A U R O R A
I've never taken the train before. I mean, a train from London from Manchester? It was a four hour ride.
I've been going here for about a month, maybe a little more and I was really missing home.
Dad stopped calling as often, Eugene only texted me a 'hi' since I've been gone. But Victoria calls me every weekend.
So, I decided I'd go and spend the weekend back home and be back on Sunday night.
"Are you sure you know all the directions?" Bruna asks for the thousandth time.
"I wrote it down on a piece of paper and my notes. I've even got it memorised, I think ill be okay." I say.
"Are you a hundred percent sure? Because you have to take a few different trains and the tracks are different-"
"I'll see you on Sunday, Bru!" I say, running out of the door, pulling my suitcase along with me.
As I'm walking down the street towards the exit gate, Milo stops me. "Hey, where are you going?"
"Now, why do you care?" I ask.
"I was only asking, god." He mumbles. "So?"
"Manchester. I'm going back home for the weekend."
"Oh."
"Dont miss me too much, okay? Bye." I say.
"In your dreams." He scoffs. I smile, shaking my head and getting a taxi.
After two trains, one bus and crying, im finally back home. I can't believe this but I'm not doing this again. This was absolutely horrible. I thought Bruna was being dramatic but it was so bad.
I was lost, late and dying. But that aside, I'm here. I knock on the door and the door swings open, revealing Eugene.
"Oh, Rory. Hi." He nods. "What are you doing here?"
"Im back home for the weekend." I smile. "Where's dad and Veronica?"
"I don't know." He shrugs. "Come in."
I walk in and close the door behind me. "So, how are you?"
"Fine." He shrugs. "You?"
"Im good. School's hard but im good." I say. "Dad told me you got made quarterback. Thats great."
"Yeah, its nothing. Thanks, though." He nods. "Do you need help with that?"
"No, its fine." I say. "You're heading out?"
"Yeah. I'll see you at dinner." He says and he's out the door. I sigh and head up to my room, sitting on the bed.
A little while later, i hear the door open so I head back downstairs and grin at my father. "Hi, dad."
"RoRo!" He exclaims. "You didn't tell me you were coming."
"Yeah, well, thats what a surprise is, dad." I say.
"You could've told me, I would've picked you up. How was your journey here?"
"Horrible." I sigh. "How are you?"
"Oh, im fine." He shrugs.
"Where's Veronica?"
"In here!" She exclaims, coming in and smiling. "Hi, Rory!"
"Hello!"
"Come on, im making hot chocolate." She says. I sit in the living room with them, glancing at the TV.
"How's school? And don't tell me about the boring stuff." Veronica says.
"Its boring." I huff. "I guess there's a few parties sometimes but im mostly in my dorm hanging out with Will and Bru."
"You were at a race, weren't you? Tell me about that."
"Dont tell dad, but you know Milo Alvarez, right? The guy dad hates?"
Her eyes widen. "No way!"
"What?" Dad asks.
"Oh, nothing, she just almost burnt the dorm." Veronica shrugs.
I glare at her. "Seriously?" I whisper. She smiles and shrugs.
"Where's your brother-"
"Here." Eugene says, walking in. "Is dinner ready?"
"Its on the table. You want to dine with us tonight? Rory's back." Veronica says.
"No, im fine. Thanks." Eugene mumbles and takes his food upstairs.
Veronica sighs. We all sit at the table and dad clears his throat. "I think you should try talking to Eugene. He's always been off since your mother but im starting to get worried."
"Hes going to be fine, dad."
"Its been years since I met Veronica and he still doesn't like her. I don't know what to do anymore because she tries as hard as she can."
"He's only 14, dad. He'll get over it, trust me." I say.
"Exactly, he's 14. He's always out doing god knows what-"
"See, dad? This is why he's like this. Just let him, alright? I know Eugene, he's not doing anything bad, I promise. He's alone most of the time to go on walks. Just let him be, alright? Try talking to him."
"Alright, fine."
"So, how's your grades?"
☆☆☆
"All right, tell me." Veronica says. I push the shopping cart and follow behind her.
"Well, on the first day of school, he put sand in my locker because I sat on his seat." I say.
"Your dad was right, he's a dick." Veronica mumbles.
"He then asked me to tutor him in return for coffee which I agreed to. We had a lot of ups and downs but its better now. But I still hate him, like, a lot."
"You went to his race, didn't you?"
"Yeah, but he wanted me to come so I didn't really have a choice." I say.
"He's hot. Half of the reason your dad hates him is because of how good looking he is."
"Trust me, i know."
"So, do you like him?"
"Not in a million years." I mutter, my face scrunching up.
"Oh, come on, he's hot."
"He is but did you forget what he did to me?"
"Right." She says. "Well, I support whichever."
"Thank you."
"Alright, im going to go check out, you go buy pastries at the bakery." She says, handing me a few bucks.
I smile and head down the road and buy a few donuts. Once im done, I head back to the grocery store parking and help Veronica put the bags in the trunk. We drive back home and I head straight up to my room to complete a few homework until dinner time which goes by the same.
I go to sleep and when I'm up the next day, I pack my things and go have breakfast.
I manage to convince Eugene to play Uno with all of us, in which, he ended up winning most of the rounds.
He said goodbye to me before heading out to hang out with his friends. I watch TV with dad, have one last cup of hot chocolate and before you know it, im back at school having a late dinner.
Milo slides on the bench infront of me. "You're back."
"Unfortunately."
"Wasn't long enough." He says.
"Do you want something?" I sigh, glaring at him.
"I can't spend time with my favourite girl in the entire world?" He asks.
I sigh. "What do you need? Money? Food? My soul?"
"Come to Paris with me."
"I've had a very long ride, just tell me what you need." I sigh.
He sighs. "My cousin in getting married. I need you to come with me to Paris to be my date to the wedding."
"No. Hell no." I laugh.
"Come on, please."
"Id love to come to Paris but a few reasons; I'm broke, I have school and I'd rather die than go to another country with you. I can't tolerate you here, how am I supposed to do that in Paris? Find someone else."
"I'll pay for everything. Your clothes, makeup and shit. You're smart, missing a week will do nothing to you and I promise I'll be as nice as possible."
"Just get someone else. And do you really need a date?"
"Do I really need to explain?"
"Yeah."
He sighs. "My dad told me if I get a girlfriend, he'll be proud of me and I never hear those words so I told him I already have one and now I can't just bring any girl because I need him to approve and he'll approve of you because you're pretty and smart and pretty and please just come."
I sigh. "What do I get?"
"Anything."
"Do you think that you could pretend to like me when Louis is around? Like, pretend to date me."
"Oh." He sighs. "Yeah, okay."
"Okay." I nod. "But just for a few weeks, alright?"
"Okay." He nods. "We're leaving in two weeks. Let me know when you're ready for shopping and everything, okay?"
"Is the weekend good?"
"Its good." He nods. "I'll see you around then, okay?"