Underground Angels

Chapter Twenty-Five | My Brain Starts to Un-Fuzz

Chapter Twenty-Five

My Brain Starts to Un-Fuzz

 

                                    The morning was crisp, thin air still; Noel woke to find the camp oddly empty. Tugging on her boots and putting on several sweaters and her parka, Noel zipped up her tent and when on a hunt for Gabriel. As she was leaving she realized she forgot to take her pills and had no water, so grabbed the bottle.

“Such an idiot.” She mumbled, stuffing the bottle and her hands in the pockets of her parka. Trudging through the tents, Noel could barley hold in her excitement – she’d called the Foster’s the night before, and after talking with them for a while had finalized her plan for a great surprise for Gabriel.

“Hey, Angel!”

Noel spotted Gabriel in the clearing, Bella bounding at his side. “Morning!” she cried, lifting her knees high up into the air to get though the snow.

“You’re chipper this morning,” he observed “What’s the occasion?”

“I have a surprise for you.” She blurted, holding her breath like a little kid.

“Oh yeah?” he chuckled, grabbing a stick from Bella and throwing it for her.

“Yes!”

“Do I get to hear it?” he asked.

Blushing, Noel stared at the snow almost going up to her knees. “Right – er – I called your Aunt and Uncle.”

“What for?”

“We-ell…I asked if you could bring Bella home – and they said yes!”

Gabriel gawked at her, and before Noel could stop him had grabbed her around the waist and swung her through the air. “Noel Lewis, you are the quirkiest, most adorable and thoughtful girl I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet.” He said, setting her down.

Dizzy, Noel fell back into the snow. A hiccup arose in her throat, and she felt her skin burn with embarrassment. “Uh –”

“What’s going on?”

Looking behind them, Gabriel and Noel saw Lola standing just a few feet away, arms crossed and looking very much like an annoyed Greek statue.

“I get to take Bella home!” Gabriel said, grinning like a kid when Christmas came early.

“Hm.” Lola mused, then leaned down near Noel, picking something up out of the snow. “What’s this?”

The blood drained from Noel’s face as she saw her orange pill bottle in Lola’s hands, and she jumped up. “Um, those are –” clearing her throat, Noel held out her gloved hand. “Mi-mine.”

Lola shot her a suspicious, green eyes look. “You an addict or something?”