Chapter 25

Aurora's POV

The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was white, crisp light filtering in through the shutters. The brightness strained my eyes, making me shut them immediately. I heard a deep chuckling beside me. My heart fell in my chest as I snapped my head over to be met with Xander's silver eyes.

He sent me a comforting smile, he knew precisely why I had panicked for a split second.

I scrunched my nose. "You're weird."

"You're weirder," he said with a laugh and sat up, the morning light accentuating his defined arms and I could practically see a bit of his abs through his tee shirt as he stretched. "C'mon, we have class soon. You could just use one of my shirts if you want."

I puckered my lips as I strained my neck to look up at him. He rolled his eyes jokingly before giving me a quick peck on my nose.

"You tease!" I yelled and threw a pillow at his back as he made his way across his room to his bathroom with a change of clothes while he let out a deep chuckle.

"Aurora White, I've waited since the beginning of track season for you! You're more of a tease!" I heard him reply behind the bathroom door.

Yeah, I could get used to this.

***

"Since hydrochloric acid is the most acidic, it's a number one on the scale and therefore the least basic."

The class mumbled in understanding as the real teacher's pets, who were always seated at the front, rose their hands to ask questions.

The regional track meet was after school today, and it would decide if we would be going to state, although it was unlikely we would. Nerves were pulling at every single one of my cells. But not for regionals, for something else.

I caught Xander's eye across the room. He thought I was nervous for regionals, but in all actuality, my jitters have been for facing Cooper once this period was over. Truth was, I didn't plan on sitting with our friends, and I knew Xander wouldn't be too keen on that idea since he didn't know about Cooper and Olivia. I kept procrastinating when to tell him since I forgot to explain I was in his dorm because of them occupying mine.

The bell rang, signaling this class finally over as students swarmed through the halls, desperate to get to their claimed lunch tables.

The track meet officially started in two hours, but it was an hour away, so we'd be taking the school bus. Cooper and I always sat together on bus trips, but it seemed a little iffy now.

"Excited for regionals?" I heard a familiarly deep voice say from behind my locker door.

I chuckled as I put away my books and slammed my locker shut to face Xander. "Not really."

He was new to the team so he had enough optimism, but everybody else knew we wouldn't make it to state. It was almost a tradition to be good enough for regionals but not for state.

"Why not?" He asked as we made our way outside into the school's parking lot where the team was meeting to get on the bus.

"We haven't gone to states in over a year. It'd be a shock to everyone if we did this time."

"Oh c'mon, gem! Have a little hope," he said as he lazily slung an arm around my shoulder as we threw our bags in the compartment on the bus, along with our team. He turned to Joey and Brett who were conversing together next to us. "Shouldn't we all be optimistic this time!"

"I don't know, man. We never get to states." Joey said with a shrug as the four of us boarded the bus along with the rest of the team.

The bus quickly became noisy with the conversations of our teammates around, and Brett was soon swept away as Mckenna dragged him to a seat in the back of the bus. I pitied the poor guy.

"You're sitting with me," I said, jerking Xander to one of the seat's in the front of the bus. "Joey, you can sit with Tommy."

An expression of faux-hurt covered Joey's face as he brought his hand to his chest. "Wow, Rory, wow," he said before going to sit next to Tommy and converse with our other teammates.

"But what if-" Xander started, but was cut off abruptly as Cooper came to stand next to our seat, he stood awkwardly.

He rubbed his neck. "Uh, hey, guys."

"Can I help you?" I snapped back, narrowing my eyes at him. I was completely and royally pissed at him.

"We always sit together, so I assumed I was sitting here."

Xander sighed and got up. "Guess that's my cue to get outta here."

"No, you're staying right here." I grabbed his calloused hand and sent him a pleaded look.

"That was cute," he said with a peck on my nose before leaving to join Brett's conversation.

Cooper sat in the seat where Xander was supposed to sit, and said, "You have to look at me eventually, Rory."

I rolled my eyes and kept my eyes glued to the seat in front of me, my face stoic.

"Who's ready?" Coach Segal yelled from the front seat as the bus driver began to leave the parking lot.

"Southridge, Southridge, we may not win, but at least we've been!" The team crowding on the bus yelled, Cooper and I still facing forward, not even contributing to the chant.

"I'm sorry, Aurora."

I buckled my seatbelt. We would be here for a while.

"This could've all been avoided. I should've just told you."

"Well you never told me!" I whisper-snapped at him and turned my head to narrow my eyes at him and attempt to burn lasers through his smart brain. "Did you not trust me enough to be okay with it? It's funny because you didn't want me to feel excluded when all this time, I was excluded. Left out of the truth."

He ran a hand through his hair and shut his eyes like it was too difficult to think. But he was Cooper, thinking came too easy to him. "I know. I'm stupid. And I'm sorry. You're my best friend, and I really don't want to have to pick between the girl I love and the girl who's basically my sister."

"I wasn't going to give you an ultimatum, idiot. I'm not that bad of a person."

He cracked a smile. "You called me an idiot!"

"That's a bad thing, my dude. Don't celebrate it."

"It means you wove me again!" He said as he attacked me with a hug, talking in a baby voice. "Aurora woves me again!"

After shaking him off like a dog after swimming, I smacked the back of his neck to which he frowned. "I still hate you!"

"Nope, not possible!"

"Okay, can I be honest for two seconds?" I whispered, leaning forward. He nodded. "Don't take this the wrong way, but for the longest time, I thought you bat for the other team, if you know what I mean."

Cooper's head fell back while he laughed like a hyena, a trait he took from Olivia. "Nope, not me. But Joey and Brett bat for that team. Together."

My eyes widened as a smile formed on my face. "Really? I'm so happy for them! How did I not know!"

"You're oblivious sometimes."

"Shut up," I said, punching his shoulder. "But I'm seriously so glad for them! I was scared that Joey would die alone. Wait, does Olivia know Brett's with Joey?"

I looked over at the two. They were laughing over some joke Joey probably told. They looked happy.

Cooper nodded. "She was over the moon excited for him finding who he truly was. Why else do you think they stopped hooking up?"

"It all makes sense now! And Joey was using his addiction to girls as a coverup?"

"Obviously," he said, ruffling my hair up, but luckily it was in a ponytail so it didn't get too messed up. "Now, let's talk about you and Xander? You guys aren't even trying to hide it anymore."

***

Hope you guys liked chapter 25! If you did, don't forget to vote or comment or share with any friends who you think will like the story :)

I love you guys so much! And I'm sad to say that the story of Xander and Aurora might be coming to a close soon, probably only 4-5 more chapters left. BUT! That means I'll be publishing my other story, The Detention Club.

I need help real quick! Should I title of this book to "Starboy"? Or is it good as it is? And I'm thinking I'll change the cover soon, but the potential covers will be included in the next chapter so you guys can choose which one I should use!

I love you so much, don't forget it ever. -sophia