On the Otherside of Town

An Ultimatum and A New Ally

Chapter 9:

Aurora's POV

“Do your parents know, dear?” That was the first question Mrs. Holloway hit me with during my second visit to her office. The panic set in immediately, gripping me like a vice. My eyes widened, and I gave her a pleading look, hoping she’d understand what I couldn’t bring myself to say.

The day had already been a mess. “Aurora Danvers, to Mrs. Holloway’s office,” the voice crackled over the intercom during math class, cutting through the chatter and drawing everyone’s attention to me. My cheeks burned as I stood, grabbing my things, trying to ignore the whispers and knowing looks as I shuffled to the door.

The hallway stretched out in front of me, each step toward the guidance office feeling heavier than the last. *Maybe she’s found a way to help me out…* I thought, a flicker of hope surfacing despite myself. Adults had never been the answer before, but something about Mrs. Holloway—her kind eyes, her soft voice—had made me spill almost everything during my first visit. Not everything, of course. But enough.

When I walked in, she greeted me with her usual warmth. “Miss Danvers, so sorry! Where are my manners? Please, come in,” she said, gesturing toward the chair across from her desk.

I sat down, my fingers knotting in my lap as she shuffled through papers. “I wanted to follow up with you about our last conversation,” she began. “I’ve been thinking, and I believe it’s important to involve Micah and his parents. We can have a meeting, sit down, and discuss your options. How does that sound?”

Her words hung in the air, but I couldn’t respond. My heart pounded, my stomach twisting into knots. *Why did I ever think an adult could help me?* The idea of sitting in a room with Micah, his smug face, and his probably-perfect parents made my skin crawl. And what if they told my father? No. That couldn’t happen.

Mrs. Holloway studied me, puzzled by my silence. “Aurora, it’s either that,” she said carefully, “or we contact your parents.”

“No!” The word burst out of me before I could stop it. “I’ll meet with Micah and his parents,” I said quickly, shaking my head and waving my hands to signal I didn’t want my father involved. “Just… not my dad. Please.”

Her face softened. “Of course. We’ll arrange a meeting with Micah’s family. In the meantime…” She reached into a drawer and pulled out a stack of pamphlets, placing them gently on the desk in front of me. “Here are some resources. Take these home, and look them over when you can. There are options available, Aurora.”

I glanced down at the pamphlets, my stomach flipping as I read the titles. One of them was about adoption, the word in bold letters at the top of the page. I cringed, pushing it to the bottom of the pile. *Options,* I thought bitterly. They made it sound so simple, like this was just another choice to check off a list.

“Thank you,” I muttered, shoving the stack into my bag without meeting her eyes. I stood, eager to leave, but before I could go, she stopped me.

“Aurora,” she said gently, “you’re not alone in this. We’ll figure it out, step by step.”

I nodded but didn’t say anything as I left her office. The hallways felt longer on the way back to class, and all I could think was how stupid I’d been to hope for anything more than this—a handful of pamphlets and a looming meeting with the last person I wanted to see.

The school day had already been a disaster, as usual. Whispers and snickers followed me down the hall like shadows I couldn’t shake. Micah hadn’t spoken to me since the park, but I could still feel his presence—his eyes on me, his smirk when his friends laughed a little too loud. I tried to disappear into my hoodie, pulling the strings tight as I hurried to my next class.

But of course, he wasn’t done with me.

“Aurora,” his voice came from behind me, smooth and casual, but laced with something that made my stomach drop. I kept walking, pretending I hadn’t heard him. I didn’t get far before his hand grabbed my arm, pulling me into the janitor’s closet.

“What the hell, Micah—” I started, but the words caught in my throat as he shut the door behind us. The small space smelled like bleach and damp rags, and the single light bulb overhead flickered.

“You’ve been ignoring me,” he said, his tone low, his eyes narrowing. “That’s not smart.”

“I think you got that the other way around Micah,” I muttered, stepping back until I hit the shelves behind me. “I’m just trying to move on.”

He laughed, but there was no humor in it. “Move on? From me? Don’t kid yourself, Aurora. You’ll never move on. Do you think anyone like me is gonna want someone like you from the other side of town? Huh?”

I swallowed hard, trying to push past him, but he blocked my way. His hands landed on my hips, gripping them tight, and I froze.

“Micah, stop,” I said, my voice shaking. “This isn’t—”

“Shh,” he interrupted, leaning in close, his breath hot on my neck. “You’ve always liked it when I take charge, haven’t you?” His hand slid under my hoodie, pushing it up slightly, his fingers brushing against my little bump. I tried to pull away, but he just pressed closer.

“Micah, no,” I said again, pleading this time, my voice cracking. But he wasn’t listening. His hand moved lower, slipping under the waistband of my leggings. I flinched as he tugged at my panties, sliding them down just enough.

“See?” he murmured. “Still so easy.”

I was panicking now, my heart racing as I struggled to think, to do anything to stop this. And then, out of nowhere, the door creaked open.

“What the hell is going on in here?” a voice demanded, sharp and commanding.

Both of us froze. I looked up to see her—this girl I’d seen before but never spoken to. She was everything I wasn’t: tall, blonde, curves in all the right places...perfect. She wore a designer blazer and skinny jeans, her hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail, and her expression was a mix of disbelief and fury.

Micah stepped back quickly, straightening his shirt and running a hand through his hair. “It’s not what it looks like, she came on to me, I was just letting her know-” he started, flashing her that same cocky smile that used to work on me.

She wasn’t buying it. “Save it,” she snapped. “Aurora, are you okay?”

I couldn’t speak. My throat felt tight, and my legs were trembling. She didn’t wait for me to answer. She stepped forward, her eyes never leaving Micah, and grabbed my hand, pulling me out of the closet.

Micah opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him off. “Don’t even try it, Micah. I’ll be talking to my father about this, he works runs in the same circles as yours” she said coldly, glaring at him until he stayed silent. Then she turned to me, her grip on my hand firm but gentle.

“Come on,” she said softly. “Let’s get out of here.”