Chapter One
The autumn air tipped Aurora’s breath; she could almost see it, the thin white vapor swimming slightly from her mouth. The Groton, Connecticut Park was alive with children, parents, couples walking their furry little friends. She looked around herself, leaves dive bombed to the grass. “What time is it?” Aurora asked herself grabbing her phone from her coat pocket. 11:23 the digital clock read in big, bold letters. It wasn’t too late she could leave later maybe at noon? Her brown, long, dark hair danced around in the air while she sat on the park bench sightseeing. Aurora Monroe was different, and I mean very different.
She never dressed like normal girls, or talked like them, wore the same hair, or listened to the same music. Her hair was always down her clothes were always dark like her makeup. She acted different as well, she rarely spoke but when she did she quickly shut it again, afraid of what others may say. Aurora didn’t bother herself with the idle gossip of other girls; even if it was on her she never paid any mind. Aurora felt eyes on her as she turned to her left. She saw 3 girls, Lindsey, Chloe, and Vicky.
Each young woman of sixteen despised Aurora equally, with her perfect hair, body and face. Lindsey Fargoth was an un-attractive redhead, sporting several wads of bills in her designer Prada handbag. Her nails filed to a perfect tip. Her teeth whitened so every time she talked with her annoying voice everyone saw her shining teeth. Chloe Evergreen was a “friend of a friend who just so happened to be lucky enough to hang out with them and maybe liked her” kind of gal. She had brown hair with green eyes, a Wal-Mart purse and cheap jewelry. Her father and mother barely gave her expensive things so she flourished on the love of Vicky Dupre. Victoria Dupre was an attractive, skinny, rich, diva whose father owned an oil business not too far offshore. Her mother is a high profile designer for the hit clothing line, “Flawless”. “Some people are just born lucky I guess” Aurora pondered.
Each princess walked passed Aurora rolled their perfect eyes, shrugged and walked away. Spitting an occasional insult or two at her like so,” Where did you get that shirt, your grandma’s cookbook?” They each laughed a fake chuckle and strutted away. Aurora didn’t care, she needed to get home. Back to her fake family. So calmly getting up off her bench Aurora huffed a bit and started off back home. Aurora’s eyes matched the dirty brown icky puddles on the sidewalk. She splashed around like a silly five year old, not like her original fourteen year old body. The splashed soaked her jean legs and shoes. “Having fun?” A cute male voice spoke out. Aurora turned and laughed,” A little bit, you?” Ray trampled the puddle as well, “Were you off to? Home, already?” Aurora slugged his upper arm, “Yeah I guess so I mean there’s nothing to do here” Ray rubbed his arm, “Want some company? I’m trying to get away from Queen Bee over there” Ray pointed to Vicky across the park.
Ray brushed his long, luscious, blonde hair out of his face and behind his ear, “So tomorrows the day, huh?” Aurora looked at him, “Gee, thanks for reminding me”, she punched him again. Ray playfully pushed her away “Would you stop hitting me!” “Oh stop it would you! Be a man! “Aurora teased him. “How would you feel if I punched you constantly?” Ray continued to fool around. “The same way you feel I suppose.” Aurora said looking at him and continued walking. Aurora looked at his dark blue shirt, “nice shirt, it matches your blue eyes” She said. “Really, thanks Vicky wouldn’t shut up about it” Ray snorted. “Oh really now” Aurora said not really paying attention very well. “Yeah she even asked if we wanted to go out” Ray said in disgust. “And how does that make you feel?” Aurora said practicing her best therapist voice. “Just wonderful” Ray giggled sarcastically.
“Well were here. See you later I guess” Aurora said looking at her smallish home. Ray nodded his perfectly pale face, turned around and walked away. Aurora just stared for a second, Ray as the only person that actually talked to her. Everyone else spoke to her as if she was mental or something. Maybe she was mental to some people the way she acted it wouldn’t surprise her. The lawn was green and the driveway had slight mud racks across it. Aurora’s mother would probably scold her for the mess on her legs, “Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to splash in the water?” She thought to herself opening the front door to be greeted by the warm, inviting air. “Florence Jack I’m home from the park.” Aurora yelled up the stairs, “Oh I’m upstairs honey” a soft and sweet female voice perked. It was Florence her fake mother. “I’m here” Jack said from the kitchen. Jack came striding into the living room, and into Aurora’s sight. “Hi Jack. How was work?” Aurora said hugging him. “Uh, Work. It was work”
Jack was an 8th grade science teacher. He was usually home after four o’clock each weekday. On Saturdays and Sundays he graded papers or was with the family. Naturally a child would be happy their father was their science teacher, hopefully giving them better grades. Unfortunately Aurora’s papers are graded by their assistant teacher Mrs. Dale; it was a known rule Aurora couldn’t even give her father a single paper with a question or he could be fired. As if school wasn’t hard enough for Aurora as it was, with bullies being held back one year.
“Where’s the kids? “ Florence asked Jack coming down the spiral staircase gracefully. “Uh, Valentina’s at a friend’s and Steven are with your mother” Jack said shuffling around some important looking papers. “Okay good, how was the park Aurora? Make any friends?” Florence asked impatiently. “Uh no” Aurora said slouching down into the kitchen chair. Florence made a pouty face, “Shame, maybe tomorrow we could go shopping at the mall?” Aurora shook her head, “No thanks Florence.” She stood from the chair and walked silently to the stairs. It’s not that Aurora didn’t want Florence spending her money on her, but she couldn’t do it. Shopping was a hopeless effort always spending money on clothes just to buy more the very next day.
Florence stood mouth agape, “Jack! What kind of girl doesn’t like shopping? I mean seriously!” Florence planted into the chair to his left her long blonde hair catching her face, she pushed it away. “Her apparently” Jack said scribbling words down onto the paper. Florence stood up, “She’s just so damn lonely! I’m trying to help but I don’t know how” Florence angrily tied her hair up, regarding it falling back into her face. Jack stood up and rubbed her back, “Your doing fine She just needs time”. Florence heard a shuffle behind her; she turned to see Aurora standing upset. “Aurora I didn’t-“Florence tried to say but she was gone before she finished her sentence.
Aurora stomped to her room upstairs and slammed the door. “What’s wrong with me? What am I doing wrong?” Her head screamed as her dive bombed onto the wobbly, broken bed. She grabbed her thickest pillow and screamed into it for a bit, it almost made her feel better. “What am I doing wrong?”She whispered to herself crying silently. She remembered when the Monroe family adopted her, snowflakes fell down. The air was cold, but strangely so warm in her eyes. It was two years ago when they found her, alone, sad, broken inside. She quickly closed her eyes; she didn’t want to think about that now.
At maybe three fourteen Aurora heard the front door open and close two times. “It must be Valentina and Steven finally home.” She sighed to herself. “Hey sleeping beauty you up?” Valentina said beating on the door. “Um, yeah” Aurora said regretfully getting off the bed. Valentina stormed into the room, stomping to her closet. “Um, mine!” Aurora said snatching away her shirt from her hands. “God you’re so emo! Look at all of this not a shade of pink anywhere!” Valentina said surfing the closet. “Maybe I like it that way! Now get out!” Aurora pushed Valentina out her room and into the closet. Valentina was her older sister, not adopted but Jack and Florence’s real child like Steven.
Steven and Valentina were practically the same child but with different genders. Both had blonde hair and blue eyes, in high school, and breathtakingly gorgeous. Valentina was sixteen and captain of the volleyball, track, and cheerleading team. Steven was seventeen and Groton’s star football player. Steven and Valentina treated Aurora the same way, cruel. Worse than an animal, the pain of being different was too much for them to bear. So from the day they received her she was nothing but space wasted.
“Dear Diary
November, 2012
Today was one of my better days. I managed to get away from Vicky, Chloe, and Lindsay. And I got to spend some time with Ray, which is pretty good. Other than that nothing else to say I guess. I overheard Florence talking about me today; she’s my “mother” isn’t she? She said I’m lonely and thinks I need to like shopping! God, and Valentina and Steven aren’t better at all! They treat me like I’m filth or something! Is it a crime to be myself? Whatever I guess the best they could do is kill me”.
Aurora logged of her computer, shutting off Microsoft Word 2008 along with it. It was storming outside, rain pelted against the window hard enough to break it she thought. The only light on was a tiny lamp on her table; it helped her write in the dark. She could hear Valentina talking on the phone in the next room to her right. To her left was Steven’s room, it was silent. He was with their grandmother tonight. Every time Aurora approached someone from her family they all looked at her with strange glances. Like she was some sort of monster, maybe she was in everyone’s eyes. She heard a “ding”, like an alarm, which it was. Aurora picked up an orange vial of little white pills, prescribed by her physiatrist. What she needed, pills to show she was a real genuine crazy person
