Taeyeon's POV

"Wassup Taeng!" Sooyoung punched my shoulder, looking around behind me. "Where's your girlfriend? You didn't come together?"

"She's not coming."

"Why not? Did you guys fight?"

I kept silent, looking at the trees by the roadside.

"Oh...okay." Sooyoung bite down on her bottom lip, the atmosphere turned awkward.

"They are late. By the way, Sunny can't come. She have a class test on Monday. She wanted to study for it." Sooyoung attempted to keep the conversation going.

"It's understandable. She’s taking her ‘A’ levels this year. " I shrugged, as if I was not bothered by the news.

The both of us stood there, avoiding each other's gaze. Silence hung in the air once again.

"Taeng, you're not mad are you?"

"Nope, what makes you think so?"

"It's just...you don't look too happy."

"I'm not mad at Sunny, really."

"I'm not talking about that..."

"Yo, people! I'm sorry we're late. Yoona forgot to take her bus pass so we had to double back. Wassup?" Whatever Sooyoung was about to say, she was interrupted by the arrival of Yuri and Yoona.

"You're late." I told her, somehow glad that they came just in time before Sooyoung could question me further.

“And I had apologized for it. Anyway, where’s Jessica?” Yuri looked behind me, expecting Jessica to pop out.

“Not coming.” I replied flatly.

“They fought.” Sooyoung added in.

“That’s sad. But you’ll make up soon enough.” Yuri made a face. “Well, so it’s just us four retainees then! Let’s go!”

It was a Saturday afternoon and I had met up with my friends again in town. I had texted the captain telling her that I would not be going for training this morning, giving her the excuse that I had come down with a fever. Cliché I know, but the point was she bought my lie and it was all that matters. At least I got to sleep in for once. Somehow, going for training had become a chore to me. It had been something that I looked forward to every week last year.

“Whadidchupftboutyeshterday? Omphh!”

“How many times had we told you to not talk with your mouth full?” Yuri glared at the Shikshin.

Sooyoung glared back as she swallowed her food.

“Doesn’t mean you could smack my head! I’ll need all those brain cells if I want to pass the mid years.” She huffed, obviously pissed.

“Okay cut it out guys. What were you about to say?” Yoona stepped in before the both of them could start arguing.

Giving Yuri one last glare, Sooyoung turned to look at me.

“What did the both of you quarrel about anyway? You two were like super glue.” She asked, returning her attention to her fish and chips.

“Errm…”

What was I supposed to say?

“Yea, you’ve never fought before.” Yoona put down her fork, having finished the last of her spaghetti.

All three of them were waiting for an answer.

“It was stupid.”

“What is stupid?” Sooyoung was done eating and I had her full attention.

Great, I felt like I was being interrogated for committing a crime.

“Just…you know, can we not talk about it?”

“If you say so. But it’s kinda sad that she’s not here. We’re celebrating your birthday after all.” Yuri looked at her watch. “Sharks, we had better get out of here if we want to catch our movie on time.”

“It’s your fault. We wouldn’t have to rush if you had not come late.” I mumbled.

“I’m sorry Tae, stop being grouchy and get your off the chair now.” Yuri dragged me up and pulled me out of the restaurant.

Fortunately, we had managed to reach the theater just in time before the movie started playing.

“Happy birthday to you~”

We were at the roof top garden of the shopping mall after the movie. Sunny had appeared out of nowhere holding a cake.

“Make a wish and blow your candles Taeng!” She urged me.

“Whooo! Happy birthday Taeng! You’re 18 and legal!” Yoona and Sooyoung jumped on me, almost crashing me with their weight.

“Get off her. You are going to bury her at this rate. Taeng, aren’t you touched that I came to celebrate your birthday?” Sunny scrunched up her nose, wriggling it at me.

“Eww…stop making that face, I think I’m gonna puke.”

“Ey…just say it if you like it. It won’t kill you.” She bumped her shoulder against mine, flashing me a huge grin.

“Thanks guys, for the cake and this.” I said, holding up a wrapped gift.

“You’re welcome shorty. Open it up!” Yuri jumped around excitedly.

“Yup, open it up and see what we’ve gotten for you. I’m gonna help you cut your cake.” Yoona added in.

Curious, I peeled off the blue wrapping paper carefully only to see a layer of newspaper wrapped underneath it. I eyed them. Was this some kind of joke? I peeled off the newspaper and there was another layer underneath it.

“How many layers did you wrap it in?” I asked.

“Patience, Taeng.” Sunny grinned.

Yuri was laughing loudly.

“You didn’t get me anything weird right?” I was skeptical, remembering the gift that Yuri had given me last year.

“Like a ? It’s a real gift this time Taeng!” Yuri answered, still laughing.

I’ve lost count of the layers they had wrapped it in. By the time I finally got rid of all the wrappings, I was surrounded by pieces of newspapers.

“Wow.” It was all I could say.

“And it’s blue again. We noticed your bag’s falling apart, so we got you this as a replacement. Make sure you come to school on Monday with this.” Sooyoung had me in a headlock, squeezing me neck under her arm.

“I really like it, just when I was thinking of getting myself a new backpack. Thank you!”

“No problem, glad you like it. We had a hard time finding a present for you.” Sooyoung ruffled up my hair letting me go.

Yoona had finished cutting the cake into slices and we each took a piece. I was so into eating it that I had not realized that there was an extra slice left.

“What are we going to do with the last slice?” Yuri asked, looking at me weirdly.

I looked around at them. All of them were done eating their cake but they had scraped off the whip cream on their own slices, piling it together on a serviette.

Oh no…

“Hold her down!”

Before I could run away, I was held down by the two Shikshins, with my arms pinned by my sides.

“Don’t. Don’t, please.” I begged, but it was too late.

“Happy birthday, Taeng!” My vision was blocked by the serviette, whip cream smeared all over my face.

“Here comes the real treat!” Before I could protest, Yuri had smashed the last slice of cake straight into my face, making sure to spread it out.

*Click* followed by a flash of blinding light.

By the time I came back to my senses, my friends had ran away, all in different directions, laughing their asses off.

“Hey! Come back!” I whined and started chasing after them.

We had earned many looks from people around us due to our childish antics but we could care less. We were having fun. I should have been mad for getting caked, but for some reasons, I found it amusing and started laughing along with them. It had been a long time since I had felt so free. The only thing missing was Jessica. It would have been great if we had not gotten into that argument, she would have been here with me. However, I was still holding a grudge against her and could not bring myself to ask her to join us.

Flashback

It was Friday, finally. I've got the weekend to look forward to and that means catching up on sleep. School ended at 2pm and Jessica was already at the gate waiting for me.

I was to spend the night at Jessica's house again, so we could leave together and meet up with the rest the next day. As soon as I was done taking a shower, I spread myself out on the bed, snuggling my face into the pillow. She found me snoring when she came out from her shower and crawled up next to me. The mattress sank due to the extra weight, and the movement woke me up from my nap.

"You're done?" I turned my face the other way so I was looking at her.

Jessica's thumb traced the skin just under my eyes, her lips pouting.

"My baby got eye bags." She sighed. "You shouldn't have pushed yourself so hard."

I closed my eyes, enjoying her touch. She planted a kiss on my forehead.

"I have to. I don't want the same thing to happen again. YORO. You only retain once. I'm not going to risk getting kicked out from school. I'm not going through the same thing twice."

I shifted to make myself more comfortable, taking her hand into my own.

"But don't you think this is a bit too much?"

"What is?"

"You've changed, Taeng. It's scaring me."

I did not like where the conversation was going. It pissed me off as I had been getting that question a lot lately, from my parents, from my friends and I don’t know why.

“What do you mean I’ve changed? I have not. I’m still me." I snapped, without meaning to.

“I’m just pointing it out. You don’t have to yell at me.” Jessica pulled back her hand.

“I’m not yelling!”

“Yes you are. You are doing it right now!” Her voice was getting louder by each second.

All I wanted to do was to get back to sleep. However, when Jessica started raising her voice, it triggered something in me.

“What is your problem? What is it that you want?” I was fuming.

She probed herself up by her elbows, staring down at me.

“Watch your tone, Kim Taeyeon!”

Not liking the fact that she was literally looking down on me, I pushed myself up, sitting down on the bed.

“Okay, so what do you want?” I repeated myself, keeping my voice as calm as possible with all the control that I had.

“You are being cranky every single day, if you didn’t notice!” She shot back at me. I was about to interrupt when she continued. “And don’t tell me that you’re stressed. Everybody is stressed. But I don’t see Yuri or Yoona going around acting like a grouchy old woman!”

Jessica was on a roll, she must have kept it in for months and she finally exploded.

“Besides, where have you been disappearing to after school?”

I was not about to tell her my obsession with the Go Kart so I kept quiet. Apparently, that was not the response she had anticipated.

“Why are you not talking? Have you been cheating on me?” She was shouting by then, completely losing her cool.

She doubted me? It all but added fuel to the fire and I was burning.

“Seriously, Jessica? Don’t you know me better?” I yelled back at her.

“That is the problem! I don’t know you! Who exactly are you, Taeyeon? You’re so shut up like a clam! How am I supposed to know if you don’t open up? And I am your girlfriend for god’s sake! You promised didn’t you! You promised that you would try to speak up more but I don’t see you putting in any effort! What am I to you?”

That stung.

Jessica sat up, staring into my eyes intensely like she was about pick a fight with me.

Well, she already did.

“Think what you want!” With that I stood up and stormed towards the door.

“Stay there! We aren’t done talking! Where do you think you are going?”

I turned and scowled at her.

“There is nothing to talk about and you are just being thoughtless!”

Her face darkened as she made her way towards me, opening the door.

“Get out!” She gave me a push, “We are not talking till you fix your attitude.” and slammed the door in my face.

“Wow! Did you just kick me out?” I shouted.

The door opened once again and out flew my back pack.

“This, is kicking!” she turned me around, giving me a strong kick to my rear, sending me crashing into the wall. The door slammed shut again.

“Fine! Don’t talk to me then!” I picked up my bag and started making my way down the stairs.

Krystal’s head was popping out from her room as I walked passed.

“Did you fight with Jessica?” She asked in a small voice.

“Bye Krys.” I mumbled, still seething.

I was glad that it was still early, meaning that her parents were still at work and would not witness our verbal exchange. I was feeling sorry for Krystal though, she really did not have to hear any of it.

It was our first fight since we had known each other and I honestly had not meant for it to turn out that way. The words come out before my mind could process them, letting my emotions get ahead of me. Still, she could have been a little more understanding. Indignantly, I left her house, determined that I would not make the first move to apologize. It would be a big blow to my pride.

Back to present

I’ve checked my phone more than a thousand times while I was out with my friends, hoping that Jessica would call, or at least give me a text. I was back home, ready to start on my weekend assignment but there were still no news from her. Frustrated, I switched off my phone and threw it to a corner.

“Be that way, I don’t care.” I flipped my lecture notes open and started on my work.

The story was starting to get dull, too many fluffy moments so I’ve decided to add in a bit of drama. Was in the mood for being sadistic. Oh well, I finally updated it. Haven’t had the chance to read through it again so there might be mistakes here and there. And yea, comments might spur me to update faster so please do comment (: Have fun reading!