Hello guys, sorry for not updating the past two days, there's a festival in my campus, so yeah, I've been busy. Anyway, this is chapter 8 for you guys! Enjoy!

I have a feeling you might be a tad mad at me at the start of the chapter but there is a method to my madness I promise.

Tiffany's POV

I felt her lips on mine and did the only thing my heart would let me do. I kissed her back. I kissed her back with all that I felt for her. It was a gentle kiss that was still a wash with passion. I felt her hands on my face as my hands found a place in her hair.

It was the single most wonderful kiss of my entire life to date.

I ignored the cheering of our band members and the "it's about time" from my annoying big brother. All I focused on was her lips as they danced with mine. We kissed until oxygen became a serious issue and then gently pulled away from each other.

I took a shaky step back and put my fingers to my lips, which were swollen from our long awaited kiss. I gazed into her mocha eyes and saw only love. It was then that my brain kicked in and told me to panic. So panic I did. I spun on my heel and ran from the room like death itself was chasing me.

I flew out the back door of the bar and took the stairs to my front door two at a time. Opening the door I became aware of Sooyoung calling my name as she began climbing the stairs after me. I wrenched open my front door and got it closed and locked just as she reached it.

"Tiffany please open the door, come on Hazel open the door so we can talk about this," Sooyoung called through the solid wood of my front door.

I leaned my forehead against the smooth wood and let my tears fall. I hated myself for running, for being so damn scared. I turned around and slid down the door, burying my head in my hands to stifle the sobs that were tearing violently through me.

"Tiff, I know you're scared and you know what, so am I, but I know you feel the way I do. Hazel please, let me in." From the huskiness of her voice I could tell she was crying and it cut me deeply to know I was the cause of her tears. I never wanted to hurt her.

I have no idea how long we stayed like that, with her outside my door pleading with me to let her in and me staying silent and sobbing into my hands. After what felt like hours I heard her sigh and say, "Ok Tiffany I'll go, I'll give you some time. I'm always gonna be here for you Hazel, please don't ever forget that. I'll be here waiting for you when you're ready."

I listened to her footsteps becoming fainter as she slowly walked down the stairs. I shuddered when I heard the door to the car park close gently behind her. Once I was sure I was alone I staggered to my feet and stumbled into my music room. I dropped heavily onto the piano stool and began to move my fingers over the keys.

In this space I was safe. I could let the music take me away from the uncertainty and pain that was consuming me. I played out a familiar tune and began to sing as the tears continued to flow from my eyes and splatter on the keys.

"Took my love and I took it down
Climbed a mountain and I turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well, the landslide brought me down

Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

Well, I've been afraid of changin'
'Cause I've built my life around you
But time makes bolder, children get older
I'm getting older too, well

Well, I've been afraid of changin'
'Cause I've built my life around you
But time makes bolder, children get older
I'm getting older too, well, I'm getting older too

So take this love and take it down
Yeah, and if you climb a mountain and you turn around
And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well, the landslide brought down

And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well maybe, well maybe, well maybe
The landslide will bring you down."

I played the last note and then began to sob anew, my body convulsing as I got up and snuggled down in the well worn leather armchair next to my window. The chair embraced me like a long lost friend and I sank into its depths as sleep claimed me.

I was woken up the next morning by an angry hammering on my front door. I got to my feet and walked out hesitantly, sure that it was Siwon and that he had forgotten the key he had insisted I give him. "Tiffany I know you're in there, now open this ing door before I kick it down!" Jonghyun yelled as he pounded on the wood.

I knew he couldn't kick the door down but I didn't want him to hurt himself trying so I quickly opened the door. Jonghyun stood on the other side glaring at me. I turned and walked into the kitchen to make some coffee, I sure as hell was going to need it.

"You look like complete Tiffany," Jonghyun said as he took in my rumpled appearance. I was still wearing the clothes I'd performed in the night before and had obviously slept in.

"Thanks Jonghyun," I snapped sarcastically.

"You need to stop this Tiff," He said quietly, staring straight into my eyes.

"Stop what?" I knew what he meant but I was too ashamed to actually admit it.

"What you're doing to Sooyoung, it's not fair Tiff. I had her at my place this morning crying over you. I know what happened to you with Eunjung and it , it was something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemies but it’s time to move on. You cannot keep letting the past effect your life. It happened and now it's over." Jonghyun was practically shaking with anger, I had to wonder how long he had wanted to say this to me.

"It's not that simple Jonghyun, I can't just forget what happened and you know what my Mom's like and then there's Siwon to consider," I argued.

"I'm not telling to forget the past, what I'm saying is that it is long passed time to move on. All that , your Mom and Siwon, they are just excuses Tiffany. Excuses to cover up the fact that you are scared less because you really love this girl and know that she loves you back. You're not scared she'll hurt you, you're ing scared that it will actually work out and then you'll have to accept that you are gay and be happy. Tiffany stop hiding and just let yourself be ing happy! By pushing her away you are hurting both of you!" Jonghyun yelled.

I looked down at the ground, scared of the truth behind his words. "What if I'm not ready Jonghyun?" I asked in a small voice.

Jonghyun walked over to me and pulled me into his arms, his anger disappearing, "You are ready Tiff, you're just scared. Remember what your Dad says, the only thing to fear is fear itself. Fear is just an emotion, so don't base you're life on it." I snuggled into his chest and just let him rock me gently. "Tiffany you're going to be okay, just let Sooyoung in. I just want to see you happy again." Jonghyun kissed me softly on the forehead and held me closer.

I stood in his arms for a long time, just taking comfort from his familiar embrace. Jonghyun is one of my best friends and I was damn lucky to have him. I was about to tell him as much when Siwon came striding into my apartment. Siwon really has the worst timing ever.

"What the is this? First I catch you in bed with a woman and now I find you in the arms of another guy? Geez Tiffany, what's next? I walk in on a !" Siwon sneered.

Jonghyun took a step towards Siwon, his hands clenched into fists. I put a hand on his arm to stop him, "Jonghyun don't. Leave it with me, I'll deal with Siwon." Jonghyun looked down at me as if he was trying to read what I was thinking, probably to ascertain what I was going to do. I smiled reassuringly, "Jonghyun can you give me and Siwon a moment please?"

Jonghyun looked back and forth between Siwon and me before nodding and pulling me into another hug, "If you need anything at all call me and I'll be back in a second." I nodded and gave him a quick squeeze. Jonghyun released me, glared at Siwon and walked calmly from the apartment.

I turned to face Siwon and found him glaring intensely at me "You know how I feel about that guy Tiffany. He is a loser and I don't think you should be spending time with him." Siwon strode into my kitchen and helped himself to a beer from my fridge, even though it was only like 9 in the morning.

"Little early don't you think?" I asked sarcastically.

"If I have to put up with this from you, then it's definitely not too early!" Siwon snapped, taking a long pull from the bottle. I clenched my hands into fists and fought the urge to slug him.

"God you are such a complete Siwon! I have no idea why I have put up with your ing bull for so damn long!" I snapped.

"Stop being such a Tiffany, are you PMS-ing or something?" He asked sarcastically. My God I hated him.

I laughed harshly and poked him hard in the chest, " you Siwon, you! You just don't know when to keep your arrogant mouth shut. This thing between you and me, is over. I want you out of my apartment and out of my life."

Siwon laughed, "Are you kidding? Tiffany you can't break up with me, you won't. You know your mother won't like it."

"I'm sure she won't once you get around to telling her. But I've come to a realization, my mother doesn't control me and you don't control me. I have spent my life trying to make that woman proud and all I have to show for it is a life of misery and fear. The good things that I have in my life are things that my mother disapproved of." I let out a laugh and shook my head, "I am done living my life to make other people happy, its time I made myself happy again. So Siwon, you and I are over."

Siwon stared at me open mouthed, shock plainly written on his stupid face, "You can't be serious?"

I stepped forward so that I was right in his face. "I am deadly serious. Now get your out of my apartment before I call Kris's bouncers and have you forcibly removed." I said calmly.

"Fine I'll go, but don't be surprised when you lose everything Tiffany. Your family, your friends, none of them will still be here once I get through with you. You filthy dyke," Siwon spat at me.

"Don't threaten me Siwon, there is nothing you can do to me that is worse than what I have already live through," I snapped.

"Don't be so sure." With that Siwon slammed his beer bottle down on the marble bench so hard that it shattered and stormed out of my apartment.

As the door slammed behind him I sunk to the floor and cried. God by that point I was sure I wouldn't have any more tears left, I was wrong. I sobbed as I cleaned up the broken glass, I think mostly in relief. I felt a sense of freedom, but there was one more thing I had to do before I would be completely free. There was one more person I had to confront.

I forced myself to my feet and down the hall to my bedroom. I stripped off and got in the shower, my tears mingling with the soothing water. I savored the warmth of the water and let it flow over me.

Once I got out I dressed in a pair of grey skinny jeans and a pink v-neck wool sweater. I slid on a pair of black flip-flops, grabbed my bag and raced down to my car.

I drove the familiar route and parked outside an all too familiar location. I took a deep breath and got out of the car, I had chickened out last time and I wasn't going to again. This confrontation was long past due. I purposefully walked up the front path and let myself into my parent's house. This place wasn't home anymore and hadn't been since the night my mother told me to leave when I told her I was dating a girl.

I stormed into the kitchen just in time to see my mother hang up the phone. I'd bet my Fender bass that she was just talking to Siwon and that he had told her a rather twisted version of events.

"That was Siwon on the phone," see I told you, "What the hell did you do Tiffany?" My mother yelled at me.

I took a deep breath and looked up to meet her eyes, "I didn't do anything other than what needed to be done Mom."

"That's not what he said! Siwon told me he found you in bed with that Sooyoung girl from your pathetic little band yesterday morning, then this morning found you in the arms of that no-hoper Jonghyun and now he told me that you broke up with him. What the hell is wrong with you! I thought we'd squashed that deviant ersion right out of you Tiffany, what the hell were you thinking?!" My mother screamed at me.

"First of all nothing happened between me and Sooyoung or me and Jonghyun," my mother scoffed and glared at me, "Believe it or not. And secondly you can't squash the gay out of me Mom because that is who I am!" I screamed at her.

Oh my God I said it. I said it out loud and for the first time I didn't care what my mother thought. "I'm gay Mom and for the last two years I have pretended to be something that I wasn't to please you. I let you control me and make me feel guilty and ashamed for something I can't control. I didn't ask to be gay, but I am and I can't change that. My life would be so much easier if I could just be straight. It would be easier for you and me but it's not who I am and I won't lie about who I am anymore."

"You disgust me, I did not raise you this way," My mother spat at me, her eyes narrowing hatefully.

"Well I guess that's good because if you approved I'd know I was doing something wrong," I said calmly, while inside I was seething with barely contained rage.

My mother glared at me with more hatred then I had ever seen on one person's face and went to hit me hard across the face. I flinched back in preparation for the blow, but she was stopped by my Dad. He raced into the room and stepping up behind her he grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him, "Moon Ye Seul , don't you dare lay a hand on my daughter. I think you've hurt her more than enough!" He yelled right in her face.

"Sung Ki, open you damn eyes! Your precious daughter has chosen to live a life of sin, it's unacceptable and I won't tolerate it, not from my child!" My mother screamed.

"Ye Seul, being gay isn't a choice! I will not let you hurt my daughter anymore. I know I was kept in the dark about what happened between Tiffany and Eunjung. I've always known there was more to the story than what you told me. I know you used your connections to keep it all from me, I knew it was a matter of time before you put your father's friends in high places to use. I just wish it hadn't been at the expense of our daughter." My Dad yelled at her as he held her arm, I'm pretty sure he was holding her to stop her being able to hurt me anymore.

"You don't know what happened Sung Ki! I was saving her!" My mother argued.

"Saving her from what?" My Dad spat.

"From the consequences of her deviant lifestyle," My mother said smugly as she glared over at me. I closed my eyes, this was it, it was time for my Dad to find out what really happened.

"Dad, she means that she helped hide from everyone that Eunjung abused me. She was hitting me for months and then the day after I came out to you guys she beat me, me and video taped the whole thing. She emailed the video to the student body at the SACA. Mom got her connections to destroy the video and keep it all under wraps. Eunjung was convicted and sent to prison," I murmured quietly.

"See, the result of living in sin!" My mother cried triumphantly. My Dad let go of her arm, shoved her out of his way and stepped to my side. I was so ashamed that I couldn't meet his eyes.

"Tiffany look at me, please," He said softly. I looked up into his Hazel eyes that are so like my own and saw nothing but love and empathy. "Honey, I'm so sorry you had to go through that, I wish I had known so I could have protected you, helped you. My darling you have nothing to be ashamed of, I love you and nothing will ever change that."

I burst into tears, yet again, and threw myself into my father's arms. I sobbed against his chest as he whispered soothing words to me while my hair, just like he used to when I was a child.

"This is ridiculous! Sung Ki you cannot possibly support her decision to live the kind of life that can lead to that kind of embarrassment happening. It took so much effort to hide it and make it go away!" Moon Ye Seul snapped. I will no longer call that woman my mother.

My Dad glared at her, "Ye Seul, I will support our children in any decisions that they make. Being a parent means loving your children unconditionally. Oh and for the record abuse and happen in straight relationships as well. The fact that our daughter is gay in no way makes it more likely that she will be victimized like that." My Dad held me tighter against him as I cried harder, God I wish I had told my Dad back when everything happened, things would have turned out so differently.

"Ye Seul, you never should have hidden this from me, by hiding what happened you sent the message to our daughter that what happened to her was something she should be ashamed of and that's just not true. Tiffany did nothing to be ashamed of. What happened to her was horrible, but the only people who should be ashamed are Eunjung and you," My Dad said angrily.

"Sung Ki you are a fool if you think that!" Moon Ye Seul snapped.

"No I was a fool for ever loving you, for letting you hurt my kids. Ye Seul I filed for divorce last week, you'll be getting served with papers any day now. I want you out of my life and out of my children's lives. You have caused more damage than we will ever be able to forgive. Pack your things and get the hell out of this house by the end of the day." With that my Dad led me out the front door, leaving Ye Seul standing frozen in shock and disbelief.

"Dad I am so sorry, I'm sorry I didn't tell you," I cried as we walked down the path to my car while I was still wrapped up in his arms.

"Sweetie, you have nothing to be sorry for. I'm the one who is sorry, sorry I didn't protect you, not just from Eunjung but from your mother. I'm just so sorry." His words caused my tears to start flowing again. Soon we were both crying as we clutched onto each other. We stood like that for the longest time and then my Dad told me to go so he could make sure Ye Seul really left.

I kissed him on the cheek and climbed into my car. I gave him a watery smile as I pulled away from the curb and drove home. I needed to clear my head and there was only one way I knew how to do that, music.

I arrived home and went to check my emails before I disappeared into the sanctuary that was my music room, it had been a tumultuous few days and I had been a little slack. There were a few from work, a few from friends, a few junk emails and then one that made my blood run cold. It was from an unknown user and the subject line simply read, 'Don't be so sure...'

With a sinking feeling in my chest I clicked on the email and then I screamed.

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Song in this Chapter:

Landslide by Dixie Chicks

well? leave me something? I love reading your comments ;)

p.s Moon Ye Seul is a pure fictional character, coz I'm too lazy to google out whose gonna be Tiffany's mother. Well, I might add the picture of her later, if there's any suggestions, guys? I want a half korean-american grown up woman, she can be an actress or anything, but I don't really like a 'too ahjumma-like' woman tobe her mom. So yeah.. haha I'd really appreciate if you want to help. :p

p.p.s OMG. Someone shared my story on twitter! Gosh, whoever and wherever you are.. I love you! lots of hugs and kisses for you~~ x"D https://twitter.com/search?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asianfanfics.com%2Fstory%2Fview%2F309119