My Fallen Angel

Chapter Seven: Patrick's Story

Patrick moved closer beside me, so close that I could smell his perfume and feel his breath when he speak. I'm claustrophobic. I always want to have all the space to myself. But somehow in this kind of position, I feel so protected and safe. 

He cleared his throat as he began. "My Father was the real hero in my childhood," he said. "We were really close. He came from a poor family and my Mom came from a rich family. A lot of people from my Mother's side said he just married her for her money but she just shrugged it off. Dad loves her and I can see it. In my young age, I understand what love is. Love is something when you give a lot and you receive more than that."

I nodded, imagining the happy family inside my head. "You and your family are so happy," I whispered. 

"Yeah we were," Patrick said. "Then he died in a car accident. I was there and my Mom, too. I was on the backseat, she on the passenger's seat and him on the driver's seat. We were on our way home from the movies. Then we had the accident. Dad was decapitated. Mom barely survived. She needed to go to three operations just to live. I, on the other hand, just suffered minor scratches and all. They never realized why."

I looked away. I do remember this day. I remembered listening to the cries of my human. "What happened?" I asked quietly.

"Mom and I were devastated," Patrick said. "She almost lost the will to live. No, scratch that. She did lost the will to live. If it wasn't for my Dad's best friend, Alphonse, she never survived. He helped us. By cooking our food when my Mom just stares at her ceiling back at her room. By cleaning the kitchen when my Mom just sits in the couch, staring at the vase full of dead flowers. He almost did everything to us. I like him. He was kind to me. He was like a second father. Then he and my Mom became close. They got married and I met Alice. The color in my world came back again."

I smiled. "That's nice," I said. "But you never explained to me about this Joanne business. Why did she became your girlfriend?"

"Two months ago, Alice died," Patrick said. "In a car crash again. I was pretty lonely. So lonely. Alphonse was so devastated that he worked extra hours inside the court. He's a lawyer. And he said working takes his mind of things he wanted to think about. And that includes the death of his daughter. Mom is an author now and she's real busy. I was lonely. I don't have anyone to talk to. I don't have real friends. They just wanted me for my popularity. The girls... maybe they will accept me for who I am. The first girl I've noticed is Joanne Hernandez. She's beautiful and she's the head cheerleader. Maybe she will fulfill my needs. But no, she didn't. She took me granted. She just wanted me to be her boyfriend because of popularity and because of my looks."

"If you pick a girl in school to be your girlfriend because you think she'll not take you for granted, who would it be?" I asked.

"You," Patrick said shortly.

"Let say I never went to school," I said. "Who would it be?"

Patrick stopped and thought for awhile. "Aeriel Young," he said.

My jaws dropped and my eyes widened. Aeriel?!?! Of every girl he could've pick, Aeriel?! "Why Aeriel?" I calmly asked.

"She's beautiful," Patrick said. "And she's really smart. She's also kind to me. We sometimes talk but only small talk. Like, hi and hello and nice weather we're having. It's always formal. But I have a feeling she's nice. She's your cousin, right?"

I nodded. "Yes," I said. Then I shook my head mentally. This is not about Patrick love life. This about his life and why had he sinned. "So why do you date other girls?"

"Because if she finds out I cheat on her, it would be easier to break up with her," Patrick said. "I always wanted to break up with her after one week of our relationship. I just don't know how. So I sleep and date other girls. Somehow she never believed that I do it."