Beauty Within

Adam Delacour • 21 • FRA • M O N S T E R • “It is an absolute human certainty that no one can know his own beauty or perceive a sense of his own worth until it has been reflected back to him in the mirror of another loving, caring human being.” ― John Joseph Powell

[inflictednightmare-blog]

{vidia}

Vidia glares at him, crossing her arms over her chest. “Game over. What do I owe you?”

“Fifty dollars.”

[inflictednightmare-blog]

{aurora}

“I’m just so good at it, you know.” Aurora smiled up at him before letting out a sigh. “But you’re right.”

“You definitely are.” Adam placed a hand on her face and softly caressed his thumb against her cheek. “I’m always right,” he said before kissing her.

[inflictednightmare-blog]

{vidia}

“You couldn’t handle me if you wanted to, Adam.”

“I guess it’s a good thing I don’t want to then.”

[inflictednightmare-blog]

{vidia}

“Right here and now?”

“Out in the open like this? You kinky bitch.”

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{aurora}

“You have a lot left, you just don’t see it yet.” Aurora cupped his face into the palms of her hands. “I just don’t want to loose you… That’s all.”

“You’re never going to lose me. Stop overthinking things so much.” Adam pressed a kiss to the top of her head. 

[inflictednightmare-blog]

{aurora}

“What about me… Are you going to give up on me too?” Aurora slowly moved herself away from his grasp, sitting up and looking at him. 

“How can I give up on the only thing I have left?” Adam finally found the strength to look at her, but he immediately regretted it. Her face broke his heart, something he never wanted to do. He sat up and took her hands. “Aurora, you’re the only thing that matters to me.”

[inflictednightmare-blog]

{aurora}

Aurora moved slightly, feeling her stomach starting to churn. Did he believe in them, whatever they were? She was starting to think he never saw things working out for them. Her eyes went down as she forced a nod. “So we just let the world win? We give up?”

“I gave up a long time ago on myself,” he said, avidly staring at the ceiling to avoid looking at her.

[inflictednightmare-blog]

{aurora}

“You’ll probably loose a letter grade for it.” Aurora did well in school without much effort, this came from being tutored for so long. Before she could say anything else on the topic she was being tugged to his bed by him. She looked down at him before returning the kiss. “Why can’t we just always stay like this?”

“I can just email it to him later.” Adam moved so they could properly lay on the bed. “Because it’s unrealistic.” He began to nonchalantly play with a strand of her hair. “Sometimes it feels like it’s just me and you against the world. Like there is something bigger than both of trying to stop...stop whatever this is from happening. Like the world is not on our side.”

[inflictednightmare-blog]

{aurora}

She nodded her head in understanding. This hadn’t been the first time that they’d been through this. Aurora was constantly filled with doubt, worrying that her father would just take everything away from her. Even though she was just a girl she knew she could help Adam, if her father just didn’t take her away. “What about your paper?”

“It can wait another day.” Adam glanced behind him at his window. “I think he left. We’re alone.” Adam pulled Aurora up with him as he stood up. He let himself fall back onto his bed, pulling her on top of him. His arms snaked around her waist and held her against his chest and his lips found hers once again.

[inflictednightmare-blog]

{aurora}

Aurora kept her arms around him as if she could absorb his pain. If she could, she would. For a few minutes she let the room lay silent as she just held him. Her hand gently rubbed his back in a soothing manner. “It’s okay… No one is going to hurt you here. I’ve got you and I won’t let go.”

Adam nodded before looking up at her. “I know,” he whispered. He pulled her close to him and kissed the top of her head. “I’m sorry.” Adam pressed his lips against hers in a rather rough yet passionate manner. “Do you want to call it a sick day and lay in bed with me all day?”

[inflictednightmare-blog]

{aurora}

Aurora sighed, rummaging through her purse before finding a hairpin which she used to unlock the door. Slowly she creaked it open and stepped into his room. The girl went over to him, kneeling in front of him. “Adam… It’s okay. I’m not going to leave you, I’m sorry. You mean too much to me for that. I didn’t mean to upset you, sometimes I just get worried things won’t work out. The only person I care about is you, you’re all I have and I’m here… Everything’s okay.” 

Adam glanced up at her before curling into her arms with his head in her chest. He felt weak and pathetic. Like some small-- miniscule being. Slowly he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, afraid if he let go he’d be a terrified twelve year old boy again watching his father’s sickening face closing the cover of a meat cooler that he would spend hours pounding and scratching until his hands bled. Adam could feel the burn of his throat from the screams. Whenever he had an episode that’s how he felt. Angry and scared like he used to be. With Aurora there though, it made things a little better. A little easier.

[inflictednightmare-blog]

{aurora}

She knew what was coming from how he was talking. A heavy sigh pressed from her lips as she sat down in front of his door, placing her hands onto her lap. “Okay, I’ll wait…” Even if she wanted her to leave, she couldn’t. He wouldn’t ask for help but she was there for him, she was always there for him.

“Just go!”  he shouted through the door. Adam slid to the floor and put his head between his legs and dug his nails into the back of his neck.

[inflictednightmare-blog]

{Aurora.}

Aurora stayed silent until she heard him go up the stairs. She sat in the shower and allowed her mind to wander away from reality. The last thing she wanted was to be there. After a few minutes she stepped out, wrapping herself with a towel and taking her clothes into her hands as she started to go back up to her room. She put on a simple floral dress and braided her hair, pulling it over her head as if it was a crown. Aurora placed a pair of heels onto her feet before looking at herself in the mirror. So many expectations were placed on her shoulders. The girl picked her car keys off of her table and went to Adam’s door, knocking lightly. “I just remembered I have a really important test I can’t miss. You ready to go?”

“I thought you were sick?” he questioned her in a bitter tone. “I’ll walk. I have something I need to take care of.” Adam stood up and walked the length to his door and locked it so she wouldn’t come in. He dug his fingernails into his fists and took slow deep breaths in attempt to calm himself down before he did something he would end up regretting.

[inflictednightmare-blog]

{aurora}

“Like that even change anything… You’re not the commitment type, right?” The girl hopped off the counter and started to undress herself. There was no use in wasting the shower water, plus she suddenly didn’t want to be so close to him. Aurora stepped inside to let the warmth of the water engulf her. “Even if my dad hadn’t said that about us, I know I’d still just be one of your many girls. I’m not stupid.”

Adam glanced away as she undressed. “Despite what you think I don’t have a lot of girls, Aurora. I don’t have a lot of friends for that matter.” He picked up his shirt he’d been carrying with him and left the room. “I hope you feel better, princess. I’ll let your girls know you’re sick.” He slammed the door then ran upstairs to his bedroom to get his things for school.

[inflictednightmare-blog]

{aurora}

“I thought we weren’t exclusive?” Aurora tugged at her shirt as it lifted over her head. “I’m going to take my top off, whether I go with you or not.”

“That’s because the entire population of this town thinks we’re cousins.”

[inflictednightmare-blog]

{aurora}

Aurora smiled a bit as she arranged herself in this new position. “I don’t know, sounds like a lot of fun. I mean… What’s not fun about sneaking out, getting blackout drunk, then falling asleep next to a stranger?” She moved her eyes to him. “But my dad’s home all weekend so I guess I’ll just have to go to the party with one of the footballers.” 

“Yeah. You can go with me. And only me. Someone has to make sure you don’t take your top off and dance on the beer pong table.”

[inflictednightmare-blog]

{aurora}

“Yeah, I figured.” She kept her lips in a straight line as she looked back to him. “They don’t really listen very well then. I already had two of them ask me to go to that party this weekend.” Aurora leaned right back, letting her nose nearly brush his. “Don’t be such a tease.”

Adam smiled and pulled her closer. “You’re not going to that party. It’s going to be really lame. You have better things to do anyway.” He pressed a small kiss to her neck then whispered in her ear, “like me.”