Barely An Angel (Completed)

23~ Repercussions

My father sighed exasperatedly, running a hand through his hair before he reached for the doorknob and turned it.

"Hello, um, is Ramona home?" I heard a familiar voice ask. "When I realized she wasn't at that corner we usually meet at before walking to school, I figured I should come over and check in. I feel bad that we haven't talked much this past week...," the voice trailed off. I hurried back down the stairs to confirm that it was indeed who I thought it was; Nathan. My dad just stared at him emotionlessly, which I figured was the reason he stopped talking. "Um...is this the right house? Please tell me I came to the right house, because that would be embarrassing if-,"

"Nathan!" I cried, rushing to the front door and elbowing past my dad, before enveloping Nathan in the tightest hug I could manage without accidentally squishing him to death. He hugged back almost as tightly, which was impressive considering that even for a human, he was a bit on the weaker side. I was reluctant to pull away, but I did eventually so that I could look at him. "I missed you," I gushed.

He beamed, his chocolate eyes twinkling. "I missed you too," he chimed. At the sound of my dad clearing his throat, Nathan's smile faltered. "So, uh...so who is that?"

"I would be asking you the same thing, young man," Dad stated, crossing his arms.

I rolled my eyes, exhaling sharply. "Nathan, this is...my father," I uttered.

Nathan's eyes widened. "Wait, seriously? I thought...I thought he was, like, stuck in Heaven or something, and not allowed to come here, and stuff," he stammered in disbelief.

"I came back to see my family," Dad reasoned. "I was already punished long enough, not being able to watch my daughter grow up. There's not much more they could punish me with that would deter me from staying, either."

"Well, I gotta say, it's really nice to meet you, sir," Nathan beamed, holding out his hand. Dad hesitantly shook hands with him, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Yes, you too, I suppose," he replied. "Ramona, he's not...well, he's not your boyfriend, is he?"

Nathan and I exchanged glances before we burst out laughing in unison. "Oh my gosh, Dad, no. We're not together," I giggled. "Geez, is that why you were being so cold to him or something?"

"Cold? I was not cold," he insisted. I raised my eyebrow at him, flashing an expression that said, Oh really? "Okay, fine," he relented. "But this is a young man I've never met before. For all I knew he could've been with the Fangs. Bottom line, I'm just looking out for you, that's all."

I groaned. "Dad. He's human, and he's my friend. And he's definitely not a gang member of any kind. Is there anything else that needs cleared up?" I waited only a split second before I spoke again, not leaving enough room for a response. "No? Great. Nathan, it's about time you came in." I turned around and waved my hand, gesturing for him to follow me. Once he was inside, Dad pulled the door closed.

"You know, it's funny that my dad should mention the Fangs," I began, taking a seat on one of our sofas in the living room. I pat the spot next to me, prompting Nathan to sit down also.

"Why is that?"

My father and I exchanged glances. "Well," I sighed. "We know that they're planning something, something big. Whenever they attempt to carry out their plans, there are going to be repercussions throughout the supernatural society. But also even in our local community, which of course includes you. We just wanted to update you so that you can stay informed and, most importantly, stay safe," I explained, offering a small smile. It wasn't until that moment that I truly realized how protective of Nathan that I was; I guess it never fully sank in before.

But realizing it only made me want to be more protective; I needed to do all I could to ensure his safety. The weirdest part, though, is that I didn't really know why that was; why that feeling was so overpowering. Now that the blackeye in me was apparently weakened, it was easier to acknowledge that sensation, too.

I thought back to the very first day I met him; he was a human in a sea of monsters. I didn't know it at the time, but I was the lifeboat that would bring him safely back to shore. My job now was to ensure that he stayed on that shore. I just had to make sure he would be willing.

"What kind of repercussions? What...what are they planning?" he stammered. I heard his heart rate quicken in his chest as he drew jagged breaths.

I looked at my father, silently asking if it would be okay to share more. He nodded in confirmation. I took a shaky breath before I continued, and told him everything we knew up to that point; from the Fantom Fangs trying to boost their numbers lately to their leader being none other than Demeille's own father. I had even told him, much to my father's embarrassment, about the Demitri situation.

When I finished running through everything, Nathan stayed silent for a few minutes, allowing everything to sink in. "Wow," he uttered finally. "I, uh...that's a lot. Then again, to a mere human such as myself, anything in your world would seem like a lot, I guess." He scratched the back of his head. "Why, um...why did you tell me all of this?"

"Because." I grabbed his hand. "It isn't just my world, it's yours too. This is happening in front of our faces, whether we like it or not. We just thought you needed to know what was going on so that you could be prepared for what may happen."

"How can I help?" He gazed at me expectantly. "I know I'm just a human, but there's gotta be something I can do, I don't know."

I shook my head. "No, you can't become any more involved. The Fangs are dangerous. I told you about Dario's power. They're blackmailing him into using it on anyone and everyone they can get their hands on. And since you are only human, they have no use for you except...well...you know Demeille's vendetta against you, and how Adrien will do anything to appease him. You just needed to know what was going in order to...I don't know, you could tell your mom you want to go on vacation - far away from here - so that you're both out of harm's way."

"In the middle of the school year? Oh yeah, my mom will be all for that," Nathan remarked sarcastically. "Seriously, Ramona, we both know how Demeille can be. The dude's got serious anger issues. Chances are, even if me and my mom do leave, he'll find some way to follow us, or track us down. And then what? We'll be far away from our home, from protection, from you. And you seem to be the only one besides Hamiel that can put Demeille in his place. What then?"

I sighed. "I guess you have a point. But we've got to try something. You can't be anywhere near here when things go down. We can find some way to get Demeille preoccupied, if he isn't already. You need to get out of town," I insisted.

Nathan clenched his jaw. "You know what, I just remembered. The school got a new drama teacher the other day, and she's holding an orientation-type meeting today at lunch, and I, uh, I really want to be there in time for that, so, um...talk to you later, I guess." With that, he stood up from the couch and speed-walked to the front door. Before he left, he cast a wistful, lingering glance over his shoulder at me, and then he was gone.

~

Ahh, oh my goodness, this version of the story is officially longer than the first draft! Yay! What did you guys think of this chapter? I know not many new things happened, but I promise you, action is coming! Haha, hope you guys are as excited as I am☺️ Don't forget to vote if you enjoyed, and let me know what you think in the comments! Till next chapter,

~R.J. ♡