miss aubrey,

the gates looked almost ominous to aubrey, as if their cast iron claws
could pierce her honey toned flesh. she stood three feet away from
it's ashen shadow, sipping a half warm latte. her large almond shaped
eyes, a warm butterscotch in the half light, narrowed. gates and cages
were the same thing. they kept you locked away, in the darkness.
swallowed the key. a repulsive shiver arched aubrey's feline back, a
sour look banking on her cheeks and lips. at four thirty she'd arrived,
and in her delirium and soft, multi-colored light, thought she could
actually make it. however, three hours later, with her small, delicate
arms swayed together in a rumpled fold, and a bitter expression in her
eyes, suggested quite differently indeed. she stared at her gate, its
rusting metal hinges opening in a smile. tentatively, she walked in, her
lower lip pierced by edged teeth.

the inside of the school was a reflection of its walls; architecturally splendid,
quaint buildings lodged against lodges, grey upon tones of grey. the air was
cooler, yet not pleasantly so. a subtle clang notified her of the gates closing.
a soft sigh rumpled her petite build. trapped. slumping her shoulders slightly
in defeat, aubrey walked softly against the cool limestone path, her orange
ribbon flopping against the wealth of rich chocolate hair. a figure moved
directly in front of her, bringing a slight alarm to her eyes. she hadn't noticed
anyone."hello" she said softly, blinking her dark eyelashes together, twice.
the figure was obviously a boys, for even in his youth he was taller than her -
his shoulders broader and stance slightly more confident than hers. a small,
warm smile hushed her pale lips.

miss aubrey,

regarding the hand fleetingly, aubrey's reluctantly accepted gesture.
"aubrey marie." she offered, her delicate hand breezing forward
formally. his hand felt warm against hers, a comfort from the coldness of
the stony buildings. "pleasures all mine" she added politely, though
her large brown eyes hinted bemusement and slight boredom. the
boy reminded her so much of charlie. even the dimples, almost lost
in the roughness of pubescence, pale pink on his milky skin. they
barely spoke anymore, too many disagreements and disappointments
leading to an absence of sound. he didn't ring. she didn't write. time
didn't heal wounds - that was a lie. time was a clever, tricky little thing.
time opened those wounds that you stitched up, unraveled the thread
that kept your aching sides whole. time didn't heal - it numbed, numbed
you so that you lost all hope, all valor and in your numbness and darkness
left you blind and deaf to the songs your heart used to sing. no, time did
not heal. not at all.

aubrey frowned, a deep arch settling on her temple. somewhere inside of her, she
tsked herself, raging on about premature wrinkles. aubrey really couldn't care less,
if she had tried to. even at the tender, romantic age of seventeen going on eighteen,
she was often mistaken for fourteen, her short, babyish features and supreme lack
of height paying tribute to such an atonement. a cool breeze withdrew her from the
comfortable silence. she apologetically twitched her lips, her eyes suddenly aware of
the cobbled landscape around her. "are you new here, nicolae?" she inquired half
heartedly, blinking the harsh light from her eyes. her tone was dead, however hard
she tried to fake interest, yet it was pretty, soprano and gossamer. she studied his
beautiful shapely face approvingly, settling on his remarkable eyes. no human could
possess such beauty- like the painted face of botticelli's venus, he was so milky
pale, regal as a noble prince in the grayish half light.