What Lies Beneath [The Amazing Spider-Man]

Chapter Three

ANGEL HAD SPENT MOST OF HER AFTERNOON PREPARING THAT NIGHT'S DINNER FOR HER DAD. She had cooked a lovely meal and set the table for three. When the time came for him to come home she called Brady through for dinner and they waited patiently for him to return home.

But he never did.

Angel and Brady sat waiting for almost an hour before Angel decided that it was not worth waiting any longer. She somehow knew in the back of her mind that her father wouldn't be reliable. She sat at the table with her dinner and she was flicking her food around on her plate with her fork.

Brady put his plate in the sink and then headed off to his room with slumped shoulders. Angel took a small sip of her wine before bringing her plate to the sink before washing both hers and her brother's.

Angel felt so stupid for thinking that she could trust her dad. It was foolish of her to believe that he would prioritise his children over his work. But she couldn't help but feel hopeful. This time was supposed to be different, it was supposed to be nice and Brady was supposed to tell their father all about his school projects. Angel was supposed to tell him about the colleges she was thinking of applying to.

But, just like every other time he said he would be there, it was left an empty promise. Nothing her father said could be trusted anymore. She wished it was different, she wanted a different life for Brady, but she had no choice but to deal with. Yet again, it was left to Angel to pick up her father's mess and care for her younger brother.

Angel couldn't keep the tears at bay and so she let them fall freely down her face. Eventually, she went to her room where she sobbed, wishing more than anything that she could have a better life. But then again she didn't want a better life.

She wouldn't trade her brother nor her best friend for anything anyone could offer.

But most of all, she wished that she had a father. She faced the harsh truth that the one she had was never really a father to her or Brady. He was never there and to Angel it seemed that he didn't want to be there.

So Angel cried herself to sleep that night, wanting nothing more than to have her mother there, cradling her until she was okay again.

*

The next morning Angel woke up early to go to the ice rink again. She needed to get her frustrations out and so she packed her bags, left a note and some money for Brady for the bus and left.

When she got there she hastily put her skates on and entered the rink. Nobody else was there that early in the morning and she was glad because she wanted to be alone at that moment.

For a while Angel just soared on the ice, spinning a twirling here and there just so that she could get into the momentum and the feeling of it. But the more she thought about how disappointed her little brother was and her sobs last night the more aggressive she got on the ice.