Chapter 2: An Entirely Different World

Aurora’s P.O.V

I shut my eyes tight, holding my breath as I waited for the impact I knew was coming. I numbly felt myself fall to the ground, and even the sharp pain from my palms scraping against the asphalt wasn’t enough to pull me out of my dazed stupor.

I was too frozen in shock to even fully comprehend what was happening. All I knew was that I was going to die…that I was going to get hit by Caleb’s car at any given moment.

However, the pain never came, and even though I heard the sudden screeching of tires that sounded like nails on a chalkboard, making a shiver run down my spine…I was too afraid to open my eyes, to try and figure out what was happening around me.

Why isn’t it coming? My heart thundered inside my chest, threatening to burst out of my chest. Why hasn’t it happened yet?

However, I didn’t have to worry about what was happening all around me as the next second, I was being yanked up from the ground forcefully by a grip on my collar and then I opened my eyes to meet endless blue orbs that were sparking with anger.

Confused and flabbergasted, I kept on staring into his eyes even though I could see that he was getting angrier by the second.

In that moment, I knew I should’ve said something…at the very least apologized for standing in front of his expensive car…but as I waited for my brain to start working again, I couldn’t do anything but stare at him like a gaping goldfish.

“I…” I tried, I really did, but that was all I could muster up before Caleb’s face contorted into a sneer and he hauled me closer like a marionette, until we were chest to chest.

“Never. Ever. Stand in my way again,” he spat, narrowing his eyes at me as if he loathed my very existence. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you, freak. I won’t be responsible for whatever happens.”

And just like that, he threw me aside, without even caring about where I landed. He was outlandishly strong, that much I could tell when I landed a few feet away from the road. Thanks to the thick sleeves of my hoodie, I hadn’t gotten any more scrapes than I already did, even though it hurt like hell.

But the hate and the anger? Those were like physical blows as I couldn’t bear any longer. What did I ever do to deserve this? Why did everyone here hate me?

But I didn’t have any answers to those questions. I could only watch as Caleb went back into his car and drove off, with another vehicle, equally expensive, following behind him. It didn’t take long for them to park into their usual spot. He and his cronies poured out the moment the engine died, laughing and goofing around like a bunch of immature children.

I caught a couple of words from the passerby’s who did nothing to help me but went back their merry way now that the show was over.

“What a freak…”

“What was she even doing, standing there, blocking their way?”

“Attention seeker!”

I sighed and winced, as I pressed my scraped palms against the road to get off the ground and dust myself off.

I never had any problems with the cliques and circles at school. It never bothered me that they all had their friendly bubbles that excluded me. I didn’t care if everyone avoided me like the plague, hoping I wouldn’t approach them in search of friends.

But what I did care was the way I was judged and berated because of my father’s misdeeds. His gambling habits had landed him in trouble more than enough times for him to learn a life lesson, but he never did. After all, Blue Hill was a tiny town in Maine with about fifteen hundred people, so pretty much everyone knew everyone, and word about my father’s indiscretions has already spread through the town like wildfire.

What was worse was the fact that since no one could get their hands on him, they choose to bully me and make my life living hell instead.

So what if I wasn’t a part of any group? I didn’t need them; didn't even care about them. I had Riley—I had myself—and that was enough.

As I made my way back towards the school building, my eyes instinctively went to the only two expensive cars at the end of the parking spot, their shiny coating just as mesmerizing and intimidating as the people that the cars belonged to.

Caleb and his group…there was something about them that I couldn’t quite pinpoint, but something about them made me feel uneasy, made me want to avoid them at all costs. But at the same time…there was this sense of intrigue that I couldn’t quite shake off.

They were a mysterious bunch, all of them extremely good looking and the men were built like tanks, huge muscles and chiseled appearances, so much so that it was hard to tell they were all about seventeen years old, the same age as me.

Some of my classmates had even speculated they were vampires, just like in Twilight, because they lived on the other side of town where the ‘posh’ people dwelled and they were all wealthy and gorgeous. However, they didn’t avoid the sun like the plague, neither did they sparkle. They seemed like a bunch of people with extremely blessed genes to me, people who were untouchable and out of everyone’s leagues, especially mine.

It was really difficult to explain, to put into words, but they just had this… certain aura that made people wary—conscious—of them by nature. The other kids in school would often throw themselves at their feet, trying to please them any way they could, and it didn’t simply end with the kids, but the teachers as well.

It was like they had this… power. A power that even the teachers could not touch. It sounded insane even when I said it in my mind—how could a group of high school students even instill such fear into the teachers’ hearts?

But it was unfortunately true.

Everyone was drawn to them like moths to the flame, and in the centre of that flame, burning the brightest was Caleb Blackburn.

Midnight black hair and electric blue eyes that could look deep into your soul…

He was over six feet two in height and had an athletic build. The quarterback of the school’s soccer team and everyone’s heartthrob, Caleb was easily noticeable for his extremely good looks. But I don’t think I had ever seen him be interested in anyone outside his group.

“That was a good one, Caleb!” A tall guy with dirty blonde hair and startling gray eyes went to clap Caleb on the back, his obnoxious laughter cutting through my stupor as he hopped off of his car. “I can’t believe you actually did that!”

Shane Matthews. Of all the people in their group, he was the one I hated the most. Caleb was bad, of course, but Shane was by far the worst. He was relentless, and had always made it a point to pick on me even when Caleb wasn’t around to enjoy my torment. And he didn’t seem remorseful for even an instance. He truly was the worst of bullies.

“You are such a child, Matthews. Shut up!” Caroline Atkinson. Blonde and sexy, with bright blue eyes and porcelain white skin that always looked flawless, and soft blonde hair that reached her lower back. She was so utterly feminine that she looked out of place amongst the group of bullies.

What’s more was that her personality was also as strikingly different from the rest as her angelic looks. Where the others were crass and mean, she was bubbly and friendly; genuinely charming.

She and Caleb were childhood best friends rumored to have turned high school sweethearts—which made me believe that her kind persona was probably just an act. Because if she was so kind, why would she willingly surround herself with people that were bursting with cruelty? Why would she be the girlfriend of a notorious bully? She’s probably just as bad as them.

“Bah, Caroline, you’re too nice for your own good. Live a little.” There goes Mia Anderson. Brunette with blue eyes and captain of the cheer team. She was a real piece of work, and by that, I meant she was also a notorious bully known to make cheer practice living hell.

I had often heard the cheer squad whisper in the washroom that she never followed choreography and always did as she pleased and others had to follow or they would be kicked off the team. But still, they worshiped the very ground she walked on, and did everything Mia said with a smile, as if serving her was a privilege.

“Seriously, Mia! I didn’t expect that from you!” Caroline huffed, crossing her arms. “Jade, help me out here!” She turned to the brunette behind her, the final member of their group. Jade Campbell.

Brunette and golden eyed, the man was an equivalent of a Greek statue…in every sense of the word. Aloof and indifferent, he never really took part in any conversation unless it was absolutely necessary. And this time as well, I saw him merely nod and look away.

“Come on, Care.” Caleb’s soft voice startled me, at how different it sounded from when he had spoken to me, as he patted the top of Caroline’s head with a kind of tenderness that had me clutching the straps of my backpack tightly. “Let’s get to class, shall we?”

Caroline huffed, but smiled her brilliant smile at him regardless, and when Caleb smiled back, his blue eyes shining brightly as he looked down at her with so much tenderness…it made my heart clench painfully in my chest for reasons unknown to me.

Swallowing the lump forming in my throat, I quickly turned away as I saw Caleb wrap an arm around Caroline’s waist as the entire group started to walk towards the entrance.

This time, I didn’t want to be caught standing in their way, so I deliberately willed my legs to move and walked into the main hallway, heading straight to my locker.

I couldn’t believe that I too was one of those stupid fools who had a stupid crush on Caleb Blackburn. It was clear that he was already taken, and that too by a gorgeous woman who was way better than anyone I could ever be. Then why did my heart still hurt when I saw them together?

Shaking my head at myself, I squared my shoulders and took a deep breath. I had to get to class now, and even if I hated the boring and repetitive routine of narrowly surviving another day at Blue Hill High, it was something that I must do nonetheless.

Because this was the only way out of this hellhole and until I graduated, I had to live with this torment for almost another year, before I was free from the shackles of this dingy town.