𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋𝐒 ᶠⁱⁿⁿ ˢʰᵉˡᵇʸ

𝟎𝟎𝟓: 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐁𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐭

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟓
𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐁𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐭

Aurora kicked stones as she walked, a cigarette loosely clutched between her two fingers. Her heart was still pounding from the incident between her and Finn. He never seemed to learn.

She had planned on meeting her two friends at the cut that evening. So when they came round the corner, shouting and trying to scare her, she just stared at them and let out a pathetic laugh. "You've got to try harder than that." She huffed. Mike shook his head with a smile, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and shaking her lightly.

Aurora leaned into him and they began walking.

"Would ya believe me if I said it was Harvey's idea?" He asked with a raised brow. Rory let out a breath. "No." She said plainly. "You, Mikey, are the biggest child I know and you're older than me." She said.

Mikey shrugged, knowing she was right. He was childish at times but only when it came to having a bit of fun. He'd never hurt anyone unless they deserved it.

"So— Isiah...what's the deal with him?" Harvey asked, bringing up the other boys name again like he had the previous time they'd met up. "God, Harvs do you fancy him or something?" She teased and threw her now finished cigarette onto the floor and walking by over it.

Mike gave his friend and look and shook his head. He didn't understand why he brought up Isiah Jesus so often.

"So where we off to then?" A voice asked from behind them. Aurora jumped slightly and glanced over her shoulder to be met with the face of no other than Alfie Jenkins. "No one invited you, Jenkins." Aurora gritted through her teeth.

"Actually.." he began and looked at Harvey who wasn't paying attention. "He did." Alfie finished.

Aurora groaned and squeezed her eyes closed. "Why did you invite him?" She huffed. Alfie dropped beside them to walk with them and smirked. "Come on, Thorne, i thought we were becoming mates." He said, offering her his flask.

She stared at the object for a moment but eventually took it, opening it and taking a large swig out of it. She winced as the harsh liquid scratched the back of her throat. Alfie watched her and was slightly taken back by what she'd done.

"So—" She took a breath, clearing her throat. "Where we going then?" Aurora looked at them all with hopeful eyes.

"The Black Swan?" Alfie suggested. Aurora clapped her hands once before pointing at him. "Yes! Yes, let's go there!" She shouted, catching them all by surprise. "Jesus Christ, Rory." Mikey winced.

"Sorry." She cupped a hand over her mouth. "But please, let's go there." She nodded.

-

The four had been sitting in the dimly lit pub for all but an hour and the more minutes that passed, the stranger Rory had began feeling. The more she drank, the more she would look around in hopes to see Freddie's face in the crowd.

But it was never going to happen. He was gone. Locked up.

"Another?" Harvey offered, sliding a glass of whiskey toward her. "Man at the bar said it's a new batch." He added. Aurora debated against it but still took it, not thinking before finishing off the whole glass.