THE GOLDEN AGE, sejanus plinth

022. sunshine

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CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
SUNSHINE
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NOBODY WAS HOME. Aurora was alone in the penthouse and she was running late for school. It didn't bother her, though.

Pandora had left thirty minutes ago with a reminder to not be late for school and Aurora had nodded while chewing her cereal, that hadn't tasted like anything.

Pandora had gone to the city to run errands for their upcoming vacation to District Four. It was still a month away, but her aunt was probably trying to get her mind off things.

So, Aurora was sitting in the kitchen, still dressed in her nightgown, with the intention of staying home today.

Why should she go anyways? Sol was dead, the Games were gruesome, Sejanus wasn't going to school either, and she just couldn't do it anymore.

She had put the bottle of posca far away in the deepest corner of one of their cupboards, just to make sure she wouldn't down it in a second.

Would there ever be a normal day in her life?

She was waiting for someone to pick up on the other end of the line. Her pinky finger was itching again, maybe that was the new constant in her life. That and the grief.

Of course did she know that grief got easier with time, but she was in the state that didn't let her believe of a normal life anymore.

It had all happened so suddenly. Arachne's death, the death of the Ring twins, Sol's death. Everyone was dying, including her someday.

She put the phone down again after convincing Sejanus to come over. Well, convincing wasn't the right word. She had asked and he had said yes. She wouldn't let the grief and pain of the last weeks destroy that little piece of happiness that she still had.

Sejanus looked around the room, he hadn't been here before. Pandora hadn't let him in when he'd wanted to visit the girl after the arena bombing weeks ago.

"It's nothing special," Aurora mumbled while sitting down on her bed.

Her room was full of light, the big windows positioned exactly so that the first lights of dawn would reach her, it was almost like the builders had known of her favorite time of day.

The marble floors with their streaks of gold were polished and you could almost see your reflection.

There was no point in denying that Aurora's room screamed luxury, being one of the fortunate ones to have grown up rich. It was a privilege that she forgot from time to time.

"I like it, it's totally you," he replied as he sat down next to her on her bed.

He looked better than yesterday, much more rested. Maybe it was finally time to leave the horror of the past weeks behind them.

"I'm sorry about yesterday," he told her.

She turned around to him, totally confused.
"What do you mean?" She asked.

He shifted on his place a little and dropped his gaze again.
"Me drowning in self pity when you also have a hard time, that wasn't really fair of me."