Lauren felt relieved when she was a good fifteen meters away from the bathroom.
Emma didn't feel as relieved, however. She wanted to see Lauren, to see the girl that turned her day from a rainy one to more of a happy, sunny one.
She had wanted to thank her, to show her how much she had appreciated her help.
But more importantly, she wanted to see how breathtakingly beautiful the owner of the heavenly voice that had spoken to her looked like.
Emma liked girls. But unlike Lauren, not only was she afraid to admit it, she couldn't even accept herself. She couldn't bear the thought of something terribly bad happening to her if anyone found out she was crushing on another girl.
•••
The small brown eyed girl quickly put on a little bit of make up to cover up her puffy eyes and tear stained cheeks.
She stuffed the food Lauren had given her earlier into her bag and fixed her messy hair, trying her best to make it seem like she hadn't just been crying her eyes out in the bathroom stall behind her.
Emma left the bathroom and walked out into the halls, enjoying the fresh air and quietness they school compound had when the other students weren't around.
She fished her phone out from her pocket and looked at the time. 8:15AM.
Her class didn't start until 8:30AM, so she still had a bit of time.
She went to the cafeteria and sat down at her usual table. She pulled a book out of her bag and opened it to the previous page she had stopped at.
"It was a windy day. Lauren ran her fingers through her hair..."
She slammed her book shut. She couldn't go on. The name Lauren had been okay up until her little encounter in the bathroom. Emma doubted she could ever deal with the name Lauren again if it wasn't the girl that had been with her in the bathroom.
•••
It was 8:25AM and the last few students started streaming into the school compound.
Emma had joined her friends, Kate and Ashley.
Kate was about 5'6". She had blonde wavy hair and blue eyes. As much as Emma didn't want to admit it, Kate was definitely one of the nastiest people she'd ever met.
Ashley was about the same height as Kate. She had brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. Personality-wise, thankfully, she was completely different.
•••
"Hey nerd, what do you think you're doing? You're leaning against my locker," Kate asked a guy that got in her way before shoving him to the ground.
Emma flinched.
As much as she hated this, she couldn't get away from the two girls before her. Her father had bought this school.
Seriously.
He was a rich, rich man and had bought the school without really having any intentions of running it.
He met Kate and Ashley when they moved in to their new home many years ago. He was instantly drawn to their parents, which meant that Emma had to befriend their daughters.
Kate bullied the other students in school because she thought being the popular kid who was friends with the school owner's daughter gave her the right to do so.
"I-I'm sorry," the boy said from the ground, scrambling to pick up his books.
"Did you just talk to me?" Kate asked him, causing him to flinch.
She got closer and brought her hand up to hit him again, but Emma stopped her.
"Kate, leave him alone. He's new,"
Kate huffed, but listened to the brunette and stopped anyway.
Emma knew Ashley was just like herself. The two of them were nothing like Kate. They just tagged along because they were afraid that something might happen to them if they left her alone, whether or not Emma's father was watching.
"Hey Emma,"
Emma turned to look at the blonde and spotted a devilish smile forming on her face. She gulped.
Kate was gonna make her do something she was gonna regret.
"See that girl over there?" Kate pointed across the hall.
There was a girl leaning against the lockers, a textbook in hand as she flipped through the pages absentmindedly.
She had jet black hair, and from what Emma could see every time she looked up, emerald green eyes.
Emma nodded slowly. "Yeah...?"
"Well, do I have to say anything else? Go over there and beat her up or something!"
"She didn't do anything to me though," Emma answered, trying to find an excuse not to do what Kate wanted. She never understood Kate's impulsive behaviour.
Kate scowled.
"Don't make me tell your dad about that party last week,"
"What party?" Emma asked innocently, honestly not having any clue whatsoever on what her 'friend' was talking about.
"Oh you know, the one that you went to the other night...and got drunk." Kate lied, making up some story that her dad would most definitely believe.
Emma sighed.
"Fine,"
She walked up to the girl and raised her hand, her palm colliding with her cheek for no apparent reason at all.
"What the fu—" Lauren gasped, looking at the person that had hit her.
She's expected to see a guy with a strong physique, since the blow had been pretty hard.
Instead, she found herself staring into beautiful brown orbs.
Suddenly, Lauren didn't feel angry or upset.
She stared at the girl in amusement instead of anger. She wasn't gonna let people in this school get to her like they did in her previous school.
"Hey," she said, waving at the brunette.
The smaller girl stared at her in confusion.
"Wha—" she stopped herself. "Are you talking to me?"
Lauren nodded her head. "You were the one who came over here. Can I help you with something?"
"Well then, you must be new. Here are some ground rules, okay newbie? You're gonna listen and you're gonna listen good. One: don't ever talk to me. Two: don't ever look at me." Emma's brown eyes met Lauren's green ones.
"Why are you still looking at me? Three: don't even think about me. You see me coming around the corner, don't think, run. Don't get in my way. Got it?"
Lauren glanced behind Emma and at Kate, who had a smirk — that she very much wanted to wipe off — plastered on her face. So, she played along because she knew what it felt like to be controlled by a toxic friend.
The green-eyed girl didn't answer. She knew she wasn't supposed to. The brunette faked a smile of satisfaction. As much as she hated this, she had to act like she was savouring every minute of it.
Emma walked away with heavy footsteps, regretting what she had just done.