A/N: Well, here's something weird... a fanfic about an RP which, when you think of it, is a fanfic too! So... this is a fanfic about a fanfic! :D Brilliant.

Anyway, for any occasional non-B&S readers, I'll provide you with a small background. :) Over at the Bittersweet & Strange forum, we have an ongoing RP called "Disney College" which, as I'm sure you've guessed, is an alternative universe where Disney characters go to college. Phillip is a senior, and the current resident advisor of a group of freshmen. Aurora Hale is one of those freshmen, and after some time the two became a couple (long and complicated story, but it's actually explained along this small one-shot!

Belonging to a wealthy family in Chicago, Phillip is... well, wealthy. For Christmas he decided to offer Aurora a unique experience: to watch the Phantom of the Opera broadway musical in no other than NYC. They decided to take the trip on Valentine Weekend, because... well, it was convenient for me. :P

This was supposed to be a Valentine surprise for my RP partner, phoenixsoul13 (who plays Aurora in the RP), but we ended up writing it together. :) I really had fun with it, and I hope she did too!

As always, my "one-shots" ended up being quite long, so I've decided to split this up into three chapters.

I hope it's not confusing, and, most importantly, I hope you enjoy it! :)

You, Me, and New York City

by N. Anjo

Aurora and Phillip © Disney

Dedicated to Ariana (phoenixsoul13).

As Aurora stepped out onto West 44th street, her lungs filled up with the hot air of Manhattan. For years she had dreamed of visiting this city. Just like every small-town girl, Aurora Hale had been born and raised in Greenville, a forgotten place in Ohio where the biggest attraction was a memorial park with seven fishing lakes. She had fantasized with grand buildings surrounded by hundreds of people and lights, and wondered why New York City was also known as the 'city that never sleeps'.

Now, she finally understood why. No matter what time of the day it was, what day of the week or what time of the year… New York City was always bubbling with life, noise, energy, lights and music. Behind every corner a small stall sold pretzels and drinks to make sure no one ever went hungry or thirsty. Everywhere there were posters and banners suggesting things to do, places to see, and items to buy. The air was warm despite the February cold and it seemed like every street had its own characteristic smell. West 44th Street was no exception. As Aurora slowly closed her eyes and inhaled, she could sense the sweet smell of popcorn coming from right around the corner.

"Well, what did you think of the show?" said a deep voice. Aurora felt the same person put an arm around her shoulders and pull her closer. She immediately knew who it was. Her arm slipped around Phillip's waist as she looked up at him and smiled.

"It was wonderful," she replied with a happy sigh. "I still feel like I'm walking on clouds and singing on stage with them!"

Phillip chuckled. "Well, I figured that if I was going to take you to your first show, I'd might as well take you to see the longest running hit on Broadway… ever!"

Aurora turned herself around to face him and lifted herself onto her tiptoes. "You spoil me too much," she teased before giving him a quick peck on the lips.

Phillip smiled in response. "Well… it has its advantages." He glanced at his watch. "I can't believe it's ten o' clock already. Are you hungry?"

Aurora shook her head as she turned around again and held Phillip's hand. "Not really. Dinner was rather filling!"

"Hm, I agree," Phillip nodded. They had had dinner at The Olive Garden before going to the show and chosen that restaurant because Aurora had raved on about their vegetarian dishes (as much as Phillip had been craving a real burger). However, right now he was craving something completely different. "I am in desperate need of a coffee," he told Aurora.

"Of course," Aurora replied with a small smile. "For some reason, that does not surprise me", she teased.

They walked down to the nearest Starbucks hand-in-hand while they discussed their impressions about the show. The Phantom of the Opera held a very strong meaning in their relationship. It was one of the first things they discovered they had in common. They often stayed up late discussing their favorite characters and imagining new plot twists. "That's All I Ask Of You" was the song that Phillip sung in Aurora's ear when he lacked the courage to tell her he still had feelings for her. It was therefore no surprise when Phillip presented Aurora with two tickets to see Phantom of the Opera on Broadway as a Christmas gift last year, and they had decided to take the trip during Valentine Weekend.

After Phillip ordered a café latte and a caramel macchiato for Aurora, he collected their drinks and found a small table by the window for him and Aurora. Ever the gentleman, he pulled the chair out for her then took his own seat. "I still think," he said, continuing their previous conversation, "that Christine made the right choice by choosing Raoul."

Aurora thanked Phillip with a smile as he handed over her drink then shook her head at his remark. "Even if she didn't truly love him?" she asked defiantly.

Phillip sighed softly, already anticipating their usual argument rising. "Why would she not love him? He had everything to offer her! Wealth, security, devotion, prestige…"

"Yes, but…" Aurora cupped her hands around her coffee mug and felt the warmth penetrate her skin. "Christine and the Phantom shared a special connection. He taught her how to release her true potential and opened many doors for her!"

Phillip leaned forward and whispered, "He was a stalker." He smirked, knowing that this particular observation always set Aurora on fire. As expected, she rolled her eyes at him.

"He was not a stalker! He simply… lived in isolation for a very long time!" she argued. "He didn't know any better. Could you imagine living in the darkness of those dungeons almost all your life? After being abused and treated like… like… like a beast!" Her tone grew slightly agitated. She raised her mug closer to her lips and allowed the warmth to soothe her.

"He kidnapped Christine," Phillip insisted after taking a small sip of his latte. "That's hardly a good way to prove your love to someone."

"He didn't kidnap her – she would have gone with him anyway! And besides, aren't you one to talk?" Aurora scoffed. "You did the same to me!"

Phillip feigned a deep, tired sigh. "Here we go again."

Aurora was already on a roll. "I had nothing to do with your little game with Mulan and Hercules, yet you dragged me into the storage room anyway!" It wasn't the first time that she brought this to his attention. Months ago, at a Halloween Party, Phillip had dressed up as Zorro and taken advantage of the fact that no one had recognized him to spice up the party with his silly antics. Such antics included dancing a sensual tango with Esmeralda, having a swordfight with Mulan on top of one of the tables and, at some point, using Aurora as a hostage against her. He had inclusively dragged Aurora – disguised as the Little Red Riding Hood – into the storage room and mischievously locked them inside.

Phillip tilted his head with a small smirk. "It was not my fault," he pointed out. "It was Zorro's."

Aurora shook her head with a sigh, as if she had already anticipated Phillip's comeback.

"Besides," he continued, "say whatever you like… I still think you enjoyed it." He paused. "Well, at least that's what Zorro tells me. In fact, he talks about you all the time and says he would lock himself inside a storage room with you over and over again."

Aurora tried to hide her smile but failed miserably. She disguised it by taking a small sip of her macchiato, forgetting about the huge mountain of cream that hadn't yet melted. As she lowered her mug again, a small stain of white cream remained on the tip of her nose. "You seem to know Zorro quite well."

Phillip grinned, though he wasn't sure if it was because of Aurora's remark or because of the cream on her nose. "We're good friends…" he trailed off, trying not to stare at Aurora's nose or laugh madly. "But, anyway!" He cleared his throat awkwardly as he discreetly began pulling his phone out of his pocket. "Raoul."

Aurora shook her head. "Erik." She noticed Phillip taking out his phone but paid no attention to it, assuming he was going to text his father or one of his friends.

"You do realize that Christine chose Raoul in the end, don't you?" Phillip reminded her as he pretended to write a text message on his phone. In truth, he had switched to the camera mode and was discreetly trying to get a picture of Aurora with her creamy nose.

"Yes, but only because it was the safest thing to do," Aurora argued, completely oblivious to Phillip's true intentions. "I believe her heart truly belonged to Erik."

"The stalker?" Almost in position…

Aurora sighed. "No, the poor repressed man who was forced to hide from the world all his life!" Before she could continue, Aurora heard a strange familiar noise. Clack. She eyed Phillip skeptically as a wide grin grew on his face. A few seconds later, it finally hit her. "Are you… are you taking pictures?" She looked around and behind her to see if there was anything interesting going on, but the table behind her was empty and nothing in the room sparked her interest. When she turned to Phillip again, he was already leaning forward, his face mere inches away from hers.

"I simply think you're the most beautiful girl in the world," he said with a small naughty smile.

Aurora grew even more suspicious. She reached out her hand to grab Phillip's phone, but he pulled it away before she could get to it. "What are you hiding?"

Phillip grinned. "Well, you know how you're always blackmailing me with that sappy letter I wrote to you when we first started dating?"

"That's hardly blackmailing," Aurora retorted defensively. "And I don't always do it," she added quietly. Phillip had written her a romantic later a couple of days after they started dating each other in secret almost six months ago, where he claimed that he would never let anything come between them. Two days later, he ended their relationship abruptly, arguing that 'it was not right' for a resident advisor to date a freshman, and that he didn't want her to suffer the consequences of peer pressure. She always kept the letter, and when they got back together again after the Halloween Party (almost two months later), she had shown it to him and teased him about his cold feet. Phillip always laughed about it and playfully accused Aurora of cruelly reminding him of his mistakes.

"Well, either way," Phillip replied nonchalantly, "next time you show me that letter, I'll show you… this!" He showed her the phone screen and smirked.

Aurora saw the picture of herself and immediately drew her attention to the white spot on her nose. "Why, it's…" Her cheeks turned pink. "Oh, Phillip," she murmured, automatically grabbing a napkin from the tray. "Why couldn't you just tell me?"

"No, don't!" Phillip interjected, grabbing her hand before she could wipe the cream off her nose. He used the occasion to pull her closer and gave her a small kiss on the nose, simultaneously wiping off the cream. Before pulling back, he gave her a soft kiss on the lips and smiled. "I've always… always wanted to do that."

"Well, now that you have," Aurora replied with a small smile, "you can erase that photo from your phone."

Phillip sat back and admired his screen. "Or not," he joked. "In fact, I like this picture so much… I just might set it as my new screensaver!" He pressed a few buttons then smiled triumphantly. "There! All done." He slipped his phone back into his pocket and picked up his mug again. "Now, where were we?"

Aurora let out a small sigh as she wiped her nose with a napkin just to make sure she got all the cream off. She made a mental note to borrow Phillip's phone later and get rid of the embarrassing photograph. "We were discussing the show."

"Of course." Phillip took a long sip of his café latte then exhaled with a satisfied moan. "I loved the costumes."

"Oh, and the music!" Aurora sighed happily. "I could feel their emotions sliding into me with every word and every tune," she described enthusiastically. "Oh, and when the Phantom sang 'Music of the Night', I almost shed a tear!"

Phillip grinned. "I think my favorite song was 'Point of No Return'. So much… passion!"

They continued to discuss the show – among other things – for almost an hour, until Phillip noticed the time and suggested they head back to the hotel. As they stepped out onto Times Square, the streets were still buzzing with movement and some people walked around handing out flyers that advertised a new club that had just opened, or a bar that was said to be the most popular in the city.

It seemed that the air had grown colder while they were inside, and now as Phillip inhaled he could feel the icy air freeze his lungs. He quickly pulled his gloves out of his pocket and put them on, then rubbed his hands together and looked at Aurora. "Shall I get a cab?"

Aurora studied her surroundings as she rubbed her arms. Their hotel was located right in front of Madison Square Garden, which meant it was only about a twenty-five minute walk away from where they stood now. She was so entranced by the bubbling life of the city that the thought of getting into a cab almost pained her. She looked up at Phillip and smiled faintly. "No, lets walk." She held out her hand to him.

Phillip took her hand with a smile and started walking down the street. They walked really slowly, as if neither of them were anxious to get back to the hotel so soon. Everywhere Aurora looked there were shops and restaurants, brightly illuminated with flashing lights to attract customers. Up on the roofs there were signs advertising Broadway shows, movies and musicians, while the streets were decorated with bright yellow cabs that dashed back and forth in every direction. Aurora was mesmerized by all this, while Phillip kept his eyes on the ground, apparently lost in thought. She gently tugged his arm. "What is Chicago like?" she asked him. "Is it busy and noisy like this too?"

Phillip looked up for the first time. "Chicago?" Her question seemed to have caught him off guard. He studied his surroundings for a moment before answering. "Well, it's no New York City, but we have a good nightlife too. In the early frontier days, Chicago was known to have the best nightlife in the United States," he stated proudly. "Tourists still love our groundbreaking improvised jazz and energetic dance beat of 1980s house music." He paused. "What about Greenville?" He knew it was a silly question, considering he had been to Greenville before and knew it was a quiet little town. However, listening to Aurora talk about her life there felt almost… comforting.

Aurora sighed. "It's… calm," she confessed. "I suppose it's just different all together. In Greenville we don't really go out much. We prefer to stay at home and play games while we drink hot chocolate by the fireplace." She looked up at Phillip. "I suppose going to a pajama party was our definition of 'going out'!"

Phillip chuckled softly. "Well, if you ask me, I think it sounds lovely." Phillip didn't exactly have the picture-perfect family life, nor did he ever have many intimate friends. In a way, it made him envy Aurora a little. His father was a wealthy lawyer and politician in Chicago who spent most of his time in meetings and conferences. Even on weekends there was always a formal dinner to go to or a charity event to attend. Most of the times Phillip was dragged to these social gatherings by his father, who took advantage of every occasion to show off his 'bright, handsome and single son', who would one day 'take over his empire'. Phillip had never enjoyed the attention he received or the way his father constantly labeled him, but he stuck through every dinner and every charity event because it was the closest he'd ever be to spending quality time with his own father. However, his secret desire to step away from his father's shadows and build his own life and reputation was what motivated Phillip to apply to Disney College. He had been there for four years now, achieving most of the goals he had set for himself: he was loved and respected by his peers and professors, a good academic, an excellent sportsman, a resident advisor, and a young man with a curriculum that many envied. Most importantly, he was no longer known as Hubert Van Dyke's son. He was Phillip Van Dyke... or simply, Phillip.

But something was missing. Something was always missing. Phillip felt like a pilgrim at a crossroad, not knowing which road to take because he was unaware of his own destination. Until, one day, he met Aurora Hale.

The same girl who made Phillip hate himself for wanting her so badly was now wrapping her arm around his as they walked down a slightly less crowded street of Manhattan. "I would like to go to Chicago one day," she confessed, pulling Phillip away from his thoughts. "I want to see for myself all the places you have told me about… and Samson!" Her face lit up as she recalled the many tales Phillip had told her about his horse, Samson. "I would most definitely love to meet him."

Phillip smiled as he put his arm around Aurora's shoulders. "You shall, soon enough," he told her. "Samson is dying to meet you too. Though you ought to be careful with him – he's rather jealous of you."

Aurora frowned in confusion. "Jealous? Of me?"

Phillip nodded. "I'm sure that when he meets you, he'll understand why I talk about you all the time," he continued jovially.

Aurora tilted her head with a small smile, resting it against Phillip's shoulder. "Well, it's only fair, I suppose. After all, if you had to deal with Roxy, then I have no choice but to figure out a way to get Samson to like me too."

Phillip almost let out a sigh when Aurora mentioned her friend's name. Roxana, whom her friends called Roxy, reminded Phillip of a fire-breathing dragon that guarded the highest tower of a castle where a beautiful princess was waiting for her prince. He recalled the time he drove down to Greenville to surprise Aurora on New Year's Eve, having spent most of the night trying to impress Roxy and get into her good books. To this day, he still didn't know if he had succeeded. In fact, deep down inside, he felt that Roxy still saw him as the devil in disguise. It was a good thing that Disney College was far, far away from Greenville… and Roxy.

Aurora pulled him away from his thoughts once again. "What about your father? I would much like to meet him too!"

This time, Phillip really sighed. "My father is more stubborn than Samson! He has known about our trip here for weeks, yet this morning he still called me and asked me why I wasn't going home for the weekend. When I reminded him I was spending Valentine Weekend with you, he…" Phillip shook his head with a groan, unable to finish his sentence. "He drives me insane!"

Aurora stopped in her steps and turned Phillip around until they were facing each other. "When I told my aunts about you, Aunt Flora told me to be careful and, since then, phoned me three times a week asking if you had done anything to harm me yet." She shook her head with a small smile. "She asked me millions of questions about you, and Aunt Mary Weather made me e-mail her a dozen pictures of you."

Phillip gasped. "You told me you were going to send those photos to a casting director in Hollywood!" he joked. He paused, then added, "And hold on, if you sent Mary Weather pictures of me, then how come she hit me with a broom on our first encounter?"

Aurora laughed, just like she always did when Phillip mentioned that New Year's Day episode. After Phillip drove to Greenville from Chicago to surprise her, she had insisted that he sleep at her place before driving back home the next day. Phillip had finally agreed to sleep on the couch that night, not knowing that the following morning he would be awakened by Mary Weather's broomstick. Later they discovered that she had not recognized him, for not only was it dark in the living room, but Phillip had been sleeping under the blankets.

Aurora gently punched Phillip on the shoulder. "My point is… After they met you and saw in you what I see in you, Aunt Flora stopped calling me three times a week and Aunt Mary Weather keeps asking me when we're getting married."

Phillip smirked. "I know. She sent me a message on Facebook… including a link to an online store that sells engagement rings. I'm… sort of starting to feel the pressure," he teased with a chuckle.

This time Aurora was the one to gasp, though, unlike Phillip, she wasn't joking. "She…" The girl blinked a few times before shaking her head. "Oh, Aunt Mary Weather! She was never capable of minding her own business! I've told her to stop being so silly!"

Phillip laughed. "It's quite all right. I'm just glad she likes me enough to consider me worthy of marrying you. But, of course, I've politely explained to her that it's… slightly too early to start thinking of such things. Not only that, but my father would probably kill me before I even had the chance to buy you a ring!" he laughed.

Aurora laughed with him, though it felt rather unsettling to know that Phillip's father still disapproved of their relationship. She was unable to erase such a thought from her mind, and for that reason her laughter died out very quickly… or at least quick enough for Phillip to notice.

He gently tucked a wisp of hair behind Aurora's ear. "I would love for you to meet my father," he said. "There's an important event in Chicago next month, I think. My father has been going on about it for days now. I've been trying to come up with a million excuses not to go, but…" He shrugged. "Maybe it won't be so bad if you come with me."

Aurora searched Phillip's eyes as he finished speaking. "An event? In Chicago?"

Phillip nodded. "It's some sort of formal gala for another charity fund…" He shrugged. "The usual." He slipped his arm over her shoulders and continued walking down the street. "You don't have to worry about the trip, of course," he told her reassuringly. Unlike Phillip, Aurora came from a middle-class family with a relatively low income. He knew she was pondering getting a part-time job just so that she could help pay off the tuition fees. "You're my special guest," he said to her with a smile. "I'll make sure you're treated like a princess."

"But…" Aurora looked down hesitantly and watched Phillip's feet as they walked along. "I… I've never been to a formal gala," she confessed quietly. "I wouldn't have a clue on what to do! I… I don't really belong with those crowds."

Phillip shrugged. "There's nothing to it, Aurora," he said nonchalantly. "It's all about appearances and saying the right things to the right people… at the right time. They call it a charity event but, in all honesty, it's just an excuse for rich men to get together and think up ways to become even richer, while the women flaunt their new dresses and jewels."

Aurora frowned at Phillip's description of the event. It reminded her of a world that she thought only existed in movies. Sometimes it still confused her to know that Phillip – the ever so modest gentleman who opened doors for her and surprised her with home-cooked meals – belonged to one of the wealthiest families in Chicago. She hadn't figured it out until he told her himself, and even since then he had never talked very openly about his background. The fact that Phillip was inviting Aurora into 'his' world was both exciting and unnerving. His wealth had always been irrelevant to her – she loved him for who he was, and not what he had – but his background was always something Aurora longed to know more about. She had known him for over six months now, but he still remained mysterious to her.

"I don't understand," she told him softly, thinking of the obnoxious people Phillip had described. "You're nothing like them. Why would you go to these events anyway?"

Phillip sighed deeply, as if the question sounded extremely familiar to him. In truth, he had asked himself the same thing many times before. "These events are very important for politicians, lawyers… and people who aspire to one day become influential politicians themselves," he added pointedly. "These galas provide excellent networking opportunities and… well, I can't complain about the food either! In truth, the night would actually be quite bearable if it weren't for my father constantly trying to fix me up with his friends' daughters…"

Aurora was starting to get the picture. She glanced at Phillip before slipping one hand into her pocket and staring down at her own feet. "So… if I happened to go, then…"

"Well, for one I wouldn't have to dance with their daughters," he replied with a small smile. "Secondly, it would hopefully make my father see that you're not just a crush. And thirdly…" They walked a few steps in silence before Phillip concluded. "We'd be together. That alone seems like a good enough reason for you to accept my invitation."

Aurora tilted her head thoughtfully. "When did you say this was?"

"Sometime next month," Phillip replied. "I'm not too sure of the date, but I can let you know once we get to the hotel. I'm too lazy to pull my Blackberry out right now," he added with a small smile.

Aurora was silent for a while, pondering Phillip's request. "Well… you did sit through an entire lunch with me and my aunts in Greenville..."

Phillip laughed. "It was a pleasure, really. I love your family!" He smiled to himself as he recalled that pleasant afternoon he spent with Aurora and her aunts. They were wonderful people, and nothing like Van Dyke family that only cared about taking advantage of his father's good will and building their own little fortunes. Phillip couldn't even recall ever being invited for tea!

Aurora looked up at Phillip and smiled. "I'd love to go," she finally told him, slipping her hand around his waist. "But you'll have to give me extra dance lessons before then so that I don't make a complete fool out of myself!"

Phillip chuckled. "You're an excellent dancer already," he reassured her.

"And you must tell me more about your father so that I can cause the best impression on him," Aurora added worriedly.

They both reached an intersection and stopped when they noticed that the pedestrian light was red. Phillip took a step back and pulled Aurora with him. He knew well that the cab drivers in this city were slightly insane. Even when one was quietly standing on the pavement at the side of the street, the cars raced by fast enough to question security. "I have a feeling," Phillip told her as they waited for the light to turn green, "that as soon as my father sees you, he's going to take back everything he ever said about us and tell me that I'm the luckiest man in the world. He and your aunt Mary Weather will probably become good friends."

Aurora chuckled at the thought. "That sounds awfully dangerous."

Phillip nodded. "I agree. We ought to be careful!" He paused for a moment, then added, "My father is also most likely to try and convince you to become a lawyer."

Aurora shook her head. "Why?" She had gone to Disney College because they offered a good biology program which would help set her on the right track to fulfilling her childhood dream: becoming a veterinarian. Like every teenager, though, Aurora had recently begun to consider different possibilities. Being a lawyer, however, had never crossed her mind.

"My father is convinced that advocacy is the best career in the world," Phillip explained with a small sigh. "He'll probably tell you the story of how my great-grandfather was the greatest lawyer of all times. He started the family firm which my father now runs today, so you can imagine how important it is to him. But don't worry… I've already told him that you want to become a vet one day. If you ask me, I think it's a wonderful career choice."

The lights turned green and Aurora hooked her arm around Phillip's again. "Is that why you want to go to Harvard?" she asked after a few seconds of silence. "So you can one day take over your father's firm?"

Even as they crossed the street, Phillip looked right and left to make sure they weren't being threatened by a lunatic driver. "That's the plan," he replied bluntly. "My grandfather, my father and my uncle studied at Harvard too. It's almost like a family tradition."

"But…" Aurora looked down thoughtfully, trying to glue the pieces together. "You still have three years left to study at Harvard before you get your diploma. If your father wins the elections next week… who will take over the firm?"

Phillip sighed. "My uncle." He left it at that, already starting to feel uncomfortable and edgy about the subject.

Aurora waited, hoping Phillip would evolve more and share his plans for the future, but he seemed keen to drop the topic and move on. She had come to notice that whenever Phillip talked about Harvard and his destiny as the head of his father's firm, he got slightly uptight and talked rather brusquely. She watched him from the corner of her eye, already anticipating that in a few seconds he would try to change the subject.

"Are you enjoying your classes so far?" Phillip's tone had grown slightly cheerful again, as if he had completely forgotten what they had been talking about.

"Hmm-mm," Aurora hummed. "Most of them are fun." She looked up at Phillip. "What about you?"

"They're… all right," he said. "It… feels awfully strange to know that this is my last semester as an undergraduate, though."

Aurora muscles tensed a bit after Phillip finished speaking. Despite his maturity, Aurora tended to forget that Phillip was four years older than her and was almost done with college, whereas she had just begun. The age difference had never been an obstacle… quite on the contrary! Phillip's maturity combined Aurora's innocence provided them with a nicely-balanced relationship, even though a lot of people still wondered how they managed to make it work.

Phillip was the perfect gentleman – refined, educated and diplomatic – with the heart of a teenage boy who still had his whole life ahead of him. He was jovial and outgoing despite his secretive nature, but it was often said that what his professors most admired in him was his quick-thinking and devotion. When Phillip wanted something, he did everything he could (and could not) do to get it. Aurora, on the other hand, was quiet and reserved. Often shy during first encounters, she was not one to open up to anyone until she had earned the person's trust. Having been brought up by three elder women who barely knew a world existed outside Greenville, Aurora had turned into a modest hard-working young woman, yet one who still fantasized about a prince charming and magic fairytales. Going to Disney College had opened up new horizons for her, and meeting Phillip… well, meeting him had downright turned her life upside down.

Their relationship was not perfect, though. Sometimes, Aurora and Phillip could be found arguing over a meaningless thing at the cafeteria, or yelling at each other over a silly misunderstanding. Their different upbringings provided them with different views and perspectives, and the more Aurora got to know Phillip, the more confident she felt to stand up for her own beliefs and argue against him. He didn't mind this at the least, and in return stimulated her by provoking her with his thoughts and assumptions.

However, no matter how they hard they fought with each other or what they argued about, Aurora and Phillip always managed to look past their differences and love each other for who they were. There was a rule that stated that they were unable to stay mad at each other for more than twenty four hours. Only once had they broken that rule. Despite that, the two considered themselves lucky to have found each other. Against all odds, their relationship kept growing stronger.

They walked for another two minutes in almost utter silence, moving in zig-zags to avoid bumping into the people who were coming in the opposite direction. At some point, people began to open their umbrellas and quickly run into coffee shops and souvenir stores. Noticing the commotion, Phillip looked up and frowned. "Oh, drats! It's snowing," he said. "We better get a cab from here – I don't want you getting sick again!" He quickly let go of Aurora's hand and ran to the street curb. He held out his hand and skimmed the streets frenetically in search of a yellow cab. "Why is it that when we most need a cab, they're never here?" he remarked loudly, keeping his eyes on the street. Almost a minute later, a cab finally pulled over on the side of the street. Phillip opened the door and greeted the driver hurriedly. "Pennsylvania Hotel," he said. Finally he stepped back and opened the door fully for Aurora to get inside.

As he looked up, however, his heart stopped. Aurora was gone.