Chapter 387: Chapter 387: Birthday
Aurora raised her eyebrows slightly and asked in a curious tone, "What happened to you? You look lost."
Mia blinked, snapped out of her daze, and gave a small smile.
"Nothing. I was just thinking about something. How are you? Do you want to spend some time together after class?"
Aurora chuckled softly and shook her head.
"Mia, my breakup happened two months ago. Do you still need to ask me things like that?"
Mia’s smile turned a little sheepish.
"I still feel bad, you know. I really didn’t expect Spencer to turn out like that. I feel like I was blind back then. If I could go back in time, I would stop you from ever getting involved with him."
After all, at that time, it was she who had gushed about how good Spencer was.
Aurora didn’t reply immediately.
She chose not to answer.
After all, they haven’t really broken up, but for some reason, the vague reply and not-so-timely reply made her feel... a breakup had indeed happened.
Mia noticed the silence and quickly changed the subject.
"Anyway, do you feel like going shopping after school? It’s been a while."
Aurora’s eyes brightened slightly, and she opened her mouth to respond when another voice interrupted them.
A cheerful, slightly too sweet voice.
It was Betsy, standing by their desks with a polite smile on her face.
Aurora’s smile faded a little as she turned to look at her. Her brows furrowed slightly, sensing trouble.
Before she could say a word, Betsy spoke.
"Hey, I’m having my birthday party next week. I wanted to invite you both."
Mia frowned, her expression openly skeptical.
"We aren’t even close. Why invite us?"
The last time they had ended up on a bad note. From then till now, they hardly had any interaction. So why was Betsy acting as if she were familiar with them?
For a moment, a glint flickered in Betsy’s eyes, but then she quickly schooled her expression into a sincere look.
"I know we aren’t close. That’s why I want to invite you. I want to apologize for the things I’ve done before."
She turned her gaze to Aurora, her voice softer.
"I admit it was my mistake. I shouldn’t have acted so salty over a boy. I really regret it."
Aurora tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable.
Her voice was flat and calm.
"I’m not interested in attending the birthday party of a girl who still can’t tell what to hold on to and what to let go of."
Betsy’s hands clenched slightly, hidden by the folds of her skirt. She drew in a breath and said quietly,
"I really mean it. I’m sorry for my behavior."
Aurora didn’t answer further.
She lost interest in the conversation and gave a small nod as if to dismiss it.
Betsy placed a fancy invitation card on their desk.
Before she left, she said with a soft smile, "I hope you will come. I’ll wait for you."
When she was gone, Aurora rolled her eyes faintly and turned back to Mia. She didn’t waste another word on the matter.
The teacher entered soon after, and the day’s lessons began.
Aurora sat quietly through the lectures, her mind wandering at times.
The topics felt too easy for her. She had been considering skipping a grade and entering university early.
She had already thought about the direction she wanted to take.
Business as her major, computer science as her minor.
Her skills in hacking and software development were strong enough that she wouldn’t struggle to pass the exams.
Yet, when her thoughts wandered to Mia, she paused.
If she moved ahead, Mia might be left behind. Their paths would drift apart. Aurora also wanted to enjoy her high school days, to have the memories of a normal student life.
But she hated wasting time. Her heart felt caught in the middle, unsure which way to lean.
She was still thinking when her phone suddenly rang. The name on the screen made her let out a soft sigh of relief.
It was Spencer.
Without hesitation, she answered the call. A tired voice came from the other end. "Aurora... how are you?"
Aurora stayed silent for a moment before asking directly,
"Why didn’t you reply to my message yesterday?"
There was a pause. Then Spencer’s voice came, quiet and almost apologetic. "I fell asleep."
Aurora’s brows furrowed. Her fingers tightened slightly around the phone.
Fell asleep? Did he have any idea how much she had waited for his reply?
She had missed him, worried about him, and he had simply gone to sleep?
Rage burned in her chest.
She pressed her lips together before saying, "I was waiting for your reply."
There was silence again on the other end, then Spencer spoke softly, "I’m sorry."
The single word only fueled her anger.
A simple sorry? Did he think a small apology could make up for the way she had felt last night?
Her heart had been restless, and all he had to offer was a sorry.
Without another word, Aurora ended the call. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm the rush of emotions.
A wave of sadness tried to rise in her chest, pushing tears to the corners of her eyes, but she quickly fought it down.
She told herself firmly that she would not cry over a boy who could forget to check her messages just because he was tired.
She had been showered with his care and attention before, and now that it seemed to fade, she felt the emptiness more deeply than she liked to admit.
But she would not let herself fall apart because of it.
She decided in her heart that it would be better not to talk to Spencer for a few days. She needed the distance.
Far away, in another place, Spencer sat silently with his phone in his hand.
His face was pale, his body wrapped in gauze and bandages. It was clear he had been through a dangerous incident.