[color=lavender][indent][indent][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/qQ7DQQQ.png[/img]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/s29re23.gif[/img]
[hr][url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Chfgtn8s410][i][color=pink]Pictures in my mind on replay
[color=76ff7a]I'm gonna touch the pain away[/color]
I know how to scream my own name
[color=76ff7a]Scream my name[/color][/color][/i][/url][hr][/center]
After Stella had made a touchdown at Miami International, the busy airport booming with returning and departing guests and the bustle and hustle so present that Stella had to make sure she kept up with the pace and kept in mind where she was going. She was so grateful to be back in her home state of Florida. She adored her time in France and even more so the experiences she had during her weeks spent in France. She soaked up as much of the culture as she could, time spent with Lori, time spent with her great aunts, great uncles, and all of the distant relatives that made the time away from her immediate family worth it. She felt like a changed girl. It wasn’t just a trip to shop and dine at the finest restaurants but it was a journey of self-discovery.

And Stella had found that in spades.

She strutted with confidence. She had bags upon bags that were going to be shipped to her in a few days. Everything she bought from the best stores was going to be on their way to her closet and with that in mind, the brunette knew this new year was truly going to be the embodiment of a new her. But as much as she was looking forward to changes, the sight of the familiar company kept her leveled. Waiting for her at the gate, as she had nearly forgotten, was probably her best friend in the entire world and not to mention the best cousin in the world.

As Stella’s cab took her across the highway and away from the culture-filled city of Miami and she gazed out the window, seeing the skyscrapers getting tinier and tinier as she was getting further and further away from Miami, she couldn’t stop thinking about everything that transpired and especially how things with Marcel went. She was to look back on all the memories and that day spent with Marcel was one she couldn’t stop thinking back on. She knew what could have happened. They could have spent their time together in his bed. On some level, she thought that’s what would happen, but she couldn’t bring herself to let anything between them go past that magical kiss on his balcony, not when Carter was so present in her heart. 

As the sight of her home came into view, whatever introspective daze she was in, she brought herself out of it if not to collect herself. The cab came to a stop and Stella paid the fee. She gave the cab driver a heartfelt smile for enduring her through her quiet musings, which he said he didn’t mind. A final farewell had Stella with her bags in hand, but despite having her luggage near her, when she spotted Chrissie about ten feet in front of her, she dropped everything she was holding and fast-walked her way into her cousin’s arms for a tight hug. 

[color=pink]“Chrissie!”[/color] Her jovial voice carried with layers of affection, arms squeezing tightly around Chris. [color=pink]“[i]Mon Amour[/i], I’ve missed you dearly!”[/color] 

[color=76ff7a]“Hello, Peaches.”[/color] [url=https://imgur.com/Xp6RCRF]Chrissie’s[/url] grip around her cousin was firm and affectionate, drawing her in even closer than they already were. With a whispering voice, cherishing this warmth, she responded , [color=76ff7a]“I’ve missed you too.”[/color] Having hardly any contact with anyone for most of Christmas break, Stella’s embrace was very much welcomed and cocooned her better than a butterfly-to-be. Soft, gentle, and safe. It gave her that loving feeling she desperately needed, even if she’d never admit it. 

No longer having a boyfriend, whose number one love language was intimacy, it was something she knew she’d have to get used to. She’d cover her loneliness with her ambition, her attitude, and her smile. She’d carry on because that was the type of woman she was raised to be and she didn’t want to waste her energy with the likes of him. She didn’t want every waking thought to be about a guy who tried to save face and could care less about any girl he toyed with, especially her. She thought they had something special. Then again, every girl he played thought that too. 

The hug ceased but a beaming smile made up for the ending of physical affection.  Stella had the prettiest and most genuine smile she ever did see. The kind that reaches your heart immediately —  vibrant, free, and hopeful. It reminded her of a spring flower opening as if happiness was just around the corner waiting for them. 

With a serene gaze, her pale green eyes sparkling in the light of the morning sun, Chris excitedly asked, while walking to the bags her cousin had left behind, [color=76ff7a]“How was Paris? I can tell it was something special. You’re [i]glowing[/i]!”[/color] She really was. Just looking at Stella, Chris could tell that something had changed inside of her. She was renewed, rejuvenated, and ready to conquer, and honestly, that was wonderful to see. It was about damn time she was exuding confidence that reminded her of her ride-or-die, Ariana.  If anyone deserved to take the school by storm, it was her Peaches. That’s for sure.

After grabbing one of Stella’s suitcases, Chris added, [color=76ff7a]“Oh, BT dubs. I made breakfast! Your favorite. I won’t be able to enjoy it with you since Ariana will be here soon-ish, but I just wanted to make sure you had a proper welcome home meal before you headed out.”[/color]

[color=pink]“Oh!”[/color] Stella’s voice came with a shock but in all the positive ways. [color=pink]“That’s awesome! How long until I have to give you up to that radiant soul?”[/color] She asked, a small traces of a teasing giggle following her words.

[color=76ff7a]“Five minutes. Now, [i]please[/i], do tell me about Paris!”[/color] If Chris had things her way, the conversation would strictly be focused on Stella’s vacation and not turned around on her. Nothing interesting happened to her. She was literally a couch potato. Leading the way, she started walking to the front door, awaiting her cousin’s response. 

Once they settled on the couch, Stella felt the jet lag set in but that wasn’t going to stop her from telling the grand tale of her Paris adventure. [color=pink]“Oh, where to start!”[/color] That was difficult for her. She had so many crazy stories she could share but there was only so much time to compress it all in. So she’d tell Chrissie about the one that practically made her entire vacation. [color=pink]“Oh I know. Okay, so you remember Marcel, right? I believe I told you about him from my last trip to Paris. Tall, dreamy, and full of scrumptious goodness from head to toe.”[/color] She felt herself getting distracted already. [color=pink]“Anyway, Lori practically kidnapped me from the villa and I had no idea where I was heading. She wouldn’t spill any of it. She then dropped me off at this hotel and led me up to the penthouse floor and gave me a card key.”[/color] Even thinking about that made her somewhat annoyed.  [color=pink]“So, when she left me alone for a few hours, I went inside this gorgeous room that puts anything here to shame, I was just so confused. I didn’t know if I was alone or what!”[/color]

[color=76ff7a]“Lori kidnapped you?!”[/color] Chris was focused on the minor detail that most likely was irrelevant to the story, but there, her mind was, thinking about how that was even possible. [color=76ff7a]“Did she smuggle you, or something? Did you put up a fight? If I were there, I would’ve helped!”[/color] 

Stella scratched her head, laughing nervously. [color=pink]“Well, she didn’t kidnap me per-se. We went on a drive into the city but she kept the destination a surprise,”[/color] Stella would further clarify.

[color=76ff7a]“Oh, okay. Then I can forgive her.”[/color] Chris nodded in agreement to herself, shifting her body slightly to face Stella more, as she continued to tell the story, [color=76ff7a]“Okay, so. Marcel. What does HE have to do with this?”[/color] She wanted the [i]juice[/i] and it seemed like Stel was holding out on her. 

[color=pink]“Oh, what [i]doesn’t[/i] he have to do with this.”[/color] Stella sank into the couch cushion, feeling like she wanted to take her time with telling this story. Of course, she knew she couldn’t, so she continued. [color=pink]“It was his hotel room Lori abandoned me at.”[/color]

With the mention of it being [i]his[/i] hotel room, Chris was leaning in, nice, close, and up against her cousin, batting her eyes for more, [color=76ff7a]“And… did you guys fuck?”[/color] 

Stella’s cheeks flushed bright red and she gasped, embarrassed. [color=pink]“[b][i]What!?[/i][/b] No. Oh God no, we didn’t do anything of the sort!”[/color] Stella profusely denied with every bit of energy she could. [color=pink]“I mean, I [i]thought[/i] it was gonna head down that road, but after we kissed, I knew it wouldn’t happen,”[/color] she admitted, her voice dropping to a somewhat low volume.

 [color=76ff7a]“Why the fuck not?!”[/color] Chris was utterly confused.  [color=76ff7a]“You had your chance to make sweet, sweet love—”[/color] Her repressed self was projecting.  [color=76ff7a]“—and you didn’t?! Let me guess, you were embarrassed because you forgot to shave?”[/color] She gestured down to Stel’s flower. [color=76ff7a]“Some men prefer a cushion!”[/color]

[color=pink]“Chrissie!”[/color] Stella was mortified and she waved her hands in front of Chrissie repeatedly. [color=pink]“No, it didn’t have to do with anything below my face, okay!?”[/color] She took a moment to pause and take a breath. Her entire body felt hot from what her cousin just said. [color=pink]“Listen, Marcel is great and anyone he chooses to be with in [i]that[/i] way will be lucky, but it’s not going to be me — it [i]can’t[/i] be.”[/color]

Before she was any more dramatic than she already was, the sudden realization of ‘why’ washed over her. She slouched over the armrest of the chair and grumbled, [color=76ff7a]“It’s because of [i]Carter[/i], isn’t it?”[/color] With his name, came mild spite. She didn’t hate the dude, but she didn’t necessarily like him either. They clashed and loved to get under each other’s skin, but still…. Carter? Even if she wanted to ask: why him? She knew exactly why. Her cousin was a hopeless romantic and he piqued her interest, taught her a thing or two, and made her feel validated. Truthfully, Chris should be excited that her cousin was able to restrain herself for her crush but… she wasn’t.

She responded initially with a slow nod. Hearing his name did a lot to give her life but in this particular context, Carter being the one person preventing her from finally sealing the deal with the one guy in her life who had been more consistent than the beaming smile on Stella’s face every time she saw a cute dog in someone’s purse. Carter had opened her eyes to a new world. He was the more soulful, empowering Aladdin to her Jasmine.

[color=pink]“I know Marcel will always be there. I don’t know if it’s fair to him, though. I know he’ll wait as long as he needs to, but I couldn’t do anything with Marcel until I fully explored what’s between me and Carter.”[/color] Even when she said his name to Chrissie, she smiled and felt butterflies in her stomach.

The drama queen would be lying if she said she was happy for Stella. To be frank, this was a complete buzzkill and it wasn’t because of Carter, or the fact that her cousin was blushing and excited for love. She knew where all this annoying disgust was rooting from. It was because Stella left for Paris, right after Jason tore Chris’ heart out, stomped on it, and put it back in, as if he never touched it before. She was envious that Stel’s vacation was remarkable and that she had a guy waiting for her both in Paris and in Florida. 

This was her time to be there for Peaches and really make her feel like she did the right thing and yet, it wasn’t in her nature to hold back anything. And so she sat up and crossed her arms, staring at her cousin in judgment, [color=76ff7a]“I still don’t get why that matters. You have no idea how Carter feels about you and it isn’t like you belong to anyone right now. Why couldn’t you just have fun? You were in Paris to have: [i]fun[/i].”[/color] She clicked her tongue in annoyance. [color=76ff7a]“And yes, I know what you’re thinking, it’s the principle of the matter. But honestly? Fuck principles. Marcel may not wait for you forever. He might say it, but I can promise you he won’t. And if you want things to happen with Carter, you gotta stop waiting for him to sweep you off your feet.”[/color] 

Stella didn’t know how to respond. She didn’t know what to say or think because Chris’ attitude right now was throwing her off worse than if she got hit with a rock while horseback riding. Chris wasn’t usually this negative with anything Stella confessed to her. She had her opinions, sure. That was the side of her cousin Stella adored. She loved how outspoken she was and how she always had an interesting perspective on basically any topic that came up, but this? This wasn’t that. Chris wasn’t being her usual self, which led Stella to believe there was something else. In any other circumstance, Stella might look the other way and shrug it away, but Chris was the one who expressed a desperate need to hear about her Paris adventures and now she’s being nasty.

Melissa Monroe’s daughter might’ve been a pushover, but that was the 2018 Stella Lambert. New year, new Estelle. [color=pink]“Chrissie, I love you but you’re wrong about Marcel.”[/color] Her voice was soft but growing in a firm confidence. [color=pink]“He’s not like Jason. When Marcel says something, he means it. He’s a man of his word.”[/color]

Taken aback by the retort, Chris tilted her head and drilled her pale green eyes into Stella’s. She took a moment to process the words and shook her head in despiteful agreement, [color=76ff7a]“You’re probably right.”[/color] Swallowing her anger, she gave a half-hearted smile, but it was obvious the mention of Jason cut deep, [color=76ff7a]“Touché, Stella. Touché.”[/color] Before they could further this conversation that took an unfortunate turn, Ariana’s horn honked. Standing up, she looked at her cousin and tried to end things on a better note, [color=76ff7a]“You surprised me.”[/color] She paused, surveying her cousin’s expression, trying to get a better read on this new Stella.

After a steady moment, she suggested, [color=76ff7a]“You should talk like that more.”[/color] With that, Chrissie McCoy gave a quick peck and hug, before grabbing her bag and heading out the door. It was best if she let it go and forget this sudden ache in her chest.  

The way that conversation ended, Stella felt a tense feeling in her stomach. What began as something between her and Chrissie of the two girls enjoying each other’s company for however much time remained, turned into a  rising tide that was slowly encroaching on them, threatening to drown them before either of them had a chance to fight it. But to her surprise, even after Stella made that comment about Jason, Chrissie had backed down at what Stella clearly saw as impulsive anger nearly taking control. 

Even as Stella was left to her devices and eating her breakfast, which she appreciated was still warm for her but the excitement passed by her. Her mind was solely fixated on how awkward things were left between her and Chrissie. In addition to that, she was running late and with very little time to shower, Stella rushed herself, only doing the very minimal thing of washing her hair and body and reading herself for school. 

When she was back downstairs, she was a mess and barely presentable. Her hair was a mess and thrown into a sloppy ponytail. She barely had any makeup on and she hated it. In addition to that, she had nothing but a heart-patterned dress that came to mid-thigh, black leather ankle boots, and her shoulder bag for her school stuff and other necessities.

By the time she was finally out the door, an additional ten minutes were wasted for her last-minute checks. She needed to ensure that she had everything she needed and that she wasn’t forgetting anything. Halfway down the brick walkway and she remembered she forgot her keys. [color=pink]“Get it together, Stella!”[/color] She tried to motivate herself as she went back inside, swiped her keys from the kitchen countertop, and left once more.

Stella swiftly got into her [url=https://i.imgur.com/LKET46n.jpg]2015 BMW Cabrio[/url] and sped the hell out of the Crown Heights neighborhood, enjoying what little time she had to herself, thinking about all of what could happen this semester and about Carter. dEspite how Chrissie reacted to Carter, she was feeling good about this year and what a semester spent with him could bring.[/indent][/indent][/color]