Don't Call Me Angel

Angel 25

Lavender White sat in the cold, sterile courtroom, her heart pounding in her chest. Beside her, Ambrose Cunningham's stoic face betrayed no emotion. The judge's gavel came down with a decisive thud, and the room fell silent.

"Lavender White and Ambrose Cunningham," the judge began, his voice echoing through the room, "the charges against you for murder have been dropped due to lack of evidence. You are hereby released from custody. However, you are to return to Fire and Ice camp for the remaining two weeks of the program."

Lavender let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She glanced at Ambrose, who finally allowed a small, relieved smile to touch his lips. They were free. For now.

The bus ride back to camp was quiet, the hum of the engine the only sound. Lavender looked out the window, watching the trees blur by, her mind racing. Ambrose sat next to her, his hand resting on hers, grounding her.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice low and rough.

She nodded. "Yeah. Just... processing."

"Me too," he said, squeezing her hand gently. "But we're out. We're going back."

Back to the place where their paths had crossed, where they'd found something neither of them expected—each other.

The gates of Fire and Ice loomed ahead, and Lavender felt a mix of anxiety and anticipation. The bus stopped, and the doors hissed open. As they stepped off, they were greeted by Celeste Bailey, who rushed over, her face lighting up with a wide grin.

"Lav! Ambrose!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around them. "I can't believe you're back!"

"It's good to see you, Celeste," Lavender said, hugging her tightly. "We missed you."

Ambrose gave Celeste a nod. "Good to be back."

Celeste pulled back, her eyes shining. "Come on, everyone's dying to see you!"

They followed her to the main hall, where the other campers had gathered. The room buzzed with excitement and curiosity. Josh Worthy, standing at the front, gave them a two-fingered salute.

"Welcome back, you two," he said with a grin. "Camp wasn't the same without you."

Lavender smiled, feeling a warmth spread through her chest. Despite everything, this place had become a strange kind of home.

Later that evening, Lavender and Ambrose found themselves alone by the lake, the moon casting a silver glow on the water. They sat on the dock, their feet dangling over the edge.

"I can't believe we're back here," Lavender said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Me neither," Ambrose replied. "But I'm glad. We needed this."

She turned to him, her eyes searching his. "What do you think will happen after camp?"

Ambrose shrugged, looking out at the water. "I don't know. But whatever it is, we'll face it together."

Lavender smiled, feeling a tear slip down her cheek. "Yeah. Together."

He reached out, wiping the tear away with his thumb. "No more tears, Lav. We've got this."

She leaned into him, their foreheads touching. "I love you, Ambrose."

"I love you too, Lavender. Always."

They sat there in silence, holding each other, the weight of the past weeks slowly lifting from their shoulders.

The next day, camp life resumed its usual rhythm. Lavender and Ambrose fell back into the routine, joining the others in activities and sessions. The staff kept a close eye on them, but there was a sense of relief in the air.