Chapter 58 † Blocked
The lecture theater was already filling up when Aurora walked in. She took her seat in the middle row without looking around.
Minutes later Oma dropped in beside her without asking. Ivy and Roseanne settled into the row directly behind them.
Kimberly walked in with her usual energy. Outfit provocative as always, chin up like the room owed her attention.
More students filtered in, scrambling for seats as the rows filled up fast.
Then Leonard walked in with Ricky.
Whatever Ricky was saying, Leonard clearly wasn't enjoying it.
The look on his face said he was two sentences away from ending the conversation permanently.
Girls noticed him immediately. One even reached for Ricky's hand as they passed. Ricky shook her off so fast she stumbled.
Ivy threw the girl a flat look.
Asha, Tiffany and Amelia came in together. Tiffany bumped Asha's shoulder cutting in front of her.
A few students threw comments. Asha ignored all of them. Her eyes found Aurora briefly then moved away just as fast.
Then Mr. Thorne walked in.
Behind him, carrying his laptop, was Kiara.
"Thank you Kiara." Thorne said, taking it from her without looking up.
She nodded and went to find a seat. Not bothering to look at the girls.
Aurora didn't look at her. Not even once.
Oma stayed neutral. Ivy and Roseanne both pulled long faces.
"God I really don't want division between us," Ivy muttered.
"Me too," Roseanne sighed. "I hope something can be done."
Aurora almost laughed. Almost.
"Good morning everyone." Thorne greeted the class.
A few people mumbled back.
Thorne taught for a while, moving through the lesson steadily.
But his eyes moved faster than his mouth.
They swept the theater slowly, casually, the way someone pretends to address the whole room while looking for one specific person.
They found Aurora in the middle row and stayed half a second too long before moving on.
Aurora wrote something in her notebook that had nothing to do with the lesson.
Then Thorne's phone lit up on the podium.
He glanced at it.
Then held up one finger to the class. "Give me a moment."
He picked it up and read.
~ "We're gonna have to pause on the kidnap thing for now. I need to set things in place here. But do not take your eyes off her. Keep watching her. I might call any moment."
Thorne's expression didn't change. Not even slightly.
He typed back quickly, two lines, nothing more. Set the phone face down and looked up.
"Isn't that against the rules?" someone muttered from the back.
"Bro gets to do whatever he wants apparently," another voice replied.
A few people laughed quietly. Someone kissed their teeth.
Nobody had been following anyway.
Aurora's phone buzzed. She looked down.
Psychopath: After this class, you're coming with me.
She stared at it for exactly two seconds.
Aurora: What? Haven't you eaten enough?
She put her phone face down.
Three rows behind her, Leonard read it and chuckled. Just once. Low and quiet.
Ricky glanced at him sideways.
He typed back.
Psychopath: Damn. Not scared to talk about things like that anymore?
Aurora's jaw tightened. She sent a frowny face and nothing else.
Psychopath: You're coming with me. You clearly don't want me to carry you out in front of everyone again. Do you, Noelle. Just comply.
Aurora read it twice.
Then she put her phone in her bag and faced forward like the conversation had never happened.
But her pen had stopped moving.
Aurora didn’t look back… But she felt him.
That heavy, deliberate presence that always followed him. Like the air itself shifted when he decided to focus on her.
She hated that she noticed it.
She hated more that her pulse reacted to it.
Mr. Thorne kept talking, scribbling something on the board. Nobody cared anymore.
The class had already drifted into half-attention.
Her mind betrayed her again, replaying flashes she didn't want.
His hands.
His voice.
His touch.
The way he said her name like he owned it.
She tightened her grip on the pen.
Oma leaned slightly closer. "You're not writing anything."
"I'm listening."
"You're lying."
Aurora didn't answer.
Behind her, Ivy leaned forward. "You two good?"
"Perfect," Aurora replied flatly.
Oma didn't even need to ask who.
Aurora rolled her eyes but still didn't turn around.
Minutes dragged.
Then—
Her phone vibrated.
Aurora froze.
She didn't touch it immediately.
Oma raised a brow. "Open it."
Aurora opened his chat slowly.
Psychopath: Stop pretending you're not thinking about me.
Her jaw tightened.
She didn't need to look back to know he was watching.
She put the phone down.
Ignored it.
Three seconds later, another text came.
Aurora opened it.
Psychopath: You're getting bold. I like it.
She inhaled slowly.
Still didn't turn. Another text.
This time she didn't even hesitate. She read it.
Psychopath: After class. Don't test me today.
Aurora finally turned.
Just slightly. Just enough.
Leonard was already watching her. Elbow resting lazily on his desk.
Expression calm. Dangerous. Amused.
Their eyes locked.
He tilted his head once.
Like a warning.
Aurora turned back immediately.
Her stomach flipped in annoyance. Not fear.
Definitely not fear.
Oma leaned closer. "What did he say?"
"Nothing."
"You're gripping your phone like you want to stab someone."
Aurora dropped it into her bag. "Focus on class."
"You focus on class."
Neither of them did.
At the front, Thorne stopped talking suddenly.
The silence made everyone look up.
His eyes were on Aurora again.
Longer this time. Too long.
Aurora noticed.
So did Leonard.
Leonard's expression changed instantly.
Something colder replaced it.
Ricky noticed too. "What?"
Leonard didn't answer.
Thorne cleared his throat. "Miss Raven."
Aurora looked up slowly.
"Yes?"
"Would you like to answer the question?"
"What question?” A few students snickered.
Thorne smiled faintly. "Exactly."
Aurora leaned back. "You asked something?"
More laughter.
Thorne's eyes sharpened. "Pay attention."
Aurora shrugged. "Try being interesting."
Oma resisted the urge to smile.
Thorne's jaw flexed.
Leonard watched the entire exchange quietly. At this point, it's either, he's too lazy to take care of Thorne yet or there's just something holding him back.
Thorne turned back to the board. "Open your textbooks."
Aurora exhaled slowly.
The rest of the class passed slowly. Painfully slow.
Tthe entire room erupted in movement.
Chairs scraping.
Voices overlapping.
Students rushing out.
Aurora grabbed her bag immediately.
"I'm leaving," she muttered.
Oma stood too. "We're going together." Aurora nodded. They have one more class for today. And it's just for an hour.
They stepped into the aisle—
And Leonard was already there.
Blocking her path. Calm. Completely unbothered.
Oma stopped.
"So we're just doing this now?" she muttered.
Aurora stared at him. "Move."
"No."
"Ren."
"Noelle."
Oma sighed. "I'm going ahead."
Aurora grabbed her wrist. "Stay."
Leonard smirked. "Scared?"
Aurora released Oma.
Oma gave Leonard one warning look, then left with Ivy and Roseanne.
" What did they just call each other?" Ivy whispered.
" Trust me. It's a LONG story." Oma sighed.
“Let’s go find Kiara.” Roseanne suggested, Oma and Ivy nodded.
Now the two were alone in the moving crowd.
Leonard stepped closer.
Too close.
"You ignored me."
Aurora scoffed. "You survived."
His gaze dropped briefly to her lips. Then back to her eyes. "You're coming with me."
"No."
He leaned slightly. "I wasn't asking."
Aurora tried stepping past him.
He caught her wrist.
Not hard.
Just firm.
Her breath caught.
"Leonard."
"I'm not even dragging you, Noelle."
"Then let go."
He didn't.
Instead, he leaned closer, voice low.
"You've been pretending all class. I'm done pretending."
Her pulse jumped.
"I have another class."
"You're skipping it."
"No, I'm not."
"You are."
Aurora pulled her hand.
He finally released it.
But only because he stepped aside.
"Walk," he said calmly.
She didn't move.
He tilted his head. "Or I carry you. Your choice."
Aurora glared. Then walked.
He followed beside her.
Not touching.
But close enough to make her aware of every step.
Her heart beat faster.
And she hated it.
Oma spotted Kiara halfway down the corridor, walking fast like she didn’t want to be caught.
"Oma," Ivy muttered. "That’s her."
"I see her."
They picked up their pace. Roseanne called first. "Kiara! Wait."
Kiara slowed, but she didn’t turn immediately. When she finally did, her expression was already guarded.
Annoyed. Like she knew exactly why they were coming.
"What?" she asked flatly.
Oma stepped forward. "We just want to talk."
"I don’t."
"Kiara—" Ivy started gently.
"No." Kiara shook her head. "I don’t want to talk to any of you about anything.
Aurora already told you what happened, right? So just… stay away from me."
Roseanne frowned. "We just want to understand—"
"Understand what?" Kiara laughed bitterly.
"Yeah, I have a crush on Leonard. I like him. In fact, it's more than a crush. I love him. What are you going to do about it? Persecute me? Crucify me? Kill me?" She shrugged. "Fine. But I’m not talking to
Aurora ever again. I never wanted to be her friend in the first place."
Oma’s expression hardened.
Kiara continued, her voice sharper now.
"She’s a pick me. Everything has to revolve around her. I don’t want to be associated with someone like that."
"Watch your mouth," Oma snapped. "We’re trying to talk calmly and you’re running it."
Ivy touched Oma’s arm. "Oma, calm down—"
"Tell her to calm down," Oma shot back, not taking her eyes off Kiara.
Roseanne stepped between them slightly. "Okay, everyone relax. This isn’t helping."
Kiara laughed again, softer this time, but it carried something tired. "You all should just stay away from me. I’m not even like you anyway."
The three girls frowned.
Kiara folded her arms. "The four of you are rich. I’m not. I don’t belong in your group. I never did."
"That’s not true," Ivy said quickly.
"Isn’t it?" Kiara replied. "Look at you. Look at me. I was always the extra one. The add-on. The one trying to fit in." She shook her head. "I’m done trying."
Silence fell between them.
Kiara stepped back. "So yeah. Stay away from me. I mean it."
She turned and walked off before any of them could stop her.
Oma exhaled sharply. "She’s unbelievable."
Ivy sighed. "She’s hurt."
"Hurt?" Oma scoffed. "She’s being ridiculous."
Roseanne lifted a hand, rubbing her temples slowly. "This is getting out of hand."
None of them spoke for a moment.
They just stood there, watching Kiara disappear down the hallway, the tension she left behind still hanging thick in the air.