CHAPTER 5

Ava's POV:

I was staring at the scene unfolding in front of me…

Just imagine seeing a dark, scary boogie monster in your dreams and waking up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. Now you’re rushing to switch on the lights, but it didn’t work, and instead, you see the same boogie monster in front of you, smiling evilly and being ready to eat you alive, to scare you with the lights on…

“BANG,”

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh,” I and Cora screamed and jumped out of the couch. The popcorn flew in the air and came down as a moon goddess blessing her favorite couple with beautiful lilies.

Fleur was laughing her ass off, and Cora had popcorn in her mouth and hair, while I was on the floor with sheets tangled in my feet. That was the scariest jump scare have seen, or maybe I’m just not used to horror movies as my heart was threatening to jump out of my chest.

Today, Fleur decided to have a PJ party at her house as Cora and I were so happy with our loving mates, so she decided to celebrate with us. So, here we’re watching the conjuring. We bought popcorn, and soft potables with us, and popped down on the couch. Fleur got us blankets as the weather has become a bit frigid, our home cinema, but this witch scared the shit out of us with the stunt that she just pulled.

“The fuck Fleur, never do that, you Dumbo. You almost gave us a heart attack. I told you to watch something romantic, but no, you missy have this stupid obsession with this scary shit. Next time you do something like this, I’m going to kill you,” Cora shouted while throwing the remaining popcorn at Fleur.

“So that you both can cry your eyes out for those pathetic asses, NOT happening,” Fleur crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at us.

As I locked eyes with Cora, a silent understanding passed between us, revealing a tapestry of emotions woven with threads of vulnerability. Her gaze, fixated downward, mirrored the weight of unspoken thoughts, while the gentle quivering of her lips betrayed a hidden turmoil. She hasn't spoken a word about his mate. I can't imagine what she is feeling. At least, I have my mate in front of my eyes. I know he doesn't want me. But, Cora doesn't have that. She doesn't who he is? Why run away like that? And most important why he was terrified? It's true that sometimes, the unknown emotions hurt the most.

In that profound moment, it became clear that Fleur's PJ party wasn't merely about entertainment; it was a meticulously designed balm for our subdued spirits. The air thickened with the unspoken, and the room transformed into a sanctuary where shared vulnerabilities painted the walls in hues of profound connection and unexpressed feelings.

Taking Fleur's hand, I smiled at her. I appreciate her support the most.

“Who’s hung…,” Just as I was saying something, the light went off. My hands started shaking. I can feel the voices coming back.

“What happened,”? Cora asked.

" I don't know. I think the switch went off," Fleur said standing up. It has never happened before. An oppressive anxiety hung in the air, a suffocating fog that enveloped my senses.

“Cor-Cora! Fleur! What happened to the lights.” It was so dark, I couldn’t see anything.

Why are they not answering? Did the monster take them? I was on the verge of crying. No! Nothing happened to them. It was so silent, that suddenly a cold breeze passed through me, and a banging sound could be heard.

I shuddered and took my phone. Switching on the flashlight, I looked around to see the sound was coming from a window, the wind was rushing inside, causing windows to rumble with each other.

“Oh my God… An-And for-forgive us our trespasses, as we for-forgive those who-who trespass against us, and lead us into temptation. Oh please, but furnish us from the devil,” I took wobble steps towards the window to close it.

As I closed the window and turned back to go back, something jumped on me.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! No, no please,” I jumped around to take off that thing. Suddenly, the lights went on, and my stupid friends came from the kitchen, laughing their asses off. I should’ve known this.

I looked over my shoulder to see a toy snake hanging loosely. I threw that on them both and plopped on the couch.

“Oh, my that was uproarious Ava! Ghosts? Seriously,” Cora said while hugging her stomach. She had tears in her eyes from all the laughing.

“Love, you’re a werewolf for f·ck sake. Ghosts?” Fleur threw her arms around my shoulder and said bemusedly.

“Done,”? I asked them, as they both were struggling to stay quiet.

“Yes”, they said at the same time, then looked at each other and burst out laughing again. I huffed and looked away.

“Oh come on Ava, you can’t deny, it was hil…” just as Cora was saying something, Fleur pushed her. Serves her right.

“Okay! Let’s watch the new Cinderella movie, I’ve heard they have achieved impressive results,” Fleur suggested.

"I think I’ll pass. Maybe next time,” Cora said while plopping beside us.

“Okay! Let’s go eat something outside,” Fleur proposed.

“Fleur, we’re in our pj’s, we can’t go out like this. Let’s order something,” I said.

“No, honey, Fleur is right. Let’s eat outside. Who cares what people think about us? It’s our life, and You know life starts outside our comfort zone,” saying this, she dragged me outside.

Does anyone have more silly friends than mine?

Arriving at the quaint yet wonderfully cozy restaurant, I couldn't help but appreciate its intimate charm. As we approached, the ambiance was lively; a bustling symphony of chatter and clinking cutlery filled the air. The small space exuded a warmth that felt like a familiar embrace. However, today was different – the place was unusually crowded, adorned with patrons elegantly dressed as if the evening itself demanded a touch of sophistication.

Amid this refined atmosphere, I glanced around, only to realize that our choice of casual attire, particularly my PJ, seemed to be garnering unexpected attention. A collective murmur of curious glances fell upon us, creating an invisible spotlight that momentarily painted us as outliers in a sea of tailored elegance. In that brief, amusing revelation, it was as if we had unwittingly stepped into a scene from a whimsical play, our casual comfort contrasting with the orchestrated glamour around us, inviting amused gazes akin to encounters with extraterrestrial beings on an alien world.

We took a table and sat down. I looked at Cora and Fleur, to see they were arguing about something. I looked around the restaurant to see the person that I didn’t want to see EVER!

Amid the restaurant's vibrant ambiance, there she was – Jessica, adorned in a captivating brown maxi, her curls framing a facade of joy. As laughter cascaded around her, I scanned anxiously for a particular someone, fearing the reappearance of a haunting figure from a tumultuous day. With every futile gaze, my heart sank in relief and trepidation; he wasn't by her side. The specter of that unresolved day lingered, and the ache of unspoken words remained a palpable presence.

“Hello! Welcome to our restaurant, My name’s Theo, and I’m your waiter for today. What would you ladies like to have? The waiter’s voice brought my scrutiny to her.

I looked at him, he was cute with brown eyes and blonde hair. We ordered a calzone pizza with nuggets and a chocolate milkshake.

“Coming right away,” he scraped down our order and went to get it.

" Do you guys know when is Owen coming back,"? Cora asked.

"Maybe in a month,".

We were making small talk while waiting for our food when I unconsciously looked around. There were women and a little girl, around 4 or 5, sitting across our table. The mother was saying something, but the small girl was looking down with her arms crossed over her chest and cheek filled with air.

Enchanted by the captivating innocence of the small girl, my affection for children, particularly little girls, swelled within me. Politely excusing myself, I approached their table, meeting the gaze of the woman who accompanied her. Kneeling before the child, I cradled her delicate hands in mine, locking eyes with her, where innocence mirrored wisdom in her soulful, doe-like gaze—a poignant connection bridging the worlds of experience and wonder.

“She’s angry at me because I didn’t let her luggage go through the scanning machine in the airport,” her mother chuckled, and the girl glared at her mother. I laughed, she was trying to be angry but in reality, she was looking so cute.

“What’s your name, sweetheart,”? I asked her softly. But she didn’t say anything.

“Amy,” she said after a few minutes. I smiled and told her how dangerous it was for kids, and gave her a chocolate that I stole from Fleur. What? I can do anything for chocolate.

She took the chocolate and kissed me on the cheek. I bid my goodbye and went to my table, only to see my friends looking at me as if I were an alien.

“What,” I laughed.

“You’ll be a wonderful Luna,” Cora said and I looked down. Soon, our food arrived. We ate and then came back.

We went to the Fleur room and built a pillow and blanket fort. Furthermore, we danced and then played Monopoly. It was quite late, so we decided to hit the sake. We jumped on the bed, shared some stories, and huddled in the fort.

IN MORNING:

One moment cradled by the warmth of slumber, the next unceremoniously dumped onto the cold floor – a rude awakening from the comforts of dreams to the harsh reality of morning chaos.

Seated on the floor, my indignant gaze met Cora's, who played the role of an unconventional alarm clock. With an unapologetic grin, she quipped, "Don't look at me like that, missy. We're frantically late for the school escapade. Get ready, and let's make tardiness our rebellious accessory."

As she nonchalantly exited the room, leaving me on the floor of my untimely eviction, I stole a glance at the clock and felt the adrenaline kick in – we were navigating the slippery slope of lateness. Hastily grabbing clothes, I embarked on a race against time toward the beckoning sanctuary of the bathroom.

Through the closed door, Cora's voice echoed, a mix of urgency and a dash of mischief, "Come down for breakfast when you're ready." The door clicked shut, leaving me alone with the ticking seconds and a morning that unfolded like an unplanned adventure, where time was both an adversary and a co-conspirator in our race against the mundane.

We quickly went to our class, the teacher hadn’t arrived yet. I entered, and my eyes flickered to the beautiful man at the back of the room, his eyes a pair of startling orbs, his hair, in its usual mess. Why does he have to be so freaking gorgeous? I was so deep in his drowning thoughts of him that I bumped into Chase, a guy with dozens of piercings, a thick coat of eyeliner under his eyes, and dyes of ash hair.

My books fell, and I bent down to pick them up. My cheeks were crimson red from embarrassment.

“Sorry,” I mumbled while taking the book, Chase handled me.

He just nodded, examining his black-painted nails. Seeing his nails, I remembered how celebrities painted their nails for the Met Gala. Why do boys have this obsession with painting their nails?

Rushing to my seat, anxiety gripped me, and I anxiously bit my lip as a chilling shiver raced down my spine. The weight of his gaze bore into me, igniting a nervous intensity that lingered throughout the entire class, leaving my eyes burning with a mixture of fear and anticipation.

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