[COLOR=GRAY][CENTER][COLOR=8ECDB7][sup]____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/sup][/COLOR][img]https://i.imgur.com/trGSdE7.gif[/img][/CENTER][indent][sub][COLOR=8ECDB7][B]Location:[/B][/COLOR] [I]The Beach[/I] - [I]Pacific Royal Campus[/I][/sub][sup][right][COLOR=8ECDB7][b]Welcome Home #1.027:[/b][/COLOR] [I]No Sunburn Required[/I][/right][/sup][/indent][center][COLOR=8ECDB7][SUP][sub]________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/sub][/SUP][/COLOR][/center][indent][sub][color=8ECDB7][B]Interaction(s):[/B][/COLOR] [I] [color=04cf3a]Rory[/color] [@Webboysurf], [color=fe650d]Lorcán[/color] [@Lord Wraith], [color=F796A9]Calliope[/color] [@PatientBean], [color=FCE205]Gil[/color] [@Roman], [color=D2b48c]Haven[/color] [@Skai], and [color=c75834]Pallyx[/color] [@Bartimaeus][/I][/sub][SUP][RIGHT][COLOR=8ECDB7][b]Previously:[/b][/COLOR] [COLOR=GRAY][I]I Could Use a Drink[/I][/color][/right][/SUP][/indent]
[indent]It wasn’t lost on Aurora that Rory’s face seemed to fall at the mention of his brother, his smile fading as soon as the words left her mouth. Oh god, she had said something wrong, didn’t she...  

[COLOR=8ECDB7][i]Great job, Rora, way to upset Lorcán’s best friend.[/i][/color]

The redhead mentally kicked herself as she attempted to discern what part of the innocent question had troubled Blackjack’s resident golden retriever. She rapidly replayed past conversations the two had had to find an answer, but every stray thought in her brain quieted as soon as she looked up into Lorcán’s sunset-colored eyes. His presence always had a calming effect on her; something about him being there seemed to ground her, which helped her reel in the little voice in the back of her mind. Maybe it was because she felt more comfortable around him than most, or maybe it was just because their friendship was so solid. She barely noticed Rory in her peripheral vision as he approached and injected himself into their forming conversation.

[color=04cf3a]"Hey Red, Hot Shot over here just reminded me... there's this senior dance after the Homecoming Trials. You want to go?"[/color]

Aurora nearly got whiplash from how quickly her head spun. 

Her eyebrows raised as she looked at Rory, genuine confusion etched into her features. Was she hearing things, or did he just ask her to the senior dance? She could hear Haven choke on her seltzer behind her, confirming that those were indeed the words that had just left his mouth. The redhead looked back to Lorcán, silently hoping that he had a reasonable explanation for this, but he seemed almost as confused as she was. He whispered something to Rory that she couldn’t make out over the pounding of her heartbeat in her ears.

It wasn’t that Aurora didn’t want to go to the dance. In fact, she felt quite the opposite. She was excited about the celebration after the Homecoming Trials and had been looking forward to it for weeks. There was something nice about getting all dressed up and having an evening dedicated to their class’ accomplishments and spending time together in a less studious environment. But all things considered, she was apprehensive about the idea of going with someone. The redhead felt that there was all sorts of pressure associated with having a date and she didn’t know if it was something she even had the capacity for. 

Lorcán’s eyes found hers again and tried as she might, she couldn’t read them. [color=fe650d]“Uh, we’ll definitely talk later,”[/color] His smile did not reveal much, although, she knew it wasn’t his normal goofy grin, [color=fe650d]“I’ll be sure to find Ripley to introduce you,”[/color] The warmth of his touch radiated down to the bottom of her toes and lingered even after he removed his hand from her shoulder.

[COLOR=8ECDB7][i]No, no, no, where are you going? Don’t leave me here![/i][/color]

But for the second time today, the next thing she knew, Lorcán had less than gracefully plummeted backwards over the cooler as he attempted to exit, melting most of the ice and taking a few of the drinks with him. The redhead gasped, her eyes darting between the two men in front of her, unsure of how to proceed. One waited expectantly for an answer, while the other had resigned to their fate. Not wanting to embarrass the orange eyed boy more than he probably already was, she glanced at the former.

[COLOR=8ECDB7]“Oh god, uh, Rory, I…”[/color] Aurora stuttered, still reeling from his previously aforementioned question and the fact that Lorcán lay on the ground no more than a yard from them. She felt her face grow hot as she spoke, no doubt she was turning into a tomato. [COLOR=8ECDB7]“I-I don’t think I’m going to go with anyone to the dance. You’re really sweet to ask me, but I don’t think the whole ‘date to the dance’ thing is, well, [i]my[/i] thing.”[/color] 

She moved to help Lorcán up, but Calli appeared and beat her to the punch. The redhead recoiled, and with nowhere else to direct her attention to, looked back at Rory and in a moment of panic, attempted to elaborate her previous statement, [COLOR=8ECDB7]“You should ask someone else though, I’m sure whoever you ask will say yes… I mean, I didn’t say yes, but someone other than me will! And I didn’t not say yes because I don’t like you or anything-”[/color] She was rambling. How embarrassing.

[color=F796A9]"All good. Let me fix this."[/color]

[COLOR=8ECDB7]“-I’m uh, just going to stop talking now.”[/color] Aurora shut her mouth promptly, standing there like a deer in headlights as Calliope inserted herself, refreezing the contents of the cooler. The redhead made eye contact with the blonde as she whisked Rory away, something like knowing in her eyes as she waved. The two of them had never seemed to truly hit it off, but in that moment she was thankful that someone else was stepping in to diffuse the situation or at least change the subject.

Aurora turned to where Lorcán had just been, hoping to talk to him and smooth things over, but again, someone else had moved quicker. She realized that Gil had swooped in and moved them away from the group, no doubt wanting to chat about what had just transpired, that she had just rejected their friend. The girl’s head was spinning, everything was moving so fast.

She swallowed, her mouth dry once more. Taking a long swig of her seltzer, she looked to Haven and Pallyx, an unmistakable flush covering her face and neck.

[COLOR=8ECDB7]“Can someone tell me what just happened?”[/color][/indent][/color]