Meant for each other?

-6-

Nothing much happened in the couple of days after Karlie got into the fight. She sat through most of her lessons, hung out with Cara some more and, much to Taylor's approval, hadn't touched a drop of alcohol.

It's a Monday morning, much like the other Monday's the girl had experienced whilst in England, having a black coffee for breakfast while complaining about the lack of Starbucks to Cara and then slouching in the back row of her form room during registration. This Monday has its differences though.

"Karlie?" Her teacher, a ginger haired Scottish woman she found hard to understand, calls. The girl raises her eyebrows at the teacher, wondering what on earth she's done this time. "Miss Aldridge would like to see you!"

"Sure." The brunette isn't afraid of her headteacher, placing her far down the list of importantness in her life. Grabbing her bag, she walks down the aisle smoothly and leaves, not bothering to close the door.

The school office is empty save the receptionist and an older man who Karlie doesn't recognise. Not sure what to do, wondering if she should wait until Miss Aldridge comes out or whether she should knock, the brunette kicks her designer bag onto the floor in the corner and goes to talk to the women. "Err," she starts awkwardly, not ever been one for social situations, "I've been told Miss Aldridge wants to see me. Is she ready?" The curly haired receptionist stares for a while, making Karlie wonder if her make up is awful or something, before remembering her accent and heeled shoes.

"Karlie right?" The woman then says, flustered. Karlie. The teen likes it, the way she is Karlie. The Karlie. Everyone knows who she is, theirs no need for last names when you're as well known as the American. So Karlie nods. "Go in. She's expecting you."

"Thanks." With a simple nod, the tall girl grabs her bag and glances at the man once more, noticing his shirt and trousers were designer, meaning he's probably loaded before waltzing in.

For October, the office is a warm, the cracklings of an open fire greeting the girl as well as a wall of heat the Orange flames are creating. Like before, she surveys her surroundings, appreciating the traditional decor and soft furniture as she slumps into one of the chairs. The principle looks at her student for a minute, a thing a lot of people have been doing today, starting to talk when she realises the teen isn't going to be the one to break the silence in between them. "How have you been?" Miss Aldridge asks. She's gentle, knowing the way some of her students have reacted to that question in the past.

"Altogether..." Karlie considers it for a moment, "crap." Another teacher is shocked by her blunt honesty.

"Has Miss Swift talked to you about the counsellor we'd like you to see?" The brunette is beginning to wonder if this is an interrogation session, feeling questioned so closing off. Shrugging nonchalantly,

"Mentioned it."

"He's outside," the older woman tells her.

"Shit." An eyebrow is cocked at Karlie's choice of language but nothing is said. "He'll have seen me. He'll have been watching me. Damn it- not ready for this."

"He'd like to see you now." The older girl watches Karlie in interest, noticing the way she scratches at her wrists as she gets angsty and how she's looking around as if she's looking for a way to escape. The American seems to accept her fate, plucking her Mulberry bag from the floor and straightening to full height. "I'll do introductions and then we can find a suitable place for you to talk." Miss Aldridge's suggestion is met with a cold shoulder, the brunette shrugging coldly and stalking out, hitting her bag off the door frame purposely to show she's annoyed. She sits rigidly near the man as Lily closes the office door and comes to do introductions, full defence mechanisms in place. "Mr. Harris, this is Karlie, Karlie, this is Mr. Harris who the hospital recommended to us." Another shrug, only meeting the mans eyes briefly, the American clutching her bag tightly, so tight the leather straps are getting crushed, Karlie refusing to speak.