Angelique heads outside the classroom and Angel feels helpless seeing her leave. He wanted to be the one to protect her, to make her smile, to show her the world wasn't all ugly as she thought it was. He wanted to show her there were beautiful sides too and yet, there's nothing he could do to help her in her most down moments as when she feels insecure and hurt, she shuts herself in her shell and doesn't let anyone inside. This is all due to Oscar Venus' fault and he's gonna pay for it.
" Why has she left like that? Had she suddenly felt unwell?" Oscar's sarcasm could be heard in the entire classroom.
Angel heads back inside the classroom. Oscar was still blathering nonsense and because of it, he couldn't avoid the slap that was coming for him. He gave him a tight slap once again, only this time, it was much more violent, leaving his right cheek two times more swollen than the first time.
Oscar touched his swollen cheek and an irking pain he had never felt before passed through his entire body. The hand that had touched the cheek was burning hot.
" What the heck? What did you do that for? Look what you've done! You've swollen my cheek! It hurts!" He said in pain.
Angel gave him a cold stare which was both indifferent and uncaring.
" It hurts, huh! You're hurt because I gave you a tight slap on the cheek, isn't it? If I hadn't slapped you just now, you wouldn't have felt this pain, right?"
Angel was furious and this could be expressed through his words.
" What of the pain you've caused Angelique? What about that pain? Do you have the slightest idea how much you've hurt her? What had she ever done to deserve such hatred? Why are you making life difficult for her?"
" She's suffering, you say! Let her suffer then! Why do you care what happens to her? In what way does any of this concern you? Why do you always meddle into other people's affairs?"
He got a point there and I can't refute that. Why is it that every time I see her pain, I'm unable to stand it? Why is it that every time I see her pain, I want to wipe it all away? I want to see her smile with all her heart so badly, but why is that?
" No answer! As expected, why would you have an answer to my question? Caring for someone you know nothing of is simply pointless, isn't it? You're getting angry at me, but you can't even tell me why you're so affected by everything that concerns her. Isn't that simply ridiculous of you?" He maliciously laughed.
" Shut the hell up!"
The students left in the classroom were witnesses to their intense discussion.
" You poor thing! She got you too, didn't she? Stay away from her as she won't bring you anything but trouble. Destroying people's lives and getting pity from them is her motto. Don't be fooled by her attitude towards you and get as far away from her as possible before it gets too late. All you're seeing from her at this point is nothing but an illusion created to deceive you". He said with a sad expression.
" You seem to know the real her! Were you two friends?" Angel asked suddenly.
…
" You were, aren't you? How pitiable to see friendship turn into hatred in an instant?" Said Angel with a lost expression.
" You know nothing!"
" Why don't you give me clarification?"
" It's true that we were once friends. We understood each other so well. We were like the palm of the same hand. We were always together. Those were pleasant times. She gave me the most beautiful memories by tarnishing them in the same manner".
…
" Just like you, I couldn't stand people being mean to her. I was always there whenever she was in trouble and yet, she didn't hesitate for a second before she took my happiness away from me. Because of her, I've become what I despise the most". He said in an explanatory tone.
" Angelique is not the person she portrays herself to be. Don't be fooled! Don't make the same mistake I made back then!" Oscar ran out of the room.
Angel was left with more questions than he once had.
What happened between Angelique and Oscar in the past? What's their history? What events happened in their past which turned friendship into hatred?
The rest of the periods passed in a flash and when it was time to head home, Angel couldn't find Angelique anywhere.
Where could she be? Maybe she's on the terrace! Angel heads there without a second thought.
As he has predicted, Angelique was in fact on the terrace. She was glancing at the sky and the birds flying together performed harmonious music in her ear. The music was beautiful to listen to.
" Why are you here, Angel? Aren't you going home?"
" I should be asking you the same thing. What are you doing here on the terrace?" He inquired in return.
" Look at how happy those birds look together! They seem so happy being together but if only they knew they wouldn't always be together, would they still be this happy?" Asked Angelique staring at the sky.
Angel moved several steps closer to her.
" What do you think they should do then?" He asked her in an interrogative tone.
" If they're meant to separate sooner or later, it would be for the best if they never met each other in the first place!" She responds.
" Do you regret meeting me? Do you wish to cut ties with me?" He asked painlessly.
She turned around and faced him.
" It would be for the best!" She grinned with a fake smile.
" What would be best? For you or me! To whom would it be best?"
" Angel, it's best not to get too attached to someone. Oscar is the perfect example of that". She expressed herself in a sad tone.
Oscar! Is she referring to their history?
" Oscar told me you were once friends at some point. Is that true?" He asked in an assertive tone.
" Yes, it's true! He didn't lie to you. We were the best of friends but our friendship wasn't meant to be. We were meant to be separated tragically?" She said painlessly.
Tragic! I want to ask what she meant but I don't think it's the appropriate time to do so. She's pained enough as it is and I don't want to bring unpleasant memories to the surface.
" I destroyed Oscar's life and that is due to him meeting me. If he had never befriended me, he would still be happy today. He wouldn't have turned out as a bully. You might not know this but Oscar was once a happy kid. He would always smile no matter what and he wouldn't let anybody besides him be unhappy in any way. His smile was contagious even to me. He would never leave me alone. Whenever I was alone, he would always make me come out of my shell".
…
" Today, his smile is no more. I made it disappear. I'm not meant to be loved or cared for by people. Angel, before the same thing happens with you too, I beg you to stay away from me. I don't want anything to happen to you". I said emotionally.
" What could happen to me if I stayed with you?" Angel couldn't understand what Angelique meant by her words.
What does she mean? Was someone else involved in their tragic pasts? I have to know who that person is and that way, I'll be able to prove Angelique's innocence in whatever she's accused of doing!