Blue

twelve

The steady drip of the bathroom faucet was the only thing Winter could hear as her shaky hands dug around in her backpack. It was early. Earlier than most people arrived at school. But Winter had things to take care of.

She took a deep breath as she retrieved her small makeup bag from her backpack, zipping it open and wincing when she moved her shoulder too quickly. Her torso throbbed in pain and she had to steady herself against the bathroom wall. No matter how badly she wanted to breakdown and sob, she knew it would only cause her more pain.

Sniffing, she lifted her shirt above her head and used her small handheld mirror to inspect the bruises. Winter dabbed a small amount of her foundation onto the markings, gently blending it in to try and cover the discolouration. This had basically become a morning routine for her.

As her thoughts began to wander, she thought back to the life before her parent's death. Bad idea. She quickly brought her hand up to her mouth to stop herself from bursting into tears. She set down her makeup bag and carefully tried to wipe her eyes to keep her mascara from running.

The small girl jumped when she heard the familiar creak of the bathroom door. She froze. Holding her breath, she listened as light footsteps entered the bathroom.

Karina tossed her backpack on the floor next to the sink, taking a step back and fixing her hair in the mirror. This was supposed to be a quick bathroom visit, but she paused when she heard a small sniffle from one of the stalls.

"Hello?"

Winter froze when she heard the raspy voice filling the room. Karina. As much as she wanted to answer, she knew better than to bother the girl. She held her breath and tried to stay as still as possible.

Karina lowered her head slightly, not recognizing who the white converse under the stall belonged to. Whoever it was obviously didn't want company. Karina bit her lip and glanced over at her backpack. Quietly, she opened the bag and dug around for a few moments.

Winter jumped when something was slid under the stall. She squinted her eyes, realizing it was a small granola bar and a small pack of gum. She grew confused.

"Be nice to yourself," Karina's soft voice filled the room. Winter felt her heart drop in her chest. "Summer's almost here."

The dark haired girl stood up just as Winter quietly bend down to pick up the wrapper. She listened as Karina's footsteps moved towards the bathroom door. Then the room grew silent.

"They want all seniors in the gym, by the way," Karina spoke once again. "I don't know if you're graduating today... but if you are... I figured you'd want to know," the brown eyed girl cleared her throat. "Uh, yeah. I hope you feel better," she stammered, cursing herself for being so awkward.

Winter couldn't help but smile. The girl was just so adorable. If only she had known who was inside the stall. She definitely wouldn't have been that nice.

Once the bathroom door closed, the smaller girl slowly opened the granola bar and took a bite as she pulled her cap and gown out of her backpack.

She studied the blue and yellow material, turning it over in her hands and sighing softly. Today she graduated. Today, everything changed.

Winter pressed her hands against the bathroom stall as she was practically thrown back into reality. So many conflicting feelings were running through her head.

Karina was just about to leave the bathroom when she heard two feet hit the floor. She paused as the stall door opened and Winter took a small step forwards.