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Present time
I woke up to my phone constantly ringing. At first, I tried to ignore it and keep sleeping, but the insistent ringing wouldn't stop. Groaning, I fumbled for my phone, barely opening one eye to answer.
"Hello?" I asked, half-asleep, not even bothering to check who had been calling.
"Rory," came Lydia's voice, trembling and choked with emotion.
I sat up immediately, now fully awake. Lydia sounded like she was on the verge of tears. "Lydia? What's wrong?"
"I've messed up. She just burst in... without—" Lydia's voice broke off, struggling to find the words.
"Who? What happened?" I asked, my heart pounding. The urgency in her voice had adrenaline coursing through me.
"Ruby. Ruby Bell," she sobbed.
Ruby Bell. The name sent a jolt of recognition through me. The girl who was always with Lin.
"Where are you? I'll come to you," I said, already sprinting towards my bathroom to freshen up.
"I'm at my house, locked in my room," Lydia managed between sobs. "Please, hurry."
"I'll be there in ten minutes," I promised, quickly brushing my teeth and throwing on the first clothes I could find. My mind raced as I grabbed my phone and dashed out the door.
I ran to the house next door, my heart pounding in my chest. As soon as I reached the entrance, I was quickly greeted by the house staff.
"Good morning, Miss Aurora," said Mrs. Collins, the head housekeeper, her eyes widening slightly at the urgency in my demeanor. "Is everything alright?"
"I need to see Lydia," I said, trying to catch my breath.
"Of course," Mrs. Collins replied, immediately understanding the gravity of the situation. "She's in her bedroom. Please, follow me."
I followed her through the elegant corridors of the Beaufort estate, my mind racing with worry. The house, usually a place of warmth and comfort, felt unusually tense today. We reached her bedroom, and Mrs. Collins knocked on the door before allowing me to step inside.
Lydia was sitting on a plush sofa, her eyes red and swollen from crying. Her brother, James, was pacing the room, his face set in a grim expression. They both looked up as I entered, relief washing over Lydia's face.
"Rory!" Lydia exclaimed, her voice breaking as she rushed towards me. I enveloped her in a tight hug, feeling her trembling against me.
"Lydia, it's going to be okay," I whispered, trying to reassure her even though my own heart was racing with anxiety. I pulled back and looked at James. "What are we going to do?"
James stopped pacing and ran a hand through his hair. "We need to confront her, but we have to be smart about it."
"Agreed," I said, my mind already whirring with possibilities.
"Exactly," James nodded. "Don't worry sis, Rory and I will take care of it."
Lydia sniffled and wiped her eyes. "I don't know how to thank you both. I was so scared..."
"You're not alone, Lydia," I said firmly.
James pulled out his phone, a determined look on his face. "Rory, let's head to the school right now."
I nodded, the urgency in his voice spurring me into action. "Absolutely. The sooner we get there, the better."
"Lydia, will you be okay here for a bit?" James asked, his tone gentle yet firm.
Lydia managed a nod, though her eyes were still filled with worry. "I'll be fine."
"We won't take long," I promised, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze before following James out the door.
˙ . ꒷ 🌊 . 𖦹˙—
I walked alongside James through the school hallways, our footsteps echoing in the otherwise quiet corridor.
We finally found Ruby Bell in the middle of a Committee meeting, her usual air of confidence seeming a little less secure as she spotted us.
Looking inside the room as we approached, I noticed Kieran's figure, his eyes already locked on mine. In fact, everyone in the room was staring at James and me, curiosity etched on their faces.
Once inside, we took a nearby chair and sat close to Ruby, our gazes never wavering from her. I watched as her eyes nervously shifted between us, clearly unsettled by our unexpected presence.
"Hey," James spoke first, his voice steady and his glare unwavering.
"Can we borrow your friend for a bit?" I asked, looking around the room.
"Sure," a girl replied from my side, her voice breaking the tense silence.
The room stayed silent for a couple of seconds, the tension almost palpable. I looked over at Ruby, patiently waiting for her answer. She swallowed hard, clearly realizing she had no choice but to comply.
"Okay," she replied, trying to quickly gather her things.
James stood up, looking down at me as if waiting for me to rise as well. I signaled him to go without me. He nodded and led Ruby out of the room, her nervous footsteps following closely behind him.
The room remained quiet, everyone still watching me. I took a deep breath, scanning the curious faces around me.
"What was that about?" Lin asked, her curiosity breaking the silence.
"No need to worry about it," I replied, meeting her gaze with a reassuring smile. "Just handling a bit of business."
The atmosphere in the room started to lighten as I tried to deflect the tension. But I knew the curiosity and concern wouldn't dissipate easily. Everyone had seen the serious expressions James, and I wore, and they knew something was going on.
I decided to change the subject, hoping to steer the room away from the uncomfortable silence. "So, how's everyone doing with the plans for the start-of-the-year welcome party? Need any help?"
A few murmurs of response echoed around the room, and slowly, the focus shifted back to the party preparations. I noticed Kieran shyly moving his chair to sit by my side.
"Hey," he whispered, giving me a small smile as he settled next to me.
"Hey," I replied, smiling back, finding his action cute.
"Actually, Aurora," Lin spoke up again, her voice a bit hesitant but determined, "we were just discussing the final touches for the welcome party."
"I hope everything is good so far," I said, feeling more at ease as the conversation shifted.
"We've got the venue set up in the main hall," Lin began, glancing around the room for confirmation. "It's going to be really elegant."
"And we're thinking of a photo booth," another student added. "Everyone loves taking pictures."
![[ 🌤️ ]| ❛ C H A P T E R F O U R ❜ |ᯤ](https://img.wattpad.com/9ad8a3633774c08adf90b1fadc6ee8f6372d2e59/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f6f564a315474776550696e5355413d3d2d313435373535373436322e313764643539623362306335313735313139383632383330333933332e6a7067?s=fit&w=720&h=720)
