Mirage - Shall We Date Wizardess Heart' Fic

Chapter 22: Are you up for a cup of tea and cookies?

In spite of its coldness, it was such a pleasant day. She had a harsh day yesterday and so, hoped that today would be a better one but, it also began with a rough start today.

It lacked only one minute till the bell rang.

"Are you feeling okay, Aurora?" Liz was kneeling down by her desk, trying to figure out what has gotten Aurora so depressed today."Professor Schuyler's class wasn't that difficult today."

"I knooow..." She muttered and sunk further on the table, like water being sucked onto the wood's core.

"Then, what?" Liz frowned.

"Just when things were complicated enough," Her words trailed off at her raised brows. "I get cleaning duty."

"Cleaning duty?" She echoed.

She roughly shifted in between her folded arms; lifting her chin up, she stared absently at her friend.

"What mess did you get yourself in to?" She pinched her cheek reprovingly of her being such a troublemaker."You have to stop hanging out with Luca!"

"S-S-Stop--! T-That hurts! Lizzz!" She shouted and whined, pleading her friend to let go of her cheek."A-And, no! I don't hang out with him!"

"Good. Now tell me why?"  She threw a stern look at Aurora.

She casually tossed her hair back and considered her options. I don't think I should tell her, the lesser people know, the better. She wasn't certain what was wrong with her for thinking that but, at the same time, she didn't want to involve Liz in her web of mischievousness. Also, she didn't want her to know the reason that led her to Randolph's office that night. That would make everything extremely complicated. She would have to explain everything from the top."I missed curfew last night so, this was the way Mrs. Guertena found to punish me." So, she chose her words carefully. That wasn't entirely a lie but not a complete truth either.

"Yikes, that sucks," Liz sounded sympathetic."But now, it makes sense. When do you begin?"

"Tonight... right after dinner." and, let out a long sigh."And, it will be for a whole month.

"Sorry about that-- Are you gonna have time to study for the test?"

"Ugh--" Aurora's head plummed down onto the table again."Don't remind me..." 

"Hey," She gently patted on the back."Everything will work out just fine. It's not like it can get any worse, right?"

But then, it just did.

(...)

The girl was walking beneath the archway, a structure that connected the school buildings, headed early to the dormitory. She intended to finish her homework and catch up with some studying before dinnertime. After that, she'd be with her hands full.

"Aurora, please wait a minute." At that moment, Professor Merkulova called out to her from behind; taking into account everything that happened yesterday, she flinched at his gentle voice; a strange feeling agitated her. She came to a halt and, when she turned around, he was standing there tall a few feet from her.