Scissors.

    Olivia took a seat next to Marjolaine. If she weren't almost completely covered in paint, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the two. Both of them had long, brunette hair with a natural body wave to it, green eyes, and straight teeth. There were three of them, actually. The two and a brother, Cobain. Cobain had dirty blonde hair and brown eyes.The girls shared an egg, which split. While Cobain had an egg all to himself, which, of course, is why he didn't look too much like his sisters.
    "Are we almost done here?" asked Marjolaine.
"We? You do realize that I'm the only one painting, right?"
"You do realize that I'm not even in student council, right?" Asked Marjolaine, rather sarcastically. She was wearing her uniform and her cleats, her glove in her lap and her bat bag on the floor. "Look, I'm pitching first tonight, I have to get to the field to warm up."
"Okay, just wait until I'm done with the path," said Olivia.
"Alright, no. I'm calling Vaze or Cobain. I'm not waiting for you."
    As student council president, and quite the talented artist, Olivia was in charge of the mural for the animal shelter. She was completely dedicated to anything and everything assigned to her. And she did it with pride. She was almost done with the mural. All that was left was the path leading from the shelter to 'happiness.'
    As Olivia started on the path, an SUV pulled up. It was Vaze. Marjolaine's innocent boyfriend. No sarcasm intended. The guy treated everyone with the utmost respect and courtesy. If anything, he was the girl in the relationship and Marjolaine, the guy. She was an absolute jock. The complete opposite of her straight-A, dedicated sister and her kind, sensitive boyfriend. It was almost as if the two seemed better together. But Olivia herself, along with everyone else, assumed that she'd be the kind to wait until college to find a kindred-spirited guy to be in a serious relationship with.

                                                                                                                  ***   

    It was Monday morning. Olivia, known for her extreme punctuality, took a seat 15 minutes before the meeting's intended time.
    She decided to start the meeting as soon as the majority of the members had shown up. As she was presenting the picures of the finished mural, Mrs. Evans, English teacher and student council advisor, walked in, with... company?
    "Goodmorning Council! I have some news. This is Cohen. She just enrolled and will be joining student council. Please make her feel welcomed."
    There, in the doorway, she stood. She was wearing a band t-shirt, skinny jeans and neon orange vans. She had thin, straight, golden-brown hair and gray eyes. She was pretty. But she seemed more of a rebel than an asset.
    Olivia stared for a moment. "Pardon my asking Mrs. Evans," Said Olivia, "But as student council president, shouldn't I get a say in who should or should not be able to join late-notice?"
"Olivia, Please! I said make her feel welcomed!" Urged Mrs. Evans."Cohen, go ahead and have a seat."
    The girl took a seat in the back. Olivia proceeded to her presentation. After the meeting was adjourned, Olivia walked up to Mrs. Evans' desk.
"About the new addition to the council..." She started.
"Look, Olivia. I was informed directly by Principal Bailey that she join the council. Apparently the school she was transferred from enforced it. I don't know much about her, but i do know that she is broken. So, we must treat her in the same manner as we do everyone else. That is why i have assigned her to be by your side for every council project. Oh, and one more thing, i volunteered you to be her school-wide mentor"
"What?! But Mrs. Evans-"
"Principal Bailey is aware of this arrangement. He thinks it is an excellent idea. Also, the school she was transferred from suggested the administration chose her electives. So she has been placed in all your elective classes. And two of your core classes. She's taking calculus and Physics. Perhaps, she's a step ahead? Anyway, i trust you will help her to fit in and get comfortable. Thank you, Olivia. You should go on to class now, the bell rings in three minutes!"
    Olivia stood in shock for moment. She was absolutely speechless. She started toward the door. Why had she absolutely no say in this? She exited, noticing Cohen leaning on the wall. Olivia rolled her eyes and walked right past her.
    Cohen kept her distance and followed behind Olivia. Olivia turned and waited for her to catch up. "Look, the bell rings in a few minutes. I have never been tardy and I don't want to start now, please walk a little faster."
"They said you'd be excused, since you kinda have to drag me along." said Cohen.
"Uh, not in my mind, I won't. I refuse to even be excused for tardiness!"
"Olivia, is it? I don't want this any more than you do. If it were up to me, I'd figure this place out on my own."
"Yeah, well it's not up to you. And I'm just doing what I was told."
    They finally reached first period. Home Economics. "I suppose you can be part of our group. Since it's sort of my job to 'look after' you. Plus, our group is the smallest."
"Cool," said Cohen.
"In my opinion, first period home ec. is the luckiest. We can prepare breakfast every morning." Said Olivia, easing up just a little.
    The rest of the day flew by, Cohen following right behind Olivia. Except at lunch. Cohen sat alone at a picnic table, while Olivia drove home for lunch.
    After school, Olivia walked toward the parking lot. She saw Cohen, sitting, waiting for her bus. She continued to her car, thinking to herself how opposite she and Cohen were from each other.

                                                                                                            ***

    "I thought you had practice after school today," said Olivia, walking into the house to find her sister eating a bag of lays with her legs spread across the couch.
    "Nope. Cancelled from the chance of rain," Burped Marjolaine.
"You're disgusting. Where's Cobe?"
"In his fucking room. You know he never leaves it unless he has to take a piss."
    "Knock-Knock. Cobain?" Olivia said, pushing his door open.
"Haha, Heeeey, Liv!"
"Oh, Goodness, You're stoned again, aren't you? EH! What's that smell?"
"I don't know, pizza? Sea- Seaworlds?"
"Ugh. Cobain, if you aren't going to show up to school, get a job. Don't just sit around the house and get high. Mom will be home any minute, you should get this mess ceaned up." said Olivia.
"Hey, Liv! Who was that girl following you around everywhere today?!" Shouted Marjolaine.
    Olivia walked back to the living room. "Ugh, just some new girl i was FORCED to pretty much keep an eye on."
"Wow, knowing you, i'm surprised you weren't excited about it!"
"Please. Did you see her? Obviously she'll just cause problems. I bet that's why she was kicked out of her old school. I know she'll just end up ruining the council's reputation."
    "Hey girls. How was school?"
"Hey mom." Olivia and Marjolaine said in unison.
"Hey Liv, Hey Lainey!" Said, Wyatt, the triplets' seven-year-old brother, walking in the door behind his mom, carrying a grocery bag.
"Hey lil' bro!" Said Marjolaine.
"Hey guys, I have to go plan and get a hold of everyone for the bakesale next friday, call me when supper's ready?"
    Olivia went to her room. She made a list of different pastries and designated members to bring them.

                                                                                                    ***

The next day, Cohen was a little tardy to all her classes. "Ugh! i cannot believe this girl!" Olivia mumbled to herself almost every class period.
It went on like this for about a week and a half, with Olivia coming up with a new insult to mumble under her breath each day, never saying anything to Cohen directly. And the day Cohen didn't show up to school, Olivia felt so relieved.
    That thursday, the day before the bake sale, Cohen showed up extra late to first period. "There you are!" Shouted Olivia.
"Umm..?"
"I need your number, Mrs. Evans assigned you to help me with every single council project for the rest of the year, remember? The bake sale is tomorrow, we need to get organizing!"
    Cohen wrote her number down on a piece of paper and handed it to Olivia. "Call or text. Doesn't matter."
During eighth period, Cohen's phone vibrated. A text.

"Hey, Its Olivia. Look, can you come by after school?"
"Your house? I don't know where you live."
"125 Ave. H"
"Uhm. Can I get a ride?"
"Uhh. Yeah, just meet me at the flagpole after class."

"Cohen!" Shouted Olivia, Signaling her over.
Cohen walked over to her car.
"Do you need to be home by a certain time?"
"Oh. No."
"Okay, good, because I couldn't tell you what time we'd be done even if I wanted to. Ethan, Zooey and Chambers backed out so we have like quadruple the baking to do."
    It was a bit of an awkward car ride.
"So, parents get a promotion over here or something?" Asked Olivia, trying to make conversation.
"Oh. Uh. No."
"Oh. Alright..."
    The car pulled into the drive. "That a garden?" Asked Cohen as they parked.
"Yeah, my mom likes to grow our own produce."
"Ah."
"Well, Welcome to my humble abode." Said Olivia. They entered the house.
"Nice place. Where is everyone?"
"Oh, thanks. Well, My mom took my little brother, Wyatt to his soccer game. My sister, Marjolaine has softball practice, and my brother, Cobain is probably getting high at a friend's house. So it looks like it's just me and you."
"Haha. I haven't gotten high in a while." Laughed Cohen, looking around.
"Right..." Said Olivia, Annoyed.
"And Your dad?" Asked Cohen.
"He, uh, passed away a few years after my little brother was born. Car accident."
"Oh.. I'm- I'm Sorry, i didn't mean.."
"No, it's okay, i can talk about it now. It's been a long time. The road was real icy. He just. Lost control..."
"Oh... So! What are we baking?" Asked Cohen, changing the subject.
"Oh!" Said Olivia, snapping out of thought. "Uh, brownies, chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies and rice krispy treats."
"Ah. Sounds like we should get started?" Said Cohen happily, getting up and walking to the kitchen.
    Olivia smirked as she watched Cohen walk off. Somehow, Cohen sort of had the ability to let Olivia let go of her past and just smile. How can this girl that she thought she hated so much seem to be able to make her smile?
Olivia caught herself smiling and snapped out of it. She walked over to the kitchen.
"I found the mixes!" Sang Cohen.
"What do they call for?"
"Hmm... Most of them seem to need an egg each... milk... butter... oil... uh, marshmallow creme? do you have that?"
"Oh! We do, actually!" said Olivia.
"Well, You better go and fetch it! By the looks of it, we're gonna be needing a lot of it!"
    Olivia smiled again. Cohen had a sort of unintentional sense of humor. She was starting to think she underestimated this girl. That she judged her too quickly. She started to apologize to Cohen in her head.
    "So! Marshmallow Creme?"
"Wee! Ze Cremé!" said Cohen in a french accent, studying the back of the ceareal box.
"So we're making the rice krispy treats first then?" Olivia chuckled.
Cohen looked at Olivia, smiling. "I guess so."
Cohen mixed the cereal and the creme while Olivia oiled the cookie sheet.
"Believe it or not, this is a pretty good workout on the biceps," laughed Cohen.
As much as the Olivia from yesterday would've hate to have admitted t it, much less, even thought about it, Cohen was a pretty fun person to be around.
They talked and joked as they shaped the treats and placed them into the oven. Olivia Started to actually really like Cohen. She'd never talked or joked around with anyone the way she and cohen had. It even felt as if she'd known and trusted Cohen for longer than these past few hours. There just seemed to be some kind of tight connection between the two of them. And it gave Olivia a nice feeling in the pit of her stomach.
      "Oh! Cohen! Come with me to my room, there's something I want to show you!"
Olivia lead Cohen to her room. "So what kind of movies are you into?" asked Olivia.
"Honestly, I'm more into independent films."
"No Way! Look!" Olivia exclaimed, opening a huge cupboard door.
    The cupboard was full of independent, low-budgetted and foreign films.
"Woah!" Exclaimed Cohen."I LOVE Foreign films! We should totally have a movie marathon sometime!"
"Yeah, we should! Hey do you ever tune into the Sundance Film Festival?"
"I do, every year!" Exclaimed Cohen.
"I Love it."
"Yeah..." Sighed Cohen, leaning back against the bed.
"You know, Cohen, you're not like anybody I know. The people I honestly consider friends are all goody-good kids that seriously only focus on studying and college. And everyone else thinks I'm that same way too. But I actually have hobbies. Like Art. And Foreign movies. And Indie music. Sometimes i even tell myself I don't even want to go to college. I mean, I seem to have a lot more in common with you than I do any of them."
"Wow, really?" Asked Cohen. "But, you're into guys, aren't you? Maybe we don't have as much in common as you think..."
Olivia stayed quiet, thinking for a while. "Cohen, I-" She started to say.
"Hey, wait... Do you smell that?!" Asked Cohen, quickly sitting up.
*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* the smoke alarm went off in the kitchen.
"OH MY GOD!" Olivia ran to the kitchen, Cohen, following right behind her.
Cohen ran to open the oven as Olivia headed straight for the fire extinguisher. Cohen tried to air out as much smoke as she could, coughing.
"YOU DIDN'T SET THE TIMER?!" Shouted Olivia as she sprayed into the oven with the extiguisher.
    The carbon dioxide mixture from the extinguisher flew all over the oven and the floor. Olivia slipped in it, falling to the floor, Cohen right after, falling into her lap. Both of them, covered in the mixture and the smoke, looked at each other in shock.
...
"HAHAHAHA!" Laughed Cohen, breaking the silence."You have a fire extinguisher in your house?!"
Olivia squinted her eyes, then started to chuckle. "Haha, i guess that is kind of funny."
They both broke out in laughter, sighing as the moment ended. They stared at each other with genuine smiles for a moment, in complete silence.
Olivia felt butterflies in her stomach. Living her whole life predictably, she decided to live in he moment for once and go with her gut. She leaned in towards Cohen. Cohen leaned in a little, their lips almost touching.
"Olivia..."
Olivia pulled back. She looked down. "Yeah?" She swallowed.
"I, Uh... Got kicked out of my old school." Cohen said, turning away. "A couple of people that i thought were friends vandalized the garden our student council spent nearly all semester working on for the life skills kids. They got scissors and cut up all the plants to pieces. And I just sat there and watched. I didn't say anything. I didn't try to stop them."
Olivia stayed silent.
"My 'friends' turned me in, blamed me for everything. The administration said i was a bad influence on incoming freshmen and that i should be ashamed of myself. My mom said she couldn't handle me anymore. She made a deal with the school to transfer me here. I live with my dad. Sometimes he forgets I even exist." A tear rolled down her face. "He's an alcoholic. I come home from school and he asks-," more tears, "he asks who- who i am..." She pauses and wipes her eyes, "My mom never calls, everyone here ignores me. I was FORCED to join student council. And it just reminds me of how worthless I am."
Olivia closed her watery eyes.
Cohen sniffled and dried her tears. "We should really get this place cleaned up." She said, standing. She grabbed the mop.

                                                                                                              ***

    Friday morning. Olivia was was restless. She'd lied awake all night, thinking of Cohen and everything she told her. She had to run to the bakery for last minute Plan B. As soon as Olivia got to the school, she headed straight to Mrs. Evans' room to drop off the cookies. Then trudged to first period.
Cohen never showed up.
    When second period came along, she watched the door carefully until class started in hopes that Cohen would walk in.
"Olivia, you look miserable, what's going on? I've never seen you like this, you didn't even attempt the handout today."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Powell, I'm not feeling too well today." Said Olivia.
    Did Cohen regret telling her everything so much that she couldn't bare to go to school?
Olivia could barely make it through the rest of the day with a clear mind. The bake sale was a success, but by seventh period, she was falling asleep in class.

                                                                                                                ***

"Liv, get up, we're going to grandma's."
Olivia opened her eyes. Marjolaine stood there, hoovering over her face.
"Tell mom i'm not feeling too well, Laine, I need to stay in bed."
"Dude. It's Saturday. Get the hell up."
Olivia didn't budge.
"Alright, we're leaving."
    As soon as she heard the car drive off, Olivia got up and got dressed. She got in her car and headed straight for Cohen's house.
She knocked on the door. No answer. She sat outside for nearly an hour. No signs of anyone inside, nor did anyone drive up.
All she wanted to do was check on Cohen. To see if everything was alright. She text Cohen a few times, no reply.

                                                                                                                ***
   
    On monday morning, Cohen wasn't late for first period, she was actually there before Olivia. And for one reason only. Olivia discovered she'd switched groups in Home Ec. It's pretty obvious that Cohen was deliberately avoiding her.
In fourth period, Ms. Levitt proposed that everyone partner up. As fate would have it, both, Olivia and Cohen were the only two left.
"Ms. Levitt, is it alright if i work alone on this?" Cohen asked, just as Olivia started in her direction.
"Oh, uh, alright then. Olivia, you can join any group, i will allow one group of three."
    Fifth period had just ended, with lunch about to begin, and Cohen was still ignoring Olivia. She was starting to get a little angry. She got out of class early and waited out on the deck. The bell rang and as soon as she saw Cohen exit the English wing, she headed straight for her. Just as Cohen was passing her up, Olivia grabbed her wrist.
    "Cohen."
Cohen turned around.
"Look, I don't know why you avert me everytime i come near you. It's obvious it's intentional-"
"Of course it's intentional! Olivia, we are complete opposites! You were meant to go out and succeed in life and become a doctor or lawyer or something that parents could be proud of, whereas, I will end up stuck working at a fast food restaurant, barely being able to afford rent! People like you and I aren't meant to be friends. We aren't meant to even associate!"
    Olivia couldn't believe what she was hearing. Not only was she angry, but she decided it was time to live in the moment again.
"Really, Cohen?! You trusted me with your story, that had to mean something! I've been trying to talk to you all weekend! I waited outside your house for almost two hours! I haven't been able to sleep! I can't just forget you. There is a special connection between the two of us, I know it. And I know you know it too." Olivia didn't care that people were watching, nosily trying to figure out what was going on. She didn't care if people might have been listening. She continued on as if there were no one else around. "You say that people like you and I aren't meant to be friends. Maybe you're right, maybe we aren't. Maybe i don't want to be just friends..."
Olivia stared into Cohen's eyes for a moment, in authentic truth.
"Cohen, I've never felt this way about anyone before. I've had a couple boyfriends, not feeling much different when i was with them than when I was single. And you and I are hardly friends and I know that I am absolutely crazy about you. I've never been attracted to a girl before. But there's something about you that highlights my day. The thought of you gives me butterflies. You're like sunshine. You make everything better. And I don't care about what happened at your old school, the past is the past." Olivia heard whispering. Students who had been listening couldn't believe what they were hearing. Olivia looked down at the ground.
    Cohen looked around at everyone watching and started backing away, she turned and paced off in the opposite direction.

                                                                                                      ***
    Olivia sat in her room. She wasn't crying. She felt somewhat relieved that she finally got the chance to pour herself out to Cohen. It hurt that Cohen didn't seem to feel the same way about her, but she looked for a brightside and convinced herself that she might be able let it go, move on and have a fresh start showing everyone her true self.
    The next day at school, Olivia took a deep breath and smiled as she walked through the hallway. She waved to everyone who passed by. She wanted everyone to see the real Olivia. Not the one hiding behind library shelves and college pamphlets. When she saw Cohen, she paused for a moment and then smiled. She told herself she would never completely get over her, but that she was thankful to Cohen for helping her discover herself.
    A couple days passed and Olivia was loving her new life. She thought about Cohen everyday, but kept her chin high.
That friday, after school, Olivia went to the store and bought some pre-packaged rice krispy treats. When she got home, her family was packing for a weekend at the beach. Olivia decided not to go, she wanted to spend her weekend watching her collection of independent films. It was rather odd of Marjolaine to not try and push Olivia into going with the family. Instead, she was quite understanding, which isn't like her at all.
    After the family left, Olivia ran her finger down the spines of the movies, slowly. Thinking of Cohen, smiling. She took out Å l'aventure, remembering how Cohen had mentioned it being one of her favorite French films. She put it on and opened her rice krispy treats. A little after the beginning credits started, she heard a knock at the door. She pressed pause and got up. She looked through the peep hole. No one there. She opened the door.
    "Hello?"
Just as she started to close the door, she noticed an envelope on the porch. She picked it up and opened it. Inside were a pair of little blue scissors and a note saying, "Don't worry, they aren't anywhere near your garden." Olivia smiled from ear to ear. She ran down the porch steps and turned the corner of the house.
    There, sitting on the garden bench, was Cohen. There was a twinkle in her eye. It was almost as if there was rhythm in the air. Olivia slowly walked toward the garden as Cohen stood up.
"Cohen, I thought-"
"Shh." Cohen covered Olivia's mouth. "It's my turn to talk." She said, smiling.
    "I was scared of what you would think of me after having told you about what happened at my old school. And it made me think that someone like you could never even begin to consider someone like me as more than a friend. I choked up when you told me how you felt about me. It was all too much at once at an unexpected time. I couldn't think. I didn't know what to say... When i first saw you that monday, talking about your mural, i couldn't help but notice how beautiful you looked. I told myself, 'get over yourself, of course she's straight, she's never see you as even a friend.'" She paused for a while. "I've spent the past couple of days trying to figure out what to say to you in response to what you told me monday, and how to even begin. I was so mad at myself for taking so long. But you were right about everything. And I DO feel that connection. I always have, I-"
    And before Cohen could finish her sentence, Olivia leaned in and kissed her lips gently.
Cohen closed her eyes and kissed back. She cupped Olivia's hips and kissed deeper. Olivia held Cohen's face, biting and then tugging down on her bottom lip.
The girls pulled away and smiled at each other, Cohen, still holding Olivia by the waist. Olivia bit her lip lightly.
"I, Uh, was actually just starting to watch Å l'aventure... Come with me?" She pulled cohen by the wrist.
Cohen smiled and followed right behind her into the house. They walked into the room. Cohen closed the door and turned off the light behind her.
"I have an even better idea."
    Olivia slowly sat down on the bed, flipping off the Tv with the remote, leaning back onto her elbows as she watched Cohen seductively walk toward her, taking off her pants. Cohen slowly crawled onto the bed, up over her body. Olivia inhaled deeply, her breathing became faster. Cohen lowered her lips onto Olivia's neck, gently kissing it. Her heart staggered as she felt Cohen's breath on her neck and the touch of Cohen's fingertips slowly and lightly running down the sides of her body. Cohen got up and with a passionate look in her eye, started to take Olivia's t-shirt off.
    As soon as she got it off, she kissed Olivia's neck, down to her chest, and in between her breasts. She continued to kiss her way down Olivia's stomach. Cohen kissed along Olivia's waistline as she began to slide her shorts and panties off, then continued to kiss her way down.
    Olivia's body shuddered and her toes curled. She breathed heavily as she felt Cohen's face in between her thighs.
Olivia moaned lightly and held the back of Cohen's head as she worked her tongue.
    Cohen slid her hands down her panties and started to finger herself as she flicked Olivia's clit. She started to moan, working her tongue faster in between Olivia's smooth lips. Olivia Orgasmed multiple times as Cohen went faster.Both girls started to moan louder as Cohen worked faster. Olivia let out a high pitched moan as they both climaxed together.
    Olivia lay there, panting heavily. Cohen crawled up next to Olivia, pulling the comforter over the both of them. Olivia turned to look at Cohen. She was lying on her stomach, with her elbow on the mattress, resting her head on her fist, smiling at Olivia. Olivia smiled back.
"Wow," she said. "I've never done anything like that before."
"You're so beautiful," Said Cohen, running her fingers through Olivia's hair.
Olivia leaned in and kissed Cohen's lips softly.
"And you're amazing."

                                                                                                            ***

    Monday morning, Olivia picked Cohen up. They stopped to get breakfast before school. Holding hands, walking through the hallways, the girls didn't care what anyone thought. People stared, but Olivia would just look back and smile. Nothing could ruin her day, and that was a fact.
    Student Council had a meeting that day at lunch, they discussed fundraiser possibilities.
"I have an idea!" said Cohen. "What about a talent show?!"
"What an excellent suggestion!" Said Mrs. Evans
"As long as it doesn't require baking!" Cohen said, laughing.
"Or scissors." said Olivia.
The girls smiled at each other.
Olivia felt like she had just adopted a pet from the animal shelter and had taken that path to happiness.