NOTE: All characters are above the age of 18.
*
Aurora and Brandon entered the choir room together. The meeting had already started. Mrs. Mott pursed her lips daintily at the two students, and they both respectively looked down, shamed by their tardiness. Aurora hurried to the far side of the room taking a place next to her best friend, a musical genius, Genevieve. Genevieve, or Geni, was a gossip, just the slightest bit overweight, and the best bass player the world had ever seen. Aurora had met her three years ago, and the two had immediately clicked through their opposing personalities. Geni was everyone's friend, no one's enemy, and had a kind and unassuming opinion on every person she'd ever met. If a thug stole her jacket she'd offer him her wallet, because 'he obviously needs it more than I do'. Aurora loved her friend, but she was glad they didn't have to trade personalities anytime soon. For example, in the same scenario presented earlier, Aurora would probably bitch slap said thug. Or run away screaming. One or the other.
Ignoring Geni's insistent nudges about her dramatic arrival with Brandon, Aurora slid off her backpack and pushed it underneath her chair, mouthing the word 'Later' emphatically at her nosy friend.
"As I was saying—," Mrs. Mott huffed at the interruption, "the academic decathlon will take place in Low Rock City, which is a three hour drive. Don't forget that your money for the hotel is due next Tuesday. Oh! I almost forgot. There's been a hotel arrangement mishap, and due to the awkward amount of boys and girls, one room will be coed."
The pheromone filled teenagers looked at each other grinning and snickering, glancing at the people they wouldn't mind being roomed with, but Mrs. Mott quickly squashed their hopes.
"Hush, you mongrels, I will be in the room as a chaperone. It will consist of one boy, one girl, and me. I have already chosen the two aforementioned pupils in order to avoid any sort of sexual misbehavior, and I have the utmost faith that Brandon and Aurora will have no incidents." Finished with her announcements, Mrs. Mott looked expectantly at Aurora, and then Brandon, with a kind smile. "I trust you both."
As Mrs. Mott continued passing out information and flyers, Aurora's cheeks burned with embarrassment. What the fuck? Mrs. Mott knew they had dated! How could she think this would be okay? Two overnights at a hotel with an extremely attractive, volatile, and malevolent ex boyfriend? What am I going to do? What is he going to do? Will he make a move? No, no I'm overreacting. He doesn't like me. Besides, he knows I have a boyfriend. And this whole hotel thing, I'm just blowing it way out of proportion. Come on, it's the Gifted and Talented program. We're nerds, not kinky porn stars. Taking deep breaths, Aurora forced herself to find peace. Nervously fidgeting with her hands, Aurora ignored the insistent nudging of her close friend, Geni, who was bouncing out of her seat with excitement at this new twist in life.
"Brandon?!" she whispered to Aurora. "Omigod! That's so exciting. You're totally over him right? Or...? Oh shit, look, look, look! He's staring at us right now! Well, I mean at you, not me... Aurora, don't look, Jesus! Have some subtlety, will you?"
"Genevieve. Shut. Up."
Barely containing her peevish grin, Geni obeyed, sneaking sidelong glances at both Brandon and Aurora.
Mere minutes later, Mrs. Mott dismissed them all with a wave and a bid of "Happy Friday!" Slowly the room began to disperse of people, but Aurora tried to hang back. Doing so would ward off Geni (she was a rather ditzy girl but she wouldn't dare try to accost Aurora in front of a teacher), and would also allow Aurora to inquire if perhaps somebody else could share the coed room. She knew for a fact several other girls, like Sharon Ring, wouldn't mind a night with Brandon. Much to the aggravation of Geni, Aurora slowly gathered her belongings, pretending to fix a strap on her heels, waving her best friend along with a smile.
"I'll catch up."
"You better." The musical genius skipped off, her blonde bob bouncing with every step.
The room was empty, sans a few lingering kids, so Aurora decided it was now or never. Standing up, Aurora began to approach Mrs. Mott, backpack slung on her back, brown hair cascading over her soft, thin blouse, and almost hitting the waste of her flowing skirt. "Hi, Mrs. Mott!"
"Hey there Aurora! How's the college hunt going?"
"Oh, it goes," Aurora smiled charmingly. "About the hotel room, next weekend—"
