Different | ✔️

3 | Aurora

I yanked my bag from the seat and sprinted out of the class into the ladies' room. I fastened the door and went to the glass.

"No, no, no! this can't be happening. What was I thinking? It's already happening." I buried my face into my palms, despair rumbling in my belly.

I hate myself. I tugged my hair hard, venting out my wrath. Tears pricked my eyes, but I didn't relent. The longer I stared at my reflection in the silver-coated mirror, the more the resentment gnawed at my soul, hammering away every last bit of sanity in me.  

"Hey! Stop it, you're gonna hurt yourself. You not liking the red hair thingy doesn't stop another sane human from appreciating it." A feminine voice erupted from behind me.

"Where'd you pop out from?" I asked, pulling my gaze to the door. It was still locked, and I recall checking each stall. It was definitely vacant. "Hold on, you like this?" I held a chunk of my hair in my palms with a surprised look glued on my face.

"Heck, yes, I do! And if you do end up chopping it off, I'd love to be the first to buy it, that's if you don't mind. I'm short on cash, so I won't pay more than five dollars for a chunk," she said, raising her hand mid-air, counting what I assume to be cash. I could only gape at her odd sense of reasoning. She was practically the only insane person who liked this! despite her odd approach, there was an air of mystery around her. She appeared plain, but deep within me, I knew there was more to it that she was letting on.

"And you what, expect me to blindly fall for your act?" My arms knotted into each other as I took a step closer to her. Something raw flickered across her eyes before it disappeared like it was never there to begin with. The silence dragged on as the light sound of water dripping from the faucet into the basin deepened the atmosphere, feeding on my suspicion.

Her giggles pierced through the thick veil of tension around us, and I was once again drawn back by her actions. 

Did she lose a screw?

"You're so hilarious, Aurora." A conspicuous glint lingered in her eyes. She cut the distance between us until her lips were almost in contact with my ear. "You... ha! It can't be. You actually forgot who you are." She drew back with a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. The kind way she spoke earlier turned cold and stiff. Each seconds that went by only made me hunger for the truth.

Why do I keep hearing that name—Aurora. Who is she, and what does she have to do with me? 

My mind was in an unending sequel of questions. I was about to air out my thoughts until the jingle of the keys in its keyhole drew my attention back to her. She tilted the keys sideways and halted in her tracks the moment I spoke, "Who are you?! and how does Aurora relate to me?" My fists curled up, prepared to hurl a punch straight to her head if needed. 

She swerved around and narrowed her gaze on me, her usual awful smirk returned, but this time more annoying than the last, "Old church cemetery, be there before dusk. Don't keep me waiting." She unlocked the door and pulled it open.

"H-how am I so sure you aren't bringing me there to slit my throat wide open." I shuddered at the thought.

She scoffed, "If I wanted to do that... trust me. I would have severed your head from your body a moment ago." The corner of her eyes drifted to my neck then to my eyes, and there it was—that sinister look that pranced about in her eyes. I flinched under her gaze, which seemed to be what she wanted to achieve. Before I could utter another word, she walked out, letting the door swing shut on its own. 

I stood rooted on the ground dumbfounded. My brain was all messed up. What just happened? She didn't even answer any of my questions and of all places to meet up, she just had to pick that eerie old cemetery. This is so frustrating.