My Guardian Angel

Chapter 14: Sweet Addiction

"Well, if it isn't miss 'think you're too good for school' girl," Nathaniel snarled, his arms crossed, while I entered the room. Jack soon entered, catching up to my footsteps, and Nathaniel's snide commentary continued. "Oh, and here's Prince Charming. Are you too good for him too, Angelica, to not be right beside him?"

I rolled my eyes as I wore a half-hearted smile, ignoring him.

Katherine cleared her throat as she set her belongings down at the front of the room, having heard everything.

"Nathaniel, that's enough," she scolded. I smirked, internally doing a victory dance.

That's my girlfriend!

Nathaniel huffed out air. "Right... and here is the teacher who just happened to be sick on the same day as the two disappearing students. Interesting."

I swallowed the lump in my throat, suddenly feeling hot all over, as his comment got to me. It was dumb to let something so little affect me though, right? After all, this was just a repeating cycle anyway- an already errored rerun that could and would be fixed in time.

To be quite honest, I didn't know what to think.

I was hoping that our conversation with Adam, after school, would give us all a bigger picture and alleviate some of our doubts and worries.

"Nathaniel, what are you trying to accuse Ms. Hale of, exactly?" Cameron inquired, seemingly curious of Nathaniel's assumptions.

"All I'm saying is that Angelica has perfect attendance... oh wait, nope. Not anymore. Not after skipping out on school the other day on the same day Ms. Hale did."

"Be careful, Nathaniel. You're almost sounding like your begging for attention," Jack asserted, walking past him and towards his seat.

The students began to whisper and giggle after Jack's jab at Nathaniel, and the tension slowly lessened after that. I glanced in his direction and gave him a smile, silently grateful for his back up.

***

Later on in the day, after school, we met Adam at Katherine's apartment, deciding that would be the safest spot. It was weird avoiding my house during this entire time. I wasn't so sure how my dad was taking it, but recalling his behaviors in the past, he probably hadn't even noticed I was gone. Nonetheless, everything I was doing- that we were doing- was to protect our future.

Jack, Adam and Katherine sat on the couches in the living room as I prepared the tea and situated the mugs onto the tray. I then carried the tray, with four mugs filled with hot water and tea bags, as I soon approached them, setting the tray down in the center of the table prior to reclaiming my spot next to Katherine.

Katherine wrapped an arm around me while the other reached for my hand, intertwining our fingers. I smiled as I brushed my thumb over the top of her warm hand, glad she felt more like herself today.

After our whirlwind of emotions for the past few days, I wasn't so sure if such comfort would be offered so soon, but Katherine was trying. She was really trying, for my sake, and for her own too.

Adam's lips curved upward into a warm and inviting smile as he briefly glanced at our joined hands, seemingly pleased, before meeting our eyes with his chocolate brown ones.

"Thank you for agreeing to hear me out," Adam spoke with a gentle appreciation settling in his words.

Jack nodded in which Katherine and I soon mimicked.

"I'd like to begin by telling you guys more about Eve, if that's okay with you all. And, afterwards, I will tell you what I think is really going on here, and I'd like your inputs."