𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐀.ᐟ 𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗺 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀

breaking the glass balloon

Quinn rakes a hand through his hair. "I'm just saying that if you do decide to do this internship, your mother is going to think that she won and that she can control you the rest of your life and she's going to force you to grow up. So if that's the case, I need you to go out and have fun. You need to experience being an actual teenager."

The girl straightens her posture in the velvet red booth.

"And, you need to picture what you want. Being miserable in a hospital room with shifts up to 48 hours, or being out on the rink and doing what you love." He adds which really clicks in her mind.

Vera reaches out with a dramatic sigh, grabbing ahold of his drink, she says, "I think you know which one I'd rather pick." and takes a very long sip.

Quinn watches her with a small grin, arms folded on top of the table. "Just think about it, okay?" his tone is a lot quieter. "But just know that I'd prefer my baby sister having hot and steamy sex than wanting to kill herself with because of utter exhaustion."

A smirk absentmindedly crawls its way to her lips while someone in her mind takes over. Quinn finds it weird that his sister isn't objectifying the dirty remark and immediately becomes alarmed.

"Vera... I swear if you're already having hot and steamy sex-"

THE CONVERSATION SHE had with her brother gave Vera a new perspective. As she walks out of the elevator and into the hall of her dormitory, she thinks over the whole thing. She realizes that it's okay that not everything in her life is perfect. It's okay if she doesn't want to do what her mother wants. It's okay if she makes mistakes.

It's okay for her to forgive.

Numerous scenarios that used to be reasons why she should change has piled in her mind and it hits her that she's a human being.

Quinn was right.

It's. not. that. deep.

Julie's laying on her bed when she walks in. She look up from her homework when the door opens, and a smile is instantly on the blondes lips. "Hey, Vera." She puts the cap on her orange highlighter. "What's up?"

"I've been internally lying to myself." The brunette deadpans.

Julie raises an eyebrow. "About what? Your feelings for Adam?"

Vera's nose crinkles and she stares at her friend likeshe'd just stabbed her hand with a fork. "Huh?"

"Your feelings for Adam." Julie's words are in a string of giggles as she sits up on her comforter, closing her notebook with jitter. The blonde claps her hands together and sets them in her lap. "I've been waiting for this. C'mon, spill everything."

Vera rocks on her heels slightly. She brings up her hand and nibbles on her nails for a moment before swinging her arm back down. She rolls her eyes and struts over to her desk.

"It has nothing to do with him. I was lying about something else." She says as she drapes both her purse and coat over her computer chair.

Julie doesn't believe her. "Mhm. Sure."

"I'm serious." Vera says. Her purse falls from the chair and she reaches back down to pick it up, but pauses as something enters her thoughts.