Green-Eyed | Violentine

Part Forty-Five | Who You Were Before

"How are you feeling about this?" questions Stephanie as she flicks her USB stick between her fingertips.

Clementine smiles at her project partner, feeling a new sense of happiness overcome her as she waits for the clock to tick over to 11 am. She leans against the wall outside the lecture hall as she taps her foot against the floor. By now Clementine is more than eager to present her project and end this term.

"Ready to get it over with," Clementine says as she looks once more at her notes, aware that once this presentation is over, nothing else stands between her and the end of her university education.

Stephanie nods and bites her lip while she waits for the time to pass before their allotted slot comes around. She watches Clementine for a moment, taking in the way the other girl inhales deeply before looking at the clock on the wall once again, clearly feeling agitated at the wait.

"Are you okay Clementine?" Stephanie asks, raising one eyebrow as she addresses the brunette.

"I've had a rough few weeks," she says, "and most of the problems have been connected to this project, I'm just glad that Minerva isn't here, that she can't interfere anymore."

"This presentation will be great," assures Stephanie with a smile, gathering her notes as the clock strikes 11 am and the invigilator for the exam opens the door, inviting the two girls in. As Clementine enters the room she throws one final look over her shoulder.

Across the hallway is Violet, standing by her locker as she chats to Brody. Upon feeling Clementine's gaze, Violet turns her attention to the brunette across the corridor, smiling softly and mouthing 'good luck' to her girlfriend before returning her attention to Brody. The brunette smiles to herself as she clutches her papers to her chest and enters the empty lecture hall.

-

"Is it a bad sign that she's still in there," says Violet to Louis as she checks her watch, "your presentation wasn't this long was it?"

Louis shrugs his shoulders and picks at a thread on the sleeve of his jacket, absent-mindedly sighing as he leans against the lockers. "We need to get back to mine before everyone comes over."

"Well it's only half three," points out Violet as she once more glances at the closed lecture door, "and it's only Brody and Marlon coming over, not anymore who'll mind waiting if we're late."

"It's probably a good sign they've been in there so long Vi," says Louis as he notes the slight glimpse of concern written on Violet's features. "Probably means that they're taking time with the presentation, elaborating on slides and explaining movements and historical advancements."

He looks at Violet once more and watches the way that she keeps her eyes trained on the door, eager for any movement. "It's fine Vi," says Louis once more as he jokingly waves his hand a few centimetres away from Violet's face, breaking her stare. "You really do worry about her don't you?"

Violet furrows her eyebrows and bats his hand away, frowning at Louis for drawing her attention away from the lecture room door. "You know just as well as I do that Clementine has had a rough time, this whole term has been pretty shitty for her. I just want one thing to go well for her."

"Feels like it's been months of torment, not a handful of weeks," says Louis with a sign.

Violet nods in understanding and tilts her head to the side while a few more minutes pass by with no activity. "What do you think will happen between you two after graduation?" asks Louis as he notes Violet's silence.

"Just take the normal path people take post-university I suppose, get a decent job and then work to get a house. Me and Clementine, we're still less than six months into the relationship, so while I'd love nothing more than to work on our future together, I don't know if it's too early."