⁺◟ DAMAGED ! ⋆·˚ ❪ ✦♥ ❫
❛ chapter one ❜

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ "MUM," STELLA GROANED AS SHE attempted to push herself out of her mother's hold. "I'm only an hour's drive away from you, and I have my bike, so I can come to visit you whenever you want me to, okay?" She tried to soothe her visibly upset mother.

"Aw, I know," Jennifer Carson replied to her daughter, her eyes tearing up again. "It's just, this will be the first time we've lived away from each other in eighteen years. It's been just us for ten years. You're my baby. and now it'll be just you... and just me."

Despite Stella's comfort zone, she pulled her slightly shorter mother back in for another hug. "I know," she pulled back slightly so she could look her mum in the eye. "I promise I'll be fine, I'll text you every day until you're more comfortable, even call you if it makes you feel better." Once she saw the older women fight a smile she knew she had done her job. "I really do need to get going through, I want to meet Steph and at least have an option in picking my bed before the other girl gets here," Stella smiles slightly.

"You have everything you need, right?" Jennifer questioned before she started listening, "All your clothes, credit cards, toiletries? Your bike should be delivered in a few hours and- oh! Have you got enough-"

Before Jennifer could start listening anything else Stella quickly covered her mouth with her sleeve-covered hand. "Yes," she chuckled. "Now, I love you, but she'll be here really soon if she isn't already so I have to go," she quickly pressed a small kiss onto her mother's cheek before wrapping her hands around her suitcases.

"I love you too! Have fun, and remember to be safe!" Jennifer yelled as she opened her rented car door while waving her daughter goodbye as she walked towards the campus.

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

Surprisingly, it wasn't too hard for Stella to find the room she'd be staying in for the school year. "B-22," she muttered quietly to herself as she walked down the white and blue coloured hallways until she finally came to the door. She had spoken to Steph quite a lot over the summer and she had a feeling they'd get on even better in person. She just internally hoped her other roommate was as chill.

Opening the door she dragged in her two suitcases, the first thing she noticed was the strawberry scent and a slight smell of weed, the latter not being far off what her room used to smell like. "You must be Stella?" A voice caught Stella's attention, she glanced up to see a girl with beautiful dyed red curly hair, her cheeks and nose were painted with freckles and she had a silver hoop through her septum.

"That's me," Stella replied. "Steph, yeah?"

"That's me," Steph repeated with a grin. "This is my girlfriend, Tristan," she pointed behind her to the girl with blonde hair who was sitting on the end of Steph's bed, sucking on a strawberry-flavoured vape.

"Hi!" Tristan grinned, pushing herself off the bed and pulling Stella in for a hug. "Steph's told me all about you, I love your accent, and I can't wait for us to be friends," Stella smirked, glancing between the two girls.

"You know, when I found out I was having not one, but two freshman roommates this year, I was like, well fuck," Steph chuckled. "But then we texted a few times and I just knew we were going to get along just great," Steph spoke up as she sat back down on her bed.

"Let's just hope the others are the same," Stella mumbled mostly to herself as she dragged her suitcases in further and closed the door behind her. Tristian helped the girl sit one of the cases on top of a blank mattress which was sat on the right side of the room, farthest away from the windows so Stella could hang up her fairy lights and vintage movie posters, along with a few polaroids of her and her friends and family.

Once she had put on her bed and pillow sheets she sat down on the bed, rummaging through a large bag until she found a smaller bag of weed. She and her mother had just arrived in Seattle the day prior, but thankfully it didn't take her long to find someone reliable who sold. "You guys smoke anything other than those vape things?" Stella questioned, she knew the room smelled faintly like the drug that she loved so much, but she couldn't assume it was them.

"Only sometimes, but fuck it," Steph smirked. "Today's a special occasion after all." With that Stella began rolling the first joint of many, she smoked half of the first one before passing it to Tristan who was the closest. Just as the blonde's fingertips touched the joint the door swung open and in came an innocent-looking girl with dark blonde hair, a medium ponytail. Stella's view went from the short girl to the two standing behind her who looked to be her mother and brother.

Her mother's face instantly dropped from a relatively happy one to a disgusted and annoyed one the moment she noticed Stella passing Tristan the joint and still blowing smoke from her mouth. "Hey," Steph said calmly, her eyebrow raised at the three who walked in, it was safe to say this definitely wasn't what they were expecting.

"Hey," the girl replied with a smile. "Um, Steph?" she questioned, looking at the three girls. "In the flesh," Steph spoke as she stood up from the bed. "I'm Tess," the blonde greeted. "Hey, it's my other roomie," Steph said, looking back at Tristan.

"Stella?" Tess asked, turning around to face the black-haired girl who was still sitting on her bed, taking the joint that Tristan had passed back as the blonde went to hug the new arrival. "In the flesh," Stella repeated Steph's words as she had done only thirty minutes prior.

Steph rolled her eyes with a chuckle. "This is Tristan, and as you know this sarcastic shit is Stella." Tessa smiled warmly while her (assumed) mother and brother stood awkwardly behind. "Come in, we're not gonna bite," Tristan smiled sweetly at Tessa's family.

"Oh, sorry," Tessa quickly said, her cheeks blushing slightly. "This is my mom, and this is Noah." Tessa introduced.

"Full disclosure as I've said to Stella. I was pretty bummed to be paired with freshmen, but I thought, hello, bright side," she placed her hands on both of Tessa's shoulders. "I'm gon a be your spirit guide," she grinned. "I'm pretty sure Stella won't need one."

"Hey! If two pretty ladies wanna show me around, who am I to decline," Stella smirked and attempted to blow the smoke in the opposite direction of Tessa and her family, they didn't look like a family who drank much less smoked, and she didn't want to be disrespectful.

"We can get you into all the best places, even without a fake, no problem," Tristan smiled. Noah's eyebrows raised in surprise while the mother's eyes widened in shock, they glanced at the three girls before looking at her daughter and practically storming out of the room, Tessa running after her and leaving Noah awkwardly behind.

An awkward silence filled the room as Noah sat down on Tessa's new bed. "I like your sweater," Tristan said kindly. The boy smiled widely. "Thanks! I got it from the GAP."

Soon enough the awkward silence returned and Tristan, who had grown tired of being the only one making conversation said her goodbyes, but thankfully not long after, Tessa returned, box in hand and mother nowhere in sight. She said her goodbyes to Noah before returning to the room.

"How much did we freak your mom out?" Steph questioned. Tessa stuttered for a moment, not sure how to reply. "She thinks we'll be a bad influence?" Steph asked again.

Tessa shook her head. "She's just protective. It's always been just the two of us," Tessa replied.

Stella looked at the girl knowingly. "Same with me and my mum," Stella speaks up. "She's protective too, in her own little way though. She still gives me space to do what I want, as long as she knows I'm being safe." Stella thought about it for a moment, after everything she and her mother had been through, she genuinely wouldn't know what she'd do without her. She held her arm out straight to pass Tessa the joint but still not looking up from her sketch pad.

"Oh! No, no thank you," she kindly refused, Stella shrugged her shoulders, taking a few more puffs before passing it to Steph.

"See," said Steph. "She's got nothing to worry about," she took the joint between her pointer and middle finger before bringing it to her lips. "Your brother is cute," she continued.

"Oh, you mean Noah? No, he's my boyfriend," Tessa replied, slightly embarrassed.

"Shit, sorry," Steph apologised while Stella covered her chin and mouth with the neck of her hoodie to hide her laughter.

"No, it's okay," Tessa brushed off. "He's a senior in high school-" Tessa began explaining but she was quickly cut off by the sound of Steph's phone beeping. "It's Tristan," she announced. "I'm supposed to meet her, you wanna come, Stell?" she questioned, causing the black-haired girl to raise her eyebrow at the sudden nickname.

"Maybe another time," Stella replied. "Still got a lot to do," she said, placing her sketch pad down and looking at the suitcase that was still laid on her bed.

Steph shrugged her shoulders as she grabbed her bag. "What's with all the old books?" She questioned Tessa. "Who brings books to college?"

"Me... I guess," Tessa smiles shyly.

"Yeah, me too actually," said Stella.

"The bookish vibe, I like that," Steph grinned. "Alright, I'm out." Tessa and Stella both bid their goodbyes to Steph before they both fell into a comfortable silence while organising their stuff. It didn't take Stella much longer than Tessa to set up her things. She had put up her many movie posters on the wall after stringing a few fairy lights against the back wall. All her clothes and essentials were now taken out of the suitcases and the cases were shoved under the bed again the wooden flooring, along with a few other non-essentials.

By the time she was done and she organised all her work stuff for the day ahead it was around 11 pm. Steph still wasn't back but she said goodnight to Tessa before turning around to the wall and reading her book until she fell asleep.