Chapter 14

Iris and Dean left me in the clinic. Iris was currently attending class, and dean had someone to look after. I was left alone with the nurse in that room. They did not let me return to class for fear that I might faint again. I was completely bored; I didn't have my iPad or my belongings with me, so I was simply staring at the wall.

"Where are you going?" the nurse asked when she saw me getting out of bed.

"I'll just go home? I have no purpose for being here. I'd better rest at home and do what I like," I responded. I fixed my PE uniform and groomed my hair using my fingers.

"You can't. Simply stay here until dismissal; the dean will scold both of us. Go back to your bed." I rolled my eyes at what I heard. Why were we to be scolded?

"Huh? Why? My house is really close by. I can call an uber to avoid walking." I removed my scrunchie from my pocket and secured my hair. I wore a low ponytail because my hair was incapable of supporting a high. My hair was too short for such a style.

"Because the dean told me not to let you go until Ms. Iris' class is done, as you will be going back home together. He's hesitant to send you home alone for fear of something horrible might happen to you on the way." I softly giggled at what I heard. While I understood our dean's concern, he was exaggerating.

I was alone as I fled; did I die?

"The dean won't get mad, miss ma'am. I also have essential tasks at home; I cannot sit here idle for fear of dying of boredom. Do you want that? Obviously not. So I really need to leave."

"You really can't, Ms. Jenkins. Mr. Lopez may terminate my employment if I let you go. I'm going to lose my job." She gripped my arm and looked at me pleadingly. I exhaled a big sigh as I released her grip.

"I'll see to it that he doesn't fire you. Tell him that I'm going to my father's grave. I'm confident he won't get mad. You know, I haven't seen my father since I was eight years old. I miss him so badly that I beg you to allow me to go home." I gave her a sad look and turned away from her. I was hoping she wouldn't make me stay; I was already starving.

I exhaled a sigh of relief when she did not intervene and prevent me from coming out. I didn't wanna stay inside the clinic for an extended period of time; it smelled identical to my previous room. Smelled like medicine, smelled like a hospital. While I was there, I felt like I was confined to the room where I awoke from a ten-year coma.

"You are truly a stubborn woman, huh?" I nearly leaped in fear when I heard Pierre's voice. He was seated on the side of the clinic. There were many tables and chairs; they served as a waiting room for those who were unable to enter the clinic. For instance, the patient's guardian or friends. Pierre's gaze was fixated on the book he was reading.

Again, I assumed it was the black notebook he was carrying.

"What are you doing here? The classes are not yet done. You're not telling me you skipped class? Oh my, EastWood University's most respected student council president skipped class. What is happening in the world—"

"Tch. Didn't dean already inform you that you are not permitted to leave the building till your friend arrives? Where do you think you're going? Are you gonna leave?" He interrupted what I was about to say. Oh my word, I did manage to escape the nurse, but how was I going to escape Pierre? He was even more rigid than the dean.

"Why? What difference does it make? Apart from that, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at class right now? It's not yet time for dismissal, why are you hanging out here?" I redirected the question to him. If I was not permitted to leave the room, he was even more forbidden! I got excused from class after collapsing. What about him?

"Do you truly believe uncle is stupid? He's aware of your stubborn nature and has requested me to keep an eye on you. Additionally, I am excused, which is why I am here. Where are you going?"

I knew it.

"I'm going to the bathroom. You're also going to keep an eye on me while I pee?" With a smile, I asked. He stood and raised an eyebrow. I instantly stepped back as he took a step closer to me.

"Ouch!" I whimpered as he flicked his fingers across my forehead.

"You dare to deceive me. Within the clinic, there are two restrooms. It's impossible not to urinate inside, as there is nothing wrong with them. Additionally, because you and the nurse were the only ones inside, even if you urinate simultaneously, you don't need to leave the room because there are two bathrooms. Stop lying, sleeping beauty. Where are you going?"

I averted my glance as he locked his stare on me. Why was it that he was aware of what was happening in every area of this school? I licked my lip for no apparent reason. This was stressing me out!

"I preferred to be at home, where I could sleep soundly. The smell of the clinic reminds me of something I don't want to feel," I said without looking at him. For a brief period, he was deafeningly quiet and fixed his gaze on me.

"Who are you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at me. What exactly was he saying?

"My name is Aurora Jenkins, and we've been in the same class since the first day of school. What do you mean by who I am?" It was just odd because this was the first time he asked that question. It had been weeks since the class started. I was not sure how many times he had addressed me by my full name in the last several days.

"Aurora Jenkins is all I know about you. What's your name, and how did you come to be in our lives? How did you meet Uncle and Iris? Who are your parents? Why do you seem so important to Iris? Knowing Iris, she doesn't give a fuck about someone, especially one who doesn't know a thing about fashion. Who exactly are you, Aurora?”

He was looking at me so intently, I had to swallow several times because of nervousness. What would I say? I was not sure what was making me so nervous. He was intimidating since day one, but not as intimidating as now. He seemed to have been wondering who I was for years, and it was only now that he summoned the confidence to ask me that question.

"I'm Aurora Jenkins. No more, no less." His expression shifted in a split second. I exhaled a sigh of relief when he didn't ask any more questions. It was as though the atmosphere in the area had changed.

"I need to call an Uber and I don't have my iPad or phone right now. Can I borrow your phone?" I asked, my voice starting to falter. I bit my lip when he handed me his phone without saying anything.

When I opened it, the lockscreen appeared immediately. It was only a picture of the sky in shades of pink and lavender, with nothing else on it. His smartphone, like Iris, did not have a password, so I didn't give it back to him to open it.

As previously said, I used his cellphone to make an Uber call. I didn't have any cash on hand at the moment, but I'd be able to pay after we got into our house. A spare key to the house was hidden beneath the flowerpot outside our home so I didn't really need to get my things just to have the key.

"Thank you," I said as I handed him the smartphone and walked away. It was a good thing he didn't spew a single syllable at me to force me to stay. I had no other reason to tell him if he continued to refuse to let me.

I didn't want to deceive anyone else by using my father's name again.

To be honest, what I told the nurse earlier that I would visit daddy's grave was just a pure lie. I was well aware that she wouldn't allow me to go if I wouldn't tell her that. She might merely spray perfume liberally across the room in case I expressed displeasure with the smell. However, it was true that I wished to visit my father's grave. If I had known where he was buried, it would have been the first location I visited the day I run away. I never learned where my mother buried him.

When I exited the gate, an uber was waiting for me. It whisked me home swiftly due to the lack of traffic. There were only few vehicles on the road. I noticed during my short weeks here that practically everyone rode a bike or motorcycle.

The Uber left after I had paid him. I immediately rushed to my bedroom to change my clothing. I got the majority of my clothes from Iris; she gave me the ones she no longer wore. The majority of them didn't fit her, yet they fit me. Maybe because her chest was larger than mine.

Iris had requested that I should go shopping, but I declined. It was not that I was unwilling; I was simply squandering money to spend. I would leave in a few months and no one would use all the clothes anyway.

I left the room and walked to the kitchen. I was not sleepy because I slept earlier at the clinic. I had no other things to do, so I would simply attempt to cook.

I reached inside the cupboard and got Iris' cook book. She had a lot of it because of her passion for cooking. Every day, it felt as though we were dining at an upscale restaurant due to the meal she cooked. She was like a professional chef.

I'd like to attempt some of Iris' favorites, but I had a difficult time cooking. The process was so lengthy, so I decided not to attempt it. I didn't wanna make a mistake and set fire to the entire house.

I enjoyed simplicity, I assumed I would make cookies. I knew nothing about baking, but everything was detailed in the recipe book, so I understood it well.

"Aw," I exclaimed as I hurriedly cleansed my arm with water. The tray was excessively hot, and a portion of my arm came into contact with it. I was not sure if it was okay to wash my arm after it had been burned. The burn was not severe, nor was it noticeable.

"Oh my God, Aurora! Why didn't you wait for me?" Iris' cry resonated throughout the house as she returned home from school. She frowned as she entered the kitchen with the car key in her hand.

"I dislike the clinic's scent and am really bored; I cannot afford to wait a few hours there," I reasoned. I cast a glance at Iris, who was still staring at me but started eating the cookies.

"What if something happens to you, huh? Your stubbornness will cause you to die sooner. I don't want to hear that you were found dead on the side of the road because you went home alone. Don't you dare give me a heart attack! I don't want to die early!"

"How are the cookies? Are they delectable? I worked hard on those." I approached her when I finished washing. She was still throwing tantrums like a child.

"Do not veer off topic; isn't it obvious that I'm pissed that you came home without me? And yes, the cookies are delicious!" I giggled. Oh, this young lady.

"Stop overreacting, Iris. Nothing happened to me, right? I returned home whole and unscathed. I even baked without your assistance. Scold me if something did happen to me, because if you scold me even if I returned home safely, I won't listen," I said, chuckling.

"Whatever. Let's watch a movie," she said as she exited the kitchen and entered the living area. She removed her shoes only before settling into the sofa. She didn't bother changing her uniform and immediately turned on the large television.

"Let's watch romance!" I bent over her and examined the film she'd chosen. It was rated R18+, so I was sure there were some mature scenes.

"Are you comfortable with this film, Aurie?" she asked feebly.

"Yeah. I can always close my eyes if there is a kissing moment in the film. That's not a hard thing to do," I responded innocuously. Before snacking on cookies, I heard her chuckle.

I hated kissing scenes because they made me gag. I recalled my parents kissing in front of me back then.

When the movie began, we both became silent. Iris was glued to the television, as if she were one of the show's stars.

Minutes passed before the scene grew intimate. I covered my eyes, but curiosity got the better of me when I heard kissing sounds. I lowered my hand that had been covering my eyes gradually and viewed the sight on the TV.

"Oh my God," I said as the two stars began to disrobe. Seriously, how were they able to do all of that in front of the camera? Were they not embarrassed? They were very emphatically not the only people in the room when they were filming those.

"He's so fine. Who is this man?" Iris asked all of a sudden. When I saw the man's bare physique, I averted my eyes. My eyes, oh my goodness, were just too innocent for these scenes!

"They're so obnoxious, Iris!" I screamed my dissatisfaction whenever I heard kissing sounds from the movie.

"Avoid covering your ears. You, too, will experience that one day!" I stepped away from Iris just as she was about to remove the hands that were covering my ears.

"Oh, Aurie, come on! You're already eighteen years old! You must encounter all you have never experienced before you die! If I find myself in a similar situation, I will not allow myself to die virgin!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, all right? I am only familiar with virgin coconut oil and Virgin Mary." I stated with a grimace. She remained silent and locked her gaze on me for a few while. Eventually, her raucous laughing filled the entire house.

"What's funny? I can't remember telling you a joke, Iris. Why are you laughing?" I asked, taken aback. I saw her rubbing her eyes as though wiping away unshed tears from excessive laughter.

"Sleeping beauty, poor you. You are far too innocent for this subject, Jesus!" She laughed once more, as if she believed I was joking. Surprisingly, I left her there. I was not going to guess what she was on about.

Going back to the movie, I felt uncomfortable seeing the mature scenes. Did they really need to kiss naked?

I walked into the room and shut the door behind me. What was the deal with being a virgin, anyway? That was something I'd heard a few times, but no one had ever told me. Was it really that important? Perhaps I should conduct some study from time to time? I couldn't afford to be too naive in situations like this. What if they were cursing at me and I was not aware of it?

If I knew they were cursing me with that virgin term, I'd surely curse them back, you know what I mean.