- Alone; Heart - 
- that way; Tate McRae - 

Aurora Holland

Today was Friday. It had been four days since I started my Senior Year at Riverway High, and three since I embarrassed James Hanneman in the gymnasium during PE. It was a Day 1, meaning I had Ceramics, Painting, US Government, Homeroom, and AP Environmental Science.

"You doing okay, Ror?" My father asked from the driver's seat. I glanced over at him and away from the students littering outside around the entrance of Riverway High, nodding.

"Just didn't sleep too well last night," I told him. We hadn't really talked much since Monday morning when we had that small argument outside of the house. He doesn't know anything about my mother ripping up my painting or the things she told me when Logan was hiding in the bathroom, and I had no intention of letting him find out.

It's not like there was anything he could do anyway. And if there was, would he? No. So why try to spill my guts to him when he wouldn't do anything about it anyways?

"Thank you for driving me to school today," I told him, changing the subject.

"Do you know when Paige will be able to begin taking you again?" He asked in return, loosening the tie around his neck.

"No," I said. "She's just-- she's just busy with a lot of school projects and I don't want to feel like a bother." It was a lie, but he didn't need to know that.

Even a month ago I wouldn't have thought about lying to my parents, specifically my father. But with how things have been happening lately, it's as if the lies come out easier than the truth.

"Well maybe we can figure out the bus route for the days I'm unable to bring you," He said. "I just happened to get lucky today in not having to go in early."

"Yeah, thanks again," I told him, unbuckling my seatbelt.

I grabbed my belongings and got out of the car, waving goodbye one last time before he drove off. I walked alone to the entrance of the school, somehow ignoring the stares.

My face stayed down, my legs taking me straight through the halls and to my locker. It's been like this the last few days because I haven't really been in contact with the others, and although it sucked I wasn't really talking to anyone, I wasn't getting talked about as much as I was when I was constantly seen with Logan.

They haven't seen me around Carter and Logan, meaning they haven't been able to conjure up any new rumors. I even avoided Logan by walking to school or having my dad take me when he was home, using the excuse that Paige is busy. Paige hasn't talked to me either, but I could tell she wasn't as angry anymore about the Carter situation.

I opened my locker, switching my books out. There hasn't been another note left since Tuesday, and I haven't told anyone about it. Cameron was the only one that knew I was wanting to know French, but he didn't push me on it as he respected my boundaries when I didn't wanna talk about it.

As I got to Ceramics, I smiled softly as I saw the empty table. It was the same table I always sat at during both Ceramics and Painting, one that was awfully close to the front of the class.

Sitting down, I didn't hesitate to pull out my final draft. Thankfully, Mrs. Rosa loved my first draft and wanted me to have the final draft finished by today so I could get caught up with the rest of the class. I'd finished it last night, spending more time on it than any of my other homework assignments.

Of course, I managed to get all of those done as well since I didn't do anything but stay at home, but I didn't put as much effort into my other assignments as I did with this one. Considering I was already behind, getting a good grade on this piece was all that really mattered to me.

I stared at the final product, happy with my work. Usually, I'm constantly nitpicking every little problem with my artwork, but there was something about this one that made it absolutely perfect. I loved it, and I couldn't wait to see it off of the paper and on clay.

"Hello, sweetheart!" A British accent rang through my ears, and it wasn't long before a sloppy kiss was placed on the top of my head. I glanced over to see Elijah sitting to the left of me, where he usually did.

I've never been kissed by a boy, and when I say that I'm not meaning kisses on the lips. Obviously, that counts as well, but that's been known. I'm meaning besides my father's kisses to my head when I was younger, I've never had the luxury of even a friendly kiss on the head the way Elijah did.

So when he did it for the first time on Wednesday, my face was red for the rest of the class. I couldn't even look at him without getting beet red all over again, simply because it was unexpected.

Even the guys who would give me attention to get close to Paige wouldn't ever do anything like this, and it's not like Paige was around. I'm starting to get used to the fact that Elijah was being friendly for more reasons than just Paige, especially since he's already known what it was like to be friends with her -- even more than friends, actually.

I don't know if they've hooked up since the night of Logan's party, or if they had before the party. But what I'm meaning is Elijah's already gotten to that point with Paige, and since she and I haven't really talked there was no reason for him to be as nice to me as he was.

Maybe his intentions aren't what I first thought when I met their friend group.

"Is that your final draft?" Elijah asked once he was comfy in his spot. He pulled the paper from the desk in one swift move before I could protest, his eyes dancing over the different shades of blue. "You haven't even started it and I can already tell yours is going to look much better than mine."

"Just because it looks good on paper doesn't mean it'll look good on the clay." I shook my head as he put the paper back where it previously was. "I'm experienced in paper art, not clay. I'm sure it's going to look worse."

"Don't doubt yourself, love." Elijah shook his head, "I haven't seen you with the others lately." He quickly changed the subject, taking advantage of the few minutes left before class began.

"Just been staying to myself is all," I spoke. "I don't know what it was Paige told you before I moved here, but it's probably nothing like what she said."

"She didn't say much to me," He said. "Just said his cousin from South Dakota was moving here and that she'll be introduced to the friend group. She talked about you to Logan and the girls more than anything."

"Oh, that's surprising," I said.

"Well, Carter and I aren't around them as much." He responded, "Usually we just tag along when there's nothing better to do, or if there's a party. Well, I do anyways. Carter's just... Carter, so it really depends on what he wants to do that day."

"I see."

"That being said, she probably told Z, Naia, Eliana, and the others about it more because they're constantly around her. Whenever we were around each other, we weren't really talking." He continued.

Well, there's my answer on whether they hooked up before the night of the party or not...

"So are you and Paige..." I trailed off, not knowing how to word what I wanted to ask.

"No, we're not dating." He answered.

"I knew you weren't dating, otherwise she wouldn't be trying to get with Carter," I said before my eyes widened at what I'd accidentally admitted. "Oh god, please don't tell her I--"

"Don't worry, Rora, I won't say anything." Elijah quickly cut me off, resting a hand on my shoulder. I could feel my skin heating up underneath the contact, and I was thankful I chose to wear a sweater today. "As I said, Paige and I don't really talk when we're together. It's just a fling, one that both of us are over."

"You didn't seem much over it the night of the party," I pointed out, turning my face away so he couldn't see my blush.

"Eh, I was drunk." He shrugged, pulling his hand away. "Her and I have an unspoken agreement of only getting together if we're drunk. That's how it started after all."

"I don't need to know anymore," I said, not wanting to know the details of my cousin's sex life. I already hear about it enough from her against my will, so I didn't need to hear any more from Elijah.

"I won't tell you all the dirty details, don't worry." He winked at me, causing my cheeks to heat up once again. "But yeah, there's nothing between us anymore. I could tell she was into someone else I just didn't know who."

"Well, now you do." As soon as the words left my mouth, the final bell rang. The last few students ran in so they wouldn't be considered late, and Mrs. Rosa began her lecture for the day.

The class went by quickly, which was most likely due to the entertainment of Elijah and the fact that I was finally able to start on my piece. I even continued working on it as the bell rang, since I was going to be here for the next class as well.

As Painting began, I ignored the comments coming from Kaya and her friend. I finally learned that her friend's name is Stella, and in my opinion, she looks nothing like a Stella.

I felt a presence sitting next to me, and I quickly learned it was Carter. He continued to sit by me despite me not really talking to him, and he also didn't seem to mind that I wasn't talking. He didn't try to talk or start any type of conversation with me, and part of me was thankful.

This was how the rest of the day went, up until homeroom. I stayed to myself, going from class to class to avoid running into anyone I know. With the exception of Elijah in first block, it worked.

However, I didn't mind that Elijah continued to talk to me. It's just his personality, and I've noticed from watching that he's like that with just about everyone he knows. He somehow made me forget about my troubles and about anything happening, and even when he talked to Paige it wasn't in any way of me being reminded about me being her little shadow. It was just about his relationship with her, and how close he is with the rest of her friends.

"Are you doing anything after school?" I turned to Katherine. We hadn't really talked much since the other day when I stuck up for her to James, as I've been too caught up in my own thoughts to put myself out there.

She seemed just as shy as me, if not more, so I didn't bother her. I knew if any type of friendship was going to come out of this then it'd be me that has to reach out to her, and although I don't mind it doesn't change the fact that it's still nervewracking.

"What?" She asked, looking at me with wide eyes. "Like... like today?" She then added quickly.

"After school. I have a thing later tonight, but I was thinking maybe if you wanted to come over or something we could hang out. I don't know, isn't that how this making friends thing works?" I asked with a shrug.

Her eyes bounced around, seeming shocked that I'd willingly asked her to come over. When her big brown eyes landed on me again, her cheeks grew red. "You want to be my friend?"

"Sure," I said. "I mean, I'm not very good at the making friends department, and I've never really had a friend before so I'm not too sure what I'm doing, so..."

"You're friends with Logan Jackson," She said. "And Carter Jackson."

"Not really," I spoke as I shook my head. "I'd consider Logan more a friend than Carter, but they're both just kind to me. Probably because they know Paige, and everybody loves Paige."

"Isn't Paige your friend?" She then countered, her foot tapping on the ground lightly.

"Sure, I guess. But she doesn't really count considering she's my cousin. I've never had a friend who isn't Paige until I moved here, and even then I wouldn't say I'm on a friend level with any of these people. Except maybe Cameron or Logan." I told her, "I get it if you don't, I know I'm just the weird new kid, but--"

"No, it's not that." The blonde quickly shook her head, looking away from me. She seemed lost in thought, at an internal battle with herself. "I'll hang out. What did you want to do?" She finally decided after a few moments.

"I didn't think this far ahead," I admitted. "What things do you like to do?"

"I'm not picky," She said. She still seemed very timid, as if she was unsure she chose the wrong option in hanging out, but instead of confronting her about it I just stayed silent as I thought about what we could do.

"There's an arcade my little brother went to sometime after we moved here, have you heard of it?"

"Yeah, been there a couple of times too," Katherine responded.

"Why don't we check that out? I've never been there, and we don't have to stay for a super long time or anything." I shrugged at the offer, showing I wouldn't be offended if she said no.

"We can do that," She agreed, the smallest smile covering her beautiful features.

"Great, what do you have last block?" I asked, a relieved smile covering my face.

"Ceramics," She said.

"I take Ceramics too, but it was my first class today." I smiled even bigger, happy there was something we could talk about.

I know she mentioned the other day that art classes are just something she does in her free time, meaning that art isn't one of her passions the way that it is mine. But this means she knows something about it, meaning it gives us something in common to talk about until we get to a point where we know each other better, making it less awkward.

"I saw you working on the draft the other day, it was really good." She nodded, speaking with an awkward tone. It's almost as if she's got the same amount of experience with friends as I do, which as bad as it sounds makes me feel a lot better.

It means if I get a little too shy or awkward, she'll know exactly how I feel and understand why I'm acting the way I am. 

The bell rang, meaning homeroom was over. I had to get to AP Environmental Science, a class I didn't have with anyone I knew. As nice as it was because it makes keeping to myself much easier, I wished I had someone like Elijah or even Katherine in the class. It made me feel better because even though the stares and rumors have died down, they're still there considering Carter still sits by me in the classes we do have together.

Not to mention Cameron and Griffin are best friends with Logan, who is still around sometimes. It's like a chain. They see me with Griffin, who's super close to Cameron. Cameron and Logan are best friends, meaning I'm still involved in the friend group.

They see Elijah and me talking in Ceramics, and Elijah and Carter are best friends. This still links me with Carter, meaning I'm still involved.

It was like whether I talk to the boys or not, I was still going to get looked at and talked about. There truly was nothing I could do, as much as I wanted. But part of me was just too overwhelmed to try and talk with them daily and feed into the annoying students of Riverway.

"If you want we can meet at the entrance of the art hall. I have to stop by my locker first but I'm sure it won't take me too long to get there," I offered to Katherine, remembering we needed to know when and where to meet up after our last class.

"Let's just meet in the common area. It'll be by the entrance and in the middle of it all so you don't need to make an extra trip." Katherine then said, shoving her backpack on her back.

I nodded, feeling that was enough planning. She waved a short goodbye out of politeness, making her way from the classroom. I took this as a cue to begin gathering my things, seeing as I probably had about five more minutes to get from here to the science wing.

Just as I reached out to grab my textbook for my next class, a giant hand slammed over it, trapping mine underneath. My eyes trailed up to meet dark blue ones, staring at me with nothing but anger.

"You think you're so cute don't you?" James asked in a rude way, his grip on my hand tightening. He was no longer holding the textbook and instead was holding my hand, my fingers squeezing together in pain.

"Let go of me," I said with gritted teeth, my brows pushed together. "Funny you're trying to corner me three days after the situation." I then added, hearing his comment.

"You've been avoiding me," He said.

"No. I've been going to classes, which is what you should be doing right now." I pointed out, "I was just simply playing the game. It's not my fault you didn't know how to beat me."

He pulled my hand up, causing my upper body to fling toward him over the desk. His chest was almost touching mine and I could smell the scent of his cologne, one that was way too strong. His deep blue eyes glared into mine, looking from the left and the right.

"You have no idea who you're messing with," He said. His hot breath fanned my face, his grip on my hand only getting tighter.

"Neither do you," I said.

"Is that a threat?" He asked in disbelief, a scoff leaving his lips. "You're the least threatening thing at this school, baby girl, and I've been through a lot of these girls quicker than you can blink."

"You're not as cool as you think you are," I denied, shaking my head. "Now let me go."

"You better be lucky that we're at school right now, but you better watch your back. It's not good to be four days into a new school and already have half of it hate you--"

"Why don't you let her go, Hanneman?" An unknown voice asked, interrupting the boy's short monologue.

James looked to his right and my left, his stance not moving as he wasn't threatened. 

I looked to see a boy I'd yet to meet. He had neatly styled short brown hair and dark blue eyes. He was shorter than James by a good foot or so but was still much taller than I was. He wore a Polo shirt, a dark green color, and Khakis for pants.

He was the least intimidating guy I've met at this school, which says a lot considering I'm intimidated by almost everyone.

"Oh yeah? And what are you going to do about it, geek?" James asked, sizing the guy up and down.

"Mr. Maroni will be back at any given moment and he will not be happy seeing you--"

"Shut up and get back to your homework, nobody cares what you have to say." James cut the boy off, not caring about what the boy said.

His eyes flitted to me, a sad look in them as he pursed his lips. He and I both knew that he was no match for James and whereas I knew James would be the stupidest man alive to do any more than he already was to me, he could actually put his hands on the unknown boy.

'Thank you', I mouthed, knowing he was trying his best.

The boy clenched his jaw, seeming to not like the situation unraveling in front of him. He turned his attention back to James, shutting his eyes for a second while he thought about what he wanted to say.

"James, I will give you two seconds to let go of her."

"No, it's okay, really--"

"Yeah, listen to her. She's fine," James cut me off, not letting me finish my sentence. He then looked at me again, anger coursing through the dark blue color. It scared me, but as much as I wanted to cower away, I wouldn't back down as I knew that's exactly what he wanted.

He wanted to see me afraid of him.

James looked like he was about to say something else, but before he could get one syllable out a hand roughly grabbed onto his shoulder, yanking him backward.

He flew into the desks behind him, stumbling backward as he couldn't get a good grip on anything to hold him up. I immediately grabbed the hand he'd been holding onto, rubbing it gently from the slight pain it had brought me.

Carter stood between us now, his back to me. He was breathing heavily, I could tell as his broad shoulders moved up and down. He stepped toward James, who was recovering from being tossed into the desks.

"Don't you ever touch her again, Hanneman." His tone was deep and menacing, not to mention intimidating.

I barely gave myself time to think about what had just happened within the last thirty seconds, and instead just gathered my things and ran out of the classroom. I ignored the looks from people standing to the side, and the sad look the unknown boy who tried to help gave. 

My feet moved quickly, and thankfully I didn't have to weave around too much since the hallways were slowly growing empty as people were arriving at their last class of the day. I didn't stop at my locker like I planned, running down the stairs and skipping every other one to get across the school.

As my breathing picked up, I didn't bother looking back as I ran to the science wing. It wasn't long before I entered my AP Environmental Science class, the bell ringing just as my foot stepped through the door.

I made it, and relief washed through me as I ignored the stares and made my way to my assigned seat.

Out of all my classes, this was the only class I had this semester that had assigned seating. From what I've learned, some classes don't ever have assigned seats, some always do, and some do it depending on how much people pay attention.

This was one of those classes where they automatically give assigned seats whether we behave or not. I don't mind, I just feel awkward when I get sat next to people who don't like me.

My breathing was uneven from my sprint across the building, my heart racing rapidly as I did my best to calm myself down. I really needed water and didn't have any, and I was doing my best to try and avoid even more attention on me.

I sat the textbook I carried all the way to class on the desk, thankful I had decided to grab it before homeroom instead of after. It would've been nice to go by my locker and drop some things I didn't need off, but I knew I'd have been much later than I already was if I stopped.

My eyes glanced down to my right hand, the one with the healing scratches from days prior. I hadn't managed to cut them open again -- thankfully -- but now it was a dark red from how tightly James held onto me.

Knowing my body, this was going to bruise. I'm a huge klutz, not to mention I bruise like a banana. My doctor tested me for anemia, but we just found out I was low in iron and potassium, and I'm not very good at keeping up with those things.

Even with my mom and dad constantly reminding me, it doesn't change the fact I don't eat the foods and drink the liquids I need to fix it. So I bruise even if something lightly grabs me, making my skin look all beat up and ugly.

I looked out of the window to my right, my breathing finally calming down to how it normally was. I was still extremely thirsty, but instead of focusing on my dry throat, I put my attention on my teacher, my mind pushing away the thoughts of what just happened.

My phone vibrated from my pocket, and I ignored it at first before getting another notification. I made sure the teacher wasn't paying me any attention before pulling it from my back pocket, seeing Paige had actually texted me.

Paige:

I'm really sorry I've been mean and distant, Ror. I just didn't like what you said and despite that, I shouldn't have acted the way I did.

Meet after class and we can go do something before tonight?

As much as I wanted to make up with her and say yes, I knew I already made plans with Katherine. And although I don't really know the girl that much, I wasn't going to ruin any potential friendship with her by just going back to doing anything and everything Paige says.

Not to mention, I can almost 100% guarantee she's apologizing because she wants to do my hair and makeup for tonight.

Sighing, I sent out a quick text before shutting my phone off completely.

Can't. Have plans, see you tonight.

++

<3 Happy Thursday 

* This chapter is not edited *