Miss Taylor [GirlxGirl]

Four.

Arabella was never one for confrontation, though it was an unavoidable side-effect of her IED, she never really did it unless it was necessary. But she wasn’t going to talk until she understood exactly where her ex-best friend’s head was at. She glanced over at the other girl, loosening her tie while doing so. This had become an annoying habit Arabella had picked up from her girlfriend- well ex-girlfriend- over at her boarding school. Elise though, she was fidgeting nervously, looking more and more like the girl Arabella had known all her life. And that made Arabella uncomfortable; she definitely didn’t want her friend slipping into old habits. She liked the self-assurance she had sensed all in Elise.

The black haired beauty had had enough of the painfully awkward anticipation, she knew this conversation was inevitable, so she grabbed her old friend’s arm and dragged her into the nearest bathroom, politely asking the eighth grader using the sink to scram. Well, it’s the thought that counts, Arabella thought to the little voice in her head that told her that though she asked nicely it was still rude.

“You cut your hair,” Elise stated. Arabella touched the braid that ended at the base of her neck, nodding to confirm Elise’s statement. “Why?”

Arabella wanted to ask the other girl why she was being vague but realised that she really didn’t know if this was normal behaviour or not for Elise. Arabella sighed at this realization, “I had to.”

And that was true, in a way. She didn’t have to exactly, but her kick-boxing trainer –Claire Raymond- had asked her to, and since that woman had saved Arabella in more ways than one she agreed easily and willingly.

“You loved your hair long,” was the only thing Elise said in response. Suddenly Arabella understood, the wistful tone, the longing glance. She, just as Arabella had in the class room, was analysing the way in which her old best friend had changed. “Why did you leave?”

The black haired girl felt conflicted. She wasn’t sure that she whether or not she had wanted the people at this school to know about her IED. Sure, at her boarding school, she hadn’t hidden that she could be a very angry girl; if it weren’t for her meds of course. But here? Having the people who’d always thought she was normal, know that she wasn’t? Having people’s opinions about her change? Tarnishing her mother’s reputation?  She’d been fine with people at her old boarding school knowing because she’d figured if she couldn’t accept it there she’d never be able to accept it here. But now that she was actually back at Saint Marys with everyone she used to know she wasn’t sure if she wanted anyone to know anymore.

This lead Arabella to doing the only thing she could think of, fibbing, “Dad had just dropped the Stewart bomb, I suddenly had a step-mom…mum… and an annoying little bratty brother, and I-I just needed space.”

The sad thing about that moment was Arabella had never lied to her best friend. It wasn’t something the two of them did. It was part of that stupid contract they’d made back in third grade when they learnt how to write properly. Arabella felt like she had just shattered something sacred between the two of them. Yes, she had left without an excuse, but she had known subconsciously that if anyone tried to give her a hard time over the fact Elise would be there. Even though she’d left and hadn’t talked to her, she knew her best friend would back her up. And the understanding that she had in fact crushed something as precious as that broke Arabella’s heart. Tears welled up in her eyes and she avoided Elise’s gaze.

Elise, thinking her friend was crying because of what she had just said and not because of her thoughts, wrapped her arms around Arabella. The upset teenager buried her face in her old friends neck, taking advantage of the closeness she’d probably never share with Elise again once she realised she’d lied to her.