the London Project

2.

Hero

I got a text from Adrian saying that everyone left to get pickup food from an Indian restaurant. I was relieved to spend some time alone after an exhausting day with family, since I had to go on the other side of the city just to have a reunion with my messed up, annoying people that I share a blood relation with. The only good individuals in the Harris family is my mom Uma, my younger brother Phoenix, who is four and my cat Bianca.

As I unlocked the door, I heard some muffled noises and voices. It's probably Jolie- she likes to stay in and paint, but I didn't see her car. The group usually uses hers around town when mine is taken, because quoting Adrian "Not having a Mercedes Jeep sucks.".

"Hello! Anybody in here?" A strange voice called out from the girl's room.

I opened the door, finding a blonde with dark grey eyes sitting on the only free bed left in the room, since the other two were taken by Naomi and Jolie. She was in "Talk nerdy to me" pajamas.

"Oh my God." The stranger said, her pupils wildly expanding.
"Who are you?" I asked, putting my phone in the back pocket of my pants. I was still in my suit, since it wasn't only a family reunion, but it was my grandma's birthday; she was always big on birthday celebrations and dinner, so her request was "fancy attire" for the whole day.
"You really don't remember bullying a girl in summer camp because of her looks?" She seemed upset, and when I looked in her eyes again, I realised who she was.

Aurelia Gataki, my camp crush. I started liking her when I realised I could just say one word to her and her cheeks would turn the prettiest shade of pink that matched her beautiful full lips. I always thought about what happened to her; and now she's going to live with me.

"I am sorry about what I said, uh.. yeah. Oh my God! You are the freak that Naomi told us about." I said, remembering Naomi telling us about her best friend that is coming to the academy.

Someone jumped on my back. When I turned around I found Jolie laughing, her braces showing up, making her smile even prettier. I always thought that she was a golden retriever in human form. We called her the baby of the group, since she was the one that all the attention went to because of her ridiculous acts. One time she wore a t-shirt that had "life" written on it and handed out lemons to people in public.

Because Jolie was bored on a sunny day, instead of doing something that normal people do like eat ice cream or pretend that she is in a music video (just me?), she decided to go overboard; to think outside of the box.

Social anxiety is afraid of her.

"Naomi didn't say that you are a freak, Aur. It's just that you won so many academic awards." She jumped off my back and walked towards Aurelia who looked like a fish; opening and closing her mouth.
"So I am a freak because I am a genius?" She looked at me and then at Jolie.
"He doesn't mean that. He's actually one of the best students in this school; he sees you as a threat to his...intelligence and reputation." Jolie patted her back.

Aurelia stood up and walked towards me. I could hear my blood pressure rising. Her presence set me off. I could still smell her floral perfume mixed with a faint fragrance of a coconut body wash.

"Harris, if you see me as a threat, I will show you how threatening I can actually be. My mind is my weapon." She gritted her teeth, pushed me out of her way and went outside.

"Look what you've done!" Jolie rised on on her full 4'11 feet and hit me in the head, passing me and fastly pacing towards the kitchen, opening a big box full of Indian food.
"She'll come back, don't worry. She usually needs time to think, plus she told me that she was talking to her family; Aurelia is always emotional after everything that happens with her relatives. But it's not mine to tell." Naomi said to me and gave me a sympathetic look.

~

It has been two hours. Everyone went to bed except me. I am waiting for Aurelia.

My blood is boiling. What if something happened to her?

I would never forgive myself.

I slowly opened the door of the girls room and snatched Naomi's phone.

I typed in the password.

It's 0000, since Naomi is scared of getting locked out of her phone.

I went to the "Find My" application and found Aurelia's location.

What is something that feels illegal but it isn't? Well, this.

I took Naomi's phone and ran towards my car, driving carefully around campus in hopes of finding a pretty blonde in pajamas and platform Uggs.

~

I had been trying to find Aurelia for an hour. Just as I was ready to give up, I found her staring at the stars, talking to them.

I opened the window and called out her name.
"Aurelia," her name felt magic rolling off on my tongue. "let's go home."
"With you? Never!" she got up, and started pacing away.
"Aurelia, you will ruin your boots. There is a storm coming." I yelled.

She turned around, her hair lingered in the wind. Aurelia looked like a goddess: full lips, crystal eyes that looked like two silver stars that shined in the moonlight, skin as clear as the sky on a sunny day.
"Fine. But I hate you." She said, getting into the car. I turned on the engine, trying to concentrate on the drive, and not on the blonde sitting next to me. "If you hate me, then I will hate you."
"Good." She murmured playing with her fingers.
"I was worried for you." I confessed, trying to find an emotion in her face. But her mouth was a fine line, to happiness- no sadness.
"Those are all lies, Hero. You had to find me because you knew you fucked up." She said, typing something on her phone.
"Are you hungry?"I asked her. I didn't want Aurelia to starve, since she wasn't there for dinner.

She rolled her grey eyes.

"You know, I would like to take a shot every time you roll your eyes at me." I chuckle, turning on the radio.
"I would take a shot every time you fuck up something, but I don't have time to get alcohol poisoning this week. Hero, you got to understand that I came here to make one thing clear and that is that the world would respect Aurelia Gataki in a not-so instant future." She said that so heartlessly, which was the moment I knew that she hated every cell of me; every fucking cell in my whole entire body.
"A ray of sunshine in a literal way." I said, making a turn in the McDonald's drive-in.
"I can be a ray of sunshine to most people, but to you, I will be your worst nightmare. Quoting Taylor Swift "I am a nightmare, dressed up as a daydream."
"Oh yeah, smart-ass." I laughed.

~

Coming home with Aurelia was much more silent after she ate nine chicken nuggets, big fries and a soda. As soon as we got home, I found two Luis Vuitton suitcases- that meant either two of these things: My tacky aunt Jackie came for a sleepover or Kayden was back home. I heard the door opening and I saw Kayden in the room- I knew that the second option was the right answer.

Kai was my childhood best friend. We bonded over our wealthy parents and extravagant birthday parties. The only difference between the two of us is that I wanted to run away from the constant family drama or paparazzi attacks, while he didn't care about it as long as he was rich and has his mare Flora is prepared for him anytime he wants. Every girl in London wanted him- God even Naomi dated him! (that didn't last long, since Kai doesn't care about other people's feelings).

"Hi, we meet on FaceTime. My name is Aurelia!" Aurelia carelessly offered her hand.
"Okay." He gave her an upside down smile- he was usually so heartless, but girls still came plastered over him, Jolie even called him Chuck Bass, for the same traits and probably for the same "I am smelling someone's fart" look.
She groaned.
"Don't take it personal, he is a softie on the inside. When you get to know him, he will grow fond of you. You know, just like a dog, but without smelling your hand." I gave her a sympathetic look.
"Are you two friends?" Kai asked us, still rolling his eyes at my "insult". Every single sentence I say to him is an "insult"; Kayden is definitely a drama queen.
"Friends? Whoa, there buddy. If I was friends with him that would probably be like the end of the fucking world." Aurelia said. "Okay, you two can continue to talk, but I want to go to bed right now, for my beauty sleep. Good night. Hero, I hope bed bugs eat you!"