On the Otherside of Town

The Meeting

Chapter Thirteen:

Micah's POV

This b***h just can’t take a hint.

That’s all I could think as I sat in Mrs. Holloway’s cramped office, my legs stretched out like I owned the place, while Aurora sat across from me, looking small and miserable. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her hands twisting nervously in her lap. Every time she flinched or wiped at her eyes, it tugged at something deep in my chest, but I shoved it down. Sympathy wasn’t going to get me out of this.

I sat up stiff in the chair of Ms. Holloway's office, my heart pounded in my chest. I kept my face calm, but my thoughts were racing. "Did she tell her?" Aurora sat across from me, silent, her face pale and her eyes red like she’d been crying. She wouldn’t look at me, and that only made the anxiety worse. "She wouldn’t dare tell her about the closet. She knows what that would mean for her."

Ms. Holloway cleared her throat, glancing between us with that fake counselor smile that didn’t fool me for a second. “Micah,” she started, her voice soft, “I called you here because Aurora has shared some serious concerns. I want to give you a chance to speak before we bring your parents in.”

I froze. Every muscle in my body tensed as the word "concerns" echoed in my head. My stomach twisted, and panic clawed at the edges of my calm. "She told her. She told her everything."

My palms felt clammy as I opened my mouth to speak. “Look,” I said quickly, my voice sharper than I intended, “whatever she told you isn’t true.”

But then Ms. Holloway continued. “Aurora says you may be the father of her child.”

My panic doubled. "Oh, God. This is worse."

My heart dropped. "Parents?" No way. I straightened in my chair, my cool slipping for just a second. “What is this about, Mrs. Holloway?” I snapped, the anger creeping into my voice. “Whatever that b***h told you is not true.” The words came out harsher than I intended, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t about to let Aurora ruin my life with her sob story.

Aurora didn’t even react. She just stared at the wall, her face pale, tears rolling down her cheeks like she didn’t even notice. Her silence grated on me, but at the same time, it made me feel something I hated—guilt. "Why does she look like that? Like the world’s caving in on her?" I almost felt sorry for her. Almost.

But I couldn’t afford to. Aurora was nothing—trailer trash, a nobody. She should’ve been grateful I even gave her the time of day. She should’ve kept her mouth shut, let me move on, and pretended it never happened. Instead, she had to go and open her big mouth. Now, my whole world was about to blow up.

My eyes flicked over to her again. She wouldn’t look at me, her gaze fixed on the window, like she was trying to disappear. "She’s not even ugly," I thought bitterly. "If she’d lived on the other side of town—if she’d been rich—I might’ve actually liked her. Those green eyes…" For a second, I imagined what it would be like if she wasn’t from the trailer park. If she had money, parents who weren’t screw-ups, and a shiny life that matched mine. But she didn’t. And that changed everything.

I couldn’t let anyone find out. Not my friends. Not the school. And definitely not my parents. If they knew I’d gotten one of "them" pregnant, my dad would destroy me. My inheritance? Gone. My reputation? Ruined. My dad had spent years trying to “fix” the town, running people like Aurora out of it and working with the mayor to erase the parts of town he hated. People like her didn’t exist in his world.

The door to the office creaked open, and I tensed, thinking it might be my parents. But it was just the secretary sticking her head in to say they’d be here in five minutes. Five minutes to figure out how to make this go away.

“Micah,” Mrs. Holloway prompted, her voice firm. I ignored her, my focus shifting back to Aurora. She still wouldn’t look at me.

I leaned forward, dropping my voice so only she could hear. “My parents will make you disappear if they find out the kid’s mine,” I said, watching for her reaction. “Do you understand me?” My tone was calm, and cold, but inside, my pulse was racing. She needed to get it. She needed to know what kind of world we were in. “You’re a nobody,” I continued. “A poor, f*****g w***e from the worst place imaginable to my parents. Don’t kid yourself, Aurora. This isn’t some fairytale where the eligible bachelor falls for the poor, pathetic maiden—”

“Enough, Mr. James!” Mrs. Holloway’s voice cut through the air, sharp and loud enough to make me sit back in my chair. I glanced at her, my heart still pounding. She looked at me like I was scum, her eyes blazing with anger and pity—pity for Aurora. “That is not how we talk to people, and you will not speak to her that way again.”

I scoffed, rolling my eyes as I crossed my arms. "Whatever. Like this was going to change anything."

Mrs. Holloway turned to Aurora, her voice softening. “Aurora, are you okay?”

Aurora just nodded, still not meeting anyone’s gaze. I couldn’t tell if she was even listening or if she’d just shut down completely. Either way, it didn’t matter. I needed her to understand the stakes here.

The thought hit me like a freight train: "What if the whole school finds out I f****d her?"

I leaned back in my chair, pretending I wasn’t sweating bullets, but my mind was spinning. The whispers would spread like wildfire. By lunchtime, everyone would know. The golden boy, the school’s star quarterback, heir to a fortune, had hooked up with "Aurora Danvers"—a girl from the other side of town, the one everyone sneered at and called "Trailer Trash."

My reputation would go up in flames.

The guys would laugh behind my back, calling me desperate or worse. The girls? They’d tear Aurora apart, sure, but they’d also look at me differently. Like I wasn’t good enough for them anymore. Like I’d fallen from the pedestal they’d built for me.

And my parents? My father would disown me. He’d strip me of everything—no more trust fund, no more inheritance, no more anything. And my mother? She wouldn’t bother hiding her disgust. She’d cut me off from her social circle so fast my head would spin.

I couldn’t let it happen.

I glanced at Aurora, who still wouldn’t look at me, and the panic clawed deeper. I had to fix this. No matter the cost.

I leaned forward again, ignoring Mrs. Holloway’s glare. “Tell her the baby isn’t mine,” I said, my voice low and deadly serious. “Save yourself. Save that bastard if you’re planning to keep it.” Her lips trembled, but she didn’t respond. I sat back, satisfied that my point had been made.

Before anyone else could say anything, the door opened, and my parents walked in. My dad’s face was a mask of cold authority, and my mom trailed behind him, her expression unreadable but just as intimidating. Aurora shrank further into her seat, and even I felt a knot tighten in my stomach. My dad didn’t tolerate messes, and this was the biggest one I’d ever made.

I stood as they entered, forcing a smile that I knew wouldn’t fool anyone. “Mom. Dad,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “Thanks for coming.”

Dad’s eyes narrowed as he looked between me, Aurora, and Mrs. Holloway. “What is this about, Micah?” His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it that made my stomach twist.

“It’s nothing,” I said quickly. “Just a misunderstanding.”

Aurora let out a shaky breath, and I shot her a warning look. "Don’t say anything," I thought, my heart pounding as my dad’s gaze shifted to her. If she opened her mouth, this was going to get a lot worse—for both of us.