Bells, bells, bells!

If I'm not mistaken, eighty percent of school goers fear these torture devices. They reminded you the slavery you were subjected to everyday.

Socially acceptable slavery that feeds you with lies and force those lies down your throat and make sure you do not deviate from the "norm"

One of those lies I was listening to in my third class for the day made me churn with rage.

For the part past twenty minutes Mrs Blackett, our history teacher had been spewing nonsense about the Africans.

It's kind of ironical, her hatred for Africa considering her name.

Racism isn't something anyone should get used to but in our world today, you either get used to it or jump off a cliff.

Winter and I were the only people of colour in this particular class and my friend was doing a hard job at concealing his rage. In his seat, next to mine, he was literally vibrating.

Annoyed, I raised a hand.

"Yes Miss White."

She sounded pleased, standing at that damned whiteboard and rubbing my name in my face.

Fuck my name.

I rose, ignoring the stares everyone was giving me. "This could be reported as racism, Mrs Blackett."

Her smirk dropped. "I'm only doing my job teaching history."

"Fuck history for saying all Africans are savages. Do I look like one to you? How come I'm sitting in the same class with your bloody supreme asses? Do I look like an ape to you all?" I gazed at Winter. "Do we look like apes?"

An unfortunate soul chose to speak. "Kinda."

Robin. The boy in the seat at my immediate right.

I slapped him so hard he fell off his seat.

"Aurora White. Detention, now."

After grabbing my belongings, I strolled to the door. With a finger holding down the handle, I looked over my shoulder.

"I'd rather spend a billion years in decision than an hour with your fat racist ass." I slammed the door shut.

Let the worse come because I sure was prepared.

⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜

"You got detention today." Summer said while the four of us walked outside the school gates.

"You sound just like my mother."

Summer narrowed her eyes at me before fixing her gaze back on the winding path we used after school sometimes. "Aurora Harmony White."

I cringed at the use of my full name. It's been ages since anyone called me Harmony and it was good because there was nothing harmonious about me.

"I cussed Blackett. No big deal."

Summer did not respond. Beside her, Winter walked with his black Beats headphones blocking out the outer world. His attitude had been off since last Saturday. Cole, Summer and I were adjusted to having bodyguards follow us everywhere, but I couldn't tell if he was annoyed at the men following us closely or at something else.

Today just radiated bad energy.

"I wonder why they haven't sacked her." Cole spoke.

I threw my arm over his and Summer's shoulder. "I'll live. People like her are inconsequential to my march to success. There's bound to be vermin crawling over the planet earth, it's best to ignore them like the shit they are."

Summer sighed. "How come you're the one saying that?"

"How?" I asked.

"Well, normally, it should be the friends comforting the disgruntled friend, not the other way around." Cole replied.

I shrugged. "Let's just go with the flow."

When we were a little distance away from where the men had parked the car between some trees blowing softly in the evening breeze, Cole returned my textbook.

"I don't think I'll be hanging out this evening. There's a ton load of assignments literally on my back."

Summer rolled her eyes. "Me too."

All my friends are ditching me tonight.

What about Winter?

Together, we gazed at Winter. Seeing he wasn't even mentally present with us, Cole casually forced his headphones so they rested on his neck, a gesture that would be easily classified at friendly but Winter was displeased.

"What?" He growled making Cole shrink away frightened.

Summer frowned. "Chill bear. We only wanted to know if you're going to be free tonight."

"No." We had reached the car now but Winter instead of climbing in like we all did, walked away to a group of guys standing in front of a Chevy.

"What the fuck is his problem?" Summer asked, angrily staring out through the car window.

Cole slammed the door shut and I silently gestured at Barry to drive. He started a conversation with his colleague Devan and I switched back to my friends.

"Now that our first day of school has been ruined, what do we do?" Cole asked.

"Let's just go home and eat our misery away. Wait, how was your day ruined?" I demanded, watching Summer still scowling at the outside world flying by.

"You didn't ask me how my day was ruined." She accused.

I sighed. "Let's start-"

"-Aura loves me more that's why." Cole gets a hard shove from me.

"I love you all equally, Cole."

He snorted at that. Summer pullled her gaze away from the window to smirk at me.

Whatever. I simply rolled my eyes and relaxed while they heaved stories upon stories on me. At least, I got distracted until Summer alighted somewhere saying she had to meet up with a classmate for a random project they got paired up with. She was blatantly lying because schools just re-opened today and no teacher gave projects out until next week.

It was just me and Cole left. "I wish Robin and her vultures would have come for me instead of Summer."

Cole paused the Dancing Line game on his phone and held my gaze. "She handled them better than you would."

And that silenced me till we got home. I raised a brow when Cole followed me up to the front door.

"Why do you have this hawkish look?" He asked.

"You said you were going home."

Cole scratched the back of his head. "Well, no one wanted to hang out. It would be quite lonely at home since dad won't be back till eleven and mum-"

I nodded in understanding. His mum, recently recovering from issues with her heart was not yet back from the hospital. I dread the day Cole finds out Winter and I paid the bills.

"What do you do with all,the money you have?" Cole asked when we were in my room. Mum wasn't in yet. She told me about some old friends she needed to see. I believed these "old friends" had everything to do with Sven's case.
"Get new phones every month, donate to charity and whatever thing I need. Why are you asking?"

He shrugged off his backpack and tossed it carelessly knocking my watermelon night lamp off the bedside table.

"Cole." I glared before setting the lamp upright.

"Have you ever thought of investing in shares, starting up your own publishing firm, traveling around the world, exploring new cultures? If I was spoiled rich, I would make good use of the money."

Sighing, I put away my shoes for cleaning. "I'm not spoilt rich."

My friend gave me a "yeah right" look. "Remind me whose mum sent a new bus while ours broke down on our way to Summer Camp last four years, mine? I don't think so."

I made a dizzy attempt at hitting him with a pillow before sitting on my bed. "Why can't you forget that?"

"It's not my fault you couldn't stop whining about how embarassing it is to be stuck in the 'middle of nowhere.'"

I rolled my eyes at the finger quotes he made for emphasis. "Cole."

He chuckled. "I'm messing with you, sister." His smile dimmed a bit. "Just take my advice, one day you'll thank me. Where's your notebook?"

I froze, my gaze automatically dashing to where the brown hard-cover was peeking out from my bedside drawer.

"Why?"

Cole came closer to me, still lying on the bed, but my face hovered above his. "It's the only way I can know what the hell is going on in your life. I feel there's so much you haven't told any of your friends."

My phone buzzed. Cole plucked it clean from my fingers, smashing my relief to pieces. He raised a brow. "I'm waiting."

"I'm not sharing."

Cole sprang up and made for my bed side drawer but I caught his arm.

"Stop it."

"What are you hiding from me, from us?" His eyes were hard with displeasure.

Irritated, I grabbed the notebook and forced it into his hands. "There, you want to know what's happening in my life, it's all in there."

Even though I know Cole wouldn't open the diary, his actions annoyed me. I trailed downstairs to the kitchen and warmed up some food for both of us.

Summer called to say she was at the front door and that Barry and Devan would not let her in. Bearing the tray of food, I carefully walked to the door and asked Barry to allow my friend entry. She had changed into casual wears, a Spongebob Squarepants themed shirt and a pair of black ripped jeans.

"That smells good." Summer eyed the tantalizing spaghetti and meatballs while I climbed the stairs.

"It's for Cole and I. Get an extra fork from the kitchen."

Sighing, she scrambled back down the stairs and I entered my room.

Cole, lying cross-legged on the bed peered at me over a book. "Basics Of Programming."

"I'm sorry." He apologized.

"You shouldn't be. I'm quite obstinate at times. I'll tell you all what's going on some time soon."

"Promise?"

I nodded and placed the tray on the bed. Cole shuffled closer. "Is this a form of appeasement?" He picked the fork.

"Whatever you want it to be. But I'm starving. Summer's-"

Summer dashed into the room. Cole stared at her.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I got kicked out of my house because my parents decided today was a good day to want the house all to themselves. Don't ask me why." She settled on the bed, folding her legs underneath her.

I shrugged. "The more, the merrier. Can we eat now?"

Cole and Summer decided it was time to have a fork battle and while they fooled around, I polished the plate clean of any strand of spaghetti.

Then, instead of getting angry at me, they proceeded to fight on my bed. Sighing, I rubbed my stomach in satisfaction and did some stuff with my phone, including sending a message to Winter.

"Aurora, can we talk outside on your balcony?"

I smirked at Summer but minutes later, we both were standing looking at the darkened horizon.

"I met someone." Summer whispered.

"What do you mean you met someone?"

Summer sighed. "Daniel. He's a senior at Henry David High School. We got to talk a lot and he said he wants us to hang out."

I looked at her face. The outside lights cast a shaded glow on her face. "Is it the classmate you went to see today."

Summer choked. "How did you know that?"

I patted her back. "You're talking to your best friend. Don't ever underestimate me."

"Ha-ha funny." Summer laughed dryly, pushing her hair to the side.

"But Cole-"

My friend threw her head to the side, concealing her countenance. "Cole isn't serious about me, Aura."

"And how are you so sure he isn't?"

"I'm not going to stick around to find out. I've seen somebody who cares about me and who shows it." Summer argued.

It would be futile arguing with her but she had a fair point. Cole was quite shy when it came to expressing his emotions. It still is beyond my comprehension how he ended up with his former girlfriends. Maybe they were the ones who apprached him first.

Who knew with girls these days?

"I don't doubt Daniel cares about me." Summer continued laying her points.

"And you doubt your friend of eight years does?" I asked.

Summer sighed. "That's not the point."

I smiled. "And what is?"

She refused to utter any other words and instead put on her phone. The light illuminated the gigantic smile she wore upon seeing a message from 'him'.

Scowling, I snatched her phone. "We're not done with this conversation, young lady."

She laughed, snatching her phone back. "Of course we are."

"No, we aren't." I grabbed the phone again, holding it above my head and using my height as a leverage.

Summer jumped frantically and I just laughed loud and hard.

"Get it, you grasshopper."

My friend growled and in her attempt to make me lose my balance, her Samsung phone slipped from my fingers and down the balcony to the ground floor.

"I expect a new phone tomorrow, bitch."

Why did it seem like she was happy about her broken phone?

Rolling my eyes, I stuck up my fingers at her and watched her go back inside my room probably to grab her phone downstairs.

Sighing, I just ordered for a new phone from mine.

Cole looked out through the door. "Is everything alright?"

I nodded. "I think so."

"Don't forget you owe us an explanation with lots of food. Come right in, there's something I think you should see."

Summer came right in while I was stunned by the picture Cole showed me in his phone. It was of Winter smoking weed with some guys from our school in a setting that looked like a party judging from the neon lights and random strangers that got trapped in the photo.

Still speechless, I just sat between Summer and Cole, blinking at the girl hanging on his left arm. Crystal.

"I haven't seen him smoke in an awful long while." Summer broke the silence.

"Me neither. What do you think is his problem?" Cole asked, his gaze landing in me just at the same time Summer's did.

"What? Why are you all looking at me?" I grabbed a random pillow and placed it on my crossed legs.

Summer rested her head on my shoulder. "Well, it's you who's mostly in Winter's business. It's easier for him to talk to you than it is for him to talk to us."

Cole nodded. My eyes went back to the picture again before I gave Cole his phone. "We don't talk much about anything since he got a new girlfriend."

"That doesn't explain why he's acting like a dick to us." Summer insisted.

"Fine, tomorrow evening, I'll be at his place that's if he's not occupied."

Cole snickered. "You can always-"

"-cockblock." Summer completed. The did a high-five and I merely shook my head at their oddness.

"What don't friends do for each other?" I questioned.

"Nothing." They chorused, chortling when I left them to have a hot shower.

"I'm hungry!" I barely heard Summer yell over one of Jason Derulo's blaring out from my phone on the washout sink.

I abandoned my hair conditioner and started drying my body. "Go home!"

Surprisingly, no one answered and when I checked through the keyhole, Summer and Cole were just disengaging from a sensational kiss.

What the actual-

I guess she was hungry for his lips. Girls are confusing.

Silently, I tiptoed into my closet and changed into some clothes before sneaking out to mum's room unnoticed. Mum was at her dresser rubbing off her make-up with baby wipes when I entered.

"Good evening ma."

She put me in her signature bear hug. "How are you sweetheart?"

I relaxed against her shoulder since our height difference wasn't so much. "I'm quite fine ma."

"Did you have a good day at school?" She asked, holding me at arms length to examine my face with her brown eyes.

"Today was horrible. Put together a racist teacher and Winter acting like an ass. Your perfect first day at school. How was work?"

"Racist teacher? Do I need to-"

I smiled. "Don't worry about her ma."

Mum frowned. "Her? My kung-fu skills-"

"I'll be fine, seriously. I can handle my own stuff now."

She raised a brow. "All your stuff?"

Laughing, I shook my head and went to jump on her water bed. "Not really."

Mum tossed the messy wipes into a bin and sat on the stool at her dresser which wasn't so far from her bed.

"So, what's this I hear about Winter?"

Sighing, I stopped jumping and sat Indian fashion. "I feel there's something going in that he isn't telling us. Tomorrow, I'm storming into his house and he better spill."

Mom grinned, bearing mischief in her eyes. "Spill?"

"Mum!"

She chuckled. "You kids these days have grown more perverted. I'm disappointed in you, daughter."

I rolled my eyes. "You have the internet to blame for that one, ma. But seriously, I'm going to find out."

Mum nodded. "Our attorney is coming to the house tomorrow. I expect you to be less sarcastic. Take this seriously, Aura."

I jumped up into a salute. "Yes sir!"

"Get off my bed, you silly girl."

***

Willow was talking with Geraldine and two other guys in front of her father's house when I hoped down from the brand new black Ford SUV that showed up in front of our house this morning courtesy of my mother. It would help me move around easily, that's a plus and oh no, I'll also become everyone's personal driver. Especially Summer.

School today went by in a blur. I witnessed a couple of cat fights, one particularly spectacular because it was between Mrs Blackett and Miss Felicia, Arta teacher. From what I heard, they've both been suspended.

Overjoyed, Summer ended up accidentally spilling her drink on Cole who responded by smashing his spaghetti in her face. Things escalated quickly into a food fight between the entire student population. Let's just say everyone earned a two-week detention.

"Hey Aura." Geraldine greeted, smiling genuinely. I smiled back, giving the other guys a slight nod.

"What are you doing here?"

Willow snorted. "She came to visit me. What kind of question is that?"

I shrugged. "A dumb one. Where's Winter?"

Willow's eyes widened before she pulled me away from the hearing range of her friends. "He has been acting strange since yesterday. Mum and dad are worried. He wouldn't even turn up for dinner and breakfast this morning and he's been listening to Beethoven all through today."

My heart took a downward plunge. That does not sound good. "Where's he?"

"In his room. Do you know what's his problem?"

I shook my head. "No, but I'm about to find out. Did Crystal come over?"

There's no way I was about walking into any compromising scene.

"No. Go right up."

Leaving her, I ran up the stairs and knocked on Winter's door at the same time trying to open it. He locked himself in.

True enough, the melancholic sounds of one of Beethoven's symphonies adorned the atmosphere in scary waves.

I should be-

The door opened slightly revealing a disheveled shirtless Winter. All his tatoos were on full display and his lion pendant hung right above his heart. I tried not to focus on his upper body and instead gazed at his bloodshot eyes.

We just stood staring at each other until he startled me by pulling me inside his room and locking the door behind us.

Winter refused to let me leave the door. He trapped me in between his arms and travelled into my eyes with his own.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, breath smelling of weed.

"Have you been smoking weed?"

Winter nodded. His eyelids drooped but his eyes never strayed. "Yes, Aurora. What are you doing here?"

I gulped, wishing he let me out of this position. "You acted like a dick yesterday."

He sighed, resting his head on my shoulder. It was sheer effort that made me control my heartbeat, yet it managed to steer into an uncontrollable zone with his breath of air Winter exhaled that tickled the skin on my neck.

"I know."

"What's up with you?" I questioned, rubbing his hair with my left hand and the other hooked close to his neck.

"I'm fucked, Aurora, I'm really fucked." Winter's voice is filled with so much pain and when a cold liquid hits my shirt, my heart melts. He's crying.

What do I do?

"You can let it all out. It's okay. I'm not going anywhere."

Friends do everything for each other. True friends will always be there to pick your broken pieces and fix you up together. Need a human tissue, Call your best friend. Need a therapist? Call your best friend.

We all are broken in our own ways but it never does matter when we see our best friend breaking down before our eyes. It's all love. We do not want them to wander down the paths we've travelled in, we do not want those demons to find them and so, we fight. We fight, not minding if we lose ourselves in the process.

While letting my friend cry on my shoulders, I run all the possible reasons why he's crying in my mind.

Has this something to do with the boys from yesterday? Or it's something he has been hiding from the rest of us.

Just like you. The stupid voice in my head whispered.

Shut the hell up.

Winter remained in that position until my legs hurt so I led him to his bed and we sat at the middle. I just wrapped my arms and legs around his back while he sat facing me with his head on my shoulder.

Tired of hearing Beethoven, I switched the music to Count On Me by Bruno Mars.

"Why did you change the song?" Winter mumbled.

"That shit's depressing as hell."

"But you love Beethoven."

"Undoubtedly. But now's neither the time or place. Do you want to talk now?"

Winter lifted his head from my shoulder, looking at me with an unreadable expression.

I'm about to ask why he was looking that way but he detached himself from and went to stand by his window, pushing the curtains apart so he could stare at whatever was outside. We both loved watching the sunset but it was mid-day. So.

Sighing, I got off his bed and went over there to stand beside him and watch his jaws move like he was chewing something.

"I went to a party yesterday with Crystal. We smoked some weed and then one of those guys you saw me with yesterday said he'd start a bet about who could get into your pants before the term ended. I beat the shit out of him. Crystal was there and I beat someone up because of you." Winter said, keeping his eyes outside.

"Friends defend each other, Winter. No need to feel bad about it." I tried soothing him but he was having none of it.

"Crystal asked me if I knew about the girl you accidentally killed and I broke up with her without thinking twice. I almost killed myself driving home high as fuck. I missed dinner and breakfast with my family, I smoked some more weed that my lungs would suffer for eventually but none of what I did matters. The question is why? Why I did what I did."

In moments like this, the best course of action was silence. Not all words require words. It takes silence to understand those words spoken.

He broke up with Crystal? What was wrong with her anyway? She didn't seem bothered at all at the Chinese Restaurant, I thought maybe she understood. Why speak to my friend behind my back?

When my thoughts cleared, I was surprised to see Winter standing so close to me. The deep emotions burning in his eyes set me on edge and my mind travelled back to last Friday when we were seated so close. I wondered what would have happened if Summer hadn't walked in.

Now, however, there was no Summer to walk in. The door over there was locked. It was just me and him.

"Winter-"

"I'm going to find out why I did what I did. Forgive me Aurora for this."

"What-"

My words were stolen right into the mind-shattering kiss that followed. We were in the same position as earlier, his hands on the wall and my hands this time were hanging awkwardly by my side.

But, boy, this man could sure sweep a girl off her feet. His lips played and danced with mine. A steady rhythm that sent my heart responding with a hard thump as each second passed.

Impulsively, I rested my hands on Winter's chest. He stilled for a moment and then our lips continued their dance. He kissed me thoroughly, sensually and passionately.

Thoroughly, like I was his life-support. Sensually, reassuring me with unknown words. Passionately, with every emotion possibly.

Somehow, the song switched to Us by James Bay ft Alicia Keys and just as it did, we changed position, Winter flipped me so I had my back pressed against his chest and my front on the wall.

Oh, the tingles that crept to my core. Him kissing me from behind made me throw all restraints to the air.

What.The.Actual.Fuck?

Winter's hands went to my waist. Impatient, I grabbed them and guided them to my chest so he could feel my heart beating for him.

"Aura..." His voice trailed off when I grinded against his lower area and his reaction was instant.

I gasped at how huge he felt. Winter chuckled, biting my right ear lobe. "You seem to have activated biggy down there." His voice in my ear sent a delicious stimulating feeling up to my brain.

Minutes dragged on, with hands wandering to places they shouldn't, lips skillfully tracing lines on my body and heart still in ecstasy.

Oxytocin.

"Tomorrow's Alexander's party. You coming?"

"Although I have basketball practice with the boys, I wouldn't miss it." Winter whispered pulling away from me. I spun around and caught him grinning.

"What?"

He glanced downwards and I followed his gaze, snickering when I saw what he was looking at.

"I should get rid of this. Be right back in ten unless you want to help me?"

Laughing, I forced him to go to his bathroom and shut the door. Then, my smile faded.

Holy shit!

I gave my friend a boner. No, scratch that. I gave my fucking best friend a boner.

WORD COUNT: 4423 WORDS

There's going to be a couple of steamy chapters later but I'm going to do a separate book for that.

How was this chapter?

I hope Winter and Aura get to sort out their "thing", whatever that is, lol.

Thanks for reading!