Wherever You Will Go

So lately, been wondering
Who will be there to take my place
When I'm gone you'll need love
To light the shadows on your face
If a great wave shall fall and fall upon us all
Then between the sand and stone
Could you make it on your own?

If I could, then I would
I'll go wherever you will go
Way up high or down low
I'll go wherever you will go

And maybe, I'll find out
A way to make it back someday
To watch you, to guide you
Through the darkest of your days
If a great wave shall fall and fall upon us all
Well, then I hope there's someone out there
Who can bring me back to you

If I could, then I would
I'll go wherever you will go
Way up high or down low
I'll go wherever you will go

Run away with my heart
Run away with my hope
Run away with my love

I know now, just quite how
My life and love might still go on
In your heart, in your mind
I'll stay with you for all of time

If I could, then I would
I'll go wherever you will go
Way up high or down low
I'll go wherever you will go

If I could turn back time
I'll go wherever you will go
If I could make you mine
I'll go wherever you will go
I'll go wherever you will go
(Wherever You Will Go - The Calling)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"You are my other half. You complete me in ways that no one has ever completed me before. Your soul has intertwined itself with mine and no matter what happens that part of you will always be with me. When I am with you, I feel whole. For everything I am, you are the exact opposite...and that makes me complete. Without you I am only part human, only half of what I could be. I never thought the day would come where I would have to lose that part of myself. Even if someday you forget who I am, I will never forget you, because you are branded into my soul. I love you."

Aurora stared down at the sleeping form of the man she loved. It was, if everything went according to plan , the last time she would ever see him. Aurora reached down as if to touch him for the last time, but changed her mind. She couldn't risk waking him up. He would argue with her and try to make her stay.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Aurora sat in class next to her friends, except they weren't quite friends. These were the people who had excluded her from everything. No, they weren't friends. But, Aurora sat with them anyway, because her best friends were both a year younger than her and in different classes. The class was boring and she was drawing idly on a piece of paper while daydreaming.
"Aurora, you need to go see the headmaster," the teacher said, interrupting her thoughts.

She looked up and stared at her teacher with confusion. Aurora picked up her books and walked out of the room. She was nervous as she made her way towards the headmaster's office. Aurora couldn't think of anything she had done to get her in trouble. She opened the door and walked in.

"Please have a seat, Aurora. There's something I need to discuss with you. It's of a rather serious nature."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
She picked up her bag. Earlier, Aurora had hastily stuffed a few changes of clothes, some sentimental items, and a few extra things, like toothpaste into it. She had been planning to leave for a few days, but nothing could have prepared her for what it actually felt like to be doing it. It felt like someone had physically stabbed her through the heart. Aurora walked towards the door. She turned around to take one last look at him. Maybe if she stared long enough, the picture would be there forever and not fade as memories tend to do.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
She turned and looked behind her. There was no sign of him anywhere. With her luck, he had probably decided to skip the class. Aurora quickly tried to look like she was paying attention to the conversation around her. If they knew who Aurora was looking for there would be questions brought up that she didn't want to answer and couldn't very well answer.

They made it to the class and right before it began he showed up. Aurora spent the whole period wondering how she was going to approach him. Aurora was a nobody compared to him. Lady Luck seemed to be working in her favor and as he was walking by her, he dropped his book. Aurora picked it up and rushed over towards him.

"Draven, wait!" Aurora called out.
He turned around as she came running towards him. "Well, well, what do we have here?" Draven raised an eyebrow, "I'm in a hurry, you know."
Aurora ignored his rude tone and waved the book in front of his face. "Yeah, in such a hurry that you didn't notice dropping this."
Draven started to reach for the book, but Aurora wasn't about to be outdone.
"But, since you don't seem to want it, forget about it." She held it out and acted like she was going to toss it away.
Draven snatched it away from her before Aurora could do anything with it. "Like I said, I'm in a hurry."

She watched him walk away and smiled to herself. Things were going better than expected.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Aurora quietly shut the door behind her. She walked soundlessly down the hall. Every step she took led her further away from him. The invisible knife in her heart felt like it was being twisted and every step made her bleed even more. Aurora didn't know the pain would feel so real. She reached a set of double doors and faced them. Aurora knew she should feel bad about what she was going to do, but she didn't. She put her hand on the doorknob and almost flinched. It was ice cold. Slowly, Aurora turned it and pushed open the door.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It had been two weeks since Aurora had picked up Draven's book. Things had changed somewhat since then. In every class they had together, Aurora found some reason to talk to Draven and to her delight, he seemed to want to talk to her. The sight of Aurora and Draven standing next to each other talking had most of their classmates gossiping. Actually, talking wasn't really the word to describe what they did. It was more of a friendly banter.

"Draven, I was thinking..."
Aurora saw him smirk as he glanced at her. "Glad to hear it. I was afraid you weren't putting any use to that thing inside your head."
"I'm trying to have a serious conversation."
He smirked again, "I thought thinking was a serious thing or at least it's serious when you don't. But, I guess you don't have to worry about that now, since you have finally mastered the art of thinking."
She ignored his last comment and continued. If she didn't this might go on for ages. "I was wondering if maybe...wecouldstudytogethersometime."
"In English this time, please," Draven said.
"Maybe we could study together sometime." Aurora waited for his reaction. The worst that could happen was that he could laugh in her face.
Draven, with his face emotionless, agreed. "Yeah, we could do that."
She released her breath that she hadn't realized she had been holding.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
She walked into his study. It was a huge room filled with books and a massive fireplace. Aurora knew exactly what she was looking for and headed straight to the desk. She pulled open a drawer and carefully dug around until she found it, a metal container. Aurora opened it and pulled out some money. This was one of the places he kept extra money around the house. He was so rich; he would never have to work and could live comfortably the rest of his life. Aurora didn't feel guilty about taking this money, because she was sure he would never miss it. He spent more than enough money on her, anyway. She stuffed it in her bag. With a last look around, Aurora made her way out of the room, making sure to close the door behind her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Several months had gone by since the day Aurora had asked Draven if they could study together. Now they spent time together almost every day. Most of the time they were actually studying, but sometimes they just sat together and talked about things. Draven wasn't very eager to talk about his home life and Aurora didn't force him to. She wasn't eager to talk about her home life either. She was the only one Draven was civil to. He was rude to almost everyone else, but he hadn't been horrible to her.

People were beginning to wonder what had happened to Aurora. The people in her own dorms gave her suspicious looks. But, no one was as critical as the people she had once tried to fit in with.

Aurora was walking with her friend Jenny and they were going to Aurora's dorm to study, which actually meant gossip. A few minutes before, they had said goodbye to their other friend, Laura. Jenny walked into their building and stopped abruptly. Aurora nearly ran into her. At the other side of the room, Jenny's older brother, Ryan, was making fun of Laura. Harry and Heather were sitting there listening to him. Aurora, without stopping to think, marched over to where they were.

"What in the world do you think you are doing?" Aurora demanded.
Ryan opened his mouth to respond, but Aurora didn't give him the chance.
"Who do you think you are that you can stand around and make fun of Laura? Just because she's different doesn't mean she's some kind of freak. She's my friend and I will not allow you to insult her behind her back like that," she said.
Ryan looked stunned for a minute. Then he looked angry. "Well, maybe you should pick better friends."
Aurora knew he had stopped talking about Laura and was talking about Draven. "Who, people like you?" she asked with a sneer. "All I ever wanted to do was be your friend and be included in what you did. You ignored me for five years, when all I wanted was to be part of your little group. I tried to, but you treated me like I was never good enough to be your friend. Well, why should I want to spend the rest of my life trailing after people who obviously don't want me around? It's nice to know that there's someone out there who wants to be my friend and I don't care what kind of reputation they have. And if you are jealous, that's just too damn bad, because I couldn't care less. And you," Aurora turned on Harry, "I sent you letter after letter during the summer. But, that didn't matter to you did it? All you cared about were their letters and what they had to say. I thought I would be nice to you, because I thought that you mattered. Well, I'm sick of following you around and waiting to be noticed." She took in the stunned faces of everyone in the room and suddenly felt exhausted. Aurora made a rude gesture in the direction of Ryan, Harry, and whoever else was over there and walked up the stairs to go to her dorm.

A few nights later Aurora found Harry sitting by the fireplace, staring into the flames. She sensed that he wanted to tell her something.
"Aurora, I'm sorry. I guess I didn't know that you felt left out. I'm so dense; I didn't even realize you were trying to be friends with us. Five years and I never once noticed. Aurora, I-I was so stupid. Can you forgive me?"
Aurora sat down across from him and was silent for a long time. She looked him in the eye and saw that he meant everything he said. Harry always did a good job of wearing his heart on his sleeve. "Yes, but that doesn't mean I forgive anyone else," she said.
Aurora gave him a friendly hug.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Aurora walked along the maze of hallways. There was one last stop she had to make before leaving. She glanced at the pictures on the walls. They were mostly of his ancestors. His family had always been proud of their lineage. Aurora thought they were a little too proud, but she would never say that. She continued along the hallways feeling like the portraits were all watching her every move. It was a spooky sensation that took her mind off of the pain for a little while.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Aurora, why are you really spending all this time with Draven?"
"What are you talking about, Harry?"
"C'mon at the beginning of this school year, you hated him and everything he stands for."
"I never said that I hated him, exactly."
"Well, you said as much to suggest extreme dislike and now you two are always together. It just makes me wonder."
"I'm not supposed to tell anyone, but I guess I could tell you. You have to promise not to tell. You can't even tell Ryan. This is important."
"Alright...I promise."
"You know that Draven doesn't come from the best family..."
"Yeah, his father is a criminal that gets away with everything."
"Benefit of money. Anyway, the Headmaster thought I might be able to get information out of Draven. Maybe he's heard things at home or is included in their plans."
"Why you?"
"He said that I might be able to get him to talk. Maybe it's because I'm one of the few girls who hasn't had any trouble with him. Besides, I can be very persuasive."
"Yeah, I'd forgotten how well you can wrap the male population around your finger. So, this sudden interest in him is just a ploy?"
"Pretty much. But, you know, he is rather good looking."
"Please, I don't want to know."
"Jealous, Harry?"
"No, I know that I am one hundred times better looking than him. Not to mention, I'm smarter and girls swoon over me."
"You just keep telling yourself that."


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The kitchens were Aurora's next stop. It was her plan to take some food, as much as her bag could hold and she could carry. Once she left, Aurora wouldn't have time to stop for food for awhile. She needed to get as far away as she could before she stopped to spend any money. Aurora raided the pantry and stuffed her bag full of things. The bag was getting to be heavy and she was glad this was her last stop. Aurora didn't think she could carry any more weight.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The summer holidays were close. Final exams were finished and everyone was enjoying their last few days with nothing to do. Aurora was taking a walk around the grounds with Draven. She had invited him out, hoping to get information out of him. But, she was also finding she enjoyed his company.

"So, I guess I'll see you in September then," Aurora said. There was nothing but silence from him. "I thought that maybe I could write to you during the holidays, but your father might not like that. Is it okay that I do?"
"Yeah, sure," he finally answered.
"Draven, what is wrong with you? You're never that talkative, but usually you at least have something rude or sarcastic to say to me. I'm kind of disappointed. I was looking forward to getting into a verbal argument with you, because-"
Draven grabbed her arm, suddenly, and spun her around to face him. Aurora looked at him in surprise. "Do you think I'm evil?"
"Evil? No, of course not," she said.
"Are you lying to me?" The look in his eye made Aurora feel nervous, but she didn't act like it.
"Why would I lie to you, Draven? If you want the truth....no, I don't think you are evil. You can be an arrogant, sarcastic, snobby bastard and you are horribly cruel to some people. That doesn't make you evil in my book, though."
They were both silent after that, though Draven seemed to finally relax.

That night Aurora was sneaking around the hallways. Some of her friends had had a meeting after curfew and she had gone. They all knew it was risky, but that's what made things fun. She was walking with Jenny, Laura, Harry, Nick, Heather, and Ryan. Laura and Harry seemed to be getting along quite well and Aurora was too busy watching them to notice what was going on around them. She secretly hoped they would get together. They would make a very cute couple.

Aurora heard Ryan curse and looked around. There was a teacher coming towards them and it looked like the one who everyone hated, because she loved punishments. She was getting closer and Aurora looked around for someplace to hide. Just as the woman swooped down on them, a hand reached out and pulled Aurora into the shadows. She opened her mouth to scream, but the person's other hand came up to cover her mouth.

"My God woman, you need to learn to keep your mouth shut," the person said.
"Drrrrvn, 's tat you?" Aurora's voice was muffled behind his hand.
"Yes, it's me. Now be quiet unless you want to be caught. Stay here and I will be right back," Draven instructed.
Aurora watched Draven walk down the hall towards their teacher. The woman asked Draven if that was everyone who was out after curfew, he said it was, and she thanked him and sent him on his way. He returned to Aurora.
"You told on us!" Aurora looked livid.
He only smirked and replied, "Good work. Ever considered being a detective?"
"But why? We weren't hurting you."
"I'm here to make other people's lives miserable. It's a hard job, but someone has to do it." Draven shrugged.
"Why did you keep me from getting caught?" Aurora wasn't sure what to think of that gesture.
"I didn't want to get you in trouble."
He didn't bring up the subject again and Aurora thought it was best to just leave it alone for the time being.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Aurora was near his mother's room. Of course, it was on the opposite side of the house from his. She wouldn't even be in this section, but it was the closest way to the door. Aurora froze when she heard sounds on the other side of the door. It wouldn't do to have Rose find her like this. It wouldn't do to have Rose find her at all. She listened closely and heard a man's voice. Aurora scrunched her nose up in disgust. Ever since his father died, his mother had affairs with anything male that had two legs. It was disgusting, which was why Aurora never mentioned it to him. But, tonight Aurora was glad Rose had company. There was less chance of her being discovered.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
At the beginning of the next school year Aurora was called to see the Headmaster. Most of the other students thought she was in trouble, but she knew why she had to see him.
"Aurora, I hope you had a good summer," he greeted her.
"Yeah I did, um, sir."
"Good. Now I was wondering how you felt about helping out again. I realize that it is a lot to ask of you, but you're our best chance of getting anything from Draven," he said.
"I understand, sir. I would be glad to help out again."
The Headmaster gave her a knowing smile. "I'll see you in a week then."

Aurora left his office and found Jenny and Laura hovering near the door. Well, Jenny was hovering. Laura just looked bored. It took a lot to actually excite Laura.
"Aurora, are you in trouble?" Jenny looked concerned. Laura gave her a questioning glance.
"No, there was just an arrangement that we had to discuss. So, Laura, has Harry said anything to you?" She tried to change the subject quickly.
"He made it very clear that he likes me. A lot. Jenny was there and told him it was about time he got over that cow."
Aurora gave Jenny a thumbs up, "It's about time someone told him that-"
"Speaking of boys," Jenny interrupted, "What is going on between you and Draven? After you disappeared to go talk to the Headmaster, he kept looking around. We can only assume he was looking for you. He acts like he really likes you, Aurora."
"Oh no, Jenny. He doesn't like me in the sense of how he would like a girlfriend or even a really good friend. We just, um, study together," Aurora tried to explain.
Jenny rolled her eyes. "What about what happened a few months ago when we were getting out of school? I remember a night where we were sneaking around and a teacher caught us. Are you remembering this, Laura?"
"Yeah, everyone who was walking with us got detention, except for you. You seemed to have disappeared."
Jenny took up the story again, "There was no time for any of us to hide, so what happened to you? We all wondered that until Draven showed his face. Then it was obvious that he saved your arse. I wish I had a hot guy to save my arse!"
Aurora blushed against her own will. "We are nothing more than friends and I doubt we are even that. We just sort of came to an agreement, a silent one," she said.
Aurora could tell that her friends didn't believe her, though.

As the weeks went by, it seemed Jenny and Laura were right. Draven was even nicer to her, though they still had their friendly banters. He was always finding her first. Last year, Aurora had always had to go and find him first.
It was only natural, it seemed, that their first kiss would follow shortly.

Aurora and Draven were walking together after class. She was teasing him mercilessly. It wasn't often that Aurora had that chance.
"You deserve it, Draven. You were horrible to me today," she said, grinning.
Aurora barely noticed that they had both stopped walking. He didn't respond and she looked up to ask him if something was wrong. The next thing she knew, Draven's lips were on hers. Aurora felt warm all over, even though she knew it was wrong. He was the enemy and she was supposed to be getting information from him. She was not supposed to be standing there kissing him and it was not supposed to feel so good, so right. But, while Aurora was trying to sort out her feelings, Draven pulled away.
Aurora looked up at him and felt herself turning red. "I-I-I h-have to go inside. I promised I would, um, m-meet Laura and J-Jenny."
That was a lie, but Draven didn't need to know that. Aurora had just needed an excuse to leave quickly.

Aurora rushed into Jenny's dorm without knocking. Jenny was laying on her bed flipping through a magazine with her feet propped up on her pillow.
"Jenny! You are not going to believe what happened to me today!"
"What?" Jenny asked, while still looking in her magazine.
"I was kissed," she answered.
Jenny threw her magazine across the room and jumped up. "You were what? When? Who did it?"
"I was outside walking with Draven-"
"I knew it!" Jenny squealed in obvious delight.
"Well, we were just walking and suddenly we stopped. The next thing I knew, his lips were on mine. There was no warning or anything. Jenny, what am I going to do? This could ruin everything!"
"I can't believe this! If you are really that worried about it ruining your friendship, then just don't bring it up. Chances are Draven won't talk about it, either." Jenny grabbed a pair of shoes and slipped them on. "Let's go tell Laura!"


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Aurora crept away from Rose's room and on down the hallways. It was growing darker in the hallways and she wished she had some source of light. There was no way she could turn on the lights, because that would be a dead give away to where she was at. Aurora turned to the left and banged her knee against something. She had to bite her lip to keep from cursing whatever it was. For the hundredth time that night, Aurora wondered if she was making the right choice. She also wondered why she hadn't thought to grab a flashlight.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Aurora was sick of people telling her how evil Draven was. She was sick of facing opposition from several people - well mainly two people, Heather and Ryan. It seemed that Aurora had to deal with their insults everyday. She couldn't understand why they suddenly had an interest in her life.

"Aurora, he is a jerk. What do you see in him?" Ryan asked.
"Gee, Ryan, how many times do we have to go over this?" Aurora asked with a sneer. "He doesn't ignore me. He treats me well. He is rather easy on the eyes. Oh yes, he doesn't ask me the same bloody question every five minutes."
Ryan looked surprised that Draven was capable of treating anyone well.
Heather looked at Aurora for a few seconds. "You are so different ever since you started hanging around him. Draven has changed you. You never used to be so mean and sarcastic."
Aurora looked in disbelief at Heather as Ryan quickly agreed. "You know how wrong you are? Draven hasn't changed me at all. This is who I am. This is who I've always been. All he did was accept me the way I am. Draven taught me how to be myself and not worry what people like you think." Aurora paused, then added in a whisper, "He saved me." Then she turned her back and walked away, but was still close enough to hear Harry tell them to leave her alone.

The months dragged by and everyone in Aurora's building turned their back on her, because they hated Draven. Only Harry and Jenny stood by her side. It was lonely for her and there were times when she was tempted to tell them why she had befriended Draven and that he didn't really mean anything to her. But, she knew it was a lie. Aurora had come to rely on Draven and cherish their unusual friendship. Her days just wouldn't seem complete unless Draven was invovled somehow.

The month of December came in with a steady snowfall. By the third day, the whole ground was covered in several inches of white. The students made use of free afternoons to have snowball wars.
Aurora talked Draven into joining one. Many on the opposing team took great pleasure in hitting the person that made their lives at school difficult. By the end of the day, Draven and Aurora were soaked to the bone.
"C'mon Aurora. You need to get into some warm clothes," Draven said.
"Aw, is Draven worried about me?" Aurora teased him.
He bent down and kissed her on the forehead. "If you got sick and died, I wouldn't have anyone to do my homework for me." Draven smirked at her.
"There you go always ruining a serious conversation," Aurora complained.
"That, my dear, is what I'm good at. Now you really need to get inside."
Draven bent down to kiss her on the tip of her nose, but Aurora looked up at the wrong time and his lips landed on her lips instead. All of the sudden, Aurora felt perfectly warm standing in the snow with wet clothes. Draven ran his tongue over her lips and she let out a soft sigh. But in the back of her mind, Aurora knew that this could ruin everything between them. This would put emotions where none should be placed. This time, Aurora broke off the kiss before it got any deeper and she lost control.
"Thank you for warming me up, Draven. But, I think I will go change my clothes now." Aurora tried to sound normal and even gave him a huge grin.
He nodded. "Good. I don't want you getting sick."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Finally, Aurora reached the door. She stopped for a moment and leaned weakly against it. This was it. Once she stepped outside there would be no turning back. Aurora would miss this house, or, rather, this mansion. She had so many wonderful memories here. But, most of all she would miss the man that was asleep somewhere above her. But, she had to leave. It was for his own good, after all, that she was doing this. Slowly, Aurora turned around and grabbed the knob.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The teachers announced there was going to be a Winter Ball. This sent the school into a frenzy. Aurora was excited and wondered what boys would ask her. She was really looking forward to going.
A week went by and someone had yet to ask her. It made her jealous to hear other girls talk about their dates. Laura and Harry were going together, since they were officially a couple. Jenny was having boy troubles, but the exact opposite of Aurora's. It didn't seem fair.

"I don't really want to be rude and insult anyone, but why can't any good boys ask me to go?" Jenny complained.
"At least you are getting asked. Not one single boy has even mentioned it to me. And you could always ask what you call the good boys."
"Yeah right. They are all taken, I'm sure. I'm stuck with not good boys. Nick asked me to go, but last time there was a ball I went with him and he's an awful dancer. Daniel asked me, but he's just not my type. I agreed to go with Shane even though I don't really like him. He's a great friend and everything, but I can't ever see myself kissing him," Jenny made a disgusted face. "Don't worry, Aurora, I'm sure Draven is waiting for the perfect moment to ask you. You'll see."

A few days later Aurora was trying to study by the fireplace and forget her embarrassing situation.
"Found a date for the ball yet?" a voice asked.
Aurora looked up and saw Ryan standing near her. "No, I haven't. Thanks for reminding me," she said somewhat bitterly.
"Maybe I could tell you why every boy in the school is too scared to ask you to go."
"Scared? But, but ...why?" Aurora asked, confused.
"It seems that your Draven threatened every boy that he would beat them to death with a shovel if they even thought about asking you to the dance," Ryan explained.
"He's not mine and are you serious?"
Ryan nodded and that was all Aurora needed. She bounded off the couch and took off out the door. This was big news and she needed to find Laura and Jenny.

Later in the day, Aurora was walking with Jenny and Laura. They both had 'I-told-you-so-and-you-would-have-been-smart-to-listen-to-me-in-the-first-place' looks on their faces. She had wasted no time in telling them what Ryan had told her.
They rounded a corner and Jenny squeaked in surprise. There was none other than Draven, himself. Laura and Jenny both made an excuse and took off rather quickly. This left Aurora and Draven alone.
"Aurora," he greeted her.
"Draven," she responded.
He didn't look one bit nervous, but Aurora sensed that he was. It might have been the way he was avoiding her gaze. It might also have been the fact that his hair was very mussed up from, most likely, his hand running through it.
"I....You're going to the ball with me," he said.
Aurora raised an eyebrow. What kind of question was that? "Oh am I really?" she asked. Draven nodded.
She took a step towards him. "What if I don't want to?" she asked. He didn't answer. Aurora took another step towards him and slightly lowered her voice. "What if I'm already going with someone else?" she asked. He didn't answer. She took another step and they were only inches apart. She whispered, "What if I told you I'd say yes?"
"Will you go to the ball with me?" Draven's voice was barely above a whisper.
"Yes..."

Aurora was surprised later that night when Ryan approached her yet again. She could see Heather hovering nearby.
"Can I talk to you?" Ryan asked.
"Isn't that what you're doing right now?" Aurora snapped at him.
Ryan looked down nervously, "I suppose I am. Aurora...would you go to the ball with me?"
"I'm sorry, Ryan, I can't."
"But why not? I-"
"I'm going with Draven."
"Is this just an excuse because you really don't want to go with me?"
Aurora rolled her eyes and sighed. "Look, I would have gladly gone with you, but Draven asked me first. If you had asked me earlier than I would have said yes. It's not my fault you wait until the last minute to find a date."
Ryan had the decency to look ashamed. "I just thought...but I was wrong." He turned his attention to Heather. "Hey, you want to go to the ball with me?" he asked.
"Oh Ryan, Nick already asked me to go. He didn't have anyone since Jenny turned him down and I thought I would be nice," Heather replied.
Aurora decided to offer her help. "I think I can help you, Ryan. There's this girl Susan who is in several of our classes. She doesn't have a date and I'm sure she'd go with you. I could ask her."
Ryan reluctantly agreed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Aurora felt the cool night air caress her skin. It was such a peaceful and beautiful night. She thought it was cruel and ironic that a night like this could be so beautiful. Aurora just stood there breathing in the night air. It had a calming effect on her. She began to think that maybe things would turn out okay. Aurora realized that she had left the door standing open behind her. She quickly closed it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Draven and Aurora were sitting together outside. It was cold, but neither one seemed to mind. They were talking about different things. Aurora was feeling content and happy.

"Aurora, why are you out here with me?" Draven asked. She opened her mouth to respond, but he continued, "You always seemed like such a good, decent girl and now you're always hanging around me. I'm not well liked among a lot of the students. I've ruined your reputation haven't I?"
"Yeah, you have. But, I have friends who don't care about that."
"So, are you happier with me than when you were following around those idiots? Or would you like to go back to being their lapdog. One of them would call and there you were ready to help and never getting anything in return," Draven said snidely.
Aurora felt the anger growing in her. How dare Draven say those things to her! Her cheeks were rapidly becoming red. "I can't believe you would even suggest that I was happy then," she said angerily.
"I still think you are their lapdog. I see how upset it makes you when they mention how horrible I am and when they insult you."
Aurora inhaled quickly. He couldn't know that he was playing on some of her fears and sore spots. She jumped up and started shouting. It may have been childish, but Draven had struck a nerve. "I am not anyone's lapdog. I'm not theirs. I'm not yours. I'm not anybody's!" She stormed off.
Draven made no attempt to follow her.

They hadn't spoken since that day and now it was the night of the Winter Ball. Aurora was worried. What if Draven decided he didn't want to take her anymore? What if he didn't show up? She still got dressed and made an effort to look her best. Even if he had changed his mind, there was no reason she couldn't go and have a good time.
Aurora spent the day running back and forth between rooms getting ready with several other girls. They were trying on dresses, putting on makeup, and doing their hair. It was a mad house. But, Aurora came out of it looking so stunning that Ryan ran into a door while he was walking and trying to check her out.
When it was time, Aurora went down to where she was supposed to meet Draven. It was a surprise when she saw him standing there. He turned around when he heard her. He was dressed up and looked even better than normal.
"Aurora....I wasn't sure if you'd show up."
"I had my own doubts about you showing up."
Draven smiled, while still managing to look expressionless. "You look nice. And about what I said to you...Well, I know it was rude and I shouldn't have said it."
Aurora couldn't help but smile at his words. "Is that supposed to be an apology, because it's not a very good one."
"I wasn't trying to apologize. It was just an explanation."
She knew that was as good as an apology from him. "I'll just take what I can get then. Now, I do believe we have a Ball to attend."
Draven offered her his arm and she took it.

Aurora stood close to Draven and watched all the couples together. Draven had yet to dance with her and she was getting frustrated. Was it too much to ask for one dance? He was busy talking with his friend, Blake, and paying no attention to Aurora. She had just stepped away from them when Jenny ran up.
"I have been looking for you all night. I need someone to save me from Shane!"
"You can stand over here if you like. Draven and Blake are busy talking."
Jenny glanced over and her eyes widened. "Whoa, he is really really hot-" She stopped talking as she spotted Shane. "Aurora, if Shane asks you where I went, mislead him."
Aurora watched Jenny run off and decided to go back and stand by Draven. There was nothing better to do.
"So, Aurora, who was that girl you were talking to?" Blake asked.
She glanced at Blake and saw that he looked interested. "Her name is Jenny and she's a year younger than us. She's one of my best friends."
"Oh really. Interesting."
"Aurora," Draven whispered in her ear. Aurora felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. "I think you have a stalker."
"What?!?" Aurora spun around so fast that her head almost collided with his.
"Look over there," Draven pointed to Ryan, "He's been watching you almost the whole time."
Aurora looked over to where Draven had pointed and saw Ryan watching her and his date, Susan, sitting nearby looking miserable. "Excuse me, Draven. I'll be right back."
Ryan saw her coming over and told Susan he was going to get them drinks. He met Aurora at the refreshment table.
"Good evening, Aurora." Ryan mimicked a bow.
Aurora rolled her eyes and pulled him over to a corner. "What is your problem?" she hissed.
"Nothing, I mean I don't have one."
"Then why are you and Susan just sitting around not having any fun?"
"I don't like her."
"So? That doesn't mean you can't have a good time."
"I don't want to lead her on."
"How thoughtful of you, but I think Susan's aware that you don't like her like that. Maybe if you gave her a chance, you'd find out she isn't that bad." Aurora was growing angrier and her voice was rising. "You can be friends with someone of the opposite sex, you know. It's not unheard of."
"But-"
"Oh and another thing, you need to stop staring at me. You lost your chance-"
"Because she likes me better."
Aurora felt Draven come up behind her and put his arms around her waist. "Because Draven asked me first," she continued as though Draven hadn't spoken or touched her, even though he was giving her chills. The good kind of chills, that is.
"Listen; you had better leave Aurora alone and stop staring at her like a stalker or I'll make sure you are sorry," Draven threatened.
"She doesn't need you to defend her," Ryan insisted.
"Oh I know that, but she's my date and you would do well to remember that." Draven turned Aurora around and asked, "Would you like to dance?"
Aurora gave him a shy smile. "I thought you'd never ask." She turned back to face Ryan. "You were right, I don't need Draven to defend me. If you aren't being nice to Susan then I will personally throttle you until you turn blue."

The rest of the night went smoothly without interruption. Aurora and Draven danced several times and enjoyed themselves. At least, Aurora did. As she found out later, Draven had never been fond of dances. But, he had pretended to for the night.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Once Aurora had shut the door, her calm feeling left her. She had to make it through his huge yard, before she could really be safe. She crept along feeling like the plants were watching her and the trees mocking her. Aurora felt the hairs on the back of neck prickle. The windows in the house looked like eyes watching her. It was tempting to run back inside and crawl back into bed with him. Aurora tried to remind herself that she really was doing this for him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Are you in love with him?"
Aurora looked up from the book she was reading. "Huh?"
"Draven...do you love him?"
She looked at Harry and frowned. "No! I have my reasons for being with him, remember?"
"I've seen the way you look at him. Everyone's seen the way you two look at each other. You spend all of your time with him and when you aren't with him then mentally you're off in some other place."
"What are you talking about, Harry? I spend time with him, because I have to."
"I think it's because you have deeper feelings for him than you want to admit."
"You're wrong, you know that. I'm not in love with him and Draven's not in love with me. There are no feelings there."
"The only person you're kidding is yourself, Aurora."

"You're being really quiet today. Did you forget how to use your mouth?" Draven asked.
He hadn't meant anything by his words, but Aurora blushed anyway. His words brought back the memory of his kiss.
"C'mon, Aurora-" Draven poked her in the side. "What's wrong?"
"Do you believe in love?" she asked.
Aurora watched as Draven's face went from relaxed to emotionless in a second. "Love is for fools. There's no such thing," he said.
"How can you be so sure?" Aurora persisted albeit a bit more carefully.
"Love isn't real. Love is something that only exists in fairytales. People think they are in love and act like fools. Love makes people weak. People let their emotions get in the way and it makes them weak. They let their lives be controlled by something that doesn't really exist. Look at the world. If love was real, don't you think things would be different? It's just an illusion."
Aurora was silent for a few minutes after Draven's speech. "Did you ever believe in it?"
"Sorry to disappoint you, but no."
"You didn't disappoint me," Aurora said, biting her lip uncertainly. "I would have never expected you to believe in something so...so-"
"Good? Pure? You have so much faith in me." Draven laughed, almost bitterly. "Let me tell you something, Aurora. You may not think I'm evil, but look at who I am. My father is a criminal mastermind who never gets caught and I'm his only offspring. Don't you think any of that would rub off on me? I was told since I was young that love is a weakness. I was raised to have no weakness. I can't be weak if I'm going to follow in my father's footsteps."
This was the most Draven had ever mentioned his life outside of school and Aurora listened in amazement. "I'm sorry. I had no idea that-"
"Don't apologize unless you had something to do with it. There's no reason to be sorry, anyway. It's just my way of life." Draven's face had no expression on it at all and his voice didn't sound angry. He sounded lifeless and emotionless.
"Oh Draven!" Aurora threw her arms around his neck without any warning. She felt the need to comfort him. Draven went rigid beneath her. Eventually, he relaxed enough to put his arms around her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Aurora tripped over something and went flying. It had probably been a tree root. She landed face down on the ground. Aurora rolled over and looked up at the sky. It was dotted with stars and seemed to go on forever. She felt a tear slide down her cheek, as she thought of never being able to look at the stars with him again. Aurora quickly wiped it away. She couldn't allow herself to cry, yet. There would be a lot of time for tears after she was gone.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Are your parents coming to pick you up this year?" Jenny asked.
Aurora glanced around, trying to see if she had forgotten anything. "No, apparently they can't make it up here. I'm riding the train and they'll pick me up at the station."
Jenny smiled at her. "That's great! I'm stuck riding the train, too. We will have so much fun."
"If you say so." Aurora wasn't really looking forward to riding the train. "Jen, you could at least help me pack if you are going to sit in here."
Jenny sighed and made a big deal about getting up to help Aurora. "Guess who else is riding?"
"Who?" Aurora asked, not really caring.
"Draven...or so I heard. Didn't he tell you?"
"No, he hasn't said a word about it."

Aurora stood on the platform, waiting to board the train. She was furious that her parents couldn't manage to pick her up from the school like they had every single year since she was sent to this boarding school.
"C'mon Aurora...hurry up or we won't get a good compartment." Jenny took the arm of her friend and nearly drug her onto the train.
"Alright, alright! I'm coming." Aurora twisted her arm out of Jenny's grip and followed her to an empty compartment. She was worried that Jenny might actually pull her arm off.
They weren't in there long, when Ryan opened the door and came in. He was followed by Harry. Ryan took no time in sitting down and making himself comfortable. Jenny rolled her eyes at her older brother. "Ryan, what are you doing here?"
"There was no where else empty, so I thought my little sister wouldn't mind me sitting with her," Ryan answered easily.
"Did you ever think that I might mind?" Aurora interrupted.
Jenny didn't give Ryan a chance to answer. She grabbed her brother's arm and motioned to Harry to follow them. "I'll be right back, Aurora."

Draven slipped in the compartment, startling Aurora. He smirked and walked over towards her. "I thought I'd come say good bye."
"I was begining to wonder if you had forgotten me," Aurora said, mirroring his smirk. She got up and stood next to him. "So, go on and tell me how much you'll miss me." Aurora grinned at him. She leaned towards him to plant a chaste kiss on his cheek.
Draven turned his head and caught Aurora's lips with his. Aurora's eyes widened in surprise. She wanted to tell him to stop and tell him that he was going to ruin everything, but she couldn't force herself to push him away. Aurora felt her knees go weak and clung onto Draven for support. He seemed determined to kiss her thourougly and she had no objection. They stood there for what seemed like forever, just kissing each other. Aurora thought she heard a door opening somewhere, but ignored it until she heard Ryan yell at her.
"What the hell do you think you are doing?"
She felt Draven's mouth leave hers and he let go of her. Aurora was trying to comprehend what had just happened between them.
"I was just telling Aurora good bye. Is there a problem with that?" Draven answered for Aurora. He had a smirk plastered on his face.
Ryan turned red and didn't say anything. Aurora could see Jenny behind him looking like she was about to burst and Harry with an 'I-told-you-so' look on his face. Draven turned to leave the compartment and walked by Ryan. Aurora watched as he stopped and started to whisper something to Ryan. She leaned closer to hear what he was saying.
"If you're jealous, why don't you go shag your holier-than-thou Heather?" Draven sneered at him and walked off.
Jenny was turning a bright red and looked like she really was going to burst from holding in her laughter. Ryan turned a bright red, then went white, and a faint red was creeping back up his neck. Aurora ushered Ryan and Harry out of the compartment. Then Jenny started laughing. Aurora joined in and soon the two girls had tears streaming down their faces from laughing so hard.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Aurora got up from the ground and brushed off her clothes. She had to get going. If she stopped anymore, it would be morning before she got off of this property. Aurora had to be gone before the first rays of dawn reached through the windows of the house. The night was her cover. Aurora had to make sure and be gone before he woke up. She continued on, each step taking her closer to the edge of the property.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Aurora hadn't seen Draven since that day on the train. She had been worrying about what happened all summer. She wasn't sure if things would change between them or if Draven would even acknowledge what had taken place. Aurora had decided that if he didn't, then she would bring the subject of that kiss up. It couldn't be easily ignored like their first two kisses.

She saw him coming towards her. Aurora watched him and had to admire his well built body. Against her will, Aurora remembered what it had felt like to be held by him and feel his body against hers while they had kissed. She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't notice Draven was right in front of her.
"Aurora? Hello?" Draven was waving his hand in front of her face.
Aurora blanched. "Um, Draven...hi. I didn't even hear you come over here," she said in a higher voice than normal.
"That much was obvious," he said. Draven offered his hand to Aurora. "I think we need to talk."
Aurora took his hand and let him lead her to wherever he wanted.

Draven led her outside and they sat down on one of the benches. Before Aurora could say anything, Draven leaned over and kissed her. This kiss was just as passionate as the one on the train. It left Aurora breathless and trying to get closer to Draven. Draven pulled away and Aurora sighed. She really could get addicted to him.
"Aurora, I've been thinking about what happened on the train."
"I have been, too."
He pressed a kiss on the right corner of her mouth. "I like you. You're different from all of the other girls I know. I thought that maybe we could...you know," Draven seemed to be having trouble forming the words.
"We could be a couple?" she asked hopefully.
"Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking." He kissed the left corner of her mouth. Aurora couldn't explain how she felt at that moment. She was elated and a little bit nervous at the same time. "You mean, you love me?" she asked without thinking.
Draven suddenly went rigid and his face lost its expression. "Love doesn't exist." He turned away from her slightly and looked the other way.
Aurora bit her lip and felt like crying. She just had to ruin the moment by opening her big mouth. "I'm sorry, Draven. I-I forgot that you believed that. Please, look at me," she pleaded with him. Draven looked over at her, but she still couldn't read his face. Aurora was afraid she had scared him off. "I didn't mean it. I don't care if you love me or not."
"It's okay," Draven spoke softer than usual. He ran his thumb over her eye, wiping away the unshed tears. It was such a sweet and unusual gesture for him.
Aurora wrapped her arms around him and buried her head in his shoulder. They seemed to fit perfectly together. "I love you, anyway." she whispered, her voice muffled by his shirt. He didn't hear her or if he did, he didn't aknowledge her words.

Aurora was walking to her dorm that night feeling a mixture of happiness and disappointment. She was going over the events of the afternoon in her head. She nearly ran over Laura, because Aurora wasn't watching where she was going.
"Oh my gosh, Laura. I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" Aurora asked. "And what are you doing in here? Would this have something to do with a person named Harry?"
Laura looked vaguely amused. "Yes, I'm okay." She avoided answering the last questions by asking one of her own. "What happened? It must have been something big if you're going running into people."
"Draven," Aurora sighed.
Laura actually looked interested. "So, what's going on between you two?" she asked.
"He told me that he wants to be a couple." Aurora, instead of looking happy, looked crestfallen.
"That sounds like a good thing to me. Why do you look so upset?" Laura looked baffled by Aurora's words.
"He doesn't love me."
"I'm not really an expert on relationships, but isn't it too soon to be worrying about that?"
Aurora laughed bitterly and said, "You don't get it. He doesn't believe that love exists."
"Oh." Laura shook her head and gave Aurora an encouraging smile. "I guess you'll just have to prove him wrong then."
Laura walked off, leaving a confused looking Aurora behind her.

Several weeks had gone by and things really hadn't changed much. Aurora still spent her time in classes, with Laura and Jenny, or with Draven. Draven didn't act much differently, except now he didn't avoid kissing her. Aurora knew that he wasn't the hand holding, spouting poetry kind of boyfriend. Even knowing that, Aurora couldn't help but feel disappointed. It hadn't crossed her mind that maybe Draven didn't know how to be a good boyfriend.

"Are you upset about something?"
Aurora looked at Draven in surprise. "What makes you say that?" she asked.
Draven led her to a bench and they both sat down. "Well, you've been really quiet and haven't said one sarcastic thing to me today."
"It's just...nothing." She kept her face down and nervously traced the pattern on her shirt. Aurora had been hoping to avoid this conversation.
"Aurora, I know you better than that. What is wrong?" Draven gently lifted her chin so that she was looking at him.
She didn't want to admit that the problem was him. But, Aurora knew she had to tell him, otherwise he wouldn't leave her alone until he knew. "It's kind of you. I mean, it's not you exactly, but I just don't feel like....Wait, I do. It’s just that you seem so distant. Not really that distant, but I-"
"I know I'm not the best boyfriend. The truth is I've never really had a girlfriend before. At least, not a proper one. I have more knowledge in the snogging and shagging department than I do at being romantic." Draven took her hand and just held it. "I'm trying, Aurora. I really am."
His sincere words and his sweet gesture of holding her hand made tears come to Aurora's eyes. She could even ignore the fact that Draven had just admitted to sleeping with other girls. "Oh Draven," she sighed, "I think that was the sweetest thing you've ever said." Aurora snuggled closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

Aurora and Draven were outside sitting under a tree. She was snuggled up next to him with her eyes closed. "What are you thinking?" she asked quietly.
Laura had told her never to ask a guy that and Aurora had once read in a magazine that men hated that question. But, the magazine also said it was something you shouldn't say after having sex. Aurora figured she should be okay since they hadn't just had sex.
"Don't you know that question is one you are never supposed to ask a guy?" Draven answered in a lazy drawl.
"I did read that in a magazine once, but it said not to ask right after you got done shagging. It didn't mention any other time." Aurora shrugged her shoulders. "Besides, what is so wrong with that question?" she asked, while she made a pouting face by sticking out her bottom lip.
Draven leaned closer and gently nipped at her lip. "It's very intrusive to pry into our minds like that. How would you like it if I asked you that?"
"I probably wouldn't mind. Why don't you ask me and see if it bothers me?" Aurora suggested.
"Alright, Aurora, what is on your mind right now?" Draven asked before he reached over and tickled her.
Aurora fell backwards on the ground, wriggling around. "Draven," she squealed, "stop or I won't answer your question." He stopped tickling her, but wouldn't let her sit back up. "When we were just sitting here I was thinking about how Jenny needs a boyfriend. Laura has Harry and I have you, but she's all alone. She deserves some happiness too, you know?" Draven nodded and Aurora continued. "Then I started thinking about what you were thinking about and that led to me wondering why guys all have to be so frustrating. After that you started tickling me and I was thinking about how I really wanted you to stop, but I wouldn't mind if you kissed me. Only after I finish telling you what I'm thinking, though."
Draven had a smirk slowly forming on his face.
"Am I allowed to ask what you are smirking about?"
"I was just thinking that I shouldn't have asked you what you were thinking."
"Draven!" Aurora smacked him playfully on the arm. "How about we stop talking about what we are thinking and you just kiss me?" she suggested slyly.
"Now that's the best thought you've had all afternoon," he said. Then Draven leaned over to kiss her.

Draven was holding an envelope and giving it strange looks. Aurora couldn't figure out what was so fascinating about a plain envelope.
"Are you going to open that or just keep staring?" she asked.
Draven slowly opened it and pulled out a letter. "It's from my father," he explained.
"What does he want?" Aurora leaned over to try and read the letter, too.
"He wants me to go to my dorm and not leave for awhile. He didn't say why."
"That's strange. Are you going to go?"
"I'd better. When my father gives me instructions, it's usually better to follow them," Draven's voice remained emotionless. He stood up and held out his hand to Aurora. "Do you want to come?"
Aurora smiled and put her hand in Draven's. "Of course. I am not getting left out of this."
She let him pull her up and together they walked towards his dorm.

No one was there when they got to Draven's dorm. Aurora walked over to his bed and flopped down on it.
"Now what?" she asked.
"I don't know. I guess we just wait." Draven pulled out the chair from his desk and was going to sit down, but Aurora stopped him.
"Will you come sit by me?" She patted the spot next to her. Draven seemed hesitant to join her, but he did anyway.
They spent a long time talking about everything. Aurora told Draven about her family and how they didn't really get along. For the first time, she allowed herself to really open up. Draven told Aurora about the strange relationship his family had. Aurora noticed that he didn't mention his father's business very much.
They talked until Aurora looked over at Draven and saw that he had fallen asleep. She snuggled up next to him and whispered, "I love you, Draven," before she fell asleep.

Aurora woke up hours later. Draven had his arm slung over her waist and he looked to be in a deep sleep. Aurora hated to wake him, because he looked so peaceful. She rarely saw Draven with such an innocent expression. But, he needed to get up so she shook him in an attempt to wake him up.
"Draven, wake up!"
"Hmmm"
"C'mon get up!"
He mumbled something and tightened his grip on her waist.
"You are snoring."
Draven sat up quickly. "What are you talking about? I do not snore."
"I heard you."
"You were imagining things. It's as simple as that."
"I don't think your father ever came."
Draven's expression turned more serious at her words. "You're right. Let's go see what's going on in the rest of the school." He got up and tried, in vain, to fix his disheveled hair. Aurora gave him a pointed look that clearly said he was wasting too much time.

Aurora was in for a shock when they got to the main entrance. It seemed like the whole student body was there. She wondered what had happened. Draven didn't look confused, but then he never did.
"There they are!" Aurora heard a voice shouting and realized the person was pointing at them. She also realized it was Ryan that had spoken.
"What's going on?" she heard herself ask.
"Like you don't know. Or maybe you don't, but he does." Ryan pointed towards Draven, who looked much calmer than Aurora felt. She looked between the two boys and frowned.
"Aurora, Draven, I'd like to have a word with you in my office." The Headmaster appeared and motioned for them to join him.

"I think I will begin by telling you two what happened today," the Headmaster began, "A group came and tried to hold the school hostage. Luckily, I was able to notify the authorities before anything serious happened."
"I'm sorry, sir, but I don't see what this has to do with us," Aurora began, but he cut her off.
"This group was led by a very notorious man, who has yet to be caught or be proven guilty of a crime."
"My father." Draven's voice was flat and emotionless.
"Yes, I'm afraid he arranged the whole thing."
"But, Draven how did you know that?" she asked.
"It wasn't hard to figure out, Aurora. I got a mysterious note from him. He's a criminal mastermind and a genius. It was a lucky guess." Draven turned his attention to the Headmaster. "Did he get away?"
"I think you know the answer to that." The Headmaster looked seriously at Draven, and then he turned his attention to Aurora. "We need to discuss a few things. Let's start with why both of you were not around when this incident took place."
"Surely there were other students that weren't there either," Aurora challenged him.
"Other students aren't his son," Draven interrupted, still speaking in the same flat voice.
"That's true, which is why the rumors are spreading that you both had something to do with this. Of course, I think I would have known if that were the case."
Aurora stood up so fast that her chair almost toppled over. "Draven had nothing to do with this. He got a note from his father that said to be in his dorm. He asked if I wanted to come and I did. We waited, but his father never showed up. Draven didn't have a clue what was happening. If he had said something, don't you know that I would have told you? He didn't know about this."
"What are you talking about, Aurora?" Draven looked very confused.
"I think I'll leave you two alone to settle this."

Aurora sat back down in her chair and stared at the floor. She hadn't meant to blurt everything out like that.
"What's this all about, Aurora?" Draven asked.
She kept looking at the floor and began to talk. It was easier than trying to read Draven's face. "Two years ago at the beginning of the school year, I got called to this office. I guess there were rumors that your father wanted to do something to this school. You were the only link between here and your father. The Headmaster thought you might know something about what your father was going to do or at least have heard things at home. He asked me if I could get close to you and try to get information out of you. I agreed, because I don't exactly like criminals. No offense."
"None taken. Do continue..."
"Well, that day I talked to you for the first time and later I asked if we could study together. I guess the rest is history, as they say," she said quietly.
"So, this all was just an act?" Draven asked.
"At first, yes. I had to get close to you. But, after awhile I didn't even think about it anymore. It stopped being an act."
"And you expect me to believe that? Seems to me like you're a damn good liar. Why should I believe anything you say?" Draven stood up and walked out of the room with out looking back.
Aurora burst into tears. She couldn't believe that Draven had just walked out of the room like that. She was furious with him, with herself, and with his father.

To Aurora, it felt like the whole school could tell that they were having problems. It was big news that Aurora and Draven had broken up. Some people had the guts to tell her how sorry they were. Others said that Draven was a jerk and she was better off without him. The sympathy just added salt to the wound. No one knew that it was really her fault. Aurora cried herself to sleep most nights. She didn't even enjoy eating anymore. Draven's silent treatment was beginning to wear on her. Her nerves were shot and she was on edge constantly.

Aurora was eating breakfast one morning with Laura, Jenny, and Harry. They were talking about neutral subjects; like the weather, sports, and classes. A girl that Aurora had never seen before came up to their table.
"I just wanted to tell you that I'm so sorry. I know it must be difficult, but you can get over it eventually," she said.
Jenny gave the girl a strange look. "What are you talking about?"
"The breakup with Draven, of course," the girl rolled her eyes. "What did you think I was talking about? Anyway, he's a jerk for doing whatever he did to you. It's better that you got rid of him now. We're all one hundred percent behind you, Aurora."
Aurora had had about all she could handle. She stood up and announced in a very loud voice, "Draven didn't do anything to me. It was my fault, okay? My fault! I ruined everything. He did nothing wrong, so stop telling me how sorry you are!"
The room had gone quiet and everyone was staring at her. Aurora turned around and ran out of the room, fighting the tears that were threatening to come.

Jenny knocked on Aurora's door and then walked in without waiting for an answer. "Guess what! I have soemthing for you," she announced in a sing-songy voice.
Aurora looked up from her pillow. It was soaked from her tears. Her eyes were red and puffy and her face was tear-streaked. "What is it?"
Jenny shook her head at Aurora. "You look like hell, girl. You're making me realize how guys are so not worth it."
"Thanks for the support, Jen. I can only take so much of your caring attitude, you know? Now, what do you have?"
"It's a note. Laura gave it to me to give to you." Jenny handed Aurora the folded paper and left the room.
Aurora slowly opened it. She recognized who it was from even before she started to read it.
It read:
I realize that we haven't been on good terms, but there's something I need to discuss with you. Meet me by the lake tomorrow at 3. See you then.
-Draven

Aurora walked to the lake the next day. She was nervous about meeting Draven. Her heart was pounding and she was feeling a little faint. Aurora had taken time to make herself look better. There was no way she was going to let Draven see her with blotchy skin and tear stained cheeks.
He was already there and sitting in the grass. He looked so perfect sitting there, like nothing could ever bother him. She swallowed nervously and walked over to him. Draven looked up and smiled at her. This helped to put Aurora at ease. He didn't look angry anymore. She took a seat in the grass near him, but not extremely close to him.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" she asked.
"Aurora," he paused, almost nervously. "I think I love you."
Her breath caught in her throat. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. "What did you just say?" Aurora asked. She just had to be hearing things.
Draven smiled and reached up to grab her chin. He turned Aurora's head towards him, so they were looking each other in the eye. "I said I'm madly and hopelessly in love with you. I spent a lot of time thinking these past few weeks when we weren't speaking. You're right about love. I realized that I needed to be around you. You've changed me. You've made me want to be a better person."
"Don't say that I've changed you or made you better. I'm the one who lied to you, remember? I'm a liar, a deceiver, and a user. Don't ever say I changed you." Aurora dropped her eyes, so she was looking at the ground.
"You lied for a good cause, though. You didn't just use me for the hell of it. You're a good person, Aurora. I need you around."
Aurora looked up and smiled. Then she surprised Draven by pouncing on him. "Say it again."
"Which part?"
"The part where you tell me you love me."
"I love you, Aurora," he whispered huskily. Then Draven smirked seductively. "I think this is too much talking. Let's do something more interesting."
Aurora giggled happily. "And what did you have in mind?"
"This." Draven rolled over so Aurora was underneath him and he wasted no time in claiming her lips as his own.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
With one last glance towards the window of the room where Draven lay sleeping, Aurora disappeared into the night.



The End

© Rachel Ruppel 2004