early morning to practice until all the classes ended. She didn’t wait for Jessica in front of her class as she used to before they went home and stormed to the shopping centre instead.

She spotted a cute cat hoodie and the image of Jessica wearing it makes her giggle. The basketball player went in to the store and bought the cute hoodie and told the seller to wrap it nicely. She walked out from the store with a huge grin and going back to the dorm.

The security almost left the girl outside as he about to lock the gate but Tiffany’s flirt to him was very successful and the man’s face blushing in a very cute way for an old man. Tiffany rushed all her way up to her shared room with Jessica, stumbled upon her feet and almost fell on her countless time, she was just so excited.

“Jess! Jess?”

Empty, the room was empty.

Closing the door, she then looking for Jessica in the bathroom, living room, kitchen, bed, under the blanket, under the bed, then back to the bathroom, to the inside of the tub, to the inside of the basket of dirty clothes, then out and to the under the table, kitchen set, and she felt herself so dumb after searching the younger girl to the inside of her shoes.

So Tiffany huffed and sit there on her bed, the gift was placed neatly on her lap. She looked up to the clock hanging on the wall, it reads 10.15, late enough for Jessica’s night time to going out. Wait, but Jessica never goes out, especially when it’s night time, the girl would be always there watching tv when Tiffany came back from her late practice.

“Where is―”

The door opened, Tiffany snapped her head to the direction and stood up real quick and found Jessica took off her shoes on the porch. The girl had birthday hat on her head.

“Oh Tiffany, you’re home already?”

Not answering the question, Tiffany follows when Jessica walked pass by her to the kitchen drinking water from the refrigerator.

“That’s my bottle, whatever, where you’ve been?”

Jessica placed the pink bottle back to the refrigerator and turned around looking at Tiffany. She took the hat and placed it on the table right in front of the older girl.

“Sooyoung throws birthday party for me, why?”

That was actually in sarcasm since the girl felt betrayed by Tiffany because the senior didn’t even congratulate her for her birthday, they’re best friend okay.

The older girl bit the inside of her cheeks and lifted her right hand where Jessica’s present had been hold. Jessica’s lips formed an ‘o’ shape, the girl was about to grabbed it from Tiffany’s hand but Tiffany jerked away.

“Nu’uh, not yet, I have something to tell you first.”

“What? Apologizing for not celebrating my birthday?” Jessica crossed her arms and scoffed.

“Who said I’m gonna apologizing? So much for your self confidence, eh?”

She saw Jessica stick out her tongue and puckered her nose soon after.

“Listen carefully, okay?”

“…..”

“Okay?”

“Just say it.”

“I said, okay?”

“Fine! Okay okay!”

“Okay.”

Tiffany smiled and cleared , inhaling and exhaling deeply before looking back at the younger girl right in the eye. The shine in Tiffany’s eyes makes Jessica shy, the younger girl looked everywhere but Tiffany.

“Go out with me?”

Jessica darted her eyes back to Tiffany, one eyebrow raised. “It’s like almost eleven.”

“Not that! I mean go out as in go out.”

Jessica fell silent as the rusted gears on her brain started to work to deliver what Tiffany was just saying. Going out? Go out? But they went out to so many places for so many times already, why does she want to go out now? at this time?

Even when Jessica not really pays attention to the question of go out like this, she would mostly accepted the offer since go out with Tiffany is so much fun. But why the girl asked her the question with such serious face? It was rare, so rare. Jessica narrowed her eyes towards the older girl and tried to find any clue but all she sees was just those sincere and hopeful orbs staring back at her.

Go out

Go out…

Go… out…

Go… out…!

Go out!

There, Jessica’s rotten brain finally click to one possibility, by go out Tiffany means GO OUT.

“Oh… t-that…”

Tiffany eyes still glued on her, the girl doesn’t say a thing as she expected Jessica’s answer, whatever it is though her heart might be very hurt if Jessica―

“But we’re best friend. I thought… I thought you only saw me like… your sister? Or- or maybe your buddy? Tiffany I―”

“Nah,” Tiffany waved her hand, she flashed a smile though it’s not as bright as it used to. “I- I get it, I don’t even thinking at what you feel about me at first.”

“I’m sorry.”

A nod.

“I… it’s… crush. I had a crush.”

Oh god, it surely hurt when the word crush slipped from Jessica’s tongue. So the girl actually has a crush and she didn’t tell her anything. Tiffany felt so stupid by confessing.

“Who?”

It was not until several seconds and Jessica said a name.

“Kim Taeyeon. Not Taeyeang with that smell of peanut jam but Taeyeon, Kim Taeyeon the one with the same year as you.”

But Taeyeon is―

“I’ve been crushing with her since forever.”

Jessica’s blushed until it reached her ears and Tiffany didn’t have heart to voice out her concern, or even feeling the pain on her heart, she somehow doesn’t have heart but she said it in a joking way anyway.

“Ouch, feels hurt here.” She pointed to where her heart supposedly at as she flashed yet another smile, this time brighter than the previous one but still not genuine.

Jessica looked at her knitted her eyebrows as she bit her lips.

“Here, the birthday gift. Happy birthday, princess.”

She holds the nicely wrapped present from Tiffany when the figure in front of her turned around and to the bed, tucked her whole body with the blanket even without changing her clothes first.

***

Jessica thought she wouldn’t found professionalism, at least not when she’s still in high school. At work maybe, of course actually, because people at work are mature people, adult, the one with long way of thinking if it’s not deep thinker. But there’s also professionalism in high school, not those people in a community but that senior live in the same room as her.

Tiffany.

The girl was just asking Jessica to go out with her, Jessica rejected it because she doesn’t feel more for Tiffany except as a best friend. Jessica expected Tiffany to stay away from her or at least stops talking to her for some days but she got the otherwise. The older girl acted like nothing happened, like she never asked Jessica to go out with her, like she never said her heart was hurting because of the younger girl had a crush.

Professionalism or not, she admired Tiffany because of it so much.

“Why are you still being nice to me even I rejected you?”

“Because you’ve princess tendency, no one can cope it beside me! I live with you since the first time you stepped your feet here.”

“You know that’s not what I mean.”

“Oh please.” A wave of her hand. “I know you’re hard to be with but I don’t know, I love those hardships, and besides I am the basketball MVP and a very awesome person, so yeah, princess suits me the best, don’t you think so?”

That was actually very light; being Tiffany’s friend was really a light thing to do. The girl seems okay with everything. Cope to every situation, to new things, to new feelings or even to a mixed one. Wow Tiffany was indeed great, the best Jessica ever get, the older girl never give her a hard time even at once, it was the vise versa, Tiffany helps her with everything.

Oh and Tiffany wasn’t a give-up-on-thing type of person which means she never give up confessing to Jessica.

Jessica was eating while reading a book in the canteen and Tiffany sat there beside her.

“My gorgeous lady, are you alone? Want this awesome charming person to accompany you?”

“Do whatever you want.”

“Really? Cool! So… can I act like you’re my girlfriend? Like we’re together? Having relationship and such lovey dovey thingy?”

“No.”

Or those texts Tiffany sends when Jessica still had class.

From: Tiffacraze
guess what I have in mind right now.

To: Tiffacraze
JungAh stripping.

From: Tiffacraze
can you strip instead?
now my mind tainted L

To: Tiffacraze
PLEASE SLEEP OUTSIDE TONIGHT!

From: Tiffacraze
oh my gorgeous please don’t mad at me!
if I say sorry would you be mine?

To: Tiffacraze
YOU WERE JUST IMAGINING ME STRIPPING!!

From: Tiffacraze
no no I’m not! I’m not the one mentioned stripping!
whatever let’s go back from the start

From: Tiffacraze
guess what I have in mind right now.

To: Tiffacraze
me!
PLEASE JUST STOP TEXTING WHEN I’M IN CLASS.

From: Tiffacraze
TRUE!!
LET’S DATING!!

To: Tiffacraze
NO!

Also that time when Tiffany walked pass Jessica’s classroom.

“PRINCESS JESSICA IS MY GIRLFRIEND!!”

Her classmate eyes that looking at Jessica immediately were asking for confirmation from what Tiffany just shouting and those eyes also makes her blush madly.

“I am not!!”

Sooyoung and Hyoyeon’s eyes were the one that she avoids the most.

Then it goes on until the next months but the second month doesn’t really as crazy as the first one since Jessica said she would probably stop talking to Tiffany if the girl keeps on acting like a drunken dog. Tiffany stops and continued her madness towards Jessica in a calmer way; asking the other girl personally and not shouting and yelling or made anything that could make the younger girl feel shame.

***

Exam month coming several weeks later, both Tiffany and Jessica were busy studying. Tiffany was busier though, this year is her last year in high school, she had to get a perfect score so she can go to the university she dreamt of. She was studying real hard, hell, Jessica barely can speaks to the older girl when both of them study together in the living room.

That night when Jessica finished her studying, Tiffany still had those books sprawled all over the table ― some lay near her feet and the others everywhere around her. Jessica placed her book on her rack with her eyes still glued on Tiffany whose eyebrows now knitted at her book.

“Almost twelve, aren’t you going to sleep?” Jessica asks.

Tiffany shook her head. “Not done with this yet. You go first. I’ll turn off the light when I’m done.”

“Of course you have to.”

But instead of go to her bed, Jessica headed to the kitchen instead. Grabbed a pack of coffee, took one and pour the content to a pink cup and steamed it with hot water. She stir it with a tea spoon and walked to where Tiffany at and put the cup on the table near a book Tiffany been reading for awhile now. The girl sitting on the floor glanced to the steamy cup before darted her eyes to Jessica. She peeks to the inside of the cup where black liquid reflected the light on the ceiling.

“Poison?” Tiffany raised her eyebrows.

“Dog’s pee.”

“Seriously? Its color is black?”

Jessica shrugged. “It can help you stay awake.”

“Cool! Thanks princess.” Tiffany smiled to the joke and put her pencil on the table before she sipped on the coffee. “Taste so nice when you make it.”

“I know.”

It was going on like that until the next days. Tiffany will worked so hard, studying without knowing time, skipped lunch, skipped dinner, never pays attention when Jessica was talking about the tv series they used to watch together, she even skipped practicing. Jessica noticed how the girl’s love for basketball, Tiffany would do anything for it, it was like running on the older girl’s blood. Jessica also notice how smart Tiffany is with her barely saw the older girl studying, and looking at how serious Tiffany right now, Jessica realize how big Tiffany’s desire to accepted to the university.

After Jessica finished studying, she will always make a cup of coffee for Tiffany ― she’ll make one more cup when Tiffany started yawning without the hint of stopping from study. Or make her some noodles at night when Tiffany skipped her dinner, watched Tiffany scribed on her notes when the girl solve math questions, read with Tiffany when the older girl had history exam the next day or even just sit there on the couch until she fell asleep only to accompany Tiffany even the girl tell her to sleep first.

She was doing that without her realizing. She was just thinking to cheer for the girl so Tiffany can get more enthusiasm to studying and can get a perfect score so she can go to the university. Or that unflattering feeling she feels when she imagine Tiffany’s graduation day. It’s not like she hates the girl to graduate, hell, she wouldn’t do things like that if she didn’t like it. It was just it’s gonna be very different if Tiffany is not around.

She’ll gonna get a new roommate, tried to make friend with that new person. What she gonna do with the room and the memories Tiffany left? Every corner in this room will remind her of Tiffany. Where the girl hung her sweaty basketball’s shirt, where Tiffany put her ball, how Tiffany wake her up every morning by bouncing her ball next to Jessica’s bed, how long it takes for Jessica to hold on to her pee because Tiffany washed up for too long. Man, she’ll gonna missed everything right?

So she wanted to spend the days with Tiffany, spend more and more because every days that passed will lead her to the day where Tiffany would be graduating, the day Tiffany would go away from her without she’s sure whether they can still keep in touch or not.

“Last day last day!” Jessica beamed. “Last day ohhhh…. Finally!”

Tiffany looked up from her book to the girl walking closely beside her. Tiffany smiled to herself when Jessica jumping up and down.

“Last day for you to answer incorrectly for every question, no?”

“Heeeyyy! I am studying too you know!”

“Study how to sleep? Of course princess of course.”

“Jerk!” she slaps Tiffany’s arm and pouted.

Tiffany chuckled at the girl and ruffled Jessica’s hair before she put her arm over Jessica’s shoulder. She flicked the girl’s forehead.

“Let’s go for a date after this. A friendly one.” Tiffany added when Jessica looked up at her quizzically. “A friendly one and no more I promise.”

“Ah cool!”

“I really wanted to take you to a romantic one though, with all the candles and such since you’re the princess and I’m the awesome charming one. But…” Tiffany exhale a breath, looked up to the ceiling dreamily as they keep on walking. “We’re best friend and I think nothing can change that, yes?”

She looked down to Jessica and the girl nodded her head. Tiffany flashed Jessica a bright smile. “A friendly date as a thanked to keep me accompany for the whole year.”

Jessica smiled back at her best friend. She nodded her head at Tiffany and darted her eyes out from the window on the hallway with Tiffany’s arm still on her shoulder.

This might be the last time they can went out together to have some fun. After Tiffany graduate, the possibility for having fun would be so thin.

In the other hand, Tiffany kept her eyes glued on Jessica. Looking at her with every feeling she has for the younger girl. She then looked over her arm where it lays on the girl’s shoulder. She scent of Jessica’s perfume would be linger in her cloth for some days and Tiffany would let her cloth be unwashed before Jessica put it on the basket of dirty clothes herself.

If the past several days was a signal for Tiffany to go on to get Jessica’s heart, she would do anything for it. She was planning to take Jessica to a romantic date but she wasn’t sure whether Jessica would like it or not, besides, the girl said she still had that big crush on Kim Taeyeon. So the empty slot for Tiffany to slip into was very much small. A friendly date would just perfect right? At least it’s gonna be only her and Jessica after all.

***

a/n: part 2 is up up up! ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ is this a cliffhanger? no? yes? no! :D not a cliffhanger LOL! btw, this is still in flashback. this gonna take long, i mean this gonna have maybe more than 4 parts. and... sorry if this takes too long to update. please do enjoy this and leave comments wont hurt no? :)