Length of Happiness

Chapter 14 - Left Out

Taeyeon had a big frown on her face; she sighed so many times that day after Tiffany's performance, she lost count of how many. Seeing Tiffany perform with Jessica and then the strange talk with Sunny.

"TaeTae!" Tiffany greeted her cheerfully, happy she finished the performance and very much expecting some compliments from her best friend.

"Hey."

"Did you like my performance? I am so glad it's over; this year's performances are so much harder than last year's." Tiffany started talking about how she felt during her performance with Jessica without realizing Taeyeon's long face.

"Yeah. Yeah. I liked it. Sure." She said hastily, wanting to get some answers to her doubts. "Have you talked to Sunny?"

"Mhm, I talked to her after I changed out of my performance outfit. Why didn't you come with her?"

"Didn't she tell you?"

"...No, all she told me was she is going to study at home for the rest of the semester and asked me to take the remaining notes for her. She said she got to help her mom with something. How come?"

Why does no one tell me such things? Ugh. And God damn it! I could have visited Tiffany after the performance! Feeling worse from all the disappointing news. "Let's talk on the bus home."

"Tae, what's wrong?"

Tiffany followed the girl in silence to their bus stop.

...

"Alright, what's going on in that strange mind of yours." She asked the shorty beside her once they settled on the bus.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were going to perform with Jessica?"

"Huh?" Tiffany raised her eyebrows, not expecting the question. "Because I thought you weren't interested?" Tiffany answered.

"Didn't you say you guys weren't talking anymore?"

"We still talk, Taeyoon-ah. Jess and I have known each other since we were kids."

"Oh." Taeyoon gave a slight pout but was still visible to Tiffany.

"I knew you two didn't get along. That's why I didn't tell you so you could still be excited about my performance. Because if I told you if Jessica was to perform next to me, you will just not bother coming at all."

"But you know that I will see you with Jessica eventually, and you even told Sunny! When did you two start talking again?" Taeyeon asked perpetually, one question after another. She doesn't even know why she needs the answers to these questions so anxiously. All she knows is that she wants to know everything Tiffany does with other girls, and there is a fit of jealousy burning inside her.

"We always talked, just not as much as before. And it was because Sunny asked and was interested in my performance. But Taeyoon-ah, so what if I dance together with Jessica? Why do you have to care about what she and I do together? Haven't I been talking to you almost every day after school and during lunch?"

"Yea," Taeyeon admitted, her mood brightened up a little and lips curling back up from a frown.

"It's actually a thing that Jess and I did since middle school. We would dance and sing together." Tiffany explained.

Taeyeon nodded. "I thought you were going back to Jessica and forget about me."

"Pabo! You are both my best friends." Tiffany said and couldn't help herself but pat the girl's bobbed haircut. "Now, why didn't you come to see me with Sunny?" After fluffing the girl's hair, she felt an unusual bump on her forehead. She brushed back the girl's hair to see a bruise mark covered by a single piece of a band-aid. "When did you get this?" She asked her with concern.