The Ex Ch. 01

NOTE: All characters over the age of 18.

Brandon: Because I said so.
Aurora: No! You're not the boss of me, asshole.
Brandon: Oh really?

She could almost see his knowing smirk through the glowing screen of her phone. Frustrated, Aurora blew her long brunette bangs out of her face and threw her phone at the couch cushion next to her. That smug bastard. He thought he knew everything about her. Everything. And maybe at one point, he did, but now? No way. She was a complex person, and for him to think he could figure out her every angle was insulting. Even through texting, he made her feel insecure and out of control. It was demeaning, cruel, and asinine. And maybe a little frightening when, at times, he managed to hit so close to home.

Well, who the hell did he think he was? It's not like we're dating anymore.

Ah yes, there it was. Anymore. There had been a day, years ago, when Aurora craved that man's attentions. The sparse texts, the casual toss of an 'I love you' and the seemingly harmful banter they kept up with so well. He was her first. First boyfriend, first kiss, first holding hands. She had fallen hard, tumbling all the way down. But when the honeymoon stage had lost its luster Aurora ended it, calling out her then-beau on his crude treatment of his supposed significant other. Even now, he'd occasionally admit, that he had been a horrific excuse for a boyfriend, and they'd both laugh it off casually, continuing conversation. The break up itself was a chaotic soap opera of heated discussion. Accusations of adultery rained, miniscule moments of rudeness became pledges of hatred; long story short, no one felt lost for love after the tempest had cooled and they both traveled their separate ways.

Every recently broken off couple plays a game with their ex's, even though they would never outright admit to it. It's called the 'who can get a new significant other, without seeming desperate or slutty?' game. Aurora won that game, and it's not hard to tell why. At 5' 6" and 130 pounds, Aurora was slender, with some noticeable curves in key areas. Her family history contained a unique mix of Native American and Bohemian (Germany, currently), leading to an interesting combination of pale skin, dark liquid brown eyes, matching long hair, a pouty mouth, high cheekbones, and a strange affinity to blush whenever she felt any sort of emotion that was anything but completely calm. Seven months after her fiasco with Brandon, she began dating Ben, a stocky fellow, with a nice smile and a need to please. Initially he seemed perfect, but then again, don't they all? He wanted to do what Aurora wanted to do, he showered her with gifts and tokens, brought her flowers when she was sick, and...essentially, allowed her to walk all over him like her personal doormat. Four months later, Aurora ended it brutally (break ups were never her strong point) and to this day, hasn't seen him since. But Aurora really could care less. At that time, Brandon and Aurora began talking again. Oh, god, talking to Brandon. Sweet talking was his forte, which explained his national success in the debate circuit. Aurora began to get that starry eyed feeling again. After all, he was a national merit scholar, captain of the debate team, 6' 4", sported the loveliest pair of blue eyes she'd ever seen, had a second degree black belt in Tai Kwan Do, soft sandy brown hair that just brushed his eyebrows... the list goes on. As Brandon's intentions became clear, Aurora got a bit sidetracked in the highway of love by another man, Leo. Leo was of Chinese descent, although her originated from Britain, quite petite for a male, and intensely nice. Unaware of Brandon's advances Aurora began to spark with Leo, unknowingly leading on poor Brandon to an unhappy end. One fateful day Aurora and Leo finally made their affair publicly official, and since then, Brandon had acted...different, to say the least.

That was six months ago.

Currently, Leo and Aurora were happy, but a little bored. They were in it to deep to break anything off yet, but they weren't sure what obstacles they had left to overcome. Leo was extraordinarily kind, and while he was opinionated, the couple had never argued because he was such a goodhearted boy. Aurora and Brandon were on a shifty relationship. Aurora thought they were friends, at times, but others, he was sarcastic and cold, and Aurora couldn't tell from playful banter to plain insulting. So here they were. Aurora had texted Brandon as an effort to reach out and appeal to the man she'd once known so well. She missed him. As a friend, of course.

***

The next day, Aurora had school. Aurora was extremely good at school, but this isn't to say that it takes very much to obtain good grades. It's simply a game and one just has to know how to play it, and since it was Aurora's senior year, she'd pretty much learned by default. Her intelligence was, however, remarkable. As she sat in her homeroom class first hour, Aurora idly twirled her G2 pen, cheek resting in her hand, as the crackling announcements rang over the school.

"Soccer practice is canceled after school, chess club meet in Room 142 on Wednesday..."

I really should work on biology... Aurora thought, chastising herself with a small smile. She hated biology. Her mindset veered more towards the arts and communications, and biology was definitely not up her alley. She barely maintained her A in that class, over abusing what little extra credit was available. At the moment, she was pondering hiring a tutor, but that seemed a little humiliating. Maybe one with discretion? Aurora continued to ponder.

"..this Thursday, Gifted and Talented meet in the choir room to discuss the Academic Decathlon today after school..."

Aurora's ears perked up. She had been a part of the Gifted and Talented program since her freshman year to for her skills in the arts, specifically literature, and this year her instructor, Mrs. Mott, had roped her into participating in this foolish Academic Decathlon, better known as AD, or Acadeca. Ah well. She would deal with it and move on. Colleges would enjoy viewing the benefits she might potentially reap. Giving a speech to an entire auditorium of scholars, specifically appealed to Aurora, given her love for communications. Maybe it would be, dare she say it, a fun school activity! Aurora snorted. An oxymoron if there ever was one.

The day passed without excitement, and Aurora sauntered past her locker as the last bell rang for dismissal. Muttering under her breath, Aurora twisted the dial, and pulled on the door. It didn't budge. "What?" Aurora said aloud to no one. Everyone had already left. Exasperated, Aurora spun the knob to the right and tried again, but no luck. "Damn it!"

"Hey now." A tall figure over shadowed her locker. Looking up she observed her sometimes friend, forever ex-boyfriend, Brandon. "Watch your language, missy! This is a place of education."

"Shove it, douche."

"Do you want me to--?" He motioned to the locker.

"I got it."

"You sure?"

"Yes!"

Infuriated, Aurora proceeded to swear to every deity known to man that the locker would open by her will. HERS. Not his. Snarky douchebag. How dare he make her feel incapable? Just then, the locker snapped open and slammed into the slender brunette's forehead, startling her into stumbling and landing on the ground. After impacting smartly on her face, the locker snapped shut once more. Brandon didn't bother to smother his laughter behind his hand, and openly guffawed at her predicament. "You sure showed me." Rubbing her forehead softly, Aurora cursed the gods and their wicked ways. Of course this happens in front of him. All her attempts to appear independent, strong, and, yes, even attractive shot to hell in one fell swoop. That takes talent. Climbing to her feet, unsteadily in the precarious heels she wore that day, avoiding flashing him her undergarments under her knee length flowing skirt, Aurora rose from the ground.

"Really," he implored. "I can get it."

"No, but than—," Aurora stopped. The moment she was about to acknowledge his somewhat goodhearted offer, she noticed how much nearer he was to her. His cologne had a musky scent that made her wonder what girl had purchased it for him, while she simultaneously smothered the urge to bury her face in his broad chest. "Uh." She stuttered and stopped as he approached her from behind, lining up every contour of their bodies, and reached a hand around her to lean on the locker, while the other hand began fiddling with her lock. Doing so, his countenance was melancholic, as if this very sexual, awkward position was normal to undertake with any hapless girl in a lonely hallway. Mentally, Aurora scoffed. He's so bloody calm! Aurora envied his stature. Nervously she dragged one arm across her chest to grab her other docile arm, trying to nonchalantly cover her nipples that she knew would be tight beads from his close contact. Her breathing had deepened, and her cheeks, initially flushed from the excitement of her fall, had deepened to a crimson shade as Brandon's breath whispered across her ear when he leaned down. Seconds later the locker popped open easily, but Aurora was no longer paying attention to it.

"Something wrong?" Brandon inquired. "You seem nervous."

"I'm not," Aurora stated definitively.

"Hm."

Brandon glanced over Aurora's shoulder down her heaving body, making no move to escape from the risky position they were in. Finally, pulling his arms from around her he leaned against the wall of lockers and smiled at her ominously. Aurora didn't try to fool herself this time. They had dated for a year. He knew the signs of her arousal, perhaps even better than she did.

"You're uh," he glanced down at her chest insolently eyebrows cocked condescendingly, "...hair, looks perkier than usual today."

"Fuck off, Brandon. I have to go to the choir room."

"What a coincidence! Me too."

Aurora rolled her eyes. "Joy."