Only Angel [FP Jones x OC]

Twenty Two

At Thornhill Manor, Cheryl led Seline around the premises with her arm locked. Seline could barely keep up on the grand staircase, the first and only time she would ever trip in boots. 

"As you can tell, this is my beloved JJ's room," Cheryl said at the top of the stairs. The pair stood before a door, eternally closed, with a picture of Jason Blossom framed in the center. 

"How tragic," Seline whispered, reaching out to trace the soft jawline of the lost Blossom twin. "Poor kid." She turned to Cheryl, who was staring at the picture of her brother with watering eyes. "Aw, honey, I'm so sorry." 

The Lodge girl curled her arms around Cheryl and caressed her back soothingly. "That bastard should pay for what he did to your brother." 

The redhead shed a few tears into Seline's shoulder and she let her, not wanting to ruin the moment by telling her not to sniffle on her shirt. When Cheryl was ready, she pulled away from Seline, reaching up to wipe the streaks from her face and sniffle. 

Seline took Cheryl's hand in both of hers and patted it gently, "I'm here for you, princess. Don't you worry." 

Not wanting to lament anymore on the dead, Seline led Cheryl away from the shrine of a bedroom that was Jason's. At the end of the long hallway was the princess's own, and Seline was adamant to see what it comprised of, if only to change the subject of the dead brother in the room. 

The two sat on Cheryl's bed, with Cheryl batting her eyes to clear the tears from her lashes. Seline rested on her back with a sated groan, remembering that she hadn't gotten a good night's rest since she arrived. 

She felt the bed contour to her shape and, if she let go just enough, she could feel herself start to drift off. Seline almost kicked her shoes off with Cheryl lounging on her side, lengthwise across the bed, but she tilted her head up to look at the girl instead. 

"You and your brother are ringers for one another," Seline offered, which brought Cheryl's lips to curl into a saddened smile. 

"So are you and your sister," Cheryl whispered, combing her fingers through her fire red hair. 

Seline shut her eyes to refrain from rolling them, but hummed in response. "We get that a lot." 

Silence crept into the room with Seline drifting off the more still she lay. She could feel Cheryl's fingers comb through her hair and it was comforting, to say the least. It should have been the other way around. 

As her eyelids grew heavier, Seline felt a presence start to loom over her. A warmth rushed over her face the more she thought of what, or who, it was. She would have allowed it to happen, too, if her skirt pocket hadn't buzzed. 

Her eyes shot open, only to be greeted by the tall ceiling, and scrambled to find her phone on her person. She brought it to her ear as she shut her eyes again. "Hello?"

"Seline, I need you to come down here. Now." Hermione ordered from the opposite end of the phone. 

The Lodge girl groaned, wanting to roll her eyes again. "What's wrong, Hermione?"

"Just get down here." Her mother urged, and Seline, internally threw a fit over it.

"Fine. Give me thirty minutes." She slowly sat up, ending the call with her mom and slamming the phone into the bed. 

"You have to leave? Already?" Cheryl pouted, still a little sore from just breaking down. 

"Unfortunately," Seline began, turning to Cheryl on the bed, "'Mione can't handle some things alone, you know? Don't worry," She reached out to caress the girl's soft cheek, then line her cheekbone with her thumb, "I'll be back in no time." 

Cheryl huffed, and Seline brought her into another hug, sturdier, before slipping off of the bed and leaving the room. 

"It's probably nothing." 

Seline had to step between her mother and a cardboard box. The woman would not stop screaming in her ear. She forced her eyes shut and opened them again, annoyed, with the sonic noise burrowing straight over her shoulder. 

"Mother, for all that is holy, shut. Up." Seline growled at her mom, urging her to take a step back before reaching down to re-top the box. 

The beautiful rattlesnake hissed from the short box, baring its glistening fangs with a shake of its tail. 

"Be careful," Hermione said, frozen in place as her daughter knelt to the tile. Her hand reached out for assistance before she reeled it back again. 

"Oh, please." Seline reached into the box, unafraid of the venomous beast, and tugged it from the box. "It's just a harmless ole' rattlesnake. You've got purses made out him. How could you be scared?" 

She curled her hand around the back of the snake's head and turned it towards her mother. "See? Give him a kiss." 

Hermione screeched, her hands flailed up by her head when Seline taunted her with it. Turning the beast back to her, Seline stared intensely at its eyes. 

"Now, what have you done to deserve such a thing, Mommy Dearest?" Seline asked, returning the reptile to its box and putting the lid on tight. 

"N-nothing." Hermione offered, still shaken up by the unpleasant surprise. 

As Seline picked up the box and set it on a dining table, the front door to Pop's rang, with Mr. Andrews looking around hastily. He turned and saw Hermione, then glanced at Seline before doing a double take. 

The oldest Lodge daughter slipped into the booth seat, tapping at the box to make the snake hiss while her mother was reunited with her "knight in shining armor". She watched the pair interact, with Mr. Andrews giving Hermione a long hug before rubbing her arms to get her to stop shaking. 

Seline eventually forced out a yawn, crossing her legs and drumming her fingers to the table. 

"Mr. Andrews, I believe you're just a little behind schedule today." She noted, staring at Fred for a long moment before tapping the box today. "I've already come to the rescue."

"What's in there?" He asked, his brows furrowing in concern. 

"What's it to you?" Seline retorted, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "We've got everything handled now. No damsels in distress." 

Mr. Andrews pursed his lips as Hermione's eyes tensed at Seline over his shoulder. 

"Much appreciated, I will say. Apparently, you're the only thing that makes Mom come to life." Seline added, her demeanor diminishing the more time she spent in front of the pair. "You'll have to forgive me. I'm physically bored." 

She turned to her mother as she rose from her seat, grabbing the box and holding it against her hip. "Don't you worry, I'll dispose of this properly." Seline grinned deviantly, "Now you two stay safe." 

She pushed past Fred gently, her hand grazing his chest as she passed him. At the front door, Seline stopped, turning around to face her mother again. 

"Oh, and I won't be home tonight." 

And with that, Seline left, fishing her phone out to call a ride.