Chapter Four

Friday, another predictable day, I got home late and had to take a short cut to the evening class via Spring Bank. As I passed number one I kept my head down. My face hidden in the evening shadows. Just as I cleared the door it clicked open and Caroline and Jenny emerged. I quickened my pace but they seemed to materialize right behind me. 

“Hey!” said Jenny, “you go to our class don’t you, I’m Jenny by the way, and this is my sister Caz.” 

Caz smiled, “Hi.”

“Hi,” I replied, shocked; people hadn’t really talked to me those past few months so I had forgotten what it was like to be noticed. “I‘m Aurora.”

“Aurora? Means dawn, right?” said Caz.

“Yeah,” I replied, “My parents used to be complete hippies, obsessed with meaning… my middle name is Ciara… darkness...” I trailed off as Jenny raised an eyebrow at Caz and they both smiled. 

“Come on then or we’ll be late, d‘you want a lift?” asked Jenny.

“Yes please,” I smiled gratefully. Caz got into the car as Jenny unlocked it, opening the window immediately. I opened the back door and slipped inside. This car was amazing, I mean, I don’t pretend to be an expert on cars but I could tell that this was one of the best. I reclined in the spacious backseat and watched Caz with her face at the window, Jenny driving in peaceful silence and, for the first time in a long time, I felt content.

When we got to the class Vicky was looking annoyed. “The air conditioning’s broken,” she complained, “I know it’s chilly outside but it gets really stuffy in there with so many people.” Caz turned to frown at Jenny then adjusted her face when she saw me looking. As we entered the room and adjusted ourselves from the gale force winds outside, Caz looked confused, then stared at me, shocked. There was that expression. Again. In a split second it was gone and we were sat beside each other opening our copies of Pride and Prejudice.

Jenny offered me a lift home so after the class I waited with Caz whilst Jenny spent ten minutes talking to Corey. Caz was very quiet.

“What d’you think of it then?” I asked, smiling.

“What?” she said.

“This place, I hate it myself but I don’t remember living anywhere else.”

“Oh, it’s nice I suppose." she replied, “I’ve lived in worse places.” Caz was very quiet, she was fascinating, I had the feeling that if I tried the right way I would be able to get through to her. I don’t know why I decided to try; it was probably just because I needed a friend so badly. 

“Get in then!” smiled Jenny, unlocking the car and slipping into the driver’s seat. Caz and I followed, once again the drive was silent, not forced silence, content silence and once I had directed them to my house I felt so relaxed around them that I thought about inviting them in. 

“Do you guys want to come in for a bit?” I asked, “I know it’s late but I just wondered…”

“Sure!” said Jenny, before Caz could get a word in edgeways, “We’d love to.” I let myself into the house. My dad wasn’t back yet. Good. I think meeting my dad would be a bit too much for new friends. I kicked off my shoes in the porch and Caz and Jenny did the same, following me into the dining room. 

“Your house is pretty big!” said Jenny, gazing around at the designer furniture, the huge TV, the immaculate angles. Caz staring longingly at my red and black grand piano. 

“It’s gorgeous.” she said, gazing at it.

“Yeah, my dad won the lottery earlier this year, he wanted a new house, I wanted this.” I replied stroking the red and black keys, “You can play it if you like” I said to Caz.

“Seriously? Thanks!” she sat down and started playing the most amazing music I had ever heard from the instrument.

“You can really play!” I marveled. Caz was as quiet as ever, engrossed in the music on the piano stand.

“Is this Laura Ashley wallpaper?” asked Jenny, amazed.

“I honestly have no idea. My dad hired an interior designer for every room but mine. I don‘t care what a designer says, I’ll do it however I like.” Caz stopped playing and giggled, I looked at her, surprised; she had been so quiet until now.

“Sorry,” she grinned, “it’s just, I feel exactly the same way.” I smiled, it seemed like I was finally getting through.

“Do you want a drink?” I asked, hoping we had something in.

“No thanks, I’m alright,” smiled Jenny.

“Yeah, me too.” said Caz.

“Food?” I asked.

“No thanks, we ate before we came out.” said Jenny, “Can we see your room?”

“Sure,” I beckoned, leading them up the stairs and into my room.

“This is more like it.” said Caz, smiling at my poster covered walls, my notice board full of gig tickets and my graffitied furniture.

“Thanks, I like it” I smiled. Jenny looked around, obviously wasn’t impressed by the lack of designer aspects and sat down on one of the many beanbags I had lying around my room.

“So, tell us about yourself, we hardly know you.” she inquired, obviously hoping for an interesting story. 

“Well, my full name is Aurora Ciara Quinn. I’m 18 years old. I left college earlier this summer. I took Music, Biology, History and Maths at A-level. I got great grades and I’m now doing and extra English A-Level in my gap year - as you know. I’m an only child. My parents split when I was little. I live with my dad. I used to have loads of friends, not close ones, but y’know… but now they all hate me. One of them did this,” I pulled back my fringe to show a cut that was just starting to heal from one of Sarah’s beatings, “I don’t care though, it’s not happening as much anymore. I like being the leader of groups and stuff. I can be very, very bossy, I‘m extremely stubborn. I hate losing and my favourite game is scrabble.”

“Oh my goodness! Me too! Let’s play!” exclaimed Caz. Jenny sighed as I grabbed scrabble off a shelf and opened the box.

“Aurora, you’re being assaulted, it’s kind of against the law... have you reported it?” she said, watching me.

“Don’t be ridiculous, I’m fine.” I said quickly. It’s not that I didn’t feel violated by the stuff that happened to me, it was just that I didn’t want to make a huge fuss about it... and back then I... well... I was still in love with Robert.

After an hour of furious scrabbling Jenny had given up and me and Caz were running out of letters. Caz had a vocabulary to match my own. The last letters were gone and I was currently 5 points up. Caz made her move, giving me exactly what I needed to finish. I put down my last six letters, using her U, ‘Quinine.’

“That’s not a word!” said Caz.

“Yes it is! It’s used in treating Malaria! I did Biology at A-Level!” I said. Grinning. I love winning. I was a bit of a sore loser I suppose.

“Fine.” said Caz, “I can’t go. You win.” she smiled. At least Caz was fair.

“Can we do something interesting now please?” said Jenny, “Like talk about boys or something?” Honestly, she was what, twenty? and she was still going on like a young teenager.

“Alright, feel free to tell us about whoever it is this time.” said Caz, exasperated. I think she felt like she owed her sister for making her sit through our scrabble game. Even though she did get to root through my music magazines and various books.

“Well,” she said, throwing down The Vampire Lestat which she had been reading with great interest, “He’s called Cory…” and so we listened to an excited, long-winded explanation of Cory. I got the feeling that Caz had heard it all before, I know I had. “-and so we’re going out next Tuesday.” finished Jenny, beaming. Caz and I smiled politely and Jenny seemed disappointed at the reaction. 

She glanced down at her watch, “We should probably go,” she said to Caz, “Shauna will be worried. Do you want a lift on Monday?” her last was to me.

“Sure!” I smiled. I followed them downstairs and waved as they got into the car. “Come round to ours tomorrow!” shouted Jenny through the window, “About 11” she smiled. I nodded and she sped off down the road.