Suddenly, my field of vision became clear. I quickly turned around to find Angel standing at the doorway. His expression was one of worry.

"Angel." My anger streamed away like a flowing river. I let go of Hyacinth's hair, making her fall to the ground.

I calmly walked to him and he gazed up at me. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry I'm late I was- Your face! What did she do to you?!" His voice stirred.

I shook my head and smiled at him. "It's okay. I'm okay."

His eyes lingered on mine and then he turned his attention to Hyacinth. As Angel walked to her, his eyes immediately landed on her phone. He snatched it away.

Hyacinth smiled as she looked up at him. "You're here! Thank God!"

Angel frowned and he ripped his wig off. Not only was I shocked, but so was Hyacinth. Her eyes turned dim and her face morphed into terror.

"Why don't you take a picture? It'll last longer," he snarled, "oh wait, you can't." Angel held out the phone in front of him and dropped it to the ground.

Magnolia suddenly materialized beside him and smashed the phone with her foot. Hyacinth watched in utter dismay. She then crawled towards Angel as she reached out her hand to him.

"A-Angel, we're meant to be-"

Suddenly, Magnolia gripped her wrist. Magnolia's face was horrifying—it was like looking at death itself.

"Magnolia, take care of her," Angel said as he turned his back to them, walking straight to me. He grabbed his wig, took my hand and we both left the classroom, with only the screams of Hyacinth to bid us farewell.

°°°

Our plan was a success. While I was distracting Hyacinth in the classroom, Angel broke into her dorm room and raided all of her electronics, ultimately ridding them of anything that had to do with him.

He told me I had been right as he placed an ice pack onto my cheek in the nurse's office. Hyacinth had transferred the picture to her computer, phone, and even a game console. How utterly outrageous.

I was glad that everything had worked out fine, however, there was still a whirlwind of emotions flowing through me. We remained quiet for a while. I didn't know what to say to him. It was like he had seen the worst possible version of who I was in a matter of seconds. What if his perspective of me had changed? What if he thought I was a lunatic? No one would want to be friends with a monster.

Angel shifted in his chair and gave a soft chuckle. "And here I thought I would be your knight in shining armor. You were pretty terrifying."

I couldn't help but frown and looked away.

"I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?" He asked, his voice kind.

"No no, I just... didn't want you to see me that way. If people knew about that side of me, they wouldn't want to be around me. I'm sure you must think I'm a freak now, right? No one..." My voice trailed off as I couldn't continue the sentence. I didn't want to look at his face. I was embarrassed and ashamed that I had let myself get that way. What would mamá think?

He took my hand in his and I quickly looked at him, shocked by this gesture. He smiled. "Don't assume things on your own, Camellia. I saw someone who just got carried away by their emotions. That doesn't make you a freak. It makes you human. I actually thought you looked cool."

I exhaled a sigh of relief. "I guess..." I began, "I guess it's my turn to tell you a story."

After I had told Angel what I did in middle school, I immediately finished with, "Doesn't that just make me as bad as them? I shouldn't have become violent but I just couldn't help myself. What's wrong with me?"

He scratched his head, attempting not to pull off his wig again, and replied, "No, honestly. They were assholes. You were protecting your friend. That does not make you like them. Just think of it as a vigilante." Angel laughed.

I lightly shoved him with my right hand. "Not funny," I said through a suppressed smile.

"I would have done the same thing. People like that don't deserve mercy."

My mind raced for a reply. I didn't want to agree with him but if I didn't then that would make me a hypocrite. I wanted to be merciful, someone who showed kindness even to the worst people, but I just couldn't.

My mother had been killed by a drunk driver. It felt like that person had taken away the light of my life, just because they didn't think of the potential consequences before getting behind the wheel. This stranger took my mother from me. My everything. And they went unpunished. They came from a rich family who could afford an amazing lawyer, while my family was poor and could barely afford to sustain ourselves.

I began to cry. Feelings began to swirl within me that I had been suppressing the entirety of three years. It felt like a lion that had been starved was finally let out of its cage. I didn't know what to do with myself at that moment. It wasn't fair. Life wasn't fair. It felt like these feelings would someday consume me, to a point where I could never return and I would be submerged by darkness.

Then I felt something embrace me. And suddenly, it was like everything felt light. It felt like home.

Angel didn't know the reason why I was crying, but it didn't seem to matter to him. He held me close to his chest and the sound of his heartbeat calmed me down.

I would eventually tell him this story too. But not now. Right now, I just wanted to remain in his embrace for as long as possible.

°°°

A few days had passed since the incident with Hyacinth. She was promptly expelled from Lunacrest and sent back home.

The gossip on what happened to her changed almost every passing hour. They would say things like she was caught smuggling drugs, while others would say that she had tried strangling her roommate while she slept. All of which I wouldn't deny.

Things seemed to go on as normal. The five of us often studied in the library because finals were just a few days away. The idea that we could potentially win the fun trip was constantly on my mind. I think we all needed some happiness at this point. We were up to our ears in the materials we had to study.

Unfortunately, another incentive to get as far away from the academy as possible appeared as I searched for Angel in the music building.

He told me he would be there practicing for his music final. I went to go look for him because I wanted him to take a break. But as I was about to turn the corner, I overheard an older woman's voice.

Slightly peeking, I felt goosebumps rise throughout my body. An elegantly dressed woman in heels and red lipstick towered over Angel. His expression was unforgettable. He was cowering in fear and his eyes were wild.

As I attempted to get a closer look, the woman boomed, "Have you had any contact with Oleander?!"

And that was when I knew who she was. Her washed-out blonde hair should have been a dead giveaway. I instinctively clenched my fists. Not wanting to let my anger out again, I released them right away.

"N-No, I swear I haven't," Angel responded, his voice weary.

She got closer to him. Her eyes flashed. "Don't lie to your mother. I know you have. How else did she get those photos of you?!"

My heartbeat quickened. Oleander received the photos! Then that meant, behind the scenes, she was fighting for the custody of Angel.

"I-I... don't know..." His eyes flitted to the ground.

"And what's this I hear about you expelling a student? Did she find out about you? You better tell me the truth, you useless child, before I-" She raised her hand, signaling that she was getting ready to hit him.

There was absolutely no way I was going to allow that to happen. No, I will not be a bystander this time.

I quickly stepped out and cheered, "Angel, there you are! Oh wow! You must be Angel's mother, it's so great to finally meet you!"

I stood in front of Angel to block him from his mother. He wouldn't look at me, his head hung low. I stuck out my hand for her to shake and maintained a fake grin.

Looking at her up close, I noticed that her face was accentuated with high cheekbones and she held a stony expression. The devil—I had met the devil.

She eyed me up and down. "And you are?"

"My name is Camellia De Leon, ma'am. I'm friends with Angel and can I just say, what an amazing daughter you have! Truly amazing! She's so smart, gets straight A's in every subject! And her violin playing is just superb. I've truly never met anyone quite like her before, she truly is one of a kind!" I ended my long-winded speech with a fake smile.

Angel's mother studied me for a moment and replied, "Yes. I expect nothing less."

Then she walked past me without another word and stopped beside Angel. I heard her whisper to him, "We'll discuss this later." And disappeared into the darkness of the long hall.

I immediately turned around and spoke softly, "Are you alright?"

Angel's face was void of all expression as he slowly nodded. I took his hand and said, "C'mon, let's get out of here."

That night, he explained to me that his mother was afraid of something. She wouldn't have gone to the school by herself and have acted the way she did in public. What I could only infer by this was that Oleander was winning the case.

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