Little touch of heaven

013

Concerned, I watched as Angel shrugged back into his coat, which he had tossed aside earlier when he began crying, just before the café was set to open and welcome a flood of customers.

"Are you sure you'll be alright walking home alone?" I asked, studying Angel's face intently for his response.

As he tapped on his phone, I could now clearly see his dishevelled, scruffy white hair - evidence of distress from some time ago. His white shirt was nearly soaked in tear stains, mirroring my shirt. Bloodshot blue eyes and pronounced dark circles under them betrayed his haggard appearance, even more pronounced than when he first arrived.

Angel returned his puzzled gaze to me. "Your listening was enough, Ari," he stated before spinning back towards the door without waiting for my response.

I didn't want him to leave, not yet.

A queasy feeling stirred in my gut, rippling through my body. His relieved smile was seared into my memory. I yearned for his happiness to last eternally.

"Wait, Angel," I blurted without hesitation.

He paused, hand on the doorknob, and glanced anxiously towards the window as if anticipating the arriving customers. Yet he remained, wavering over whether to stay or go.

"Let me buy you ice cream, my treat," I told him. Without waiting for his response, I hurried to the staff room to retrieve the shoes I had left there the previous day, leaving a visibly conflicted Angel standing by the door. After quickly tying my shoes and slinging on a jacket, I rejoined Angel.

When I returned, he gazed at me, his signature smile lighting up his face. He looked like an eager child at their first birthday party, excitement radiating from his entire expression. Stunned into silence, his mouth agape, he slowly turned his gaze back to the window. The approaching footsteps and growing commotion outside - people chattering, families scurrying, the bustle of the crowd - now filled the air.

With one last look in his direction, we quietly slipped out the cafe's back door, going unnoticed.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

I was now back in the comfort of my own home, enjoying a game night with Kelly.

I frantically tapped the buttons, desperately searching for the right combo to defeat Kelly's unbeatable character. Despite hours of gameplay, I had been unable to beat her.

Defeated, I groaned in frustration and dropped the controller to the floor. "I give up," I conceded, as Kelly's mocking laughter echoed through the phone. Her personalized avatar on the screen only added to my humiliation.

The only light in my room came from the game. The sun had set long ago, but I didn't feel tired. At that moment, I felt happier than I'd ever felt.

I waited until I was back at home before pulling out my phone to message Alex. My sweaty hands nearly caused my phone to slip as I typed a message reassuring her that Angel was now all right - after all, it was she who had persuaded me to speak with him in the first place.

Kelly calmed down before asking, "Hey Ariella, have you spoken to Angel today?"

"I spoke to him this morning. Why?" I immediately responded.

Kelly must have detected the worriedness in my tone, because she quickly exclaimed, "Oh, that's good!"

At this point, I had paused the game, returning my full attention to the phone in front of me. I put Kelly on speakerphone so I could hear her.

There's that feeling in my stomach again

"I was going to ask if he was alright, but if he had spoken to you, then he must be." She laughed, and I could hear the grin in her voice from the other end of the phone.

"You've noticed he's been acting strange too?" I asked her, ignoring the teasing.

"Yeah, it's probably him thinking about... you know," Kelly trailed off.

The silence was deafening now as if the entire atmosphere had turned tense. I felt anxious at the mere mention of Angel's name, and even more so because I hadn't heard from him after today.

The sounds of the TV became background noise as I completely tuned out what Kelly was saying to me over the phone.

Kelly continued blabbering, "He still refuses to go to the park, though we don't know why. I think only Jay knows the reason." What caught my attention, however, was the mention of the park. Was it the same park I tried to go to? Or was there something else?

Furrowing my brows, I tried to unravel the mystery surrounding this park and why Angel was adamant about avoiding it. Perplexed, I realized that Angel may have lied to get out of visiting the park, yet no one had thought to inform me until now. Feeling excluded from a loop I had never truly been a part of, I was left thoroughly bewildered. At this point, I concluded that it's not good to rush friendships, and I needed to change my mindset because my friends would open up to me in their own time.

Eventually, I felt myself becoming tired, and I said goodbye to Kelly despite her objections to me staying up and playing just "one more game". As soon as I powered down, I drifted off to sleep, yet the peculiar sensation in my chest lingered.

(This is a message)

Angel: Thanks for buying me ice cream Ari! I'm paying you back tomorrow

A/N: HI GUYSS. I'm sorry this chapter is so boring... BUT I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKED IT. My exams finish in a week so soon I'll be able to start uploading more than once a week and have longer chapters. Don't forget to vote and comment your thoughts on this chapter!
Today's flower meaning: Sorrow