The Angel in Hell

I C E C R E A M

Paper Planes by M.I.A <3

~ 

A violent throb that felt like every nerve in her brain was thudding against her skull woke Delilah up in a confused blurr. The morning sun shone all the way through the linen curtains into the safety of her room, casting a little rainbow over the two girls, one of whom still lay fast asleep in bed. Rubbing her head, Delilah found herself in a violent need for water so she removed Vs arms from around her stomach Tiptoed out of her room being sure not to wake her sleeping best friend. She shakily walked down the wooden spiral staircase while gripping to the bannister with all her strength, heading towards the kitchen.

Dipping her head down and drinking straight from the tap, Delilah remembered all that was last night as the water fell half in her mouth and half down her chin. She couldn't quite work out how she felt about it all. For the first time in her life she had felt truly vulnerable. When Henry had gotten that way before she could not calm him or at least drag the citation out for long enough that he would pass out from whatever he had ingested that night. But last night- last night it felt as if he were truly unstoppable. It's funny how wealth can turn someone into such a beast that they think everything is theirs for taking, for devouring. And Delilah was guilty of it too, not in the same was as Henry, but of feeling so powerful that nothing could stop her.

She remembered how once, when she was in her last year of Marlborough College, she wanted so desperately to be head girl despite the fact she wasn't as good as any of the other candidates. Somehow, it came down to a fight between Delilah Astor and another girl named Cassidy Thompson. Cassidy was popular and pretty, she had good grades and even more perfect clothes. She was Felix's girlfriend at the time. Fuelled with jealousy, Delilah told Felix, who was obviously the golden boy of her year who absolutely everyone worshipped, that the sweet, gorgeous Cassidy had cheated on her with Theo Marchant. He was the captain of the rugby 1st team at Eton College and someone who Felix didn't particularly like at all. Delilah's vicious lie ran rampants around the school and suddenly Cassidy was labelled as a slut, a dirty girl who definitely didn't have what it took to be Marlborough head girl. So Delilah was the one standing up on the podium giving a speech as Headgirl at Foundation day, the last day of the year where the graduating year 13s would get their certificates of completing their mandatory schooling careers.

Thinking about how she had abused her own powers, just as Henry did last night brought on an evil wave of nausea and Delilah immediately threw up all the water she had just drank.

'Shit, you're alright, you're alright' Felix comforted, holding Delilah's mess of hair out of her face as she continued to wretch.

'God, i'm so sorry' She laughed awkwardly, finishing up her gagging and ripping a piece of kitchen towel from its roll and dabbing her mouth.

'No don't worry at all' he replied, letting her hair go gently. 'Fuck, i bet you're feeling ghastly this morning.' Delilah nodded in agreement.

'Thank you- for helping me'

'No, of course I mean he's a git. He's much more than that.' Felix almost seethed, rubbing at his hand that had a white bandage around it, a dry red stain on the palm.

'Fuck Felix, you shouldn't have bottle him look at your hand!' Delilah said, feeling even more awful at the whole ordeal that went on last night. She took his damaged hand in hers and began to unravel the stained bandaging. 'Did you clean it?' She asked, looking at the deep cut along the crease of his palm.

Felix laughed lightly, shaking his head, 'I was a bit busy' he remarked.

Delilah crouched down and grabbed a big plaster from the cabinet under the kitchen sink along with an antiseptic wipe and wound dressing. She pulled his hand lightly towards her and rubbed the wipe over the red gash. 'This will probably sting' She warned but Fekix didn't wince once, instead he just watched as Delilah tended to him, never taking his eyes off of her. She brushed over some of the wound dressing with her ring finger, wiping the excess on her nightdress and then carefully peeling the skin-coloured plaster from it's backing. She pressed the plaster flush against his skin and smoothed it over, trying to be as gentle as she could. 'All done' she smiled, pleased with her work.