Fallen Angels Rising Star

The girl stood in the doorway, simply watching from where she was stationed in the entrance to Terry’s living room as Amber lifted herself of off Terry’s chest and pushed her hair out of her eyes having woken when Terry had spoken a second before, Jen, if she recalled correctly was this girl’s name. She’d seen her going around with Terry before. Something of a best friend Amber supposed.

“What are you doing here?” asked Terry again as he too sat up and looked to Jen. Amber turned to look into his face. His mouth was slightly tensed. She didn’t know if it was the events from before that were making him uncomfortable still or if it was this Jen. She just didn’t know the other girl that well.

“I just thought I’d stop by but it looks like you’re busy Terry so I think I’ll go,” said Jen with a smile. Amber merely blinked as the other female waved at Terry and ignored her completely as she turned and left the room just as suddenly as she had appeared leaving Amber and Terry alone again on the couch, both a bit bleary eyed.

“Wanna go for a walk?” suggested Terry yawning and moved his weight. Amber got off him so he could sit up properly. He looked tired still even after sleeping but a lot had happened that he needed to come to terms with so he didn’t need her prying.

“Sure,” Amber replied with a smile, deciding to forget about Jen too. She was nothing to worry about.

As they were heading for the door, there was a loud knock and Amber felt something inside her shift. Terry opened the door to come face to face with another boy, the same height, the same build with the same dirty blonde hair and the same face as himself. Identical except for the color of their eyes; Terry’s a stunned grey-blue icy color and the other male’s hazel .One stood shocked with his mouth opened in surprise, his eyebrows pulled together in confusion and the other wore a smirk but his eyes that Amber knew so well we wary as he drunk in the way Amber stood closely at Terry’s side. She stepped back but then wished she hadn’t because she knew Terry had felt her move away.

Zane’s dark eyes flicked away from Terry and came to casually rest on solely Amber, like seeing someone who looked exactly the same as you minus eye color was completely normal.

Amber’s heart did a strange jump when their gaze’s locked.
“Zane...”

“Zane?” repeated Terry. Now both of them were looking at her and she felt a bit dizzy. What was Zane doing here? Hadn’t he left them, left her behind long ago? Why was he back? What did it mean?

She could already feel heartbeat quickening, for who she wasn’t sure.

“Amber?” Terry’s voice snapped her back to reality and she blinked.

“Ah, Terry, this is Zane, he’s one of my people... Zane this is Terry. He’s... awakening.” Zane’s eyes widened a little.

“Is that so...” Terry glanced sideways at Zane distastefully without saying anything.

“Should we sit or...” ventured Amber and watched disapproval flash across Terry’s face but Zane took the invitation and stepped forward letting his arm brush Amber’s as he did so. Her skin tingled with his touch making her heart pound.

Unfaithful...

The word whispered inside her head and she immediately turned to Terry who was watching her.
“I want to ask him some things ok? He’s been away a while.” she murmured to him and touched his arm before they moved back into the living room that still smelled milky like sleep.

“Zane, what’s going on?” asked Amber slowly, Terry at her side and Zane sitting on a chair opposite them. The boy leant back and smiled at her.

“I wanted to see you,” he said simply and Amber flushed. Terry tensed and Amber moved her leg to touch his in an attempt to calm him.

Obviously Terry wasn’t happy about Zane’s presence. Amber and Terry were halfway together but it neither of them had really made it official or talked about how touchy they had been. It just felt right. And usually Terry was gentle and calm and only got angry after a lot of provoking but with all the changes that had been going on, including the awakening of such a strong and destructive power he might be feeling more on edge than normal. Zane hadn’t picked a very good moment to show up. But she couldn’t help feeling a little happy to see the boy who had been missing for so long.

“I thought you had left us,” Amber said quietly.

Zane leaned forward with a sincere look on his face. “Amber, no matter how much trouble I had with the high council, I wouldn’t leave because of that. I wouldn’t leave you.” Amber sucked in a breath. There it was again. That whispering inside her.

And he knows I’m unfaithful and it kills him inside...

Terry was wound tight and she could tell he didn’t like the honest tone of Zane’s voice that implied so much more between her and Terry’s look alike. Even though the feelings she had had for Zane had been a long time ago, having Zane look at her like that and letting herself be swept away into the depths of his dark eyes made her feel so guilty, unfaithful. She was hurting Terry and he was here and now and the one she had feelings for now.

“No, after the earthquake I couldn’t find anyone. I had no choice but to make it on my own. The high council wouldn’t come looking for anyone like me anyway. It wasn’t my decision to leave I promise.” Zane’s smiled gently but his affection didn’t last long as Terry put his hand between Amber’s shoulder blades and rubbed small circles with his thumb.

...I’m happy with some other guy...

Amber felt terrible, sick and like she was two timing with both of them until a flash of Zane’s ruthless, always ready for a fight attitude stole across his handsome feature and he looked a lot like Terry when he had lost control.

She retreated into Terry’s side and that was when Zane let out a soft snarl at Terry. The girl could hear Terry grinding his teeth against growling, actually growling, himself. Her heart was pounding again and she felt unsettled. She was scared about what might happen; with Terry being so possessive she didn’t trust him and she didn’t trust herself not to jump in front of Zane if something started between them, which would destroy Terry, she knew it.

“You better go Zane. I don’t know what you’re doing back other than “to see me” but the high council won’t welcome you back now. I don’t think you have a place with us anymore and I don’t think you have business with me. It’s upsetting and I want you to leave,” muttered Amber, not looking at anyone. If she spoke any louder her voice might tremble or something equally as stupid. It was just Zane, she shouldn’t be this anxious, this far away from the once cool and composed popular teenage façade she’d kept up for all that time. But maybe it was because it was Zane... She didn’t know anymore but she didn’t like it. Terry relaxed somewhat and their guest sat shocked for a moment before abruptly getting to his feet.

“I won’t leave this alone Amber. You’re only with him because he’s me,” replied Zane savagely, his sudden anger surprising even Amber. He wasn’t someone she wanted to love. A stranger in the shell of someone she used to love.

“He’s not you.”

“Whatever.”

“Goodbye, Zane.”

In silence they went to Terry’s room where it was warm and dark with the curtains pulled. They sat on the bed. Terry was looking at his hands, and Amber was watching him. They shook, his hands, tiny tremors that he couldn’t control. She could see how he was trying to control it. Even though his face was half hidden by how he had angled his head she noticed his thin line lips, pressed tightly together and his trembling chin.

“I...” Terry started. “I’m...” He lifted his eyes to her, his mouth open as he waited for words to come. Nothing else came.

“Its fine that you don’t like Zane,” she offered but he shook his head.

“It’s not that,” he said quietly. “I don’t like him but when he was here... I felt... Inside me was...” Terry’s shaking fingers knotted into his hair and he frowned painfully and struggled with words. “It was hard to keep it together Amber... And I was... scared.”

Amber breathed in and then out, closing her eyes, letting the taste of Terry’s anguish linger on her tongue and feeling the sting of tears at the corner of her eyes.

He was scared. He didn’t like this new power. He didn’t like who he might become. He didn’t understand himself.

How terrible.

This time when he looked up again she could see it in his eyes that were a darker blue in the shadows of the room, full to the brim with emotion. He came closer, his gaze flicking across hers.

“I don’t want to hurt anyone. I don’t... I’m not...” Amber let him touch her lips with his fingertips and then cradle her face in his palms, kneeling over her, “If something happens, I’m scared that no one will care about me because I’m becoming something... strong, but hard to control... If I do something, if I do bad things, if I...kill then I can’t live with myself... promise...” he breathed onto the tears that were now falling from her eyes that she couldn’t pull away from his distressed expression. He was a mess.

“Promise me that if something happens you won’t see me as a monster... Promise me Amber.”

When my time comes, forget the wrong that I’ve done...
...Keep me in your memory
Leave out all the rest
Leave out all the rest...

She stifled a sob and nodded as her head met his shoulder when he wrapped her in his arms and clung to her, his shoulders shaking.

“I love you,” Terry whispered. “Don’t be afraid and don’t leave me, don’t hate me if I’m bad because I love you.”

“I love you too,” she replied wetly and held him tighter.

I love you so much