December's Moon

6| AURORA

| AURORA |

Aurora Louve lay stomach down on the floor of her room, humming to herself as she breezed through her calculus homework. It wasn't due for two days, but she always liked to get a head start on her assignments so she wouldn't have them hanging over her head.

Once she finished this problem set, maybe she'd shift and go for a run through the woods. Being in nature at night with just the light of the moon and stars—feeling the cool wind rushing through her fur—was something that always soothed her.

Most of the students did their homework in groups in the classroom or the library, but Aurora liked to do hers alone in her room. It was an easy way to avoid anyone asking questions and her having to help them with their own homework.

She squinted through December's sunglasses, struggling to see the problems in her textbook. Luckily, she could take derivatives with her eyes closed, something she'd love to see Luca try to do. He was so bad at math, he wouldn't know the difference between an integer and an integral, poor boy.

She cackled to herself, thinking about class this morning when Professor Oclan asked Luca what sine of pi was. After he stared at Professor Oclan blankly for half a minute, looking like he might vomit again, Professor Oclan finally said, "zero, like your grade if you don't learn this."

How fitting was it that Malcom hadn't shown up to shifting class that morning? It really could have put a wrench in Aurora's plans if December and Luca got to work together for the mind link project. If they figured out she was playing both of them, her plans could seriously backfire. With any luck, Malcom had dropped out, and she would get to be partners with Luca and December all semester long.

Aurora smiled and shook her head, tapping the pink eraser of her pencil against her lower lip for a moment before scratching the answer to problem fifteen onto the paper. The sleeves of December's windbreaker slipped down her arms, covering her hands. It was way too big on her, but she was too enthused with the plunder Niki had gifted her from the first successful night of the Niki Distraction to take it or the sunglasses off.

She was startled from her devious thoughts when suddenly, there came a tapping, a tapping at her dorm room door.

Holy cheeseburger in paradise, she was getting loopy from all this studying and scheming.

"Who is it?" she called.

"It's December."

Aurora froze where she was. What in the deviled eggs was December doing coming to her room?

She folded her homework sheet in her textbook to hold her place and slammed the book shut. After stomping over to the door, she swung it open. "What do you want?"

"Can I come in?" December asked. He was actually wearing something normal for once in his life—stylishly ripped skinny jeans and a black T-shirt. It fit his toned body a little too well. Aurora's stomach fluttered uneasily. Was it possible she was still attracted to him? Aurora Louve?

No, of course not. It was just the dinner she'd eaten a couple of hours ago upsetting her stomach. Apparently, no one had told their chef that when you made pizza bagels, you weren't supposed to use the cinnamon raisin ones.

"Aurora?" December asked, breaking her from her thoughts.

"You can talk to me from there," she finally responded. "What do you want?"

December shifted on his feet. He placed one hand on the door frame, leaning against it. "I . . ." he finally said. "I don't know why I'm here."

"Well, that's interesting," Aurora said. "Because I'm pretty sure you shouldn't be, since this is the girls' dorm and technically no boys allowed, like a treehouse."