"What?" Angel asked, utterly shocked and suddenly feeling extremely light headed. "Bu-but how?"
Brooklyn sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He took a step forward, taking Angel's hand in his and guiding her towards his living room. Angel stared at the back of his head until he turned around to face her once they stopped in front of his fireplace.
"They found Matt's body outside the Fynbos City mall a little while ago. He was shot." He stared at the ground for a second before looking up. He crossed his arms and stared at Angel. She was completely drenched in water and her mouth was hanging open. "Where were you, Angel?"
Angel pursed her lips. Her mind was racing. If she told him about where she was, would he think that she was the one who killed Matt?
"I was with Matt," she decided to say, hoping that Brooklyn would believe her. "He came up to me in the parking lot, jabbering on about how Dahlia rejected him and how she got involved with the wrong people, doing naughty things with her friend," she took a deep, shaky breath, "He said that he didn't like being rejected, so he got rid of her -" she paused, "with a car."
Brooklyn wiped his face with his hands, walking over to the couch, sitting down and leaning his head between his knees.
"I thought he was the one who cut the breaks in Dahlia's car, and then ours again, but what if -what if the person who actually did it, shot him, because he told me too much?"
Brooklyn was silent, his head still between his knees.
Angel frowned and walked closer to him, sitting on the coffee table, right in front of Brooklyn. "You don't think I shot him, do you?" Angel stared at him, waiting for an answer.
Brooklyn looked up, his face unreadable.
Angel shot up, frantically wringing her hands. "No! You're the only person in this with me and you're not thinking that I did it! You can check me, I have no trace of having any gun with me and I -"
"Angel!" Brooklyn yelled, jumping up and grabbing Angel's shoulders. Angel fell silent immediately.
"I don't think you did it. It's just a lot to take in."
"Oh," Angel breathed out.
Brooklyn let go of her shoulders and sat back down on the couch. Angel sat back down on the coffee table, facing him again.
"What trouble is he talking about? And what friend? It's not you, right?" He asked.
"Not me no, we didn't really get into trouble. Come on, it's Dahlia."
Brooklyn sighed, starring at the ground again.
Angel suddenly flashed back to the first night Dahlia and Angel got drunk.
"Didn't I tell you, to call me the Queen of fabulous?" Angel giggled as she and Dahlia hung onto each other. They were standing on the stoop of one of Brooklyn's friend's houses, a bunch of people laughing at them, finding everything extremely entertaining. "I apologize your majesty," Dahlia said and bowed down low and Angel waved at everyone around her. "I declare you the best friend I've had," Dahlia said and her face suddenly went serious. "You're my best friend, not her."
"Brook," Dahlia said, tapping his leg vigorously. Brooklyn looked up. "I just remembered something. Dahlia always told me that I'm such a good friend and then adding something like 'unlike some people' or 'not like her' like I was a better best friend then someone previous."
Angel flashed back to a few other moments then.
"Look at Jen and Madelyn fighting again," Dahlia said, shaking her head as they strode past the school grounds. Angel sighed and kicked at a rock with her school shoes. "They shouldn't be fighting like that," Angel said and they stared at the two girls screaming at each other, "Best friends don't do that." Dahlia was silent, staring at a nearby acorn tree with her lips pursed. "Not everyone is such good a friend as you are."
And then another.
Angel, Brooklyn and Dahlia walked out of the restaurant after they ate the day of the ice skating, their family's finishing up in the bathrooms still. They saw two girls shouting about one or other thing. "What are they shouting about?" Angel asked, frowning. Dahlia cocked her ear closer. "Something about the other one being a bad friend." Angel nodded and they all stared at them still going at each other. "We'll never fight like that," Angel said, smiling at Dahlia. Dahlia smiled, but quickly looked back at the two girls fighting. "No, we won't, because fighting leads to someone getting hurt. In more ways then one."
And another.
"Hey!" Angel yelled as a petite black haired, emerald eyed girl bumped into her at break. The girl looked at her with an apologetic look. "I-I'm sorry," she said and wiped her eyes. Angel realized that her eyes were wet with tears. "Are you okay," Angel asked the girl. The girl didn't answer, and just looked down at the ground. Angel bit her lip. "You're the new girl, right?" She asked and the girl nodded. "I know you don't know me and I can come off as a bit hard sometimes, but I'm a nice person to talk to," she said. "And you can trust me." The black haired girl looked up from the ground to see a grinning brace faced Angel staring down at her. "I'm just not feeling all that social today," she said, wiping her tears again. Angel shrugged and sat down on a step in the hallway of their primary school. "I'm cool with that," she said. "I'm Angel by the way," she said. "The girl gave a small smile. "I'm Dahlia." "Nice to meet you, Dahlia," Angel said. Dahlia sat next to her slowly and sighed. "I just don't know if I want any friends," she whispered. Angel looked over at her. "Why not?" She asked, frowning. Dahlia looked up from fidgeting with her hands. "Kids can be cruel," she said bitterly. Angel bit her lip. "I want you to know, Dahlia," she started. "I would never be cruel to you and I'm a really blunt person, just so you know." Dahlia smiled and Angel smiled back.
"Now that I think about it, Brook, it makes a lot of sense."
"But what does this friend have to do with anything?" Brooklyn asked.
Angel put her head in her hands. "Ugh, I don't know!"
Brooklyn put his arms around her and pulled her closer. "It's okay, Angel, you don't have to think anymore right now. It's been a long day and you should go get ready for bed," he said in a soft voice.
Angel nodded in his chest and started pulling away. She smiled at him and he smiled right back at her. Angel thought that she must've looked horrible, all soaked in rain water, but Brooklyn was looking at her eyes rather. He slowly leaned in. she felt her heart racing and was scared it would burst out of her chest and finally, after wanting it for so long, he kissed her. Slowly at first, but then more fierce. Angel felt him pulling her closer and she let him. He picked her up and she wrapped herself around him. He kissed her neck tenderly. Angel felt the safest she's been in a while. She smiled because she's not alone. She felt a sudden spark of determination and Brooklyn was the one to give it to her.
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Angel couldn't stop smiling in the lecture hall. She tried to concentrate on the professor, but kept on getting lost in her own thoughts. She thought back at that morning where she and Brooklyn made pancakes, or at least attempted to. Flour and dough ended up everywhere on them, including Brooklyn's bare chest and his shirt which Angel wore. It finally happened, Dahlia! Angel thought and looked up out of habit. I wish you were here so that I could gush about it while we watch 16 Candles. Angel's thoughts were interrupted by the guy next to her.
"Yah, he was shot, right in the heart," he whispered to his friend next to him.
Angel's smile faded and she stared at the empty seat next to her. She just could not understand how she could be wrong. Matt practically confessed, but yet again, Cathy "confessed" as well. Angel felt like she was putting a puzzle together, but a puzzle with thousands of complex pieces. Pieces which are scattered all about.
☀️☀️☀️☀️
Angel and Josh laughed at Chris and Hillary doing some kind of sexy dance, swiveling their hips all over the place. They were once again at Earnest's house for a post holiday party. This party was the wildest one yet. Angel figured it was because the young adults wanted something to drown out the fact that it's time to get to work again. Angel looked up at the clear, dark sky filled with stars and let out a small smile. Summer was on its way.
"Angel dear!" Hillary yelled as Chris twirled her for the millionth time. "Come show us some of your famous moves!" She giggled loudly as Chris dipped her, nearly dropping her.
Angel shook her head and giggled. "Nope, sorry. Not drunk enough yet!"
Hillary pouted and shimmied from left to right.
"Then drink up." Earnest came towards Angel and pointed at her big glass of pink sparkly liquid sitting on the table behind her, wiggling his eyebrows. Angel smirked took.
"Well, if you insist," she chuckled and started gulping it down. It was sweet and rich, just how she liked it. "That's really good, Earnest." Earnest smirked and caressed the lower part of her back. Angel felt herself stiffen.
Hillary and Chris stopped the dancing when the next song came on. The two were panting heavily and came trotting over.
Josh looked at Angel next to him. "You've been smiling the whole time you were here. Care to tell us what or who happened?"
Everyone else started ooooing loudly and Angel blushed a deep red. "I do not know what you are talking about," she mumbled into her drink.
Hillary squealed and hugged Angel. "Don't go speaking nonsense! You and Brooklyn finally -" she paused and wiggled her eyebrows at everybody. Realization flooded through everyone and they all started raving.
"What about Matt though?" Chris piped up and everyone was suddenly silent.
Angel looked down at the ground. Her smile wiped from her face. "We were never official," she whispered.
An awkward silence followed and Hillary broke it by suggesting they all dance. They all got up and the guys cheered, but Angel wasn't too enthusiastic anymore. She quickly started dancing when a fast paced song came on and laughed when Josh tried to brake dance. Earnest twirled her and her and Hillary did some hip bumping. Angel was twirling and twirling and laughing along with everyone. She stopped twirling and started to stumble. She tried to stand still and gain her balance, but it was impossible. She tried to look straight in front of her, but everything started blurring and panic started to flood her whole body. She patted her jeans for her phone and fished it out, she unlocked it with difficulty and searched for Brooklyn's contact. After what felt like a decade, she finally found it. She wondered if he was going to pick up, because he was working late at home on some last minute business his dad assigned to him. He picked up after the third ring.
"Hey, Angel, want me to come pick you up?"
Angel's eyes started to flutter. "B -Brook. Please come, I-I can't stand straight. I don't know what hap -happened."
"Shit," he said and she heard shuffling in the background. "I'm on my way, stay where you are."
Angel felt the phone fall from her grasp and she leaned against the back door and slowly felt herself going unconscious. The last thing she saw was a shadow. A shadow of a male.
She looked up and saw the dark sky, but the stars were blurred.