Permission denied.

Bailey

It's been a total of nine days since I saw my parents in the afterlife. A shitty few days. It turns out I was actually having a panic attack in the afterlife and was so sure that I was going to die there until I just randomly popped up in my room again. Maya said if I imagined something in the real life then I used my powers to bring me back to that something without even realising. No one needs to know what I imagined though. Eli hasn't been talking to me aside calling upon me in class to answer a question. When I have to work as his assistant, he just gives me a task to do then leaves me alone again. I don't have the heart to tell him everything my mom said, because I know he'll be in denial which I understand to a certain degree. He was the one who heard his mother's screams as he tried getting her out of the burning house, so he probably doesn't want to hear anything bad about her. Especially if her screams still haunt him. Over the past few days I've been trying to build up the courage to speak to Mr Robinson and my plan is to just…be upfront about everything. But first, I need to speak to another important person right now.

"Aunt Lisa!" I smile at my laptop when she pops up on the screen.

"Hey, pretty girl. How are you?"

"Good" Lie. "How about yourself?"

"I'm good too, honey. Did you get the package I sent you?"

"Yes, I love all of it but especially the jumpsuit. Thank you."

She smiles in victory "No problem."

Her smile brings a smile to my face. My aunt was only twenty-two when my parents died and she had to take me in, I mean she didn't have to. She could've dropped me at an orphanage but she didn't, she decided to raise me and I'll forever be in debt to you because of that. I clear my throat "I know this is a bit weird but I just realised we never spoke about boys."

She raises an eyebrow "Do you want to speak about boys right now? Alright, I'm listening."

"Well only if you talk about you and Mr Robinson. I realise I never asked about the two of you."

She laughs "Okay, fine. But let me hear you out first."

I nod and lightly tap my nails on my desk "Well I met a guy." Her eyes immediately brightens and I continue "He's so smart and the way he cares for me makes me happy." I frown and shake my head "He makes me happy. And his so tough but sometimes I want to protect him too from things because I constantly want him to be okay."

She tilts her head slightly with a gentle smile "You love him."

My eyes widen and a blush makes its way to my face "What? I do not. Like? Yes. Care? Absolutely. But love? That's…big and I don't like big."

"Do you remember for your sixteenth birthday when you didn't want a party because you thought no one would show up?" I nod in confirmation not really knowing where she's going with this "But then I organised a big surprise party and almost everyone you knew showed up?"

I smile "I remember that. It's still my favourite birthday ever."

She nods "My point is that you don't always hate big, Bailey. You're just a quiet girl who's content with anything but if people go above and beyond for you, then you like it." She smiles "Big is good too."

I go quiet as I let her words sink in. I think I love my professor. So much emotions are going through me right now and I don't have the heart to tell my aunt that he dumped me because she looks so happy thinking I found love. I shake my head "Anyways enough about me. Your turn, tell me how you and the dean met."

Her smile widens "Mimi's coffee." Her favourite cafe back home. "I bumped into him and accidentally got coffee spilled all over his expensive suit. He cussed me out so badly and I was absolutely horrified so I just mumbled a dry apology and ran out the door."

I can't help but snort a laugh despite feeling like crap lately "Did he chase after you?"

"Definitely not." She says with a laugh "A few days later, I saw him again at the cafe and told the barista to give him a croissant. On me. And he did the gentleman thing to come over, say thanks for the croissant and apologise for being rude." She shrugs "The rest was history."

I find it…sweet. I do feel a bit off that my biological father and my aunt are getting it on but seeing her talk so happily like a giddy teenager makes me happy. "How come I never knew that you two were dating?"

"Because we weren't" I frown in confusion and she says "Cory and I never quite got the timing right. It was me not being ready for something serious because you were my top priority and when I felt ready, his father died and he moved to be the dean at Trinity but we still kept in contact though."

"I see. And did you two talk at parents weekend?"

She nods "He wants me to move there so that I could be closer to him. And you. But I don't know, Bailey."

My eyebrows shot up in surprise "Don't know what?"

"If it's the right thing to do. You know I love you so so much, honey but I had to take care of you when I was young so it felt like my life had stopped. And now with you at Trinity, I feel like just enjoying myself."

I nod in understanding "And there's nothing wrong with that. If…Cory loves you as deeply as I hope he does then he'd wait until you're ready."

She smiles "My wise girl."

I smile back but frown when I hear yelling coming from the common area and I say "Aunt Lisa, I have to go but thanks for the talk."

"No problem, call me anytime."

"Alright." I pause "And Aunt? I love you just as much."

She smiles and blows me a kiss and I smile before hanging up and heading to the common area, seeing that it's actually Liliana and Eden arguing.

No, no this is not good.

We can't have a 2.0 of what happened in the woods but before I can break up the argument, Marcus comes out of his room and demands "What the fuck is going on here?"

"She slapped me!" Eden says and my nose crinkles, I guess it was already 2.0 of the fight in the woods.

Marcus turns his furious expression to Liliana and she says "She called me a slut. Again."

"Did she stutter?" Marcus asks and I gasp

Liliana blinks slowly like she can't believe what he just said "What?"

"You are a slut, no? You're so fucking desperate to let me fuck you that you don't even care that I imagine Aurora while doing it." He gives her a glare "I'll never love you, Liliana. Let alone give a shit about you so just accept it and leave me the fuck alone."

If heartbreak had an expression then it would be Liliana's. I step forward "Marcus, you can't-"

His head snaps to me "I'll take advice from you when you stop fucking your professor."

I suck in a sharp breath and someone gasps, I think it's Eden because it can't be Liliana. She's already making her way to her room and she slams the door shut, I'm stood frozen as Marcus grabs Eden's arm and drag her out of the dorm. I try to calm the fuck down so that I don't accidentally burn the entire building down, I have no clue how Marcus knows about Eli and I but then again he's not stupid. I knock on Lili's door "It's Bailey. Permission to enter?"

"Permission denied." She says and I can hear the faint sound of her crying. I shove my hands into my school blazer to stop myself from barging into her room but I know that wouldn't make her feel better. She needs space, the same way I needed space.

So instead I say "Call me if you need me, Lili."

She doesn't reply which was a given and I glance at Tyler's bedroom door which is closed, I guess he's not here because he would've came out if he heard the commotion. And before I can be a coward and chicken out, I walk out of the door and all the way across campus to the dean's office.