Redamancy ; k.l.

dieciocho - 18

@jccaylen

Angeles came home later. We'd almost gone out to look for her after she'd been out for a couple of hours. She'd left her phone at home, so we couldn't reach her, but we had a sinking feeling she didn't want to be reached.

We really started to worry when in the weeks after, her mood had not improved, rather it gradually got worse. Gradually, she became less of the Angeles we knew, and turned into a lock-self-away-barely-eat-or-talk-or-anything-really. We were worried. The only sign we had she was doing things was the three videos she'd posted in the two weeks it'd been since that apparently life altering phone call with her parents. The only words she'd uttered were telling us who she'd spoken to.

Angeles' parents had somehow found out about the secret phone calls and messaging going on between her and Adam, and now her parents were really breaking the bridge between their contact. She had no family left. Basically nothing. I just hoped she wouldn't lose track or knowing she had Kian and I. We'd always have her back.

--

"Well where are you?" I asked, hauling myself into my car, phone pressed up against the side of my face.

Kian was supposed to be watching the dogs, since Angeles was barely watching Tag through this state of empty sadness. It pained me to think she wouldn't even accept us trying to cheer her up.

"I'm out, getting lunch, we have no food at home," he said. "I'll be home in an hour to see them, I'm sure they couldn't have done that much damage in that time span."

"Don't worry bout it, I'm heading back right now," I said. "Talk to you later man, bout to drive."

I hung up and nestled my phone in the cup holder, fired up the engine and started home. It was gloomy and dark, a considerably rare weather format in California, but it was nearing on November, it was more common to have the colder weather coming in. Still, it was the ugliest Friday I'd ever seen.

I pulled in the driveway and parked in the garage. Before even getting out, I texted Angel giving her a heads up I'd picked up some Taco Bell, although a response was highly doubted. But you never know. I walked in and slammed the door with my foot.

"Hey Angel," I called. "Picked up some food in case you didn't get my text."

At this point, I'd usually get a call back, telling me, of course, no, she wasn't hungry, even though she hadn't eaten in days. But this time, no response. I sighed.

I couldn't take watching her suffer like this, especially if it was going to tamper with her health. Now I know Taco Bell probably wasn't the healthiest solution, but it was food.

I walked down to he hall and knocked on her door.

"Yo Angeles, please, you gotta eat something," I said through the door. Still no response. I knew she wasn't sleeping, it was three in the afternoon. "Angeles?"

I reached down and turned the handle, opening to door. I pushed through, feeling bad I didn't get her permission before entering. At first I couldn't even see her. I thought she might be under the covers, but her bed was neatly made. In fact, her whole room looked tidier than usual. She wasn't out, her car was in the driveway.

I thought maybe outside, or downstairs, somewhere else in the house, and I turned to go check, until I heard a puppy whine. It was Tag, because no other dog sounded like him.

I turned, and saw he was now sitting on the other side of Angeles' bed, beside the windowed wall. I also saw the top of a persons head, which made me freeze for a moment. I figured she'd move knowing I was in her room now, but she didn't budge.