Beyond the Lines (Chapter Two)
Title: Byeond the Lines
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Sunny/Tiffany
Summary: Multiple personalities?
A/N: A fanfiction written for the
soshiaufanfics challenge. There are five parts to this arc of the series. And my endless love to the betas Darren (who slogged through the night and morning with me) and Karou95 (with her squeals and insightful comments). And of course to my dear artist who deserves a million kisses. <3
[Defiance]
Chapter Two
Sunny was sitting on the floor idly, guitar in hand and TV blaring out a nondescript drama when the doorbell rang.
A smirk automatically surfaced and Sunny took her time to get up, place her guitar on the stand, before strolling to the door leisurely. She could bet her prized guitar picks that it was Tiffany waiting behind the door. A day after that little incident, Tiffany had half-pleaded to arrange a meet up with Sunny. And she had agreed, only because it’d be fun to have Tiffany over.
As expected, Tiffany didn't press the bell a second time. When Sunny swung open the door, she was there, hair red as ever but looking more like a tame sheep than a crazy babbling bitch.
"Look who's here," Sunny leered, commanding an overwhelming presence despite being shorter by a few inches.
Tiffany stepped back, intimidated, and Sunny could almost hear the girl’s brain going into overdrive, trying hard to respond to the situation at hand. Her eyes did a quick sweep over Sunny, pausing at her wrist and eyeing the spikes on the multiple metal bracelet warily before finally opening her mouth.
Tentative, bordering on fearful.
"Um, hi. Do I go in? Or...?"
Sunny grabbed Tiffany by the wrist and pulled her into the house before slamming the door.
"Of course. Welcome."
With pretend-graciousness, Sunny bowed slightly, only to thrust Tiffany into greater discomfort. She looked out of place, uncertain about how to behave. Mumbling a quick sorry, she politely detached herself from Sunny's grip.
"Awww," Sunny mocked. "Don't like contact anymore? You were all over me last night."
Tiffany fidgeted, nearly squirming from Sunny’s words. She stole a quick glance before looking away, all the while backing off a tiny bit at a time.
“Aren’t you supposed to call me Oppa? Say it. Now.”
Tiffany remained silent, head down, fingers crumpling the seams of her simple, white tee shirt.
“C’mon. Where’s the Tiffany yesterday?” Sunny stepped forward, tilting her head at an angle to meet Tiffany’s eyes. “Oppa. Now.”
For just a split second, Sunny thought she saw a dangerous, icy glint flash in those eyes. But it faded like an illusion, only to be replaced by a meekness that was signature of this girl now.
“Oppa.”
“How polite.” Sunny ran a hand down the length of Tiffany’s hair. Feeling the girl flinch, she stopped. “Are you scared? Of me?”
“No.” Tiffany shook her head quickly, though the light tremble in her tone seemed to betray her. “I just don’t know why you’re doing this to me.”
“It’s fun.”
Dropping those words, Sunny stalked away, planting herself heavily on the couch. Words ceased between them and Tiffany was left standing. With a glance, Sunny could tell that she was even more disconcerted being left alone. There wasn’t a next step or a plan that Tiffany could act on.
Sunny’s lips curled up ever so slightly.
“Why’s it so messy?” Tiffany struggled and finally broke the silence consuming them.
She pointed hesitantly at the sheets of paper splayed out on the floor, but her question was left hanging as Sunny merely looked on disinterestedly. Tiffany shifted her feet and adjusted her clothes pointlessly.
Sunny scoffed dismissively at her.
“Um. So…” Tiffany mumbled, “Can I have my phone back, please?”
Humming a disturbingly cheerful tune, Sunny slowly leaned forward. A sickening smile played on her lips as she regarded Tiffany from top to toe.
“Go over there.” Sunny pointed at a nearby wall. “Do not step on the papers on the floor. Do not look down.”
Tiffany’s jaw unhinged, confusion plastered to her face as she looked between Sunny and the wall.
“G-O. GO!”
“But- I-”
While protesting, Tiffany shuffled along obediently, narrowly avoiding the sheets of paper which seemed to contain acres of words.
“Now,” Sunny chuckled, a diabolical edge to her voice, “Turn three rounds on the spot and… Do something. Strip. Make faces. Juggle. Whatever. Entertain me.”
Sunny absolutely enjoyed the way Tiffany appeared completely dumbfounded and wondered if she would actually comply.
Maybe she’d cry, and with this thought, Sunny leaned back, smirking with anticipation.
“Not doing it.”
The unexpected defiance cut through the still air, and as their eyes met, a fierceness in Tiffany’s eyes surprised Sunny. There wasn’t a doubt now, whatever glint she saw earlier was no illusion. Well hidden, definitely, but there was something more to Tiffany.
Very interesting.
"Let me educate you about this term called ‘hostage’." Sunny smiled lazily, a deliberate test of the limits to Tiffany’s patience. She started swinging the phone between her index finger and thumb like a pendulum. "It's simple. You don't defy the person who's got the hostage."
Sunny shot her a wry look, and without warning, the phone was pitched upwards, soaring through the air
Once.
Twice.
Thrice.
Each time the throw took the phone higher, Sunny heard soft muffled screams from Tiffany. It amused her to no end and she continued the action with sick satisfaction, several times leaving it till the last moment to grab the phone.
“Okay! Stop that!”
Sunny gave one last toss and the phone whizzed, hitting a record height, before it begun its quick plunge.
“Oops.”
Casually, Sunny withdrew her hand and Tiffany’s phone fell, the mild thud accompanied by a shrill shriek from it’s owner. A landing on the couch, a singular bounce, and the phone was on its way to the floor.
“Drama,” Sunny scoffed, picking up the phone from it’s crash-landing and showing it to Tiffany. “Totally fine. Look.”
“That’s my phone you threw!” Tiffany whined. The airheadedness had returned.
"Sure it's yours? Maybe I should go through it, just to confirm-"
"No!" Tiffany was on the verge of lunging forward but Sunny halted her with a cold glare.
"Stay right there."
"I'm not your pet," Tiffany mumbled softly, but her feet remained stuck to the ground, staying by the wall dutifully.
"You'd make a lousy pet, anyway," Sunny commented with a condescending wave of her hand. Yet, seconds later, she quirked an eyebrow. "But... You might make a good fuck."
Tiffany spluttered and clawed at something invisible in front of her as her cheeks burned pink.
"Eh?! Um... I-"
"Thought you wanted to try this lesbian thing with me?"
"I- I was drunk! I won't do such inappropriate-"
While Tiffany continued to grapple with her words, Sunny tossed the phone over suddenly. Caught off guard, Tiffany barely managed to catch it.
"Wh-"
"Yours."
"You're returning it to me? Without asking for anything?"
Sunny nodded, unperturbed by Tiffany's confused stare.
"I’ve had my fun, you can go now."
Suspicion lingered, preventing Tiffany from moving away. It smelt fishy; something was up.
"Do I owe y-"
As suddenly as Sunny had thrown the phone over, she was abruptly before Tiffany, her face centimeters away.
“You like me, don’t you?”
Frozen still, it took a few seconds for Tiffany to shake her head vehemently.
"Aren't you hiding behind that I-am-a-nice-girl-Tiffany mask?"
"What do you know? Did you look into my phone?" Tiffany spoke in an urgent whisper, her fingers clasped around Sunny's arm.
"I didn't. You like me because I'm different from you. Is that why you returned to your gay boyfriend that night?"
"Why should I tell you?" Tiffany looked away, but her hand remained on Sunny's arm.
"Forgot I lost my hostage."
With that sentence and a so-be-it look, Sunny pulled Tiffany towards the door. The abrupt action had the girl struggling and incoherent words of confusion trailing each step.
"Goodbye, little pet."
A push sent Tiffany stumbling out of the door, phone in hand, reluctance on her face. She could barely squeeze a word out before the door slammed shut.
Sunny smirked, counted to five and reopened the door. The girl was still rooted to the spot.
"You'd definitely make a good fuck. To me now, at least."
Lacing her low voice with seduction, Sunny leaned forward, crossing the threshold and taking Tiffany's lips. The gasp from the supposed goody two shoes allowed the space for Sunny's tongue to slip in, deepening their kiss. The kiss was forceful and Tiffany's struggle was short, if she did struggle at all. Her fingers closed on the collar of Sunny's top, gripping it desperately as she pressed herself close.
Sunny broke the kiss with a devious smirk.
"Now tell me all about not liking me again. Remember to say goodbye this time."
Sunny leaned against the doorframe, a perfect picture of confidence.
"Se-see you!"
Tiffany scampered off, clearly horrified and aghast at how much she’d enjoyed the kiss with a person she barely knew.
Sunny cackled.
That was fun.
***
Those parting words were a hint.
Sunny spun her phone on the glass table. It wouldn’t take long, she was sure of it.
About five spins later, her phone vibrated with a series of beeps and stopped moving.
“Tiffany, Tiffany,” Sunny murmured with a small smile, eyes twinkling.
Thank you for returning my phone, and um nice to meet you?
Meek and totally defenseless. How adorable, she managed to sound this shy even through text.
She tapped a finger on the table rhythmically. There were so many fun ways to continue this but Sunny wondered which exactly would drive the other side out of Tiffany, exposing it to full view.
Like luring a curious prey into a well set-up trap, dropping Tiffany a simple message had her biting the bait.
Too easy.
Sunny leaned back on the chair, the phone in view from the corner of her eye. If there was anything that proved to be consistent throughout her twenty-seven years of living, it'd be her keen sense of observation.
Tiffany craved something more than whatever she was, whatever she had. A fire burnt in the most desolate part of her.
So many ways to reply Tiffany but she chose a normal, boring reply. One that could almost staunch the flow of conversation.
Leaving the phone, Sunny had barely reached her room before the familiar ringing tones sounded again.
Hardly bothering to hold back her satisfied chuckles, Sunny started laughing, almost maniacally, pressing a palm to her head.
Oh, Tiffany Tiffany.
Her liking for this Tiffany spiked in a twisted way. For all those tough, crazy words and unuttered goodbyes, Tiffany was a just silly little lamb, trying so hard to fit into her manufactured skin.
Sunny strolled into her room, still laughing, and ignored the message.
***
"Urg. Sunny, stop that girl! She's been staring at me creepily since five hundred years ago, practically stalking us! Let’s move away from here!"
Following the whine and subtle gestures, Sunny caught sight of said creepy girl. Instead of approaching her, Sunny shrugged without a care and scanned the tall girl beside her with a smile.
"We’re at a pride parade. You're gay, that girl's probably gay too. You're cute, that girl stares, fair. I'm staring at you, too."
A light push landed on Sunny's shoulder and with a grin, she returned the push. Red-faced Yoona laughed with just a tinge of shyness.
"I like this. This you." Yoona wiggled her eyebrows, blush fading.
Sunny winked to that, charming and confident, yet not at all cocky. "I like me too."
"Less intense. Previously it was waaayy to- woah!"
Stumbling forward, Yoona nearly fell from the sudden shove against her back.
"Oh gosh! I'm so sorry!"
“Watch where you’re going!” Annoyed, Yoona raised her voice and she shot the girl who had slammed right into her a hard glare.
“It’s you.” Sunny set her eyes on the girl, who was apologising profusely. That same flaming red hair and submissive attitude.
Tiffany squinted, and knowing recognition eluded her, Sunny took off her cap that was shrouding her eyes.
“Oh… Sunny!”
“Yeah. Bingo, girl.” Sunny smiled wide and gave a friendly wave. The confusion seemed permanently etched to Tiffany’s face as she scrutinised this Sunny.
“Sorry I- um I didn’t recognise you…” Tiffany stepped back, bit her lips and continued with reservation, “You look different. I think that’s why.”
Sunny shrugged. She was in a graphic tank top below a hoodie, black jeans and a pair of bright red Chuck Taylor shoes. A snapback on her head completed the look. Different, yes. Gone was the rocker look, along with those spiky accessories and that unfathomable aura.
She looked different, but she didn’t really care what Tiffany thought of her.
“Fair enough, I guess. Why you here?”
But before Tiffany could respond, a man strode to her side, swinging his arm around her shoulders and piped up, “Who are they, Fany Fany?”
Sunny took a look and turned away, her face scrunching up just barely visibly. The offending limb draped over Tiffany was thick with tensed muscle and sinew, and his gruff voice was much too low to be anywhere near a welcomed presence. Obnoxious boyfriend with an irritating male ego to match. Yoona was frowning, apparently not getting good vibes either.
“Friends…?” Tiffany looked to Sunny, uncertain.
“Yeah, friends,” Yoona affirmed, while Sunny nodded. “And you are?”
“Name’s Joon. And Fany Fany’s my girl. Or she was, somewhat.” The guy laughed brashly as he continued haughtily, “I don’t even know, man. Like we’re complex, kay? I own her.”
Yoona raised an eyebrow. Tiffany squirmed under his touch.
“Why are you two even friends with Tiffany? She’s nothing interesting, I didn’t even know she’s got real friends.”
Yoona’s lips pursed tightly in a mix of confusion and annoyance, eyes darting between the two newcomers. She glanced at Sunny, surprised to find her simply observing the scene with an unusual calm.
Finally, Sunny shrugged, the kind of shrug that goes, “I don’t give a damn about the whole situation.”
“I don’t really care.” Sunny’s gaze landed on Tiffany and held there intensely for seconds before her lips stretched into a slight smile. When her eyes flickered to Joon, however, her expression hardened. “About you. And who you are to Tiffany. But I care about your stupid male ego and how you’re treating her like shit.”
Surprising him by firing a burning glare, Sunny reached out and pulled Tiffany towards her. She stumbled, equally surprise, but was steadied by Yoona.
“Just go make out with your boyfriend,” Sunny sneered, dragging Tiffany away. “And stay away from Tiff.”
“What the fuck?!” The guy shouted at them, his loud voice cutting through the crowd easily. “She stuck to me like glue, you fucktards. Who the hell would want this boring-ass girl? She’s like a damn textbook! The only thing she’s good at is obeying me during sex!”
Sunny screeched to a stop. Clenching her fist, she approached Joon with such a menacing air that he took a step back.
“Wh-what! Wanna have a go? With your short legs?”
“You.” Sunny glowered, closing in but not laying a finger on him, and spat out, “I usually don’t give a shit, but you just stepped on my tail. But I won’t fight you because I don’t have to lift a finger to deal with the likes of you.”
Joon took another step back uneasily.He opened his mouth but words failed him.
“I know you. You’re one of those fucking useless pieces of shit who are all bark and once things heat up, you run. I don’t want to dirty my hands. But these people-” Sunny swept a hand pointedly at the crowd of onlookers eyeing Joon with disgust and disdain. “-would gladly take you down. So stay away from Tiffany. Fair?”
It took barely a second and Joon was scampering off in a panic.
“Thanks!” Sunny did a salute and grinned at the crowd around her. After few applause and some hoorays and claps on her back, she walked back to her friends, swagger very much intact.
“Tha- that was…” Tiffany couldn’t seem to find the right words, but her wide eyes shining with admiration spoke enough.
“I dunno why you kept going back to him, but I ditched his useless ass for ya. You owe me one, fair?”
Tiffany nodded.
“Man,” Yoona exclaimed and ruffled Sunny’s short blonde hair. “I really, really like this you.”
“Yeah yeah,” Sunny laughed and took Tiffany’s hand. “C’mon. Join us. We’re better company.”
***
“Remind me, why are you even here with that dude? He’s your ex, for goodness’ sake,” Yoona slapped a palm to her forehead in an exaggerated motion, contempt swirling in her eyes. “A jerk of an ex. What an asshole. That chauvinistic attitude, ew.”
Tiffany smiled, awkwardly, and took a quick look at Sunny. “He asked… So I thought I should. You’re here with Sunny, and she’s your ex too, right?”
Within an hour with the two, Tiffany had learnt that Yoona and Sunny had dated years back before breaking up. Yoona had mentioned it briefly before skipping to other topics.
Yoona gave a small smile. “That’s different.”
“Yeah, we’re different,” Sunny spoke up, suddenly.
Tiffany stared at the two, seemingly torn about whether to continue the topic. “How?”
Yoona seem to freeze up at the question.
“We’re just different.” Sunny to the rescue. “And I didn’t cheat. Not like yours.”
Tiffany was about to continue probing when a blur suddenly shot past her and flopped onto Sunny’s back.
“MY SUNSHINE SUNNY!” The small figure yelled and cuddled right into the crook of Sunny’s neck.
“Gawd, Taeyeon,” Sunny laughed and grabbed the arms that hanged off her. “You’re late again!”
“Kiss as apology!” Just like how she popped out from nowhere, Taeyeon pressed her lips onto Sunny’s abruptly, only breaking the kiss when Sunny squeezed her cheeks.
“That’s not a fair deal, you crazy.” Sunny threw Taeyeon a lopsided grin and gave her cheeks another pinch. “And the parade’s freaking over!”
“Blah!” Taeyeon swatted a hand at Sunny, totally unconcerned. “But who’s this?”
Eyes narrowed, Taeyeon stabbed a finger at Tiffany, who hadn’t budged an inch since that wild and insane display of affection.
“Tiffany,” Yoon stated, motioning lightly towards Tiffany. “This thing here, Taeyeon.”
A laugh disguised as a hacking cough bubbled from Sunny’s throat. Taeyeon frowned.
“I’m more a blob than a thing, Yoong.”
Yoona rolled her eyes. The cough was getting louder in the background, while Taeyeon had an ultimate deadpanned look stuck on her.
“A weird blob, since you insist,” With a wave of her hand, Yoona agreed half-heartedly. “Sorry, Tiffany, they’re weirdos.”
“Um, I think you guys are cool…” Tiffany spoke timidly, like she was still trying to get used to the group’s dynamics.
“This thing here gets my approval, at least she’s not like the freaking bitch the other time.”
“She was your bitch, Tae.”
“Zip.” Taeyeon pinched her thumb and index finger together, sliding them across Sunny’s lips. “Let’s go there, seems interesting. What’s going on?”
Stretching her neck, Sunny took a glance and shrugged disinterestedly.
The puppy eyes did nothing to Sunny but Taeyeon wasn’t about to take no for an answer. With a huge heave, she hauled Sunny onto her feet. Still, she seemed unwilling. Taeyeon sighed, and without pausing for a second, her elbow launched towards Sunny.
“Okay.” Sunny easily blocked the attack with a palm and used the force to push Taeyeon back. “Let’s go.”
Tiffany stared dumbfounded.
“What… just happened?”
“Weirdos interaction.”
“Is that normal?”
There was a break in conversation as Yoona studied the girl, eyes sweeping from the top of her red hair to her feet and back to her face.
“Who said anything about normal?”
Too stunned to reply, Tiffany looked to Sunny as though there was another consciousness controlling her eyes.
Yoona peered curiously at her. “Are you normal?”
“I suppose so? Yeah I am.” The hesitance faded and Tiffany bobbed her head. Affirmative.
“How sure are you?” Yoona waited, but received no response. Smiling, she gave a friendly tap on Tiffany’s head. “See, dissonance.”
“I don’t know. I see myself as normal?”
Yoona laughed. “You’re inside this box- Nope don’t look at me like that, not my opinion. Sunny’s.”
Tiffany allowed herself to trace Sunny, mingling with the crowd that she didn’t care for just a while ago.
“Participating in this, by normal societal standards here, isn’t normal.”
Met with silence from Tiffany, Yoona took it as a hint to move on. She talked about a recent movie, an album by a gorgeous girl group with desirable legs and the heat.
“Are they together or something?” Tiffany asked out of the blue, cautiously, keeping her eyes on the two shorter girls who seemed unusually intimate.
“They?” Yoona cracked a smile and stopped complaining about the weather. “Sunny and Taeyeon? Why’d you ask that?”
“Just something random. A random question.”
“You like Sunny?”
“No!” Tiffany almost shouted vehemently. Yet, there was this guilty hesitance in her eyes. “I’m not a lesbian. I like boys.”
Yoona whistled to that, a cheeky confidence hanging on her.
“Just the other day, Sunny told me about this girl,” Yoona began mysteriously, and found Tiffany leaning closer, obviously drawn in. “She named her Ti-too-straight-for-girls-or-maybe-not-ffany.”
“No! What?! That’s not me!”
“Never said it was.” Yoona clapped in glee, before swinging her arm onto Tiffany’s shoulder. The supposedly-straight Tiffany shuddered for a second but didn’t try to push Yoona away. “They aren’t dating. Never did date. Sunny and Taeyeon, I mean.”
“Oh, I thought they were. Why didn’t they? I mean, the way they behave… ”
“Sunny has this policy about not dating within the group. It makes things messy, according to her. And if they are a group, escaping would make things even messier.”
Tiffany only showed confusion, question marks littered all over her head.
“That’s according to Sunny.”
“No, I get it. But, uh, aren’t you her ex? Why did she date you if she doesn’t date within the circle?”
“Oh, so that’s why you’re all confused! I guess you wouldn’t know, I’m not actually in her group,” Yoona stated matter-of-factly, but that only brought on more confusion for Tiffany. “You know what, it’s easier for you to just ask Sunny.”
“What?” Sunny’s voice cut into the conversation. She was back, head tilted slightly to the left and hands in her hoodie pockets. “Ask what?”
“Nothing,” Tiffany shook her head and quickly tried to dismiss the curiosity. “Just some general question.”
“So ask.”
Tiffany was stumped. It was something Sunny excelled in -- leaving her speechless.
“Where’s your girlfriend, Yoong? Wasn’t she’s supposed to join us?”
And she was saved. Tiffany let slip a sigh of relief at Taeyeon’s random but timely interruption.
“She had to fly off for some business last minute.”
“Didn’t you say her middle name is Bee?” Taeyeon asked, seriousness lacing her words.
“What?”
“Busy bee.”
Yoona groaned at the bad joke and fell on Sunny’s lap.
“It’s funny!”
“It isn’t! Oh my god.” Yoona sat up and look to Sunny for support. “It isn’t, right?”
Sunny only shrugged, a mild smile tugging at her lips.
“You should be on my side, not that blob’s,” Yoona complained and twirled a finger around Sunny’s short blonde hair. The well-practiced action blended in so naturally, that Tiffany actually questioned the nature of their ‘friendship’.
“How’s your girlfriend okay with you two hanging out?”
“Why not?”
“Because,” Tiffany swallowed. Yoona and Sunny both had eyes on her, like she was strange. But she wasn’t strange. They were strange. “Because this?”
It made no sense to the three of them, apparently, so Tiffany decided to surrender.
“Oh, nevermind.”
“Let’s go, I’ve got stuff to do.” Sunny patted Yoona on her cheek, signalling for her to get off before putting on her snapback, twisting it around to wear it backwards.
“What stuff?” Tiffany asked absently, not processing before speaking.
Sunny grinned, approached Tiffany and leaned close to her ear.
“Stuff that you shouldn’t know about. Shhh.”
Tiffany shuddered, eyes still glued to Sunny’s back until Yoona pulled her along with them. She stayed by Yoona’s side throughout the rest of the time. Steering away from the mysterious Sunny.
Something about Sunny seemed to affect her. Even from distance.
Yes, Sunny affected her.
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Sunny/Tiffany
Summary: Multiple personalities?
A/N: A fanfiction written for the
soshiaufanfics challenge. There are five parts to this arc of the series. And my endless love to the betas Darren (who slogged through the night and morning with me) and Karou95 (with her squeals and insightful comments). And of course to my dear artist who deserves a million kisses. <3
[Defiance]
Chapter Two
Sunny was sitting on the floor idly, guitar in hand and TV blaring out a nondescript drama when the doorbell rang.
A smirk automatically surfaced and Sunny took her time to get up, place her guitar on the stand, before strolling to the door leisurely. She could bet her prized guitar picks that it was Tiffany waiting behind the door. A day after that little incident, Tiffany had half-pleaded to arrange a meet up with Sunny. And she had agreed, only because it’d be fun to have Tiffany over.
As expected, Tiffany didn't press the bell a second time. When Sunny swung open the door, she was there, hair red as ever but looking more like a tame sheep than a crazy babbling bitch.
"Look who's here," Sunny leered, commanding an overwhelming presence despite being shorter by a few inches.
Tiffany stepped back, intimidated, and Sunny could almost hear the girl’s brain going into overdrive, trying hard to respond to the situation at hand. Her eyes did a quick sweep over Sunny, pausing at her wrist and eyeing the spikes on the multiple metal bracelet warily before finally opening her mouth.
Tentative, bordering on fearful.
"Um, hi. Do I go in? Or...?"
Sunny grabbed Tiffany by the wrist and pulled her into the house before slamming the door.
"Of course. Welcome."
With pretend-graciousness, Sunny bowed slightly, only to thrust Tiffany into greater discomfort. She looked out of place, uncertain about how to behave. Mumbling a quick sorry, she politely detached herself from Sunny's grip.
"Awww," Sunny mocked. "Don't like contact anymore? You were all over me last night."
Tiffany fidgeted, nearly squirming from Sunny’s words. She stole a quick glance before looking away, all the while backing off a tiny bit at a time.
“Aren’t you supposed to call me Oppa? Say it. Now.”
Tiffany remained silent, head down, fingers crumpling the seams of her simple, white tee shirt.
“C’mon. Where’s the Tiffany yesterday?” Sunny stepped forward, tilting her head at an angle to meet Tiffany’s eyes. “Oppa. Now.”
For just a split second, Sunny thought she saw a dangerous, icy glint flash in those eyes. But it faded like an illusion, only to be replaced by a meekness that was signature of this girl now.
“Oppa.”
“How polite.” Sunny ran a hand down the length of Tiffany’s hair. Feeling the girl flinch, she stopped. “Are you scared? Of me?”
“No.” Tiffany shook her head quickly, though the light tremble in her tone seemed to betray her. “I just don’t know why you’re doing this to me.”
“It’s fun.”
Dropping those words, Sunny stalked away, planting herself heavily on the couch. Words ceased between them and Tiffany was left standing. With a glance, Sunny could tell that she was even more disconcerted being left alone. There wasn’t a next step or a plan that Tiffany could act on.
Sunny’s lips curled up ever so slightly.
“Why’s it so messy?” Tiffany struggled and finally broke the silence consuming them.
She pointed hesitantly at the sheets of paper splayed out on the floor, but her question was left hanging as Sunny merely looked on disinterestedly. Tiffany shifted her feet and adjusted her clothes pointlessly.
Sunny scoffed dismissively at her.
“Um. So…” Tiffany mumbled, “Can I have my phone back, please?”
Humming a disturbingly cheerful tune, Sunny slowly leaned forward. A sickening smile played on her lips as she regarded Tiffany from top to toe.
“Go over there.” Sunny pointed at a nearby wall. “Do not step on the papers on the floor. Do not look down.”
Tiffany’s jaw unhinged, confusion plastered to her face as she looked between Sunny and the wall.
“G-O. GO!”
“But- I-”
While protesting, Tiffany shuffled along obediently, narrowly avoiding the sheets of paper which seemed to contain acres of words.
“Now,” Sunny chuckled, a diabolical edge to her voice, “Turn three rounds on the spot and… Do something. Strip. Make faces. Juggle. Whatever. Entertain me.”
Sunny absolutely enjoyed the way Tiffany appeared completely dumbfounded and wondered if she would actually comply.
Maybe she’d cry, and with this thought, Sunny leaned back, smirking with anticipation.
“Not doing it.”
The unexpected defiance cut through the still air, and as their eyes met, a fierceness in Tiffany’s eyes surprised Sunny. There wasn’t a doubt now, whatever glint she saw earlier was no illusion. Well hidden, definitely, but there was something more to Tiffany.
Very interesting.
"Let me educate you about this term called ‘hostage’." Sunny smiled lazily, a deliberate test of the limits to Tiffany’s patience. She started swinging the phone between her index finger and thumb like a pendulum. "It's simple. You don't defy the person who's got the hostage."
Sunny shot her a wry look, and without warning, the phone was pitched upwards, soaring through the air
Once.
Twice.
Thrice.
Each time the throw took the phone higher, Sunny heard soft muffled screams from Tiffany. It amused her to no end and she continued the action with sick satisfaction, several times leaving it till the last moment to grab the phone.
“Okay! Stop that!”
Sunny gave one last toss and the phone whizzed, hitting a record height, before it begun its quick plunge.
“Oops.”
Casually, Sunny withdrew her hand and Tiffany’s phone fell, the mild thud accompanied by a shrill shriek from it’s owner. A landing on the couch, a singular bounce, and the phone was on its way to the floor.
“Drama,” Sunny scoffed, picking up the phone from it’s crash-landing and showing it to Tiffany. “Totally fine. Look.”
“That’s my phone you threw!” Tiffany whined. The airheadedness had returned.
"Sure it's yours? Maybe I should go through it, just to confirm-"
"No!" Tiffany was on the verge of lunging forward but Sunny halted her with a cold glare.
"Stay right there."
"I'm not your pet," Tiffany mumbled softly, but her feet remained stuck to the ground, staying by the wall dutifully.
"You'd make a lousy pet, anyway," Sunny commented with a condescending wave of her hand. Yet, seconds later, she quirked an eyebrow. "But... You might make a good fuck."
Tiffany spluttered and clawed at something invisible in front of her as her cheeks burned pink.
"Eh?! Um... I-"
"Thought you wanted to try this lesbian thing with me?"
"I- I was drunk! I won't do such inappropriate-"
While Tiffany continued to grapple with her words, Sunny tossed the phone over suddenly. Caught off guard, Tiffany barely managed to catch it.
"Wh-"
"Yours."
"You're returning it to me? Without asking for anything?"
Sunny nodded, unperturbed by Tiffany's confused stare.
"I’ve had my fun, you can go now."
Suspicion lingered, preventing Tiffany from moving away. It smelt fishy; something was up.
"Do I owe y-"
As suddenly as Sunny had thrown the phone over, she was abruptly before Tiffany, her face centimeters away.
“You like me, don’t you?”
Frozen still, it took a few seconds for Tiffany to shake her head vehemently.
"Aren't you hiding behind that I-am-a-nice-girl-Tiffany mask?"
"What do you know? Did you look into my phone?" Tiffany spoke in an urgent whisper, her fingers clasped around Sunny's arm.
"I didn't. You like me because I'm different from you. Is that why you returned to your gay boyfriend that night?"
"Why should I tell you?" Tiffany looked away, but her hand remained on Sunny's arm.
"Forgot I lost my hostage."
With that sentence and a so-be-it look, Sunny pulled Tiffany towards the door. The abrupt action had the girl struggling and incoherent words of confusion trailing each step.
"Goodbye, little pet."
A push sent Tiffany stumbling out of the door, phone in hand, reluctance on her face. She could barely squeeze a word out before the door slammed shut.
Sunny smirked, counted to five and reopened the door. The girl was still rooted to the spot.
"You'd definitely make a good fuck. To me now, at least."
Lacing her low voice with seduction, Sunny leaned forward, crossing the threshold and taking Tiffany's lips. The gasp from the supposed goody two shoes allowed the space for Sunny's tongue to slip in, deepening their kiss. The kiss was forceful and Tiffany's struggle was short, if she did struggle at all. Her fingers closed on the collar of Sunny's top, gripping it desperately as she pressed herself close.
Sunny broke the kiss with a devious smirk.
"Now tell me all about not liking me again. Remember to say goodbye this time."
Sunny leaned against the doorframe, a perfect picture of confidence.
"Se-see you!"
Tiffany scampered off, clearly horrified and aghast at how much she’d enjoyed the kiss with a person she barely knew.
Sunny cackled.
That was fun.
***
Those parting words were a hint.
Sunny spun her phone on the glass table. It wouldn’t take long, she was sure of it.
About five spins later, her phone vibrated with a series of beeps and stopped moving.
“Tiffany, Tiffany,” Sunny murmured with a small smile, eyes twinkling.
Thank you for returning my phone, and um nice to meet you?
Meek and totally defenseless. How adorable, she managed to sound this shy even through text.
She tapped a finger on the table rhythmically. There were so many fun ways to continue this but Sunny wondered which exactly would drive the other side out of Tiffany, exposing it to full view.
Like luring a curious prey into a well set-up trap, dropping Tiffany a simple message had her biting the bait.
Too easy.
Sunny leaned back on the chair, the phone in view from the corner of her eye. If there was anything that proved to be consistent throughout her twenty-seven years of living, it'd be her keen sense of observation.
Tiffany craved something more than whatever she was, whatever she had. A fire burnt in the most desolate part of her.
So many ways to reply Tiffany but she chose a normal, boring reply. One that could almost staunch the flow of conversation.
Leaving the phone, Sunny had barely reached her room before the familiar ringing tones sounded again.
Hardly bothering to hold back her satisfied chuckles, Sunny started laughing, almost maniacally, pressing a palm to her head.
Oh, Tiffany Tiffany.
Her liking for this Tiffany spiked in a twisted way. For all those tough, crazy words and unuttered goodbyes, Tiffany was a just silly little lamb, trying so hard to fit into her manufactured skin.
Sunny strolled into her room, still laughing, and ignored the message.
***
"Urg. Sunny, stop that girl! She's been staring at me creepily since five hundred years ago, practically stalking us! Let’s move away from here!"
Following the whine and subtle gestures, Sunny caught sight of said creepy girl. Instead of approaching her, Sunny shrugged without a care and scanned the tall girl beside her with a smile.
"We’re at a pride parade. You're gay, that girl's probably gay too. You're cute, that girl stares, fair. I'm staring at you, too."
A light push landed on Sunny's shoulder and with a grin, she returned the push. Red-faced Yoona laughed with just a tinge of shyness.
"I like this. This you." Yoona wiggled her eyebrows, blush fading.
Sunny winked to that, charming and confident, yet not at all cocky. "I like me too."
"Less intense. Previously it was waaayy to- woah!"
Stumbling forward, Yoona nearly fell from the sudden shove against her back.
"Oh gosh! I'm so sorry!"
“Watch where you’re going!” Annoyed, Yoona raised her voice and she shot the girl who had slammed right into her a hard glare.
“It’s you.” Sunny set her eyes on the girl, who was apologising profusely. That same flaming red hair and submissive attitude.
Tiffany squinted, and knowing recognition eluded her, Sunny took off her cap that was shrouding her eyes.
“Oh… Sunny!”
“Yeah. Bingo, girl.” Sunny smiled wide and gave a friendly wave. The confusion seemed permanently etched to Tiffany’s face as she scrutinised this Sunny.
“Sorry I- um I didn’t recognise you…” Tiffany stepped back, bit her lips and continued with reservation, “You look different. I think that’s why.”
Sunny shrugged. She was in a graphic tank top below a hoodie, black jeans and a pair of bright red Chuck Taylor shoes. A snapback on her head completed the look. Different, yes. Gone was the rocker look, along with those spiky accessories and that unfathomable aura.
She looked different, but she didn’t really care what Tiffany thought of her.
“Fair enough, I guess. Why you here?”
But before Tiffany could respond, a man strode to her side, swinging his arm around her shoulders and piped up, “Who are they, Fany Fany?”
Sunny took a look and turned away, her face scrunching up just barely visibly. The offending limb draped over Tiffany was thick with tensed muscle and sinew, and his gruff voice was much too low to be anywhere near a welcomed presence. Obnoxious boyfriend with an irritating male ego to match. Yoona was frowning, apparently not getting good vibes either.
“Friends…?” Tiffany looked to Sunny, uncertain.
“Yeah, friends,” Yoona affirmed, while Sunny nodded. “And you are?”
“Name’s Joon. And Fany Fany’s my girl. Or she was, somewhat.” The guy laughed brashly as he continued haughtily, “I don’t even know, man. Like we’re complex, kay? I own her.”
Yoona raised an eyebrow. Tiffany squirmed under his touch.
“Why are you two even friends with Tiffany? She’s nothing interesting, I didn’t even know she’s got real friends.”
Yoona’s lips pursed tightly in a mix of confusion and annoyance, eyes darting between the two newcomers. She glanced at Sunny, surprised to find her simply observing the scene with an unusual calm.
Finally, Sunny shrugged, the kind of shrug that goes, “I don’t give a damn about the whole situation.”
“I don’t really care.” Sunny’s gaze landed on Tiffany and held there intensely for seconds before her lips stretched into a slight smile. When her eyes flickered to Joon, however, her expression hardened. “About you. And who you are to Tiffany. But I care about your stupid male ego and how you’re treating her like shit.”
Surprising him by firing a burning glare, Sunny reached out and pulled Tiffany towards her. She stumbled, equally surprise, but was steadied by Yoona.
“Just go make out with your boyfriend,” Sunny sneered, dragging Tiffany away. “And stay away from Tiff.”
“What the fuck?!” The guy shouted at them, his loud voice cutting through the crowd easily. “She stuck to me like glue, you fucktards. Who the hell would want this boring-ass girl? She’s like a damn textbook! The only thing she’s good at is obeying me during sex!”
Sunny screeched to a stop. Clenching her fist, she approached Joon with such a menacing air that he took a step back.
“Wh-what! Wanna have a go? With your short legs?”
“You.” Sunny glowered, closing in but not laying a finger on him, and spat out, “I usually don’t give a shit, but you just stepped on my tail. But I won’t fight you because I don’t have to lift a finger to deal with the likes of you.”
Joon took another step back uneasily.He opened his mouth but words failed him.
“I know you. You’re one of those fucking useless pieces of shit who are all bark and once things heat up, you run. I don’t want to dirty my hands. But these people-” Sunny swept a hand pointedly at the crowd of onlookers eyeing Joon with disgust and disdain. “-would gladly take you down. So stay away from Tiffany. Fair?”
It took barely a second and Joon was scampering off in a panic.
“Thanks!” Sunny did a salute and grinned at the crowd around her. After few applause and some hoorays and claps on her back, she walked back to her friends, swagger very much intact.
“Tha- that was…” Tiffany couldn’t seem to find the right words, but her wide eyes shining with admiration spoke enough.
“I dunno why you kept going back to him, but I ditched his useless ass for ya. You owe me one, fair?”
Tiffany nodded.
“Man,” Yoona exclaimed and ruffled Sunny’s short blonde hair. “I really, really like this you.”
“Yeah yeah,” Sunny laughed and took Tiffany’s hand. “C’mon. Join us. We’re better company.”
***
“Remind me, why are you even here with that dude? He’s your ex, for goodness’ sake,” Yoona slapped a palm to her forehead in an exaggerated motion, contempt swirling in her eyes. “A jerk of an ex. What an asshole. That chauvinistic attitude, ew.”
Tiffany smiled, awkwardly, and took a quick look at Sunny. “He asked… So I thought I should. You’re here with Sunny, and she’s your ex too, right?”
Within an hour with the two, Tiffany had learnt that Yoona and Sunny had dated years back before breaking up. Yoona had mentioned it briefly before skipping to other topics.
Yoona gave a small smile. “That’s different.”
“Yeah, we’re different,” Sunny spoke up, suddenly.
Tiffany stared at the two, seemingly torn about whether to continue the topic. “How?”
Yoona seem to freeze up at the question.
“We’re just different.” Sunny to the rescue. “And I didn’t cheat. Not like yours.”
Tiffany was about to continue probing when a blur suddenly shot past her and flopped onto Sunny’s back.
“MY SUNSHINE SUNNY!” The small figure yelled and cuddled right into the crook of Sunny’s neck.
“Gawd, Taeyeon,” Sunny laughed and grabbed the arms that hanged off her. “You’re late again!”
“Kiss as apology!” Just like how she popped out from nowhere, Taeyeon pressed her lips onto Sunny’s abruptly, only breaking the kiss when Sunny squeezed her cheeks.
“That’s not a fair deal, you crazy.” Sunny threw Taeyeon a lopsided grin and gave her cheeks another pinch. “And the parade’s freaking over!”
“Blah!” Taeyeon swatted a hand at Sunny, totally unconcerned. “But who’s this?”
Eyes narrowed, Taeyeon stabbed a finger at Tiffany, who hadn’t budged an inch since that wild and insane display of affection.
“Tiffany,” Yoon stated, motioning lightly towards Tiffany. “This thing here, Taeyeon.”
A laugh disguised as a hacking cough bubbled from Sunny’s throat. Taeyeon frowned.
“I’m more a blob than a thing, Yoong.”
Yoona rolled her eyes. The cough was getting louder in the background, while Taeyeon had an ultimate deadpanned look stuck on her.
“A weird blob, since you insist,” With a wave of her hand, Yoona agreed half-heartedly. “Sorry, Tiffany, they’re weirdos.”
“Um, I think you guys are cool…” Tiffany spoke timidly, like she was still trying to get used to the group’s dynamics.
“This thing here gets my approval, at least she’s not like the freaking bitch the other time.”
“She was your bitch, Tae.”
“Zip.” Taeyeon pinched her thumb and index finger together, sliding them across Sunny’s lips. “Let’s go there, seems interesting. What’s going on?”
Stretching her neck, Sunny took a glance and shrugged disinterestedly.
The puppy eyes did nothing to Sunny but Taeyeon wasn’t about to take no for an answer. With a huge heave, she hauled Sunny onto her feet. Still, she seemed unwilling. Taeyeon sighed, and without pausing for a second, her elbow launched towards Sunny.
“Okay.” Sunny easily blocked the attack with a palm and used the force to push Taeyeon back. “Let’s go.”
Tiffany stared dumbfounded.
“What… just happened?”
“Weirdos interaction.”
“Is that normal?”
There was a break in conversation as Yoona studied the girl, eyes sweeping from the top of her red hair to her feet and back to her face.
“Who said anything about normal?”
Too stunned to reply, Tiffany looked to Sunny as though there was another consciousness controlling her eyes.
Yoona peered curiously at her. “Are you normal?”
“I suppose so? Yeah I am.” The hesitance faded and Tiffany bobbed her head. Affirmative.
“How sure are you?” Yoona waited, but received no response. Smiling, she gave a friendly tap on Tiffany’s head. “See, dissonance.”
“I don’t know. I see myself as normal?”
Yoona laughed. “You’re inside this box- Nope don’t look at me like that, not my opinion. Sunny’s.”
Tiffany allowed herself to trace Sunny, mingling with the crowd that she didn’t care for just a while ago.
“Participating in this, by normal societal standards here, isn’t normal.”
Met with silence from Tiffany, Yoona took it as a hint to move on. She talked about a recent movie, an album by a gorgeous girl group with desirable legs and the heat.
“Are they together or something?” Tiffany asked out of the blue, cautiously, keeping her eyes on the two shorter girls who seemed unusually intimate.
“They?” Yoona cracked a smile and stopped complaining about the weather. “Sunny and Taeyeon? Why’d you ask that?”
“Just something random. A random question.”
“You like Sunny?”
“No!” Tiffany almost shouted vehemently. Yet, there was this guilty hesitance in her eyes. “I’m not a lesbian. I like boys.”
Yoona whistled to that, a cheeky confidence hanging on her.
“Just the other day, Sunny told me about this girl,” Yoona began mysteriously, and found Tiffany leaning closer, obviously drawn in. “She named her Ti-too-straight-for-girls-or-maybe-not-ffany.”
“No! What?! That’s not me!”
“Never said it was.” Yoona clapped in glee, before swinging her arm onto Tiffany’s shoulder. The supposedly-straight Tiffany shuddered for a second but didn’t try to push Yoona away. “They aren’t dating. Never did date. Sunny and Taeyeon, I mean.”
“Oh, I thought they were. Why didn’t they? I mean, the way they behave… ”
“Sunny has this policy about not dating within the group. It makes things messy, according to her. And if they are a group, escaping would make things even messier.”
Tiffany only showed confusion, question marks littered all over her head.
“That’s according to Sunny.”
“No, I get it. But, uh, aren’t you her ex? Why did she date you if she doesn’t date within the circle?”
“Oh, so that’s why you’re all confused! I guess you wouldn’t know, I’m not actually in her group,” Yoona stated matter-of-factly, but that only brought on more confusion for Tiffany. “You know what, it’s easier for you to just ask Sunny.”
“What?” Sunny’s voice cut into the conversation. She was back, head tilted slightly to the left and hands in her hoodie pockets. “Ask what?”
“Nothing,” Tiffany shook her head and quickly tried to dismiss the curiosity. “Just some general question.”
“So ask.”
Tiffany was stumped. It was something Sunny excelled in -- leaving her speechless.
“Where’s your girlfriend, Yoong? Wasn’t she’s supposed to join us?”
And she was saved. Tiffany let slip a sigh of relief at Taeyeon’s random but timely interruption.
“She had to fly off for some business last minute.”
“Didn’t you say her middle name is Bee?” Taeyeon asked, seriousness lacing her words.
“What?”
“Busy bee.”
Yoona groaned at the bad joke and fell on Sunny’s lap.
“It’s funny!”
“It isn’t! Oh my god.” Yoona sat up and look to Sunny for support. “It isn’t, right?”
Sunny only shrugged, a mild smile tugging at her lips.
“You should be on my side, not that blob’s,” Yoona complained and twirled a finger around Sunny’s short blonde hair. The well-practiced action blended in so naturally, that Tiffany actually questioned the nature of their ‘friendship’.
“How’s your girlfriend okay with you two hanging out?”
“Why not?”
“Because,” Tiffany swallowed. Yoona and Sunny both had eyes on her, like she was strange. But she wasn’t strange. They were strange. “Because this?”
It made no sense to the three of them, apparently, so Tiffany decided to surrender.
“Oh, nevermind.”
“Let’s go, I’ve got stuff to do.” Sunny patted Yoona on her cheek, signalling for her to get off before putting on her snapback, twisting it around to wear it backwards.
“What stuff?” Tiffany asked absently, not processing before speaking.
Sunny grinned, approached Tiffany and leaned close to her ear.
“Stuff that you shouldn’t know about. Shhh.”
Tiffany shuddered, eyes still glued to Sunny’s back until Yoona pulled her along with them. She stayed by Yoona’s side throughout the rest of the time. Steering away from the mysterious Sunny.
Something about Sunny seemed to affect her. Even from distance.
Yes, Sunny affected her.