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23. QUOTING DISNEY AND WRITING NAMES IN THE SAND.

Third Person

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Holding her head up high, her dark locks falling down her back effortlessly in loose curls, Stella ignored the sound of Annie and Esther stood by their lockers screeching loudly over god knows what, or god knows who. 90 minutes of education and being surrounded by mindless teenagers who have no awareness for those around them had already been endured by her, her patience running thin as she almost skipped over to her locker, eagerly anticipating a day without teachers, boring classes, her friends and Frankie. All she had been thinking about since the moment she stepped through the gates of Thomas Jefferson at 8.40AM was walking back out of those very gates with Justin, or.. driving, seeing as though he drives – both of them embracing and basking in what could one day be their future, seeing as though neither of them plan on sticking around Los Angeles, pursing a life in the very city that has held nothing but hell for them.

Both of them had already agreed, they want to live in Atlanta, or in the depths of New York city in a high rise apartment, glass windows that stretch across the width of the room, a mere king sized mattress on the floor, waking up to the sight of the sun rising over the sky line, and falling asleep wrapped in in each others arms, a plain sheet covering their modesty, not a single care in the world. Oh how those days cannot come quick enough.

"Hey, can we talk?" Tyler asked, leaning against the locker beside his best friends, a look of guilt on his face; "Or, are you busy right now?" he mumbled, watching as she shoved her books into her locker, urgently needing to speak to her.

He didn't just want to talk to her, he wanted to apologize for being so damn blind for such a long time, oblivious to what was going on her life. Yet, all it took was for Justin to grow irate at a silly remark, and he pieced together everything within an instant.

"Um, can we talk later or something?" she flashed him a warm smile; "Justin and I are going to ditch the rest of the school day." she beamed, excited to have him to herself, to be able to actually speak to him without wondering if Frankie is watching them like a hawk ready to capture its prey.

Tyler let out a sigh – he needed to talk to her. He couldn't just sit with something festering in his mind and nobody to turn to. Even though Ethan seems to enjoy his company, he couldn't confide in him, not when he wasn't completely sure his assumptions were correct to begin with.

"Oh, you are?" he had a hint of defeat in his voice – though, he would rather her actually ditch school rather than be forced to act as if she is truly happy with Frankie; "Well, have fun – and, use a condom." he smiled faintly, letting his whirlwind of thoughts settle for a mere moment.

"Ew." Stella protested, her eyebrows furrowing as she caught sight of Justin walking down the corridor with his trade mark lollypop in his mouth, a smirk on his face as he nodded in agreement with whatever Ethan was telling him; "We're just spending some time together, we don't plan on having sex every time we get a moment alone – that would make us friends with benefits, and I don't want to be another Annie, or whoever else he has used for a few months, I want to be his girlfriend." she crossed her arms across her chest, her eyes meeting with Justin's as he neared her.

Draping his arm around her, Justin quickly kissed Stella on the cheek; "You ready to go babe?" he asked her, smiling at Tyler and Ethan, both of them rolling their eyes at the discrete public display of affection.