After leaving Angelica's house, Angel was wandering around, unexpectedly ending up at her school. When Angelica saw him again, she was--------
" It's you?" Angelica said with a slight grin on her face.
" You know him, Angelica?" Sarah asked but Angelica couldn't hear her as her whole attention was solely focused on Angel.
" Do you know him, Angelica?" Anna asked next and this time, Angelica snapped back to reality.
" Yes, I do!"
After answering the question, her attention went back to Angel.
" Angel! What are you doing here?" I inquired, staring at him with a slight grin.
" Nothing! I was lost". He turned his gaze away from her.
Angelica couldn't believe a single word he was saying. He didn't wander off as he said he did. He didn't know where to go and ended up at her school without realizing it, which was Angelica's conclusion.
Angelica noticed his wound had opened up. The bandage was tainted with blood all over. Seeing that, Angelica snapped for a second.
" Liar! I told you that you could stay at my place, didn't I? You did as you saw fit and left. Now, look at your state! You're bleeding! Come with me! We're going home!"
" I don't want to. I'll be okay on my own". He said bluntly.
" I don't care what you want! You're coming with me". I said, slightly angered.
" What's going on here? Do you care to explain?" Sarah demanded an explanation from her friend.
" How do you know this guy?" Anna joined Sarah, asking for the same.
" It's the one I told you guys about, remember?" I answered my friends' questions to ease their confusion.
" The one who fell from the sky?" Sarah asked.
" The one who crashes at your doorstep?" Anna followed her.
" Exactly!" I sighed.
" Angelica, come with us for a minute, will you?" Sarah and Anna dragged their friend away to have a chat.
" I'll be right back! Don't you dare go anywhere?" She warned him as she got dragged away.
...
" What do you think you're doing?" Anna inquired to her friend with a concerned expression.
" How can you bring him back to your house?" Sarah followed Anna's lead.
" He's not bad-looking either?" Anna said remarkably and also as a compliment.
" Enough all of you! What are you saying? I can't let him wander by himself like that. I have to take care of his injuries". I cut them short as I couldn't tolerate what they were saying anymore.
" I know you like to help everyone, but what will happen if Francois finds out about this? He won't be pleased with it at all". Anna said with a concerned expression.
" That's why I wanted to tell him everything but you didn't let me".
" We thought he wouldn't come back, but he did". Sarah said in retrospect.
Sarah said further: " Listen, Angelica! I know it's difficult but you have to let him go. Let him leave! He can take care of himself".
After listening to everything Sarah said, Angelica said in response: " I can't do that! He doesn't know anyone around here and about Francois, I'll talk to him tomorrow at school. Sorry! I can't walk home with you guys today. I hope you'll understand. I'll see you girls tomorrow! See you!"
" Angelica, wait!" Anna tried to stop her but her mind was already made about things.
" She won't listen to us. Let's just hope this doesn't get worse!" Sarah said retrospectively.
Angelica got back to where she left Angel but couldn't find him anywhere. She started searching for him by shouting his name.
" Angel! Are you there? Where are you?"
( Where did he run off to?)
Meanwhile, Angel was heading towards the exit but unfortunately for him, Angelica caught up to him before he had the chance to walk away.
( I have to get away from here. I don't want them to get close to me. I don't want to).
" Angel? There you are! Why did you run off like that? I told you to wait for me". Angelica was now standing before him.
" Leave me alone! Stay away from me! Don't touch me!" Angel repeated those words as he moved backward.
( Why is he saying that? It's like he's scared. Come to think of it, he was like that at my house too. What is he so scared of?)
" What's wrong, Angel? Why are you like that?"
As Angelica was getting closer to him, he was moving backward.
" Stay away!" He kept moving backward without looking behind him. Angelica was worried he might hurt himself, so she stopped trying to get closer to him.
" Ok! Ok! I won't touch you!"
...
" Listen to me! You need to rest. Come with me!" She tried to reason up with him.
" Don't worry about me! Leave me alone! I'll be fine". He denied but Angelica wouldn't take no for an answer.
" Don't argue with me! Just, come with me! We're going home!"
" It's not my home". He said expressionlessly.
" Of course it is! Until you've fully recovered, it will be your home as well. Now, come with me! It's late!" Angel followed Angelica obediently without arguing anything more.
Back at school, Francois was done for the day, and before heading home, he thought of phoning his girlfriend.
( I have to call Angelica. I need to ask her what was bothering her. She was so worried).
" We've arrived! Come inside!" Angelica unlocked the door and invited Angel inside.
Before entering the house, he asked: " Are you sure you won't regret this decision later on?"
Staring at him, she said in retrospect:" I'm sure! Now, come inside!"
" Thank you!" He entered the house and sat on the sofa.
After closing the door, Angelica heads to her room. She got back five minutes later with the first aid box.
" Show me your wounds! I'll treat you!"
" No! I can do it by myself!" He declined her offer to treat his wounds.
" Don't argue with me! Show me your wounds!"
Angel started sobbing all of a sudden:" No! I don't want to. To treat me, you'll have to touch me. Please, don't touch me! Please!" He begged.
Angelica was helpless seeing him in that state. She stepped away from him for a few blocks.
" Angel, are you afraid of me to the point of crying?" I asked, saddened.
...
" Please, stop crying! I'll go away! I'll go somewhere else! I won't show myself to you as long as you're here, but please, don't leave this house! Stay here until you've fully recovered. I'll leave now! I'll stay at a friend's house for the time being". I opened the door and just as I was about to step out--------------
" Wait!" I was stopped by Angel as he unexpectedly stood up.
" Hum!"
" You don't have to go! You can stay! You don't have to leave!" He said composedly.
( What? He's preventing me from leaving!)
" No, it's not a problem! I can leave".
" No! You don't have to. You may stay! It's your house! I'll stay too but under one condition". He said in a low tone.
...
" Under which condition?"
" I'll help around the house! I'll help with the chores. I can do a lot of things. I can cook! I can do the cleaning around the house. I'll stay just under that condition". He said with a straight face.
...
" You don't have to do that! You're not well enough to do that".
" I insist! I can't stay here for free. I want to pay for my meals. I don't have any money on me, but I can work for you. I want to feel useful. I can't stay here doing anything all day. I want to feel useful to you". He stared at me for a moment before unexpectedly looking away from me.
( There's no need to reason with him! He already made up his mind and he won't change it).
" If you insist, I won't stop you. But promise me, you won't push yourself too hard. Promise me!" I stared at him with an intensive gaze.
...
" I promise! I won't push myself too hard". He said in a low tone.
" Then, it's a deal!" I slightly grinned at the thought that he agreed to stay.
...
" I'll go and change my clothes. I'll be right back!"
Angelica heads to her room to change clothes, leaving Angel in the main hall.
" Okay! Take your time!"
( I'll cook something in the meantime).
Angel was able to find the kitchen easily. He began to cook and as he was halfway through to finishing, he heard a strange sound.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Angel heard a sound coming from Angelica's bag. He searched through it and found a device, wondering what it was.
( What is this thing and why is it ringing?)
Angel never saw a phone before, so he didn't know what exactly he was supposed to do with it.
" Excuse me, Higurashi San! There's a strange device ringing!" He called out to her as he had no idea what to do with the phone in his possession.
" Answer it!"
( Answer it! How do you answer this?)
Reflexively, Angel touched the button that looked like an ear and was able to answer the call at last.
" Who is it?"
Francois heard a man's voice through the handset, wondering who it might be.
Francois
" Who are you? Why are you answering Angelica's phone?"
( So, this device is called a phone).
Angel
" Higurashi San is changing. That's why I'm answering in her stead. Would you like to leave a message?"
Francois
" No! I'll call her back later!"
After Francois hung up the call, Angelica came back to the main hall after changing her school uniform.
Angel headed back to the kitchen to finish up the cooking which he was able to finish in time.
" Who was it?"
" I don't know! He didn't give his name".
" Okay! I'll check it later!"
" Dinner's ready, Higurashi San!" Angel set up the table before informing her.
" Higurashi San? Don't call me Higurashi San! Call me Angelica!"
...
" I can't be that formal to you. I prefer calling you, Higurashi San!" He denied calling her by her first name.
" I won't insist! About dinner, you didn't have to cook. I could have done it myself". I said in refutation.
" You have a lot to take care of, including your studies. Let me take care of all the chores around the house! Sit down and eat!" He was a few blocks away from her.
Angelica took a bite at the meal Angel had prepared. After just one bite, she put the spoon down. " Hum! Delicious! It's good! You know your stuff around the kitchen!"
Angel got touched by her compliment and said:" Thank you! I'm glad you liked what I cooked.
…
Angelica finished the rest of the meal in no time at all.
" Now, I'll go wash the dishes".
" Thank you!"
...
" Don't thank me! I should be the one thanking you. You let me stay at your house without knowing anything about me. You didn't ask me any questions or anything. Thank you!"
( It's not that I didn't want to ask but seeing your state, it completely slipped my mind).
" You're welcome! I'll go to sleep! You can sleep in whichever bedroom you like. Good night!" I left the dining table.
" Good night, Higurashi San!" He said in return.
The following morning
Angel slipped through Angelica's room to wake her up for school, forgetting for a second his haphephobia.
( I should wake her up or else, she'll be late for her classes).
" Higurashi San, wake up! You'll be late for school! Higurashi San! Higurashi San!" He gently touched her to wake her.
" Hum! Angel, it's you! What brings you here early in the morning?"
Angelica woke up and was stunned to see Angel in her chamber.
" I came to wake you up". He said in response.
She was even more stunned:" Wake me up! I thought you were scared of me. I could hurt you if you stay here, you know. You shouldn't stay here! Go!" She said as a warning.
" No! I'm here to wake you and that's what I'm gonna do". He denied leaving her room.
As he denied leaving, Angelica thought to play a prank on him but she took it too far.
" Really! If you're scared of me, why did you come here?" She got close to him, touching him by the waist.
Angel got scared and started crying:" I'm sorry! Did I do something wrong?"
...
" Forgive me if I did! It won't happen again". He sobbed even more.
Angelica pulled Angel into an embrace. " Stop crying! I'm sorry! I didn't want to scare you like that. Stop crying, please!"