thirty-five.

[ddabong]

thirty-five.
one-hundred and sixty-six words.
the world will keep spinning (life in backward-motion)

Jessica has been happier lately, Tiffany decides as she watches Jessica skip from one girl to the next, one moment patting Seohyun's cheek and the next flicking Yoon A's forehead. Tiffany sees the way Jessica's eyes close, her mouth opens, her teeth show. Jessica moves on to Hyoyeon now, shares a word, gives an unprompted compliment, and laughs. She hears Jessica's soft, barely-there voice and her childlike giggle.

Jessica has been acting happier lately, Tiffany decides as Jessica finishes her rounds and crawls her way back to Tiffany, seated on the couch.

"Tiff," Jessica acknowledges softly with a heartbroken smile before burying her nose into the nook of Tiffany's neck. Jessica has been smiling more, laughing more, sleeping less, eating less.

Tiffany wonders if she's stupid for not noticing Jessica's breakdown before it was over.

Tiffany wonders if it's okay for her to love this Jessica less (this Jessica, who isn't the Jessica she had fallen in love with).

Tiffany wonders, but it's too late already.