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AURORA TURNED TO JIMMY CUHAN.
He sat in an empty desk, quivering as he tried to process what he'd seen. He'd been at the door behind Mr. Elmberg and had ended up seeing the entire interaction.
Since he was mortal, his mind had actually short-circuited, and he was having a hard time processing what he had seen.
Aurora gave him a minute, taking that time to talk with Drew and explain to the girl her true parentage. Drew seemed a little shocked, but she didn't question it. Most likely, she understood that her charmspeak was more than just being pretty. Now she had an explanation.
Mrs. O'Conley was mortal. From what she'd told Aurora, she suspected she could see through the Mist to an extent. That was why she gave Aurora funny looks. There was proof she'd been there for the whole year, but the memories the Mist had given her were contrasting. That only messed with her more.
And Ethan...
Aurora didn't know what to think of Ethan. He was powerful at controlling the Mist — he created a whole new eyeball for himself. He joined in the fight against the cyclops instead of taking Drew and leaving Aurora to die. And yet, he was dumb enough to think the Titans' were a better choice than the Gods.
Aurora didn't want to defend the Gods, but she knew enough to know that the Titans were way worse.
She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts.
"Hey," she took a seat in front of Jimmy. "How are you?"
Jimmy looked at her, his eyes fractured and broken. Aurora manipulated his emotions, forcing him to calm down, just a little.
"He's a monster," Jimmy muttered. "Like a real monster. They exist. Why do they — and you fought — and the monster — oh—"
"Calm down," Drew said, lacing her words with charmspeak.
Mixed in with Aurora's emotion manipulation, his breathing neared baseline.
"Don't worry about it," Aurora told him, getting ready to control the Mist. "You don't have to worry about it."
Jimmy caught her wrist, "You're — you're gonna erase my memories, aren't you?"
Aurora's breath caught in her throat. She debated lying, but Jimmy shook his head adamantly.
"Don't — don't erase yourself," he insisted.
"What?"
"The memories of you," he told her. "Don't erase those, please. Take the mons — take the monsters away, but keep the memories I have of you."
"Why?" she asked.
Jimmy had been shutting her out all week, and now, he wanted her to keep the memories he had of her.
"I — I want to change," he told her. "And, I really liked you, but I can't be in your world — I know that now. But, I don't want to ruin something else by acting the way I did with you. I was bad, I was mean. When — when my friends told me to ask someone ugly out on a date, I — I only went to you so I wouldn't be embarrassed if you said no. I was an idiot, and — and if you erase those memories I won't change. But I need to. I need to be a better person."
Aurora stared at him, bewildered. She'd been prepared for practically any other explanation... but this. She had no idea what to say.
"Let me change, Aurora," he told her.
And so, with tears in her eyes, Aurora smiled sadly at the boy who wanted to be a better person.
And then she snapped her fingers.
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