For the next few weeks, Tiffany tried to get Taeyeon and Sunny to be friends again. This time she wasn't taking a no for an answer.
...
"There is something going on between you two."
"She is just weird."
"Really?" Tiffany looked sternly at the girl sitting on the couch at the school library.
"Yea." Taeyeon swallowed a bit, feeling a bit scared by Tiffany's interrogation.
"What have you two been doing when I am not there?"
"Nothing."
"Do you even remember what you two done together since you met?"
That made Taeyeon think, maybe a bit too hard. She tried her best to recall her time with Sunny, but she only remembered Sunny as her first seatmate. Ugh, She groaned out of frustration and feeling a bit guilty as well, biting back her bottom lip.
"Thought so."
"So what? I don't need her. I have you."
"Tae," Tiffany heaved a sigh, brushing her hair over the frustrations she felt over the past few days. Days of never ending lectures and her trying to get some sense into the most naive girl she had ever met. "This is like the fifth time I talked to you about this."
"She said we couldn't be friends." She mumbled.
"Maybe that's because you never paid attention and cared about what she says. You can't even remember what you guys have done together."
"I remember what you and I have done, though! Uhm...I like how we are so close now! You are sharing the story about your family with me and me telling you about mine! Isn't that good enough?"
Tiffany can't help but feel flattered by the fact that Taeyeon cherished their trust. But she can't go soft and just let this childish behaviour of the shorty go on, or she may lose more friends in the future. "This isn't just about you and me! The point is Sunny is feeling left out, and you are so carefree and oblivious to it!"
"What can I do when she doesn't want to be friends with me? She said no matter what, we can't be friends with each other."
"Well, figure it out if you still want to hang alone with me after school."
"Come on, Fany! I let you go to my house more often."
"Nope."
"I hug you more when we sleep!"
Almost caught off guard by the offer, but. "No. As I said, go work it out with Sunny, then we talk."
"Can I still go to your house?"
"Not without Sunny."
"Don't you want to see Yoona?"
"I can see Yoona without your permission."
"What about..." Taeyeon is desperately trying to find a way, although her friend seems to have set her decision.
"What are you panicking about? We can still hang, just not without Sunny."
"No, thank you."
"Ok, guess we only see each other at school then!" Tiffany finished packing her things and started to walk out of the school library.
"Fany!"
She heaved a sigh when there was no response and started packing her own things.
------
In her class, it was just her and, well, Yuri. Thank god, she thought. If Sunny was there, it would have been awkward, and if Jessica was there, she wouldn't get any rest. At least Yuri doesn't cause her too much trouble than a few stares unless she is with her friends.
She flicked and spun her pen in between her fingers, back and forth several times, not paying attention to class again.
"Taeyoon."
She turned her head towards the harsh voice yelling her name. This has been the fourth time she heard her name being called out since this semester.
"Are you planning on spending the rest of the class playing with your pen?"
"Yes." Said Taeyeon nonchalantly.
The teacher put down his chalk and walked towards her table.
Great. It's not like I am failing. Why bother if I pay attention or not? She thought to herself every time this happens.
"Hey!" She yelped when the teacher took her notebook, which had nothing in it.
"A notebook full of nothing. Is this how you learn, young miss?"
She kept quiet, knowing whatever she says won't convince the teacher to cut her some slack and wait for what the teacher will say next.
"You are in the gifted program now; you are not in your regular classes anymore. The things we will learn in this class will require at least five times the effort. I wouldn't be surprised if you go back where you came from after the first half of classes at this pace."
She answered with a groan. She understands that the grade required to pass this class is much higher than in regular classes. You will need at least an 80% to pass, and even then, if you are the last in class, you might risk getting put back to regular classes. Although there are three different classes, you are all ranked on one board, so it's highly competitive. In the first quiz, she saw that Jessica scored pretty high as expected, a 96. She, herself, scored an 86, just slightly above the program average. This mark was significantly lower than the perfect grade average she received last semester because she no longer wants to try anymore and had other motives. But that's not the end of it. There is another student, a boy, who scored 98 taking the number one spot from Jessica.
Nonetheless, Taeyeon decided to find ways to keep helping Jessica by hiding notes in her notebooks. Initially, she did so because Tiffany wanted her to find a way to make peace with the evil princess. Although not the approach her righteous friend wanted her to take, she would rather not confront Jessica in person. Jessica isn't the type of person that will just openly apologize to anyone. Well, she admits, neither is she. Plus, she won't know how to talk to her without entering into an argument two sentences later.
After getting her day ruined last time, she decided it was not a good idea to always go against the evil princess from hell.
And was what Chanyeol whispered in her ear that time true? If so, she really kind of want to help Jessica.
She heard from her only guy friend that Jessica was throwing a fit at her father in public. Her father was trying to get her to go to some meeting for some family business. However, instead of talking about the company, all Chanyeol heard was vocal lessons and arguing over Jessica's wants.
So, she was right; Jessica acted like a bitch because she couldn't get what she wanted at home. Are the expectations of wealthier families that high?
At least, even the devil has a dream and knows what she is fighting for. And she knows helping Jessica get that may be the only way to get the latter to stop with her bullshit. She isn't obligated to do that, she knows, but she got nothing to do for herself anyway. All she knows is going wherever her life takes her; right now, it's getting Jessica off her ass.
"You will take at least five pages worth of notes by the end of today's class, or I will have a word with the principal. Understand?"
Maybe not. Right now, the dream is to take notes and please the teacher. Her face sunk, and she gave the teacher a hesitant nod.
...
Tiffany told her that she will only hang with her and Sunny together.
But right now, in her rebellious mood, she rather not hang with anyone at all. She avoided the cafeteria and sat outside on the stairs outside the gym, alone facing the rather large playing field.
This is more enjoyable than talking to people anyways. She closed her eyes and leaned back to enjoy her time alone, enjoying the chilly weather. Then she heard the sound of something fast bouncing towards her, the sound becoming more audible by the second.
She raised her arm and luckily caught the soccer ball that was about to knock her head. Just when she wanted to throw the ball back at whoever disturbed her peace, it was that boy, Chanyeol, again.
"YO! Pass the ball!"
Really? "I will pass your ball alright," She bit her lips and was about the chuck the ball at Chanyeol's head, but he has this weird look on his face which made her squint.
The boy leaned in against her, his left arm holding the side railing for support, his face turning into a smirk. "Hey, pretty girl," He paused to brush back his messy hair with his free hand, "So what else do you do aside from taking my breath away?"
Taeyeon could only look at him with a half scrunched-up face. She thinks her nose twitched too.
Chanyeol realized who she is now and quickly collected himself again. "Taeyoon?" He studied the girl with his wide eyes, looking all over her like he couldn't believe his eyes.
"Are you done?"
"No wonder I haven't seen you yet this semester. Nice makeover! Who's the stylist?"
"No one. Myself."
Chanyeol gave her a skeptic, but playful, look and shook his head. "Don't believe you."
"Believe what you want then," she shoved the soccer ball into his chest.
"Yah, I am just complimenting you are pretty. Whoever styled your hair and make-up done a good job within the strict make-up rules of the school. You are almost as pretty as Jessica." He chuckled shyly.
"Aren't you going to go back to playing?"
"Playing? Oh, I was playing alone, hence me getting the ball myself from that far away." He pointed to the other side of the big field where he chased the ball from. "I usually don't see you outside. Where's Sunny and Jessica's friend? I forgot her name...uh, that girl with a good smile."
Taeyeon scoffed at the last part. "They are the last people I want to be with right now. All they want to do is lecture me."
"Oh? About what?"
"None of your busi."
"Fine. I won't ask you who cares about some lectures anyway. Come, I will teach you how to have fun!" Chanyeol took Taeyeon's wrist and dragged her off towards the playing field.
They played soccer, and Chanyeol was surprised by Taeyeon's exceptional reflex skills and nimbleness despite her size.