When Angels Cry Blood

“Xavier, that sounds exotic,” Alex sighed obviously daydreaming.

“Like I was saying he was born in Britain, his mother was from Greece, and his father was French,” I spoke the words as they came into my mind. ‘Maybe I could be a writer one day or a muse,’ I thought proudly to myself.

“Sounds like an important man,” Nick said as he got into the story.

“He is…I wish he would tell me more about his work,” I sighed.

“What does he do,” he asked.

“I'm still not exactly sure. He won't talk about it,” I answered with a sad tone. I could tell by Alex's face that I was pulling it off blissfully.

“Well, isn't that a shame,” he said in a rude and bored tone.

“Yes it is,” I retorted heatedly.

“Wait, didn't you call the creepy hot guy Xavier,” Alex asked.

“That's him! He makes me so paranoid sometimes following me different places like that. I just wanted to see if he'd been there before,” I lied once again.

“Wait…your boyfriend stalks you,” she asked worriedly.

“Well, wouldn't you,” Zane joked.

“Zane not funny,” she said in a scolding kind of voice.

“Can we skip this,” I pleaded as they all glared, except Nick, who now seemed to enjoy himself more.

“Is, what are you doing here,” a voice called from the door. I didn't have to look up to recognize it.

“Gabe, is that you? It’s been so long,” I said as everyone looked up and stared at the door.

“Is, how was school? It was your first day right,” he asked.

“Of course it was, and it went wonderfully. I already made friends,” I answered as I motioned to the guys.

“Oh, forgive me! I am Gabe, Elizabeth's old teacher.”

“Oh, Hi,” Alex said as she gave me a sort of look that I couldn’t really read. It was kind of like the ones Issa gave me when she talked about Xavier.

“Why do you call her Is,” Nick asked. I am so tired of his big mouth questions and the fact that he gets pleasure from my pain.

“Oh, that's just a nick-name we used to call her. I believe it was because when she was younger she refused to be called anything but Isabella,” he explained.

“Really. I've never heard of someone going through a stage like that,” Nick retorted skeptically.

“I went through a few weird phases. That's part of the reason why I lived with so many people throughout my life,” I interrupted sternly. Between Nick, Gabe, and Xavier I am going to be in a lot of trouble when this is all over.

“That's true, I remember that creepy skateboarder that you lived with about four years ago, wasn't it? What was his name…Jude…Jade…Jai, that was it!” Gabe exclaimed.

“Something like that,” I answered as I gave him a grin. He shouldn't have said Jai's name because as soon as he had said it his pager beeped. Jai never liked being put into things he didn't have anything to do with.

“I have to go make a call, maybe I'll run into you again sometime. See ya, Is,” Gabe said with a look that said it all. I was in big trouble and I had to dig myself out.

“Well, he was interesting,” Nick said in another of his sarcastic tones.

“Alex, I thought you said he was nice once you got him talking. He hasn't shut up and he's not all that nice,” I broke in. Zane and Alex looked at me as if I was an alien. Nick's mouth dropped open as he stared wide eyed at me.

“What,” I asked innocently.

“Finally, someone actually agrees with me! That's just what Zane told me to say about him,” Alex laughed.

“Zane, you need to get better taste in friends. Now, if you'll excuse me I have to go to the little girl’s room,” I said as relief washed over me. For a moment I thought I had lost my chance of helping Alex.

“Yeah, come on I'll show you where it is,” Alex smiled halfheartedly once again as she got up and motioned for me to follow her.

Narrator’s POV

“Dude, your girlfriend's new friend is weird,” Nick complained as Zane stared at him.

“Nick, how do you expect me to tell my girlfriend who you really are when you can't even get her to like you a little bit? I'm going to have to tell her and she's going to hate you,” Zane explained.

“Well how do you suggest I make her like me.”

“Be nice to her and her friend.”

“Me...be nice to her friend? That's not going to happen, but I think I could manage being nice to her.”

“Man, Liz is really cool once you get to know her.”

“How do you know that? You've known her all of what five minutes.”

“Yeah, but Alex seems to love the chick, so she can't be all that bad. Plus the girl is hot so why is it so difficult for you to be nice.”

“Because you're the nice one. I was born to be mean.”

“Man, I was born into a messed up family,” Zane said a loud, although he didn’t want the lecture that was sure to come with his words.

In the Ladies Room

“I still can't believe you said that right in front of Nick. I have wanted to tell him off forever, but Zane is always at me to be nice to him,” Alex confessed.

“Sorry, I just couldn't take it anymore,” I said as I flushed the toilet, “You know, I was lying in there about Xavier right?”

“Oh, no, I didn't realize, but I guess it makes more sense. I was seriously worried when you said he was stalking you… Why did you lie?” she asked curiously

“Because I didn't want you and Zane trying to set me up with Nick. He is so not my type.”

“I could tell. I think you have a little thing for your old teacher,” Alex said with a grin that stretched across her face. I blushed a little.

“Now he is more my type. I just wished there was some way he would notice me,” I answered shyly.

“I could tell, and he is kind of cute. Maybe he does notice you just have to figure something out, or wait till after graduation,” she suggested.

“That's an idea,” I agreed as I finished checking my make up in the mirror. She laughed a bit as we began walking back to the table, “Oh, Alex, I have a feeling that Nick is more like family to Zane.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don't think Zane likes Nick either, but they are family that's why Zane makes you be nice.”

“You think, they could be cousins,” Alex began to think out loud.

“Well, don't ask just wait for them to tell you.”

“Hey look whose back,” Zane said with a big smile at Alex and me.

“We were just talking about you,” Alex grinned at Zane.

“I'll bet you were,” Nick mumbled.

“Still mean as a rattle snake, I see,” I blurted out causing Alex to laugh.

“I think they're going to be great friends,” she said sarcastically.

“Hey, I thought sarcasm was Nick's thing,” Zane joked.

“Oh, so now it's pick on Nick day,” he said getting annoyed with us.

“I'm sorry for being rude earlier,” I managed an apology although I really didn't want to.

“See Nicky, she's trying to be nice. Why can't you,” Zane joked.

“We've been over this little... Um. Friend,” Nick answered.

“See Alex, I told you,” I said with a smile that could only mean I was right.

“Told her what,” Zane and Nick asked simultaneously.

“Nothing that you're not going to tell her soon.”

“Liz, how do you,” Zane was about to question.

“I am a good reader of family,” was all I could come up with to explain. I couldn’t very well tell him that I read it in his file.

“So how are you two kin,” Alex asked.

“Brothers,” they answered.

“Now, I would have said cousins, but who knew two brothers were so different,” I blurted again.

“Liz, you really got to learn to control that speaking before thinking thing,” Alex laughed.

“I've been working on it all my life,” I laughed, then my eyes caught the nearby clock. “I have to go, I have to be up early tomorrow. I have a lot to do. You know, settling in and everything. I'll talk to you guys later.” 9:30, I was supposed to report back directly to Jac at nine, oh, he is going to kill me.

“What's the rush,” Nick asked once again enjoying my pain.

“I've got to call a very special someone that you have never heard of.”

“You mean, Xavier,” Alex questioned.

“No, more like my old boss.”

“Come on, I'll drive you so you don't have to run,” she laughed. I then realized I had been planning to run home the whole time.

“Thanks.”

Alex laughed and talked the entire 10 minutes it took us to get home. She couldn't get over the fact that I insulted Nick twice, or that Nick was Zane's brother. Neither was really shocking to me because Nick was getting on my nerves and they acted like brothers in a way. I'd met enough siblings that I could spot them from a mile away. I was so worried about my report that I almost missed Xavier standing in front of the apartment building. I groaned very loudly. “Look, Liz. It’s your special boy,” Alex smiled wickedly. I rolled my eyes at her.

“Did you have fun, Darling?” Xavier asked sickeningly sweet. I could see the confusion behind his stormy gray eyes, but he would appear almost confident to Alex. I was sure of that.

“Yes I did. How did your evening go,” I asked just as sweetly as he had. I was surprised Jai hadn’t sent a lightning bolt down on my head yet.

“It was pretty boring without you, love,” he said all too smoothly.

“If you’ll excuse me, I have to go make a call,” I stated a little more bluntly than I meant too.

“I was hoping to talk to you,” he asked as he half batted his eyelashes.

“Awe, you two are so cute,” Alex laughed.

“Yeah, not tonight. I’ve gotta go,” I stated as I hurried upstairs. Oh dear Jac please don’t be mad!”