Fallen Angel

Chapter 3

I have now been at the English school for one week and two days, and it's been ok I guess. Michelle's still cool, and so's Emily, but Ellia seems to be not warming up to me very well. Michelle says she's just a bit shy, but she really doesn't seem to like me at all. Personally, I think it's because of Adele. If Ellia doesn't like me, Adele absolutely hates me. She bolts when she sees me coming, and refuses to come anywhere near me. Except in maths. Maths lessons are officially torture. Lucky me, I got seated next to Adele because we have "similar abilities". Yeah right. I know I'm faster than her. Not meaning to be full of myself, just I do finish before her. But she completely ices me out. Doesn't say a word to me unless it's compulsory. But today I'll end this, today I'll make her talk.

I come into school early and sit in the classroom. I did all my homework last night, so I just sit in there daydreaming. I saw Hunter on my road this morning again. I don't know what it is with that guy, we live in completely different places, and my house isn't on his way to school. He hasn't talked to me once, yet I see him watching me everywhere I go. I see him on my road, on the bus, I saw him in the coffee shop in town, in H&M the other day. I don't know, maybe he is stalking me. But I just can't pick up the courage to ask him. I am brought tumbling back to earth by the sound of the classroom door opening. There she is standing at the door, her fiery red hair falling around her face in perfect waves. "Oh hi Adele," I say cheerfully, "How are you?"

I half expect to run out of the room. Seriously, she's done it before. But surprisingly enough, she actually talks to me, "Hey," she says, and dumps her bag down on a desk, "I'm good thanks,"

"Great!" I say. We sit in awkward silence for a few minutes, before I decide to break it with the most childish question I have asked in years, "Adele,"

"Yes, Angel,"

"Why do you hate me?"

She sits there staring at me like I'm stupid. I sure feel stupid. As soon as I opened my mouth I knew it was a stupid question, but I decided to ask it anyway. How stupid can you get?

"Angel," she says calmly. I bow my head. "I don't hate you, it's just..." she's struggling to find a word to cushion her hatred for me, "Look," she pulls up a chair next to my desk, "There are things about you, and," she sighs, "There are things I suspect about you, and I just have no idea whether or not they're true, Ok?" I nod, "And, well, I'm pretty sure they are, but I have to be certain before I can talk to you about them,"

"Well what do I do? How do I prove whether or not they're true!" I feel tears brimming in my eyes. I am such a baby,

"Angel, calm down," she takes my hand, "Can we meet later? After school in the coffee shop on Lingfield?"

"Ok," I say, feeling extremely confused,

"Cool," she smiles, "I'd talk about it now, but..." The bell rings, signalling the start of lessons. She shrugs, "That," we both laugh. Maybe Adele isn't so bad after all.

End of school. Finally. It feels like I've been waiting years for this. I don't even bother to dump my books, I just run out of school with a full bag, hurrying to the coffee shop on Lingfield. When I get there, I see a familiar face sitting at a table. And it's not Adele. Hunter is sitting alone at a table with a book drinking a creamy frothy cappuccino with chocolate sprinkles on top, which must have cost him £2.50. I know my coffee well. I'm about to approach him when I feel a light tap on my shoulder. I turn around, "Adele!" I say, "You came!"

"You really thought I'd ditch you?" she smiles. My views on this girl have changed dramatically in one short day. We sit down at a table in the very corner of the room and order drinks. I order a creamy frothy cappucino with chocolate sprinkles on top (it would be just like my stalker to love the same drinks as me) and Adele, being English, orders milky tea. Once our drinks have arrived, Adele leans towards me.

"Angel," she takes my hand again. This girl is really into the hand taking thing, "I need to ask you some questions, and some of them could be pretty personal, but you just have to trust me,"

"Ok, I trust you," I say, acting overly serious,

"Really, Angel, this is actually serious,"

"I know, I am being serious,"

"Ok," she breathes deeply, "I already know your name is Angel and you have abnormal intelligence," I smile. She ignores me, "Are either of your parents scientists?"

"My father was," I say,

"Was?"

"He's kind of... dead," I look down and stir my coffee. I don't really like to talk about my dad.

"I'm so sorry," Adele says, "I don't suppose you could tell me what happened?"

"It's a little..." I trail off, and look away again,

"I know," she says, "It's a little bit personal, I understand,"

"You do?" I say. Of course she doesn't understand,

"No really, I do," she says, "My mother jumped off a bridge when I was four years old,"

"What?!" I spill my coffee all down myself. It's burning me, but I can hardly feel it,

"Yeah," she says and shrugs, "I hardly knew her, so it's not really that sad,"

Her reaction shocks me enormously. She hardly cares that her mother threw herself off a bridge! Once again, we sit in silence for a bit, until I'm ready to tell her, "My dad killed himself as well," I say quietly. Adele doesn't respond, just carries on staring at the table, "I was nine, my sister was only one. We don't really know what happened, why he decided," I am cut off by a sob coming from someone. Then I realise it's coming from me,

"Angel..." Adele doesn't want me to continue. I ignore her and just carry on,

"I'm sorry," I say between sobs, "It's just been so long since I've talked about this,"

She nods, "It's Ok," she says, "Don't worry about it,"

"I found him," I say. I still can't believe I'm telling her this, the girl who hated me until the morning, "We were meant to be going to the fair that day. He was going to take me on the big wheel and we were going to eat candyfloss together. Then I found him in his chair with his eyes closed," I sniff, "I tried to wake him up, but I just couldn't, so I got my mum and... Well, she found the bottle of pills next to him, and instead of going to the fair, I got to go to a therapist's office,"

"Oh my god," Adele says breathlessly, "I'm so sorry Angel, if you don't want to carry on talking I totally understand,

"No it's fine," I sniff and wipe my eyes. I must look like a complete mess, "It was ages ago, I just don't really talk about it," She gives me a bit of time to calm down from my mini breakdown. I take deep breaths to calm myself down, just like my mum taught me to. When I've finally got over myself, I snap back into action Ok," I say briskly, "Back to business,"

"Back to business," she echoes, "Has anyone in your life been acting differently lately? Someone you live with or spend a lot of time with?"

"No," I shake my head, "There could only be my sister and my mother, and they're both acting as ignorant and annoying as usual,"

Adele laughs, "Ok then, seen anyone following you? Someone you can't shake off? Like a stalker?"

I look around. Hunter is still there, watching me out of the corner of his eye, "You see that guy there," I tilt my head towards him,

"Hunter Andrews?" she says, a little too loudly,

"Yeah, him," I whisper, "I think he's my stalker,"

"Hunter Andrews?" she almost shouts. He looks towards us,

"Shut up, not so loud!" I carry on whispering,

"I'm sorry, just..." she shakes her head, "I have to call someone, I'm so sorry, can we speak again tomorrow?"

"Sure..." I say, a little confused, "Bye then," She picks up her bag and hurries out of the shop, typing intently on her phone.

"OK..." I mutter, "I just got ditched by the girl I just had the most emotional moment I've ever had with. Great." I pull out my phone and start replying to the various texts people have sent me from France. It takes me a while to notice that there is someone sitting at the table with me. I look up, and drop my phone in surprise, "Hi," Hunter Andrews says, his face dripping with hotness, "This seat taken?"