After the emotionally charged confrontation with Celeste, Estelle needed a break from the intensity. She had tried to focus on her classes, but her mind kept wandering back to Celeste—her words, the way she claimed her, and the possessiveness that still lingered in Estelle’s thoughts. It was overwhelming, and she needed a distraction.
That’s where Mia came in.
Mia had a way of lightening the mood, of making Estelle forget about the serious, heavy parts of her life for a little while. So, when Mia suggested they ditch their study session for a little “fun,” Estelle hesitated for all of two seconds before agreeing. After all, she could use some reckless behavior to shake off the tension.
It was the middle of the afternoon, and instead of being at the library as planned, Mia had dragged Estelle to the top of one of the university’s administrative buildings—a restricted area that students definitely weren’t supposed to access.
“I swear, Mia,” Estelle said, panting slightly as they finally reached the roof, “you have a sixth sense for finding trouble.”
Mia flashed her a grin, her eyes gleaming with mischief. “Come on, babe! You needed this. We’ve been studying nonstop, and you’ve been acting like you’re carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. A little rule-breaking is exactly what you need.”
Estelle couldn’t argue with that. The cool breeze whipped around them as they stood on the rooftop, overlooking the campus below. It was exhilarating, in a way—dangerous, fun, and definitely something that would get them in trouble if they were caught.
“You know, we could get suspended for this,” Estelle said, glancing nervously over the edge.
Mia laughed, leaning against the railing with a carefree shrug. “Suspended? Please. They’ll just give us a slap on the wrist. Besides, it’s not like we’re vandalizing anything. We’re just… appreciating the view.”
Estelle shook her head, laughing despite herself. Mia had always been the wild one, the one who convinced Estelle to do things she’d never consider on her own. It was both frustrating and thrilling at the same time.
“So, what’s the plan?” Estelle asked, leaning beside Mia. “You brought me all the way up here. What’s next?”
Mia grinned, pulling a small can of spray paint out of her bag. “I thought we could leave our mark. You know, something small. Just a little reminder that we were here.”
Estelle’s eyes widened. “Are you serious? Graffiti? Mia, we could really get into trouble for that!”
Mia rolled her eyes. “Relax! I’m not going to spray paint the whole building. Just something small. It’s harmless.”
Before Estelle could protest, Mia popped the cap off the spray paint can and started doodling a small, playful design on one of the lower parts of the railing—a simple heart with their initials inside it.
“There,” Mia said, stepping back to admire her work. “Now we’ll always be a part of this place.”
Estelle laughed, shaking her head. “You’re ridiculous.”
Just as she was about to say more, the door to the rooftop swung open with a loud bang, and both Estelle and Mia froze. Standing in the doorway, arms crossed, was none other than Celeste, her expression a mixture of fury and disbelief.
Estelle’s heart sank. Oh no.
“What the hell is going on here?” Celeste’s voice was sharp, and the authority in her tone made both girls flinch.
Mia, being Mia, tried to play it cool. “Hey, Celeste,” she said with a nervous laugh, stuffing the spray paint can back into her bag. “We were just, uh… enjoying the view.”
Celeste’s eyes narrowed as she stepped closer, her gaze flicking between Mia and Estelle, then landing on the small graffiti heart on the railing. Her jaw tightened, and Estelle could see the anger simmering just beneath the surface.
“Enjoying the view?” Celeste repeated, her voice low and dangerous. “By defacing school property?”
Estelle cringed, knowing that Mia’s casual attitude wasn’t helping. She had seen Celeste mad before, but this was different. This was fury.
“I didn’t—” Estelle started, but Celeste cut her off with a sharp look.
“Estelle, I expected better from you,” Celeste said, her voice filled with disappointment. “You’re smarter than this. What were you thinking?”
Estelle felt a wave of guilt wash over her. She hadn’t even wanted to be part of this, but she had gone along with it anyway. And now, Celeste’s anger was directed squarely at her. “I… I wasn’t thinking,” she admitted softly, her shoulders slumping. “I just needed a break.”
Mia, sensing the tension, stepped in. “It’s not a big deal, really. I’ll clean it up, and we’ll get out of here. No harm done.”
But Celeste wasn’t having it. “Not a big deal?” she repeated, her eyes flashing. “You could both be expelled for this. This is serious, Mia. And the fact that you think it’s no big deal shows just how irresponsible you are.”
Mia opened her mouth to argue, but Celeste turned her attention back to Estelle, her voice softening slightly, though the anger was still there. “And you, Estelle… You should know better. You can’t afford to get involved in reckless things like this, not with everything you’re working toward.”
Estelle bit her lip, her heart pounding. She knew Celeste was right. She had jeopardized everything she had worked for—her internship, her future—by getting involved in something so stupid. But there was also a part of her that resented the way Celeste was speaking to her, like she was a child who needed to be scolded.
“I didn’t mean for it to get this far,” Estelle said, her voice shaking slightly. “I just… I needed to get out, to do something different.”
Celeste’s expression softened further, though her frustration was still evident. “I understand that. But this isn’t the way to do it. You’re better than this.”
Estelle swallowed hard, trying to fight back the sting of tears. “I’m sorry.”
Celeste’s eyes softened, and she let out a sigh, running a hand through her hair. “I’m not mad because you made a mistake. I’m mad because you put yourself at risk. You’ve worked so hard to get here, and I don’t want to see you throw that away for something so… pointless.”
Mia, ever the peacemaker, raised her hands. “Okay, okay. I’ll take full responsibility. Estelle was just along for the ride. I’ll clean it up, I swear.”
Celeste shot Mia a glare. “You’d better.”
Estelle took a deep breath, her heart still racing. “I’ll help clean it up, too.”
Celeste’s gaze lingered on Estelle for a long moment before she finally nodded. “Fine. But this doesn’t happen again. Do you understand?”
Estelle nodded quickly. “Yes, I understand.”
Mia gave an exaggerated salute. “Yes, ma’am. No more trouble. Scout’s honor.”
Celeste rolled her eyes at Mia’s sarcasm but didn’t respond. Instead, she turned to Estelle, her voice low as she said, “We’ll talk about this later. Alone.”
Estelle’s stomach flipped at the tone in Celeste’s voice, knowing that the real lecture—and probably something else—was still to come. But for now, all she could do was nod and brace herself for whatever consequences were coming her way.
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