It would be 3 days. The landlord said Tiffany’s room door would be done within 3 days and since the other girl didn’t have any place to live, Jessica offered her room. It is much better than knowing that Tiffany would stay in the same room with that clingy friend, Sunny. And for Jessica’s key, the landlord gave her another key,  the spare key.

So Jessica had 3 days of Tiffany living in the same room as her, just like the old times. She only has 3 days to make herself as close as possible with the other girl, maybe taking care of Tiffany would counted too. How proud Jessica of herself at the time Tiffany agreeing her sudden offer, she claimed herself as a genius by then.

The blanket she put on the sofa looks so neat and the pillows atop of it was like a cherry on the top of a cake. She made her sofa looks as comfortable as possible because she didn’t want Tiffany to wake up with pain in all over of her body once she slept there. Jessica clapped her hand and looked over her shoulder to where Tiffany sat in front of Jessica’s desk; eyeing the books she was sure Jessica wouldn’t touch.

“Done!” Jessica chirped.

“Thanks. You sure you gonna read all these? Looks so boring, so not you.” Tiffany stood up as she poked the book and clanked her tongue. She pointed out her finger towards the sofa, her eyebrows raised. “Is it gonna be as comfy as it looks?”

“Try it yourself.” Jessica shrugged when Tiffany slumped her body on the sofa, her hands behind her head. She smiled when the older girl sighed. “Told ya. By the way, I’m hungry, where to get food?”

Jessica heard Tiffany chuckled and the sound of shuffling on the sheets, her back was facing Tiffany as she look trough the very empty fridge. Her stomach was growling, she felt like eating the plastic flower that rested on the top of the fridge, it was dusty.

“So you make the sofa not for free, eh? Typical you.”

Tiffany stood up from the sofa and to the door when she heard that chuckle from Jessica, man, she missed it so much. She couldn’t help but opened the door and held it for Jessica, Tiffany smiled bitterly at the similar feelings that was crawling back from her high school year.

***

They went out for eat that night. Just eat whatever they found, first they stopped when they spotted a hot dog stan then they walked some more until they found a vending machine and Tiffany got Jessica a diet coke one since the younger girl said she wanted to try it and made Tiffany get a cola to herself just to point out differences between the diet one and the normal one. Which at the last they found out that their taste bud couldn’t find the difference.

“I should get myself the orange flavor one. Why did I even agree with you?” Tiffany said and Jessica chuckled at that.

It was almost 8 in the evening and the sun finally set, but Jessica wanted to eat another food. So Tiffany recommended her a food stall three blocks away from where they were at. Tiffany said it was her favorite stall and the cheese burgers tasted heavenly.

The younger girl agreed, she wanted to know what kind of foods that Tiffany liked when the girl was away from her for the past one year and the mentioned of cheese burger somehow made her smiled because even when they were still in Korea, Tiffany always wanted a cheese burger when her tummy growled at night.

“Two cheese burgers without cucumbers please.”

Jessica had to look at Tiffany when the other girl ordered, Tiffany had her eyes glue to her phone playing a game. Jessica hated cucumber for life but she didn’t remember that Tiffany also hated it. she remembered when they were still in high school that Tiffany always ate all the cucumber on Jessica’s food when the younger girl forgot to order one without that exact veggie.

But she didn’t speak a thing about it, afraid if she brought it up they would ended up feeling awkward and stayed silent for the rest of the night. Jessica kept her mum. She leaned there on the light pole with her arms crossed on her chest. None of them started any conversation, even Tiffany that used to ask her with anything that come up to her mind just stay silent and choose to busy herself with her phone and stood some meters away from Jessica.

“Two cheese burgers, no cucumbers.”

“Yes. Thank you.” the black haired girl paid for the foods before she handed one to Jessica.

They ate the burgers as they were walking back to their dorm without any words and Tiffany offered Jessica her drink once in a while because Jessica already finished her drink even before they reached the stall. Just like that, nothing more.

They didn’t do anything playful like they used to during their high school year. It’s different now.

***

It was Saturday, and the two were beyond bored. No classes on Saturday and just sat around the not so spacious room was really… boring. Since Jessica still had nothing ‘fun’ in her room they had nothing to play with. Tiffany had Nintendo Wii and a laptop that she installed so many games inside her room. But her room was currently locked and the landlord said it would be fixed on three days and Jessica’s laptop had no games aside of minesweeper and solitaire and pinball. What to do with those poor things.

“How can you survive with this?” Tiffany protested when she checked on Jessica’s laptop. “Just let’s go and no protest okay? I am really bored and your laptop is so poor I can cry a river by now.”

And here they were now, at the arcade. Jessica insist she just gonna wait there and watch Tiffany play. Tiffany just shrugged and started to play, the older girl didn’t even drag her to play with her like what she used to. Jessica rolled her eyes, feeling somewhat forgotten and invisible when Tiffany simply continued to play even without took a second glance at her.

She walked to where Tiffany was playing a shooting game she didn’t even bother to look at the name of the game and inserted a coin before she took the gun and joined Tiffany. The older girl just smiled at how silly Jessica become and the same feelings she actually wanted to hate but she couldn’t, not now when Jessica was with her, stood beside her.

However, they were still a good team like a year ago. Finished yet another story on the game.

They walked home after that, small talks about what they’ve been doing with their lives. Light conversation because neither Tiffany nor Jessica wanted to dig whatever it is that gonna bring them back to what happened to the ‘last game’ a year ago. Because all Jessica could think was that game, what had happened, what made Tiffany decided to move away without even bother woke her up that night.

She slept by the sounds of Tiffany’s steady breath that night and woke up to the girl’s ruffling on the sofa in the morning. Jessica watched the older girl sleeps; how her eyes shut in a straight line but still looked like smiling, how parted and her black hair that cascaded her face looks disturbingly stunning even when they were messy.

Jessica wondered whether Tiffany’s hair still felt as soft as the old times or not. Because she noticed the color had change from brown to black and it had a little bit curl now at the end of the hair, but it still looked as soft as always. Despite her love for sport and her a bit tomboyish look, Jessica understood the effort Tiffany put on making her hair looks beautiful. She wanted to feel it in between her fingers again.

“It’s rude to stare, y’know.”

“Morning.” Jessica greeted, not realizing that she already sat beside Tiffany now. She looked down and played with her digits before looking back at the sleepy eyes of Tiffany Hwang.

“How about staying up all night long watching DVDs together?”

“Just like the old times.”

“Just like the old times.”

***

Maybe this is wishful thinking,
probably mindless dreaming,
but if we loved again, I swear I’d love you right

How it has been the last night already? Why did days pass do fast? Since when three days became so fast but two days of exams felt like one decade? Who are the one to blame?

Her? Tiffany? The clock? Or the gap between the two of them? The slight bit of awkwardness? Or the lack of talking they shared every passing night?

What was happening to them was not what Jessica had in mind right now. all she wanted to do is just sit there on the sofa, eat salty popcorn Tiffany made and cuddle with the other girl as they watch the movies.

Jessica wrapped one hand on Tiffany waist, her head on the other girl’s shoulder and her legs draped atop of Tiffany’s, trapping the girl so she couldn’t even think how to move a muscle. Jessica didn’t even mind her weird angle when she tried to take popcorn until Tiffany had to moved the bowl to her lap so Jessica could easily take it.

Tiffany didn’t mind their position, she used to it but it feels a little bit different now. It’s like Jessica didn’t want to let her go. As if Jessica told her to not go anywhere and to stay there with her. The feeling was different even the body language Jessica showed her also different. Maybe it was her mind that failed her but once she wanted to agree with what she had been thinking, Jessica tightened her embrace and ruined all those thoughts.

She didn’t know when it happened or how, or what was on her mind when she leaned down to Jessica’s head. She had her eyes closed and her lips touched the smooth hair of the girl that rested her head on her shoulder.  She kissed Jessica’s head. With all her heart, pouring every single drops of feelings she always had, the ones she tried to bury for past year.

It lingered for some moments before Tiffany finally pulled away frantically, panicked and also confused of what she just done. Why on earth her body moved without her brain could processed it? What was wrong with her?

Tiffany looked everywhere but Jessica, her breath went rigid each passing second if she couldn’t control her thumping heart. Jessica stayed still, still had her head rested on her shoulder and she noticed how the younger girl’s hand gripped the side of Tiffany’s tee.

Tiffany was calculating the time for Jessica to look up at her and asked her what the hell she just did. But it never happened. The girl didn’t even move, probably shocked but Tiffany could careless because she even surprised herself of what she just did. She gulped and exhaled heavily, clearing .

“S-sorry, it’s just― uh… do you need blanket? Do you feel cold?”

“A bit.” Jessica’s voice was steady and Tiffany started to think that the younger girl didn’t realize the kiss, but in fact, Jessica’s heart was ready to explode at anytime.

“Let me get it for you.”

The black head stood up, she walked a tad bit fast she almost stumbled on her own feet but she controlled herself just good. Tiffany went in to the bathroom first, washed her heated face countless time. She looked at her reflection in the mirror; she didn’t know what to do.

She built the wall to get rid of Jessica for one year, also made up her mind to move on. It was just a simple cuddling Jessica always did like the old times; she never had a hard time with that. But now when Jessica did it again it made her wall crumble, losing control of her own body even when Jessica didn’t do anything in particular.

Walked out from the bathroom, Tiffany grabbed the blanket on Jessica’s bed and wrapped it on Jessica’s shoulder once she sat beside the younger girl again. She avoided Jessica’s searching eyes. the blanket looked neat on the other girl’s body and she was sure enough it made Jessica warm. Tiffany knew the girl was staring at her but if she looked at the eyes again―

“Can you… hug me? It didn’t make any difference.”

Their eyes constantly met and Tiffany regreted it. Jessica’s eyes were always curious which why Tiffany loved it. It looked somehow innocent and clueless, just like a lost puppy. She wanted to shook her head, said no and rejected her.

“Okay.”

Jessica moved closer, she wrapped their bodies with the blanket and comfortably trapped Tiffany under her hold once again, tightly. If Tiffany can offered her a kiss, why not a hug for her? If Tiffany could lost control for a moment because of her, might as well crushed it for another moment or two.

Tiffany held the girl, putting aside her logic that screamed move on. She wanted to fall once more, she wanted to go head over heels all over again but she knew she couldn’t, she shouldn’t. Jessica was just a friend. And she will always be.

They stayed like that for god knows how long until the movie almost ended and she heard Jessica’s snore. Tiffany looked down to the face and notice that the girl had fallen asleep. Tiffany caressed the angelic face, let it linger for awhile before she pulled back.

“And she said she wants to stay up all night long.”

Instead of concentrating on the movie, Tiffany found it hard to even look away from Jessica’s face. She glued her eyes on the girl’s face, noticing that nothing had change from this gorgeous face of her old friend. She looked prettier though, a bit mature which made Jessica looks so inviting and alluring, which she believed Jessica would be when she grows up later on.

Tiffany smiled to herself, buried her nose through Jessica’s brunette hair and closed her eyes once the scent of Jessica’s shampoo disturbed her mind. It was calming. She forgot that feeling she had every time she was with Jessica. She missed it.

She ran her hand through the hair of the younger girl, looking at the sleeping serene face once more and she forgot the reason why she chose to move on, to leave this girl behind a year ago. But suddenly the pain was back and it choked her, it was suffocating. At the time she spoke, her voice was nothing more than just a whisper.

“I missed us, but it’s hard, Jessi. It is really hard.”

Tiffany wanted to stay like that for some other moment but the longer she held Jessica in her arms, the more confused she gets. Jessica once her biggest crush, anyway. It was okay to feel insecure all over again, right?

She turned off the DVD as well as the TV, putting aside the popcorn bowl and placed her arm around the sleeping girl, she stood up and placed Jessica on her bed. Tucked her under the blanket, so she wouldn’t felt cold once she gets up later. Looked once again to the face, Tiffany leaned in and kissed Jessica’s forehead and mumbled before she got back to the sofa to sleep.

“Goodnight, Jess. Thanks for the last three days, I had fun.”

It was, once again since the night Tiffany had left her, Jessica was never actually asleep. She knew it when Tiffany caressed her hair, how long Tiffany had linger her hand on her face, when the older girl carried her to her bed and tucked her under the blanket, she even counted for how long Tiffany’s lips linger on her forehead. It was less than three seconds but she still could feel the warmth of Tiffany lips on her forehead.

She felt mixed feelings, she was contented, happy the fact that Tiffany still care, but it was also painful , it hurted her even more now. More than when she saw how bright Tiffany smiled for Sunny. What was really hard? Was it her feeling? Her time when she was away from Jessica? She said she missed them ,but then again she said what happened in the past stays in the past. Was it her past that make it hard? So was it including her? And for short if it was, it means Jessica was the one who made her feel so hard, made her life hard?

It confused her. All this made her head spin. What had she done to Tiffany until the girl said that? Of course she did wrong and that’s why she was coming here to fix it all. She wanted to make it up for Tiffany, for her, for everything she had done in the past. But what should she do ?

Jessica wanted to shout apologize to Tiffany but she wasn’t sure how or when. She apologized to the other girl when she first saw her but Tiffany shrugged it off.

What was she doing here again then?

Tiffany’s steady breath was a cue for Jessica to let the tear slipped out from her eyes. She didn’t know why or what exactly that made her cry. All she knew was just Tiffany was hurting because of her and she currently still was.

TBC

a/n: short. i know. but as i promise, part 6 :) please enjoy and share your thought w me :D