The Graduate (GirlxGirl) (Student/Teacher)

(1) Broken Beginnings

Peyton's heart suddenly squeezed, and she pulled back. She knew her mum only wanted what was best for her, she knew her mum was worried, but the words felt too cold against her skin. "Okay, mum." she said, but she didn't really mean it. The wound was too deep, too sore, and too soon. 

And then the three of them piled into the car, waving goodbye to Mr and Mrs Cooper as they began the next stage of their lives. The two boys chatted happily, but Peyton only stayed quiet. Her hand reached up and stroked the warm metal of her heart-shaped necklace, her mind wondering to places it never seemed to leave, and her thumb brushing over that same encrusted 'A' that had haunted her for far too long.

**

"So, so so?" Sebastian gushed, pulling Peyton around the flat as she looked around. "Do you like it? Do ya?"

Peyton did like it, but she could only think about how poor Noah was made to lug all of her things in alone as Sebastian showed her around. "I do, Seb, I think it's really nice but maybe we should -"

"You need to see your bedroom!" he said, completely ignoring her comment, and then he pulled her through the living room and into her bedroom. It was currently filled with a bed with no sheets, a bedside table and a simple lamp, a wardrobe, a desk with a built in mirror and another longer, narrower desk for her tv and playstation. It was a nice size, and although the walls were a plain cream colour, Peyton knew that with a little bit of gay sparkle and a dash of colour, it would feel like home in no time.

"It's big." she said. "Or it's at least bigger than my old room."

Seb gave her a huge, excited smile. "I knoooow!" he said. "I'm so pumped to be living with you!"

Sebastian's excitement was contagious, and Peyton found herself smiling in turn. "Yeah, well, as long as you and Noah aren't too loud when you're doing it. These walls don't look too thick."

"Oh, they're not. They're like porcelain." Sebastian rushed, and then he tapped on the wall. It sounded hollow, and Peyton rolled her eyes. "But, hey, the same applies for you! I don't wanna be waking up in the middle of the night to hear some girl moan-"

And then Sebastian stopped, and his smile fell.

"I'm sorry." he said. "I didn't mean to -"

But Peyton brushed it off and shrugged her shoulders. "It's okay." she said, but they both knew it wasn't and suddenly the room seemed stuffy. "I'm going to get some air." 

Sebastian just nodded and let her leave. He knew that that was best. After her whole breakdown - after she had finally managed to build some sort of personality again - Peyton just wasn't the same, and any small mention of ... her ... had Peyton tensing and going quiet, or she ended up mad and barking, or drunk. But after her complete breakdown, one thing Sebastian White noticed was that Peyton never once cried, and that worried Sebastian to the point of explosion.

Peyton let herself be excused into the cool open air, reaching inside her jacket pocket and pulling out a packet of Marlboro cigarettes. She plucked one out of the pack and balanced it between her pink lips, putting the pack away and then pulling out a cheap green lighter, lighting her cigarette and inhaling deeply. 

She let the smoke fill her lungs, an overall sense of calm filling her as she exhaled. Peyton loved the warmth smoking gave her; in the cold it kept her warm, in the morning it woke her up, and in the night it gave her solace. 

Like tonight - the evening was crisp and whilst not exactly cold, the wind made it just that little bit bitter. Peyton loved the night time, but it was mainly the time before the silence she liked: when the night buzzed with life, the humming of electricity lighting the world around her whilst the moon cloaked the town with black. The lights brought the town alive, and the soft orange glow of each street lamp was a comfort in the darkness.