I didn't know what Hailee was planning but I knew that it wasn't going to be good because when she entered the dark room-for photographers who developed film-I noticed Matt in the corner of my eye clenching his fists at the sight.
I hated the smell of what was in the chemicals in the dark room that filled up the entire place so I decided to wait outside, leaning against the wall as I drummed my fingers on my pink leather jacket, yawning in the process.
The corridor was silent and it was because almost everyone was in the cafeteria, hanging around like ghosts. There were a few people hanging around the lockers and it was because they were either getting something or they were making their way to the janitor's closet. So typical.
I looked to the side and sighed, my eyes focusing on two people who was walking slowly down the corridor. I shot up and regained my composure, my breath hitching at my throat as I rolled my shoulders back whilst the pair came into view in the corner of my eyes.
As the stiletto's neared me, I cocked an eyebrow at Ruby who delivered a mischievous grin in my direction only to earn a middle finger in hers. My eyes -without permission- slid to Ashton who eyed my finger before making eye contact with me, hope sparking in those blue orbs of his as I only scoffed and moved my middle finger in his direction.
If he thought that he could play me and get away with me, he thought absolutely fucking wrong.
"Ah, that's not very ladylike," Ruby said, shaking her head amusedly as she came to a stand in front of me, Ashton standing to the side with a blank expression. My stomach churned at the thought that now he was protecting her.
"I didn't say that I was ladylike," I retorted, chuckling humourlessly.
Ruby frowned immediately, her jaw clenching as she took a small step forward as if to intimidate me. I squared up to her size and clenched my fists at my sides, ready to swing if need be.
Before I could speak up, Ashton swung his arms around Ruby's shoulders, my eyes widening an inch at the gesture as he shot me a blank look. My ice heart slightly cracked at the sight as he rolled his eyes in annoyance before guiding the smirking Ruby away.
God, if only you knew how much strength I needed to resist the urge to punch her out of his arms.
Anger bubbled within the pits of my stomach and jealous spread in my chest as my heart ached at their retreating backs.
"Why?!" I called out, my voice shaking as my hands clung to my pants, the pair never hesitating in their steps as they walked away. I knew damn well they heard me. He heard me. I bit my lips nervously as a lump rose in my throat, tears stinging my eyes as my knees gave in and I collapsed to the floor, my chest heaving heavily. I managed to let out a whisper, "please, don't do this to me. Ashton, please, I'm sorry for whatever I had done to you."
It was my first time to ever apologise but there was no wind to carry my words to him. None at all.
I heard the door crack open and I was too weak, no, exhausted to even get up and plaster on a blank façade. A few gasps left my friends' mouths as I slightly looked up to find Tori quickly bending down to me, taking my hand into hers before she gestured to the others to assist her.
"What happened?" Jiao asked carefully, her brown eyes wandering around my skin to see if I had been hurt. "Ruby didn't hurt you, did she?"
I shook my head weakly, completely embarrassed that a few people who were just exiting the cafeteria were now self-forming a crowd around me, whispering under their breaths. Jiao and Tori pulled me to my feet, Hailee fixing my hair before shooting the self-formed crowd a glare. "No, she didn't. I'm taking off early, alright?"
"We'll cover for you," Hailee answered with a supportive smile even though confusion sparked in her eyes. "Cut class, drink vodka, do whatever the hell makes you happy."
I couldn't help but chuckle. "Thanks, Lee."
Hailee rolled her eyes and faked a puke. "Go, before Mrs Waldroops whips you with her cane."
I ran down the corridor before Hailee even finished her sentence as I pushed open the doors and ran through it, the cold breeze wrapping around me like a cold blanket. I rushed towards my convertible and hopped in, swiftly turning on the engine as the car roared to life.
Feeling the need to look to the side, I snapped my head to the left and found Ruby and Ashton in a heated argument, evident in hands flailing around and Ashton's flared nostrils. I clenched my hand around the wheel as if to suffocate it before speeding through the wide-open gates of the school, passing Ashton and Ruby in the process.
I ended up sneaking inside the house since I wasn't supposed to be home from school so early and because I also didn't want to have the 'talk' from my parents. They always gave me the talk whenever the opportunity came through to only be knocked down whenever I walked out of the house.
"Aurora, is that you?!" I heard a feminine voice call out just as I was about to slip inside my room. My heart skipped a beat as I slammed my forehead on my bedroom door, hoping for a black hole to just appear and swallow me up for a few hours. "Aurora, I know it's you!" I slid down to the ground and let out a loud groan, allowing it to respond to my mother.
"Can you come downstairs, please?" I heard her ask.
Please?
I punched myself to see if I was dreaming. Nothing. I raised an eyebrow in confusion and decided to pinch my cheek, immediately wincing at the pain. Did my mother say please? I must've been living in another world of reality.
I didn't crawl through a mini door like Caroline did, right? That shit was so freaking scary, I wouldn't even watch it till this day.
As I plastered on a blank expression whilst descending the stairs, I found my father just slipping inside the kitchen in his casual clothes, kissing my mother on the cheek. I gagged at the sight before walking into the kitchen, letting out a heavy sigh before leaning against the wall as my mother and father turned to face me.
"You actually came," my mother said, eyes widened in disbelief as I saw my father's lips twitch in the corner of my eyes.
I scoffed. "And you actually said 'please'."
My mother bit her lips before offering me a Nutella sandwich. I glared at the sandwich as it begged me to take and devour it before I glanced at my mother to see her strain a smile. I cleared my throat and snatched the sandwich from her hands and shoved it inside my mouth, inwardly moaning at how delicious the chocolate tasted.
"Well, now I know you like Nutella or chocolate of some sorts," my mother said, taking a sip of her orange juice. "So, why are you home early?"
Here we go.
"I wanted to skip school today," I answered with a nonchalant shrug.
"Aurora, please don't be difficult." It was my father who spoke up.
"Why did you want to skip school today?" she questioned, her arms crossing over her chest as she stared at me with a soft look.
I was surely living in another dimension.
"Why not?" I said slowly, extremely confused. I hated them for beating around the bush. "Is there something going on here? Are you pregnant?"
My father sighed before shaking his head. "No, we just...we're trying our best to-"
"Oh." Was the only word that escaped my lips. I shook my head amusedly and rubbed my temples in annoyance. "You've been going to a counsellor, haven't you?"
My mother's eyebrows shot up. "How did you know?"
I shrugged. "Please, I'm not stupid."
My father clenched his jaw. "We all make mistakes. We're humans."
My heart stumbled. "I know. You had so many years to fix your mistakes and you choose now to fix it? Why? I shouldn't even have to beg for a relationship with the both of you."
My mother's eyes stung with tears and it was my first time ever to see that she has other emotions other than anger. She seemed weak and vulnerable and a part of me ached for her but the other part of me was satisfied.
It was to the point that I didn't know who my parents were anymore because they've grown so far from me. It was like a never-ending ocean between us and my parents were standing on a boat, looking out whilst I struggled to swim.
"Please...Aurora," my mother begged, my fists clenching at my sides.
"Do you know how I feel now?" I questioned, looking down at her as the good side of me wanted to slam me into a brick wall for being so harsh and cruel.
"How you feel?" my father questioned, his voice soft. "What do you mean by that?"
"Like I said, I can survive without your love," I gritted out through my teeth.
"Why are you being so damn difficult?" my father questioned coldly, slamming his fist on the marble countertop, making me flinch in surprise at how fast his mood had changed. "We're trying to open our hearts to you."
That was like a sword through my heart as a lump rose in my throat and my hands trembled at my sides. "The fact that you have to have someone else to help you open your heart to me just screams that you don't truly want to. Why? Why are you trying now?" I was surely crying now and I didn't remember the last time I cried in front of my parents. Ever. "Can't you see that I have suffered enough? Oh wait, was I just conceived to carry the family name? Am I even your daughter?"
My mother's eyes widened. "You...you've been questioning that?"
"I'm being difficult because I raised myself," I said in a dangerous, quite voice. "I closed my heart to any of you the second Dakota was branded as the 'perfect' daughter. You didn't raise me. I raised myself." I didn't know why but I had to repeat myself.
Just before my parents could answer, the door bell chimed throughout the entire house, breaking the tension in the air. I turned on my heel immediately and stormed towards the front door, ripping it open to only be met by a stunning elderly woman.
She now grew white hair but still had those beautiful hazel eyes that glowed with happiness-happiness that immediately dimmed when they drank in my state.
"Darling, Aurora!" the elderly woman, my grandmother, exclaimed in worry as she wrapped her arms around my neck. I inhaled her vanilla scent, the scent that I had long forgotten, the scent that made me felt like I was at home. The only family member who loved me for who I was. "Oh, darling, don't ever shed tears."
I pulled away and forced a smile on my face. "Ma, I missed you."
My grandmother narrowed her eyes in on my fake smile. "Dear, get rid of that horrid fake smile. Oh, and I missed you too. I'm sure it's been about...a year and a half I believe."
I chuckled. "It sure has."
"Mother!" my mother exclaimed from behind, her voice filled with forced delight as she strode towards her mother and gave her a short hug. "We weren't expecting you today. I thought you were coming in next week."
Something clicked inside my head.
My parents wanted to make amends with me because of my grandmother.
My grandmother and my parents didn't have the strongest connection. It all started when my mother decided to marry my father and when I meant by marrying-I meant by eloping.
My mother lost my grandmother's trust after that. She had even stopped seeing her. But when word reached my grandmother's ears that my mother was pregnant with her first born-me-my grandmother immediately placed herself in my mother's life.
For my sake.
"Darling, would you please fetch grandmother Marie a cup of tea?" my mother sweetly asked me. My grandmother also forced my mother to put her name in my middle name and I was glad that she did.
I scoffed. "Ask father or do it yourself. I'm heading out." I wasn't going to have any of it. At least, it wasn't going to be today.
My grandmother shot my mother a look before her nostrils flared. "Are you still favouring Dakota? I thought I taught you better than that. Aurora has gone through enough and she doesn't need your shit to add to her plate!"
My eyes widened in disbelief at my grandmother's choice of words. My heart skipped a beat when my grandmother kissed my cheek before ushering me out of the house. "Aurora, come home in a few hours. I'm going to knock some sense into your mother. That woman never learns from her mistakes." She then slammed the door in my face.
I aspired to be like her in my elderly years.
a/n: I made this chapter super long than the rest because I don't know, I felt like I had to. (:
Oh, and I am so sorry for the late update! It's my last week of school before a two week winter break and I'm so excited for it! That means I get to upload more on this novel and my other 'Alpha Riven'.
What do you think Ashton and Ruby was discussing about? Make sure to comment and leave a vote!
Don't be a silent reader!
Ariella XO