A much needed talk with Tiffany

As it was one of the most obvious solutions, you wondered why you didn't think of it before. You could just ask Tiffany about how you knew her from middle school. At the very least you could see how she reacts, even if she doesn't tell you anything.

JD: Can you meet after school?

TF: Sure, any particular reason?

JD: I wanted to talk to you about something.

TF: K. Let's meet at 3:30 on the roof.

You sat down next to Tiffany, and she wasn't looking like herself. Her eyes were glued to something off in the distance, her head stuck in place. You followed her gaze, but there was nothing there in particular. Just some random houses across the street.

"Hey," you said.

"Oh! I uh... what did you want to talk about?"

Her nervousness reminded you of how she acted when you danced with her in the dream.

"Well there's something I've been meaning to ask you..." you said. Her eyes filled with dread. "You know how you said we used to know each other in middle school?"

"Uh huh," she squeaked.

"I know you're not proud of that part of yourself, but it can't be that bad... could you at least tell me something? Like how we met in the first place?" you asked.

"I'd really rather not," she said quickly. You noticed she was leaned forward pretty far, clearly on edge.

"I mean, the way you've been acting around me is different than how you act with other people... you're so much nicer and you really feel like the girl I fell in love with."

"Why can't we just move on?" she asked. "This is who I am now. It doesn't matter who I used to be. Why do you care so much?"

"Because the more I get to know you the more I actually like you," you said.

"You'd hate me if I told you," she said.

"What makes you so sure?" you asked. "What if the person you've been trying to hide is the only one anyone can truly love?"

She squinted her eyes, and it looked like she was about to cry.

"Just stop it!" she said, getting up. "I am who I am and it's none of your business what I did in middle school."

"I'm sorry, I--"

"Why can't we just talk about normal things?" she asked. "I don't wanna talk about it, okay?"

You sighed.

"Okay."

She sat back down, taking deep breaths until she seemed a little calmer.

"After we break up, I'd really like to be friends," she said. "But you have to promise me something."

"What?" you asked.

"Don't ask me about who I used to be," she said. "Maybe someday I'll decide to tell you, but unless that happens you need to just stop worrying about it."

"Okay."

You looked at her and suddenly she changed. For a split second you saw her with a pair of glasses on, wearing a flannel shirt. Or maybe you imagined it. The strange thing was, when you looked back at her in real life her eyes were wide with shock.

"What happened?" she asked, alarmed.

"Huh?"

Her arm was shaking.

"I have to get home," she said. She stood up suddenly and started walking away.

"Wait!" you called out to her.

She kept walking, glancing over her shoulder a few times before she disappeared through the door.

You couldn't help but wonder... did she see the same thing you saw? What did it mean?