One Screwed Up Love Story -private-

[--x sweet whispers]

Locked away in this hole.

I can't see nor can I breath.

One more second till I fade.

But there you are.

Helping me once more.

Angel H O P E Dawson

`•.¸¸.••´´¯``•• .¸¸.•´`•.¸¸.••´´¯``•• .¸¸.•´`•.¸¸.••´´¯``•• .¸¸.•´`•.¸¸.••´´¯``•• .¸¸.•´`•.¸¸.••´´¯``•• .¸¸.•´

Take a risk, take a chance, pick me up and show me love...

▶▷▸▹Angel continued to skate, her feet moving from side to side as she slid easily on the ice. It seemed like it was rather thin but it didn’t appear that way to Angel, she just had a feeling the nothing would happen. Memories began to flood into Angel’s mind as she began to think back to her childhood, the day she learned about her childhood and the day she became scared of people. The little girl let out a whine as she sat in the back of the car and kicked around her feet at the passenger seat in front of her. “Angie dear please stop.” A woman called from the driver’s side as she got into the vehicle. The woman had blond hair the flowed down to her shoulders in curls before being cut off short and cropped inward. Her eyes shined through the mirror with a shiny blue color to match her daughter. The child looked like her mother more then anything and everyone knew that. Her name even went well with her appearance as she truly did look like an Angel. The little made a humph sound before settling in her seat and looking out the side window. “Angel dear what’s the matter?” Felicia asked her daughter as she pulled out from the driveway and started to head down the road away from their house. Angel seemed to think about answering or not for a moment before she sighed and threw her hands up in the air. “Where are we going?” The hyperactive 5 year old asked with a bit of an awkward tone to her voice. She didn’t mind that they were going out but she did mind when her mother just picked her up from her room and puts her in the car without a single word. The woman who was in her mid-twenties smiled and let out a laugh before looking at Angel for a moment. “I’m sorry but it’s a surprise, do you want me to ruin it for you?” The little girl’s eyes sudden brightened up and she began bouncing around in her seat.

▶▷▸▹"No! Don’t tell me mommy, don’t tell me!” She held her index finger to her lips in a cute manner before giggling and peering out of the window at the stores and people who they passed. It seemed like a long time till the two reached a parking lot and the car came to a stop in which Angel immediately started to undo her seatbelt, or at least tried to. Her mother came around and helped her daughter before lifting the little girl up till she was resting on her mother’s hip. Giggling the young girl bounced around as they walked to the building and she got placed down to the ground. Instantly she went running as far as she could till she reached a glass window and looked out to see the ice skating rink. Angel was suddenly infatuated with it and wanted to go on it and she was also curious as to how they kept the ice cold and hard enough to skate on. Her mother soon came and removed her boots before putting the funny shoes on her and then doing her own. The mother and daughter duo went out through the door and carefully walked over to the ice but as they got there Angel stopped right before the ice and looked down at it carefully. “Mommy, what happens if I fall?” The girl asked with a worried tone before bending down and touching the ice. With a shriek she ran behind her mother, grabbing the sides of the lady’s jeans before giggling quietly. The proud mother just laughed along before picker her daughter up and going on the ice, twirling all around. The two spent a while trying to work out how it would be best for Angel to skate and once they found it Angel had it naturally down, moving across the ice at amazing speed for a 5 year old. The two laughed the whole time and by the time two hours had gone by Angel could twirl, do five different jumps, and so much more but her mother shook her head silently and pointed to the clock when the girl asked it they could stay longer. Angel sighed and followed her mother like an obedient girl and once they were outside again they decided to go to the outdoor mall.

▶▷▸▹The two went to many different shops and got lunch while enjoying their new items that had been purchase but it wasn’t till they were on their way out that things began to turn disastrous. Angel had been skipping along merrily next to her mother when she was grabbed from behind and suddenly she could only see darkness but she could hear her mother screaming and feel her body moving up and down from the person running. The little girl, scared beyond belief, kicked and screamed but the person only covered her mouth and held her down tightly till she just fainted. When she had woken up she had been in a dark room, not able to hear, smell, see, or even move around. It wasn’t something she liked, she felt scared and that something bad had happened but she couldn’t tell exactly what had happened. Suddenly light flooded into the room and she could see, noticing she was in a bedroom type room and that two men were walking in. They came toward her and even though they were arguing about something she couldn’t hear a single thing. After that everything went black again and the next time she woke up she was being carried out of the bedroom but someone then suddenly she was outside and she could hear her mother and her father scream in joy. Angel pushed and kicked at the person holding her till she broke free and ran straight to her mother, never wanting to leave the warm arms. Angel broke from her memory as she sighed and started once more since she had stopped. After that she had gone to eight different doctors and other types of medial people who all said the same thing, whether or not the incident happened she would have grown older and still formed the phobia but her mother seemed to think that wasn’t it. Her mother thought that the whole ordeal was the cause of it...she also thought it was all her fault. It was then that her dad started hitting her, right when he noticed that his wife was putting her life more into work then anything else to escape reality. He blamed Angel, her mother blamed herself, and Angel blamed no one. She had told herself over and over again through the years that it was faith, that she was meant to be this way but if she was, wouldn’t there have been an easier way? Angel stopped skating again and used the sharper end of her skates to carve her name into the ice before she twirled around and closed her eyes. Sometimes she wondered what exactly she would have grown up to be like had none of it happened. Had she lived a normal life would she have been popular? Talented? Smart? Social? So many questions yet she had no answers to any of them.

▶▷▸▹As Angel turned a corner she could see Alan walking down and a smile appeared on her face. It was weird how whenever she saw him she’d get a weird feeling in her stomach as if there were butterflies dancing around and how when he held her hand she blushed...whatever blushing was. A confused sigh ran through her lips as she skated closer to the edge. Being stuck in your house for so long its hard to understand things, she didn’t even know what to call whatever she was feeling or whatever it meant, she was just lost on the whole thing. “Hello to you too Mister Steam King, you’re not bothering me at all and I’d love something to drink.” She giggled at her lame excuse for a nickname to him before she took the cup and let the steam warm her face up for a moment before she took a sip from the paper cup. She watched him carefully as he got onto the ice, giggling as she realized she was now the same height as him because of her skates. “Well I wasn’t always like I am now. When I was younger I wasn’t affected by this phobia, I learned to skate from my mother.” She told the boy before moving her feet back and forth once more as she slid from side to side on the ice. Finally she stopped and stayed in place and looked up at Alan as he told his tale. “Well I’m sure you’re not that bad, also you don’t look much like a hockey player. It’s easy to skate as long as you find your own way to move. Everyone thinks there is one proper way to skate but in reality there isn’t, there are many different ways like me. When I skate my feet tend to point inward instead of outward like their supposed to cause that’s just how I skate. I’m sure you have a way, you just have to take the time to look for it.” A giggled ran through her lips as she took a huge gulp from her tea and circled around the pond before ending where she had been before. When the boy gave her his cute smile she couldn’t help but get that butterfly feeling once more and suddenly feel a little light-headed. “Oh yes, I feel so proud that I, a total stranger, has managed to get you on the ice.” A smirk tugged on her lips a bit as she drank more of her drink and closed her eyes as the steam continued to rise. After a while she seemed to notice that he was moving closer and closer to her but he seemed a bit unstable so she always kept a hand close out to her side incase he fell. When Alan stopped coming closer she looked down to the ground a bit and looked at the slices her skates had made before looking up at Alan once more and nearly drowning in his eyes. When he turned to face the other way a pout form on her face though she had no idea why, it was almost like a involuntary action but she watched him closely and smiled her sweet smile, the smile of an angel as her mother would say. When they went tumbling to the ground she let out a silent whimper as pain shot through her body but she covered it up quickly before the sandy blond could see.

▶▷▸▹She giggled at what he said before taking his hand and standing up, brushing the snow off herself as she rolled her eyes at Alan. Angel had to stifle a laugh that was ready to pour threw her lips as she watched him before going and sitting beside him. The sound of children playing around sound reached her eyes and she nearly jumped 10 feet in the air, almost landing on Alan. She looked away for a bit and simply nodded her head to his sentence before she sighed and buried her head in her hands. When the boy came back she quickly placed her boots on and stood up before walking along with Alan to the porch where she let her skates rest against the house. Quickly she brushed all the snow off her and looked down at her hand which was burning from when Alan had taken hold of it. She shook her head in awkwardness before going into the house. Dinner wasn’t anything special, at least not for Angel. She felt bad for not paying much attention to Alan’s mother but she couldn’t help but think about her own mother who was supposed to come home any day now. What would she think about the whole situation? Would she even notice that Angel was gone? Would she even care, more importantly though if she found out about the whole court thing would her mother fight for custody? Her thoughts stopped as she felt the chair beside her move and she looked up at Alan with sad eyes before she watched him leave then continued eating her dinner which was almost gone. Once she had finished she stood up and looked to Alan’s mom, hesitant for a moment before she opened her mouth to speak. “Um...thank you for the dinner and...for everything else. No one else would have done what you guys are doing now...” Angel gave a small smile before walking to the kitchen and putting her dishes away before walking up the stairs and into her room. She sat on the bed for a minute, looking at the closed door before she got up and changed into some sweats and a tank-top then crawled under her covers and let sleep take over her mind.

▶▷▸▹The morning light poured into her room through the windows since she forgot to pull the curtains but it wasn’t like they had woken her up, she had already been awake, had been for hours. For some reason she just couldn’t sleep, her mind wouldn’t let her, almost like mind was in a protest to what she was doing, letting people through her shell. Never once had anyone been able to even put a dent through her protective shell and now these strangers have managed to break through to the point where she seriously cared about them, much more than she should have. Sighing she stood up and pulled on a jacket before leaving her room to find everyone was still asleep. With a roll of her eyes she quietly walked down the stairs and to the kitchen where she looked around for a bit till she found what she needed and made herself some hot chocolate. As she waited for it to finish making she grabbed a cup then poured the hot liquid into it and grabbed her book that she had brought down from the room. The book was nothing special, just a book about a twisted fairytale that she’s probably read thirty times. Smiling she walked outside and sat down in the chair out there before taking a sip of her drink and setting it down on the table. As she got halfway through the first chapter a noise made her jump as she looked down to see a snow white kitten at the foot of the chair. The kitten looked maybe a few months old, was very skinny, and looked as if it had been completely abandoned. Now there is one thing that Angel can’t let pass by and that is animals that are in trouble. She had always been fascinated by animals, especially cats but she only ever got a dog. This kitten seemed to be giving her the cute eyes as it meow quietly and hopped on the chair, curling on her lap. Her eyes were large, bigger then stones as she stared at the soft plush kitten before setting her book down and picking the pour little kitten up. Smiling Angel peered into the house to see no one so she took her book, drink, and the kitten into the house and went into the kitchen. Carefully she dug around in the fridge before pulling out some turkey pieces for sandwiches and tearing them up into tiny bits before placing them before the kitten. The blond watched as the kitten ate the turkey quickly before she heard a door upstairs close. She turned toward the stairs before looking at the kitten and picking the poor animal up. She looked around but didn’t find a hiding spot so she went to the back door and placed the kitten down. “Sorry kitty, I can’t keep you but just...stay here.” She felt stupid for talking to a cat but she just pray the cat listened and didn’t move. As she ran back to the kitchen she made it just in time to act like she had been reading her book when Alan came down. “Good morning.” She said with a smile as she looked over to the backdoor where the kitten was now trying to open the door. Angel rolled her eyes at the animal before walking over to stand beside Alan and looking at him with a curious look. She giggled for a moment before leaning over and giving him an innocent smile. “You look cute today.” She said with a giggle in her throat as she took his hand and led him to the back door. Angel bit her lower lip as she realized the kitten had opened the back door and gotten into the house and was now lying right in from of the door. “Um...I kinda stumbled upon her and I don’t know what to do with her....” She looked down at the kitten before picking the animal up and cradling it in her arms.


▹ Love is simple, its people that are complicated◃

`•.¸¸.••´´¯``•• .¸¸.•´`•.¸¸.••´´¯``•• .¸¸.•´`•.¸¸.••´´¯``•• .¸¸.•´`•.¸¸.••´´¯``•• .¸¸.•´`•.¸¸.••´´¯``•• .¸¸.•´

[ilyuhh]

↘They sɑy you gottɑ plɑy with the cɑrds you were deɑlt.↙

┏━━━►☢◄━━━┓
Λɭɑɳ Νɩɡеɭ Ɍɩϲℎɑrɗsoɳ
┗━━━►☢◄━━━┛

↘But why should I hɑve to fɑce ɑ cheɑter? ↙

↘↘I'm tired of being the bɑd guy...


►

Alan woke up with a groan, and rolled over onto his stomach. When he finally managed to get his eyes open, he saw that it was 5. Again. ”Hm…” He mumbled to himself, then he rolled back onto his back, and sat up, before pulling the covers away from his body, and climbing out of the bed. With a yawn, Alan crossed the room and opened the door. He noticed Angel wasn’t in her room anymore, so he assumed she was an early riser. ”You’d think that someone who doesn’t have to go to school would sleep in…” He mumbled to himself, noticing that his mom was still sleeping, since she wasn’t going to work that day. With a slight shrug, Alan just walked into the bathroom, and closed the door. Then he started up the shower, but didn’t wait for it to get super hot, before stripping down and stepping in. He quickly washed his hair and his body, and was out after only five minutes. Alan quickly dried himself and brushed his hair, then his teeth. Once he was done in the bathroom, he walked quickly back to his room, and closed the door, before finding a clean pair of boxer’s and pulling them on. He threw the used towel into his laundry basket, then walked over to his closet to begin searching for something to wear. After a while of searching, he found some denim slim jeans, a plain white t-shirt, and black button down shirt. He quickly pulled on the pants, then the white shirt, before finally pulling on the black shirt, leaving it open. With a smile, he shook out his hair until it was sticking up in its usual curly mess, and pulled on some socks before grabbing his messenger bag and heading down the stairs. When he entered the kitchen, Alan saw Angel reading a book, only he could tell something was up since she looked a little jump, and out of breath. When she spoke Alan smiled and ran his fingers through his curly mess of hair. ”Good morning Angel. Thanks… I think” He said, not used to anyone but his mom calling him cute. Then he followed her to the back were a little white puff ball stood, staring up between him and Angel, as if asking them both if they planned on helping it. At first, Alan just stared, then a warm smile formed on his face as Angel picked it up.

►

Alan reached over and scratched the little cat between her ears, then sighed and looked up at Angel. ”Come on, bring her into the kitchen and we can give her some food. I’ll probably be gone by the time my mom wakes up, but plead your case to her, and she may let you keep her. She likes you, you know? My mom, I mean” Alan said, as he opened a can of tuna and emptied it into a bowl. Then he placed it down on the counter, and carefully took the kitten from Angel’s arms and placed it down so it could eat. ”I’ll talk to my mom about it later, when I get home. But I’m sure she’ll let us keep her” Alan said, before searching the cupboards for a box of pop tarts. When he found the box, he pulled out a package then unwrapped them and placed them into the toaster. He then began making himself a sandwich... The same kind he made every day. Once he was finished with hi s sandwich, he wrapped it up and put it into his bag before turning to Angel again. ”So… My mom is planning on taking you shopping today. Which means like… In a mall with people. Now, it shouldn’t be too busy because a lot of people work, but if you don’t think you can handle going, then don’t. My mom will just pick out whatever for you. I would love to stay here, and go with you. Much better than being in an in-school suspension. But I can’t, because otherwise the principle will extend my punishment. Angel, if I give you my cell phone, and take Ryan’s with me, will you call his phone if you ever need me? For any reason? Even if it’s just that you’re scared of my mom. Just call me.” He said, just as his pop tarts popped up from the toaster. With a sigh, Alan turned around and put them on a plate, then took his cell phone out of his pocket. ”I made Ryan’s number under speed dial one, so you only have to press the 1, and then the talk button” He said, then handed her his slim black flip phone, and grabbed Ryan’s silver flip phone into his pocket. Then he took a large bite from his pop tart, and began getting cereal ready for Ryan and his mom when they woke up.

►

Alan had finished his pop tarts by the time Ryan came down into the kitchen, wearing another pair of Alan’s jeans, a black t-shirt and a black sweater. ”Did you ask?” Alan asked Ryan. Ryan smiled sheepishly and shook his head before walking over and giving Alan a hug, looking up at him with puppy eyes. ”Alan, can I pweeeeease borrow your jeans?” He asked. Alan just made a face and pushed Ryan off him before handing Ryan a sandwich. ”You’re already wearing them, I don’t see the point in asking. Eat, I have to leave soon.” He said to Ryan, who gasped and took the sandwich, throwing it into his backpack before pouring himself some cereal. As Ryan ate, Alan sighed and sat down, then looked at the Kitten, who had somehow gotten from the counter to his mom’s chair without anyone noticing. ”Cat” Ryan mumbled through a mouthful of cereal. ”Yes Ryan, that’s a cat” Alan said in his ‘you’re such a retard’ voice. Ryan just rolled his eyes and swallowed. ”I know what a cat is. I meant like… why is it here?” He said, before quickly finishing off his cereal. ”Angel found it” Alan said. Then he stood up and walked to the front door, pulling on his Nike’s before grabbing his jacket off the hook, and making his way back to the kitchen, to see Ryan tying up his converse. ”Okay… So, Angel remember you have my phone, and to call Ryan’s if you need me. Do not go with my mom if you don’t feel comfortable going, because my mom wont know what to do if you start freaking out. Ryan and I will be home by 3:30, so… Just try and stay busy till then, and then you and me can do something, kay?” He said, as he pulled on his jacket, then bent down to help Ryan zip up his. Once both boys were ready, Alan slung his bag across his body, then handed Ryan his, and leaned over to give Angel a gentle hug, before ushering the younger boy from the room, down the hall, and out the front door.

►

The two boys walked down the street in silence, Alan suddenly jumpy for some reason. ”She’ll be fine Alan, relax” Ryan said, his voice sounding bored. Alan just glared at Ryan and sighed. ”Until we figure all this s**t out with her dad, I’m gonna be on my toes” Alan said, not even denying that he was worried. ”She’s with mom. Don’t worry Alan. Really… She probably wont even go out anyway. No one knows where she is but us” Ryan said. Alan grimaced, but nodded. ”I know Rye… But you never know. What if she does venture out with mom? And what if someone who knows her see’s her.” Alan said, worry filling his voice again. ”She has your phone, does she not?” Ryan pointed out. Alan just nodded and sighed. ”It’s just hard not being there to make sure she’s okay. Anyway… We’re at your school now… So I’ll wait for me out here and I’ll come get you after school, okay?” Alan said, giving Ryan a quick hug before beginning his walk to his own school. Once he was a block away from Ryan’s, Alan put his headphones in and walked to the beat of I want you to by Weezer, just wanting that day to be over, so that he could stop worrying about Angel’s safety. With a sigh, Alan pushed through the doors to his school and made his way down the familiar hallways as he always did, to his locker where he gathered his stuff. Then he walked into Ms.Alberts’ class, to see her sitting at her desk. ”Hey” He said softly as he walked in. ”Huh? Oh, hello Alan” She said, looking up at him briefly before turning her attention back to whatever she was doing. Alan sighed and dropped his stuff down, before taking his usual spot beside Ms.Alberts, and jumped a little when she placed a heavy stack of paper in front of him. ”Mark these for me” She said, handing him a red pen before once again returning to what she was doing. Alan stared at her for a minute before shrugging, and beginning to mark the heavy stack of paper.

►

Meanwhile, back at the house…Once Alan’s mom was finally up, and showered, she pulled on some jeans and a t-shirt, before going down the stairs to see Angel sitting at the table with a kitten in her hands. ”Oooh. Did you find that? It’s so adorable” She cooed, reaching over to scratch the top of the kittens head, before taking a seat across from Angel. ”Okay, so I know Alan told you that I would take you shopping today, but I think that until we sort all this out, you should just stay in the house. I called a lawyer, and have a meeting with him tonight. He wanted to make it this afternoon, so that we would have more time to discuss, but I thought since you had to be there, you would probably want Alan to be there as well.” She explained. Then she took a deep breath and looked back up at Angel. ”Anyway, I know you aren’t so comfortable around people other than well… Alan and that tutor of yours, but the lawyer said that he needed to speak with you alone, which I knew you wouldn’t be comfortable with. So, I asked him if Alan could stay with you, and he said that was fine. Would you be okay with Alan stayed with you while the lawyer speaks with you about your father? That way, you don’t have to be there at the actual court case, because he’ll have all that he needs from you.” She continued, wondering if it was all too much for Angel to handle. Then she smiled and got up to get a note pad and a pen, before sitting back down and handing the two items to the blonde girl who sat across from her. ”If you wouldn’t mind just writing down some things you want, your size, what colours you like, what articles of clothing you want most, things like that, so that I know what to get you. Also, what colour would you like your room to be? From the looks of it, you’ll be with us for at least a month, because the lawyer said that these kinds of cases take at least a month to sort out, so if you let me know what you would like your room to be like, I can get some paint, and bedding to make it more comfortable for you.” She explained, before getting up to begin making tea. ”I’m sorry you can’t come with me, I just know that it’s better if you stay. Plus, I can already tell that Alan is worrying his little bum off at school.” Laurie said, laughing lightly. Then she sighed and looked back down at Angel, while grasping the mug of tea in her hands. ”Anyway, I’m going to go get ready while you write your list.” She said, before turning and exiting the kitchen.

►

Once out of the kitchen, and up the stairs, Laurie entered her room and closed the door. Then sat down on her bed, and picked up a picture of Alan’s father. ”You would be so proud of him…” She whispered to the picture, her eyes filling with tears as she thought about all the things Alan was doing to help Angel. She quickly dried her tears and sniffled, then put the picture back down, between a picture of Alan, and a picture of Ryan. Then she stood up and walked to her closet, pulling a fleece sweater over her t-shirt, before brushing through her hair once more, and putting on a little bit of make up. Then she pulled on her shoes, and went back down the stairs and into the kitchen, to see Angel sitting with her list all made up. Laurie smiled and sat across from her, then listened to what Angel had to say about the kitten. ”Of course we can keep it. Ryan loves cats, as do I. I’m not sure about Alan… I think he’s more of a dog person, but I think he’d put up with a cat if it made you happy… He’d put up with a lot if it made you happy…” She mumbled the last part so quietly that she was sure Angel wouldn’t hear it. Then she took the list from Angel and folded it, putting it into her pocket before she pulled on her coat. ”Okay, so I have my cell phone if you need me. My number should be on Alan’s phone under speed dial two, and you know Alan has Ryan’s phone if you need him as well. Do not go outside unless you absolutely feel you need to. Make sure all the doors are locked, and do not open the door. Not for anyone. Anyone who is allowed into the house, has a key. Now Angel… I’m not saying this to trap you in here or anything… I’m laying these rules down, because if anything happened to you, Alan would probably kill me. So please, for the sanity of my son, just… Stay inside, and don’t open the door for anyone. And call if you need us. I hope you have a good day Angel, I’m sorry it’ll probably be boring for you, but Alan’ll be home before you know it” Laurie said, then locked the backdoor, before going to the front of the house and giving Angel one last smile before leaving, locking the front door behind her.

I don't want the W O R L D to see me, 'cause I don't think that they'd understand.

When everything is made to be B R O K E N, I just want you to know who I am.

[--x sweet whispers]

Locked away in this hole.

I can't see nor can I breath.

One more second till I fade.

But there you are.

Helping me once more.

Angel H O P E Dawson

`•.¸¸.••´´¯``•• .¸¸.•´`•.¸¸.••´´¯``•• .¸¸.•´`•.¸¸.••´´¯``•• .¸¸.•´`•.¸¸.••´´¯``•• .¸¸.•´`•.¸¸.••´´¯``•• .¸¸.•´

Take a risk, take a chance, pick me up and show me love...

▶▷▸▹Angel held the kitten tightly in her hands, her small finger tracing along the furry animal’s ears and along its back before her icy blue eyes shined up at Alan while a smile teased on her face. “I guess I’ll have to try my hardest to make a good case though that should could naturally since my...but yeah hopefully we can keep her.” She smiled politely and let the boy take the kitten from her arms. She watched the animal closely and smiled to the sandy blond boy before her. She leaned carefully on the counter, watching him before her eyes reflected off toward the window where she watched the snow begin to fall gently. A sigh fell from her lips quietly before her attention turned to Alan and she listened to his jumble mass of words as she tried to keep along with them. When he finished a small a laugh escaped her lips before she looked at him and with a tilt to her head she spoke. “I promise to call you Alan, no matter what but please don’t be so worried, nothing is going to happen. You’ll come home from school and I’ll be right here waiting for you okay?” She rolled her eyes at his precautions and took the phone gingerly from his hands before flipping it open and closed out of boredom before she picked up her hopefully new kitten and placed her on her shoulder, walking out toward the table where she looked around and narrowed her eyes, thinking of maybe cleaning up or doing something around the house. As Angel was about to turn around the kitten hopped off her shoulder and went back to the bowl licking it clean which just made Angel roll her eyes gently before running her fingers along the animals fur. Angel’s head turned up as she heard Alan talk and then noticed that his brother Ryan was in the room. She giggled quietly and kept her place behind Alan, watching the two with amusement filling her eyes. She giggled quietly again before pushing past Alan, ruffling Ryan’s hair then heading up the stairs to her room, digging around till she pulled out a hat and placed it on her head. As she made it back to where the boys were she walked over to the kitten, glaring for a second at Ryan before petting the little animal who started purring like crazy.

▶▷▸▹When Alan’s voice spoke to her again she felt more like a little kid once more as she walked around and over toward him. “I get it Alan; you seriously don’t have to worry about me.” She gave him a gentle smile before returning his hug, not knowing why she suddenly felt empty when he pulled away then she watched as they left before a sigh passed through her lips carefully. Angel had walked into the kitchen and wiped the mess from the two boys down when Alan’s mother came down and she gave the woman a smile before she left the kitchen and walked over to the kitten, lifting her up in her arms as she petted the kitten once more who she decided to name Snowflake. Angel looked at the older woman as she sat across from her, her smile faltering a bit a she started to get a bit nervous but just took a deep breath and looked at the kitten. Once the woman took a pause in talking Angel nodded her head before speaking a bit. She mumbled the last sentence to herself before. Angel took the two items from the lady and placed them in front of her before she began writing down whatever information was needed. She put down the necessary things like underwear and bras along with a few other things then her sizes. She put down she preferred long-sleeves shirts and she likes any color besides orange but her favorites were purple and red then she added a few more things to the list before adding skinny jeans and fuzzy socks before she read over the list and nodded in approval with it. She then leaned back in the chair as she watched Alan’s mother disappeared up the stairs before she thought about what she wanted her room to be like. Her fingers tapped lightly on the table before she wrote down purple and a light blue color for paint then other accessories for her room, all consisting of the colors purple, light blue, and white.

▶▷▸▹As Laurie came down the stairs once more Angel pushed the listed up on the table and placed the kitten in front of her and cleared her throat before she began her ‘speech’ for the kitten. “I was wondering if I, or well we, could keep the kitten. She doesn’t seem to have a home and it certainly wouldn’t be right to just leave the kitten out. I think it would be nice to keep the kitten; she’d keep me company and not too mention I believe she’s taking a liking to Alan.” The kitten let out a loud meow before purring loudly again which caused Angel to laugh slightly and continue on. “Having a kitten would be a good thing for me, Alan, and even Ryan. I’m sure the kitten would love to stay with us too.” She finished off while her hand continued to pet the little kitten. She listened to Laurie’s response before a smile spread to her lips and she giggled a bit. “I’m sure Alan will do fine.” She said before handing the list to the lady and listening once more. Angel simply nodded and waited until the door was shut and locked before she stood up and stretched her arms out before picking the kitten up and walking up to her room. She looked around the room which had become a mess since she had been looking for her hat which made her throw everything around and her room was now a complete mess but before she bent down to clean the floor a flash of red caught her attention as she started digging around and actually found her phone which was on the floor buried under everything. She flipped it open and wasn’t surprised to find that her father had called at least fifty-seven times but Seth had called nearly as much. A sigh ran through her lips as she took the phone and deleted her father’s number along with Seth and called her phone service place, working out a way to get a new number. With in fifteen minutes she was cleaning up, her phone laying on the nightstand with a new number and Alan’s number along with Ryan’s and Laurie’s were in there.

▶▷▸▹Finally the room looked a bit clean through half of it was only finished and she was already tried as could be. Sighing she let out a huff and walked down the stairs, heading to the kitchen to get a drink when she saw a shadow outside the kitchen window. At first she just stared at the window before shrugging it off and gulping down the drink before heading toward the stairs but something stopped her in her place. “Angel, open the door sweetie. You know it was a bad idea to run from me...” And in the one instant Angel felt her world crash back down and she could feel her fear rising up her throat but she stayed quiet and didn’t move till she heard a crash and was on the ground. Dust smoke was surrounding her along with the broken pieces of a smashed door and as she tried to get up she could feel him coming closer to her so she crawled away a bit then kicked up some more dust to make it harder to see before she got up and made her way around the kitchen through the front door but he was hot of her heels as she continued running after her. “Oh Angel, my sweet Angel, did you seriously think you’d get away from me? I always win remember?” His voice called out again with a laugh at the end as she ran into the forest and as they got further in she could feel him right behind her, just waiting for the moment to grab her so she pulled out Alan’s phone and pressed the buttons that needed to be hit but just as she was about to put it to her ear she was grabbed by the neck and thrown back. A scream came out from her mouth as the phone got tossed in the air and lost within the leave while the pain came soaring back to her head as she hit a tree. Her icy blue eyes looked around and connected with a pair of green ones as she struggled to get away but was grabbed by the arm and thrown back against the tree from before. Angel held in another scream as tears began streaking down her face and that’s when she caught sight of something, something shiny in her father’s hands. She began wiggling around more and fighting against her father but when he held the knife to her throat she stopped all movement and just let her tears fall quickly down her face as she closed her eyes.


▹ Love is simple, its people that are complicated◃

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[ilyuhh]

↘They sɑy you gottɑ plɑy with the cɑrds you were deɑlt.↙

┏━━━►☢◄━━━┓
Λɭɑɳ Νɩɡеɭ Ɍɩϲℎɑrɗsoɳ
┗━━━►☢◄━━━┛

↘But why should I hɑve to fɑce ɑ cheɑter? ↙

↘↘I'm tired of being the bɑd guy...


►

Alan could tell something was wrong with Ms. Alberts, although he was afraid to ask. So he just continued to mark the work she gave him, and avoided the eyes of his classmates. His eyes were beginning to water after about 20 minutes of staring at paper, and he quickly rubbed them, and glanced at Ms.Alberts. c”Can I go to the bathroom?” He asked her. She simply nodded, not even looking up from her marking. Alan sighed and stood up, turning to glare at a boy who had thrown a crumpled up paper ball at him, before walking from the room. Alan walked swiftly and silently through the halls, the only sounds being his breathing, and the soft tap of his Nike’s against the floor. He was almost around the looped hallway twice, when the weird grade 9 girl that liked checking him out left a classroom, and turned to walk the opposite direction he was walking in… Meaning that she was walking towards him. Alan sighed and ran his fingers through his curly blond hair, wishing that he had gone up the stairs and around once before looping the main floor again. She had obviously seen him go around the first time. ”Hey Alan!” She said cheerfully, pretending to just notice him as she stopped in front of him, forcing him to stop as well. ”Hey” He said. He still had no idea what her name was. She looked shy for a minute, and looked back up at him, batting her eye lashes at him. ”What’s up?” She asked. Alan sighed inwardly, and rubbed the back of his neck. ”Um… Nothing. Just walking around the hall, trying to get out of my in school suspension” He said, waiting for the right moment to dash past her. She then nodded, and began very, very uncomfortable. ”….I was uh… Just wondering if maybe you… Wanted to hang out sometime?” She asked. That shocked Alan. Was she asking him out? An image of Angel appeared in his mind, and he quickly shook his head. ”Um… I don’t think you and… Uh… Me would work out” He said softly. Her face suddenly became sad, and Alan could already see her eyes watering. ”Why not?” She asked, trying to stop her tears from overflowing. Alan’s lips twitched into a sort of smile, but went away quickly, and his blue eyes softened as he looked at the girl. ”Do you know why I have a suspension?” He asked her. She shook her head, and her expression became angry. ”I don’t care if you’re bad, or whatever” She said sternly. Alan laughed quietly, and brushed a tear off the girls cheek. ”It’s not because I’m ‘bad’. I would never want to do anything that would hurt anyone, and I would never do anything that got me in trouble… It’s just that I have this dis—“ He said, only to be cut off by Danny, who had decided to roam the halls as well.

►

”He’s just a freak.” Danny said, smirking as he approached Alan and the grade 9 girl. She glared up at Danny, and he just continued smirking, waiting for her to ask him what she meant. Finally she cracked, and sighed. ”He is not” She said, and Alan felt a little bit touched that she was defending him. Danny just laughed and continued to smirk at the girl. ”Uh-yeah… He is. Do you even know what goes on in that kids mind?” Danny asked her. She shook her head, and Alan just stood there, praying the floor would swallow him up. ”He’s two ******** people. Not. Even. Kidding. Two names, and everything” Danny said, laughing at the face the girl made. ”It’s not called being a freak Danny. It’s called Schizophrenia.” Alan said softly, looking away from the girl as she glanced at him questioningly. ”Shut up, freak. Before I pound you so hard you become part of the floor” Danny said, turning his entire body towards Alan. Alan narrowed his eyes and turned to face Danny as well. ”I’d like you see you try” Alan hissed at Danny’s face. Danny Just laughed and pushed Alan away from him. ”You’re such a joke Alan. I don’t even know why you bother coming to school. All you do is ******** up s**t for everyone else. You’re even ruining your own future, because you can’t keep control on your second half” Danny said. Alan just stood there, breathing heavily as he tried to keep Nala under control. The girl—Becky, Alan remembered—Just stared at Alan, fully crying now. He just sighed in defeat, knowing that if he didn’t back down then, he would just get himself into more and more trouble. He also didn’t want Becky to see the other side of him. ”I do have to admit though… You are pretty tough when your little wimpy side is pushed away. When you get mad, you’re scary” Danny said, his tone humorous, although Alan could hear a hint of honesty in it. Alan just straightened up his back and gave Becky one more glance before he turned on his heel, and walked back towards his class.

►

The next two periods moved by slowly, as Ms.Alberts continued piling him up with work, or things to mark. He finished each thing quickly, and gave it back to her, just to have her hand him more. Every couple minutes, the blond would check his phone to see if Angel had called, but she hadn’t. He knew he had to stop worrying about her. She was fine. She’s fine He thought to himself, taking a long, deep breath before he continued to work on whatever Ms.Alberts had given him. If she wasn’t fine, she would have called. Alan still couldn’t help but feel anxious and nervous. He wanted to be with her, so that he knew she was okay. With a sigh, Alan flipped Ryan’s phone open and closed quietly until the bell rang, and he was able to eat lunch. He ate his sandwich quickly, and spent the rest of lunch working on whatever Ms.Alberts was planning on giving him later. He just knew she would have more once he was done. He mostly just wanted the day to be over, so he could go home, maybe help Angel set up her room the way she wanted it, and just relax and watch a movie. He worked for the rest of lunch, still being totally silent as Ms.Alberts did whatever she wanted, and glanced up as the bell rang, and Becky and her friends were the first in the room. Alan rolled his eyes slightly as he saw Becky whisper something to her friend, who then looked up at Alan with curious eyes. Ms.Alberts then walked back in to the room, having left to photo copy work, and handed it out, before sitting at her desk, and handing Alan a pile of work to mark. Of course, Alan did it without a complaint. About 10 minutes into class, Barbie Girl blared from his phone, causing the entire class to look up at him. He quickly, and frantically dug Ryan’s phone out of his pocket, rolling his eyes at the joke ring tone Ryan had set his phone to, and gasped when he saw his own name flashing on the little screen. Of course, the entire class went silent when they saw the look of fright and shock on Alan’s face, as he flipped the phone open with shaky fingers and held it against his ear, just in time to hear Angel scream, a cracking sound, and then the sound of the phone hitting something. Then he heard nothing. Alan’s eyes were huge, and he snapped the phone shut and got up so quickly that it sent the papers he had been marking flying. With one pleading look at Ms.Alberts, he ran from the room and didn’t stop running until he was home. He gasped when he saw the front door had been completely busted in, and he felt tears stinging in his eyes, as he saw the little white kitten staring at him from the stairs, looking completely lost. Alan quickly dashed up the stairs to his room, and opened his desk drawers, frantically trying to find the little black tracker that his mom had gotten him, so that he could easily find his phone whenever he lost it (which happened quite a lot). After a lot of throwing, Alan found it, and pressed the on button with much more force then necessary. He then punched another button, and instantly a mini map of the neighborhood appeared on the screen, with a little flashing dot, telling him where it phone was. Alan stood up and shoved the little device in the pocket that didn’t have Ryan’s phone in it, then ran from the house and sprinted all the way to where the map said the dot was. Luckily the device showed him where he was. Finally, he reached the edge of the foresty area where he had first found Angel and he quickly ran through the bushes and past tree’s until finally the familiar head of white blonde hair was in his sights. A slight smile forms on Alan’s lips as he looked at her, but it quickly faded and he saw her Father pinning her against a tree with… A knife in his hands. Alan was suddenly so filled with anger that he didn’t know what to do, but that knife was dangerously close to Angel’s throat, and he knew that if he did one thing wrong, that would be the end of Angel.

►

Alan took a few quiet steps towards them, giving Angel a reassuring smile as she met eyes with him. ”I’ll save you Angel. I wont let him hurt you.” He mouthed to her, then got a few steps closer to her dad, to hear him hissing more threats, and disrespectful words to Angel. His entire body was shaking with anger as he listened to the man, and planned his moves carefully. He wanted Nala to take over, otherwise the grown man would kill him. But he needed to keep Nala under control until he was away from Angel, otherwise he would most definitely kill her. Alan took a deep breath and then froze as he saw the mango ridgid, having heard Alan’s breath. Quickly, Alan grabbed the arm that held the knife, and pulled him backwards as hard as he could, dashing out of the way as he fell to the ground. He quickly looked up at Angel and saw that she was now crouching on the ground, but luckily she wasn’t bleeding. However, she was crying, and her breathing was a deep frightened pant. Alan then closed his eyes and thought about all the things that made him angry, and finally, he slipped into some sort of nothingness, and knew that Nala was now in control of everything. Just as he opened his eyes, he turned and saw Angel’s dad approaching him, his knife raised. Nala narrowed his eyes and chuckled darkly, thengrabbed the arm that had the knife, and used his free hand to punch Angel’s dad right in the nose. He staggered away from the narrow eyed Nala, clutching his nose. ”How dare you…” He spat at Nala, lurching forward, towards Nala, who was still in a bent over defense position. Angel’s dad then punched Nala in the stomach, knocking all the air out of him, causing him to fall to the ground. Nala wheezed a bit, trying to regain his breath, when Angel’s dad was suddenly standing over him, knife in hand. Nala quickly squirmed away, then kicked the man right in the face, sending him flying backwards. Nala then stood up and looked over at Angel, her frightened expression suddenly bringing such pity, and caring, that Alan was slammed back without even meaning to. ”Angel… My Angel…” He whispered to her, although he could hear her dad coming up behind her. ”Please my Angel, stay strong for me” He whispered, then closed his eyes, and thought once again of the things that made him angry, brining Nala back once more. He quickly pulled out Ryan’s phone and dialed 911, punching Angel’s dad once more as he advanced on him. ”Emergancy… By the edge of the forest near the public high school. Get here as quick as you can. Bring only police. Fire trucks aren’t necessary” he said, rolling his eyes as he hung up the phone. ”Can now we wait” He hissed to Angel’s father, before letting out a dark chuckle. Nala continued holding the man away from both him and Angel until the police finally arrived. When they walked into the forest, Nala simply pointed to Angel’s father. The police man nodded and handcuffed the man, then nodded to Nala, and glanced curiously at Angel. ”Err… Is she alright? We can get an ambulance?” He asked as he took in the sobbing Angel. Nala shook his head and smiled, although it was a cold smile. ”No, no. I’ve got her. Just make sure that, that man is locked up” He said with an impassive wave of his hand. Nala then watched as the police drove away, and waited until they were out of sight before looking at Angel.

►

Nala stared at Angel, and closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down, so that he could return to normal. When he did, tears poured down his face. Alan opened his eyes to see Angel still laying on the ground, sobbing. ”Angel… Stay there. I need a minute” He said, then stepped into the tree’s and closed his eyes. He took 5 deep breathes, then opened his eyes, and noticed the knife still on the ground. He bent over and picked it up. Then he turned and walked back over to Angel, putting the knife down gently and sat down beside her. Then he pulled the shaking Angel into his lap, and cradled her in his arms, crying silently as what had just happened sunk in. Angel had almost been killed. Had she not called him, she would be dead. He held her closer to his chest and closed his eyes, before pressing his lips against the top of her head. Then he shifted her in his arms, and took her left hand in his left hand. ”Angel… Do you remember the first day we met? And I asked you if you trusted me, and you said yes?” he said. When she gave him a shaky nod, and gave her the cutest smile he could manage and picked up the knife. ”I need you to trust me again” he said, then squeezed her hand before letting it go. Then he carefully took the knife in his right hand, and picked up her left hand again. He looked straight into her eyes, willing her to trust him. He held her hand securely in his so that she couldn’t jerk away, then made a small cut in the fleshy part of her palm, under her thumb. He let out a shaky breath and gave Angel a smile, then let go of her hand, and took the knife to his own left hand, making a small cut in the same place on his hand, as he had with Angel’s. Then he took her left hand in his right, and smushed their hands together, so that the blood from the cuts mixed. Breathing heavily, Alan left their hands pressed together for a couple seconds, then pulled his hand away, and wiped the blood on his jeans. He blushed slightly and smiled at Angel. ”Thank you for trusting me” He whispered softly to her, then threw the knife into the bushes somewhere. Then he sighed and felt like he needed to explain why he had done that. ”When I was in kindergarten, all the other boys would make cuts on their hands, and then would mix their blood together. They called themselves blood brothers, and said that since their blood was mixed, they would be tied to each other for the rest of their lives. Angel, I want you to know you can depend on me, no matter what. Whenever you need me, I’ll be there. I wont let anything hurt you. I promise. I wont let anything hurt you” He said, more silent tears flowing from his eyes. Then he let out one choked sob, before burying his face into Angel’s neck, and just held her in his arms, until whenever she was ready to move.


I don't want the W O R L D to see me, 'cause I don't think that they'd understand.

When everything is made to be B R O K E N, I just want you to know who I am.

[--x sweet whispers]

Locked away in this hole.

I can't see nor can I breath.

One more second till I fade.

But there you are.

Helping me once more.

Angel H O P E Dawson

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Take a risk, take a chance, pick me up and show me love...

▶▷▸▹It was dangerously close to her skin, actually it was digging into her skin but it hadn’t managed to break skin yet which Angel took as a good thing. Tears were straining down her face rapidly, tasting the salty water in her mouth as she tried to choke up air as carefully as she could with out the knife digging in. Her eyes stayed closed though, refusing to meet with her father’s as she thought about on her life and realized that Alan wasn’t going to come, that she was going to finally die right here in the forest by her father’s own hands. Angel didn’t want it to end though, she wanted to continue with her life and she could feel her heart tugging each time the thought of Alan popped up in her head. She didn’t want to leave him, she wanted to stay with him a bit longer, she wanted to know what it was like to actually have a friend but at this rate it just seemed like she wasn’t going to get any of that. He dreams of going to school, living a normal life, getting a boyfriend, it was all flushing down before her eyes as she could feel the knife dig a bit deeper into her throat and that’s when she opened her eyes and casting them upward toward the tree tops. “I’m sorry Alan, goodbye...” She managed to whisper out before looking down at her father as he smirked but something caught her attention as she looked off to the side. A sliver of hope rebuilt as she laid eyes on Alan who was standing a bit away near a tree. Her eyes flashed a bit as she caught his words that he had mouthed and her eyes instantly went wide. She wanted desperately to call out to him, to tell him to just run but she couldn’t, not without risking Alan’s life along with hers but could he really fend himself against her father? Another choked up sob ripped through her throat as she looked back up and closed her eyes gently, her air way starting to close up and black dots starting to form along the outer rim of her vision before drawing further and further into the center. “I guess this is the end for you huh Angel? My sweet Angel, why couldn’t you just stay the why you were before huh? Why did you have to go and ruin my life? Had you never gotten yourself in the situation you did when you were younger everything would be ******** fine and I wouldn’t have to deal with you. You realize that right? It’s your fault I do this, it’s your fault your mother is consumed in work, it’s your fault we’re a broken family!” The man’s voice seemed to get louder and louder with each word and as each word fell from his mouth Angel wanted nothing more then to slap him. It wasn’t he fault, she couldn’t stop what happened, and she couldn’t help being kidnapped when she was younger and having her mother thinking she was probably dead. More tears trickled down her cheeks as she remembered what had happened and how it felt.

▶▷▸▹The man seemed to chuckle as he realized she was thinking back to the past and he simply shrugged his shoulders before continuing with his little speech. “I’m sorry Angel that it has to be this way but if it helps I do feel a tad bit of pain having to do this. Huh...I just realized your name does suit you, time to go up to heaven and be an angel sweetie, be what you were born to be.” The man said as Angel opened her eyes and looked down at him. It seemed like a second when it all happened, Alan appeared out of no where and she dropped to the forest ground in a heap as she clutched at her throat, trying hard to get air back up through her airways and get the dizziness away before she passed out. Tears were still trickling down her face as she gripped at the ground, air not wanting to pass on through her throat as she coughed up air. Her body seemed to give a heave before she coughed up a huge clot of blood and her breathing was a bit better, realization that blood was in the way made it easier for her to try and get it up and out of her system so she could breath but it seemed to be getting hard as the black dots returned in her vision and dizziness started to come back to her. The blond’s eyes looked up for a moment to see Alan’s his eyes holding a fierceness in them that was different than what she was used to and she instantly knew it wasn’t Alan but rather Nala who was fighting against her dad. A small smile built on her lips before another set of coughing fits escaped her mouth and she tried to get her throat cleared once more. Blood came up with a rushed and her breathing was coming back to him, the dots retreating quickly and her vision better, the dizziness also gone. Her eyes looked up once more to see the rest of the fight continued and as it did fright took over her as she watched Nala rather then her father. He was so much different then Alan, crueler almost yet there was a sense a caring but at that moment Angel didn’t care, she was just scared over the fact of how powerful Nala was. When they met eyes she knew he could see that she was frightened and it took a moment for realization to dawn on her to look toward her father. She was about ready to let out a blood-curling scream but she kept it inside her as she watched Nala once again as he talked on the phone and things proceeded. She was scared for her life now, either by her father or possibly by Nala himself. When the police arrived she crawled back a bit, fear completely washing over her as she backed into the tree and dug her fingers tight into the ground for something to hold onto. She just watched her father, both of them seemed to be in shock but Angel recovered quickly in time to flash him a small smile before fear washed over her once more.

▶▷▸▹Angel just then realized that she was still crying, quiet sobs choking up her throat and tears falling quickly down her cheeks which were badly stained from previous tears. She didn’t realize that Nala was looking at her; she just kept her eyes down to the ground as she watched her tears create puddles on the dirt floor. A choked giggled escaped her throat as she noticed it looked like rain before everything hit her full slam and the tears came harder, faster. She let her body fall in a sort of laying down position, her eyes staring straight ahead as she continued on with her crying. Her eyes took notice to the feet that were making their way to her and Alan’s voice hit her hard before she looked up a bit to watch him walk away and a sadness broke a bit in her heart before she placed her hands out and pushed her shaking body up as she leaned on the tree for support in the sitting position. Her eyes fell back on Alan as he made his way toward her and she watched him carefully as he sat next to her, practically crawling into his lap as he placed her there. Her arms wrapped around his neck tightly as she buried her head into his shoulder and let her tears freely fall, not caring whether or not it bothered Alan; she just wanted it all out of her system. Her eyes flickered up to him as he placed a small kiss on top of her head, an actually smile playing on her lips slightly as she buried her head back into the crook of his neck. With a bit of reluctance she let him shift her around before she felt her hand warm up and start to tingle as he took it and she noticed that a blush had appeared on her face through the tear stain streaks. She listened to him quietly and gave a shaky nod as an answer to his question before jumping a bit in his lap at the sight of the knife but Alan’s words took her and she looked between him and the knife before nodding her head once more as if to tell him she trusted him. She looked down at what he was doing, curious as to what he was planning but a bit frightened at the same time. She let him take her hand and confusion took over for a second before she took her hand back, her eyes resting on the cut before she wiped the blood off on her sweat pants which were already dirty since dirt had rubbed its way all over the grey sweatpants. She watched him throw the knife away off in the bushes and she lifted her newly cut hand, waving bye to it like a little kid before she looked back down at the cut and listened to what Alan was saying. The biggest smile she’d ever had before showed on her face as she turned to look up at him and let more tears fall down her face.

▶▷▸▹She let Alan rest his head as she looked around them, her vision clearing because of her tear so she wiped them away and lifted Alan’s head up, taking her thumbs wiping away Alan’s tears. “Thank you Alan, thank you so much. I can’t begin to say how much you’ve done for me. I lived my life before thinking no one really cared, that I was just going to be this little girl who never left her house and let her father control her. Had I never left the house that one day, I probably would still be stuck in that situation but I did leave and now I’m with you, probably my first real friend ever.” She cleared her throat before resting her forehead against his and giving him a small smile. “I owe you so much, you’ve save my life three times now, once with the boys, now with my father, and you saved me from what my life could have been...” She held back a soft cry before whispering quietly. “Thank you.” Angel pulled away from Alan and carefully rose to her feet using the tree for support since she was really unstable and waited till Alan was standing before she walked off along side Alan, leaning a bit on his side as they slowly made their way back to the house. As they came up near the street she had gained most of her balance back and wasn’t leaning on Alan but she was looking down at his hand every so often before she just took hold of it and let it rest lightly at their sides. A small smile pulled on her lips by how it felt, how it seemed right for her hand to be in his as they walked but when they came closer to the house Angel groaned and stopped walking, turning to Alan and burying her head in his chest. “I’m sorry about the door; I wish I could fix it.” She mumbled before sighing and pulling away from Alan but placing her hand back in Alan’s and intertwining their fingers. She walked quietly along side of him before walking into the house and looking at the door with a shake of her head. Angel walked into the kitchen and looked around till she found the house phone and thought to herself for a moment before she remembered the number she was looking for and started to dial it. While she listened to the rings she raised her and Alan’s hands, refusing to let go of it as she looked up at him and gave him a small smile before hearing a voice on the other line. “Hello, Richard Fem here.” The voice on the other end said while they waited for reply. “Hey Richie, it’s me Angel.” She replied in a hurry tone as she leaned slightly into Alan, wanting to be closer to him since for some reason she felt at him near him. “Ah, nice to hear from you Angel, it’s been a while.” The elder man gave a laugh before Angel spoke again, this time quieter. “Yeah, anyway my father did it again so I have a job for you.” She said into the phone and Richard instantly knew what she meant.

▶▷▸▹Over the years her father had managed to break a lot of items and Richard was the one she went to when something needed fixing. “Sure kiddo, I’ll be at your house in a matter of minutes.” Angel sighed and shook her head slightly before looking out the window, letting her and Alan’s hands fall to her side. “No, it’s somewhere else...” She gave the man the address and what was needed before hang up the phone and finally let go of Alan’s hand though she didn’t want to and looked around the kitchen till she found a broom and dustpan. She first threw away all of the bigger pieces, placing them all in a new trash bag and then sweeping up the rest of it till it was all cleared away till it looked just as clean as it had before the door got broken down. As soon as she tied the last bag up Richie pulled up in the driveway, already shaking his head as he walked up to the door frame, giving a slight nod to Alan before looking at Angel with a sad look. “Go put it in the back.” He said referring to the bags while he went out and got the new door. It was like magic how thirty minutes later the door was in place and looked exactly like the last one, as if the other one had never gotten broken down. Angel smiled and waved by as Richard drove away before she closed the door and leaned against it, letting herself fall in a sitting position for a moment before she looked up at Alan with a curious look and gave him a half smile. “Like nothing ever happened.” She gave a small forced giggled before her expression softened as Snowflake padded over to them, purring loudly. The blond picked up the kitten and then stood up before taking hold of Alan’s hand and walked up the stairs, into Alan’s room. She made Alan sit on the bed by playfully pushing him down before setting the kitten on his lap and holding up a finger as if asking him to wait a moment. She left to her room and changed into clean clothes, black short-shorts and a purple tank-top before putting on a purple sweater and then walking to the bathroom where she brushed her hair out and gathered all her blond hair up into a ponytail so her black hair flew in a wavy pattern along her shoulders and face. Quietly she made her way back to Alan’s bedroom, finding him laying on the bed with Snowflake beside him and she took a moment to watched the two before walking further into the room and sitting on the edge of the boy’s bed. She looked down at him curiously before looking out the window. Her eyes scanned across the horizon before a small smile spread on her face and she looked down at Alan, pulling her feet up and moving Snowflake to the other side as she laid beside Alan.

▶▷▸▹Her hand found his before she took a deep breath and looked up at him. “I’ve decided that I need to start changing things, changing the way I am. I can’t continue life being scared of people or I’ll get no where so...I think it would be good if I...well if I started school.” She said letting go of his hand and resting her elbows on the bed as her head laid in her hands. “I’ve always wanted to go to school, make friends, maybe even get a boyfriend, and so much more.” Her voice grew quiet for a moment before she looked down at Alan with a serious look. “You’ll always be my best friend though; I’ll come to you no matter what.” She reached across Alan and petted her kitten before sitting up again. “You’re mom said we could keep the kitten as long as you’re okay with it. I named her Snowflake since she reminds me of the snow; Snowball just seems like a guy’s name.” Angel giggled and played with a strand of her black hair before she heard a car pull up and hopped over Alan on the bed to look out the window and see Laurie outside, pulling out bags and trying to make her way to the door. She looked to Alan then the clock and then back to Laurie before holding a finger to her lips and making her way downstairs, shutting Alan’s door and hoping Alan’s mom wouldn’t realize that he was home. She really didn’t like the idea of getting in trouble since he’d probably be in trouble with school since he left earlier for her. Her feet padded softly down the stairs and she stopped to make sure she looked normal before opening the new front door and rushing out to Laurie, helping her get the bags inside. Once they were all inside Angel suddenly felt a bit guilty over how much was bought but she shook that thought out of her head and looked up at the woman. “Thanks so much, I don’t know how I’ll ever re-pay you. You and your whole family have done so much for me...but I have one more favor to ask. Could you sign me up for school?” She asked with a bit of hope attached to her voice and when the woman agreed she gave a smile before skipping upstairs to put the bag up in her room. When they were all there she quietly made her way into Alan’s room and hopped back on his bed, nearly landing on him, and looked out the window to see Laurie leaving to get her signed up for school. She knew it would be hard on the first day but she was hoping that she’d get through it and manage to make it. Her eyes looked over to Alan and she gave him a sweet smile before blushing a bit under his gaze. She wiggled around for a little before she pulled the kitten into her lap and petted the little animal.


▹ Love is simple, its people that are complicated◃

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[ilyuhh]

↘They sɑy you gottɑ plɑy with the cɑrds you were deɑlt.↙

┏━━━►☢◄━━━┓
Λɭɑɳ Νɩɡеɭ Ɍɩϲℎɑrɗsoɳ
┗━━━►☢◄━━━┛

↘But why should I hɑve to fɑce ɑ cheɑter? ↙

↘↘I'm tired of being the bɑd guy...


►

Alan listened as Angel spoke, and just held her closer to him when she was finished. He had calmed down now, but still didn’t want to pull away from Angel. She felt right to him. She was the only person who would ever really get close to him, who knew about his problem… That wasn’t him mom, or his brother. The thing that shocked him was how easy he had summoned Nala, and how quickly he had calmed himself down. What shocked him even more, was that he remembered what happened while Nala had taken over, which never happened. But he felt confident knowing he could use Nala when they needed protection, and that he could be himself again, so that he wouldn’t hurt Angel. What hurt him, was that he knew Nala hated Angel. He could feel the hate whenever Nala took over, and whenever he got even the tiniest bit angry he could feel the hate burning somewhere deep, deep inside of him. Alan quickly wiped his face on his sleeve and then buried his face into her neck again. When she got up, he felt a little empty, but copied her motions and stood. He sighed as they began walking. He knew he would get in trouble for leaving school, which meant he would have to find some way to make it look like he came home at normal time. Alan’s body shivered and warmed instantly, when Angel took his hand, and he gave it a light squeeze as they continued to walk. Alan gasped a little when Angel stopped and buried her face into his chest. He put his hand lightly on her back and pressed his lips together, before giving her a smile. ”It’s fine Angel… Not like it’s your fault. C’mon, let’s get home” He said, giving her hand another light squeeze as they began walking again. When they arrived at the house, Angel pulled Alan through the house and into the kitchen, where she picked up the phone and dialed a number, keeping his hand in hers the whole time. He listened as she spoke to the man she called Richie, and smiled when she hung up. When she left go of his hand, Alan got that same feeling of emptiness, but followed her around as she cleaned up. He was still in that withdrawal stage he always went into after Nala came out, so he was just quite, and watched Angel.

►

When the man arrived, Alan sat down on the stairs and stared at the spot where the front door used to be. He could feel himself zoning out as he watched the man leave, and then come back with a door exactly like his. He watched silently as he fixed the door, then left. He could feel Angel near him, and only nodded when she spoke. He could also hear the loud purring of the kitten, who Angel still had to name. Either way, he wasn’t really listening to her, or anything else. He never listened well when he was in withdrawal. But when Angel stood, he shook his head and nodded, before standing up and following her to his room. He gasped when she pushed him down, and placed Snowflake in his lap, then ran off to do who knows what. With a sigh, Alan rubbed the little puff-balls head as he waited for Angel to come back, and eventually, slid back a bit, so that he was in a laying position with his head on his pillow, and the little cat curled up next to him. Alan looked up as Angel sat down on the bed, and then stared at the ceiling, only looking at Angel again when he suddenly felt the warm ball of fur being removed from his side, being replaced by well… Angel. A small flutter filled Alan’s stomach when Angel took his hand again, and just rubbed the top of her hand soothingly with his thumb, thinking only of what had happened before, but this time with no emotion. As if it were a movie, rather than something that had actually happened to him, or his friend. He turned his head to the side as Angel started talking, frowning slightly as he listened. His frown grew when she left go of his hand, but he just propped himself up on his elbows and listened to what Angel was saying. Suddenly, a massive wave of jealous rolled over Alan as Angel brought up getting friends and a boyfriend. He wasn’t sure why, but for some reason the thought of Angel being around anyone other than him made him angry. Or jealous. He wasn’t sure, since He’d never really been jealous before. But it was a terrible feeling, that made the inside of his stomach feel like it was being eaten by termites, and that made his throat feel dry. Then she said that he was her best friend, and that she would go to him when something was wrong, which did make him feel better, although it didn’t get rid of the awful feeling in his stomach.

►

When Angel hopped off the bed at the sound of the car, Alan felt panic building inside of him. ”Mom is gonna kill me…” He muttered, before watching Angel skip from the room, closing the door behind her. After he heard her go off the last step of the stairs, which always creaked when you stepped on it, he got up quietly and walked to the door, opening it, and stepping out quietly. Then he went down a few steps, and listened as Angel talked about school, making what she had said to him moments before more real… Of course, that caused the yucky feeling in his stomach to flare up. With a sigh, Alan walked up the couple steps he had gone down, then went back into his room, and closed the door. He got into the same position she had been in earlier, so that Angel wouldn’t even know he had gotten up. When Angel did come back, he didn’t say anything, and neither did she. He could tell she was thinking about something, but didn’t want to ask what. He didn’t want to talk to her about boyfriends anymore. That just was not something he wanted to even think about. After a few minutes, Alan could feel Angel looking at him, so he glanced up at her, and saw that she then looked down at the kitten. With a sigh, Alan sat up and crossed his legs, then he rested his elbows on his knees and rested his head in his palms. ”I think school is a good idea… Most of the girls are pretty nice… ‘Cept to me. Same with the guys. I’m sure there are tons of guys there that would wanna...Y’know, take you out or something. And you could probably even join the cheerleading team… You’re pretty enough, and the captain just got pregnant, so they’re looking for a replacement… If you were interested in that kind of thing. My mom’ll probably put you in all my classes though, just so that I can keep an eye on you, and so that if you get scared you know I’m there. However, I’m lowest on the food chain, so I’d understand if you didn’t talk to me at school” He said. It hurt him to think of Angel ignoring him, but he also wanted Angel to experience school the real way, not theloser-getting-beat-up-and-made-fun-of-a-lot way. It wasn’t very much fun, and would turn Angel off any fantasies she had about school. With a sigh, Alan stood up and walked around his room. He paced a bit, then turned to Angel and sighed. ”When my mom gets home I’m going to ask her to take us to the lawyers office. I wanna get all this sorted out, so that that man never leaves prison. He will never touch you ever again” Alan said then jumped a bit when he heard his moms car door close.

►

With a sigh, Alan turned without a word to Angel and walked down the stairs, assuming she would follow him. ”Why aren’t you at school? I went there to sign Angel up, and while they printed out her schedule I asked if I could go make sure you were alright, and to tell you Angel was safe, but then I find out that you just left class without a word to anyone?” She said to him, her voice sounding angry. Alan sighed, and turned to see Angel standing on the step behind the one he stood on. ”Mom, it was an emergency. The only reason Angel is safe, is because I left. We have to go visit that lawyer… Now. I’ll explain what happened there. When the lawyer can hear it as well.” Alan said, then turned to Angel and gave her a supportive smile. ”Go put some pants on, I don’t think you wanna visit the lawyer in short shorts.” He said, then grabbed his jacket off the hook and pulled it on as he walked into the kitchen. Once there, he grabbed a pad of paper and pen, and wrote Ryan a quick message, telling him that they went to visit the lawyer, and that he would get mom to bring home McDonalds for him. Then he walked back to the front, and smiled to see his mom already in the car, warming it up. ”come on Angel” He said softly, taking her hand and leading her to the car. He opened the door for her, and closed it once she was in, then went around and got in on his side. He smiled as his mom handed Angel a folder with a bunch of paper in it, which Alan undid his seatbelt and scooted over to see. He gasped when he saw Angel had all the same classes as him. ”Mom…” he said. She just smiled and continued looking at the road. ”I thought it might be easier for Angel if she was with you… You know, at least until she gets used to it and stuff. Also, I asked to make her locker right beside yours, which got rid of two problems. One being Angel getting lost, and the other was that rude Danny kid that neither of you like very much” She said. Alan looked over the sheet that had Angels locker number, and combination on it, then looked through the map of each floor of the school, and through the curriculum sheets from each class she took, so that she knew what she would be learning. He glanced over at Angel and looked into her eyes. ”Is this okay with you?” He asked her gently, pointing to the schedule. Then he smiled and ran his fingers through his hair. He really wouldn’t mind Angel being in his classes, but it was up to her. He didn’t want her to feel smothered.

►

When they finally arrived at the Lawyers office, Alan got out and opened the door for Angel. Then all three of them walked into the office. Alan pulled Angel over to a row of seats, and sat down, then pulled Angel into his lap, seeing that all the other chairs were taken. He listened as his mom said that they had an appointment with him, and that they just came a little bit early. Luckily, they were the first of his appointments, so they got to go in right away. When Laurie beckoned for them to go with her, Alan just stood, keeping hold on Angels arms, so that she didn’t fall when she slid off his lap. Then he held her hand as they walked into the office. Inside the office were only two seats, so Alan let his mom sit in one, then sat in the other, and once again pulled Angel into his lap. ”So, you’re Angel” The man said. Alan saw Angel nod and he smiled at her. ”And you’re Laurie, and this is your son Alan” he said again. Laurie nodded and Alan just looked up at Angel, making sure she was okay. ”Okay, so Angel… I want you to tell me everything you can remember about your father. All the things he’s ever done to you, how your mother reacted, all the way up to the most recent thing you can remember.” he said. Alan listened carefully, taking deep breaths as he listened to all the things her father had done to Angel, trying to control his anger. When she finished, the Lawyer… Mr.Deagan—clicked his tongue against his teeth and looked down at his notepad. ”Gee… Well… We definitely need to get this all sorted out… You say just earlier today he tried killing you, and then uh… This boy behind you saved you? And now your father is in jail…” He said. Then Alan cleared his through and peaked out from behind Angel. ”I would like it make sure that he’s in there for life… If possible. He seems to have this habit of never giving up… Just keeps coming back. I’d feel safer if I knew he would be locked up. Also… I would like to make sure custody is given to someone other than him” Alan said. Mr.Deagan nodded and tapped his pen against his notepad. ”Well, of course custody will be given to someone else… As for jail, he tried to kill his daughter, which makes it pretty likely that he’ll be in there for life. However, before that can be assured, we have to do the court case. Alan is our witness… And Angel, are there any other people who knew of what happened between you and your father, other than Laurie and Alan?” He asked. As she listed the people, Mr.Deagan wrote down the names so that he could contact them, and ask them to be witnesses in the court case. ”Okay, well… I’ll have the court case scheduled for this weekend… I’ll call you to confirm the date and time. Angel, Alan, Laurie, it was very lovely to meet you all. See you soon” he said.

►

Alan then did the same thing he had done with Angel earlier, standing up before she got off, and holding onto her so that she didn’t fall. Then, as they walked through the office, and out to the car, Alan put his arm around Angel’s shoulders, and smiled. ”This is all gonna work out, see Angel? Oh, and mom, I promised Ryan we’d come home with golden arches. Mind if we make a McDonalds run?” he asked. She just rolled her eyes and started up the car. ”Fine by me. No way do I feel like cooking” She said. Alan smiled, and opened Angel’s door for her, then closed it and got in on his side. Once he was done doing up his seatbelt, he looked at the clock and gasped. ”It’s 8:30? Mom, how long were we there?” He asked. She shrugged and kept her eyes on the road as she headed for the McDonalds. ”A long time though. He was really making sure Angel was thorough with everything… it took a lot longer than I thought. But at least we go it out of the way.” Laurie said as she pulled up into the McDonalds drive-thru. She quickly ordered what they each wanted, then drove home. When they got there, Alan once again opened the door for Angel, and walked beside her as they went up the porch stairs. He unlocked the door quickly, and then all three of them went inside. Alan put all the bags of food down on the coffee table in the living room and got some random movie off the shelve and threw it to Ryan. ”Get the movie ready. Angel, why don’t you get the food out of the bags and get comfortable?” He said, then walked into the kitchen and got out a little glass bowl from the cupboard. Then he ripped open the bag of cat food his mom had gotten earlier, and put a handful of food into the little bowl, and placed it on the floor, smiling as Snowflake ran over and began eating. Alan quickly washed his hands, and went back into the living room, to see Ryan sprawled out of the big couch, Angel sitting on the love seat, and his mom sitting in the big comfy chair they had, with the movie paused at the end of the beginning credits. Alan quickly sat down beside Angel and began eating. When they were all finished, Alan gathered all the garbage and went to throw it out. Then he came back, and pulled Angel into his lap as they watched the rest of the movie. Once it was finished, Alan yawned and gently pushed Angel from his lap, then stood up. ”I’ma go to bed. Angel, you start school tomorrow, so be ready. I’ll see everyone in the morning” He said, then gave Angel and his mom a quick hug, before dashing up the stairs to his room, where he quickly got ready for bed, and got cozy under his covers, before he fell asleep, not even noticing that he had left his door open.

I don't want the W O R L D to see me, 'cause I don't think that they'd understand.

When everything is made to be B R O K E N, I just want you to know who I am.

[--x sweet whispers]

Locked away in this hole.

I can't see nor can I breath.

One more second till I fade.

But there you are.

Helping me once more.

Angel H O P E Dawson

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Take a risk, take a chance, pick me up and show me love...

▶▷▸▹Her small fingers were lacing through Snowflakes fur gently as she brushed out a few knots and then smoothed the kitten’s fur down. She pulled herself further up on the bed and sat crossed legged before her head turned in the direction of Alan, she looked down at him curiously, looking at his features. She adored his hair and wanted badly to play with it but she kept her hands to herself and continued to look at him as she began swimming in his eyes, the color of them reminding her so much of her favorite color. A small smile tugged on her lips and she realized Alan was actually...what was the word teens used now days? Ah, that he was actually hot. She was surprised no other girl had snatched him up yep but people who claim themselves as normal don’t exactly see through people’s problems. Even seeing Nala today she didn’t care that Alan had two different sides to him, she only cared that he was protecting her, actually helping her. When Alan looked toward her she instantly looked down to the kitten, hiding the massive blush that was building on her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. When Alan got up and sat in a different position she turned a bit to face him, her hands still occupied with the kitten as she tried to get her mind off what she’d thought earlier. “Well I’m glad you think it’s a good idea, I’ll need you there Alan, no matter what.” Her eyes lifted up to meet his before she continued talking. “Cheerleading isn’t my thing, I’m more of a girl who like the blend in the crowd and stay hidden.” Her eyes narrowed to Alan as she held out her hand and placed it under his chin, raising his head up a bit. “I would never just leave you like that. You sit here saying crap about yourself Alan and you don’t see what I see so it’s better if you just stay quiet. You’re an amazing guy Alan and a much better person then any of them. You took me, a complete stranger, into your care and you made my life a hundred times better. I will never just ditch you like that whether it’s outside or inside of school.” Her voice was a bit harsh but she couldn’t help it, she didn’t like hearing Alan talk about himself like that and even the thought that he would mention her just leaving him was stupid. She didn’t know why but she cared for Alan, probably more then she should, and she wanted to stay by his side, never leaving so why would she just ditch him in school? When Alan stood up her eyes followed him, her natural reaction was to stand up and just go hug him but she forced herself to stay on the bed as he spoke. “Alright but I’m still not sure about this....” She was overwhelmed with the idea of leaving the house she was actually comfortable in and going somewhere she didn’t know.

▶▷▸▹When the car door sounded Angel jumped nearly fifty feet in the air it seemed before she landed on the floor with a huff and Snowflake went running out of her hands in fear. She stood up quickly, rubbing her back which was now sore and quickly scampered off after Alan, nearly running into him as he stopped at the last step. She was still shorted than him on the step so she rested her head lightly on his back while she quietly whimpered in pain from her back before she got rigid and stood up straight when Alan turned to look at her. She narrowed his eyes at his comment before scampering off up the stairs to her room, digging around till she found a clean pair of black sweat pants which she changed into and grabbed a coat before heading back down the stairs, taking her time since she wasn’t really wanting to go but was willing to for Alan. When she got down and spotted Alan she took his hand without complaint and smiled to him before heading out and to the car which she got into before she settled into the seat nicely and waited for Alan to be by her side once more. She hated the feeling that spiraled through the pit of her stomach whenever Alan wasn’t by her. It always seemed to make her feel sick as though he was her energy source or something. Giggling at the thought of that she smiled to Alan once he was next to her again. She took the folder she was handed carefully in her hands and opened it a bit, looking up to Alan as he moved over o see. Her eyes looked over everything, now of it mattered beside the fact that she’s be with Alan for the day which was fine with her, less problems and less of a chance she’s have a panic attack. Alan’s question made her raise an eyebrow to him before she placed all the papers back in the folder, closed it, and hit Alan upon the head with it. “Is it okay? You’re a ditz! Of course its okay silly!” The rest of the car ride was silent it seemed thought Angel had reached across the seat and played with Alan’s finger most of the time since boredom had overtaken her. After a while she just latched her hand on his, not wanting to move it one bit. She grew more interested in his hair during the ride also but still she just looked at it with longing before she leaned her head on the window next to her, closing her eyes gently as she let the cold feeling cool her head while her hand was burning from Alan’s touch.

▶▷▸▹When they came to a stop she could feel it since the car gave a slight jerk back before resting nicely. When she got out she was greeted with the cold wind that had settled into the air and it bit sharply as her exposed skin before she pulled her hood up and quickly walked into the building where she removed the hood and shook snow off her boots that were placed on her feet. Her hand found its way to Alan and she followed him with a slight smile on her face before she was placed on his lap. Her head nestled in the crook of his neck as she lifted their hand in front of her face and smiled as she wiggled her fingers around a bit to get a better home. A smell suddenly filled her nose and she recognized the scent from when Alan came to visit her in the hospital one day. Angel smiled and cuddled herself closer to Alan to get the scent more in her senses before she unwilling left Alan’s lap and stood up, the smell still focused in her nose though which made her smile. As they made their way to the office she clutched tightly to Alan’s hand, nervousness breaking through her as she walked, a little hesitant as she made it passed the doorway. Once Laurie was seated and Alan was she let herself be placed on his lap before she buried her face in his shoulder for a moment, taking a few deep breathe before turning around slightly so she was still looking at the man. She wasn’t going to deny that she was scared, her body was slightly shaking and inside her mind she was going insane but she continued through it for one reason, for Alan. She wanted him to be happy and know she was safe so what would be a better way then putting her father away for life. Angel nodded at the mention of her name before she let her eyes wander around the room, looking at everything but the man that was in front of her. When he asked her to tell him everything that had happened she was a bit hesitant, not because she was scared, but because she didn’t like the idea of Alan having to hear.

▶▷▸▹A sigh ran through her lips quietly before she looked up at Alan and looked down to the ground soon after. “It all started when I was five, my mother began putting herself into work and not ever really existing in the family. I guess it took a toll on my dad since he started blaming me and that’s when he started hitting me. At first it was just a slap on the hand or arm when I did something bad but then it got worst as I got older. It didn’t help me that I’m scared of people, it benefited him though because I really couldn’t run to anyone and not too mention a lot of people are afraid of my dad. Anyway when I turned eight it moved to the point where he was hitting me whenever he could, whether it be because he was bored or he was actually mad.” She took a deep breath and moved around in Alan’s lap a bit before continuing. “My mother never really noticed anything, she wasn’t there majority of the time to notice and when she was there she just waved it off and said I was clumsy. The beatings got worst when my mother was actually home cause she’d shut herself away and wouldn’t talk to my father which drove him insane. My tutor, Seth, always acted like he had me in his heart but he never really did, it was just the money he was after since my dad paid him a lot of money to keep me busy for a while. Oh, there was the time I was in the hospital after an incident with a group of boys and my father came to visit. I thought I was safe since I didn’t think he’d do anything there but he did. That was probably the worst the way I was tossed around and hit. Most recently though would have to be today when I was home alone. I was cleaning and went to the kitchen to get a drink of water and his voice sounded through the door. I was scared out of my mind but I thought since the doors were locked he wouldn’t be able to get in. He...umm...managed to get in and I nearly escaped getting caught right there before I ran for it to the forest near the house but he was still following me. I was held against a tree with a knife to my throat when Alan came and saved my life.” Her eyes closed as she tried to think of anything else but one thing clicked in her mind that she didn’t really want to remember but the images came flood back and she had to restrain herself from doubling over in pain. She shook her head as if to say she was done before she pressed her fingers to her temples and buried her head in Alan’s shoulder again.

▶▷▸▹She finally managed to get the pain away before she pulled away from Alan and rested nicely on his lap, looking off into the distance while everyone else talking. Her body was still shaking slightly as she heard someone talking to her and she quickly thought to herself before giving off a short list of names and then focusing her eyes on her hand which felt numb to her. She flexed her fingers around for a bit before the mention of leaving rang through her ears and a smile played on her lips before waiting till Alan put her down and she bounced a bit eagerly for a while before calming down. Once they were out of the office and back out she was happier and nestled nicely into Alan’s side as he put his arm around her shoulders. She’d stay like that forever if she could though her feet were bound to start hurting from standing so long. Once she was in the car she felt that emptiness return to her for a moment before Alan was back in the car and a smile was placed on her lips as she rested her head on the cold glass. Her eyes closed gently as she felt the gentle movement of the car before she looked up and out the front window. Angel called out what she wanted before resting back against the window, her eyes closed as she fought off sleep that was starting to get to her. When they arrived home she got out of the car quickly and stretched her arms out before bouncing up along to the front porch and heading into the house. She listened to Alan and took everything out from the bags before placing them down where everyone was going to be sitting or planned on sitting. Angel found herself comfortable on the love seat and settled into the comfy couch nicely while she picked at her fries, eating the good ones first before eating the others. When Alan eventually came over she’d finish all her fries and soon finished her sandwich not even five minutes into the movie. She leaned her head on the arm rest of the couch and kept her eyes glued to the television as Alan got up before looking up at him when he came back. She went to his lap with a smile and got herself comfortable, her head resting easily on his shoulder and her feet sprawled out on the second half of the couch.

▶▷▸▹A pout pulled on her face when the movie ended and she was pushed from Alan’s lap before she looked up at him with a curious look. Once Alan was gone she sighed and stretched her arms out before ruffling Ryan’s hair and saying goodnight to him and Laurie before she headed off to her room, closing the door behind her as she changed and crawled into her bed. She fell asleep quickly but a nightmare soon flooded its way into her mind, making her move around and whimper till she raised up in her bed with a fright, her body shivering slightly from the cold. She quickly left her room, checking the time and noticing it was two in the morning. She groaned and got herself a glass of water before she headed back up the stairs. Angel stopped when she reached Alan’s room, his door open as a smile lifted to her face when she spotted him laying in his bed, fast asleep. Quietly she looked back to her room with a frown before walking into Alan’s room, closing the door behind him, and hopping onto his bed, careful not to wake him. She sat there, her eyes looking out the window at the moon before she looked down to Alan who had rolled over so he was laying on his back. A giggled passed through her lips before she sighed and laid down next to him. “You won’t remember this in the morning, but it helps that I will.” She sat before placing a small kiss on his cheek. Her mind went back to earlier when she had mentioned the word boyfriend and Alan’s face didn’t hide the jealousy well. She’d seen it many times on her father’s face when her mother talked to her and not him. Sighing she shook her head gently. “You silly boy, can’t even realize that you’re the one I want.” A smile filled her lips before she snuggled down into the bed, hoping he didn’t freak out in the morning.


▹ Love is simple, its people that are complicated◃

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[ilyuhh]

↘They sɑy you gottɑ plɑy with the cɑrds you were deɑlt.↙

┏━━━►☢◄━━━┓
Λɭɑɳ Νɩɡеɭ Ɍɩϲℎɑrɗsoɳ
┗━━━►☢◄━━━┛

↘But why should I hɑve to fɑce ɑ cheɑter? ↙

↘↘I'm tired of being the bɑd guy...


►

I could feel myself coming into consciousness, but it wasn’t until I rolled over onto something kind of squishy, but lumpy at the same time, that I actually forced myself awake. Of course, thinking it was Snowflake, I sat up, freaking out, and began searching through my covers expecting to find a smushed little ball of kitty cat. Instead I found myself a blonde little ball of Angel. A small smile spread onto my lips as I stared at her sleeping form, and slowly slid to the edge of my bed, before sliding off it, and landing on the floor gently. I quickly crossed my room to my closet, where I pulled a black Weezer concert tee off the floor and smelt it. Once I was sure it was clean, I pulled it over my head; not wanting to be shirtless when Angel woke up. Then I walked back to my bed and sat down next to Angel’s sleeping figure. After a few minutes, I glanced over at the clock, then ran my fingers through my hair with a sigh. It was Angel’s first day of school, and it was time for her to wake up. But she looked so peaceful, I was having a hard time just reaching over to shake her gently, to wake her up. So instead, and crawled off the bed and grabbed my towel, and left my room, closing my door softly behind me. Then I crossed the hall and went into the bathroom, where I quickly started up the water and tested it to make sure it was at the right temperature before I started up the shower and stripped out of my pajamas. Then I stepped into the shower, and allowed the warm water to wash the tiredness off my body. I quickly washed my hair with my favourite shampoo, then used the fresh smelling Irish Springs soup to wash my body. When I was finished, I quickly rinsed the conditioner out of my hair, and stopped the before. I stepped out, shivering, and wrapped my towel around my body, then began brushing my teeth. Once my toothbrush had been cleaned, and my mouth rinsed, I dropped my bright blue toothbrush into the cup beside the sink and dried myself off quickly, ignoring the damp curls that were still clinging to my forehead in a very unattractive way. I huffed, then pulled my pajamas back on, and walked quietly back into my room, to find Angel still passed out on my bed.

►

With a smile, I walked back over to my bed and laid down beside Angel. ”Angel… It’s time to get up” I said, leaning over her more. ”Ang, geddup” I whispered to her softly, smiling when she opened her eyes. ”’Mornin’ sunshine” I said softly to her, before leaping away from her, and jumping off my bed. ”It’s your first day of school! C’mon Angel! Up, up, up!” I said, smiling brightly at her before walking over to my closet to find something to wear. I searched through all my jeans then pulled out a pair of slim blue jeans, which were still pretty tight on me, just a little bit looser than my actual skinny jeans. Then I pulled out a red t-shirt and a gray sweater, before walking over to my dresser to search for some clean underwear. Then, with all my clothes in hand, I turned to Angel, who was still sitting on my bed. ”I hate to kick you out Angel, but I have to kick you out” I said, lifting up my clothes, hoping she would understand what I was trying to say. ”Why don’t you got get all ready, and I’ll meet you in the kitchen?” I said, before walking over to the bed, to drop my stuff down. Then I gave Angel a smile, and raised my eyebrow. ”My mom got you a ton of stuff, didn’t she? I’m pretty sure she got you a backpack to, just in case you ever decided to go to school” I explained, then watched as she got up and walked from my room. ”Hey Angel?” I called, just as she got to the doorway. ”Maybe tonight, we can paint your room and get it set up… Exactly how you want it” I said, giving her a cute smile before she walked out, and closed my door behind her. With a sigh, I pulled off my pajamas, and quickly got into my boxers, jeans and t-shirt, before I ran my brush through my still wet hair. I quickly shook my head out, so that the curls would go into whatever position they wanted, so that they could dry properly. Once I was sure I was ready, I put on some deodorant, then pulled on my sweater and grabbed my brown tweed messenger bag before making my way down the stairs into the kitchen, where mom and Ryan already sat.

►

”You’re up early” I noted to Ryan, a bit out of breath. Ryan then gave me a look that clearly said ‘are you retarded?’, and turned back to his Captain Crunch (The cereal for ‘winners’). ”you and Angel are both up late. I went into her room to wake her up, in case she needed extra time to get ready, but when I went in there, she wasn’t there…” My mom said. ”Yeah, she stayed in my room” I said, sitting down and pouring myself a bowl of Cheerios. ”She did what?”” My mom asked, sounding a bit like she was being choked. I looked up at her wearily as I poured milk into my bowl, and stirred the little whole wheat rings around a bit before answering my mom again; just in case it had been a rhetorical question. ”She stayed in my room last night?” I said it as a question, just because I wasn’t sure how much more I could dumb down the sentence. ”ooooOooOOoOoOooh” Ryan said, before shoved another spoonful of his special kid cereal into his mouth. ”Shut up Ryan” I said, before turning back to my mom, who was still staring at me in disbelief. ”She slept in your room? What? In your bed?” She aside. I just rolled my eyes and took a bite of my cereal, before shrugging. ”I guess so. I don’t even know. I went to bed, she wasn’t there. I wake up, she is” I said simply, before shoving a few more bites into my mouth. ”Honey, as much as I like Angel… I don’t want her sleeping in your bed” My mom said quietly, as if she were afraid of Angel hearing her. ”Why not? If she feels comfortable around me, I’m not going to say she can’t stay with me. It’s probably scary sleeping by herself in a house she barely knows, while her father is in a prison cell, trying to make an escape plan, so he can kill her.” I said, knowing I was being a but melodramatic, but it helped get my point across. My mom sighed and took a big gulp of coffee before she spoke again. Ryan just sat there, looking between the two of us; obviously amused. ”it’s not that Alan. It’s the fact that you never know when Nala could come out. You said yourself your defenses are down when you sleep. What if you hurt her? Plus I just… Don’t feel comfortable with my baby boy sharing a bed with a girl” She said, and I just rolled my eyes. ”Kay, really mom? First off, I’m sixteen. Second… Just… Ew…” I said, glaring at Ryan who just stared at me in amusment.

►

Then, Angel walked into the kitchen, and I blushed, wondering if she had heard what we had been talking about. ”Good morning Angel, how did you sleep?” My mom asked politely, and I wondered if she was hinting at the fact that Angel had slept in my bed. Then Ryan smiled, and asked her the same question, obviously hinting at the fact that she had slept in my bed. ”Yeah Angel. How did you sleep? Did you sleep well?” He asked, still smirking. I stood up, and started getting things ready to make sandwiches. ”Ryan, shut up. You’re disgusting” I said as I made sandwiches for the three of us. My mom just narrowed her eyes at Ryan, who continued smirking to himself, obviously proud of his terrible joke. Once the sandwiches were ready, I put them in plastic baggies and threw Ryan’s very, very hard at him, then tossed another one gently to Angel, before dropping mine in my own bag. Then I walked to the front door, and pulled on my shoes, then my jacket. ”Come on guys. Ryan, if you don’t get moving, you’re going to be late. And Angel, I’d like to get to school a bit early, so that I can introduce you to my teacher, and figure out what we’re gonna do with you while I’m in my suspension.” I called, handing Angel her jacket with a smile when she came over to where I stood. Then Ryan walked over, mumbling something about not wanting to go to school, as he pulled on his shoes, and his jacket. ”Bye mom!” Ryan and I called at the same time. With a smile, I opened the front door, and motioned for Angel to go out first, before Ryan, and then myself. The three of us walked down the street in silence, and I definitely felt awkward with Ryan there; who just so happened to be standing in between Angel and me. I couldn’t help but wonder if he did that on purpose, but shrugged it off. Pouting about it, or purposely kicking Ryan out of the middle would make it obvious that I wanted to be closer to Angel, which would definitely not make home life, or the whole ‘Alan getting close to a girl’ situation any easier. ”Does that girl still make eyes at you from across the room?” I asked Ryan, shoving my hands in my pockets. ”Sometimes. I think she has a thing for you though” Ryan said sulkily. I laughed and ruffled his hair. ”Why would you think that?” I asked. Ryan shrugged and began fixing his hair. ”She only gives me ’looks’ when I’m wearing your pants, and she always gets to school early, and sits in the window waiting for you to drop me off. Then she watches as you walk down the street. She wrote in her journal that she’s gonna marry you” He said finally. My eyes widened and I just stared at the ground in shock. ”No worries Ryan. I wont steal her from you. I’d go to jail if I did. Jeesh, what is it with younger girls?” I muttered the end part to myself, wondering why all the younger girls that would put me in jail seemed to like me so much.

►

When we arrived outside of Ryan’s school, I checked the window where the grade 6 classroom was, and just like Ryan said; there was a little blue eyed, blonde haired girl sitting in the window, staring at me with adoring eyes. However, when she caught sight of Angel, her eyes narrowed, and she promptly turned away from the window. ”See?” Ryan asked, as he gave me a quick hug and walked up the path to the elementary school. ”We’ll pick you up later!” I called, which he replied to with a wave. ”Er… Come on Angel. We should uh… Get to school” I said, then we began walking again, and I instantly felt more comfortable. For some reason, I always felt like Ryan was on the verge of telling Angel every embarrassing thing I’d ever done. Most of the walk was silent, but it was a comfortable silence. For some reason, everything was comfortable with Angel. Even waking up, shocking to see her curled up next to me seemed comfortable… Right… Now weird, or awkward, or anything like that. And she was comfortable with me, and Nala, even though I could tell that she was wary about Nala. ”Okay, so my teachers name is Ms.Alberts. She’s really nice, and she understands all about Nala, which means she wont go all ape s**t crazy if you become uncomfortable and ask to hang out with me, instead of being in class. Also, she kinda… Knows about you because I told her about how you were in the hospital and stuff, but she doesn’t know why I ran out of class early yesterday. So… She may be a bit angry with me. However, if you want, I can talk her into letting you stay with me while you catch up and stuff. But really, don’t worry Angel. My mom got me a new phone, and you have yours now, so if you ever get scared, or uncomfortable, just call me, and I’ll be there. But you should be with me for most of the day, and the jerk Danny is afraid of me now, so he wont even try messing with you” I said, as he walked through the double doors of the high school. I took Angel’s hand in mine and gave it a light squeeze as I pulled her through the halls to my locker, and pulled her in front of the locker beside mine, which now had a new lock on it. ”This is your locker. Right beside mine. Hurry up and put whatever you don’t need away, and the I’ll introduce you to Ms.Alberts” I said, as I hung up my jacket, and put my own stuff away.

►

Once Angel and I had finished putting all our stuff in our lockers, I directed her across the hall, and into Ms.Alberts classroom, where she sat at her desk, making papers as usual. ”Come on in Alan. I have some things for you to mark, and we need to have a little chat as you do so” She said. I just stood in the doorway with Angel, with a smile on my face. ”Ms.Alberts” I said. ”Yes Alan?” She said in a sigh. ”I have someone I’d like to introduce you to” I said, then pulled Angel into the classroom, and in front of Ms.Alberts just as she looked up. I could see shock on her face, and her eyes widened. ”You must be Angel… my, my… You certainly do fit your name” She said quietly. I smiled at Angel in encouragement, then grabbed a chair from the corner behind Ms.Alberts desk, and pulled it up to the little desk where I usually sat to do work, and placed it beside my usual chair. ”Do you think Angel could just stay with me until my suspension is over? Like… Stay with us rather then going to her classes?” I asked. Ms.Alberts seemed thoughtful, then smiled at Angel… or more; beamed at Angel. ”Yes, that should be fine. That way she can catch up on the curriculum and everything.” Ms.Alberts said, just as other students came into the classroom. I quickly took Angel’s hand, and pulled her over to the chairs, sitting down in the one on the edge, so that Angel would be between Ms.Alberts and I. I could see people giving Angel odd looks as they walked into the room, but I just smiled at her, feeling a lot better being at school with her there with me.

I don't want the W O R L D to see me, 'cause I don't think that they'd understand.

When everything is made to be B R O K E N, I just want you to know who I am.

[--x sweet whispers]

Locked away in this hole.

I can't see nor can I breath.

One more second till I fade.

But there you are.

Helping me once more.

Angel H O P E Dawson

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Take a risk, take a chance, pick me up and show me love...

▶▷▸▹My feet were starting to hurt; just from the fact that they were peeking out from the blanket and I could feel the cold draft blow across them as if someone was sitting there blowing on my toes. I wiggled them for a bit, trying to put them back under the warm blanket which I succeeded in doing. A smile crawled onto my lips and I could feel the slight tug of it from my muscles before I drowned back into the sea of sleep, doubting I’d ever want to wake up. It was probably the fact that school was a few hours, or minutes, ahead and really I wasn’t all that excited about it. Yesterday all I really could think about was how it would be nice to get more time to spend with Alan and staying at the house alone certainly would not help. I could feel something move beside me but I just ignored it as a flicker, as I call them, appeared before my eyes. It was from last night when I had come into the room, really just wanting to see the moon and stars though I ended up in Alan’s bed, but what I saw wasn’t that but more so when I had kissed his cheek and the words I uttered. I was beginning to be happy that Alan had been asleep, it avoided many questions and awkward moments but that didn’t mean I didn’t want what I said. It took even myself a while to figure out that what I wanted had been the blond haired boy and still I’m confused about my feelings. If I could change back time would I still do what I had done? Of course though I probably would have avoided falling asleep in his bed. Really, it couldn’t be helped, I just felt better, safer next to him and I didn’t have another nightmare like I’ve had every night since I left my dad’s house. Speaking of him, I wonder how he’s doing, maybe rotting in a jail cell, or plotting to escape and kill me. I’d bet on option two.

▶▷▸▹Then the voice came, fluttering its way into my ears till my brain sent off signals to the rest of my body. Honestly, I love that boy but right now I’d rather hit him in the bed with a giant fluffy pillow that’s bigger than him. I wanted to stay in my curled ball shape, dreaming of whatever, not wake up and attend school which there was an eighty percent chance of me having a meltdown. Good luck to the high school! The second time Alan called out I couldn’t help but open my eyes slightly, I just had to see him, see his face, and smile up to him. I turned slightly, smiling up at him before looking at him as he jumped away. I rolled my eyes a bit, annoying by the child-like behavior even though it was a tad cute. I manage to somehow pull my body up, not liking the cold one bit as it sliced at my skin like a knife but I couldn’t take my eyes off Alan, he was just...well him. I couldn’t describe it one bit. My eyes flittered over his pick of clothes, slightly wiggling my small nose in the process before his voice reached my ears again and I just wanted to fall back on the bed, hiding away in the covers. Eventually my body reacted on its own and I was sent upward, on my feet in an instant as I walked to the door, a yawn forming out of my lips as I turned and looked at Alan before smiling. “I’d like that, it would be fun.” I knew the smile on my face wasn’t alone, I could feel the small blush that had managed to worm its way under my skin and show itself but I ignored it and turned on my heel toward my room where I shut the door behind me and looked at the closet before a groan surpassed my lips. Quietly I pulled out an outfit before placing it over my arm and walking to the bathroom where I shut the door and locked it once I was inside. Carefully I turned the water on, letting the water heat up while I stripped down. My feet were frozen to the floor and my eyes were glued to the mirror as I looked over the parts of my body I couldn’t see without a mirror. The bruises were still there though not as dark but as I continued to look over them I couldn’t help but noticed that they had become apart of me, they were something I had to live with even if in a while they would disappear. Slowly I moved closer to the mirror, my eyes tracing over my neck as my fingers rose gently and I carefully ran my fingertips over the marks that were now forming on my neck from my dad.

▶▷▸▹The little girl ran quickly down along the side of the stairs, a small dog following close behind her as she hit the bottom of the stairs and looked around carefully. She didn’t want to make a sound; not knowing what could possibly happen if she even did. Her stomach let out a loud growl which made her hold her stomach tightly while she looked around to see if he had managed to hear. When nothing was coming into her sight she quickly ran across the marble floor, the small puppy padding along with her quietly as if he knew why she was being quiet also. With a sigh the girl smiled to the fridge and opened it, looking around till she found and apple and pulled it out. She loved the way the cold air from the fridge hit her face and the feel of the apple in her hands just made her mouth watery but as she closed the door to the food storage contraption a set of footsteps sounded out through the house, loud, deep, and scary. Her eyes opened wide before she scampered off to the living room, the puppy close behind before they both hid in a small cabinet. The nine year old sucked in a breath of air and held it as she saw the shadow appear right before the cabinet then disappear before the footsteps vanished all together. The air she’d been holding in fell out through her lips before she opened the wooden door carefully and stepped out to face the living room, empty of people. With a small smile the girl waved to the door to follow her before they both wandered off to the stairs where she sat down and pulled out the apple but just as her teeth were about to bite down into the juice fruit the sound of a chuckle scared her. The apple fell from her hands and her eyes watched as if rolled away, right to the feet of her father who’d managed to starve her of food for the whole week already. Silently she stood up, her eyes not moving from the apple as the man bent down and picked it up, dusting it off before holding it out to the girl. Once more her eyes widen before she took hold of the apple cautiously and held it in her hand, not daring to move it. “Go on.” His voice called, commanding her almost as she raised it gently to her lips and took a bite of it. She couldn’t help the reaction she had and instantly she started to eat the whole thing till barely even the core was left and her stomach was satisfied. I small smile traced her lips as she realized nothing bad had happened before she turned to head to the kitchen so she could throw away the core. Her feet hit the ground quietly as she skipped along but when she was making her way back to the stairs to get her puppy the sound of a cry from the poor animal cried out to her and all she could see was her dad’s foot—

▶▷▸▹My eyes opened, the icy blue color taking over the mirror as I stared all around myself, only it wasn’t me. It was a younger girl with my pale blonde hair, the black that I had dyed in it a few years back and continued on since now gone. Her eyes were the same as mine along with her small facial features and the looked on her face reminded me of when I was younger. I soon realized I was looking at myself, just the inner me. I was just a girl who wanted to break out of her cage and break down the walls that I had built around myself to protect me. Shaking my head lightly I stepped into the shower and quickly washed my hair before doing my body then stepped out and turned the water off before I completely dried myself and got dressed before brushing my hair out and holding it up before dropping it and letting my hair fall in gentle waves around my shoulders. Sighing my body moved on its own as I put the towel in the dirty clothes before heading to my room and grabbing whatever was needed for the day. My eyes flickered around the room for a moment, having a strange feeling within me that I wouldn’t be seeing this room for much longer before I walked out quietly and down the stairs. I made my way to the kitchen, instantly realizing something had happened and wished I could just go back upstairs and crawl into bed, burying myself under the blankets. I could see the blush on Alan’s face which made me giggle lightly before I looked up at Laurie and thought to myself before giving a gentle smile. “Good morning to you too Laurie, I slept well all night...well I can’t really say that otherwise I’d be lying. Nightmares seem to be haunting me.” I murmured, my voice dropping a bit at the end before my eyes flickered toward Ryan and I raised my eyebrow at him. Smiling at Alan I pulled on my shoes which had been hanging on my feet before I walked over to Ryan, ruffling his hair a bit harder than needed to before I wandered into the kitchen, my eyes falling on Alan every so often as I stared out the window. When I had the sandwich in my hand I opened my messenger bag and dropped the food item in there neatly before closing it back up and making my way to the front door, hesitant a bit to going out before I looked to the stairs and sighed. I took the jacket Alan handed me with a smile before I looked at him curiously but otherwise kept my mouth shut. The walk to Ryan's school was a bit amusing in my opinion.

▶▷▸▹As we were walking I didn’t really mind the fact that Ryan was right in the middle of us but more along the lines of the fact that he seemed to make things awkward. I couldn’t really say anything I really wanted to without something going wrong and Ryan taking it the wrong way, not too mention I had a feeling Alan’s brother and his mom were starting to think something was going on when, unfortunately, there wasn’t. In my mind it seemed to be so hard, these feelings and trying to get closer to Alan but not having been in the real world and not knowing how to act like an act teenager took a bit out of me. Even the simplest things seemed to confuse me so I just acted on my gut like when we had been walking home after my dad had gotten arrested and I held onto his hand. That was simply instinct even though the whole time I was wondering whether it was okay or right for me to. I lifted my head up a bit to look at Alan over Ryan, who wasn’t that much taller than me, and I tried to figure out the expression on his face but nothing seemed to register in my mind. Another downfall to having been shut out for part of my life, I didn’t know how to read expressions well since most I’ve never really experience. My thoughts happened to be cut off though as the two boys started talking about a certain girl who apparently had a crush on Ryan, or more so Alan. A giggle escaped my lips as the two talked about the girl before a feeling fluttered around in my stomach, I couldn’t tell what it was but as Ryan kept talking about the girl it burned deep inside my stomach and made me feel sick before we reached the school and a sigh fell through my cold, nearly blue, lips. I smiled at Ryan as he left, not really noticing the girl...okay yeah I actually did but my mind was instantly taken over as Alan called my name and I obediently followed like a puppy. As we walked I noticed to I seemed to have a bit of a hop to my step as we walked now that Ryan was gone. Shame to say I was glad; I got to be alone with Alan even though that wouldn’t continue on for much longer. As he continued to talk it dawned on me then just how scared I was. It wasn’t so much high school but the people and the fact that I might have to see...Danny really didn’t help me much at all. “That’s good. Hopefully today will somehow manage to go off well; I just don’t want to have a breakdown.” I said quietly as we had began to walk up to the front of the school and I realized then that Alan hadn’t ever seen me in the middle of one of my attacks which was to say a good thing. If I couldn’t hold back my fear I’d simply start hyperventilating then I’d get a fever and soon after break out into a seizure. It simply wasn’t fun and games during one of my attacks.

▶▷▸▹Once I was inside I smiled at the warmth that seemed to gather around at my legs before climbing up to the top of my head but my smile only got wider as I realized there wasn’t really anyone in the hallway and when a sudden tug appeared on my hand as I started walking again, my eyes looking down to mine and Alan’s hands which just so happened to be connected. When we had gotten to the lockers I pulled out the piece of paper that had been crunched in the side of my bag and looked it over before putting it away and spinning the dial with the correct combination before I took my bag off from my shoulders and placed it down gently as I took my jacket off and hung it up. After that was done I put away nearly everything that was in my bag that I wouldn’t need before shutting the metal door quietly and slinging my bag back over my shoulder. As Alan headed to the class across the hall I sighed and followed along, staying slightly behind him, hidden just a bit so that part of me was only hidden. If I had wanted to I could have simply stood directly behind him and would have been completely hidden since he was so much taller but I knew I couldn’t do that, I couldn’t let myself shy away now. I huffed a bit as I was pushed forward though I kept quiet before the teacher looked up and a small smile pulled on my lips automatically before a blush built on the bridge of my nose. I muttered a quick thank you to her compliment before looking back to Alan and shuffling my feet around, still a bit nervous. Another huff fell through my lips, though this one caused by surprised, as I was pulled to the chair in between Alan and Ms. Alberts. As I noticed people starting to come into the classroom I could feel a headache running along my temple but I ignored it, along with the stares, as I rested my head on the desk and closed my eyes gently, trying to picture myself in a happy place to keep myself calm before I opened my eyes and smiled to Alan, my hand finding its way back to Alan’s and intertwining our finger carefully before a yawn surpassed my lips and I giggled slightly. “Wanting to already take a nap, not a good way to start school off.” I said with a shy smile before looking out the doorway and instantly seeing someone who I would have rather not seen at all. Thankfully Danny didn’t seem to look in the direction of the classroom which meant I could keep my head on the cool desk while I kept looking down at mine and Alan's hands which seemed to fit together perfectly, like a puzzle almost.


▹ Love is simple, its people that are complicated◃

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[ilyuhh]

↘They sɑy you gottɑ plɑy with the cɑrds you were deɑlt.↙

┏━━━►☢◄━━━┓
Λɭɑɳ Νɩɡеɭ Ɍɩϲℎɑrɗsoɳ
┗━━━►☢◄━━━┛

↘But why should I hɑve to fɑce ɑ cheɑter? ↙

↘↘I'm tired of being the bɑd guy...


►

As usual, I did all Ms.Alberts marking for her, as well as my own work. The only thing different about this day, to all the others, was that Angel was there with me. It was weird… I’d never really liked anyone the way I liked Angel, and I didn’t know how to describe my feelings. I felt jealous at the mention of guys, and I was always anxious when she wasn’t with me. I felt like I had a permanent blush on my face every time I was near her, and always had more control of Nala around her. She was kind of like my new medication. Helped me control my bad side. Maybe she was the cure to Nala… Okay, yes that sounded stupid. Schizophrenia is incurable, but she definitely made Nala feel less real. Since I met her, it seemed more like I was finding a balance. I found myself to get angry at things, and I never switched personalities. It was like Nala was merging into me, making myself just… Myself. I glanced over and Angel, and smiled at her, glancing up when I heard a classmate cough. When I looked up, I saw that one of Danny’s friends were staring at me. I returned his stare, and refused to show him any hint of weakness. Eventually, he glanced at Angel, then shook his head and went back to work. With a sigh, I ripped a piece of paper out of my binder and took out my favourite mechanical pencil. Then I wrote Angel a quick message in my messy boy-ish handwriting on the top line. ’no one knows what to think of you. I take that as a good thing. What do you think of school so far? Boring as s**t, right? Want to maybe get permission to leave for the afternoon? Just do some solid Angel-Alan chill time?’ I smiled at what I’d written, then folded the paper in half and slid over to Angel, nudging her arm with it to get her attention, then went back to marking one of Ms.Alberts grade 12 Literary exams. Once I was finished marking the stack she had given me, I got up and gave them to her. She smiled, and handed me another stack of tests, which I saw were from the grade 9 class she had third period. I shook my head slightly, then set to work on marking the new set of tests, knowing that there definitely would be more after that.

►

When the end of period bell rang, I didn’t even look up, just continued marking. I only glanced up when a paper ball landed on my desk. All I saw was Danny’s friend Tom, lurching out the door, which is hands in his pockets, and his back slouched. I didn’t have any real proof, but I somehow knew it was him. With a sigh, I opened the paper and glanced over it, expecting to see some rude thing written across it, or a threat. Flutters were sent through my stomach as I read the one word on it over, and over again, wishing it made sense to me. It was simply what he meant, really; but somehow it didn’t seem right that he was the one saying it. My blue eyes scanned the page over and over again, but all that was on it was that one little word; Sorry. I shook my head and folded the paper, shoving it into my messenger bag before I went back to marking. About half way through what seemed to be the 50th test, my knee touched Angel’s under the table, and I felt a shock go through my entire body. I glanced up at Angel, and blushed. I stood up quickly before she could notice, and walked over to Ms.Alberts, poking her shoulder. She glanced up at me, then went to grab another stack of things for me to mark, when I shook my head. ”Can I talk to you?” I said, surprised that my voice didn’t sound shy, or timid as it usually did. She glanced around her empty classroom, and for once I was grateful that she had a prep period, instead of a class for second hour. Normally, I hated second period. It was always awkward and quiet, even with Angel there. But today, I was glad that I could bring Ms.Alberts into the hall, where we could talk, without her being worried about one of the stupid jock setting the school on fire. Ms.Alberts sighed, and nodded, then stood up. ”Angel, Alan and I need to have a little talk. Are you going to be okay here by yourself?” She asked. I just smiled and Angel and pulled off my sweater, handing it to Angel with the cutest smile I could manage; after noticing that she was only wearing her button up t-shirt after she’d taken off her jacket. I also noticed earlier, that when she had worn my jacket, she had stayed calm; so I was praying my sweater would have the same effect. ”You looked cold. We’ll be quick, promise” I said, then squeezed Angel’s shoulder and followed Ms.Alberts out of the room.

►

”What is it Alan?” Ms.Alberts asked me softly after closing the door the classroom. Now that I was actually facing her, I wasn’t sure how to say what I wanted, but I took a deep breath and said it the best way I could; honestly. ”I’m confused” I said, then smacked myself mentally. ‘I’m confused’, brilliant Alan… ”About what, hon?” She asked, obviously not putting too much thought into my insanely dorky explanation. ”Angel” I answered with yet another mind-blowingly brilliant answer. Ms.Alberts chuckled slightly and ran her fingers through her hair. ”What confuses you about her, Alan? Do you think she’s being dishonest to you, or… I don’t know, is she being distant?” She asked. I shook my head vigorously, and ran my fingers through my curly hair. My confusion had nothing to do with what Angel was doing. It was about my feelings, and these weird jolts I got around her, that I’d never had my entire life. ”It’s more… My feelings towards her. Like… It’s weird, because I’ve never felt them before, so I don’t know what to call them, or what they mean.” I said. Ms.Alberts nodded, and made no effort to try and guess what these feelings could be. ”Well, what are your feelings then? Or better… What are you feeling” She asked. I thought for a minute, and bit my lip. Did I really want to tell her? What if it was embarrassing? I decided to risk it. “It’s like… I’m always warm around her, and sometimes when she stands really close to me, or holds my hand I feel fluttery, or like I’m going to throw up; but in a good way. And when she touches me, I feel like every nerve in my body is on fire, or like I’m being electrocuted” I said, wondering how stupid I sounded. Ms.Alberts just laughed and put her hand on my shoulder. ”You’ve never liked anyone before, Alan?” She asked. I looked at her in confusion. ”Of course I have” I said. I’ve liked lots of people. There are some nice kids at this school… Then what she said really hit me. ”Wait… You think I like like her?” I asked. Ms.Alberts smiled and nodded. ”Indeed I do. You’ve risked your life quite a few times for her Alan… You’re risking your grades for her, and your risking getting in trouble for her. All those things that you told me, describe what you would feel when you feel stronger for someone than basic friendship.” She said. I just felt dizzy.

►

I shook my head slowly, forcing everything to go back into focus. ”You’re not serious, are you?” I asked her. She smiled and nodded, and then gave me a little push towards the door. ”Get in there. You have stuff to mark” She said. I frowned and opened the door to the classroom slowly, then stepped in and walked over to my chair. I sat down without looking at Angel, and continued my marking. All I could do was think about what Ms.Alberts had said. Did I really like Angel like that? According to Ms.Alberts, that’s what my feelings were telling me; but it didn’t seem right. I sighed and rubbed my face, suddenly feeling very, very tired. ”Hey Alan, I was thinking maybe you two could eat lunch in the cafeteria? So that she could get used to it for when you’re suspension is over” Ms.Alberts said to me, as if Angel weren’t sitting between us. ”Um. That sounds like a great idea, but I was wondering if maybe Angel and I could take the afternoon off?” I asked quietly, hoping she would say yes. Ms.Alberts grimaced and sighed, then shook her head. ”Alan, you’ve missed quite a few afternoons. Maybe after your suspension is over, I can sign you two out early… But today, I think it’s best you stay” Ms.Alberts said. I frowned and nodded, then went back to marking. When the lunch bell rang, I got up slowly and put my bag over my shoulder. ”Ready Angel?” I asked her, not meeting her eyes as I did. When she said she was, I nodded and turned on my heel then walked slowly out of the classroom. In the hallway, is was crowded so I knew Angel would probably freak out, but I couldn’t bring myself to reach over and hold her hand, like I would have had I not had new knowledge of my feelings. I felt like I was a kindergartener, who likes a girl, but doesn’t want to play with her, in case she figures out that he likes her. Like one of those kids that are mean to their crushes, to make it look like they feel the opposite of their real feelings. Thing is, I was in high school. I should have been able to deal with girls, especially someone like Angel, who was even more new to the world then I was. I shook my head slowly and grabbed Angel just in time before one of the jocks that had been running like idiots down the hall rammed into her. The second the coast was clear, I let go of her, and looked straight ahead of me.

►

Luckily, we made it to the cafeteria without Angel spazzing out, or foaming at the mouth, or something. I was actually really relieved about that, seeing as I had decided earlier in second period, that I was never going to touch her again, unless I absolutely had to. Sighing, I walked over to one of the round cafeteria tables and sat down, sliding my chair over a bit when Angel sat beside me. Then without looking at her, I pulled my sandwich out of my bag and unwrapped it, then took a bite; which I chewed slowly. Then a shadow covered our table, and I felt my eyes instantly turn into slits as they met with Danny Alto’s. ”Hey Skitz, I thought you weren’t allowed to eat with the other kids, in case you got mad and threw someone out a window” He said in his usual thick, dumb, mocking tone. ”Go to hell, Alto” I replied, before taking another bite. Unfortunately, he just laughed, instead of filling out my request. ”What a shitty comeback.” He said. I just sighed and put my sandwich down. ”It wasn’t a comeback. It was a request. As in, I’d literally like you to go to hell, rather than standing here ruining the one lunch I’m allowed to spend in the cafeteria” I said, my voice quiet, but thoughtful. Danny just stared at me, then turned his attention to Angel. ”Oh hey! It’s you! Y’know, you’re hot when you aren’t wimpering, or getting the crap kicked out of you. Maybe we could—“ He said, but was cut off by a loud crash as I stood up quickly, sending my chair flying backwards, and hitting the floor. Luckily it stopped sliding before it hit another table. I stared at Danny with narrowed eyes, waiting for him to –reluctantly—pull his attention away from Angel. ”I swear to god, if you don’t get out of here right now, I will throw you out a window” I said, my voice quiet, yet so intense that I could see Danny had taken my threat literally. What shocked me the most, was the amount of jealousy that filled me at Danny's simple compliment. It felt like a rush of fire through my body, that made me act, rather then think about the concenquences of saying what I had. I didn't even like him looking at Angel, let alone asking her out, which he definitely was about to do. Of course, Danny’s eyes flickered between me and Angel, before he became defensive again. ”Man, he’s so ********. Why you would want to hang around him rather than me, I have no idea. But whatever, I hope you have fun getting killed, or something” Danny said to Angel, before walking away. I stared after him, then picked up my sandwich and moved to the chair which had been beside the one I had knocked over. I quickly finished my sandwich and crumpled the plastic wrap into a ball before I stood up and nodded for Angel to come with me. On the way out of the cafeteria, I threw out my garbage, then walked back to Ms.Alberts class, before sitting down in my seat, and staring at the wall. I hadn’t even noticed kids had come in, until I heard Ms.Alberts talking to them. Naturally, Becky was looking at me, only this time her eyes were flickering between Angel and I in confusion, the sadness evident on her face as she compared Angel to herself. Even to a hopeful ninth grader, Becky could tell she had no chance against Angel.

I don't want the W O R L D to see me, 'cause I don't think that they'd understand.

When everything is made to be B R O K E N, I just want you to know who I am.

[--x sweet whispers]

Locked away in this hole.

I can't see nor can I breath.

One more second till I fade.

But there you are.

Helping me once more.

Angel H O P E Dawson

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Take a risk, take a chance, pick me up and show me love...

▶▷▸▹Angel lifted her head up from a short nap, yes with her eyes open, to see Ms. Alberts hand her some things. Most of it were packets of lessons for all her classes and as she flipped through them she realized she’d already gone through most of it with Seth. The blond leaned back in her chair and dug around in her bag till she finally pulled out a pencil and placed that bag back on the floor, the chair legs connecting back on the ground as she continued on with starting her work. She was fully aware of the feeling bubbling in her chest and stomach which had started to get annoying. As time went on she tried to just ignore it, focus on her work but that seemed nearly impossible since every few moments she’d get the feeling like butterflies were roaming around in her stomach. The blond yawned a bit and looked down at her papers, noticing she’d began to draw along the edge instead of doing the work. A small giggled pulled through her tight closed lips before she continued on working, her eyes facing the paper and Alan at the same time. It wasn’t hard for her to notice Alan looking up after a while, curious as to what he was looking at though she turned her head a bit, as if she were moving into a more comfortable position, and her eyes landed on the boy who was also staring back at the blond boy next to her. She gave an involuntary cringe before moving back to her work, her pencil scraping silently along the soft white sheet as she tried to keep her mind occupied till she felt something hit it lightly, looking from her arm, to Alan, then to the note which she took hold in her fingers and read through it with a smile before leaning down and replying to the simple note. ‘That could be a good thing I guess, but it feels weird knowing you’re being stared out. I’m still surprised I’ve lasted this long. School is better here then it was at my home, still boring though. That sounds like a nice idea, we could have some fun.’ Her neat script handwriting was sprawled out onto the lines of the paper before she gave it back to Alan and continued on with her work, ignoring the feelings in her stomach that seemed to have multiplied. She couldn’t help but notice the huge mounds of papers that needed marked and she felt a bit bad for Alan, having an idea that it was probably getting a bit boring doing it.

▶▷▸▹The bell rang which Angel jumped slightly at before looking over the packet she’d just finished and tossed into the finished pile which was starting to grow already. She was beginning to think it would never end when she looked up to see Ms. Alberts put a few more packets underneath her stack. Silently she glared at the papers before she pulled the newer ones out and looked through them, a smile forming on her lips as she started working, soon finishing the new ones. Her eyes caught hold of something white in the air and looked to Alan as the paper ball landed on his desk though she simply let herself go back to work, whatever it was had to do with Alan, not her. She stood up for a second, backing up till she reached into her bag and dug around in it, pulling out a notebook since she’d gotten to the math part. She knew she was going to have to stretch her brain a bit for this, math having never been her best subjects. As she sat back down and moved the chair forward a bit, leaning over to do her work when she could feel something rest on her knee for a moment before she looked over to Alan, the bridge of her nose holding a blush before she dropped her face back down to her work as the boy stood up. When Ms. Alberts spoke to her she instantly raised her head before her eyes went from the teacher to Alan and back to the teacher. The blond simply nodded her head, her eyes now stuck to Alan as she watched him closely in wonder. Another blush built on her nose once more but she took the jacket a little too quickly before watching the two leave, a sigh passing from her lips once the two left the room and shut the door. Carefully she pulled the seat back and stood up; tossing the jacket on before she walked over to one of the windows that looked outside. She had a feeling that Alan and Ms. Alberts were talking about her but she just waved it off as paranoia, not wanting to assume anything since that could lead to bad things. Angel’s eyes flickered across the outside lawn of the school when she noticed something bouncing around and a giggle came from her as she watched two kittens playing in the snow. “There seem to be a lot of strays in this town.” She wished she could help them, her love for animals usually got the best of her but she knew she couldn’t keep all the strays she found, Snowflake was enough as it was. Maybe that was what she’d do with her life. Live away from everyone else in a big house and take care of animals, taking in strays, and setting up adoptions so most of the animals wouldn’t have to go to the pound and get put to sleep after a while.

▶▷▸▹She started actually thinking about her future, wondering if she’d make it through high school, if she’d go off to college, who she’d marry if she did, would she have a family. All the questions of her future seemed to cloud her mind for a moment before she just shook them away. She wanted to live in the moment, focus on what was now and not what would happen later. She remembered her mother would always tell her that if you worry so much on the future, the present will just pass by and you’ll never even realize it. Thats why Angel lived by the day and didn’t think so much about what would happen tomorrow, next week, next month, or even next year, she just focused on today, that hour, that minute, that second and tried to live it to the fullest. Finally Angel backed away from the window and walked back to her chair, sitting in it carefully before she went back to work, finishing yet another packet by the time Ms. Alberts and Alan walked back into the room. It took a while but eventually she noticed something weird about Alan, like something in him changed in those few minutes but she once again ignored the feeling and just focused on whatever was in front of her. She let the conversation between the two beside her play out before she secretly winced as a stabbing pain shot through her head and her hand instantly went to the top of her head where there was a scab forming over the wound from where she’d been kicked in the head too many times. “It’s a wonder I’m not retarded by now.” She muttered to herself, positive that neither of the other two could have heard her. She heard another bell ring and got up along with Alan, tossing her bag over her shoulder as she pushed the chair back a bit so she could get out. “I guess.” She muttered; a bit sadden by the fact that Alan seemed to be refusing to look her in the eyes. To be honest, she’d expected Alan to be right next to her side in the hallway as she tried to go through it, she couldn’t help but be slightly mad over the fact that she could probably have an attack in the middle of the hallway and he wouldn’t even know it because he was so busy trying to keep away from her, or at least that’s what it looked like. Angel wasn’t even aware of the boy that nearly crashed into her but she was slightly happy Alan had though as soon as his hand pulled away from hers she was consumed by the lonely feeling, like she’d just been...rejected or something. Sighing she continued on and followed like a lost little puppy, wondering during the whole time whether or not she’d done something wrong to get Alan mad at her or something.

▶▷▸▹When they got to the cafeteria it took Angel a second to calm the sudden urge to vomit before she moved along with Alan and sat down, almost ready to groan when Alan moved his chair away a bit, something she didn’t fail to miss. The blond quickly pulled out her sandwich, not really wanting to eat it, but she couldn’t help but see out of her eyes someone coming toward them. It was like things were going to get worst and worst as she sat there, not daring to look up at Danny, but kept her eyes on the sandwich, picking at it and acting like she was fascinated by the thing and not scared that she may get hurt again whether it was on school grounds or not. Her wishes weren’t granted as Danny soon recognized her and she almost cringed away but managed to stay where she was, a glare forming on her face as the boy kept talking. Alan’s sudden actions nearly sent Angel jumping ten feet in the air and she didn’t fail to notice the sudden quietness in the room, instantly regretting not suggesting they just stay in the classroom. As the whole thing played out Angel could feel the awkwardness of everyone else in the cafeteria but she could also feel the hate that ran between the two boys. Even though she knew in some way Alan was standing up for her from what Danny had said, or was about to say, she couldn’t help but still feel mad at him. First he’s all friendly and being himself then he blows her off and kinda ignores yet here he was defending her and himself. The confusion was starting to kick in, her mind trying to work everything out before she noticed the scene had stopped and Danny had walked away. Angel was too confused to eat and simply threw the half eaten sandwich away before following Alan back to the classroom where she just sat down like she should and took her pencil out, working on the last packet she had. Somehow she managed to finish it when the class had began so she placed her pencil back in her bag before stopping for a moment and pulling it out along with a piece of paper and wrote a short message. ‘Heading to the bathroom.’ She folded the paper up and handed it to Alan before slinging her bag over her shoulder and handing him his jacket, planning on grabbing hers anyway. Her steps were quiet as she left the room and walked down the hall to the bathroom where she quickly did her business before washing her hands and looking into the mirror. She stood like that for a while, just looking at herself before she fixed her hair and left the bathroom, heading down the hallway. Angel was happy that her locker was a bit hidden from the view of the classroom so Alan wouldn’t be able to see her as she spun the combination and grabbed her jacket.

▶▷▸▹While Angel was putting away some things from her bag she suddenly spotted a hand on the locker door and turned rigid at the sight of Danny. He seemed to notice this as he laughed before looking behind him and closing the locker, walking past Angel before stopping a few feet away, getting out of view from Ms. Alberts classroom. “Don’t worry; I’m not going to hurt you.” He laughed again, as if it was hilarious that she was froze in place from fear. “What do you want?” She somehow managed to muster out though her voice was quiet, fragile, giving away just how scared she was. “Besides you? I just wanted to talk.” Her eyes narrowed to the boy at his words before she got ready to turn on her heel when Danny grabbed her arm. “I saw you two this morning, he seemed so happy and carefree to be with you and took every chance he could just to touch you whether it was a light brush of the arms or holding your hand. Yet on your way to lunch and during the whole lunch period he acted as if you weren’t there.” Angel shook her head slowly, her voice calling out with a bit of resistance and pain to it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Danny laughed again and let Angel go, holding his sides as he tried to calm himself down. “Yeah right, I saw the look in your eyes, the pain that it brought you. You really like Skitz and it hurts you to see that he’s trying to take himself away from you.” The blond really wanted to just tell the boy to shut up and leave but she couldn’t, she couldn’t move, talk, or even look anywhere but toward the ground as tears threatened to spill over. Another set of footsteps were heard through the hall and both of them seemed to straight up and look to the sound only to see another student, or more so, a friend of Danny’s walking toward them. The two boys seemed to talk from a while which gave Angel a chance to leave but as soon as she started moving she could feel Danny’s hand around her wrist, keeping her in place. Finally the other boy left and Danny seemed to glare after him for a moment before turning to Angel again and smiling at her with a creepy look to his face. “He’s just going to hurt you, watch and see.” He left after that, walking on down the hallway while Angel leaned on her locker and let a few tears flow freely down her face. Her hand slipped into her bag and she pulled out her cell phone, seeing that there was only two minutes left till the bell rang she walked down the hall and was out of the school right when the bell rang. She was a good distance away, leaning against a tree when she spotted Alan leaving the school doors so she pushed off the tree and walking in the direction of Ryan’s school, ignoring the sick feeling in her stomach and the headache that was throbbing.

▶▷▸▹Eventually she reached Ryan’s school and stood outside of it for a while before she spotted Ryan running up toward her. When he reached her he seemed out of breath and was trying to talk but couldn’t quite bring the words out of his mouth. “Breath and then talk.” She said with a giggle before ruffling the boy’s hair. As she looked up to see if Alan was close by she spotted Danny and his friends, locking eyes with the boy before turning back to Ryan who seemed okay and able to talk. “Where’s Alan?” He asked with a curious glance before spinning around and looking everywhere for his brother. “He’ll be here soon, I’m earlier.” Angel replied, her eyes looking out for the blond haired boy. “Yeah but you two are always together, did you two get in a fight?” Her smile faded for a moment before she shook her head. “Nope, nothing happened. I just left earlier.” At that moment Alan rounded the corner so she turned on her heel and began walking, her eyes casted down to the ground while she noticed Ryan had continued on with her. “You aren’t going to wait for your brother?” She asked, curious as to why he was still next to her. “I guess I’d rather be with you than him at the moment.” She rustled the boy’s hair again before spotting the house not too far away and practically ran to it till she noticed Ryan racing her. The two seemed to get to the porch at the same time but Angel hit the door first which made Ryan pout for a moment before he mumbled something. “What was that?” Angel asked with a smile on her face. “You cheated.” The boy said before sitting on the ground and waiting for Alan who had the key to let them in since Laurie didn’t seem to be home. “Oh no, don’t even go there, you know I got here first.” Angel said with a smirk before she looked toward Alan who had finally come into sight again. “Fine you won.” Ryan muttered before laughing and standing up. “Thank you.” The blond said with a giggle before moving out of Alan’s way and heading into the house after Ryan. She quickly took her shoes off before carrying them up the stairs and to the room where she dropped them on the floor along with her bag and took off her coat, straightening her button up shirt. Her feet moved her to the bathroom where she brushed her hair out and fixed it once more before heading down the stairs to see Ryan sitting on the bottom step. “What’s up kiddo?” She asked as she sat on the step above the boy. “Bored, I have no homework and there’s nothing to do.” Angel smiled and poked the boy in the shoulder, watching as he just fell to the floor and laid there. “Well now that’s a problem isn’t it?” She replied before standing up and stepping over the boy. He seemed to follow like a puppy as she walked past the living room, her eyes resting on Alan for a second before she opened the back door and grabbed her ice skates, brushing snow off them and bringing them into the house. “Go get changed into something warmer.” She whispered to Ryan who happily obliged and ran up the stairs.

▶▷▸▹Angel walked over to Alan who was laying on the love seat, his eyes appearing to be absorbed into the television. She kept behind the couch before she walked to the front and sat on the floor, her back leaning on the couch before she tilted her head back so it was resting on Alan’s side as her eyes tried to connect with Alan’s but fail miserably. “I wanted to say thank you for today. If you hadn’t of been there I might have been in the hospital already but really I owe you more then that. A simple thank you doesn’t cover all that you’ve done for me, saving my life twice, helping me through things, and being there for me when I need you.” Her voice came out surprisingly calm as she spoke, her eyes never once leaving Alan’s face before she sighed and stood up, brushing off the back of her jeans before looking down to Alan once more and heading to the kitchen where she grabbed two cans of soda and ran up to her room where she put them in her bag and carried the thing down the stairs where Ryan was waiting for her, bouncing up and down. “Calm down kid, you’re gonna get tired before we even do anything.” Ryan stopped and looking at Angel before his eyes went wide and he looked around the corner to Alan who was still watching television. “Does Alan know we’re heading out?” The blond girl simply shook her head which seemed to make the boy smile. “So you’re leaving without his permission?” This question stopped her for a moment as she looked at the boy curiously. “Since when do I need his permission on whether or not I can leave?” Ryan seemed to think about what he was going to say for a while before he just shrugged his shoulder and opened the front door silently, slipping out with Angel following after him. “So where are we heading?” The young boy asked, bouncing around again as they walked down the sidewalk toward the center of the town. “You’ll see.” She said quietly as they continued to walk. Angel made sure to head down the deserted areas till she reached the middle of town and headed to the back of an abandon school building. Her foot stepped on something metal and she smiled as she bent down and grabbed a handle, lifting it to reveal a staircase. “Come on, trust me, you’ll love this.” Her eyes peered down into the darkness before she dung out a flashlight and flicked it on, heading down a bit before closing the metal door after Ryan. The two moved further down till the reached the end and came to a wooden door. Turning off the flashlight she put it back in her bag and opened the door with a heavy push before letting her eyes adjust to the light. It was a tunnel lit by lamps along the edges of the walls but what was more importantly about the whole place was the art. Along the tunnel walls were paintings that people from everywhere did, as a well to leave their mark. Ryan seemed absorbed into the different paintings as she handed him his drink and opened her own. “What is this place?” He asked with a childish voice that almost made her laugh and spit out her drink. “It’s called Mondlle. My mother took me here when I was four to show me the paintings people did.” Ryan listened as Angel carried on with the tale of the place before he continued looking at everything. “Ryan, time to leave, we’ve been here for a few hours. You’re mom is bound to be home soon.” Angel said which made Ryan come running over before the two went back out into the real world and to the house. The two raced home, Ryan winning this time before they quietly walked inside the house just as Laurie pulled up in the car. Ryan had ran off while she headed up to her room, dropping off everything before walking out to the hallway where she just laid in the middle of the floor, looking up at the ceiling as she debated on whether or not to talk to Alan.


▹ Love is simple, its people that are complicated◃

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