THE SHADOWED MATE

CHAPTER 3

‘HURRY! At least her mother was not bugging her about waking up late and hurrying her to school. ‘ She always thought to herself. Well, at the cost of her death, though, she missed her!

Aurora stared at her reflection for a moment before switching off the tap. The girl looking back at her wore the same navy blazer, the same white shirt, the same striped tie as every other student at Elysian Elite Academy. No one would guess she had spent the night inside an old van parked behind an abandoned supermarket, no one would guess that the expensive perfume she wore every morning came from a nearly empty bottle she had owned before her life fell apart. She adjusted her blazer and forced herself to smile.

"One more day," she whispered,

Though she always said this to give herself hope that tomorrow something would change for good in her life. Outside the changing room, Rufus was already waiting. He was always such a sweetheart. Father-like. He leaned against the wall with two cups of coffee balanced in one hand and his backpack in the other.

"Why do you take forever in there?" Aurora rolled her eyes.

"I take ten minutes."

"You take twenty."

"I had to wash my hair." "You say that every morning." She laughed quietly.

"You sound like an old married man." Rufus pretended to be offended.

"I was trying to be nice."

"You've never been nice."

"That's a lie." He handed her the coffee before they walked toward the main building together. Students had started arriving. Their luxury cars are lined at the entrance. There, drivers opened doors for students dressed in designer uniforms that somehow looked brand new every day. Aurora watched a girl complain because her father had sent the wrong Mercedes. She couldn't help smiling, remembering that that was once her, always giving her daddy a headache on the same issue. One day she even took a ride with her boyfriend , she remembered how the driver rolled up the back window as she gave him ‘ a lifetime moth massage on his balls.’ Now she was simply grateful that her shoes still had another month before the soles completely wore out.

"Are you okay?" Rufus asked. She nodded.

"I was just thinking."

"Dangerous." She nudged him with her shoulder.

"Shut up." For a few minutes they walked in silence. It wasn't awkward. It never was with Rufus. He never pressured her to talk, but he simply stayed beside her. Sometimes that was enough. As they climbed the academy steps, Aurora looked up at the stone building standing proudly against the morning sky; there it was, that name, Elysian Elite Academy. Nothing about the place had changed; students still competed over who wore the newest watch or whose parents owned the biggest company. Only Aurora had changed. There was a time when these hallways belonged to her, and every teacher knew her name. Every event included her. She had been captain of the junior cheer squad before moving into the senior division. She remembered running through these same corridors with Selene laughing beside her. If Aurora entered a classroom first, Selene was only seconds behind, and if Selene skipped lunch, Aurora skipped too. The teachers joked that they argued more like sisters than friends. Back then, Ivy and Mia had been part of their little circle to the four girls did everything together. Things like shopping trips, birthday parties, cheer practice, sleepovers. Whenever they got into trouble, Rufus somehow convinced every teacher to forgive them. He carried everyone's secrets. Looking back now... Aurora couldn't remember exactly when everything started changing. It hadn't happened overnight. Friendships rarely end with one argument. They cracked little by little. After her father's company collapsed, people stopped inviting her places, and after her mother became ill, phone calls became shorter. After the funeral...they never taled to each other again. Selene still smiled at her in public at first but then the smiles disappeared. Soon they became awkward greetings. Aurora stopped trying,she had already lost too much. She wasn't ready to beg people to stay.

"Earth to Aurora." She blinked. Rufus was waving a hand in front of her face.

"You disappeared again."

"I was remembering things."

"The good memories?"

" More like the ones that hurt." Rufus looked at her for a second before gently squeezing her shoulder.

"You'll make new ones." Aurora wanted to believe him, she really did. The first bell rang. Students flooded toward their classrooms. By the time Aurora entered Room 3B, almost every seat was occupied. Selene sat in the middle row, and Ivy and Mia were beside her. The three girls looked up together. For one brief moment...nothing, then Selene looked away as though Aurora wasn't even there. That hurt more than yesterday's humiliation. Aurora quietly took her seat beside the window. She opened her notebook and tried to ignore the whispers floating around the room.

"That's her."

"The girl from yesterday."

"I heard she has no place to sleep."

"My cousin said she's homeless."

"I heard she was expelled from her old house."

"No..."

"Her family lost everything, ooh that loser?” Aurora tightened her grip around her pen. Pretending not to hear had become another survival skill. The classroom door opened. Mr. White walked in carrying a stack of files. The conversations stopped instantly.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, sir." He placed the files on his desk and looked around the room, his eyes pausing on Aurora for only a second. Then he continued taking attendance as though nothing had happened. Halfway through the lesson... A knock interrupted him and the principal entered. Every student immediately stood.

"I apologize for the interruption." Mr. White nodded politely.

"Please." The principal smiled at the class.

"I have an announcement." The room fell silent.

"As most of you know, Elysian Elite Academy rarely accepts transfer students during the academic year."

They looked at each other, trying to understand where he'd getting to… "This morning, however, we have made an exception." Aurora barely looked up. Transfer students came and went, psh ! They had nothing to do with her.

"We are welcoming two students who have transferred from Nightshade International Academy." The name alone caught everyone's attention. Whispers immediately spread through the room.

"Nightshade?"

"I've heard of that school."

"Isn't it overseas?"

"They only admit billionaire families."

"No..."

"They don't even advertise." The principal smiled.

"I expect every one of you to make them feel welcome." Before anyone could ask another question... A roar echoed from outside. Blasting music from outside. The sound grew louder until it filled the entire academy grounds. Every student rushed toward the classroom windows, but unbotheredly, Aurora remained seated.

"What is everybody looking at?" Even Mr. White had stopped speaking. For the first time since she had known him... He looked genuinely uneasy. Outside, a convoy of black SUVs rolled slowly through the academy gates. One. Two. Three. Four of them. Each vehicle was identical, and each was surrounded by academy security. Students poured into the balconies and corridors to watch. Teachers stepped out of their classrooms. Lessons came to a complete stop.

“Here we go again, Dramaaa!” Aurora was pissed. She finally stood and walked toward the window. She had no idea... That within the next few minutes, her life would collide with the two people destiny had been preparing her to meet.