CHAPTER SIX !
[ real life ]

❝ ENEMYS DOORSTEP ❞

*this chapters kinda a more serious one than others lol sorry i want it to be realistic*

very small mention of alcohol / being drunk

📂﹖﹕𓂃𐩐💻

ʳᵉᵃˡ ˡⁱᶠᵉ

if there was anyone aurora hated more than anything, even matt — it was her parents.

her real dad had died when she was only at the age of two so neither her or elijah got a chance to make any memories of him. it had only taken a few months after his death before they were introduced to their new dad.

her mother and her step fathers love is hard to explain really. it's a repetive never ending cycle between the two. for a few months everything will be fine, and then they'll start to argue and argue, and soon enough, a big fight will break out between her parents. most of the time her mother ends up calling the cops for dramatics as well, making it all the more messy.

her will mother pack up her and elijah's stuff, promising to leave their father forever at least seven times a year. the longest time they've stayed apart though, is only about five months. no matter what, she always goes back to the man. no matter how many times elijah and aurora cry and yell about how they should finally get a divorce and stop putting the entire family through hell for the sake of their dead relationship, they don't listen.

auroras had a fair share of times throughout all the years she's known the triplets where she's shown up in the middle of the night on their porch. from the early ages of elementary school to now, they've seen the girl at her very worst.

actually one of the very, very few things she appreciates matt for, is that he never mentions it or tries to use her family problems against her in arguments. every time she shows up at their house unannounced with puffy eyes, he never tries to get a rise out of her, says a single unkind word to her, or so much as uses a harsh tone with her. he just allows her to seek solace in his home, usually without even saying a word or stepping a foot in her direction after she's arrived.

auroras gotten used to her shitty home life at this point.

that still doesn't make it any easier when she comes home to elijah waiting for her in the living room though.

the living room is close to their parents bedroom, where the two have always sat in quietly to listen if there's any loud noise of something breaking or being thrown.

it's the first night both of their parents have been home at the same time and aurora already knows where this is going.

once she spots elijah, he just gives her a shake of his head, her heart already dropping as he stands up and starts walking towards her.

"hey," he says softly once he reaches her, aurora already knowing by the tone of his voice that it's going to be a bad night.

aurora could take this any other night but seriously? today? she has her first day of school in the morning.

"how bad is it?" she asks instantly.

"uh, i don't know. i know it's not good though," he says honestly, rubbing at the back of his neck as aurora shuts her eyes in frustration. "dad came into my room drunk earlier talking about whatever shit mom supposedly did to him. he basically tried to guilt trip me into saying he's not a bad person but i just ignored him for the most part."

"oh," aurora murmurs, immediately knowing they're doomed since alcohols now in the mix of things.

aurora has always had a strained relationship with her step dad. she calls him dad and sees him as her dad, seeing as he's the only father figure she's ever got to know of course, — it's just that his love was always forced onto her from day one since him and her mother had rushed into the relationship so quickly. she feels as if she never got to build a natural bond with him, like there will always be something missing in the relationship between the two.

she's also missing something with her mom too but she can't quite place what it is.

sometimes she likes to wonder if she was always meant to be a daddy's girl, to her real father at least, but he just died too soon before she could experience it.

"i think you should stay at the sturniolos tonight, rory," elijah sighs, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"elijah," she frowns. "i don't want to leave you here by yourself."

"i've gotta make sure nothing happens," he tells her sternly, the two of them knowing something will most definitely happen, they're just not sure what yet.

"you shouldn't have to sit here and put up with our parents bullshit while i get to escape from it. it's not fair!" she exclaims. "i'm stayi-"

"not if i can help it," he cuts her off seriously, sighing at her taken aback expression and continuing in a softer tone. "listen it's my job as your big brother to always make sure you'll be okay, okay?"

she stares at him wordlessly before sighing, "elijah-"

"i've already grabbed the clothes you picked for tomorrow, your backpack, and your makeup bag," he cuts her off again, pointing towards a pile of bags in the living room she hadn't seen before. "i can drive you to the triplets," he tells her.

she knows she has no choice with elijah's stubbornness in making sure she's okay before him. she knows he not only can drive her there, he's going to no matter what she says.

so when aurora stands on the sturniolos doorstep with a backpack on her back, clothes in one hand and her makeup bag in the other, it's no surprise really.

very luckily for her, matt of course, is the one who opens the front door. "aurora?" he questions, furrowing his eyebrows when he first sees her. he has no clue what she could be doing here back so fast when they had just dropped her off not too long ago.

his question is answered though when he notices the bags she has. a frown quickly settles on his face, realizing it's one of those nights. his frown only deepens when he sees the blank, tired look on her face as she stares at him without saying anything.

if it was any other time, aurora would be pissed at herself for showing up at her enemy's doorstep so randomly and matt would probably be making fun of her for it. but in a time like this, it's completely different.

he's silent for a few seconds as he stares at her before finally sighing. he opens the door wider and nods his head, motioning for her to come inside, as he walks away.

when she comes inside, matt is already off in another direction, probably in one of where his two brothers are. she closes the front door behind her and sets her bags down against the wall for the time being, knowing they'll probably end up in nicks room since she always crashes with him.

"aurora darling?" marylous voice is heard from a farther distance. aurora instantly turns around, relieved at the presence of the woman who's practically raised her more than her own mother. "hi, honey," she says, walking over to the girl and wasting no time in pulling her into a hug.

"hey, marylou." aurora smiles, returning the quick embrace before pulling away.

it's now that chris and nick appear, matt far gone. he knows it's best to leave the girl alone and that his presence wouldn't be her favorite thing in the world right now, not that it usually is in the first place.

"hey, rory," chris immediately exclaims, pulling the girl into a quick side hug and acting like he didn't say goodbye to her forty minutes ago.

"are you gonna stay in my room tonight?" nick asks, knowing she always does but wanting to make sure just in case.

aurora just nods.

"alright, i'll chill with you guys for a bit," chris tells the pair, earning a smile from aurora and a nod from nick.

if there's anything she loves about coming to the sturniolos place during a time like this, it's that they don't treat her like she's fragile and that she could break at any second.

on their way to nicks room, they pass by matt coming out of the bathroom. he doesn't say anything, just glances at them gives a nod of his head to acknowledge their presence. his eyes linger on aurora for a bit before walking off to his room.

a lot of the time, aurora wishes he wouldn't be so distant on nights like these. she doesn't enjoy his presence but their fights are one of the never-changing things in her life, always something she can expect. it's the one thing in her life that's always a constant. it's definitely a little comforting but she'd never admit that out loud.

💌

sorry sorry this chapter wasn't as light hearted or funny as others, i just wanted to give aurora more of a realistic home life in here. i know in obvious i never went into detail with any of estella's family but i want to touch more of realistic aspects in here??

promise things will go back to being funny dw👍🏻👍🏻

and if ur home life is any close to auroras, i promise promise promise you that you are not alone and that you'll get out of there someday. you just gotta pull through, it'll be worth it in the end 🫶🏻

<3
jaden