Good Boy, Bad Girl

Hope and Angel

I'm really, really sorry this is so late! And it's a much shorter chapter than originally planned. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy it, and I'll try and get a large chapter out tomorrow! (This chapter is also shippy as hell so hopefully that makes up for me being crammed with homework/being a lazy shit)

I should have known. Out of the corner of my eye I can see the picture of Angel and Hope on Lilia's wall; the traditionally feminine looking one with her dress and the one with wild hair and a missing tooth.

Anyone else would have figured it out instantly, but the kid who worked non-stop throughout his childhood didn't. Sometimes, I really hate myself.

"The picture..." I murmur. "I'm guessing you're the one missing a tooth?"

Angel gives a weak laugh. "Yeah. Hope's the presentable one, the one who my parents were proud of." She breathes deeply. "Hope and I were twins. We were the same in most aspects - we were both born on the sixteenth of June (she was five minutes older) we were identical in everything but clothing style and we were always doing the exact same thing. We were beyond inseparable, like two peas in a pod. I was always more outspoken and she was more peaceful, but at the end of the day we complimented each other perfectly."

Angel glances at the picture as she continues, but I keep my eyes on her face. "I don't want to sound arrogant here, but both of us were always smart, and even though I don't tend to do much of it anymore we were both pretty good at sports. But she was always just that little bit better. She got A stars when I got As. She swam 20 laps in ten minutes, I swam 19. You know, the kind of things only noticeable to people who cared - in other words, my parents. I was never treated badly - I suppose I was even loved and cherished - but anyone with eyes could see that Hope was the twin they favoured. So did everyone who met us, seen as she was the one less likely to get mad if you were patronising or rude." Angel chuckles a little. It's amazing, how calm she seems. I was expecting tears and breakdowns, but honestly, if you didn't know her like I do by this point, you'd think she was totally fine.

As she continues to look at the photo, a thoughtful expression forms on her face. "Now that I think about it, Lilia and Mel were the only two people we ever met who I think preferred me. I'm not sure why they did, considering how Hope was pretty much better in every day, but they just did." Angel shrugs matter of factly. "Either way, I'm grateful. No matter how much I loved and still do love Hope I think I would've gone insane constantly being the forgotten twin."

She looks back at me, her smile returning. "I've known Mel for pretty much my whole life. Us and Hope were kind of like a trio of friends and we couldn't be separated. I was always closer to Mel than Hope was, but I don't really think it bothered her that much. Lia, too. Hope... she always put the happiness of others before her own."

Angel takes a deep breath and her voice begins to get shaky. Softly, I run my fingers against her knuckles calmingly. She blinks in surprise but then relaxes and her smile brightens momentarily before becoming bittersweet again.

"When we were eight, Hope earned the highest results in the class for every single subject. My parents agreed that as a reward she could go to the shops and spend five quid on buying sweets. Considering how cheap everything in that shop is, that's a lot of sweets. Hope would never have managed to finish all of them by herself. I went with her to help her pick out sweets at her request, although I admit I was mostly in it for the leftover sweets."

Angel closes her eyes. "We followed every safety rule in the book. When we crossed the road we looked both ways and continued to do so, walked quickly and kept looking as we walked. But we crossed by a corner, and in the car park outside the shop a car was playing music eardrum-shatteringly loud and his window was open, and we didn't hear a car turn until... until it hit her."

I push back my gasp, knowing it won't be helpful, and push against my embarrassment and awkwardness to hug Angel to my chest. I bury my face in her hair and she presses her head into my shoulder. She smells faintly of apple and her hair is soft, like clouds. She isn't crying - my shoulder isn't wet, but she's trembling slightly and I can feel how scrunched up her face is.

After a minute of silence she begins to talk again. My arms reach and whilst one cradles the back of her head another holds her to me by pressing gently on her back. "It wasn't the man in the cars' fault. He was actually nice. He immediately got out and called the ambulance, and a lot of people walking by came as well. I was in a state of shock. All I knew was Hope had been hit by a car and she wasn't waking up. I think I knew already she was practically dead, but I couldn't process it." She swallows and continues. "The man came with us to hospital and he called my parents when I was in a state to remember the phone number. They arrived in a flash but didn't speak to me at all, they just stared at the door to the ER. When the doctor came out of the room and said that she was gone... you could see my dad's heart break. I... I can't describe my mum's reaction. The man who hit her got let off of all charges as he was right by the corner and couldn't possibly have seen her." Angel laughs bitterly. "The man playing music never even left his car." I subconsciously tighten my hold on her as she tenses; I can feel the story turn towards the abuse.

"Mel and Lilia... they were great. They were beyond supportive. So were Lilia's parents. It's probably thanks to those two that I didn't break. But my own parents... Dad did break. Completely. He still hasn't repaired himself. He's like a robot. Hell, I've memorised his pattern. Get up, eat cereal, lie in bed staring at the ceiling, have lunch, work out for two hours seen as even now his figure is the most important thing in his life, shower, sit and watch TV without really watching, eat tea and go to sleep. Every day. My mum... maybe she would have been fine if my dad didn't break. But because he did, she feels she lost a lot more than anyone else, even more than me. Her better daughter and her husband. She didn't break like my dad did. She still goes to work and earns money, still has a varied pattern, still goes out and parties with her friends occasionally. But she's angry. Angry that her husband turned into a walking corpse, angry that her better daughter was killed before her time. So... she takes it out on the easiest target. Me."

Anger stirs inside of me and I try not to let it show. Angel doesn't need me getting angry.

"Almost every day, she does it. Whenever she can. I spend a lot of time at Lilia's because of it. I think she suspects what's going on, but she's not certain. And Mel, bless her oblivious heart, has no idea. She probably only figured out about Taylor because the evidence was right in front of her. Admittedly, she doesn't do too much. Hits me once or twice a day, maybe. Otherwise everyone would have noticed. She's still smart enough to know how not to get caught, not even by her family."

I'm taken aback. "They didn't know?"

I can feel Angel smile against my shoulder and I can tell it's sardonic. "If they did know do you honestly think they'd have let me stay in that house, I'm only still there myself because I don't want to burden anyone. They know everything about Hope - considering the fact my parents collapsed they're the only people I could grieve with."

"Lilia wouldn't mind. Mel and May wouldn't. Hell, if my family weren't dicks I'd take you in."

I can feel Angel opening her eyes. Her arms wrap around my back, hooking under my arms. "I'm going to have to tell them now I've told you, aren't I? I'll feel too guilty otherwise."

"They can help you, Angie. You shouldn't have to be with parents like that. Nobody should." I say, lifting my head up so it's not buried in her hair and therefore more understandable.

Angel squeezes me for a second. "Will you... will you be with me when I tell them? For moral support?"

I squeeze back. "Of course."

As far as I'm concerned, after all, her parents are never going to hurt her again.

Ever.