Aurora

15.

The next thing I knew, I found myself in the car, sitting in the backseat and squished in the middle, pressed in between Connor and Landon and their large winter coats.

Julien was driving and Natalie was in the front, sitting next to him, staring at him. Julien wasn't a good driver. His hands were barely on the wheel and you could tell that he wasn't very focused on the road.

We were going skating. Not at the pond, though. We were going skating at a real, popular skating rink, and it was a good drive away. Connor started singing again.

"I don't want a lot for Christmas, there is just--" he pointed one finger, "--one thing I need!"

Natalie sighed. "Christmas is over, Connor."

He started singing something else. "I don't care! I love it! I don't careeee!"

Natalie grumbled. "Gosh darnit, Connor! Sing something else!"

"Fiiiinnnneeee," he said. Then he looked at me, grinned, and started chanting, "Natalie and Julien sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I--"

"Connor!" Natalie snapped. "Stop!"

"N-G. First comes love! Then comes the marriage!"

"CONNOR!"

He stopped and smiled, then glanced at me. I eyed him suspiciously. He raised his brows, then nodded at Landon. My face reddened. "Connor..."

"Your turn!"

"Connor!"

"Rory and Landon sitting in a tree!"

I pressed my hand against Connor's mouth, muffling his singing with my face burning up. "Shut up!"

And then the rest of the drive was like that -- Connor kept singing, and I just sat awkwardly next to Landon, wishing the skating rink wasn't so far away.

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When we stepped out of the car, Natalie and Julien started kissing, and Connor grimaced.

"Ew, stop!"

I laughed, and for a second, Landon did, too. Then he was back to the annoyed expression he wore whenever he was around Julien.

The ice was flat and smooth, spread out and white with slashes carved into it from the blade's on people's skates. Landon stepped on first, spreading out his arms a little for balance and nearly tipping over. He didn't seem very comfortable.

"You good?" I breathed out a laugh.

"Mhm." He beckoned for me to come closer and join him on the ice. "I've got this. What are you waiting for?"

I hesitated.  "Hold on. Just... Give me a few minutes."

"Why? Are you a bad skater? I am, and I have no shame."

Then I felt some hands press onto my back and push me forward, sending me stumbling onto the skating rink. Landon caught me.

"Stop being a wimp, Rory!" Connor said.

I looked over my shoulder and glared at him, finding my balance and standing a little straighter.

"You're annoying, you know that?"

Connor just shrugged and grinned, skating away with Natalie and Julien close behind him, gliding along elegantly and making the sport look easy.

I let go of Landon, my legs wobbly as I tried to steady my feet against the slippery ice.

"I'm better at skiing."

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A/N: Hey guess what guys???? I'm alive!! (After not updating anything for like a century) I had no inspo for a while and was drowning in homework but this week for no apparent reason, maybe it's the Christmas spirit, I was suddenly like, "WHOA I ACTUALLY HAVE IDEAS!" For all of my books, which includes Aurora! And so I actually wrote something! Woo! #feelingaccomplished Anyway, I know this chapter was extremely short but this book might take a turn from being really happy to like, really dark and depressing really, really soon. Just warning y'all. It should happen in the next couple of chapters, so brace yourselves! Also, if you're still reading, then thanks! I've been pretty inactive so if you're still following my works then that means a lot! XD Thanks again!