Life in Color ✔️

54~ Angels

I follow him to his car, the silence eating at me as we get in.

He hasn't said anything, a calm expression on his face. The engine roars to life and all I can see is Ms. Miller standing in the hallway, flinching as I walk away. I'm a terrible human being.

"I'm sorry for what I said to Ms. Miller. I was upset and that doesn't justify my actions at all but I needed an outlet so I took it out on her." I blurt out, unable to take the silence any longer.

John sighs, "I'm upset about that but you're an adult now, you know right from wrong." I focus on my hands, he reaches over, his hand covering mine. "But you're also allowed to have a bad day every once and awhile."

He should be yelling at me. Lecturing me for ruining everything. For yelling at his girlfriend. Honestly, he could blame me for a lot right now and I wouldn't get upset.

I look out the window, the houses getting smaller and older. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

The car stops in front of an old house, white wood worn with age and a blue front door, covered by a metal layer. I pinch my brows, we're in Oak Hill, at a house just down the street from where we used to live.

Cautiously, I unbuckle my seatbelt. "Why are we here?"

I really shouldn't be here. Although, at this point I don't even think it matters.

He turns the car off, "You know almost every story of your parents?"

I nod my head as he opens the door. Every single last one, I've started to keep a journal so I won't forget the details. That way one day Saffron will have the real story, not an altered version.

"Well there's one they never wanted to tell you." He offers quietly before getting out of the car.

I follow him up to the door, jumping from the sound of knuckles hitting metal. Three times quickly, one soft follow up. What the hell is going on?

The door flies open, revealing the girl from Saturday night dressed in a cardigan and tank top, a wicked grin on her face.

Like an idiot, I just point. "It's you."

She laughs, "Little Letty, I'm hurt you don't remember me."

I bite the inside of my cheek, scanning the street again when a lightbulb clicks in my brain. "Manny?"

I'm engulfed in a hug, pulled inside the house. "God, it's been too long."

John steps through the door as I take in my childhood idol. Manny's known me since I was a baby, she babysat us regularly until everything happened. She was like my older sister, even going as far as to teach me how to do makeup. That was the only time I think mom ever got mad at her.

"Carmen, she can't breathe." A voice says and I pull away, finally recognizing the guy that was with her.

"Emmy."

I'm pulled into another hug, surprised how much older Emanuel looks. He should only be 20 but the buzz cut and tattoos make him seem much older. "Long time no see, Letty. I can't believe you could forget all this."

I roll my eyes at his arrogance. "You two didn't recognize me either and in my defense you, both look very different. The last time I saw you there was one tattoo on your body, not a whole sleeve. Which is beautiful by the way." I say, turning back to Carmen. "And you had acne and a bad perm. You certainly weren't a total babe."

Emmy puts me into a headlock, "You want to talk about us getting old. Imagine how surprised I was when Manny told me the girl with the hickey on her neck and the guy glued to her side was my little Letty, the same girl that swore she was going to marry me one day."