Rora/Aurora

Rora/Aurora

By

Lady MoonHawke

"I wanna kick at the machine
That made you piss away your dreams
And tear at your defenses
Til there's nothing there but me."
Dizzy - Goo Goo Dolls

PROLOGUE

Steven scanned the people on the lawn outside the student cafeteria. He was beginning to lose hope. This god-forsaken part of Montana was boring as hell, and the four other schools he checked this week had all been busts. Why Harrison College would be any different was beyond him. But something would not let him quit. Aurora had said that she had grown up in a small town in Montana. However she had not mentioned that Montana was full of small towns.

Steven’s patience with this project was running out.

CHAPTER 1

Aurora checked her reflection in the compact once more, hoping the her make-up hadn’t started to run in the May heat. She needed to look perfect, to be perfect so she could face Harry today and get it over with. A screech of tires drew her attention to the parking lot, where she saw Harry’s classic Mustang nearly crash into the small yellow sports car next to her black Camero. The red muscle machine backed into a place across from Aurora’s car, and Harry got out. He slammed the door, and stormed across the lawn toward Aurora and their friends.

“Who the hell parked in my spot, Rora?” he roared, his voice drowning out other conversations and two girls who were arguing nearby.

“How the hell should I know? It’s none of my business,” Aurora yelled back, then took a deep breath to summon her courage. “I told you yesterday that I really wasn’t interested in seeing you or speaking to you again, and I meant it. Just go away and leave me alone!” Harry reached out casually and slapped her across the right cheek, hard. Suddenly a ring of black leather jackets surrounded them.

Aurora stared at the sudden fight. The two arguing girls had gone beyond the shouting-insults phase. They were circling now, testing each other’s resolve. One fist flew, and another answered with a similar move. Suddenly, a stranger walked between the two fighters, received an accidental punch on the jaw, and fell to one knee at Aurora’s feet. She reached out automatically to help him up. She looked down into his face, and her breath caught in her throat. His eyes were a deep sapphire blue, and they looked so familiar. Aurora felt that his eyes could see into her very thoughts. But there was no time to wonder about it. Harry was hauling him to his feet. He tended to be a bit jealous.

“You must have a death wish, trying to make time with my girl,” he sneered.

“Sorry. I didn’t see that punch coming, and I certainly didn’t mean to insult you,” the stranger replied.

“Too late. You stay away from her. She’s mine!”

Aurora stepped between them quickly. “Harry, drop it. He didn’t do anything, and I’m not a piece of property in your collection.”

“Stay out of this, Rora. You don’t know any better.” With that, he slapped her across the other cheek. There were now two livid handprints on Aurora’s face.

“Excuse me,” the stranger said to Aurora, gently guiding her out of the way. He turned to Harry. “Leave her alone. That’s no way to treat a lady.”

“You really want to die, don’t you, Jerk?” Harry asked.

“I really want you to leave her alone, and the name is Steven.”

“Well, that’s too bad.” With almost lightning speed, Harry threw a punch at Steven.

Steven dodged just enough to the right to avoid it. “That’s one,” he said.

Aurora tried to grab Harry’s arm before he could swing again, but he threw her off, and she went reeling to the ground and hit her head. Harry swung with the other hand, and Steven dodged the other direction, saying, “That’s two. One more try.” Harry reached back once more to strike, but he suddenly found his wrist caught in Steven’s grasp, then ran headfirst into a tree that had been behind Steven a minute ago, but now seemed to be in front of him and off to the side. Harry saw stars for a brief instant, then blacked out.

Aurora had a clear view of the whole incident, and was staring in amazement at this tall, handsome stranger. She suddenly found herself hoping, wishing that he would look her way. Suddenly she found her wish was impossibly granted. He was coming toward her. Rora's mind left her then, and she couldn't think of a thing to say.

"Are you all right?" Steven asked in a concerned tone. Aurora didn't hear the words; only the sound of his voice, flowing like honey. Then she remembered to speak.

"You're fin- I mean, I'm fine. Just a little sore, that's all," she said, gazing at him.

"You look a little worse than fine, Rorie. Your boyfriend is more than a little mean."

"He's not a local, and he is no longer my boyfriend," Rora said indifferently, "and the name is Rora."

“Sorry. So what is a local, and why does it make a difference?" Steven asked.

"A person who was born and/ or raised here. Harry moved up here to go to school. He likes his girls soft, sweet, and agreeable, and it sometimes takes a hardier breed than he’s used to up here. Do you have some sort of problem with that?”

"All right, Rora, back off. Are you sure you don't want to go up to the office? He did get you pretty hard."

"No! I'll be fine." She looked at her watch as she said this. I have to go. See you later." 'I hope,' she thought. She ran towards the building, grabbing a bookbag on the way. A paper fluttered out of her bag, and Steven caught it. It was her schedule.

After her next class, Aurora saw him waiting for her. That guy just wouldn't take no for an answer. But when she thought about it, he hadn't asked her a 'yes' or 'no' question. She decided to completely ignore him. But that didn't mean she couldn't get more information. She beckoned to her best friend, Gina "Gigi" Getraire. Gina could spot a single guy at 50 paces. She would get the facts.

"Gigi, I want you to get friendly with that guy who bulldozed Harry," she said thoughtfully.

"Just how friendly were you thinking, Rora?" she asked with interest.

"You don't have to bear his child, but I do want all relevant personal data. Age, name, marital status. The usual," Aurora replied in the same tone as before.

"Absolutely. You know I live for this kind of thing, Rora." Gigi was excited about this chance. Scoping out guys for the most ineligible girl in school was interesting. And if Aurora was really splitting with Harry, there would be a list of guys a mile long just to get her number. Gigi straightened her jacket and headed toward the stranger.

"Hi," she said. "I'm Gina Getraire, but everyone calls me Gigi. I'm a kind of unofficial welcome wagon for Harrison."

"You're certainly nicer than the other welcome I had this morning. Pleased to meet you. I'm Steven Landon," he replied.

"I saw your performance this morning," she said casually. "Do you always rescue fair maidens in distress?" She didn't know why she said that. It sounded so corny.

"Only every other Thursday the fourteenth of a month with an 'r' in it. Why do you ask?" he replied, unfazed.

"Well, it’s May for one thing,” she quipped back. “Maybe it’s months with a ‘y,’ then, or I’m off schedule. Still doesn’t tell me why you need to know,” he replied.

“Curiosity, you might say. There's a lot of it going around today," she answered cautiously.

"And you friend with the black hair over there, Aurora, I believe? Is she infected with this curiosity, as you put it?"

"Very good. I see you've been doing some intelligence gathering yourself."

"Where I come from, we call it spying," he replied dryly, "and you can tell her if she wants to know about me, she can ask me herself. I'll even promise not to bite. At least, I won't bite too hard."

"If you're so into independence, you can tell her yourself," she retorted, and stormed off. All she said to Aurora was, "He is incredibly stuck-up. I don't know what you see in him." Aurora didn't know then how many times she would hear that question, or how many times she would ask it of herself.

Harry did not return to school that day. The official report by the end of the day stated that he would be held at the hospital over the weekend for observations. Steven smiled to himself as he waited in his car for Aurora to come out. The story had gone around earlier that Harry had walked head first into tree after yelling at Aurora and taking a swing at “some new guy.” He chuckled to himself. It certainly was an interesting version. Then he saw Aurora coming. She had a backpack hanging off one shoulder, and a gym bag in one hand.

"Can I give you a hand?" he asked.

"No thanks," she replied, tossing everything through the open window into her car. "I guess you know who I am."

"Yes. You are Aurora Amanda Stargazer of Frostbite Falls, Montana."

"How did you know where I live?" she asked incredulously.

"A little bird told me," he replied mysteriously.

"Well, a little bird didn't tell me who you are. I only heard you had one hell of an attitude."

"Guilty as charged. My name is Steven L. Landon, and I am charmed to meet you," he said gallantly, kissing the back of her hand. "How is your friend from Dixie? I guess I really turned her off."

"She's from Brooklyn, and she's madder than hell at you. She doesn't know why I like you."

"Oh?"

"Don't get your hopes up. I never said I like you at all. Now if you will excuse me, I have to be going." With that she got into her black Camero, and tore out of the parking lot. Her tires left great black skid marks on the asphalt. Steven smiled. ‘This girl certainly is interesting,’ he thought.

The next morning, Aurora wasted no time in seeking him out.

"Good morning Steven. Did you enjoy the night life in Harrison, the boredom capital of the world, if you're alone?"

"It was okay. And who says I was alone?" he answered.

"Just a guess. My sister Amyrya told me you were enrolled yesterday morning. What does your schedule look like?"

He handed it to her, along with the packet he had received yesterday morning. It was identical to hers, except he was taking "Internet and Business" instead of “Ancient to Medieval Art History,” and he didn’t seem to be in the school symphony orchestra. As she was studying his schedule, she surreptitiously pulled a note out of the pocket of her leather jacket. She slipped it into his packet as she returned the schedule.

"I would recommend going through that packet thoroughly," she said. "It contains all kinds of useful information. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to take my cello to the music room before our first class. I'll see you in English." She returned to the parking lot and removed a large case from the trunk of her car, then headed off toward the Music Building.

Steven arrived in English with two minutes to spare. Several students had already arrived, and were studying, most likely for the test that was announced on the board. The teacher was at her desk, writing.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Santon. I'm a new student. My name is Steven Landon." He handed her his schedule, and the office add/drop slip. She signed the slip and looked up at Steven.

"I think the desk next to Amanda has opened up. I'll point her out when she comes in. You'll be in Group 5 for reading and the final exam project. You'll need to get a copy of the text from the bookstore. Oh, there’s Amanda. Come over here please, Amanda. I want you to meet someone."

Steven turned and found himself face to face with Aurora.

"Since Harry is out indefinitely, he can sit with your group, Amanda. Make sure he has a textbook for class Monday." With that, Mrs. Santon turned to write on the board. "You show up in the damnedest places, Steven. The class was one thing, but my group is another. Come on, and I'll show you the 'pit,'" Aurora said.

Now, as he was examining the room, Steven saw that it was like no other English class he had ever seen. The front of the room was like a small stage, set for something out of Shakespeare, though Steven wasn’t quite sure which play. This certainly wasn't any ordinary English class.

"Hey, Rora, what kind of English is this? Where I'm from, rooms don't look like this. And what's with this 'Amanda' business? Does she have you mixed up with your sister or something?"

"Hardly. I go by Amanda for stage class. Now, about the class. It's called Performing English. You might call it an advanced placement class. You have to be recommended for it, and score an 'A' on a special test. There's a waiting list a mile long to get in. You must be very lucky to get in here without an audition, " she replied, a bit smugly

. "Must be," he agreed, laughing to himself at how easy it had been to program his way into the computerized class list while Aurora's sister was away from her station for lunch. "Mrs. Santon said we'd be working on some group project together, and the final. What did she mean?" he questioned.

“Each group has to present a scene from one of Shakespeare’s tragedies. Our group has been assigned ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ but we’re still arguing over which scene to present. It doesn’t really matter at this point, since we’re not short one actor anymore. You’ll probably make a suitable Romeo no matter what we do.”

“Now hold on a minute, Aurora. I never said I’d play Romeo for anyone, so start rethinking your parts.” The bell rang as he said this.

"Sit down and shut up. We can discuss it during group time," Aurora hissed, "and call me Rora."

The rest of the hour went smoothly. There was a certain logic to his playing Romeo, as Rora put it, because he had eliminated the intended star, and understudies were hard to come by in the small class. The remainder of the day was uneventful, but the chemistry teacher was going to be hard to swallow. Steven had finally cracked Aurora’s veneer enough to get her to laugh, but it was unfortunately during a quiz, and caught the instructor’s attention.

"Mr. Landon, I am going to ask you to sit next to Miss Stargazer, not out of the fact that you are so attached to her, but because she cannot combine an acid and a base to form salt-water. I'm confident that you can help her. A monkey could help her." It took all of Steven's control not to send the pompous ass flying through one of the rooms third floor windows.

Steven finally got around to reading Aurora's note in gym. As she swung from the uneven parallel bars, he glanced through the message. It was definitely from Aurora. It had her short style.

"Steven,
Meet me at Cafe de Lyon at 6:05. It's across from the Main Building.
Rora S."
He planned to ask her what it was about after class, but she disappeared around 3:45. Then he remembered seeing the cello case that morning. That must be the answer.

At 6:00, Steven was waiting at Cafe de Lyon, in the booth tucked into the back corner of the restaurant. At exactly 6:05 Aurora walked through the door. It took her almost five more minutes to reach the table. Apparently this was her favorite haunt. She spoke to three waitresses at length, waved to the cook, and spoke to several people at other tables before casually sitting down across from him.

"I'm glad you made it. When I left for orchestra rehearsal I thought you might decide not to show up," she said.

"How could I say no to a pretty girl like you? Besides, your note didn't ask. It told. But don't try it again. I don't like being told what to do," he replied.

"You could have skipped the whole thing, and I would have understood your message. The fact that you're here tells me that you're interested in me. Am I right?" she asked.

"Maybe," he replied.

"May I take your order?" a voice asked from behind Aurora.

"Trudy, hi. I haven't seen you in quite a while. I'll have half of a chicken salad on rye, and a diet Coke. Steven, do you want something. It's on me. This meeting was my idea."

"No thanks. I'm fine just as I am."

"Thanks, Rora. Maybe when my shift is over, we can talk," Trudy said, and returned to the kitchen.

Just as Aurora was going to ask Steven what he meant by “maybe”, a voice called her name.

"Rora!" It was not a friendly voice. Aurora turned and found herself face to face with Mark Jones, Harry’s co-captain on the wrestling team. This was not a good time to be caught with another guy, she thought. Especially the guy who had decked Harry the day before. She stood up and looked him in the eye.

"Do you need something, Mark or is this just an un-social call?" she asked, reassuming the "tough-girl" expression that had been slowly dropping off her face.

"Harry is awake and ready for visitors, and the doctors will let friends in now. He wants you to come see him. Of, course, if you're too busy, I can explain to him that you're out with another guy," he answered in a menacing tone.

"Yes, you could. And I could tell Kirsten that you were out with Melinda last week."

"So what? Kirsten was out with Joe the week before. Do you think I care if she is two-timing me?"

"Yes, I think you do care. Otherwise, you wouldn't follow her around like a little lovesick lost puppy. Now leave me alone before I really lose my temper."

Mark moved a step closer, obviously not deterred by her sharp words. He raised his right hand, about to slap her across the mouth, when Steven, who had been silently rising to keep Aurora out of trouble, grabbed Mark's wrist just inches from Aurora's face, and slowly squeezed, enough to hurt, but not enough to do any real damage. He pushed Aurora down in her chair, then stood between Mark and her.

"I suggest you leave the lady alone before you end up in the same room as your buddy. Now get out of here, because if I lose my temper, you're going to lose more than you realize." He stood stiffly until Mark had left, then slumped into his seat across from Aurora, who for a moment, was looking at him with undisguised admiration. He looked back at her sardonically.

"Do you like putting yourself in danger?" he asked. “That guy would have slapped you silly and thought nothing of it. I don't doubt that he would have really hurt you." Then he asked, "So why did you want to meet me here? I'm sure there must be a reason. Did my charm and good looks woo you into submission?"

"Not exactly," she replied with a half-smile. "I just wanted to thank you for what you did yesterday. No one's ever done anything like that for me before and succeeded. And I just wanted to get to know you. I've never met anyone like you before. You seem too good to be real, at least for this day and age."

Steven smiled to himself and let it slide.

They sat chatting casually for an hour or so, then prepared to leave. As they reached the sidewalk across from the cafe, in front of the school, Aurora stopped suddenly.

"Oh, damn! I left my keys on the table. If you wait here for just a second, I'll run to get them, and be right back." She ran back across the street, cars just barely slowing as she hurried through the crosswalk. She disappeared through the door, then appeared a few seconds later. Steven watched as she looked both ways carefully, then started back across, avoiding the rush of traffic. Suddenly, a block down, a car sped around a corner, and rushed down the street, heading straight for Aurora. Steven caught sight of it, and the car was only a few feet from Aurora when he caught her around the waist, and hauled her to the curb. The car stopped long enough for Aurora to recognize Mark Jones, Joe Rattan, and Bill Reighner, all wrestlers, before it blew away in a cloud of exhaust. Aurora stared after the car incredulously.

"They tried to kill me," she whispered in a surprised voice. "They actually tried to kill me." Now she sounded more annoyed, but there was a trace of fear in her voice. Suddenly she broke down and started sobbing and shaking uncontrollably. Steven held her, trying to quiet her crying.

Aurora managed to pull herself together rather quickly, and when she seemed calmer and more in control, Steven walked with her to her car.

"I'm making sure you get home all right. Get in your car. I'll follow you to your house. Then I want to talk to your mother." His tone left no room for argument. He wasn't going to let her get into any more trouble if he could help it. They crossed the school grounds quickly to the parking lot, where Steven bodily put Aurora into her black Camero. Before getting into his yellow Stingray, he warned her about driving home.

"Take it easy, stay on back roads, and for God's sake, keep your eyes open. I don't want to have to drive and fight at the same time. Just do what I say, and everything will be fine. And don't you dare try to lose me." Even though Aurora seemed too shaken to try anything, he added it just for good measure. It never hurt to be careful just in case Aurora's brain clicked into gear. Steven got into his car, and followed Aurora's tail lights into the cooling evening air.

Aurora seemed to be paying attention to his instructions as she followed a narrow winding road across the plains between Harrison and Frostbite Falls. Away to the left flowed lines of red and white, the head and tail lights of cars traveling on the Musselshell Highway, that followed the Musselshell River. The highway curved away and smaller points of light, single cars, went the other way and disappeared behind one of the rolling hills for which the Great Plains were famous. The road they were traveling on also curved away from the highway toward the dark hill that had seemingly swallowed the moving lights.

In almost no time Steven was following Aurora down a street that could only be called suburban. Children played in the front yards of two- and three-story houses, and he could see Volvos in at least half of the driveways on the block. Then they drove through a business district that was so small that if you sneezed going through, you missed the whole thing.

After this mini-business area came a residential district of what appeared to be older homes. These houses were only one story, with an occasional two story, and covered more ground area than their cross-town neighbors. Aurora's car pulled into the driveway of one of the two-story houses about halfway down the block. Then her headlights and taillights turned off, and the car's interior light came on, but she did not get out of the car. Steven made a U-turn in the street, and parked next to the curb in front of her house. He got out of the car and walked up the driveway to Aurora, who was sliding out of her car. She dragged the bookbag and gym bag with her.

"You can go now. I'm home, I'm fine, and I don't need you to defend me from my own house," she said.

"I'm not quite done yet. I said I was going to talk to your mother, and I still am. I think she ought to know a few things that you might forget to mention," Steven replied. "I'd hate to think you weren't completely honest with your mother." He put a hand on her back, and guided her towards the door. "Now move. I don't want to stand out here all night."

Aurora opened her front door and went in, leaving it open for Steven to come in. There was no point in arguing about anything with him. It seemed that once his mind was made up, arguing with a wall would be more effective. "I'm home, Mom," she called out, just as her mother called, "Aurora, is that you? You're later than usual."

Steven closed the door as Carolyn Stargazer came into the front hall. He could immediately see Aurora's features, though softer, and Amyrya's icy blue eyes, though not so piercing. He stood back from the two women, not wanting to intrude.

"Mom, this is Steven Landon, a new student at Harrison. He's the one Amy was talking about yesterday. Steven, this is my mother, Carolyn Stargazer," Aurora said by way of introduction. "Steven wanted to talk to you Mom, and if you two will excuse me, I'm going to do my homework, so you can feel free to discuss my life."

"Just one minute young lady. What is Steven going to say that you don't want to hear? That Harry is a jerk? That certainly isn't news, or even worthy of more than a standard 'I warned you.' Why don't you wash off all that make-up over that black eye he gave you Wednesday when you told him it was over? Go on, upstairs with you and wash your face. I want Steven to see what Harry really thinks of you," Carolyn told her daughter. When Aurora was at the top of the staircase opposite the front door, she turned to Steven. "I'm sorry to seem so harsh, but we have been going around and around about Harry for the past five months. I'm fed up with it all. What is it you wanted to tell me?"

"All I can tell you is what I've seen in the past two days. Harry was rough with her yesterday. He slapped her across the mouth pretty hard, then threw her to the ground. Today one of his goons tried to slap her, but when his friends tried to run her down in the street, I started to take it personally. Assault and battery is bad enough, but attempted murder is too much," he answered vehemently.

"My problem lies," Carolyn said, “in the fact that my being a corporate executive takes a lot of time, and I can't constantly watch out for her at school. One day the office will call for me to come get her and I'll be in a meeting Lord only knows here. I would really appreciate it if you could keep an eye on her at school. In fact, I would love it if you could keep track of her all the time, but I know that would inconvenience you terribly."

"It really wouldn't be that much of a problem," he replied. I'm new in town, and haven't found a permanent place to stay yet."

"Forgive me if I seem too forward; I know 10 minutes acquaintance is hardly enough to base a character judgment on, but could you possibly consider keeping an eye on Aurora. She's so impetuous, I hardly know what she'll do or say next."

"No!" came Aurora's voice from the top of the stair. Steven turned to look up at her. Around her right eye was a ring of purplish-green that stood out against her pale skin. Now, more than ever, Steven realized how important this was. If he left her like this, she might never recover.

"Mrs. Stargazer, I would be glad to look after Aurora. She obviously needs someone to keep track of her. She definitely can't take care of herself, and I won't let anything happen to her. Harry and his friends will have to go through me to get to her, and they've already tried and failed. Believe me, she'll be safe with me," Steven said emphatically.

"Mom, no," Aurora said, flying down the stairs. "I don't need anyone watching me like I was five years old. I’m 20, and I can take care of myself. I deserve to be treated like an adult.."

"Not when you act like a child. Sneaking out at 11:30 is not what I'd call an adult decision. When you act like an adult, you will, rest assured, be treated with the respect you deserve," Carolyn said. "For the present, my decision stands. Like it or not, Steven will be with us for a while, and you will accept it gracefully." Carolyn turned to go into the kitchen. Aurora stared after her for a minute, then turned to go upstairs, but Steven called after her.

"Looks like you're stuck with me, kiddo. But don't worry; I'll grow on you."

"Like mold, I suppose?”

"No. You'll get used to me. See you in the morning." He turned and followed her mother into the kitchen.

Aurora shrugged and went upstairs. Maybe things would sort themselves out eventually. Or she could always ditch him wherever she went.

“Mrs. Stargazer,” Steven began.

“Call me Carolyn,” she insisted.

“Thank you. Carolyn, I don’t want to seem nosy or anything, but I have to ask. Where is Aurora’s father with all of this going on? I’m fairly certain no father would stand for his daughter being treated like this.” He wanted to ask why she had let the situation get so out of hand, but there seemed no polite way to phrase it, and making enemies straight off was no way to begin.

“The girls’ father and I divorced many years ago. He is a military man, always on the move, and I wanted to settle somewhere and give the girls a stable home. I think he’s in Europe now, but he never expressed any interest in seeing them, and his support payments always come through direct deposit from his account here in the States. So he’s more or less out of the picture, except for the dutiful birthday and Christmas cards. Amy had more of his influence, and she has a more stable, serious personality. Aurora, on the other hand, can be a tornado of action, and she usually chooses to go into full swing at half-past 12, when there’s no one to stop her. Edward was very much the same, staying up half the night with some plans for a new tactical strike force. That’s what ultimately split us up. When his dreams were becoming real, his reality was becoming a dream.”

“That’s a real pity, when your dreams and your reality take separate roads,” Steven said.

“And I don’t know who’s more hurt by it; Edward, or his daughters,” Carolyn replied.

* * * * *

Aurora stared into the mirror above her dresser, trying to understand her life, and why it had suddenly been turned upside-down in the past 48 hours. Why had her mother, usually a very reasonable person, decided that Aurora needed a full-time watchdog, and why did it have to be Steven Landon, Harrison University’s version of a Norse god, complete with blue eyes and frosty blonde hair. It wasn't that Aurora didn't want to get to know him. She just wanted it to be on her terms. She scraped her hand through her hair, feeling the hairspray, mousse, gel and spritz in her bangs resist the motion. Pulling her hair away from her face made it look so long and pale that she stuck her tongue out at herself in the mirror.

"Be careful. Your face might freeze like that, and then you'd be in a fine state," Steven's voice said beside her.

"I didn't hear you knock," she replied blandly, not looking away from the mirror. She dropped her hands from her hair, and re-arranged her bangs back to normal. Then Aurora began to re-apply make-up over the discolored ring around her eye.

"I have a lot of stuff to get so I can move in," Steven said, trying to keep the conversation going. "Do you want to go with me and help?" Maybe if she was involved, Aurora would be less hostile about the situation.

"Not especially. I am leaving right away to meet some friends, so I guess you are on your own," Aurora answered. She picked up a black felt hat, put it on, and went out the door, saying, "Have a good time, and please close the door when you're through in here." She ran down the stairs, and called to her mother, "Mom, I'm leaving for Montaña del Diablo. I should be back around midnight." The front door opened and closed, and a few seconds later, a car engine could be heard starting, then driving off down the street.

Steven sighed to himself. This was going to be harder than he thought.

Steven was still awake at 12:30 when he heard the front door open and close very quietly. If he hadn't been listening for it for the past half hour, he might have missed it. He had finally finished re-arranging his furniture, and finding space for all the things he needed to work from his room. He stepped out into the hallway just as Aurora came to the top of the stairs.

"You're late. I was starting to worry about you," he said.

"How kind of you to care," she answered flatly, "but I was fine. We had probably better get this over with now. I do what I want, when I want, with whom I want, and nothing or nobody is going to change that, so just back off right now."

"You don't seem to understand. Someone tried to kill you tonight. They aren't playing around, and neither am I. If something happened while you were out, I would have had no idea where you were." Steven was almost shouting now.

Aurora looked fearfully toward her mother's door. "Be quiet. You and I might be able to sleep in tomorrow, but Mom has to be up early. She has three meetings before ten, and needs to sleep. Let's talk this out in the morning."

"No. I want to get this straight before I turn in, and I still have things to do. I have to get it through your head that something's wrong with the way things are happening. Where can we talk and not disturb the whole neighborhood?" he asked.

"Downstairs, in the basement. It's finished and soundproof, so you can yell at me all you like, and Mom and Amyrya can sleep. They're not night people like me. Let me get my shoes off, and put on some clothes I can argue in, then I'll show you the way." She disappeared into her room, and re-appeared a moment later, wearing a pair of black spandex pants, and a white T-shirt that was at least two sizes too large. To top it all off, she had pink bunny slippers on her feet.

"So," she said, "are you ready to let the games begin, or shall we wait?"

"Now is the best time I can think of, so lead on."

Aurora headed down the stairs, and turned to the kitchen. "Do you want some tea? It might help keep your throat from getting sore from yelling," she asked Steven.

"No. Let's just get on with this. I want to get some sleep tonight, if at all possible."

"Well, I have been out in the dust all night, and my throat is dry enough, and I haven't even begun to fight yet." She filled a coffee cup with water, threw in a tea bag from a box labeled 'Cinnamon Apple-Raspberry' and put it all in the microwave. The machine hummed for a minute or two, while Steven impatiently shifted his weight from one foot to the other. When the microwave let out an angry-sounding beep, Aurora removed the mug from the interior, and turned to Steven. "The door to the basement is under the top of the stairs we just came down. Follow that wall to the corner, and hang a left. Wait there, and I'll catch up with you after I turn off this light, and turn on the stair light." Steven went off in the direction she indicated. He came to the door in the dark, and waited for Aurora to join him. He saw the glow from the kitchen disappear, and a second later, a thin line of light from under the door illuminated the floor near his feet. A minute later, he could smell the tea in Aurora's cup, and the soft, fruity perfume she wore. He felt her hand brush by his chest as she reached for the door, and a second later, he was momentarily blinded by the light that illuminated the stairs. Aurora started down the stairs, then turned to look at Steven, who was still standing on the landing.

"Well, are you coming down, or do you want to shout from up there? The night is slipping by, you know," she said.

"Don't get uppity with me, Miss High and Mighty. I just don't want to fall down these steps and wake your family. Keep moving."

Aurora turned at the bottom of the stairs, reached into a cabinet and pulled out a small music box that she opened. A haunting tune in a minor key spilled out. In the box was a pile of cigarettes. She selected one, and reached for her lighter. Before she could grab it though, Steven held up a fancy gold one engraved with a 'L.' "You smoke?" he asked in disbelief. She inhaled deeply, and blew the smoke over his head.

"A girl has to have at least one vice," she answered sweetly. "Now, was there something you wanted to bitch at me about or can I go to bed?"

"I'm nowhere near through with you yet, so sit down and shut up," he responded pleasantly.

"Screw you," she said decidedly.

"Name the time and the place, babe, and I'll be there," Steven countered without missing a beat.

Aurora blew smoke in his face by way of reply. "God, you're a conceited bastard, aren't you?"

He grabbed her by the arm. "If you don't stop using that language, I'm going to wash your mouth out with soap," he threatened.

"Damn you to hell," Aurora spat defiantly.

"That does it. Drop that weed." Steven plucked the cigarette from her and, put it out in an ashtray. He dragged her towards the door to the laundry room, Aurora screaming all the way. "Scream all you want. You said this room is sound-proofed." He dragged her to the sink, and bent her back over it. A bottle of Ivory liquid appeared in her line of vision. "I told you what would happen if you used gutter talk," he said. There was a look of total fear in her eyes, and yet a hint of defiance. But the soap never touched her mouth. Instead, he pressed a hard kiss to her trembling lips. Her hands went from fists of anger to clutching at his shoulders.

Steven slowly tilted her back upright, and looked into her eyes. They started to fill with tears, and her mouth hung open. He took two steps back, still staring at her, then turned and walked very quickly out of the room. Aurora could hear him going up the stairs. She pressed a hand to her shaking lips, and felt her whole body start to shake. She ran out of the room, and up the stairs to the first floor, where she turned off the light, and waited until she heard Steven's door close before she ran up the second stairway herself, and slammed her door behind her.

Steven could hear her sobbing in her room until almost two o'clock.

He awoke the next morning to hear the front door close. He stuck his head out of his door, listening for the voices of the three women. A look at the clock told him that told him that Carolyn had probably already left for work, and because Amyrya worked with her on the weekends, she was also more than likely gone. He had no idea about whether Aurora was still in her room or not. He stepped over to her door, and half-raised his hand to knock, but paused a moment to think about it. What could he say to her? He couldn't bring himself to say he was sorry, because he wasn't. Nothing on earth could make him sorry about kissing her. The only thing he did regret was the things that led up to it, but it seemed strange to him to apologize for that. Steven shook his head, and went down to the kitchen. Maybe some breakfast would clear his head.

The tour Carolyn had given him the evening before came in handy, and he was able to assemble all the ingredients for a Denver omelet. As he was sliding it onto his plate, he heard Aurora walking barefoot across the kitchen tile. His attempt at cheery "Good morning" sounded a bit strange to his ears, but Aurora merely mumbled something and flapped a hand in his general direction. She reached almost automatically into a cupboard for a coffee cup, and poured a generous amount from the Mr. Coffee into it, and buried her face in the steam. Four gulps later, her head came up and she looked at Steven. Her "Good morning" sounded more sociable than the mumbled greeting a moment ago. "Want some?" she asked, indicating her cup.

"Sure," Steven replied. Why Aurora was even speaking to him, he didn't know, but it beat the silent treatment by far, even if the subject was only coffee.

Aurora produced another mug, filled it, and presented it to Steven. His "Thank you" was polite and sincere. For whatever reason he had, he wasn't being distant at the moment. So much the better. It would be easier for her to say what she had to say if he was nice about it. "Steven, I want to apologize for my language last night. It was a rather trying day, and I took my frustrations out on you, and it wasn't fair." She said it all in a rush, the words almost spilling over each other.

"Apology accepted," he said, wondering what she was up to. "Do you want some of this?" he asked, indicating his omelet.

"No. I couldn't face that much food this early in the morning. I'm not really hungry, and I have some errands to run this morning."

"Anything I can help with?" Steven was careful to keep the question casual.

"Not really, unless you like final fittings for formal dresses." She looked at her watch. "I have to run. Gigi is expecting me in 20 minutes, and I still look like hell." With that she turned and ran back up the stairs.

Steven finished his breakfast slowly, trying to decide what he should do with the day. If Aurora was going to be out with Gigi, she would probably be safe enough. What he wanted was to know about Harry. And the best place to get information on Harry was straight from the horse's mouth. And if he wasn’t available, there were always other ways, although probably less reliable, of obtaining information. As he cleaned the kitchen after breakfast, he developed his plan of attack. An hour at home on the computer would produce as much information as several hours in town, and what he would come up with would be much more detailed than anything some desk clerk would be willing to give him.

Aurora came thundering back down the stairs then, her purse in one hand, and a scrap of paper in the other.

“Hey, Steven. I wrote down some numbers and places for you, sort of a rough-draft itinerary. I’m heading to Gigi’s now, but we’ll be heading straight to Harrison Center since we have to be at Finer Things Formal’s at 9 to check our dresses for the dance tonight, and we’ll be at some beauty salon until 1, and by then the dresses should be ready. Then I’ll be at Gigi’s until 3 or 4 at the latest. So, anyway, you’ve got all I know for now, and I’ll try to let you know if anything changes or stuff like that.” With that she left the paper on the table and was out the door before Steven could even comment on her sudden change of heart. He picked up the scrap and examined it. It was covered with initials and numbers that could have meant almost anything. He sincerely hoped her notebook looked better than this. She’d never get though school if it didn’t. He managed to decipher Gigi’s number, and dialed it on the kitchen phone.

“Hello. This is Gigi, and it’s your dime,” she answered.

“Hi. This is Steven. We met the other day at school? Could I ask you a couple of questions really quick? I’m at Aurora’s, and she’ll be at your door in a few minutes,” he replied.

“At Rora’s, huh? Pretty quick work,” she quipped.

“Not guilty. Doubtless she’ll tell you all about it, but I can’t offend the lady’s honor by discussing it. So can I ask you or not?” Steven asked.

“Sure, Steven. What can I tell you?”

“Two things. One, where is Harry, and I promise to keep my hands to myself. Two, where can I get a ticket to tonight’s dance?”

“Hmmm...First one is easy. Harry is at Harrison Memorial, but I don’t know what room. The second is a real challenge. This dance is sold out. Why don’t you just go with Rora? She has two tickets, and I doubt Harry will go.”

“I’d rather she didn’t know about it until it’s too late to change. So please keep this discussion under you hat. I’m trying to help her, and it doesn’t work when she avoids me. I’m only looking out for her best interests.”

“Are you really?” Gigi smelled what could be some nice gossip.

“Yes, and I expect it to be kept quiet. I’ll find a better bone to throw you later. So what about a ticket for this dance?”

“Let me call some people before I leave, and I’ll get back to you after I go to the mall. If worst comes to worst, I could volunteer you to the decorating committee. They’ll be glad to have you, and it’s a good excuse to be there.”

“Well, if it’s the best you can do, I’ll keep it in mind. One last thing; where can I find a tux?”

“Without Rora finding out, I take it? That leaves out shopping in Harrison. Hmmm... Is there a budget constraint, or carte blanche?”

“Carte blanche. I just don’t want Aurora to find out. Nothing else matters at the moment.”

“Well, there are two small places there in Frostbite Falls, and there should be a couple in Coalfax, which is on the other side of Frostbite Falls from Harrison on the Musselshell Highway. That might be the best bet, since their Prom was last week. More than likely they’ll have something. Listen, I have to go if I’m going to be ready when Rora gets here. I’ll get back to you later. Bye.”

“Bye, Gigi. Thanks for your help.” Steven hung up. He then spent half an hour searching through the local phone books for a florist who would take a last minute order for a corsage. However, not knowing the color of Aurora’s dress seemed a major stumbling block for the clerks. Finally one suggested that white would go with anything, and agreed to send it that afternoon, with an anonymous note. A call to the formal shop in Coalfax was more productive. They had several styles and sizes of tuxedoes available, and Steven could have his pick whenever he arrived. Then it was upstairs to his room for some work at the computer.

Steven’s search through several computer databases proved rather fruitful. He now knew that Harry had several brushes with the law, but nothing serious enough to take to court. He had also been looked at by several larger schools interested in his wresting talent, but they held back due to his temper, which he seemed to display both on and off the mat. Perhaps with a little persuasion, one of the schools could be encouraged to offer Harry a scholarship. Preferably in southern Florida. The farther away Steven could send Harry, the happier everyone would be. Steven spent a few more minutes e-mailing instructions to his office in Colorado, to be carried out post haste. Then he shut down the computer, and left the house, looking for Coalfax.

After an hour in Coalfax selecting a tuxedo and having it fitted, Steven again turned his attention toward Harry. He reviewed the plan in his head, and cast a brief glance at the computer printout on the seat next to him. Between the offer from the school, and a threat of court, Harry would probably cave in and do just as Steven directed. He had no problem finding the hospital, and the woman at the information desk was more than willing to believe that Steven was “a friend from school.” Armed with Harry’s room number and a manila folder labeled “Homework,” Steven easily gained access to Harry’s room from the floor supervisor. He slipped quietly into the semi-private room and shut the door. He could hear Harry talking back to the football game on TV beyond the curtain, and the other bed was unoccupied. Steven stepped around the curtain into view. “Hello, neighbor,” he said.

“What the hell are you doing here? I’ll kick your ass if you don’t get out of here!” Harry shouted.

“Not so fast. I have what you might consider a very tempting offer, and you just have to do one simple thing to get it. Or I could make use of this interesting material,” Steven replied, tossing the folder on the bed. A printout of Harry’s police record spilled out. “Now, I can forget that I saw this, and burn those, or I can go back into the system and make some more interesting reports that will drag you through court, and you’ll never see a college wresting team again.”

Harry glared at him for a moment, perhaps judging Steven’s resolve. “And what happens if I play along?” he asked.

“You get an unexpected offer from a big school in the south that’s willing to take a chance on your temper to harness your talent. It’ll be a full scholarship for your remaining college career, maybe a shot at Team USA. I can’t guarantee that part. But the school, and a full scholarship are yours for the taking.”

“And what am I supposed to do in exchange? Give up red meat and live in a commune? Nothing’s free, buster.”

“Nothing that difficult.” Steven paused and drew a deep breath. “Give up Aurora. Dump her. Dump her hard if you want to, or let her dump you. Don't tell her that I’m behind this, and get out of her life. Stay out of her way for the next month, and then when you transfer to the other school, you’ll be nothing more than a memory, and she can go on with her life.”

“It’s not that easy, jerk. If I move, I’d expect her to come with me. She loves me, you know, and I love her,” Harry declared piously.

“She’s afraid of you, and you are convinced that you own her. Neither of which are love. No. You can’t have your cake and eat it too. You can go away to school, or jail. School is just easier for everyone concerned.”

Harry considered for a moment. “All right. Have it your way. I’ll back off Rora. She’s not worth it anyway. Just leave this stuff here, and I’ll be cool about the whole thing,” he bargained.

“No. I’ll send you the ashes from these when you’re gone. I’ll just hang on to them until then. And I’ll be sticking close to Aurora until you leave, so you may just want to park in an entirely different area for a little while.” Steven turned to leave. “And by the way, Aurora is worth an infinite number of you,” he said, and walked out the door.

Steven returned home well before Aurora was due back, and decided to kill time until she came home with the homework due Monday. Somewhere in the middle of the computer text, the phone rang. Steven reached over and grabbed it. “Hello?

” “Hi. This is Gigi, Steven. Aurora just left this end of things. She said she has one errand to run, and she’ll be home about when she expected. She also said to tell you don’t worry. It’s a public place, and she’ll keep the door open, whatever that means.”

“I’d guess she’s going to see Harry, and she didn’t want to give me a chance to talk her out of it. The hospital is pretty safe though. I’ll have to talk to her about her idea of letting me know about changes in plans. The idea is for her to tell me herself. However, that is neither here nor there. Did you have any luck scaring up some tickets, or do I have to decorate?” Steven asked.

“You have uncanny timing. I talked to a friend at the Student Body Office, and she had just had a pair surrendered not five minutes before. I reserved them in your name, and you can collect them at the door. The only drawback is that they come in pairs, so you have to buy both, even though it’s only for you. Or are you bringing a particular lady we have yet to meet? Inquiring minds want to know, you know.”

“Well, they can find out tonight. Thank you, Gina. I owe you one,” he said.

“Tell me a secret and we’ll call it even,” she offered.

“Sorry. Not this time. I’ll find some other way to make it up to you. Bye, Gigi.” Steven heard Gigi say good-bye, and he hung up the phone. He then proceeded to lose himself in the computer text once more. A few chapters later, he was drawn back to reality again by the sound of Aurora’s car pulling into the drive. After it stopped, he could hear car doors opening and closing, presumably Aurora unloading her bags from shopping. He debated to himself for a moment over going out and offering assistance, but decided against it in the interest of feigned disinterest about the whole affair this evening. No point in giving away his hand too soon. He peered over the top of his book as the door opened

. “You’re still here?” Aurora asked. “Boy, are you one boring guy.” She looked briefly at his book. “And studying no less. Haven’t you ever heard of doing everything at midnight Sunday and going in Monday like a zombie?”

“I prefer to get it done a little sooner and enjoy some of my weekend stress-free,” Steven replied piously.

“Me too,” she returned smugly. “I finished mine before leaving on Friday, so my weekend is completely free. I guess you’ll be reading tonight instead of dancing?” she asked.

“Looks that way,” he answered. Steven looked carefully at Aurora’s face. Her eyes seemed puffy, and there were streaks through her carefully applied make-up that hid the black eye Harry had given her. For a second, it was on the tip of his tongue to mention it, but something in her eyes and stance told him to let it go for now. If she wanted to talk about it, she would. He looked at the bags in her hands. She had in her right hand a bag from a fashionable shoe store, one from a store that specialized in jewelry and accessories, and a large garment bag draped over her left arm. Whatever she bought at the formal shop wouldn’t be revealed until the last moment, it seemed.

As Aurora headed toward the stairs, Steven had a good view of her hair, which had been pulled back into a clip at her neck. Instead of hanging straight down her back, it curled and twisted, and he could detect the distinct smell of perm solution. She seemed to have gone all out for tonight’s function. This could get very interesting. He picked up his textbooks, and went up to study in his room. He heard Aurora’s mother and sister arrive home, and a little later, heard what he guessed to be the arrival of the corsage he had ordered. Steven sat in a comfortable chair in his room, with a text book in front of him, and the door left casually half open, partly to reassure Aurora that he was doing nothing particularly interesting, but more to keep an eye on her various preparations. She went into the bathroom clad in bathrobe and a showercap to protect her perm, and returned 20 minutes later. He called out to her as she went by.

“Hey, Aurora. Can you spare me a moment?” “Can you spare me one would be a better question,” she replied. “You seemed to have a lot of reading to do earlier.” She paused, though, leaning against the doorframe.

“Come in and sit a moment. I’m not going to attack you, you know.”

“I’d hope not, but no, thank you. I can’t spare the time to get comfortable. Did you just want to watch me drip in my robe?” she asked, one leg peeking out of the terrycloth from toe to knee. It was a very attractive leg.

“Not only that.” Steven smiled briefly, but then his face darkened. “Your eye is still a little bruised, you know. Is everyone going to notice it, or are your friends all mute?”

“Don’t you mean blind?” she asked.

“No. I just wonder why no one says anything. You’re a smart girl. You know what’s going on. Why put up with it?”

“No one says anything because they value pain-free breathing. What kind of person creates problems for her friends? You’ve seen how Harry acts. Who am I going to ask to stand in front of me? You’re the first to not wind up in traction or with scrambled brains. As for why don’t I dump him, this is a small town. Harrison is only slightly larger. It’s a ‘Boys will be boys’ kind of place. I’d rather get through one last year, and leave for grad school early next summer. No hurt feelings, no problems, just two people who grew apart.”

“It could be different, if you wanted,” he said.

“Maybe. If God is good to me, it just might,” she replied.

“What do you mean?” he asked, playing dumb. “Harry said today that the University of Southern Florida might make an offer, but I wouldn’t be invited. He says I’m more trouble than I’m worth, and doesn’t want me there. So he wants to split up now; less to do when he moves, he says.” She looked up at the ceiling. “Like I really care. I’ve got to get busy. Bye.” She left abruptly.

Steven made a mental check mark on the list in his head, but he wished that Harry had been just a bit more tactful. The edges of Aurora’s darker emotions could still cut like a well-honed blade.

Aurora popped her head into Steven’s room. He was still sitting and reading. For a text book, it must be pretty interesting, she thought. “Can you pull up your roots for a minute and come downstairs? I’m on my way out.” She turned and went out without waiting for him.

From the top of the stairs she called, “Mom, I’m coming down. Don’t start shooting until I get the corsage on,” then went down. She rooted around in the refrigerator for a moment before coming up with a cardboard box from a local florist. Not a cheap one, either, from what Aurora had observed. Harry went all out, she thought, what a pity he’s going to miss it. As she came out of the kitchen, she could see Steven at the bottom of the stairs. He seemed to be in a state something akin to shock, Aurora guessed. Good. She held out the box to him. “Help me on with my flowers?” she asked.

Steven hesitated for a second, then took the arrangement. He examined the pin mechanism on the back, then looked at Aurora sheepishly. “I’ll need to make sure it doesn’t stick you when I run it through,” he said. Aurora could hear what he meant between the lines: ‘I’ll have to put my hand in your dress, and I don’t know how anyone is going to feel about that,’ and decided to rescue him just a little.

“Why don’t you pin it here?” she suggested, pulling a clear plastic bracelet out of the box. “It should look fine on my wrist, and I don’t want it to get crushed by my coat, or some friend’s violent embrace.” She smiled. Other men she knew would help themselves to a grope and fail her test.

Amyrya came around Carolyn to look at Aurora. “That dress came out perfect, Sweetie. You look great. But who are you going to have your picture taken with? You can’t get it done by yourself,” she said.

Carolyn looked at her older daughter. ”Right now, your sister will have her picture taken with the door. After that, it’s her own lookout. Are you ready then, Aurora? Go stand by the door.” Aurora went dutifully over to pose for snapshots, then blinked for a minute to clear the spots from the flash out of her eyes.

“Well,” she said. “I better be going, or dinner will be over without me.” She turned to Steven. "I’ll be at Spencer’s Restaurant until about 8:30, and I’m catching a ride with the others in their limo to the Regency Hotel for the dance. It will be over about 1:00, and I’ll pick up my car afterward and be back before 2:00. Don’t wait up. It’s going to be a great dance.” Aurora turned and went out the door. ‘Maybe,’ she thought, ‘if I keep saying that, it will be true.’

Aurora paused a moment around the corner from the door to the banquet rooms rented for the occasion. She took a deep breath, and headed for the open door to the dance. She entered a small, low-ceilinged area where she handed over her tickets and her shawl. Then she went into the dance. As she came into the high-ceilinged room, a roving spotlight swept across her, and came back and illuminated her fully. It made her antique-gold satin bodice shine, and the black velvet skirt glow. A voice came over the speaker system, startling her slightly. “And here is Rora Stargazer, the Women’s Gymnastic All-Around Champion in the state of Montana. We all know Harry is recuperating at Harrison Memorial tonight. You’re holding up beautifully, Rora. A round of applause for Rora, folks. She’s had a hard week.” Applause sounded from around the room. Aurora gave a half-hearted wave, and headed away from the center of the room, out of the spotlight. She found Gigi and some other friend at a table near one of the corners. “So what’s the good word, ladies? Are we in demand this evening, or should I hang up my tights and go home?”

“Well,” Gigi said “there seem to be two main pieces of gossip tonight. The guys have fastened onto something juicy over at the buffet,” she gestured to the other end of the room where a multitude of tuxedoes were gathered, “and the ‘fair to middlin’s’ seem to have latched onto someone, but I haven’t been able to get a clear glimpse of him yet, so I’m not sure if he’ll be worth your attention.”

“You seem to be forgetting that I’m attached, Gigi,” Aurora said for the benefit of the other’s present. “I’m only here because it would be a dreadful waste of money to skip the whole thing on account of Harry’s poor judgment.” She looked over to where the girls who never seemed to be popular enough to move in the top circles were gathered. They seemed to be two and three deep around a table across the dance floor. Aurora put it out of her head. Probably nothing interesting, and visiting with them might turn up the latest gossip with her life as the grist. She preferred to keep her recent humiliation with Harry quiet until after graduation next month. At least she could look forward to her senior year with very few complications. She sat down and settled in for a long evening.

Steven watched Aurora off and on during the evening, noticing that she seldom left her seat for anything, and never to dance. Much of her time seemed to be spent staring off into space, as though she were deep in thought. Occasionally someone would come over to the table and talk to her, but none stayed long, for the most part because Aurora didn’t seem to be really talking, but giving short answers, and not contributing much at all. Her mind definitely seemed to be on her own matters.

Aurora turned her situation over and over in her head. How was she going to come out of this mess without losing her position at the school. As little as she cared about it for herself, she knew that the other status-conscious students could make her last year terrible if they caught the slightest hint that her perceived power had nothing behind it. The force of her will may be enough for a couple of months, but eventually she would need some way to back up her words. Harry had at least been useful in that manner, although he had often gone too far and acted on impulse more than on anything resembling thought. Then a thought suddenly occurred to her. She was actually becoming upset over getting exactly what she wanted. Aurora wanted to laugh at herself. It was just too ridiculous. She was startled from her reverie by a voice in her ear.

“That dress is too pretty to waste just sitting here in a corner. Why not come with me and get some use out of it?” It was Steven. He was certainly the last person in the world she expected to see here. She tried to recover some of her composure, and stop grinning like a fool.

“Well, I certainly didn’t expect you to show up here, of all places. Did you enroll just to graduate next month, or is your date an older woman? And how on earth did you get tickets to a sold out dance?”

“I’m on my own, I need about two semester’s worth of credits to graduate, and I called someone resourceful for the tickets. I know you’re in for another year, but what about your sister? Why didn’t she come?”

“Mostly unlucky. Her fiancé pulled guard duty tonight, and she didn’t want to come without him. Amyrya is nothing if not loyal.”

“I didn’t know she was engaged. What does he do that he would be guarding tonight, security?”

“Not quite. He’s a cadet at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. He’s graduating next month too, and then being posted to Cheyenne Mountain. At any rate, he couldn’t get leave tonight, so Amy stayed home.”

“So what about that dress. Is it for use or just for looks?” Steven asked again.

Aurora took a deep breath. If she was going to re-establish herself on the social circle, it might as well be done now, and done big. “Use,’ she said, standing up, “but I’ll warn you now. I’m a damn good dancer.”

“So am I,” Steven replied with a wicked grin.

Six dances later, they were both ready for a break. Aurora went to sit while Steven headed towards the buffet table loaded with refreshments. As she watched him, she thought about how different he seemed from most of the other guys around school. He did nothing to draw attention to himself, yet her eyes were drawn to him like a moth to flames. And she never got the feeling that he wanted anything more than to look after her in an almost paternal manner. She felt safer with him than with any other guy she had dated. As she was thinking, hands covered her eyes, and a voice in her ears said, “Guess who?” Since it definitely didn’t sound like one of Harry’s friends, she wasn’t inspired to elbow him in the guts.

“How many guesses do I get?” she asked shrewdly.

“Just one. Better make it a good guess.”

“How about some questions? You have the advantage of me, you know.”

“That’s the point of the game. I’ll give you three questions, but they have to be yes or no. I need to keep some of my advantage.” “Okay. Was I expecting to see you here tonight?” “How would I know what’s going on in that devilish head of yours? I don’t read minds, you know, Aurora.”

“It’s a yes or no question, all the same. Doesn’t matter, though, Geoffrey. You’re the only person who refuses to honor my wishes regarding my name. Not that I mind too much. Someone has to let the air out of my balloon every so often.” The hand disappeared from her eyes, and Geoffrey Lyons stepped out form behind her chair. “Sit down, and tell me how you are. I haven’t heard a thing since you ‘slipped’ in the men’s room two weeks ago. I begged you not to go up against Harry, but you just wouldn’t listen to me.”

“That’s because when a big person hits on a little person, I refuse to listen to nonsense.”

“Glad to hear I’m not the only one,” came a voice from behind Aurora. She looked quickly over her shoulder to see Steven just behind her and to the right.

“Good, you’re back. Meet Geoffrey Lyons. Geoff’s been out for two weeks recovering from a slightly less successful stunt than yours. Geoff, this is Steven Landon, who actually put Harry into the hospital rather than the other way around. You two should get on rather well, with your outdated senses of order.”

“We’ve had this discussion before, Aurora. Boys will not be boys. Boys will be human being, and respect other human beings,” Geoff said firmly.

“Tell that to your ribs,” she answered tartly.

“Well, unless I miss my guess, my ribs have back-up now, so you just put them out of your lil’ ole’ mind, sugar.”

“I despise that dialect, you know.”

“I surely do. That’s why I love it so much. It gets such a rise out of your sweet self. Good to meet you, Steven. I’m sure we’ll want to talk more later. I’m going to find Giggles now, let her know I’m back on her trail. See you guys later.” With that, he set off across the room.

Steven sat down in the chair Geoff had vacated. “So what’s his story?” he asked.

“Geoff told Harry to keep his hands off me, and Harry set him up with an accident in the men’s room. Geoff had four cracked ribs by the time it was over. The administration couldn’t get any witnesses, so it was ruled an accident. He’s the reason I wouldn’t let anyone else go toe to toe with Harry. How many people will get hurt before it ends? It could be a lot, or it could be just me.”

“That’s behind you now. You’re not seeing him, he’s not seeing you. It’s a whole new ballgame now, and this time you’re throwing out the first pitch.”

“I really hate sports analogies.”

“Come on. My feet are itching to dance, and you’re the best partner here by a long shot.” He hauled her to her feet and back out on to the floor.

Aurora woke the next morning and looked around her room. Her dress from the prom the night before was draped over a chair, its petticoat in a pile on the floor, and her spike-heel shoes on their sides by the door. She rolled out of bed, pulled on some sweats, spent a few minutes straightening her room, and headed down toward the sounds of life in the kitchen.

Steven, Carolyn and Amyrya were all seated around the table when Aurora came in, and the women immediately began asking her questions.

“So did you have a good time last night?”

“Was there any trouble?”

“Who did you have your picture taken with?”

Aurora sighed, helping herself to coffee while the bombardment continued. She took a large swallow, then answered. “Yes, I had a good time, no there was no trouble, and you’ll just have to wait and see.”

Steven took in her and said ”That’s a pretty casual outfit compared to yesterday’s get-up. You look like you have a hot date with a punching bag.”

She grinned. “Good guess. Actually, it’s a pool. No one especially cares what you wear to get there. Interested in some exercise?”

“What, you’re not exhausted after all that dancing we did? I though you were too tired to walk in the door.”

“No, just sick to my stomach after all those eclairs you ordered. That was way too much chocolate in the middle of the night. Now I have to work it off. If I gain so much as a pound, my coach will have me picking up towels and chalking equipment. I’m too tall as it is. I don’t need to be too fat as well.”

“That’s enough, young lady,” Carolyn interrupted. “I’m not going to listen to that ridiculous argument again. You will be as tall as you are meant to be, and weigh a healthy amount for that height. We will not play the ‘starve myself before a meet’ game again, or I will take you off that team altogether.”

“Yes, Mother. I will eat. I will not take pills, I will not stick my finger down my throat. However, I will not eat right now because I want to swim. I’ll eat something healthy and filling for lunch. So, “ she said, turning to Steven, ”are you interested?”

“Sure. Why not? Where are we going?” he asked.

“Phil’s Gym in Harrison. Mom, where did you put that other card? He’ll need it in the locker room.”

“It’s in the same place all the other paper work is kept, in the basement,” Carolyn said. “Amy, are you going with them? You ought to get out more.”

“No. I’m going to wait for Jim to call. He gets in line for the phone when chapel’s over. They have something like a ten-to-one ratio of cadets to phones there. You’d think someone would get an idea,” Amy griped.

“It is a military base, not Club Med, Sis. Besides, in a month, you’ll be married. Then you can call him as often as you like.”

“Aurora, don’t be difficult. It’s very hard for your sister and Jim to be apart. Try to be a little more sensitive,” her mother scolded.

“I’m sorry Amy. Stuff at school is just getting to me a little.”

“It’s okay. I’m probably a monomaniac on the phone thing.”

“All right, then.” Aurora turned back to Steven. “I’ll be about ten minutes. Bring your suit, and if you want to use the weight room be sure you have sweats or something. I’ll dig up the other card, get my stuff, and we’ll go.”

“Okay.” Steven started to gather things from the table, but Carolyn stopped him.

“Don’t worry about it. When Aurora gets a bug in her ear to go, nothing gets in her way, including late-comers. Besides, I’m going to garden, and doing these will get the last bits of dirt off my hands later. Have a good time.”

“So which way are we going?” Steven asked as he pulled out into the light traffic.

“Straight into Harrison. I’ll tell you the rest as we get closer,” Aurora said.

“You want to tell me what you and your mother were going around about with the eating thing? It sounded like an old argument,” Steven said.

“Pretty straight-forward. I was borderline bulimic for a while. I tried pills and was caught, I tried vomiting and was caught. I spent some time with a psychiatrist, and have recovered for the most part. It’ll be easier when I finish this season. I won’t be so worried about my weight all the time. A couple of pounds can throw you off very badly on beam. Anyway, it’s not much of an issue anymore. Mom only brings it up when she sees me skip a meal.” Aurora was silent for a few moments. “Since we’re going to be in town, can we stop to get my car? I feel kind of naked without it.”

“Well, we can’t have you feeling naked, can we? Where did you leave it?”

“Spencer’s Restaurant. I met Gigi and some friends there and caught a ride with them. It’s the same place we stopped for the coffee and eclairs. If I ever eat that many eclairs again I’m sure I’ll explode.”

After three very busy hours of swimming, racquetball, and weight machines, they headed home after a brief stop for Aurora’s car. Once they arrived, Steven was gratified to see Aurora put away a large salad loaded with everything under the sun. Then they settled in to spend the afternoon watching a marathon of films on the comedy channel. Halfway through the second film, the phone rang and Aurora answered it.

“Hello?” she said. “Yes.....if that’s what you want.....that’s fine with me.... then I’ll see you tomorrow.” She hung up abruptly. Getting up, she left the room very quickly, and Steven heard her door slam. Ten minutes later she reappeared with her bags for school, as well as something that resembled an overnight bag. “I’m going to spend the night at Gigi’s. Can you meet me at her house in the morning about 45 minutes before class? I’ll explain everything then, but right now, I need to leave. I swear I won’t set foot outside until you get there, and her dad is Chief of Police so I’ll be okay there.”

“I’ll go with you on this since you’ve been going with the program, but there better be one good explanation waiting for me in the morning,” he warned.

“There will be, “ she promised. She leaned down and kissed him quickly on the cheek. “You’re the best,” she said, walking out the door.

Steven closed his eyes, and put his hand to the place where she had kissed him. There were moments when he wanted so badly to touch her, to kiss her, to consume her in the fire that burned in his heart. But sweeter by far were the moments when she reached out to him, though they were few and far between, at least for the time being.

At 7:15 Monday morning, Steven knocked at the door of Captain Anthony Getraire, and was surprised to see Geoffrey Lyons when it opened. He waved Steven in with a half-eaten doughnut, and mumbled what Steven could only guess was a greeting around the portion in his mouth.

“Aurora said I should meet her here,” Steven began a little uncertainly. Geoffrey waved him toward a chair, then mumbled something else and indicated a hallway off to Steven’s right. “Finish what you’re eating,” Steven said. “We’ll probably both get more out of it.”

Geoffrey swallowed hugely. “Sorry. You want one? And there’s coffee.”

“Coffee will be fine,” Steven said.

“Come on in the kitchen. The girls will be another few minutes getting their collective acts together, I’d imagine. And Aurora asked me to fill you in on the deal for today.”

“I though she was going to explain to me personally. I’m in the dark here and not too happy about it,” Steven said.

Geoffrey laughed. “I’m not surprised in the least. We’re going to participate in an archaic little ceremony today that will essentially make both Harry and Aurora free agents again. She is going to return his letterman’s jacket to him, and resume wearing her own. You will actually have an important part. She wants you to hold her own jacket up to the point she puts it back on, then you escort her to her first class, and they are no longer an item.”

“Isn’t this a little juvenile for college students?” Steven asked.

Geoffrey shrugged. “It’s part of that small town mentality. Everything is very public, so we make a stage play of serious events. It keeps people from asking forever.”

“So we play games instead?”

“Think of it more as extemporaneous theater. You have some idea of how it begins, and how it should end, but the middle is up to the players to make up.”

“Geoff, don’t scare him,” said Gigi, coming into the kitchen. “It’s not that big a deal. He gets his jacket back, they say ‘See ya,’ and it’s over.”

“Why didn’t Aurora do this months ago?” Steven asked. “She could have had him out of her hair long ago.”

Gigi shook her head. “It’s not that easy. Harry has to agree to the meeting, like Aurora did. She’s been wanting this for months, and trying to provoke him into it. That’s part of what you walked into last week. But Aurora has a lot of status on her own, and Harry wanted to add that to his own rep.”

“I can’t believe we’re talking about college students here. What kind of twilight zone is this?”

“If you don’t want to help, you don’t have to,” came Aurora’s voice from behind him. Steven whirled around to look at her, and had to grasp the counter to steady himself. Aurora’s outfit was enough to knock anyone’s socks off, along with any other item of clothing she wanted. She wore a white tank top made of some soft, clinging material with thin little straps, and a black leather miniskirt that revealed almost all of her perfectly shaped legs, encased in nylons, with black spike heels at the end. He took a couple of deep breaths to get a grip on himself and remarked, “That’s quite a get-up. A big change from yesterday.”

Aurora glanced down at herself. “Well, yeah. Might as well let everyone see what Harry’s giving up. But I’m going to be damned cold, that’s for sure. Will you hold this for me? You’ll know when I need it back.” She handed him a black leather jacket, lined with white leather. Steven glanced at it briefly.

“I thought you were going to wear your letterman’s jacket later,” he said.

“I thought about it, but it sends a ‘jocks only need apply’ message, and I’m not that interested in any of them. The leather is an ‘open season’ kind of garment. It will set everyone to thinking how much they really want to do to get my attention, and I’ll have peace til school gets out. And these things itch like you would not believe,” she said, slipping into a red and yellow school jacket. “Well, if everyone has yakked enough, I’d like to get back to being a single gal again.” With that, she turned and left. Steven looked at the others, shrugged, and followed her.

Steven parked his car close beside Aurora’s, and jumped out quickly to catch her before she walked into the lion’s den. He could see Harry, with a white cotton square taped to his head, standing just outside the parking lot, his entourage and an audience already in place. He stepped between the assembled party and Aurora, shielding her from her view.

“I didn’t know this was a spectator sport,” he said, juggling bookbag and jackets, both his and Aurora's. He would have to pick up his things for gym later, since he was carrying more than he could easily manage and still feel able to put up a defense.

“That’s the point,” she said. “Otherwise, everyone will turn it into ‘Gone With the Wind’ or some other romantic epic, and it’s really just a nasty piece of housekeeping.” She peeked over his shoulder. “Geoff and Gina are here. Let’s just do this. I’d like to get on with my life.”

Steven turned and gestured toward the throng. “After you, M’Lady,” he said grandly.

Aurora walked across the lot toward the group, hoping that the shaking in her legs didn’t show. How well this came off would determine the next year of school. Might as well get started, she thought.

“Well, Harry. You asked to see me this morning. What do you want?” Not a great beginning, but at least it was going. She was committed now.

“I’m afraid we’ve come to a parting of the ways, Rora,” he said. Aurora recognized the phrasing. It meant no specific incidents were going to be discussed. _Just as well for him,_ she thought. _He won’t be too popular if I recounted a list of things he’s done to me._

“I’m sorry to hear that,” she replied, a standard phrase for this routine. “Is there any way to work it out?” she asked, more out of politeness than genuine interest.

“I’m afraid not. I’m leaving Montana soon, and I wanted to take formal leave of you.” Once again, that was no surprise. Half of his friends must have heard of the Florida offer by now.

“Then I’ll wish you luck where ever you are, and return this to you,” she said taking off the jacket. She could hear reactions in the crowd as the wind blew her hair and rippled her silk blouse. Damn, it was chilly out here. She wanted nothing more at this moment that to put on her own jacket. Thank God this was almost over. She turned to Steven, who was just behind her. “Would you hand me my jacket please?”

Steven looked at the massed crowd, and felt like part of a trained monkey act. He considered in an instant what would happen when Aurora put her own jacket on, how she was putting herself up for auction almost, and made a snap decision. Dropping his books to the ground, he slipped off his own black leather jacket and draped it around her shoulders, saying, “If you’re about done, we should get to class, Sweetheart.”

Aurora’s eyes widened briefly, then started to narrow, and he could see her mouth start to open in protest, so Steven did the only thing he could think of, what had been in the back of his mind since he had first seen her that morning. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, reeled her around to face him, and kissed her in full view of the entire cast and audience of this little scene. Instead of fighting him this time, Aurora wrapped her arms around him and went along with him. Steven could feel his heart start to pound, and his spirit soared. Somewhere under all the rough edges and sharp angles, the Aurora he had known was there. Now it was only a matter of time before she was back.

Aurora heard the gasp from the crowd, and when she had control of herself again, she pulled away from Steven, difficult though it was. He seemed to know every motion that set her afire. But for now, her little scene had gotten away from her, and she needed to get it back in line as quickly as possible.

“Yes, I’m done here,” she said, reaching down for her books. “Don’t forget your stuff, Hon,’” she added. Then she wrapped an arm around Steven’s waist, and they headed off toward the buildings.

“Hey, Rora!” Harry yelled. “You’re not worth shit, you know that? And tell your boyfriend you’re lousy in bed, too!”

Steven started to turn but Aurora held him back. She turned herself and looked at Harry. “As if you would notice. No one cares what you think, so just shut up! And don’t call me Rora. I really hate it!” With that, she turned and left with Steven.

*THE END*

SilverHawks, Narnia characters, Labyrinth characters, Beauty and the Beast characters and Gargoyles characters are the properties of their respective owners, and are used without permission. These stories are not for sale, and no money is being made from them. Original stories are the property of Lady Moonhawke, as are any original characters. Krysten Barter (AKA Krysten Merino / Skyedansuer) is the property of Lady Razorsharp, and is used with permission.

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