Here we go again. Thanks to everyone who reviewed/followed, you're most welcome to do so. Lovely to get on with this. This chapter contains minor suggestive adult themes, you have, once again, been warned. Enjoy you lovely people!:) x - D.
Stooped down and out, you got me beggin' for thread to sew this hole up that you ripped in my head, stupidly think you had it under control, strapped down to something that you don't understand, don't know what you were getting yourself into, you should have known, secretly I think you knew. - Jillian Banks & Tim Anderson
The news about Jasmine Chanda's death quickly spread around the campus, to the point of the faculty organizing a memorial service for everyone who wished to attend, honoring the four young women whose lives had ended much too early. On a late Monday afternoon, two weeks after the horrible incident outside Plush, groups of grieving students gathered into the grand auditorium to listen to the speech of the director of the school board. As evening fell, seas of candles covered the lawns outside. Even though gruesome events had taken place in a community so small, life seemed to go on normally regardless of the fearsome, edgy atmosphere that had taken over the campus.
Aurora was sitting on the steps in front of the psychology department together with Phillip, Esme and John. As their group had decreased by one, none of them seemed to want to talk about Jasmine. Aurora had called Phillip the following day, asking him to break the news as gently as possible to John. For some reason, Phillip had refused to tell the girls how he'd taken it. As they had returned from the cottage that same day, John had seemed like an entirely different person. He'd simply made his way to the morgue without wanting anyone with him. Sadly, it made Aurora doubt the way he'd felt about his girlfriend; picturing herself in the same situation, Aurora knew she wouldn't have been able to make it through the following week without help. It had been like that when her mother had died. She had expected John to need a shoulder to cry on, but he'd chosen to spend his afternoons on the basketball court together with Phillip. Whenever Aurora had tried asking him how John was doing, Phillip had insisted on letting the subject go. She tried telling herself that maybe it was just too sensitive a subject to be so straight-forward about. And yes, maybe it was, but she couldn't help but sense that everything was different now. Everything.
Aurora was sipping her coffee when Phillip put his arm around her. He leaned in to kiss her, but she turned her head and his lips met her cheek instead. It was no secret that Aurora was no longer comfortable in his company. During the last week she'd multiple times tried bringing up the subject of them, but whenever she'd tried, Phillip had made his way out of the conversation, insisting that they were only going through a phase, caused by everything that was happening around them. It made Aurora so frustrated she'd forced Esme to go to the gym with her almost every night. She needed a way to punch out her aggressions since the person she was sharing her life with clearly had no interest whatsoever to listen to what she actually had to say instead of deliberately making up excuses for being miserable. The truth was, she wanted out.
The wind blew a couple of hazel leaves from the lawn onto Aurora's boots, and she picked one up, studying its creases and different shades. Hazel, with hints of emerald green. As she held the leaf in front of her face, she caught a familiar form in the corner of her eye. Maleficent had descended the stairs and walked right past them. As her heels hit the final step, she quickly turned her head to catch a glimpse of Aurora – a glimpse that was met by insanely blue eyes. She slowed down her walk, but as she noticed Aurora was surrounded by her friends, she bit her lip and picked up her pace. As she walked away, carrying a pile of books in her lap, Aurora kept her eyes on her backside, watching the delicate curve of her neck and the conscious sway of her hips. It made her inhale sharply as she felt that familiar flutter in the pit of her stomach.
"What's making you look so happy?" Phillip asked from beside her.
Aurora snapped out of her trance and turned her head to look at Phillip. She hadn't even realized she'd been smiling. Aurora twisted a strand of blonde locks around her finger and got up. "It's just that for a complete hour, I'm going to be able to be without thinking about all of this", she replied quickly as she zipped her bag. "I'm going to be late." She wound her scarf around her neck, gave the trio a smile and hurried off across the lawn.
The weeks that followed remained exactly the same. Aurora would search for Maleficent wherever she went, and whenever she tried to talk to Phillip about their current situation, he managed to completely shut off. They didn't dine together anymore; Aurora preferred having dinner with Esme. They'd sit together for hours, talking about everything and nothing. Whenever Esme tried asking about Aurora's teacher, she told her she wasn't ready to talk about it yet. Aurora had surprised herself with being able to keep quiet about the events and words exchanged the night they'd lost their friend. Whenever she felt like she was going to explode, she'd open up a memo in her phone and write a letter to Maleficent – letters she never converted into e-mails to actually send.
During lessons Aurora tried occupying herself with anything but Maleficent. She'd eagerly seek out a partner to rehearse her pronunciation with, she'd write little fictional novels into her notebook, and sometimes even put her thoughts into words in the back of her book – anything to keep her eyes away from the temptation that, in spite of recent events, still burnt hotter than ever. Sometimes she failed and found herself staring at the brunette beauty, and something told her Maleficent was having similar issues; Every once in awhile, when Aurora looked up towards the white board, she'd catch her teacher looking at her from underneath her thick lashes. Sometimes Maleficent buried herself in a book, holding it in front of her face while the students were doing exercises, but every now and then Aurora noticed the lowering book and the hypnotizing eyes that peaked from behind it. It made her feel victorious inside, and had slowly returned her lost confidence; seeing that Maleficent wasn't indifferent, that she was still struggling with herself, reassured Aurora of the only thing she needed to know: that Maleficent still felt the same way.
And she did. Maleficent would sit by her desk with her legs crossed, trying to keep her eyes away from the far back of the class, but whenever she let her guard down her eyes mysteriously found their way to the beautiful blonde by the windows. The day she'd caught a glimpse of Aurora in front of the psychology department she suddenly found herself staring at the girl, lips parted and her teeth nibbling the nail of her right index finger. She could've slapped herself, hoping that none of the students had seen this utterly obvious display of lust on her face. Three times a week she was forced to endure the ache in stomach, all from simply being in the same room with the girl. Sometimes they'd lock eyes, and she'd see the longing in those blue orbs; the longing to be with her. The feeling – knowing that Aurora needed and ultimately wanted her – made her mouth dry and breathing unsteady. Responsibilities were eating her up, from the inside out, and whenever the class was over Aurora would linger, waiting for everyone else to leave. Maleficent had begun making sure her things were packed before the class ended so that she could be one of the first ones leaving the lecture hall and thereby escaping the trap of being alone with a girl she so deeply coveted. Since she'd put her hands on her – feeling her heavy breathing against her chest, the skin of her thigh against her fingertips, her breath on her pillowy lips – she found herself incapable of having any kind of discussion without wanting to bring up Miss Briars.
On a particularly cold autumn's day – due to the fact that Aurora didn't have any Italian lessons that day – Maleficent dove into her work, ultimately making her students sit quietly and read for a complete hour. When everything was quiet, except for the sound of turning pages, she could concentrate on planning and analysis. She shivered; there was no heat in the lecture hall, also due to the lack of Aurora's presence. As she buried herself into Foucault's Pendulum, one of her students felt the need to remind her that class was ending in mere minutes. Exhaling slowly, she let them leave.
As total silence conquered the lecture hall, she got up to wipe the board behind her. Every time she thought of the pickle she'd put herself in, it all just seemed too funny to even be true. She wasn't like this. She didn't feel this much. She lived for exceptionally dark humor and the art of literature that took her away from reality. She didn't live for awkward situations at work, lingering looks in hallways and sexual tension that was so thick she could cut it with a knife. She wasn't the kind of woman who fantasized as she laid in the bathtub or went to bed at night. She didn't need to covet, for whatever she wanted she took without ever having to justify it. That said, she seldom wanted anything. That made everything so much more complicated; when she'd finally found something she truly coveted, would it be such a crime to actually pursue it?
"Hello."
Maleficent looked up from where she was sitting on the lawn. As it was midday, she'd decided to eat her lunch outside since it was a particularly beautiful day; no wind and no rain, just warming sunlight and a clear blue sky with a slight breeze. She'd folded her coat beneath her, making sure not to get her clothes dirty. The shadow that had fallen upon her was quite the familiar face, and she took a deep breath before speaking. "Hello, Miss Briars", she replied calmly.
Without asking, Aurora took off her coat and laid it onto the lawn next to where Maleficent was sitting. The woman raised her eyebrows, expecting an explanation, but the girl smiled quietly and set herself down, closing her eyes and leaning her head backwards to really feel the sun as it shone upon her face - the face Maleficent studied intently with narrowed eyes. What was she up to?
"It's such a beautiful day", Aurora exhaled, smiling at Maleficent.
"Yes, it is", she agreed, turning her eyes away from Aurora and focusing on what was left of her toasted sandwich. They weren't the only ones sprawled out on the lawn, but they were sitting a little bit off the path between the lawns, making Maleficent feel like she didn't have to run away… just yet.
"I want to see you", Aurora continued, smile suddenly faded. When Maleficent only glared at her without replying, she turned to sit towards her. "Just because I was a bit drunk doesn't mean I don't remember what happened."
Oh, I'm sure you remember. Maleficent pressed her eyes shut and inhaled sharply. "I see. Well, I'd prefer you forgot all about it."
"You're lying", Aurora smiled, resisting the urge to giggle a bit and make herself all sweet and cute in her teacher's eyes. "Look, I just want to talk. We don't have to do anyth -"
"Oh, we won't", Maleficent cut in, with a mischievous smile on her blood-red lips before she went back to serious. "And I don't see what there is to talk about, nothing happened."
"Yeah, except we almost kissed", Aurora insisted, starting to feel a bit agitated suddenly.
"Almost", Maleficent repeated, enjoying the light breeze in her hair. Her mind painted memories before her eyes, and suddenly her chest felt just a tad too tight.
"You said you craved me", Aurora continued, pressing forward.
"So?" the brunette replied, starting to feel really uncomfortable with the situation as she heard herself say the words she'd said that night in her head. Even thought it was Aurora, she didn't like to feel cornered. "Why don't you run off to class and leave things the way they are", she continued, not bothering to look at the girl. Once again this was getting way out of hand. "That is what I wish to do. I don't want the possibility of getting sacked hanging over my head, nor do I wan't a reputation as the teacher who shags her students."
"It wouldn't be like that", Aurora whispered and bit her lip, recognizing the indifference in Maleficent's voice. She'd heard it last when they'd gone to sleep, at her apartment.
"Really?" Maleficent frowned, feeling quite sure that Aurora had no way of reaching her goal through this conversation. "How would it be then?"
Aurora smiled and let her mind wander. She looked at a pack of students passing them in the sunshine, just ten feet away, then shot a look at her painted fingernails. Twisting a couple of strands of golden locks around her finger she finally let her gaze fall upon Maleficent's legs, clearly visible in the position she was sitting in. "Me and you exchanging even more lingering looks in the corridors. You waking up to me stroking your hair and back in the early morning. I'd make you breakfast and let you choose the movies we'd watch." As she spoke she slowly moved her hand towards Maleficent, intending to let it rest on her thigh. "You'd tell me about your day as we'd cook dinner together in your kitchen. I'd splatter you with champagne and you'd chase after me." The thought made Aurora chuckle. "You'd kill me for it, softly with those beautiful hands of yours." Her fingers gently caressed Maleficent's thigh above her knee. Maleficent's hand shot down and grabbed Aurora's, but the girl held her gaze, emerald up against blue in all its power. Aurora took a deep breath as she realized her voice was going to be low and deep. "I'd take you anyhow you wanted."
Maleficent's mouth shot open as she realized what Aurora had intended with her last sentence. Trying to come up with some kind of resistance, her breath caught in her throat. "Is that so?" she whispered, still holding Aurora's hand in the air between them.
"Yes", she replied. Her eyes shot to Maleficent's lips, taking in their colour. "I'd love you hard, and make you moan even harder."
Maleficent was utterly shocked by Aurora's boldness; this girl was not like she'd imagined. Yes, she'd seen hints of a wilder, more resilient Aurora that night at Plush, but never had she imagined the girl having the guts to actually say the words describing the things she wanted. A mental image of Aurora doing the things she'd listed before made Maleficent let our a slight gasp, and she let go of Aurora's hand, feeling so flustered she had to get away from her, right now. "That's too much", she managed to get out, wrapping her toast up and putting it inside her LV bag.
"It's what you want and don't tell me otherwise", Aurora said sharply, not backing down this time. "Look, I won't hurt you, don't be afraid."
Maleficent chuckled and shook her head. "I'm not afraid."
"Then come out and play with me", Aurora teased, knowing her voice sounded incredibly daring. "Ever since I met you that night at Joe's, you struck me as someone confident, stable and incredibly demanding. Nothing gets in your way, and you do exactly as you please. Do not tell me a little thing like me is making you feel on edge."
Maleficent knew Aurora was daring her, and unfortunately she'd hit home, hard. She was somewhere between standing and sitting. If it was the fact that the girl studied psychology, or simply that she trusted her instincts, Maleficent didn't know, but being told that there was something she couldn't take on, something she wasn't strong enough to handle… That was not all right. She was indeed too proud to succumb to something like this, losing. She lifted her chin. "Oh, you want to play, do you?" she hissed, sitting back down onto her coat and leaning closer to the girl. She raised her hand to Aurora's neck and softly pulled her in, but right as their lips were only inches apart, Maleficent's hand sharply shot to Aurora's jaw and turned her head so that her lips were lingering by the girl's ear. Aurora gasped slightly, Maleficent's breathing tickling her earlobe.
"You have no idea what you're getting yourself into, little beast", she whispered huskily, feeling Aurora's hand move back to her thigh. "I do take what I want. I do exactly as I please. And if I wanted to, I would've ravaged you by now." She heard Aurora whimper, grasping her thigh, fingers digging into her flesh. She caressed the girl's throat with her thumb. "But I've seen you, and this ride you so badly wish to get on is too much for you. If it is truly something you want, then good things come to bad girls who wait." With that, she suddenly moved her hands away from the girl and got up in one swift movement. Eyes locked on Aurora's startled blue ones, she grabbed her coat and bag, and strolled off towards the psychology department, leaving a shivering and surprised Aurora alone in the sunshine.
As Aurora walked through the corridors of the school that afternoon, she was overcome with a sense of relief and happiness, for the first time in a very, very long time. The recent events had made her take a fall and brush rock bottom, some mornings feeling like there was nothing for her. Now that she passed different faces and voices, she felt satisfied with herself. It was funny how a little thing conversation like the one she'd had with Maleficent could make all the difference for her. They were making progress. Maleficent's touch lingered on her neck and she brought her fingers up to her mouth, smiling widely.
Making her way over the lawn they'd sat on only a couple of hours ago, she heard a familiar voice shouting after her. Stopping in her tracks and turning around, she saw Phillip running towards her. Shit, she thought before he reached her. I have to tell him. The last thing she wanted to be, and the last thing she was, was a cheater. She'd been telling herself for a while now that these things happened; that it was all right that it was over, because when you're in love, you say things – things you mean. And Aurora had meant the things she'd said when she'd said them, never ever doubting herself. The boy before her had held her heart for most of her adult life, and what she was about to do hurt, but it would hurt more to keep the same façade up. Lying to herself and the people around her had weighted her down for way too long now.
"I thought you'd wait for me", Phillip said, breathing labored from the run. "Where are you going?"
Aurora exhaled slowly, then lifted her chin. "Home, Phillip. I'm going home, then I think I should stay with Esme… for a while, at least." As she said the words, she saw something flicker in Phillip's brown eyes, and the slight hint of a smile he'd worn disappeared right away. Aurora's chest hurt. She took a step towards him and grabbed his hand. "This isn't working out, Phillip, you know that. I don't want to keep kidding myself, fooling everyone around us. This doesn't – I don't…" Deep breaths, Aurora. "This doesn't feel like it's supposed to anymore. I'm so sorry –"
"No", he simply cut in, shaking his head and squeezing her hand. "No, this is because of Jasmine. You're confused, you don't –"
"Don't tell me what I am!" Aurora hissed, trying to pull her hand away. She was aware that people were looking at them now. She took a deep breath, steadying her voice. "Don't put words in my mouth; this has nothing to do with her. This has been going on for months and you've been avoiding it. This isn't news, I've tried talking to you a million times. We can talk about this when you're ready for it, but I need you to know where I stand."
"You don't know what you're doing", Phillip pleaded between clenched teeth, gripping her hand even harder. "You have no idea what I've done for you. You can't just decide something like this, there's two of us here. And I love you, Aurora."
"I know", she replied, eyes burning. Knowing what she had to say next sounded so horrible in her mind she'd given anything not to have to be this person. "Phillip… I know you do. And I love you. Just… Not like you want me to, anymore." And the pressure in her chest broke at once.
"No", he whispered, pulling at her hand, making her stumble forward into him. He raised his hands to her head, holding her in place while looking deep into her eyes, searching for the person he thought he knew. The eyes that met her were sad and filled with tears, but there was no hint of any regret. "I've done everything for you, always. You know why? Because you and I, we're the real thing." As he spoke she tried shaking her head, but he wouldn't let her move. "It's you and me, Aurora, I love you. Do you hear me? I fucking love you." With those words he pulled her in and captured her mouth, frantically kissing her, as if trying to pull the evil out of her. Her hands flew up to his, pushing them off of her. She broke the kiss she and raised her head to look into his eyes, ready to finalize what she needed to make clear, when something else behind him caught her eye. Her heart sank.
Next to some of the students listening to their conversation on the lawn stood a familiar figure in a black trench coat. The breeze was blowing her brown tresses into her face and she stood completely still, looking straight at Aurora. Underneath her thick lashes her emerald eyes held no tears. Aurora felt herself choke as she backed up a bit, but as she held Maleficent's gaze, trying to signal that she'd gotten it all wrong, that nothing was what it looked like, the woman lowered her chin and started walking towards them, heading for her car. As she passed them only from a few feet away, her eyes shot straight at Aurora's. She'd expected Maleficent to look upset, but walking past them her face held an expression, as if to say 'I told you, you can't handle this ride'. With that, she turned her gaze forward and moved on.
It was over. With Phillip in front of her and Maleficent walking away from her, Aurora stood still, wind in her hair and pain in her heart, as the world that suddenly had become so bright seemed just as dark as it had been before.
