THE GIRL LOST IN THE STARS

JAMES

Passing weeks had failed to bring Freddie to Aurora's doorstep. Despite this, she held onto a glimmer of hope and would rush to the door at the sound of the bell, yearning to see him. However, deep down, she knew that they were separated by the worlds they inhabited, and perhaps the odds were stacked against them.

One Friday night, as Aurora lay on her bed lost in thought, the blaring sound of a horn jolted her from her reverie. She peered out of her window and saw James, a moderately tall man with slicked-back black hair, who emanated a pungent scent of grease.

As Aurora opened the window, James impatiently urged her to hurry up, expressing his frustration at her tendency to make him appear foolish in front of his friends. With a heavy sigh, Aurora closed the window and proceeded to rush downstairs with a backpack slung over her shoulder. However, as she reached the living room, her father violently grabbed her arm and admonished her, "How many times must I tell you not to bring that guy around my house?"

Aurora struggled to extricate herself from her father's grasp, protesting, "Get off me! That hurts!" Her father, however, was not swayed by her pleas and chided her for her rebellious behavior, accusing her of causing distress to both him and her mother. Despite her father's admonitions, Aurora was determined to break free from the suffocating constraints of her sheltered life, and with a final burst of defiance, she stormed out of the house.

In truth, James was not the kind of person Aurora would typically be attracted to. However, she saw him as a way to rebel against her parents' expectations of her and assert her independence.

Upon arriving at the carnival with James, he crudely commented on her appearance and made inappropriate physical advances, prompting Aurora to gasp in shock. Without a word, she clung tightly to her backpack and took her place in the passenger seat. James, meanwhile, inquired about her finances and proceeded to rest his hand on her thigh before driving to his friends' gathering.

For Aurora, the drive felt interminable, and she idly traced patterns on the windowpane with her finger, lost in thought.

Upon arriving at the carnival, James quickly exited the vehicle to greet his friends, leaving Aurora alone in the car. As she observed the surroundings, she noticed a gentleman gallantly opening the car door for his girlfriend, but she knew that James was not the type to engage in such chivalrous behavior.

With a resigned sigh, Aurora alighted from the truck and joined James's group of friends, her arms crossed defensively over her chest. One of James's intoxicated friends made a lewd comment about her appearance, prompting James to pull her closer to him, his chewing becoming more pronounced.

"I am selective about the girls I choose," he said, his eyes lingering on her undeveloped chest. Aurora felt her skin crawl with discomfort and instinctively covered herself with her arms, attempting to break free from his embrace.

As the group of men conversed and imbibed from a bottle of beer, Aurora felt increasingly out of place and longed to escape from the seedy atmosphere.

James turned around and offered, "Would you like to have some?"

"No, thank you. You know I don't drink," she politely declined.

"Ah, yes. You're the innocent and holy one," he remarked before finishing the bottle himself and carelessly tossing it into the surrounding grass.

As they walked, she felt left out as the guys walked ahead, and she trailed behind. Her mind wandered, and she was lost in thought, mesmerized by the bright lights shining on her, creating a magical atmosphere.