THE NIGHTMARE and CALEB'S CLOTHES

The press was really exhausting. They kept asking really personal questions, and honestly, I was glad to have Caleb with me. He was really polite towards the press, a side of his I hadn't seen before. 

After the long day with the press, I went to Caleb's house, and sighed, "I need to pack my things for Assassin Academy, but I'm too scared to go back home."

"I'll go with you tomorrow." He offered. 

I smiled weakly, and went to the guest room to change my clothes into his.

 "You look really pretty in my clothes, you know." He said.

I raised my eyebrow, "Yeah?"

His hands cupped my face, and he kissed me roughly. I kissed him back with the same passion, and we broke apart before the kiss could get more heated. I guess, we weren't ready yet. 

We had dinner, the generic microwavable meal of rice and stew, talked for a bit. I loved hearing his voice, his laugh, and how he smiled with his perfect teeth.

That's when I realized that I would be away from him for an year, and that just broke my heart. Caleb was my best friend and the love of my life. Could I really be apart from him for so long? 

I took a shaky breath and Caleb asked, "Aurora, what happened? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just going to miss you so much when I go to Assassin Academy."

"I'm going to miss you too," He said as his tall frame hugged mine. "I love you." He whispered. "

"I love you too." I breathed. 

He let go of me, and we sat in the living room in silence, unsure of what to do. "I should get to bed, I need some sleep," I said fake yawning.

"Yeah, good night." He said and smiled. 

I went to the guest room, and I wasn't able to sleep at all. I wanted to get out of the society so bad, but running away right now would be the irrational thing to do. All I could do was wait, and look for the perfect opportunity to break free of the bonds of the society. 

I didn't realize that I was sobbing till I felt my wet cheek, and I heard a knock on the door. "Aurora? Are you crying?" 

"No," I said with the most unconvincing voice ever.

Caleb opened the door, and I immediately noticed his bloodshot eyes, which told me he'd been crying too. "It's going to be okay." He said.

I don't know why, but I believed him. "Okay." I repeated after him, and he stroked my back, and hugged me. My hands found his hair, and I twirled them between my fingers. His black hair were so smooth, and perfect, and soft. So soft. 

"What shampoo d'you use?" I asked him awestruck. 

He blinked in confusion, "I don't use shampoo. I just use body wash."

"What?!" I was astonished. "How's your hair so soft?"

He shrugged, and I stared at his startling blue eyes. He stared at my eyes too. It was like we were having a staring competition.

'just twin fire signs, four blue eyes', a lyric of a song crossed my head.

I smiled and crashed my lips on his. It startled him, and he fell back on the bed, and I was on top of him, kissing him. Just as I was about to move away, he took my hand, and didn't let my lips leave his. His tongue slid into my mouth, and it felt so good and so wrong.  

♫ I never saw you coming
And I'll never be the same... 
This is the state of grace
This is the worthwhile fight,
Love is a ruthless game
Unless you play it good, and right ♫

That's when I knew we were a state of grace. Too new to this, too deep to get out of it. "Aurora, we have to stop." He gasped, after the longest kiss I'd ever had.

I whined, "Do we have to?"

"I don't want to either," He sighed, and I pecked his lips. 

I smiled, "Okay. Good night." and threw him out of the guest room. I lay awake until late, but sleep eventually took me in, unlike the parents who had abandoned me.

I am running. 

I don't know where the fuck I am. 

Who the fuck I am.

Who the fuck I'm running from. 

Why the fuck am I even running. 

But I keep running as if my life depends on it. 

I can feel the adrenalin in my body gradually fade.

But I don't stop, or slow down. 

Just as I'm ready to collapse, an icy hand takes hold of me. 

It grips me, and I scream. 

I'm paralysed. 

I can't feel my body. 

I can't even feel my tongue. 

"This is your last chance" A creepy and hoarse voice says.

I keep staring at the sky, "For what?" I try to ask.

It does not hear me. 

Instead, I woke up in a pool of sweat, and my hands made my way to turn off my alarm. My hands trembled, and I calmed myself down, "Get a grip, Aurora, it was just a dream."

But it'd felt too real. So real, that I wasn't aware that I existed. It was just too vivid to get out of my head. 

I shook my head, trying to get a grip on reality, and I walked to the bathroom door beside Caleb's room. 

I didn't even look up, and Caleb yelped, "Aurora!"

My eyes widened, and I quickly shut them, along with the door. 

"I'm so sorry." I said.

He said, "I forgot to lock the door."

"I didn't see anything." I clarified, and made my way back to the guest room.

While going there, I noticed that Caleb's room's door was slightly ajar. I don't know why I peeked in, taking in the breathtaking room. 

I walked into the room, and I noticed his bed, which was clearly made, and hadn't been slept in. Didn't Caleb sleep last night? I saw a pile of clothes of his, which smelt of him. I picked a shirt, and took in the amazing cinnamon scent. 

I knew that going through personal belongings was very rude of a guest, but I opened his first cabinet anyways. I saw a note, neatly folded and tucked away to the side, and I tugged it out. 

It read;

Dear Aurora, 

I don't know why I'm writing this, I'd probably never have the nerve to give it to you, but I had to write this somewhere. You're so pretty that the moon pales in comparison, and global warming doesn't give it much of a fighting chance. 

I only saw you a week ago, but you're the most amazing person I have ever known. I know you probably don't even know I exist, but I can't help but notice your sparkly blue eyes, and gleaming blonde hair. 

I don't know much about love or how it feels. But I know if I ever love someone, it's going to be you. I already feel I love you, but I don't know how to tell you that. You'd probably call me a weirdo, and never look at me again. 

I love it when you stare at me in the badminton courts. One of these days, I will ask you to play badminton with me, and I'd let you defeat me. I just need you to smile and wave at me one more time, to get the courage to ask you to play. 

I'm telling you this, you're the most beautiful girl to ever walk this earth. You're also very smart. I heard through my sister, that you were the most promising kid of your grade. I think you're also very kind. I don't think you know this, but I've been following you. Like a ninja. 

I saw how you gave that stray kitten some milk, even though unidentified animals are to be reported at once. I also saw that you tried helping a boy in the grade above you in maths, but he scoffed and pushed you to the ground. I think you'd be pleased to know that I took care of that boy. 

I know how your eyes crinkle when you smile, how your eyes reflect the sunlight, making them look like infinity pools. Your perfect lips, ugh, they give me a complex, everytime I look at you. How can someone have such pretty pink lips?!

All I know is Aurora Belle Collin, I want to make you love me. I want to make you love me as much as I love you. I want to be your everything, your sun, your moon, your sky, your earth, your oxygen, your water. Because I know even with all of this, I know I will never deserve you. 

-Caleb. 

"Holy shit." I heard Caleb's voice in the doorway. He was only dressing in a towel, and he quickly tossed some clothes on and said, "That wasn't for you to read."

"Oh." I sounded unconvincing. "Who is it for then?"

He took a sharp breath of air, "I wrote it when I was eleven... It doesn't even matter."

I felt defeated, "It doesn't matter?" I asked softly. 

"I- mean, I guess not..." Caleb trailed off. 

I shrugged, "I felt the same way."

His eyes glistened with hope for a second, and he looked away. "Let's go to your house to get your things," was all he said. 

I silently nodded, and followed Caleb out of the house to my house. When my house came into sight, my breathing faltered. C'mon Aurora, you can't just chicken out now. You brought this upon yourself. I told myself.

Caleb reached for my hand, and I felt his familiar touch on my skin. I walked towards my house, and with great courage rang the doorbell. 

Once I did that, I seriously considered running away, ding dong ditching, but Caleb's hand firmly held mine, and I intertwined our fingers. 

My mother opened the door, and she saw me. She didn't even look shocked to see me, she was just annoyed like I was a fly buzzing next to her ear. When she took note of Caleb, she made a disgusted face instead. "I'm just here to get my things." I said. 

She opened her mouth, then decided against it, and let me and Caleb in. I quickly gathered my things, and Caleb helped a little, and in less then ten minutes, we were out of my house. 

Just as I was leaving, my mother said, "Just be careful, Aurora. Things aren't always what they seem."

I laughed bitterly inside my mind. I only nodded to her, as I proceeded outside the house with two big suitcases. Being a level eight genius, the only advice she can give me is be careful?!

We reached Caleb's house, and our expedition had left both of us in silence. I really hated these bouts of silence between me and Caleb. It was comforting enough to be in his presence, but both of us knew each other excruciatingly well already, so we had a lack of topics to discuss about. 

"D'you want to go play badminton today?" He abruptly blurted. "Cause like you're going to go tomorrow, and the next time we'd probably get a chance to play is next year, and I don't-" He rambled. 

"Sure." I curtly replied. 

We had lunch, hung out a bit in our awkwardly amusing silence, and then at 6, left to play badminton. In two hours, I had burnt myself out completely. But I wouldn't tell Caleb that. 

The next game was won by Caleb, and instead of jumping up and down, and screaming, "I finally defeated you!", he cupped my face in his hands, and asked me what was wrong. 

"Nothing." I mumbled. 

He mock-rolled his eyes, "No secrets, remember?"

"Really, it's nothing." No, it's not nothing. I can't bear the fact that you're not going to be with me for an entire year, and it's killing me, and I love you so much, that I'd die for you. Caleb, please, don't let me go. 

"Okay, let's go home." He suggested. 

I nodded, and we were walking again. I was dragging my feet on the pavement, and my shoes were making a horrible noise, but I didn't stop. Caleb glanced at me, worriedly, and I wondered what went on in his pretty little mind.

He walked up behind me, and scooped me up. That broke me out of my miserable stance. "Caleb!" I giggled. 

He grinned, and walked home with me in his arms. We had dinner, fish and vegetables, my least favourite, but that was the society menu for today. 

I went to bed, in my clothes, after a long time. I saw flashes of the dream I had last night when I closed my eyes. My eyes flew open, and I ran out of the room. I opened Caleb's room's door without knocking, and asked, "Can I sleep in your room tonight?"

He looked startled for a second, composed himself and said, "Of course."

I lay in his single person bed beside him, and he whispered, "You look better in my clothes."

"I know. Your clothes are so much more comfortable and-" I mocked him playfully. 

He pressed a pair of clothes against me, and I gladly took them, and went to change them.

"Much better," He sighed. He kissed me when I lay back on the bed, and we started talking about random shit, that made no sense. 

I asked him, "What do you think of neon yellow?" 

"Not much," he replied and both of us started laughing loudly. 

We laughed ourselves to sleep, and it was the best sleep I'd ever gotten.