Weeping Angel: Malvada (Book 1 of the Weeping Angel Series)

Chapter I

The car passes by colourful lines of houses illuminated by the evening sun, and I relish the gush of wind coming from the half-opened window as it twirls in my long copper hair. I divert my gaze to the small screen sitting in my hand, my heart squeezing with longing at the picture in front of me.

It was a picture of me, Clarice, my parents and my friends from my old neighbourhood. I was holding up two balloons in my hand that indicated my age. It was my sixteenth birthday. My friends and Clarice had surprised me and threw me a sweet sixteen at-home party. The picture didn't mean anything to my friends anymore; they'd completely forgotten about me ever since we moved across the country three months ago.

I never wanted to move away in the first place, and neither did Clarice, but mom was a surgeon, and she received a promotion, and the general hospital in Toronto wanted her to work for them. My dad being a human rights lawyer, didn't complain about moving here either since his recent client lives here, and he needed to do further research for a case.

Mom was driving Clarice and me around different neighbourhoods to visit some garage sales she saw earlier this week. It was the beginning of September, and our neighbours told us that garage sales usually happen around this time, so we should "stock up on cool things." I wasn't feeling like getting out of the house since I wanted to spend some time researching the school I'd go to starting next Monday and pack my school bag. Clarice grimaced when I told her I wouldn't go. She definitely wasn't having it when I had to turn down the stupid offers that she never commits to like, "I'll do the dishes every day!" Or, "I'll do your homework for the whole month!"

After protesting and throwing all of my pillows at her stupid face, Clarice had to literally drag me out of bed, threatening to throw lego pieces, so I step on them in the morning if I don't join this "torturous hunt for useless things" with mom. When Clarice cheerfully told our mom in the foyer that I was coming, mom simply shrugged in response, mumbling, "Yeah, whatever." I couldn't stop myself from rolling my eyes. If mom didn't want me there, why did she readily concede to bring me with her?

Clarice reassured me that I wouldn't want to miss the drool-worthy guys living in this town. I snorted and told Clarice they'd run away from gorillas. She pinched me so hard that mom noticed and asked us what we were fussing about. I playfully slapped Clarice's arm and told mom that her beloved daughter was forcing me to go. Mom groaned and muttered, "Emma, please. Stop complaining all the time and learn to adjust like your sister. Be useful for once in your life and do something right."

I winced at her harsh tone but didn't say a word, feeling my heart shatter a little. I kept my face straight and devoid of any emotion; her words pierced through my heart, but I wasn't going to let my mom see how much her snarky remarks affected me. Clarice glared at mom and opened her mouth to say something, but I whispered, "Don't. She wants a reason to bite me in the ass. Please don't give her reasons, Claire. I can't deal with her right now." Clarice hastily throws her combat boots on and mumbles, "Fine."

This was a normal thing between my mom and me. When you have parents in prestigious career paths such as the medical or law field, and a sister studying Psychology at university, you need to keep up with their high standards. No, scratch that, you need to go above and beyond their standards to be a fraction of what they are, but even then, it's not good enough. My dad showered my sister and me with a lot of love and bought us everything we wanted, but my mom only had eyes for Clarice and couldn't care less about me. Clarice was like our dad - she strongly believed in equality, especially if you're blood, but she and my dad combined couldn't compete or put up with mom and her attitude.

Something ached inside of me. There was this unbearable burning, and I couldn't pin the cause of it. It was a jumbled puzzle. What did I do to make mom hate me?

I'm snapped out of my thoughts when mom pulls over to the side of the road, and we spot a sea of people huddled on the driveway of one particular house that was a few feet away from us. I shut my phone and shove it into my jeans pocket when I get out of the car and slam the door shut. We walk towards the crowd by that house, and that's when I see what the fuss was about. Two cute boys sat behind a large table with open boxes, some empty, scattered around them as they collected payments for their antique items.

Mom drove us around for fifteen minutes, trying to find this house selling old, useless items? I snorted out loud and looked at mom, expecting that smile on her face whenever she saw antique belongings, but she was frowning.

Why was she frowning?

Her face was pale as if she'd seen a ghost, and her eyes were wide open, almost as if they'd bulge out and roll onto the sidewalk. I followed her gaze to see what she was staring at, and that's when I saw it.

Sitting innocently on the table was a statue made of stone resembling a winged angel with its face buried in its hands as if it was embarrassed by its look or crying. It looked too smooth and lifelike to be sold at a simple garage sale. It sent chills down my spine; there was something creepy about it, I couldn't look at it any longer. There was some strange black smoke lurking around the angel statue as we got closer, but I decided to ignore it. It could be dust or something.

When I look back at mom, I notice her eyes were bloodshot red, and she seemed entirely in a daze. Why was she staring at the statue like that? She doesn't like those things. I narrow my eyes at her and wave my hand in front of her face. She didn't even blink.

Clarice was staring at me like I was going mad. "What do you think you're doing, Em?" Before I could open my mouth and say something, mom brushed past me and walked straight towards the angel statue, shoving her way past the crowd. Clarice and I exchange confused glances as we run after mom. What's gotten into her?

"Excuse me, sorry." Clarice and I make way through the sea of people until we see mom talking with the cute boys. Clarice and I come to stand beside her, and the cute boys greet us with a warm smile. The brunette cutie hands the angel statue to my mom, and the blonde cutie takes the money and hands her change from a steel box. My eyes widen, and I almost do a double-take. Why is mom buying that thing?

Almost as if Clarice was reading my mind, she voices my thoughts, "Okay, mom, why are you buying that?" I nod, "You don't even like statues. How much is it for?"

"Twelve bucks. Isn't she pretty?" The brunette smirks, his brown eyes twinkling at me. Twelve bucks? That's way too cheap for something so antique and valuable.

I snort, "You want to get rid of it that bad?" The cute boys just shrug and smile in response. The brunette stands up and holds out his hand, silently asking me to shake it. I take his hand as he smiles cheekily, "I'm Mason Geller. Do you know the famous Paleontologist, Ross Geller? He's my dad." I roll her eyes but smile. He's referring to one of the famous and main characters from the show Friends.

Before I recite my name, the blonde stands up and smacks Mason upright at the back of his head. "Dude, you're overusing that line." Mason glares at the blonde, a scowl plastered on his face. "Who gave you the right to smack me?" I laugh and glance at Clarice, who was intensely staring at mom. Mom was looking at the angel statue in her hands with a deep interest.

Clarice leans in close to my face and whispers, "Why the fuck is she suddenly obsessed with stone figures? She hates this stuff." I sigh, not knowing the answer myself. "It's probably for a friend." The blonde turns to me, his green eyes warm and welcoming, "What's your name? I'm Ethan McHale." I smile and bring out my hand. "Emma Rose Santana." Ethan takes my hand and gives it a small shake, grinning adorably at me, his green eyes warm and welcoming.

Mason nudged Ethan as some new customers approached their table, so Clarice and I moved away to the side where mom was standing with the statue. After the two boys dealt with the customers, I took a step towards them. I wanted to ask Mason and Ethan why they were selling such a valuable statue and where they got it from when suddenly, Clarice clears her throat and mutters under her breath. "Snack alert at twelve-o'clock."

That's when I sense some movement at the corner of my eye behind Mason and Ethan. When I see who it is, my heart skips a hundred beats at the sight in front of me.