Cigarettes (girl x girl)

Chapter 17

"I think we both know why you're here today."

The blonde raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. "And why is that?" Loren questioned. As far as she knew, she had stayed out of trouble this past few months, besides the frequent class skipping.

Principal Harris let out a deep sigh before reaching into his desk, and pulling out a large white envelope. He slid it across the tabletop towards the blonde.

Loren stared at it blankly.

The principal inhaled a deep sigh. "You know for someone so academically exceptional, I would've thought you'd stay out of trouble more."

Principal Harris had receding dark hair with an abundance of white strands throughout it, probably partially due to the blonde's constant misbehavior. His tired grey eyes motioned towards the envelope, silently telling the blonde to open it.

Loren took a deep breath and carefully slid the document out of the envelope.

Her diploma.

"Don't tell me you're trying to get rid of me earlier than we agreed, Harris." She smirked, but with a dull look in her eyes.

He clasped his hands together on the desk and slightly leaned in. "I understand you planned on staying until the semester break, Loren, but with your streak of unfrequent attendance, I assumed you'd want to leave earlier rather than later."

Loren stared blankly at him.

He took this as a cue to continue. "You had enough credits to graduate your junior year Miss Carson. From what I understand, in a week you'll be in France, expanding your parent's business on an international level. Correct?"

The blonde nodded.

"I must commend you for simultaneously being one of the most obnoxious students i've had, and one of the most successful."

He stuck his hand out for a handshake.

"Congratulations Miss Loren Carson, you've made it."

She stared at his hand for a moment, before tentatively reaching out her own hand for a firm shake.

He retracted his hand and retreated back to his former position.

"Students must attend school for the rest of the week before the semester break, of course. But you don't possess the same obligation as them considering you've technically already graduated."

Loren nodded.

Principal Harris gave her a small smile. "Good luck Miss Carson." He nodded, and Loren took that as her cue to leave. Grabbing the envelope and sending him a smile in return, she made her way towards the door.

Before exiting however, she turned around. "Thank you for never expelling me, Mr.Harris. Appreciate it." Shooting him a goofy grin.

"Stay out of trouble out there, Loren. The world may not be as forgiving as I was."

The blonde let his words sink in for a moment, before giving a small nod, and finally leaving his office.

Blue eyes stayed down, casted on the envelope as she walked, her lips in a slight frown.

In five days, she would be on another plane to Paris, finally running the new branch of her parents' business.

Well, running under high supervision, but running nonetheless.

Loren couldn't help but think this was the reason things ended with a certain brunette. If the secrecy regarding her trips to France didn't exist, the fight between the two girls would've never occurred, and maybe they'd still have some form of a relationship.

But the blonde knew she was kidding herself.

She was still moving to an entirely different country in less than a week, and Cindy would be left here to finish off another semester of high school.

They were destined to end.

Although being business partners with the Leclair's, the secrecy regarding the opening of the new international branch was to ensure that the Carson's wouldn't have any international competitors.

At least for now.

This plan had been in motion for almost a year, and Loren knew the second the Leclair's found out, the partnership would fall through.

She felt guilty for lying to Cindy for this long, but she had always been raised on this mentality.

Business before personal affairs.

She breathed another heavy sigh.

Lost in her thoughts, and her eyes still glued to the diploma in her hands, she suddenly bumped into someone in the hallway.

She muttered a quick sorry and began to continue in the directions he was walking, but stopped at the sound of a voice.

"Watch where you're going, Carson."

Loren knew that voice.

Cindy Leclair. Of course my life had to play out like a shitty romance movie.

The blonde abruptly halted and turned around to face the girl that had been plaguing her thoughts for the past few weeks.

Weeks? More like months.

It was the first time Loren had actually properly faced the other girl in weeks. Her dark brown eyes were devoid of the warmth they used to radiate, and her exterior felt colder than usual.

Blue eyes scanned the brunette up and down. Cindy was wearing a white sweater, complimented by dark blue jeans, and black ballet flats.

Loren always liked how white complimented the brunette's tan skin.

Pulling back into her hard exterior, the blonde scoffed. "Sorry, your highness." She said, sarcasm dripping from her voice as she did a fake little bow.

Cindy's brown eyes rolled before landing on the envelope the blonde was holding.

Seeing what the brunette was looking at, Loren held it behind her back, not wanting Cindy to ask questions.

Cindy asked anyways.

Soft lips smirked. "Expulsion letter, Carson? It's about time."

Dark blonde brows lightly furrowed. "Still bitchy huh, Leclair?" She said snarkily.

Cindy's smirk deepened. "Still in love with me huh, Carson?" Her tone mocking and cold.

That one struck a nerve.

The blonde's face fell, at that question. The weak composure she had tried so hard to build these past few weeks came crumbling as memories of the two came crashing back.

The secret pecks on the lips when no one was looking, sneaking out of class to go make out in the bathroom, holding hands under the covers after having sex.

Did none of this matter to Cindy?!

"Fuck you, Cindy." She shakily whispered out, before quickly turning around and walking to the student parking instead of her class.

Climbing into her car, she violently slammed the door shut, and screamed at the top of her lungs. Tears began to uncontrollably stream down her face. Her throat ripped into ugly sobs and her body violently shook.

Crying was extremely uncharacteristic of the blonde.

Suppress, suppress, suppress, was always what Loren did, but she couldn't help it anymore. She sat there pathetically crying over the loss of someone she still practically saw everyday.

"Still in love with me huh, Carson?"

The question rang inside the blonde's head.

She hated that the answer was still yes.