Chapter 21
I somehow managed to get through an entire shift without once running into the twins.
I finally emerged from the bathroom after pulling myself together and was pleased to find the twins had already left. My pitiful joy
was short lived when Cameron handed me a note.
“They wanted me to give this to you.” Cameron frowned, “They didn’t hurt you did they?”
“No.” I shook my head. That was all the answers I was willing to give.
“Good.” Cameron nodded, “Just making sure. Men who hit women are scum.”
“Agreed.” I nodded.
“Here.” Cameron grunted, “Take my phone number in case you need anything.”
After getting over the initial shock of Cameron being nice to me, I looked down at the note in my hands. I waited until Cameron
walked away to read the messy scrawl on the paper.
‘Quit avoiding us, Aurora. We need to talk. Alec & Kade’
Of course the simple note had my heart thundering in my chest. Not a chance in h**l would I risk talking to them. I took Grace’s
threat seriously, and come this Friday I would be out of town for good. No more confusing twins, no more threatening and
psychotic girls. While my life had not been pleasant, I’ve never been assaulted at that magnitude before. Sure, Frank couldn’t
keep his hands to himself but with a well placed kick to the b***s he’d leave me alone. I never had someone viciously a****k me
the way Grace did, and it definitely left a lasting impression. Everytime I caught a glance at my swollen face, I remembered her
words. Her demand was simple, stay away from the twins. As much as my heart pleaded for me to go to them, I wasn’t that
stupid. After the damage Grace did on my face, I couldn’t imagine what else she’d do. I fully believed she’d have no problem
ending my life. She probably wouldn’t even get caught for my m****r. I’d just rot in the ground, and soon enough the twins would
forget about me.
That’s what I repeated in my head, the one thought that kept me from seeking the twins out. I was just the new girl, something
fun and shiny to play with. They wanted me because they already had every other girl in town. I was a challenge, plain and
simple. Their infatuation would wear off, and I’d finally be free.
Tori drove me home that afternoon. The car ride was awkwardly silent, but I didn’t mind. As always, the silence couldn’t last
forever.
“The twins were asking for you today.” Tori mumbled, noticing my discomfort.
I shook my head, “I don’t want to talk to them anymore.”
“I can tell.” Tori grimaced, “Did something happen with them?”
“No.” I shook my head, “I’m just not interested in them anymore.”
“Doesn’t seem that way.” Tori pointed out, and I debated on ignoring her comment.
“Doesn’t matter.” I shrugged, “I’m just something shiny and new to them. The sooner they leave me alone, the better.”
The minute I walked through the door, Melissa approached me.
“Are we really doing this again?” I huffed. I was not in the mood for another attempt at a heart to heart.
“I think we need to.” Melissa frowned, her eyes lingering distastefully on my face.
“Oh, you think we need to?” I scoffed, “You had three years to try and do this. You’re too late.”
“Aurora, don’t be like this.” Melissa snapped, letting out a tired sigh. “I know I’ve fucked up, okay?”
“Really?” I pursed my lips, “That’s good you came to that conclusion all on your own, congrats.”
I retreated up the stairs and into my bedroom before she could say another word. It pissed me off to no end that she magically
decided to give a s**t about me. Three whole years she had practically ignored me, and now she wanted to play the concerned
mother card. I was determined to get back into my normal routine. It’ll be easier to leave in the middle of the night if she
continued to pretend I didn’t exist.
I hopped in the shower, letting the warm water run down my swollen face. The water stung my busted lip and made my bruised
eye throb, but it released a lot of the tension I had been feeling. Sleep had quickly become my bestfriend, protecting me from my
intrusive thoughts. It was easier to forget the world around you existed when you simply went to sleep. A peaceful break from the
turmoil and drama that life brought.
I woke sometime in the middle of the day, the sunlight streaming through my c******s cast hues of gold around the room. There
was something peaceful about staying home from school. Everyone was either working or in class, making me feel blissfully
alone.
Deciding to do something new today, I pulled myself from bed and got dressed. I had yet to simply explore, and taking a walk
through the woods seemed like a good idea.
Our town in California didn’t really have a forest. The town was close to the desert, making it dry and overflowing with dirt. There
wasn’t much green in our old town. Everything was so..open, in California. All of the tree’s made Georgia feel much more
crowded. While it felt crowded, it also made me feel as though I could hide easier. This thought was comforting, as I really didn’t
want to be seen anymore. Not by the twins, and not by Grace. I simply wanted to remain invisible to everyone, possibly even
Tori. Having no friends would make it easier to leave, to know no one was angry at me for my decision.
I walked from my bedroom and out the back door, not once stopping to look for Frank. It was almost funny how having your life
threatened seemed to take away other fears. I was no longer afraid of Frank, just afraid of getting stuck in this town. I was afraid
of having my plans foiled. Frank couldn’t hurt me more than Grace had, as I could easily defend myself against him.
I walked down the steps and directly into the woods that surrounded most of the houses in the neighborhood. I was far from that
little town in the middle of the woods, making me feel calm and secure. The last thing I wanted was to stumble into the little town
Tori, and the twins lived in.
My fingers grazed the back pocket of my jeans, itching to touch the note the twin’s had left me at the restaurant. I stuck it in my
back pocket, my intention was to throw it away as soon as I committed the hastily scrawled words to memory.
I walked in a straight line through the woods, committing each tree and bush to memory. I contemplated where I would go this
Friday. Should I go to a city? Somewhere with lots of tree’s? Or maybe in the mountains.
It would be much harder to find me if I ran to a city, but I didn’t enjoy living in cities. I had never lived in the mountains before, the
thought sounded tempting. Unfortunately, my sense of survival won out. I decided my best bet would be a crowded city, but now I
would have to figure out which city. New York was too expensive and overrated. Plus, New York was simply too close to Georgia.
Denver, CO popped into my head. Mountains and a city.
I sat against a huge oak tree in this small clearing, a bottle of water lying on my lap. A withered book sat in my hands. I wasn’t
sure what the title was, nor did I really care. I read the words greedily, a desperate attempt to escape the world I lived in.
The sound of snapping branches ripped me from my thoughts.