The End Of Summer Haze *Lesbian Story* *COMPLETED*

Chapter Twenty Three

Thanks for reading :) enjoy,

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When the limo pulled up to Ronald and Summers house, both dread and anticipation ran through me.

This ball was going to suck.

I could already see the rich, snooty couples, stiffly holding their dates as if they were just cousins. I could already feel the boredom creeping up as I glanced at their pursed faces. Caden was seated beside me, actually awed at the splendor ahead of us. I rolled my eyes at his expression, smacking his arm in the process.

"Ow!" He cried, dramatically clutching the spot I had hit. I just solemnly shook my head.

"Trust me, it only gets worse from here." I said in a bored tone, making him shift. My mom had previously dragged me to hundreds of events like this one. Balls, luncheons, teas, feasts, all pointless, expensive parties with the same, boring people, too busy trying to boost their status to have fun.

I 'shockingly' have never had fun.

But a small part of me held excitement, anticipation in seeing my sexy girlfriend.

A very small part.

"Miss Lillandra, we are here." My driver stated politely, waiting for us to get out of the car.

"Thank you." I stated in a dull tone, no enthusiasm present. I scooted towards the door, opening it widely, before gracefully stepping outside. I took a few steps, barely moving anywhere in my sky-high heels, when I noticed a missing presence from beside me. Irritation flared in me as I turned on my heel, glaring pointedly at the open limo door.

"Caden!" I yelled in aggravation. Slowly a black leather shoe stuck out the door, meekly pausing in its opening. I tapped my foot loudly on the rug, demonstrating my impatience. Finally he left the car, messily rising and almost falling in the process. I held back a laugh before holding out my arm. He glared at my poorly-concealed laughter before taking my arm. Together we then walked into the expansive building, leaving the safety of our limo behind.

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The room was just as I expected.

Classical music was being played at a sensible volume, teenage couples slowly waltzing around the floor. Parents and ancient looking grandparents sat at the edge of the room, drinking bottles of wine priced way too high and criticizing their children for petty reasons.

Sadly my mom was also there.

I saw her rage filled face immediately, a bright red in comparison to the other, pale complexioned parents. A smug smirk raised on my mouth as she stormed over, amused by her anger. Caden tried to run away, afraid of my mothers wrath. But I held his arm firmly, forcing him to stay cemented in place. He shoved his face in his hands, trying to avoid the harsh glare of my mother.

"Lillandra Marie Ryder!" She screamed shrilly, making my smirk grow in amusement.

"Yes mother?" I said innocently, making her even angrier.

"What is that god awful thing you are wearing?" I turned around to show her the full effect, pleased with her negative reaction. After the day I had purposely skipped my dress fitting she booked the tailors to come in at six in the morning, knowing I would be at home. Ignoring my grouchy protests they had gone to work, invasively measuring all areas of my body. When they came back the next morning with my dress I had almost thrown up.

And not in a good way.

The dress had been bubblegum pink, so bright it had burned my eyes. It was a humungous ball gown, so puffy I had been afraid to get stuck through doorways. It had a strapless bottice and to top of the horror...

It had been covered in glitter.

It was the most hideous thing I had ever seen. Somehow though I was able to contain myself. When it was unveiled I plastered a fake smile on my face, and told them how amazing it was. Satisfied, they had left. And after my mom had seen it (and almost died from excitement)...

I burned it in the garage.

I then went to my closet and smirked, finding the perfect outfit for this ball. One in which I was currently wearing.

It was thigh length, just covering my butt, and low cut, plunging deep in the neckline. In order to obtain some form of modesty the sleeves were long and skin tight. The dresses was black and silver, faded into a sort of tie dyed pattern. To top it off I wore the highest heels in my closet.

Caden called them my hooker heels.

Needless to say, my mom was fuming. She was standing in front of me, glaring hatefully at my dress with her arms stiffly crossed.

"What happened to the beautiful dress from before?" She asked coldly, her eyes never losing their glare. I adopted an obviously fake confused expression, shrugging my shoulders dramatically.

"We were robbed? And all they took was that god-awful dress." Her eyes shrunk into angry slits as she grabbed the collar of my dress, pulling me forward. I saw Caden looking at me in concern but I subtly waved him off.

This wasn't his problem.

Reluctantly he nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets to restrain them. I looked back at my mom. She was close to my face, her breath reeking of wine. She took a perfectly manicured nail and pointed it at my face, her finger shaking slightly.

"I always knew you were a whore." She said cruelly, an unapologetic sneer plastered across her face. My heart hurt but I pushed it down. Instead I widened my smirk, firmly pushing her back.

"Well I'm glad I lived up to some of your expectations." I said tonelessly. With a snooty pursing of her lips she turned and stomped out of the room, her ever insufferable heels clicking all the way. Taking a deep breath in I turned to Caden, who had a deeply worried look on his face. I threw him a wonky smile and pulled him to the wine table. "Come on, time to liven up this party."

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"Weeee!" Caden yelled, spinning in circles in the middle of the dance floor. As soon as I had pulled him to the wine table he had dove right in, drunk the most rapid I had ever seen him. I had tried to drink, wanting to numb the slight ache in my chest from my earlier maternal confrontation. But I couldn't choke down more than a single glass of wine, my stomach protesting instantly. So instead I was dancing with Caden, carefully watching him as he did an unstable chicken dance in the middle of a group of waltzing, stuffy, rich kids.

I had a strong craving for a cigarette.

I let out a loud laugh when he tried to do the robot with a girl who looked like she would rather eat dirt before walking over and tugging him away.

"I'm sorry," I said politely to girl before watching he expression frown even more. "It's just when he's drunk he's generally attracted to really unpleasant people. She let out a large huff before turning away, insulted by my words. As Caden was looping my hair around his fingers, giggling like a maniac and ignoring my harsh glare, two delicate hands clasped over my eyes, making me first tense out of shock and then smile.

"Hey sexy, meet my down the hall to the room with the red door, distract my brother with Caden." They then lightly kissed the back of my exposed neck, making me shudder, before leaving. I tried to catch a glimpse of her, but she had been swallowed up by the crowds of people. As I was looking a deep voice distracted me, pulling me out of my search.

"Li!" Ronald called as he walked to me, picking me up and swinging me around in a hug.

"Put me down you ape!" I said, chuckling. Carefully his eyes raked over me, making me feel really irritated. I hit his chin, making him look up to face my scowl. He shrugged his shoulders, grinning sheepishly when-

"Ronnie!" His voice called, yelling like a little kid greeting his best friend. He ran up to Ronald and jumped on him, wrapping him in a hug with his legs around Ronalds waist, clinging to him like a baby monkey. I stifled a laugh at Ronalds blushing face.

"Hey Caden." He said awkwardly, patting his back. Caden just snuggled his head into Ronalds neck, rubbing their bodies together and making a blatant shock of lust run through Ronalds body. When Caden started massaging Ronalds shoulders was the really hilarious part.

"Wow," Caden cooed, pushing his hands along Ronalds biceps. "Your muscles are like rocks..." He said in his drunken state. "And your eyes are pretty." He then hiccuped and kept feeling Ronalds muscles and I saw something shocking.

Ronald Mcfarland was speechless.

He stared, open-mouthed at the hazy-eyed, lust-filled, bluntly drunk boy on him and he was totally lost.

Thank god for my best friend being such an awesome distraction.

Suddenly though, when Ronald seemed to be at the point where he was losing track of hus surroundings, Caden jumped off of Ronald hastily, running towards the snack table. Ronalds face held worry as he watched my running best friend, who was knocking into every object and person he found to be in his way.

Just to try and get to the chocolate fountain.

I chuckled at the sight of Ronald Mcfarland, the muscular, rich, goldenboy, chasing after my scattered, drunk friend.

"Caden!" Ronald called desperately, the worry showing in his voice. Involuntarily I smiled. As I slipped out of the room, easily unnoticed, I realized something. Regardless of our deal, or any inkling of like he had towards me, Ronald had other, possibly stronger feelings.

And they were for my best friend.

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As I pushed open the massive, red double doors, anticipation heated my system. The room was dark, shadows and moonlight leaking through the open balcony door. I saw movement and soft music coming from the balcony so I walked in that direction. The music got louder as I grew closer, a pretty violin ballad that was usually not in my tastes but surprisingly beautiful. A shocking bout of nerves fluttered inside me, making me pause.

I barely ever got nervous.

But ever since I met her it seemed to be a reoccuring feeling. I peered into the night, seeing a beautiful, thin figure that was so perfect it could only be hers. And suddenly the nerves didn't matter.

I just wanted to get to her.

So a small smile formed on my face as I reached her. I gently wrapped my arms around her waist, not surprising her in the slightest. She simply leaned into me until their was no space between our bodies.

And then we just stood for awhile.

Holding each other in the moonlight. When she finally turned around, exposing her face and body to the fullest, I gasped. Her dress was a light violet lace, making her eyes seem almost eerily bright in comparison. It flared out into a large skirt, poofy in the way mine had been. And yet true to her own styles she had shredded the fabric slightly, adding patches of black lace in the rips that contracted nicely with her hair.

I had never seen anything so beautiful.

My face was comical, hanging open in awe and admiration. Her face was probably similar, as she ran her eyes searingly up and down my body. There was slight humor in her eyes though added to her lust, as she stared at my amount of exposed skin.

"Now how the hell did you manage to get away with wearing that?" She said enviously, her voice playful. "This was the best compromise I could get." I shrugged, a single tear falling down my cheek before I pulled her closer, our fronts pressing together.

"Piece of cake." I said calmly, my voice betraying me as it wavered. Summer carefully wiped my tear away, thankfully staying quiet, before kissing me hungrily.

Effectively helping me forget my troubles.

But for once we didn't push it. We just kissed, our hands kept still on our backs as our tongues gently massaged one another. I broke off first, making slight sexual aggravation fill her eyes. I chuckled at her want, gently pecking her lips.

"I was wondering if you would dance with me?" She nodded happily and got up with me, swaying with me to the lovely music wafting out of the speaker. I blushed when I stepped on her foot, my lack of focus in dance class apparent. But she just chuckled and kissed my knuckle clasped currently in her hand. I blushed and looked away, continuing to sway.

But something was knawing at the back of my mind, preventing the moment from being perfect. With dread, I realized what it was. Guilty tears started rolling down my cheeks, making long, dark tracks in my mascara. Worry filled her eyes as she watched me, her expression gently pushing me to explain.

"You can tell me," she coaxed, pushing a stray hair away from my face. "It will be ok." And with that statement I couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Summer I am so sorry." I cried, looking into her eyes. I could tell she knew what I talking about, the realization pure across her face. But still she asked, wanting to make sure she let me finish.

"Sorry for what?" She said carefully.

"For leaving you. I should have helped you that night and I let them hurt you!" I took a deep breath, attempting to calm my sobs. "I never want you to be hurt again." I whispered, looking at the ground.

"Lianna." She said gently, trying to attract my gaze upwards. But I continued to stare at the ground, ashamed and nervous. She put her hand under my chin and pulled my head up, capturing my lips in an unexpected kiss. "Look I'll admit for awhile I was pissed. I thought I hated you and your friends, loathing them for what they did to me." She put her hand to her right wrist, pulling off a black wristband that I had never really thought about her wearing. I gasped when I saw her arm.

From her elbow to her wrist were a complex patch of scars, pale and faded but in my mind as fresh as the day she got them. Some were cigarette burns, the hot end pressed and scalded into her skin. And most were jagged cuts, crooked and ugly and horrifying. I gently touched it, running my fingers along her arms bumpy surface. Ignoring my horror she continued, her fists clenched tightly in the pain of remembering.

"But every time I pictured the tortured expression that was on your face, right before you ran, my hate for you was gone. I couldn't hate you no matter how much I wanted to." She sighed and gave me another kiss, her voice so calm it amazed me. "Over the summer I reinvented myself. Cut my hair, baught new clothes, got contacts, anything to make me a 'better' person. Honestly without that day I would still be the meek little girl that I always was." She leaned forward, moving her face even closer to mine. "So don't feel guilty, because I forgive you." Relief soared inside me as something was repaired. I raised her arm to my lips and kissed her scars, wishing that I could've prevented her pain.

"Thank you." I whispered, just loud enough for her to hear it. We then continued to dance, stealing kisses the whole while. I wanted it to last forever, but it was interrupted by three words spoken out of Summers mouth. She raised her head, her face the most serious I've ever seen it and looked deep into my eyes.

"Lianna, I love you."

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