Once their classes were over, Giovanni escorted Aurora to the library building in person. Outside, it was raining and the air was quite cold. The fact that he was taking his best friend there, instead of fleeing the school grounds and going home, spoke volumes about his character and how thoughtful he was.

The artist recognized his selfless kindness, and as a silent "thank you", hugged him tightly before saying goodbye.

"Call me if something goes wrong," he demanded, once they parted. "Cry and scream at me through the phone, but please don't do anything stupid."

"I'll be fine." She gave him one of her typical dull smiles, the shine of which never reached her eyes. "Thanks, Gio."

"Take care, Rory. See ya."

"Bye."

The boy walked away as Aurora took a deep breath in, and gathered her courage to enter the library. Once his silhouette had completely vanished in the fog she shook her head, her body, and physically tried to get rid of her fears. Then, she started moving.

The girl passed by the librarian's desk - an old lady named Mrs. Suzana -, politely said hello, and immediately headed to the stairs. Then, she went up to the second floor, to the National History section. Alexandra was already there, sitting at a table next to a window, checking her cellphone as she waited for Aurora's arrival.

"Hi." The artist herself made her presence known with her neutral and severe tone of voice.

"Hello," the athlete replied with an opposite disposition and attitude, which leaned more towards surprise and relief. She had thought, for a moment there, that the brunette wouldn't deliver on her promise to show up, and that she would have to do the research for their essay alone. "Hey..."

"Hm?"

"I thought about what we discussed in class, and I changed my mind. I think it would be better if we wrote about Dickinson and her work. So..." Alexandra put her phone down and then pointed towards the three books she'd already grabbed from the shelves. "I picked these two biographies and an anthology of her poems as our sources."

"But Goethe..."

"I heard that Karina and Daniel already chose him for their essay. That's why I thought we could go with Dickinson instead."

"Oh."

"Besides, a lot of people still don't know who she is, to this day. And I think it would be interesting if we taught everyone about her life, her work, her struggles... You know. Everything."

"Yeah..." The artist sat down on the chair facing her nemesis. "That's fine by me." She then set her backpack on the table and opened it to retrieve her notebook, and check exactly what their teacher had asked them to include in their conjoint essay.

While she did so, one of the novels she was currently reading, named The Last Day of Autumn, accidentally slipped out of the bag. Once she saw the book, Alexandra's face lit up.

"You also read Alaister Marwood's works?"

"I've already told you that I read a lot of things."

"What's your favorite book of his?"

Aurora's mouth opened and for a second she thought about something snarky and smart to say. But, once she remembered what she'd seen and heard earlier in the bathroom, her desire to be cruel vanished. So, instead of resorting to anger or to silence, she took a deep breath in, put the novel inside her backpack again, and softly replied:

"The Shriek of the Shrike... Alaister's idea to use those birds as a metaphor for abusive and toxic people, that use others to protect and increase their own individual power was amazing. I mean, shrikes are known as butcherbirds. They impale insects on plant spines and thorns to mark their territory, to preserve their good, and to prove that they are stronger than other members of their species..." Aurora suddenly stopped talking when she remembered to whom the vibrant green eyes staring at her from the other side of the table belonged. "And I already bored you with my rambling..."

"No, not at all. I love his books. And his way of seeing the world; of understanding it... I mean, he is very gloomy at times, yes, but... I still love it."

"I wouldn't say that he's gloomy. I'd say he's realistic."

"Of course you would. You're just as much a nihilist as him."

"I'm sorry?"

"I'm joking," Alex clarified. "Well, not entirely. You two are very gloomy, at times. I have to be honest."

"And why do you think I am that way?"

"I know... Because I was horrible to you." The blonde's intonation shifted from relaxed to remorseful. "Like everyone else was at San Martin."

"At least you admit it." Aurora looked down at her notebook.

"I do," the other girl replied with sincerity, instantly making the artist look up at her again. "I think I was way too blunt, way too soon, when I sat down next to you earlier in class, but I don't regret anything that I said. And in fact, I stand by it. I'm truly sorry for the way I behaved in the past."

"Then give me an explanation," the brunette demanded. "You say that you're sorry, but why did you bully me? Why did you treat me worse than trash? What was the point?"

Alexandra sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. All her lightness and good humor disappeared, from one second to the next.

"Let me start by saying that nothing, absolutely nothing, that I ever told you in those years was true." Her eyelids parted and she crossed her arms, trying to defend herself from some sort of invisible damage that only existed in her head. "I guess I just... projected my insecurities onto you, because it was easier than recognizing that I had them. Insulting you was better than hating myself. Besides... I was having a lot of problems back at home, and humiliating you was a way that I found to redirect all the stress that I felt, day after day. And that wasn't right, and it never will be, but... That's why I did what I did. And I don't blame you for hating me. I'd hate myself too if I were in your position."

Aurora shivered with the confession, but tried to keep her cool.

"My hate isn't exclusive to you. I hate the world. Everything here sucks."

"See?... Gloomy." The athlete joked and, this time around, she finally completed her goal.

The corner of the artist's mouth curved upward, slightly.

"Alright... With that out of the way. Can we begin writing already?" Aurora ended the conversation abruptly, because she suddenly recognized that she wasn't fully ready to have it yet.

Alexandra, luckily, understood her plight. And agreed with her petition.

"Of course. But, where do we begin?... Biography, or anthology?"

"Bio."

"Good choice." The blonde picked the book up and opened it, with a long and tired exhale. "Okay, here we go... Emily Dickinson was born on December 10, 1830, in Amherst, Massachusetts..."

---

Once Aurora got home, wet by the rain and exhausted by her unexpectedly emotional day at school, she wrote a few texts to Giovanni, explaining everything that had happened in the library, and sharing with him the miracle of the day: Both her and Alexandra had managed to work together with both efficiency and promptness, despite the lingering tension that still existed in the air around them. Half of their essay was already done, and it only took them two hours to achieve this feat.

"Now I get why it's raining so much!" The boy sent her an audio from his own home. "The two of you? Getting along? The sky is definitely going to fall down!"

The artist looked outside from the window of her living room. Furious white bolts crossed the skies above, cutting through the thick and grey clouds like a knife. The lightning was so frequent and intense, that the night nearly turned into day.

"I think our classes will be cancelled tomorrow," she replied, after pressing a button on her screen, and activating her microphone. "The streets of my neighbourhood are flooded and I doubt that the ones around our school are any better. Can we hang out together?"

"It's raining buckets and you want to hang out?"

"My parents aren't home, remember? They're out of town, as usual. So come here, and we can watch movies together all day long. I have a full stack of popcorn in the kitchen, including those disgusting cheese flavored ones that you like so much."

"Rory, I'd love to go. Trust me. But I have to ask my mom if she lets me first. Also, I think that you're planning things way too soon. We still don't know if the classes will be..."

"I'm watching the news right now, Gio. And the mayor just announced that tomorrow all classes are canceled," she interrupted her friend. "So, are you coming or not?"

"Again, let me ask my mom. If the decision was mine alone, I'd already be there, snuggling with you and Splotch on the couch." A few minutes passed. Giovanni sent her another audio: "The bad news, my mom said I couldn't go. The good one? You can invite Alex over, since you two are buddies now..."

"Ha.Ha.Ha. How funny," the artist sarcastically replied. "But I understand your mom's decision. It's raining so much that I'm think of putting together a boat and cosplaying as Noah or something."

"HI, AURORAAAA!" Giovanni then shared a recording of his mother, right as the brunette sent him his own. "I know I'm being a bit annoying darling, but I swear that it's for a good reason. It's raining way too much and Gio is already getting sick..."

"I'm fine."

"Sure, now say it like you believe it," Mrs. Fuentes immediately retorted. "Anyway, sweetheart. You're more than welcome to come over to our house on the weekend, though, once this storm is over. You can bring Splotch with you too; you know that we all love him over here."

"More than they love me sometimes."

"Giovanni!"

Aurora chuckled. Pressed the recording button again.

"I accept the invitation, auntie*. At least for now. Let's hope the weather doesn't get any worse until then. I hope both of you have a good night, and please, send hello from me to uncle Juan," she mentioned Giovanni's father.

And with those final words, the battery of her phone died. With an annoyed exhale, she walked to her bedroom, connected the device to the charger, left it alone on her bedside table, and then roamed freely around her empty home.

The girl made herself a whole bucket of popcorn - because she didn't feel like having dinner-, and took advantage of the fact that her parents weren't home to do exactly what she'd told her best friend she would: watch as many movies as she liked, for as long as she wanted to. At some point during the night she decided to watch some tv shows as well. Which led her to pick one she'd already seen before, from beginning to end: Dickinson.

Eventually though, her sleepiness, the cold air, the warmth of her furry dog sleeping against her leg, and her full stomach made her fall asleep. She was out, halfway through the first season.

When she woke up, it was already morning. The rain hadn't stopped, but it wasn't as angry and dense as it had been the night before. The wind had also quieted down a bit, so the storm apparently had lost some of its power.

With a yawn, Aurora stretched her arms and looked around for her dog. Splotch was already up, desperately devouring his food while accidentally dragging his plastic bowl across the floor. The sound of the latter was irritating, but the sight was endearing, so the girl couldn't help but laugh. Once she stood up as well, she ran her fingers through her knotted dark hair and used the other hand to briefly caress her dog. Then, she walked to her bedroom and picked up her phone again.

Giovanni had sent her a couple of audio notes while the device was charging. The first one had been recorded right after they finished talking, and it was a simple "goodnight". The second, recorded that very morning, right after he woke up, was a little bit more extensive. Apparently, he indeed had caught the flu.

After hearing how raspy and low his voice had become since yesterday's conversation, Aurora said:

"Please take good care of yourself and rest. Drink some tea with honey, take some tylenol, and keep yourself warm. You aren't allowed to die before I do."

A minute passed, and he answered:

"And when did I give you my permission to pass away?

"We're all going to die someday."

"I won't. I'll live forever and become a millionaire vampire."

"Well, I won't judge you. You're halfway there already. I mean, you're so pale you almost shine under the sunlight. Who knows? Maybe you're destined to become a Cullen."

"You're evil, you know that?"

"I never said I wasn't."

Aurora chuckled at her own reply. Then, left his best friend's DM and opened up another one, belonging to her mother. Mrs. Reyes had told her, also via audio, that she'd sent the teenager some money through her bank account, so she could go out to the supermarket and buy whatever she wanted with it, as soon as possible.

"We heard on the news earlier that there's a cyclone headed your way, honey. Get yourself as much food as you need, and also buy some candles and flashlights. Keep me updated in case of an emergency, alright? Your dad is sending you a big kiss, and your grandparents too."

"Hi mom... I'll take a show and then I'll go out shopping. And yeah, I'll write to you if something interesting happens... How are they, by the way?"

After a while, her mother's answer came though:

"Your grandparents are still bedridden, but their health is improving, thank God. They're eating again, which is great. But your dad and I will have to stay around here until the cyclone is gone, and the new nurse we hire arrives."

"Okay... That's good. I'm glad they're eating. Call me if anything happens."

"I will, honey."

After their chat was over, Aurora opened her closet and picked a new outfit to start her day. Once she was satisfied with her final look, she went into the bathroom and took a shower.

Old ripped jeans, ancient leather boots repaired with duct tape, a sweatshirt she'd stained with barbecue salse, a windbreaker jacket that was so colorful it closely resembled a bowl of Froot Loops, a cap with the logo of a random rock band, which concert Giovanni and her had attended last year - not that she had any memories of the event, since she'd been completely and illegally inebriated-, plus an empty backpack; those were the main components of her chosen outfit of the day, which clearly clashed against each other, and lacked any kind of respect for fashion, whatsoever. But hey, at least she felt comfortable.

Once she was fully dressed up, she closed all the doors and windows of her home - wanting to keep the water out, and her dog in-, walked out onto the porch, grabbed her bicycle, and pedaled away.

To get to the nearest supermarket, Aurora had to cross an incredibly old red bridge, built over a river. The spot usually was deserted and silent, since people nowadays chose to drive their cars a little bit further down the road and use the newer, safer bridge, but still, the structure wasn't fully abandoned. A few pedestrians, such as herself, preferred it as a way to get to the other side of the suburbs.

That day, the view wasn't any different than it usually was, beside the ricochet of the silver raindrops on the pavement, and the thin fog that settled over the top of the nearby trees. To avoid suffering any sort of unwanted accident, given the slippery surface of the ground below, she and her bike were moving at a slower speed than normal. Maybe it was her unrushed pedaling what allowed her to hear those screams, beyond the sound of the downpour, of the river; of nature itself. They were loud, violent, and they came from the muddy banks below.

Right away, she grabbed the brakes on the handlebar and set her feet down, trying to stay still and better understand what was going on. In seconds, she was able to piece the information together. It was a fight between some girl and her dickhead boyfriend.

Aurora's common sense told her to get back onto her bicycle and keep moving forward, but her morals stopped her from doing so. The guy was getting more and more aggressive. Whoever his partner was, she was in danger.

"WHY IS IT SO HARD FOR YOU TO GET IT, ÁLVARO?! I HAVEN'T CHEATED ON YOU! THERE'S NO ONE ELSE IN THE PICTURE! I'D NEVER DO THAT DO YOU!... I JUST DON'T WANT TO BE WITH YOU ANYMORE, THAT'S IT! I CAN'T CHANGE THE WAY I FEEL!"

"YOU'RE JUST CONFUSED!..."

"DON'T SAY THAT SHIT TO ME, BECAUSE YOU KNOW IT AIN'T TRUE!"

"OH, PLEASE!... WOMEN, ALEX?! THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE CHOOSING OVER ME?! GIRLS?!"

"DO YOU THINK I HAVE A CHOICE? I DIDN'T WANT TO BE BORN THIS WAY! I DIDN'T ASK TO FEEL ANY OF THIS!"

"THAT'S A LIE! AND I KNOW IT IS! SOMEONE MUST HAVE INFLUENCED YOU TO ACCEPT THESE... BEHAVIOURS AS NORMAL! BUT IT AIN'T! AND YOU KNOW IT AIN'T!"

The argument only kept escalating, and the screams only got more and more intense with every passing second. But despite her shock, her intrigue, and her concern for her own safety, Aurora decided to act fast and intervene before something worse than some awful verbal threats happened.

Yes, she knew very well who those voices belonged to. Yes, she was aware that she could leave, and the universe would forgive her for doing so. But, once again... deep down, she cared. And she was a good person, even if she often swore the contrary was true.

So, she climbed up onto her bicycle seat again and switched directions, pedaling now to the river banks.

"HEY, ALEX!" Aurora shouted, and once the blonde heard her name miraculously be called, her furious face became one of surprise and relief. "Are you alright? Is this dumbass bothering you?"

"Did you really call her here?!..."

"HOW THE HELL DO YOU THINK I CALLED HER HERE?! I'VE BEEN IN FRONT OF YOU, TALKING TO YOU, THE ENTIRE TIME WE'VE BEEN HERE!"

Álvaro took one step forward and for a moment, it seemed as if his patience had at last run dry, and he was about to hit Alexandra. But Aurora wouldn't let that happen, ever. She dropped her bike and slid between the two of them, making the enraged boy stumble back.

"Get out of here."

"And who the fuck are you to..."

"So, which of your nuts do you want me to smack first? The left one, or the right? Because if you keep talking to either of us like that, you won't be getting home with both of them intact, that's for sure." The brunette threatened him and defended her position, by taking another step forward and forcing him to retreat. "Leave."

The young man growled and showed her his teeth, in a pathetic attempt to seem tougher than he truly was. But, once he realized he wouldn't be able to get his way, and that this battle was lost, he kicked the dirt like the bratty big child he was, covered his head with the hood of his sweatshirt, and ran away in the direction of his neighbourhood, disappearing between the thick curtains of water that covered the horizon.

"Yeah! Hurry up, you asshole!"

"Are you out of your mind?" Alexandra, breathing heavily, snapped at her. "H-He could have snapped you in two!"

"I'm an orange belt in Judo. Let him try." Aurora smirked, and picked up her bike from the ground, straightening it up.

This wasn't a lie. Her parents had made her enroll into Judo classes when she switched schools, so she could find ways to protect herself if the bullying returned. Allegedly, they also did it so "she could rebuild part of her confidence and inner strength". The idea was only partially fruitful.

"I didn't know you're an athlete too."

"I'm not." Aurora said, shaking her head. "I stopped practicing and studying Judo a year ago, but I kept the knowledge. Now tell me, where do you live?"

"What?..."

"I'm taking you home." Aurora playfully rang the bell on her bike. "Unless you want to run back to where you live, under this terrible weather, and end up both drenched and exhausted."

"No, wait. Are you really offering to take me there? Why?"

"Because I can?" The brunette raised an eyebrow and pretended to be chill.

"Huh..."

"Look, you don't need to make this into a big gesture. I'm only doing you a favor. But, if you don't want to..."

"I..." Alexandra spoke over her and then sighed. Looked at the river. Then back at Aurora. "I really appreciate your offer, I do... But the truth is that I really don't want to go back home right now. My parents are fighting again and after the argument I just had with Álvaro, the thought of facing them and their bullshit is... I don't know. I just don't want to go."

"Don't you want me to take you to the house of one of your friends, then?"

"All of them would complain because I'm not his girlfriend anymore, so no... I really just want to be left alone. So you can go... I'm thankful, I am... But go."

Aurora drew breath and looked around the place. The wind hitting her body, making her dark and long hair slither through the air like snakes, was freezing. The rain was unforgiving, and it seemed to get harsher by the hour. The river was moving quickly, and the rapids seemed like a death trap.

Her pronounced dislike towards the athlete didn't mean she was blind to reality. They were standing in a dangerous spot, and the blonde's emotional state wasn't stable either. The girl looked as tired as she felt defeated. Which meant that abandoning her right now wasn't an option.

"Look... I know that your family life, and your relationship with Álvaro doesn't concern me at all, but I can't just walk away and leave you like this. There's a cyclone coming our way, the storm will last all night, and the whole city will probably shut down. It's too risky for you to stay here, all by yourself. Look at the river. The water level is already rising. Soon you'll be stuck down here, with no way out."

"Maybe that's a good thing."

"Oh please. There are better ways to die than drowning in a river." Aurora said jokingly, finding the words of the blonde too dramatic to be fully sincere. "Hey... If you really don't want to go back home, and you don't want to visit anyone either... Then come grocery shopping with me."

"Sorry?"

"We don't need to chat, nor pretend to be friends, but at least you'll be safe somewhere else, and not alone here, in the mud."

Alexandra slid her tongue over the inside of her cheek, and frowned a bit, while she contemplated the offer.

"You aren't going to kill me and chop my body with an axe, will you?"

"I could be doing that right now and no one would ever find out about it, but do you see me holding one?"

The athlete chuckled and shook her head.

"No, I don't."

"Then trust that you'll be safe with me. Now come on." Aurora hopped on her bike again. "Get in loser, we're going shopping."

"Did you just... quote Mean Girls?"

"It's my duty, I'll be working as a chauffeur for the one and only Regina George!"

"I'm not Regina George!" Alexandra complained, but did as she was told anyway.

"You're kidding? You're blonde, you're always wearing clothes that have some shade of pink, and your parents are rich. Plus, you became a slightly likeable athlete after years being a bitch..."

"Hey!"

"Did I lie?" Aurora smiled genuinely, before her brain could catch up with what her mouth was doing.

Noticing her bright expression, Alex became flustered and surprised.

"No... I guess you didn't." Right as she finished talking, she sat down on the rack behind the artist, and tried to find something she could hold on to, in vain. "Hey, can I?..."

"What?"

"Grab your shoulder? I feel like I'm going to fall down once we start moving."

"Sure. Hold on to whatever. As long as you don't choke me, and you don't actually fall, do what you will."

Alexandra exhaled nervously and nodded. She then placed her palm on the girl's jacket, and held tightly onto it as they began to move. Aurora pedaled back to the bridge above, crossed it, and without saying anything else, took them to the supermarket.

After winding through some streets and paths, they arrived. The artist chained her bicycle to a light pole and walked inside, grabbing a cart before beginning her expedition through the enormous aisles of the store. The other young woman followed her with quick steps, still surprised by her change of disposition and attitude.

"So... What are you going to buy?"

"Some ham, cheese, bread, soda, chips... Anything I can eat without having to rely on heat or electricity. Oh, and dog food. That fat ball of fur eats like he has a black hole for a stomach."

"What's his name?"

"Splotch."

"And his breed?"

"He's a stray. But he looks like a golden retriever with brown spots." Aurora strolled into the pets aisle, picked up a small bag of beef flavored dog food, dropped it inside the cart, and kept walking until they reached the bakery.

"Don't you have any pictures of him?"

"Be patient," the artist thought to herself. "Just be patient. She's trying to be nice."

Aurora then slid her phone out of her pocket of her pants and searched for one of the thousands of pictures she had of her dog. With a small and cornered smile, she showed it to Alexandra.

"Oh my... He truly is a ball of fur! And he's adorable!"

"We agree on that." She stared at the photo for a moment, before hiding her phone again. "He's lovely. But Splotch is getting old, and I feel like he'll pass away at any time."

"And you don't want to adopt another dog after he passes?"

Aurora's immediate desire was to reply "I don't plan to keep living after that." but she decided to save the truth for herself.

"I don't think I will, no." was her generic final answer, which already had been recycled plenty of times, since people usually asked the same question as Alexandra quite often.

"And why not?"

"Because I don't want to replace him."

"But you wouldn't be replacing him, only helping one of his buddies get a new home."

"Well, yeah... maybe." The artist shrugged and kept moving. "But it still wouldn't be a good idea if I adopted another dog. I'll be leaving home next year, once school is over, and my parents are always out of town. If I get a new pet, the poor guy would stay alone inside that house most of the time. No one would care for him. And I'm not sure that I can take animals with me if I rent an apartment."

"Wait, you're leaving? To where?"

"To the cemetery." Aurora thought, before actually replying: "To the Gentileschi Technical Institute. It's an Art School."

"And what do you want to study?"

"Fine Arts."

"You're a painter?"

"Yes, but I mostly make sculptures."

"Oh, right!... I forgot that I've already seen some of them at our school. Didn't you do that bust of David? The one wearing sunglasses?"

"Oh yeah. That was me." Aurora smiled again. "I'm surprised you know that."

"Well, I liked it. So of course I know it was you... It was creative, fun, and it looked great. But I want to know, how long did it take for you to sculpt that?

"About a week. Give or take."

"Only that?"

"Yep."

"And it ended up being that good?"

"It's not as good as you're remembering it." The artist's incredulous expression slightly annoyed Alexandra. "I have better ones. That's what I'm saying."

"Now you're fucking with me."

"I'm not. I do have better projects."

"Well, prove it to me. Show me pictures, if you have them."

Aurora, for some reason, ended up folding to her petition. She showed her a photo of a nymph she'd created the week before, using clay, which she miraculously found herself proud of.

"Sorry, but I think that the David bust is equally as good as this one."

"If you liked it so much, you can have it."

"What?"

"I'll be throwing it away soon, anyway. You can keep it if you want."

"Wait, why are you going to throw it away?" Alexandra's sadness nearly made Aurora snort.

"Because my room is filled with horrible paintings and old, even worse looking sculptures, and I need more space to store my new artworks."

"Well, I think that's just plain stupid. If you throw away all of your old work, how are you going to compare them to the new things you make, and check your progress?"

"And why would I want to check my progress?"

"Isn't that a thing artists do?"

"Yes, those who have big dreams and aspirations. I just... flow. I don't need to look to the past to know if I'm doing a good job right now."

"I know you don't necessarily need to, but still it should be interesting, right? To see how much you've improved?"

"I don't really like to look back. I don't like to think about my past work, nor my creative process. Because I then remember how I was feeling during that time, and my mind drifts off to some really dark places."

Alexandra suddenly went quiet, and stopped walking. Once she noticed that the blonde wasn't following her anymore, Aurora also halted her steps. She left the cart in the middle of the aisle and approached the unmoving girl carefully. The brunette stared deeply into her green eyes, and tried to understand what was happening.

Whatever she was expecting, yet another apology from her wasn't it.

"I'm truly sorry for everything I've done."

"That's like... the fourth time you say that to me."

"And I'll do a thousand more if it's necessary. Because I'm really, really sorry for my past behaviour, and I'm ashamed of it." Alexandra admitted, and her eyes began to sparkle with unshed tears.

Aurora took another step forward.

"I think that the dairy aisle isn't the best place for us to have this conversation."

The athlete looked around with a comical sense of wonder.

"That's a great point, but how on earth did we get here? I can't remember..."

The brunette couldn't help it. She chuckled softly and shook her head, because Alexandra's reaction was way too funny for her not to. Then, she took a deep breath it and said:

"Look... I'm going to tell you this again, because I need you to understand it, okay? I don't have any hope left for the world. I don't have any hope left for humankind. Most of the people out there are selfish and ambitious, don't know how to control their own hunger for power, and aren't capable of recognizing their mistakes, ever. And that's why I'm very suspicious of everyone, at all times. That's why I'm also spiteful. I don't like to have high expectations. Because for me, anyone is capable of anything. And deception, disappointment, are things I'm always waiting to experience..." She stopped talking for a second, and breathed. "But this time around, I want to choose to believe that you've changed. I don't forgive you, and I doubt that one day I'll be able to, but I no longer hate you, and I don't want to keep hating you. If not for your sake, for mine. So, please stop apologizing to me, okay?... Just prove to me that you're sorry."

Alexandra, still grasping the importance of those words, adopted a more serious expression and replied:

"If you let me, that's what I want to do. Prove to you that I've changed. That I won't hurt you anymore, and that I don't want to do any harm to anyone else."

Aurora kept her silence for a moment. But she slowly outstretched her hand, inviting the other girl to shake it. The blonde girl, upon seeing her opened palm, suddenly felt way too intimidated and surprised. She didn't know if that peace offer was genuine or not. However, she gathered whatever courage she still had, and wrapped her fingers around the brunette's hand - which she then shook, smiling.

And it all would have been fine, if the universe weren't such a fun and naughty entity.

Because right as her smile was reciprocated, the lights inside the supermarket went out.

"FUCK!" Alexandra shrieked, accidentally crushing the artist's bones with her tight grasp.

Aurora, despite her pain, couldn't complain about it. The scream had been funny, so she laughed.

"Welp, I think the storm is getting worse outside," she said, and then retrieved her phone from her pocket, and turned the flashlight on.

"YOU THINK?!" The other girl growled, then ran her other hand through her golden hair.

Only then, under the white glow of the device, the artist noticed that Alexandra's panic was real.

"Wait, you're afraid of the dark?"

The athlete nodded, as vengeful and twisted thoughts passed through Aurora's mind.

She thought about how nice it would be, to make fun of the blonde for her phobia. To laugh louder at her horrified face. To ridicule her for having such a dramatic reaction, to a perfectly normal situation. Truly, it would be amazing to make her pay for all those years of shame, humiliation and suffering that Aurora had endured under her reign of wickedness.

But of course, the brunette never did any of these things, because she knew, in her heart, that it wasn't right. And also, because she found familiarity in Alexandra's fear and weakness.

Instead, she chose to do what most humans wouldn't; she handed the blonde her phone, then said:

"If you want to, we can get out of here until the power is back."

"N-No..."

"No?"

"I'm a-alright..."

"You don't have to lie to me. If you're not feeling okay right now, let's leave the groceries here and go outside for a second."

"W-We can't just... leave your g-groceries here..."

"If I'm offering to, its because I'm cool with it. Don't worry. We'll come back once the lights are back, and I'll grab everything I need again..."

But, before this plan could even begin, the power returned and the whole store lit up once more. Alexandra's pale face seemed to find some peace, but the shadow of her fear still lingered in her eyes.

"See?... T-Told you we didn't need to g-get out..." The frightening, clashing sound of thunder outside interrupted her.

"Yeah, I don't think that's entirely true. The storm is getting worse and we should worry." Aurora noted, letting go of her hand.

Only then the brunette noticed that she had been holding it during the blackout.

"What else do you need to buy?"

"Ham, cheese, soda, pasta, and some chips."

"Here." The athlete grabbed the first package of laminated cheese that she saw, and gave it to the other girl. "It's 30% off."

"The cheaper, the better." Aurora tossed the item on the cart. "Now let's go get the ham."

They moved around the aisles and selected whatever products were missing swiftly, keeping their conversation short and their steps quick. But, right as they arrived at the line for the cashier, the power went out again. They were nearly out of the building, but fate had decided to play its tricks again. So, instantly, the artist turned her phone's flashlight on and searched for Alexandra's gaze.

"We'll be getting out of here soon, don't worry. It's just a supermarket. Nothing is going to happen to us."

"I'm f-fine..."

"Sure. I'll pretend to believe that you are." Despite her sarcasm, Aurora offered the blonde her hand again. This time around, the girl didn't hesitate before grabbing it. "The power will be back in a few minutes. I know it."

And she was right. Indeed, the lights turned on again and Alexandra managed to keep breathing throughout the whole experience.

Aurora paid for her groceries and took both the bags and her companion outside. The sky had somehow turned darker, and the same aggressive lightning she'd seen yesterday, from her living room window, was back. In a hurry, she put the soda bottles and the dog food inside her backpack - which she wore facing forwards, so Alexandra could sit comfortably behind her-, the remaining products in her bicycle's basket, and got ready to leave the area.

"Hey, Alex... Do you want me to drop you home, or are you still anxious about going back there?"

"Truthfully? I still don't want to be near that house. But given that I have nowhere else to go..."

"Well, I'm about to ask you something that could sound like a really dumb idea, but..." A flash of white lit up the city, and thunder was heard again. Both herself and the blonde shivered. "Do you want to come with me? To mine?"

"What?"

"My parents are on a trip. There's no one there but me, and my dog. We could use our free time to finish our essay. What do you think?"

"And you're fine with me being there? Alone? With you?"

"No, not really. But, since you're trying your hardest to be nice, I want to do the same. It's only fair." Aurora shrugged, then sighed. "So? Are you coming or not?"

Another roar, followed by a huge, scary, powerful lightning bolt, that sliced through the clouds above as if daring to fall upon them. Alexandra nodded enthusiastically.

"If you put it that way, yeah. I am."

"Then let's go."

And shaking her head up and down, while trying to convince herself that she wasn't going insane, the artist started to move her legs, and to make the chains of her tiny vehicle spin.