On the Otherside of Town

Order Whatever You Want!

Chapter 11:

Aurora's POV

After a while, the sun began to dip below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink. I’d almost forgotten where we were, tucked away on that bench behind the school. It was quiet here, peaceful even, like we’d found our own little bubble where the rest of the world didn’t exist.

Charlotte’s driver pulled up in a sleek black car that looked way too expensive to be parked near my school. She stood, brushing imaginary dust off her blazer, and turned to me with a grin.

“I’m hungry,” she declared, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “Let’s get something to eat. I know a great diner.”

I blinked up at her, surprised. “You want to eat here? On this side of town?”

She laughed, rolling her eyes. “Aurora, it’s food. Good food is good food, no matter where it comes from. Besides, I could use some grease in my life for once. My dad’s personal chef would faint if I ordered a cheeseburger.”

I couldn’t help but smirk at that, though I still hesitated. “You don’t have to…”

She held up a hand, stopping me mid-sentence. “Nope. I’m not taking no for an answer. And after we eat, maybe we can swing by the mall. We can look at baby clothes, maybe grab some maternity stuff for when you start showing. What do you think?”

I stared at her, the words catching me off guard. No one had ever suggested doing something like that with me—no one had ever been excited about my life, my baby, or even just spending time with me. It felt strange, like I didn’t quite know how to respond.

“Why would you want to do that?” I asked softly, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Because,” she said, smiling down at me, her tone light but sincere, “you need to eat, you need to shop, and you need someone to make sure you’re not doing this all alone. And, selfishly, I think it sounds fun.” She winked, reaching out a hand to help me up. “Come on, Aurora. Let me spoil you a little.”

I hesitated for a moment longer, but then I reached out and took her hand, letting her pull me to my feet. For the first time in a long time, I felt… lighter. Maybe it was the way she talked, so casual and confident, or maybe it was just the fact that she seemed to actually care. Whatever it was, I found myself nodding. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

Her grin widened, and she looped her arm through mine as we headed toward the car. “That’s the spirit. Trust me, you’re going to love the mall on my side of town. And if we’re lucky, maybe I’ll find something cute for myself too. You can’t have all the fun.”

I laughed despite myself, feeling the warmth of her words settle somewhere deep in my chest. For the first time in forever, it didn’t feel like the whole world was against me. Maybe, just maybe, I’d found someone who could help me through this after all.

We slid into the backseat of Charlotte’s car, the leather so smooth it felt like butter against my skin. Her driver barely glanced back at us before pulling away from the school. I leaned back, watching the familiar streets of my side of town fade into the distance as we headed toward hers. The transition was stark—the potholes disappeared, the buildings got taller and shinier, and the air itself seemed cleaner, and lighter.

“So, what are you in the mood for?” Charlotte asked, turning to me with a mischievous glint in her eye. “Burgers? Pizza? Something fancy?”

“Uh… burgers, I guess,” I said, still trying to wrap my head around the fact that she was sitting next to me. It felt like I’d stepped into someone else’s life, and I wasn’t sure how to act.

“Perfect,” she said, clapping her hands together. “There’s this retro diner I love—it’s got the best milkshakes in town. Trust me, it’s worth every calorie.”

I nodded, my stomach growling at the mention of food. I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d had a real meal. Between school, work, and trying to hide my pregnancy from Dad, eating had become something I did when I remembered, not because I wanted to.

When we pulled up to the diner, it was like stepping into a postcard. Neon lights flickered above a gleaming chrome exterior, and inside, people sat in red vinyl booths, sipping milkshakes and laughing like they didn’t have a care in the world. It was so different from the greasy spots near my place, where the lights were dim to hide the peeling wallpaper and the customers were mostly there to drink away their problems.

Charlotte slid out of the car first, tossing her driver a quick, “We’ll call you when we’re ready.” She glanced back at me, her eyes sparkling. “Come on, Aurora. You’re going to love this place.”

I followed her inside, feeling completely out of my element. Heads turned as we walked in—people noticed Charlotte wherever she went—but she didn’t seem to care. She grabbed a booth near the back and slid in, gesturing for me to sit across from her.

“Order whatever you want,” she said, handing me a menu. “My treat.”

I hesitated, scanning the prices. Everything was twice as expensive as what I was used to, and even though she’d offered, I felt weird letting her pay. “I’ll just get a burger and fries,” I said quietly, setting the menu down.

“Lame,” she teased, her grin widening. “You’re getting a milkshake too. Chocolate or strawberry?”

“Charlotte—”

“Strawberry it is,” she said, cutting me off with a wave of her hand before flagging down the waitress. “Hi! We’ll have two cheeseburgers, fries, and two strawberry milkshakes. Thanks!”

I stared at her, my mouth hanging open. “You didn’t even let me—”

“You’ll love it,” she said, leaning back with a satisfied smirk. “Trust me.”

I didn’t argue. Honestly, I didn’t have the energy. And when the food came out, she wasn’t wrong. The burger was juicy, the fries were crispy, and the milkshake was so thick and creamy I could barely get it through the straw. For the first time in what felt like forever, I ate until I was full, savoring every bite.

“So,” Charlotte said, dipping a fry into her milkshake like it was the most natural thing in the world. “When’s the last time you did something fun? Like, actually fun?”

I shrugged, wiping my hands on a napkin. “I don’t really… do fun.”

“Wrong answer,” she said, shaking her head dramatically. “That changes tonight. After this, we’re going to the mall. And you’re not allowed to say no.”

I laughed despite myself. “What’s with you and shopping?”

“It’s therapeutic,” she said, her grin softening into something gentler. “And I think you could use some therapy right now. Don’t you?”

I didn’t respond right away. Instead, I took another sip of my milkshake, letting her words sink in. Maybe she was right. Maybe I did need this—a distraction, a moment to feel like I wasn’t drowning. And for some reason, Charlotte made it easy to let my guard down, even when everything in me screamed to keep it up.

“Okay,” I said finally, a small smile tugging at my lips. “Let’s go shopping.”

Her eyes lit up, and for the first time in weeks, I felt like maybe, just maybe, things could get better.