Chapter Text
The school bell rang and all went silent for a few minutes.
The hallways were empty as footsteps were heard from the entrance. Slow, insecure footsteps that were closer to running back out, then staying in this building. But running away was not an option for Laura, not this time. She wanted to prove everyone wrong, even herself that for once she can stay at the same place, hell, even the same city longer then one school year. She took a deep breath, fixed her messy dark blonde hair up into a pony tail and walked to the guidance councilor that will give her her schedule for the next few weeks.
“ Laura. Laura Hollis. “ The councilor looked over her glasses for a moment at the girl in front of her and then back at her computer. “ Quite a lovely name you got there.” Laura rolled her eyes in her head, choosing not to say a word for now. Maybe silence will work out just fine this time, a few words every now and then. That will keep me out of trouble.
“...and your record. Hmm, impressive is one word for it. You’re a little trouble maker aren’t you.” the councilor spoke matter of fact-lay.
Laura looked around the small office and back to the table on the name tag: Isabelle French. Sounds more Australian then french to me. Laura chuckled to her own private joke. The councilor took a good look at the girl once more.
“You do not talk much, do you?” She wrote a note on the back of the paper where Lauras schedule is and handed the paper to her. “Your first class starts in 15 minutes; top floor, second door to the left.” Laura took her books and was just about to leave, when Miss French spoke again.
“Laura, if you ever need anything, do not be afraid to look for me, agreed?” There it was, the pity in the voice coming from yet another person. The simpathetic look coming from yet another pair of eyes. Laura didn`t want that anymore. She was sick and tired from the same tone, from the same look. She wanted to escape again. She didn`t need this. Not again. She bit the inside of her cheek, nodding and closing the door behind her back as she steeped out. She took the schedule paper and turned it around. Every day is a new chapter of your story, a new beginning.
She put the paper in her back pocket and went straight to the classroom.
Did she say last door on the left of the second floor? Or second door on the left floor?Wait, not left floor! That’s not even a thing. Top floor! Oh crap I’m gonna be late. Ugh!
Laura sprinted up the stairs two at the time without any trouble and was at the door in no time. But still after the bell rang. She took a deep breath, trying to open the door slowly, but it seemed to be stuck so she pushed harder, opening it with a loud bang to the wall. Great entrance Hollis, way to go unnoticed.
She didn’t even bother looking around, but she felt all eyes focused on her. She stepped to professor Charming and gave him the paper. What the hell is he all shiny about? Guys like him freak me out.
“Laura? “ He stood up from his seat and showed her a place to sit in the back of the class. “Everyone, this your new classmate Laura Hollis. Laura, would you like to introduce yourself to everyone?”
She sat down slowly at her new table and gave the professor her best are you fucking kidding me look, that turned him into stone for a moment.
He looked apologetic back at her and walked to the board continuing his lesson like nothing happened. Laura opened one of her notebooks and put it on the table pretending to pay attention to the rest of the lesson, rolling her pencil between her fingers, eyes darting here and there through the room. Her mind stooped still as her eyes landed on a pair of smirking lips only a few feet away from her.
Her mouth went dry and she adjusted herself in her chair so she would be able to get a better look of the owner of those lips. She moved her hand over the table awkwardly and as the dork as she can be sometimes, threw the notebook on the floor getting the attention of the girl beside her.
Dark brown eyes met honey brown as Laura tried to pick up her notebook unsuccessfully do to the fact that her eyes were still locked with those dark eyes.
Her heartbeat went crazy, beating so fast it could easily jump out of her chest as the girl moved closer, leaning down and picking up the fallen book then putting it on her table, never moving her sight from Lauras eyes. A smirk was still visible on the lips Laura was just admiring and she swallowed hard as she reached out to pull the book closer and accidentally brushed her fingers over the brunettes. Lauras vision fell from her lips to her hand, those feather light fingers that were lightly resting on the book. She ran her eyes from her hand up her arm and for a short moment took in the beauty that was the girl siting next to her. Dark raven hair that was falling freely over her shoulders, a red plaid shirt hanging losely on her, and a black top underneath it that matched the leather pants that hugged her legs and hips perfectly. Holy gorgeous human! Are we even allowed to wear clothes like this in high school!?
Laura looked back up as the girl turned to sit back at her own seat focusing on the book in front of her, a book that, Laura noticed, was not for this class. It seemed old and the covers were slightly bleached out so she couldn`t read what book it was. For the rest of the class Laura drew some doodles on the corner of her notebook, trying not to look at the girl next to her. Key word being trying.
Just before the bell rang again, ending the class, Laura could have sworn that the girl turned around and gave her a once over before throwing her book into the bag next to her table.
Everybody was rushing out of the class room but for some reason Laura hasitated. She sat at her desk waiting for the girl to walk past her before closing her own book, but she stopped the moment her eyes scaned the page she was doodlig on. She realized it was less of a doodle and more a drawing. A drawing of a face, the face of her new muse. The girl in the plaid shirt.
Laura almost ran out of the class, looking around for the girl that made her draw after years of blank pages. Laura couldn`t remember the last time she even draw a single line on paper. She used to love it, being inspired by simple things in life, her room filled with paintings and drawings, photographs that eneded up being framed and hung all over her old house. She winced at the memory of her old room, the stairs that lead her upstairs from the front door. The smell of freshly baked cookies and the sound of her moms humming coming from the kitchen.
She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply before shaking the memorys out of her head, not allowing herself to think about the past. Not right now with so many people around her. People she was sure were juding her at this very moment. She looked around the hallway one more time before checking her scheduale and heading over to her next class.
She hasn`t seen the girl in the plaid shirt for the rest of the day and she was actually thankful for that, because if she was in all of her classes, Laura would`t be able to focus on any of them. And for once she wanted to. She wanted to be a good student. She wanted to change, she needed a new beginning. She wouldn`t screw up. Not this time. She would focus on school, get good grades, maybe even find a part time job. She knew her parents would have wanted a good life for her, so that is what she will do. She will make a good life for herself. At least she will try to.
After the last class ended she walked out of school and went over to the football field, siting on top of one of the benches. She looked around and let the sun shine down at her as she but her bag down, laying on the bench and resting her head on the bag, wanting to close her eyes for a little bit.
This was one of the small things left in her life that she trully enjoyed. Finding a place to herself and not letting a thing bother her, prettending that the world doesn`t hate her, not letting the past haunt her. It was moments like these that kept her sane. Moments when she could lie to herself and let herself believe in the small lies.
A buzzing noise came from inside her bag and pulled her out of her safe bubble. She sat up abruptly and looked through her bag, pulling out the flip phone she recently got from her aunt. The only family she had left now. The only person that cared enough to want her and keep her in her life.
From E.:
Where are you?
Laura looked around, noticing that the sun was already setting behind the tall buildings near the school and she realized that she has spend more time then she thought laying there all by herself. She grabed her bag in one hand making her way to her aunts place.
To E.:
Be there soon.
She texted her replay quickly and left the football field, not noticing the girl that sat at the bottom of the benches this entire time.
***
Fliping through her book but glancing up at Laura every now and then, Carmilla was strangley entranced by the new girl in school. The girl with honey brown eyes.
She waited for a few more moments after the girl left and stood up herself, her plaid shirt tied around her waist as she made her way home. But on the whole way there, the only thing she could think about was Laura.
Laura Hollis, thats what the profesor called her. She kept looking at me through the entire history class. I know she did, I felt her eyes on me. Why didn`t I look back? Why didn`t I say anything to her? Pull yourself together Carmilla, she is just another girl. I never had trouble talking to girls before. But she is....she is different. She seems different. God, that sounds like such a cliché.
Carmilla didn`t bother looking where she tossed her bag once she entered the big house, a post-it note standing on the mirror at the entrence.
At a meeting. Will be back late.
There is some lasagna in the fridge for you.
Love you sis
Carmilla stuck the paper into her backpocket and went into the kitchen grabbing the lasagna from the fridge and put it into the microwave, heathing it up for dinner. She leaned against the counter and stared blankly at the red numbers, counting down the minutes till her food is done. The loud ding of the microwave didn`t even pull her back to the present as her mind was too preocupid with Laura. With her clumsy entrence into the class room. With her I don`t even care attitude as the profesor talked to her. With her eyes and the way she looked at her, holding her gaze before letting it fall down her body, taking her in. Carmilla cursed herself for sitting back down on her seat and prettending to pay attention to the book in front of her while in fact the whole time she only wanted to turn around and look at her. The girl was beautiful, that was clear from the moment Carmilla saw her. But there was something more about her, something Carmilla would love to try and find out.
She pulled the lasagna out of the microwave and grabed a fork, heading into the living room, siting down on the big couch and finishing up her dinner slowly. Usually she would turn on the tv and watch some old rerun on it till late into the night. But tonight she only sat there in silence, wondering what Laura is like, and what she was up to now. She wanted to know everything about the new girl. What Carmilla didn`t know, was that Laura, who was sitting in the small appartment across town, was wondering the same things about the girl in the plaid shirt.