Two seemingly short, fast-paced weeks have now transgressed into three years. Three long years of silence, loneliness, and heart ache. Three years since Tiffany has last seen Jessica. Three years since a friendship has been lost, along with any hope of salvaging it.

Tiffany sits on the couch in her small studio apartment in Seoul. It’s dark. Curtains pulled in over the window, no need for outside light when you have lights inside she says. She doesn’t even have those on. She’s shrouded in darkness, and it’s her fault. Her fault and she knows it. Her fault for hurting Jessica more than any person should never have to experience. Jessica would probably be here, if she hadn’t messed up. She’s slowly starting to drift asleep, head drooping ever so often, she doesn’t want to sleep. Jessica was wrong when she said sleeping kept you sane, she couldn’t disagree more. Sleeping brings up the memory of the day she messed up.

Tiffany was sitting with Taeyeon in a small coffee shop. She had to text Jessica when Taeyeon asked to meet up, that they would have to push their meeting at this coffee shopand movie plans back a little. She didn’t get a response so, she assumed the girl was sleeping. Taeyeon was excitedly telling her about her trip, but she was only thinking about what movie she and Jessica were going to watch.

“…Tiffany! Are you listening to me?” Taeyeon asked, slightly miffed, knowing the answer already. She just wanted to test her hypothesis.

“Of course, Taeyeon-ah. You were telling me how great it was to see your family again.”

‘Hypothesis confirmed,’ Taeyeon thought.

“No, you weren’t because I was asking you if you wanted more coffee. What’ve you been thinking about all this time? Or should I ask whom?” Taeyeon knew. She’s had a feeling about this long before Jessica showed up.

“What’re you talking about ‘whom’?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about, Jessica.”

“Why would I be thinking about Jessi? And why do you sound so accusatory right now?”

“Why?” Taeyeon scoffed, “You ALWAYS think about your ‘Jessi’! Especially when you can’t talk about her. Oh, but when you do, I can’t get you to stop. ‘Jessi this’ and ‘Jessi’ that’.”

“I do not always think about her. And of course I talk about her sometimes, she is my best friend.”

“It’s not sometimes, Tiffany, it’s always. You even scolded me for acting the way I did when I met here.”

“You were being rude, Taeyeon, I was listening to you guys.”

“Well Tiffany, when you talk about her so much, you’d think she was your girlfriend, not me,” she said bitterly, and rightfully so.

“That’s not true.”

“It is…Tiffany will you marry me?”

“WHAT?! Kim Taeyeon! What are you talking nonsense about?!”

“I was just testing you,” Taeyeon calmed herself down before continuing, “Tiffany when I asked you that, the first thing that came to mind was?”

“Taeyeon what are going on about?”

“Just answer, Tiffany, it’s important. I won’t get mad.”

“Honestly…”Tiffany began, “I thought of Jessica. Her face flashed in my mind before I could even fully comprehend what it was you asked.”

“I knew it. And you know it too, don’t you?”

“Yes, but I don’t think its right. It wouldn’t work out.”

“Tiffany, if you have feelings for her, don’t you think that she ought to know? The poor girl’s been in love with you for four years thinking that you’ll never love her back. But you do. You keep pushing her into the ‘friend zone’, why?”

“She’s my best friend. You shouldn’t have feelings for your best friend, Taeyeon. She just doesn’t know that because she’s never had a friend before me. It’s for the best. We’d be better as friends than as lovers. I’m just protecting our friendship. We’re just too different, it wouldn’t work out.”

“That is the biggest load of crap I’ve ever heard. Different? You two are like two freaking peas in a pod! And I only know about her from you! And if it’s so wrong to like your best friend, why do you?”

“I know it’s not fair and that I’m being selfish here, but I don’t want our friendship to end. My feelings aren’t as strong as hers because I know hers are misplaced.”

“You don’t know if it’ll end or make your love for each other stronger. Look Pany-ah,my love for you is here. I’ll get over you eventually. But you cant keep playing ‘take it or leave it’ with hers. The girl will love you forever and ever, like a fool. She’s going to end up too hurt.”

“Taeyeon---” Tiffany was cut off by a shaking voice.

“W-we’re best f-friends and that m-makes it wrong to l-love you? My feelings a-are misplaced and I s-should just give up, t-to save our friendship?” It was Jessica. She saw them arguing from the outside looking through the shop window. Tiffany and Taeyeon didn’t even notice her as she walked up to their table ready to hurt Taeyeon for arguing with Tiffany.

“J-jessi! What are you doing here so early? I thought I texted you with the change of plans earlier.”

“My phone’s dead. I forgot to charge it. Guess I should be thankful, huh?” she said coldly and wounded.

“Jessica-ssi, you should lis---” Taeyeon tried to reason, but was cut off.

Jessica faced Taeyeon ,“I think I’ve heard quite enough, Taeyeon.” She turned around glaring at Tiffany, her eyes showed her anger and hurt. “I’ve been here for four years, dropping subtle and not-so-subtle hints that I was in love with you. I just wanted you to notice, but you didn’t seem to. I attributed it to you being dense. I didn’t know that you knew and were just ignoring everything as if it wasn’t even there. You could’ve just told me that you didn’t like me back when you noticed. That way, we would’ve probably still have been friends and I could maybe love someone else. But don’t tell me that me loving you is some misplaced feelings crap, ‘cause it isn’t. I was honest in everything that I said that made me attracted to you, Tiffany.”

“Jessi,” Tiffany called softly.

“Don’t call me like that,” Jessica hissed. Tiffany knows her mistake.

“That’s not the way it is. We’re just best friends. Best friends aren’t supposed to fall in love with each other. I thought that if I ignored your feelings long enough, that you would just give up. I’m sorry, Jessica.”

“WERE best friends, Tiffany. And ignoring my feelings and pushing me away? That is not how you are supposed to treat friends. You know I’m leaving tomorrow, right? I don’t want to see you there, or ever again.”

With that, Jessica her heels and ran out of the place. She had never run for anyone before Tiffany. She hated herself for that. She’d never shed a single tear until Tiffany. She hated herself for bawling like a child with a scraped up knee now. She’d never loved anyone until Tiffany. She hated herself the most for that.

Tiffany was in a fetal position on her couch, whimpering every now and the in her sleep. She cried out of self pity and she cried for hurting Jessica. She tried to contact Jessica about two months after the whole thing through Sunny, but Sunny had told her that Jessica was hired for some photography expedition and left right after the paper were signed. She wanted Jessica to know that she was sorry, even if the latter didn’t believe her. She also wanted Jessica to know that she realized she was wrong. She was in love with Jessica, and it wasn’t wrong.

***

A rather tall man stood in front of a teenage girl and spoke, “Miss, we have found her.”

“Good. Where is she?” the girl asked.

“The Himalayas, Miss. But she’s ready to start her descent from the mountain. It’ll take about three days to get back down, and after that we won’t know where she’s going next.”

“Book me on the next flight there. You may leave, but hand me phone first.”

“Yes, Miss.” The man handed her the phone and left.

She dialed a number and waited until the other person picked up, it was a girl, “Number Two, I’ll be leaving for a few days, so you’re in charge. And cover for me, will ya?”

“But the Student Counsel is too busy getting ready for graduation. You’re the President, you can’t leave. It’s not responsible.”

“You owe me one, Number Two. Besides, it’s just a few days, two, three at the most.”

“Fine, but you have to be back soon. I can’t handle everything on my own. I need you.”

“Good. Okay. I trust you, even though you’re Number Two, you can do this. I’ll repay you properly when I get back.”

____________________________

A/N: Title is a song by The . I didn't mean for Tiffany to turn out so mean. Feelings got over me, I guess.