Chapter 6

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"Bye, Dr. Bruno," I waved as I opened the door to exit his office. "Thank you."

"Anytime, Aurora," he said and nodded as he pushed his glasses up his nose bridge.

I stepped outside and the sun's heat shone against my skin, a nice contrast to the brisk air. I approached Cooper's black car where I knew he was waiting for me.

"How'd it go?" Cooper asked as soon as I sat down on the black passenger seat in the car and buckled my seat belt.

"Eh, just the usual," I shrugged, trying to be nonchalant. He obviously didn't believe me but didn't press any further, thankfully. "Sorry for making you late, again," I apologized after a moment of comfortable silence and the sounds of other cars driving next to us. 

Cooper had been driving me to and from my therapy sessions for the past two weeks, causing him to be late to school along with me since the sessions were in the morning.

"It's alright, Rory," Cooper dismissed. He had always acted like my older brother although we were the same age. I guess he had naturally taken on the role because we grew up together, and my parents were rarely home.

"It's not." I shook my head. "I know how much your grades mean to you, Coop. And I also know that you're grades are struggling too," I explained as he parked the car in the crowded parking lot of our school.

"I said it's fine. You're mental state is more important than my grades, kid."

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It was lunch, so as per usual, the light noises of chatter filled my ears once I stepped foot into the cafeteria. I scanned the crowded room for the cheap metallic table that my friends and I always sat at. My eyes latched onto a certain blonde who was sitting alone with her kale salad, conversing with Cooper.

"Hey, you guys looked lonely so I decided to grace you with my presence," I joked setting my tray down in front of the two.

"Thank you so much, your royal highness." Olivia rolled her eyes with a teasing smile before taking a bite out of her salad. She was on some new health kick, and I already bet with Cooper that she'd be eating a Snickers bar by the end of the week. He's probably right.

"Hey, guys," I heard a voice above me. I looked up to find that it was Michael's voice. He was accompanied by Xander and a dark-haired girl. "Meet my girlfriend of two years, Sabrina." Michael introduced her while they took a seat, and Xander took the empty seat to my left. I smiled at Xander as a greeting and a dimpled grin appeared on his face.

"I can introduce myself." She narrowed her eyes at her boyfriend. "But nice to meet you, guys!"

"I'm Olivia," the blonde introduced herself, her natural extrovert coming to her favor. "By the way, you're, like, really pretty. Like, a 10 out of 10."

"Agreed," Michael nodded, snaking his arm around Sabrina's shoulders.

I laughed at Olivia's bluntness and ability to break the ice so effortlessly. 

"And you must be Aurora. You're the one that Xander always talks about. God, he never freaking shuts up about-" Sabrina started before being cut off by Xander.

"Sab, shut the hell up, please," Xander groaned as his hands ran down his slightly pink face.

"Well, nice to meet you, Sabrina. I didn't know little Mikey here had a girl." Cooper wiggled his brows with a smirk.

"Yep. Two years so far," Michael nodded. "And, Cooper, I'm not 'little', I prefer the term 'big'.'"

"Ew." I cringed along with everybody else at the table.

"So, who's going to the carnival thing later?" Olivia changed the topic as she looked up from her phone.

Our school always had an annual carnival in November of every year, just to help raise funds for our sports teams and to expand the school. But almost everybody in town went since it helped kids become somewhat excited to go back to school.

"Yeah, Michael and I were planning to," Sabrina nodded.

"I might go. I don't know yet," I looked around, "Homework and stuff."

"Just do your homework over the weekend," Xander suggested. "I'll go if you go, gem."

I contemplated about my options. the stuffy heat with children and annoying teenagers running around or the library with a pile of books and homework. 

"C'mon, gem," Xander interrupted my quick contemplation. "Please?"

I sighed, knowing that he would be relentless about me not going. "Fine. What about you guys?" I asked looking between Cooper and Olivia.

"Yeah, sure," Liv replied the same time as Cooper said, "Sure, I'll go."

"Ooh this'll be so fun!" Olivia shrieked with her eyes wide, her kale salad long forgotten.

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"Give me another ball, you wussy! I swear this is rigged!" I demanded at the vendor of the bottle rings booth. We've been at the carnival so long that the sun was setting, and my legs were beginning to hurt from the hours of walking around. Since Michael and Sabrina decided to leave, and Cooper and Olivia lost us, only Xander and I remained.

"Aurora, gem, please calm down." Xander had been trying to calm me down for the past ten minutes, but I refused to leave until I beat the game. I shrugged off his hand on my shoulder. "I'll get you a stuffed animal or whatever, but, love, there's been a line behind us for a while now." His voice was barely audible over the yells from other carnival-goers and an occasional hoot of happiness and excitement.

"I don't want a stuffed animal!" I snapped, a headache pounding on my temples from the scent of sweat and deafening noise of chatter. "I want to win."

"Please?" Xander pouted his lip in attempt to make a puppy-dog face. "The sun's setting. Let's go on the ferris wheel, alright?"

"Hell no," I shook my head rapidly. 

"Please?" he pouted looking like a child asking for a cookie.

I sighed in defeat and dropped the ball on the counter. "Lead the way."

Xander smiled in satisfaction before we approached the ferris wheel.

Thankfully, the line was short since it was nearing the end of the carnival, and mostly everybody was leaving. The timid-looking guy working the ferris wheel unlocked the gate to let me and Xander enter the seats.

"Oh god," I whispered to myself as I fidgeted with the black hairband on my wrist.

"What is it?" Xander gently asked, frowning.

I shook my head before hearing the booming laughter of Xander.

"Oh my god!" Xander's shoulders shaking violently with humor. "Don't tell me that Aurora White is afraid of heights!"

"Shut up," I buried my face in my hands, attempting to hide my embarrassment while the seat began to curve upward. Our seat rocked back and forth before I let out a small shriek and shut my eyes.

"Hey, hey," he nudged me with his shoulder, "don't be scared. I'm here. Open your eyes, gem."

I shakily took a deep breath, opening my eyes. I forgot about my legs hanging out of the seat, and scanned the horizon. 

The glowing sky filled my vision. Oranges and pink hues blotted the clouds, merging with the golden sun in the process of setting. Lights dotted the booths with long lines that were edging forward. Carnival-goers were full of excitement as they took a couple steps forward on the grass, eager to play the games before they had to head home. The faintest trace of music could be heard below us. The occasional happy hoot detailed the scene whenever someone won a game.

I was too entranced in the sunset in front of me that I forgot I wasn't fearing the height we were at.

"I remember coming here when I was a kid." My lips turned upwards at the memory of coming here with my parents. "You see those little kids?" I asked Xander as I nodded towards the children below, munching on pink and blue sugar clusters that melted on the tongue. "We were like them years ago. Everything was so much easier back then."

"Isn't that crazy though?" Xander asked, already facing me while we neared the ground, the ride coming to an end. "We used to be as naive and innocent with no knowledge or experience of anything bad like those kids." The worker took off the safety belts.

"Well, it's been one hell of a ride," I smiled, looking up at him as we departed from our seats and exited through the gate.

"Agreed," he nodded, scanning the stalls and booths. "So, wanna get food now to celebrate that we didn't die on the ferris wheel?"

"Well, who would I be to reject food?" I smirked while we walked towards the food booths.

"You need to stop smirking so much," he chuckled as we got in line behind a mother and a little girl. "It's my thing!"

"Oh shut up!" My head fell back in laughter. "You cocky son of a bitch!" I cursed, earning a glare from the mother as she quickly guided her daughter away, holding an ice cream cone. I sheepishly smiled to myself as we stepped forward on the grass to order.

"Ah, you kids are so adorable together," the middle-aged woman running the booth commented as it was our turn to order. "It warms my heart to see that some boys are still gentlemen."

Xander smirked, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Thanks ma'am."

"So what will you two be having?" She shook her head as if to focus on her job.

"Cotton candy!" I said a little too excitedly like an eight-year-old, pink tinting my face shortly after.

"And a chocolate milkshake, please," Xander finished, handing her a five dollar bill for both our treats.

"Coming right up!"

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Hey, lovelies!! Hope y'all enjoyed Chapter 6!! If you did, don't forget to vote and comment something ;) If you're still reading this, thank you so much. I really do mean it. I still love you ♥︎.

Q- Fave Disney movie?

LOVE YA, AND I'M CURRENTLY WRITING CH 7 SO BE EXCITED (Xander's POV next??)

-sophia

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