chapter six

Aurora's POV

By the time I got home, the weight of the day settled heavily on my shoulders. Slamming the door shut behind me, I tossed my bag onto the couch and let out a deep breath. The silence in the house was comforting, a stark contrast to the chaos of school.

I made my way to the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water. As I drank, my eyes fell on my phone lying on the counter. The thought of more anonymous messages made my stomach twist, but I forced myself to pick it up.

No new notifications.

I exhaled in relief, setting the phone back down. Maybe they were done playing games.

I headed to my room, eager to dive into the project and prove to myself that I could handle this, no matter how hard they tried to rattle me. Pulling out my laptop and notebook, I began researching, losing myself in the work.

But as the hours ticked by, a strange feeling crept over me—a tingling at the back of my neck, like I was being watched.

Shaking it off, I chalked it up to paranoia. Hayden and his friends had gotten under my skin, that was all.

Still, I couldn't ignore the unease. Standing up, I walked over to my window and peered outside. The street was quiet, the only movement coming from the faint sway of tree branches in the wind.

I turned away, but just as I did, my phone buzzed.

The screen lit up with a text from an unknown number.

Enjoying your peace? Don't get used to it.

My stomach dropped. My fingers trembled as I typed back, Who is this?

The reply came almost instantly.

Someone who knows where you live.

I froze, my mind racing. Was this a bluff? Or had they actually followed me home?

A loud knock at the front door shattered the silence, making me jump.

I grabbed a nearby lamp for protection and crept toward the door, my heart pounding in my chest.

Another knock, this time more insistent.

"Who's there?" I called out, my voice shaking despite my effort to sound calm.

No answer.

I peeked through the peephole, but no one was there.

Another buzz from my phone.

Open the door, Aurora.

My breath caught. Whoever this was, they weren't bluffing.

I tightened my grip on the lamp and slowly unlocked the door, yanking it open—only to find an envelope lying on the doorstep.

No one in sight.

I scanned the empty street before picking up the envelope, my hands trembling as I tore it open. Inside was a single sheet of paper, with four chilling words scrawled in bold black ink:

This is just beginning.

I slammed the door shut and locked it, my heart hammering in my chest. My fingers trembled as I clutched the note, the weight of its meaning sinking in. Whoever sent this wasn't playing games anymore.

I paced the room, trying to steady my breathing. Think, Aurora, think. Should I call the police? Tell someone? My dad? No, I couldn't involve him—not yet. He had enough on his plate already.

Another buzz from my phone snapped me out of my thoughts.

Don't ignore me, Aurora.

My stomach twisted into knots. My instincts screamed at me to block the number, but I knew that wouldn't stop whoever this was.

Determined not to let them see how much they were getting to me, I responded:

What do you want?

Seconds turned into minutes, and just when I thought they wouldn't reply, the screen lit up again.

You'll find out soon enough.

Frustrated and terrified, I threw my phone onto the couch and sank onto the floor, my head in my hands. What was I supposed to do?

The next morning came far too quickly. I hadn't slept a wink, my mind replaying every moment of the past few days. Despite my exhaustion, I forced myself to get ready and head to school. I wasn't going to let them scare me into hiding.

As I walked through the hallways, the same whispers followed me, though now they felt sharper, more deliberate.

When I reached the classroom, Hayden and his group were already there, lounging in their seats like they owned the place. Hayden's eyes locked on me the moment I walked in.

"Morning, Aurora," he said, his voice dripping with fake sweetness.

I ignored him, heading straight for my seat.

But as I sat down, Ciara leaned over her desk, a smirk playing on her lips. "Rough night?"

Her words made my blood run cold. Did they know? Were they behind the messages?

I met her gaze, refusing to let her see my fear. "No rougher than yours must've been."

Her smirk faltered for a split second before she laughed, leaning back in her chair. "Feisty. I like it."

Hayden chuckled, but his laughter didn't reach his eyes. "You're making this too easy."

Before I could respond, the teacher walked in, clapping her hands for attention.

"Alright, class, settle down. It's time to get to work on your group projects. You'll have the next hour to brainstorm and plan. Make sure you use this time wisely."

My stomach sank as Hayden, Ciara, and Alex all turned to look at me with matching expressions of smug amusement.

"Looks like we're stuck with you," Ciara said, her tone mocking.

"Lucky me," I muttered under my breath.

We moved to an empty corner of the classroom, and I pulled out my notebook, determined to get this over with.

"Alright," I said, flipping to a blank page. "Let's focus on the main points for the presentation—"

"Whoa, whoa," Hayden interrupted, leaning back in his chair. "Who put you in charge?"

"No one," I snapped. "But someone has to take this seriously."

Ciara laughed. "You really think you're better than us, don't you?"

"I don't think," I shot back, my patience wearing thin. "I know."

The amusement on their faces disappeared, replaced by something darker.

"Careful, Aurora," Hayden said, his voice low and dangerous. "You're playing a game you don't know the rules to."

I leaned forward, locking eyes with Hayden, refusing to let him intimidate me. "Maybe it's time someone changed the rules."

Ciara's smirk faltered, her gaze flickering between Hayden and me. For a brief moment, I saw something in her eyes—curiosity, or maybe doubt. She wasn't as confident as she pretended to be.

I straightened up, pushing forward before they had the chance to regain the upper hand. "Look, you can sit here and waste time, but I'm not about to fail because of your little games. So either contribute something useful, or I'll do it all myself."

"Fine," Ciara said, crossing her arms, though her voice had lost some of its usual edge. "What's your big plan, then?"

I opened my notebook and began outlining ideas for our project, explaining them clearly and efficiently. To my surprise, Ciara didn't interrupt. She just listened, her expression unreadable.

When I finished, she tilted her head, studying me. "You really think you can handle all of this by yourself?"

I met her gaze, my tone calm but firm. "I don't think. I know."

Something shifted in her demeanor. She leaned back in her chair, her posture more relaxed. "Alright, Aurora. Show me what you've got."

Hayden raised an eyebrow at her, clearly surprised. "You're just going to let her boss you around?"

Ciara shrugged, her eyes never leaving mine. "Maybe she's not as boring as I thought."

Hayden's jaw tightened, and I could tell he didn't like losing control of the situation. "Don't get too comfortable, Aurora," he said, his tone icy. "This isn't over."

"Good," I replied without missing a beat. "Neither am I."

For the rest of the period, Ciara actually started participating, albeit begrudgingly. She didn't make it easy—rolling her eyes at some of my suggestions and throwing in sarcastic comments—but it was a start.

As the bell rang and we gathered our things, Ciara hesitated for a moment, then turned to me. "You're not what I expected."

I raised an eyebrow. "And what did you expect?"

Her lips curved into a small, almost genuine smile. "Someone who'd run."

Before I could respond, she walked off, leaving me standing there, more confused than ever.

Hayden, on the other hand, lingered. He leaned in close, his voice low. "Don't think for a second you've won anything."

I held my ground, refusing to let him see the flicker of unease his words caused. "Maybe not yet. But I will."

He gave me a cold, calculating smile before walking away, leaving me to wonder what he had planned next.

That night, as I lay in bed replaying the day's events, one thing became clear: something had shifted. I wasn't sure if it was in my favor or if I'd just made things worse, but one thing was certain—Ciara was starting to see me differently. And in this war of mind games and power plays, that might just be the advantage I needed.

But as I drifted off to sleep, I couldn't shake the feeling that the storm was far from over.

The next morning, the air felt heavier, as though the universe was bracing itself for something monumental. I walked into school with my head held high, determined to keep the upper hand. Hayden's warning lingered in my mind, but I refused to let it control me.

As I reached my locker, Ciara was leaning against it, her arms crossed and an expression that bordered on amused curiosity.

"Morning, Aurora," she said, her tone almost friendly—almost.

"Ciara," I replied warily. "What do you want?"

She shrugged, pushing off the locker and stepping closer. "I've been thinking. You're either really brave or really stupid to stand up to Hayden like that. I can't figure out which."

"Maybe I'm neither," I said, opening my locker and grabbing my books. "Maybe I'm just tired of playing by everyone else's rules."

Ciara tilted her head, studying me like I was some kind of fascinating new specimen. "You know, most people here do whatever Hayden says. They don't question him. You're different."

"Thanks for noticing," I said dryly, slamming my locker shut.

She smirked. "Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying I like you. But I think I might respect you… a little."

I wasn't sure how to respond to that, so I didn't. Instead, I brushed past her and headed for class, my mind racing.