𝓥 𝓪 𝓷 𝓲 𝓵 𝓵 𝓪

1.

"oh my. I'm late. I'M LATEEEE WHAT THE HELL."

Gosh I legit cannot NOT follow my routine today. I absolutely will not go to the Carnival looking like a Kodiak Bear. OH, hell no.

oh, hell no. hell no. hell no. hell no. hell no.

A black-haired girl gets out of bed hurriedly, picks up her neglected alarm clock from the ground and proceed to the washroom. Splashes her face with water, gets her water bottle from the fridge, gets her mat, shoes and socks from her room, and rushes to the backyard, frowning at the clock near the kitchen island on her way out.

Ah, what a shame, the air smells so fresh. Bet it was even better at 5, but I'll never know cause my lazy ass WAS SLEEPING.

"Take a deep breath in and bring your palms, kissing each other, to your chest......" 
Adriene's soothing voice from the phone fills the quite air as Aurelia follows her direction.

Aurelia doesn't exactly love working out, but she loves mornings. There's this connection, she feels she has with the sky.

Although she started working out at 13 to get in shape and drop a few kgs, (and no doubt she did see some changes), but there was always struggle with her eating patterns. Fast food was really hard for her to ignore, so she was stuck at this plateau. Working out harder than ever, but then intense junk cravings every second day, thus all her hard-work down the drain as she indulged in binge eating.

Self-love, for her, is a relatively new concept. But working out is her way of feeling confident. And being ugly, in a time where there were no teachings of self-love certainly does take a toll on one's mental health.

Her younger self has seen darker times, and ever since then, she's been taking things slowly. Trying to eat healthy, rewarding small victories, giving herself enough chances, indulging in slower forms of working out like Pilates and strength training without weights and even yoga.

Its tough, but she does enjoy it now- the feeling of every muscle working. (Not that she didn't enjoy cardio but it left her feeling exhausted and abnormally hungry for the day, and dieting was not her forte at all).

Is it wierd that I'm excited for today? I feel like I shouldn't be? Or is it that I have forgotten how to be excited so it feels new rn? Hell, I gotta wax my body head to the goddamned toe today.

She looks at the same clock that received a frown from her today morning.

She should be here anytime now. She better be.

Thats her waxing appointment with her usual lady, Ms. Mackenzie, who was more than helpful and the least embarrassing lady that she had ever met. Revolting thoughts always filled Aurelia's mind whenever it was time to get waxed. Revolting, but made perfect sense.

Why should I get waxed?

All bodies are beautiful, I should not feel this intense need to be hairless.

What's even the problem with body hair, like I don't even mind it?

What, so just cause I'm a girl I should be obliged to have skin like a fucking candle?

Why do I gotta go through this brutality

Why don't guys have to get their arms and legs waxed?

I'm soooo getting laser hair removal, as soon as I get a job.

But that's sooo far ughhh.

But she never went through with them, leaving them for when she was old enough.

Nevertheless, in the end to get through it she liked to think :

I like getting waxed only for myself. I like when my skin feels like a candle. It's half an hour of hell, for a month of comfortable living. Not a bad bargain, I suppose.

After the waxing appointment, and 1 hour of frantic running about in the house, trying to get ready, telling mom to hurry up, fussing on not having enough shoes, she ends up in the car with her mom, on her way to pick up her friend Tessa.

Aurelia didn't like using make-up, and even in the future she didn't see herself learning or using it. Skincare routine? sure. Makeup? Not really. It was all a bit too complicated for her. Ofcourse, there was no problem for her if other people used it. There was actually a bit of envy and a hell lotta respect and admiration in her for make-up artists and people who did cosplay and stuff.

Thank God I bought a dress for this occasion well in advance. What a mess it would be, having to choose from something old. I'd rather bail than wear something I've already worn before. I mean, its no big deal , but ofcourse Vanessa would be "polite" enough to point it out.

"Aurelia? Isn't that what you wore at blah blah event? " Bleh. We get it. You're rich.

Experience teaches many lessons, I suppose. Golden Oak High had teached Aurelia many lessons, some useless, some even more than useless. It has been no short of toxic people, but I think the worst people teach the best lessons.

A little about Tessa though- Down to earth, extremely creative girl. Has an abundance of friends. Gets detached easily. Keeps her enemies close. A little wicked, but not much harm. Helpful, but a little dumb. Took Science as her future studies , but obviously loves and excels at . Very funny and entertaining, when she is in the mood.

They both arrive at their school, where the entrance and everything further on is decorated resplendently.

As they both make their way in to find the rest of their group, Aurelia stops dead in her tracks, and looks at the group of people farther away but directly in front of her.

No way. Is that-

Is that who I think it is?

bruh wtf is he doing here?

I thought-

Tessa follows her line of sight, and they both stand there for a while with their mouth slightly agape, when Tessa finally breaks her trance and urges her friend to go join them.

"Are people from different schools allowed in OUR school fair?" asks Aurelia slightly shaken.

"Yeah bruh. Anyone who buys a ticket and has an identity card for verification. And even if they aren't, your highness, he was the 8th grade head boy and a teacher's sweetheart, there's no way the teachers at the entry gate didn't recognize him.", replied Tessa.

"Ofcourse. But didn't he shift to a different city last year? Thought he was super into studies and all? What's he doing her now then?"

"Oh, lord, everyone's allowed to have fun Aurelia. He probably missed his friends or something. It's not exactly impossible to travel between cities now, is it?"

"Yeah, right, sorry. It's just a bit wierd.....looking at him after a whole year. I feel nervous."

It's like I was dehydrated this whole year, and even his sight, after all this time, is like a tall glass of water. Just looking at him, makes me feel sorta..... content .

"Aww Its okay honey take your time." said Tessa softly, immediately regretting the sarcasm in her previous replies.

"Do we HAVE to walk right into that group? Can't we wait for Sylvia to be over with her convo? Let me just text her to come over after she's done."

"Do that and I'm gonna plop your fancy little phone right into the water-cooler."

She looked around to see Tessa heading towards a stall.

Aurelia took this as an opportunity to write down the analogy she had just thought of.

Tessa returned with 2 small water bottles.

"Here, have some cold water. Might help calm your nerves-"

"Thanks, I needed this"

"-and help you face the hotness that you are about to", added Tessa with a wink.

Aurelia widened her eyes, half-choked on the water she was drinking and tried to regain her composure before they both proceeded to their group of friends.