AURA DOW
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After her awkward encounter with the new kid, Aura carried on to class a few minutes after chatting with her friends. Everything was still fresh—the college year was just starting and she couldn't count how many parties she had been invited to in the span of two weeks. Everyone just wanted to have fun rather than get their credits and it kind of bothered her.
She had one class today and this time, she managed to get there on time. This professor was one of her favorite educational instructors and she really enjoyed being in their class. She was majoring in psychology, for she wanted to be a therapist one day.
Aura remembered the days where she'd be depressed or feel as if she wasn't enough. She was insecure about her looks and she didn't think she was worthy of the life she endured. She grew up well but she often felt lonely. Being an only child had taken somewhat of a toll on her in her early life.
She was feeling much better and self assured now, but she didn't want others to feel like she once did. She has always wanted to help others in any way that she could, so she figured that specializing in therapy would do the trick.
Entering her English class, she greeted some students nearby with a soft smile before sitting in the back row. She hated sitting in the front.
Professor Hayes had her back turned while students walked in chattering amongst themselves. She wrote today's lesson on the board with one hand behind her back, gently humming a tune to herself.
Aura tapped away on her phone, sending a message to her and her friend's group chat. Steven had texted them asking what everyone's plans were after class. Almost everyone's response was 'sleeping', because the frat party had worn them out.
Stevie 🤓:
You boring bitches 😴 why would you even go to a party on a Wednesday anyway? Dumb
Lucky 🍀:
Bro shut up and go do some math problems. I'm tryna pay attention to this damn teacher 🙄
KJ 💋:
Pay attention? For the first time in your life? 🤨
Aura giggled softly.
Lee Lee 💅🏼:
LMAO burned
Just as Aura started to silence her phone, her phone vibrated with two new messages.
Lucky 🍀:
🤨
Lucky 🍀:
Baby, you laughin? Say less 👌🏽
"Alright class, good afternoon. Let's settle down," Professor Hayes gently tapped her ruler down on her desk to get the class' attention.
Aura heard the chair next to her move, before a presence plopped into it, but she kept her eyes forward.
"Today we're going to start reading Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë." Majority of the class started to groan. "Ah, ah, none of that, alright? Now I'm about to start passing out the books along with a small writing prompt that I want you to finish before class is over. You'll read a few pages silently, then we'll read some together, we'll discuss it, you do the prompt, and then class is over." Professor Hayes shrugged. "Easy."
A girl in the front raised her hand. "Yes Janissa?"
"Will we have homework about this book?"
Again, the class groaned.
"Of course her nerdy ass would ask," Aura heard someone say, and she tried her best to keep her laughs in.
Hayes frowned. "Behave. Y'all know better than to do that bullying mess in my classroom. Now hush. And to answer your question, Janissa, no, but I should give you guys some anyway," she sighed. "Thank you."
She began walking around with a stack of books for everyone. Aura twirled her phone in her hands waiting patiently.
As soon as Hayes reached the back, she sat the last book down and glanced at Aura with a frown. "I think we're short on books."
Aura mentally cursed before smiling sweetly. "That's okay, Ms. Hayes, I can share with another student."
"Are you sure pumpkin? I can step out really quick and grab one from the library."
"That's fine, ma'am. The library is across campus. I can share."
Hayes sighed, sitting her hands on her hips. She looked beside Aura. "What's your name?"
Aura followed her sights, settling her eyes on the kid she met only a few hours ago. He looked calmer compared to his jittery state before. His eyes were so low Aura thought that he was sleeping. He slowly turned his head towards Hayes, looking nervous.
"A—Abel," his voice was soft and sort of timid. Aura almost pouted.
"Abel?" She asked to make sure. He nodded. "Do you mind sharing with Aura for today? She'll have her own book next class."
Hearing her name, Abel finally settled his eyes on her. Aura thought that he'd run off like earlier but, instead he stared at her for a moment. She didn't know how she felt about it, but she was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable under his gaze. His eyes were intense.
After what felt like years, he nodded and gently pushed the book in between them. Hayes smiled obliviously and rubbed her hands together.
"Perfect. Work hard, now. I want exceptional answers and responses."
"Yes ma'am," Aura nodded once, giving her a smile before she headed back to her desk.
The air tightened in a deadly silence, so quiet that Aura could hear a pin drop. Although she had the urge to peer at Abel, she kept her eyes on the book.
It took a while for him to finish reading the first page, and because of that Aura found herself reading it over. He was hesitant but he reached over her to turn the page. Their hands lightly brushed against each other causing her to slowly jerk her hand away.
"Sorry," he mumbled, flipping the page.
Aura finally gazed at him with a little smile. "So, you do talk?"
When he didn't answer, she bit her lip awkwardly. She looked ahead seeing Professor Hayes on her computer not paying anyone any mind. It was going to be hard for her to even have an ounce of conversation with this guy, but she was going to try anyway. She at least wanted to make sure he was okay after what happened.
"I um," Aura gently pulled at her curls. "Let's start over. I'm sorry if I.. if I upset you in any way earlier. I only wanted to be friendly but, if you're uncomfortable by my presence then I won't bother you." She watched his movements.
His fingers twitched every now and then but his demeanor was calm. She could hear his ragged breathing—he sounded as if he had been running laps around the field before he got to class. His eyes were open enough for her to see how dilated his pupils were, like he'd taken something before. And his leg bounced up and down in a fast motion.
Aura didn't know what else to say so instead, she focused back on the book and decided not to keep trying. She didn't want to intrude on what he may be going through, no matter how badly it piqued her curiosity.
Class went on normally. Aura managed to get everything finished so that she wouldn't have to take it to her dorm. By the time the bell was beginning to ring, she was ready to leave and enjoy the rest of her free day.
"Alright class, thank you for working so hard today!" Hayes talked over the class while they got ready to leave out. "When you come back next week, we'll do chapters four and five, along with a mini essay! Enjoy the rest of your day."
Aura's phone rang as she stood up and grabbed her bags. "Hello?"
"Aura Bell, where you at girl?" Evan answered.
"Leaving class, Evie. Where's everyone meeting at?" Her eyes glided over to Abel, who was gathering his things as well—which wasn't much. She'd gotten the impression that he was trying to listen in on her conversation.
"Umm, we'll be by the Omega frat house. Landon's thinking about joining and KJ won't be with us this time. She said something about a presentation she has to work on."
"Got it. Well, let me drop my things off at the dorm first and then I'll meet you there. Where's Iris?"
"She should be coming out of class too. We'll see you." They hung up.
Aura grabbed her books and her pen, and gently walked around Abel to get to the door. As she inched away she felt a hand grab at her wrist. She turned around, seeing Abel's face.
"Hi," she smiled softly.
He stared at her silently for a split second. "I—um," she raised her eyebrows curiously. "Coiline is your friend?"
"Yes, she is. Are you... are you looking for her or?" He nodded softly. "Oh, well I can take you to her if you want."
"Thank you."
She gave him yet another comforting smile before beckoning for him to follow her. They finally exit the classroom and started on the pathway away from the English building. The Omega frat house was just a block away so they would only have to walk for a few minutes.
Aura waved and smiled at some of the students before looking back at Abel. He followed her silently with his head down and hands stuffed inside of his jeans. He wore a black bomber jacker over a grey hoodie, with the hood slightly covering his outrageous dreads. Aura had never seen an hairstyle like that but, in a way, it worked for him.
"I have to stop at my dorm if that's okay with you?" She asked him, making him look up from his shoes. He gazed into her eyes and nodded before quickly looking away. "...Okay, follow me."
They continued their walk silently. Abel had manage to catch up with her, joining her side as they passed by the busy students. Aura continuously checked her phone making sure she hadn't missed any emails from her teachers or messages from her friends, as well as any sudden party invitations.
After what felt like hours, they finally reached her building. They walked up the stairs ignoring any curious looks. Abel opened the door for her politely. He felt it was the least he could do after partially ignoring her. It wasn't intentional however, he just didn't know what to say.
"Oh," Aura was surprised. She chuckled. "Thank you." She walked inside first and he followed.
"Welcome," he mumbled.
She checked her mailbox briefly before heading upstairs. "So, I'm not supposed to have you in here, but there aren't any admins around so." She looked at him as he walked up the stairs. "Do you live in one of the dorms on campus?"
He shook his head. "No."
"Lucky," she mumbled. They walked down a hall for a few seconds before stopping in front of a door. "Are you always this quiet?"
"Yes."
She unlocked her door and walked inside first. "Can you say a sentence?"
He shook his head, gently. Aura playfully rolled her eyes.
Iris stuck her head out of the bathroom, hearing Aura's voice. "Aura!"
"Yes?"
"Lucky's joining Omega!"
Aura laughed. "You can sit if you want," she said to Abel. He looked around shortly before settling on her twin sized bed. "Evie already told me!" She sat her books and purse down on her table before searching through her clothes bin. Abel watched her silently.
"He won't last a fucking day, I tell you! He plays too much!"
"True that," Aura mumbled. "Maybe he wants to look good on his resume."
"Mhm." Iris stepped out of the bathroom, seeing Abel on the bed. "Ooooo, Aura you're getting down and dirty?"
Aura immediately blushed in embarrassment. "No, no! I'm not!"
"So why you blushing then? Huh? I see those red cheeks!" Iris teased before looking at Abel. "What's your name again? Apple?"
"Abel."
"Wait, you actually talk?" Aura covered her face as Iris crossed her arms. "Your voice is like... so innocent and cute."
"Okay Iris, don't scare him off!" Aura gently pushed her friend. "Coiline will kill you."
"Coi has a man. She shouldn't be upset." Iris laughed and went over to her bed.
Aura glanced at Abel apologetically. "I'm sorry. She's stupid."
For the first time since their encounter, Abel showed a hint of a smirk. Aura would have missed it if she wasn't looking.
"It's okay," he replied.
Iris stood up from sliding on her shoes. "Can you talk more often? Seriously, your voice is hot" Iris looked at Aura. "Don't tell Evie either, snitch."
"I wasn't going to say anything." Aura laughed, finally grabbing her clothes to change into.
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ABEL TESFAYE
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Abel trailed behind Aura and Iris as they chatted amongst themselves. His phone continuously vibrated inside of his pockets but he ignored it. He knew it was someone from home and as much as he missed them, he didn't want to talk to them at the moment.
Just thinking of his friends at home bought back more of the bad memories than the good ones. Since he left, he'd have nightmares from one night in particular, ending in different ways each time. Each time was worse than the last and it fucked up his anxiety. It traumatized him.
Being here should have gave him a sense of refreshment—relief. Instead, it made his troubled symptoms worse. He couldn't stop thinking the things he thought about no matter where he found himself at.
"Yeah, then I told her that I wasn't doing that over. She better find my shit," Iris' voice took him out of his thoughts. He settled in on their conversation.
Aura laughed softly. Abel settled his eyes on her. Her sunkissed brown skin, perfectly arched eyebrows, volumous curls, slightly pouty lips, and chocolate eyes made his heart skip a beat.
She reminded him of... of her.
"Lorie..." He whispered.
"Did you say something, whispers?" Iris looked back at him, making him slightly jump. She decided to call him 'whispers' because his voice was so soft to her.
"Are you okay?" Aura asked, innocently biting her lip.
'Calm down, Abel', he coached himself.
He nodded. "I'm fine."
They nodded, and Iris glanced at Aura. "We need to figure out how we're gonna get him to talk more."
"Yeah, we do." Aura giggled.
Their walking started to cease, stopping in front of the Alpha's house. Abel watched them greet their friends still not feeling as familiar with everyone as they were.
Coiline noticed him standing alone and rushed over to him with a smile. "Hi Abel!"
Before he knew it, he was engulfed into a bone crushing hug that made him grunt uncomfortably. He hadn't had a hug since he was in Canada and even then, he still wasn't quite fond of them.
He awkwardly patted her back before she pulled away. "How's your first week going so far?"
"It's only been two days." Abel gently scratched his face. She laughed.
"Still doesn't hurt to ask" Coi shrugged. "Still being a mute, I see."
"Not around you," he mumbled.
"Well that's nice to know but, in order to survive the university life you have to talk to people. It doesn't hurt to make a few friends."
"I don't want friends."
"Bullshit. Everyone needs a friend" Coiline smiled. "A great one, at that. Lucky for you, you ran into us... literally."
Abel softly laughed at that, making Coiline smile even more. "See, I got another laugh out of you. I'm aiming for two more before the week is over."
"Coi where the hell is Cam? I told him to plug me in!"
"Relax. He's in class!" Coi yelled back before turning back to Abel. "Come on, let's get you in with the crew."
She grabbed his hand and tugged him towards the group. Aura sat next to Iris and another girl, who's name Abel couldn't remember. He'd met them all earlier but his clouded mind caused him to forget their names.
It was as if Coiline was in his head, because she was quick to reintroduce him to them. And this time Abel remembered their names.
He finished dapping up Landon before he sat back down on the steps. "So this is the one who's gonna cause you and Cam to break up, huh?"
"Lucky what the fuck are you talking about?" Coi playfully rolled her eyes.
"Look, look y'all" Landon pointed. "She blushing." Everyone started to laugh except for Abel. He didn't find it funny. "Cam gone be crying in a few months cause she gone be cheatin on that man with this nigga."
"Shut up!" Coi tossed her gum wrapped at him. "No he's not, and no I'm not!"
"It's okay. He cheatin on you anyway." Landon tried to keep a straight face.
Aura shook her head. "Lucky, you're so messy."
"Right, lil punk ass," Iris laughed and slapped the back of his head. Landon hissed, giving her a curt look as he rubbed the stinging spot.
"Don't pay attention to this idiot," Coi glanced at Abel. "He says stupid shit like this all the time." Abel nodded, feeling a bit confused.
"Guys, you need to hear his voice! It's so soft and comforting," Iris started gushing.
"Damn, you like him too? Watch her ass, E."
"I'm starting to think you're jealous, Lucky," Coi rolled her eyes.
"Of who and what? Not a damn thing."
"He has such a little baby voice and it's so cute," Iris continued, over exaggerating. Evan raised his eyebrow. "Don't look at me like that."
"It is true though," Aura chimed in. Abel perked up and looked her way. They locked eyes for a minute. Abel felt his stomach churn weirdly.
"I told him he should speak more often. He has the voice to lift a bitch out of her panties." Iris said, making her, Aura and Coi laugh.
Landon snickered as well. "Fellas watch y'all women. Abel's comin for em."
Nailee walked up, looking Abel up and down with a smile. "He is cute. I might take you for myself."
He winked at her, making Nailee blush. "Oooop, looks like he wants your girl, Lucky."
"The hell if he does." Landon pulled Nailee down next to him, placing a kiss on her cheek. Abel softly chuckled. "She's off limits."
He decided to join in on the bantering. "I like the one's I'm not supposed to touch. You better hope she's not laying in my bed tonight."
Everyone laughed and started to tease Landon. Abel only smiled and stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets.
"Abel said mute who? Don't play with him!" Iris hollered, being the loudest.
While they continued, his eyes locked with Aura's again. For a second they stared at each other and she smiled softly, still laughing a bit with everyone else. He found himself wanting to look at her all day. She was beautiful and she seemed so pure. So full of life.
Like Lorie.
So he knew he needed to stay away. He didn't want to ruin her life like the life he ruined before.
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