Angel, Put Me Back Together Again

Angela's POV

Friday.

Again.

It felt like college had turned into what I was doing weekend to weekend rather than worrying about classes. My grades were starting to reflect it, too. I had been spending more time with the guys, even if it meant skipping classes. It didn't really bother me anymore that these were my "guys" now and not my friends back in Jersey. To be honest, I haven't given Jersey much thought at all. I had stopped returning my parents phone calls. Occasionally I would respond to Gerard just so they knew I wasn't dead or something. There was one phone call I got the other night though. It was strange. No one had said anything, but when I was coherent, I felt a familiar pulling in the pit of my stomach. The feeling I only for with one person. I ended up not calling back though. I couldn't. What would I say? I tried my best to forget about it and convince myself it was just a prank call, but something was telling me to call him. Just not right now. Not with all the progress I had been making, if that's what you want to call it.

I was starting to get in the groove of this California living. To my surprise, my skin was a little darker, my makeup a little thicker, and my attitude a little bitchier. I think I can contribute that to living with Charleen. She had seemed to have made it her personal goal to make my life a living hell. Little does she know that I dealt with a lot worse at home. Lacy and Aaron were blurs in my past now. I barely remember what they looked like. As horrific as they were to me, the day in the janitors closet being one thing I couldn't forget, I was still able to push them somewhere deep in my memory where I wouldn't think of them. Charleen was just another obstacle in my daily life. I never had to live with the enemy before.

What I had picked up from her was my partying habits. She was pretty well known around here, and it was hard being her roommate and not being in the middle of a party. She was always leaving for one or having her friends over. Though I had joined the party scene as well, I partied with the same people every time. Plus, I wasn't sleeping with any of them. Charleen never really mentioned a boyfriend, but there were a lot more guys in our dorm than girls. This Friday was no different.

I had just gotten back from closest convenient store. I needed to restock my shelves in the mini fridge and pick up a pack of cigarettes. The habit only got worse when I got here, considering all my new friends were also avid smokers. I held the few bags I had in one hand while I dug around for my dorm key. I could here Charleen's obnoxious laugh on the other side of the door and rolled my eyes. As I pushed back the door, I was greeted to a pitch dark room even though it was still light out. The curtains were pulled over and all the lights off. I groaned as I flicked the light switch with my elbow. I heard Charleen yell and looked over in time to see a mass wrapped in sheets fall to the floor. When I looked up to Charleen's bed, I saw her sitting there clutching a pillow to herself to cover her naked body. The mass from the floor unraveled itself to reveal the guy that lived one floor below us. I rolled my eyes before closing them, letting out a sigh of frustration.

"Jesus, can't you text me before you have guys over?" This wasn't the first time I had walked in on Charleen with a guy. I suggested we exchange phone numbers for that very reason. Of course, I've never had a reason to call her. This seems to slip her mind fairly often, though.

I threw my bags on my bed and made my way to the bathroom. I ignored the awkward wave the naked guy tried give me from the floor. As I went to pull the door open, I saw the handle turn and the door pulled open from the other side. I took a step back, startled only to find another guy walking out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist and a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth. My mouth fell open when I realized I knew this guy.

"Aren't you the RA from the first floor?"

"Uhh... would you mind not telling anyone about this?"

I looked from the RA to the guy on the floor then finally at Charleen before throwing my hands in the air.

"This is fucking insane! You can have the room. I'll be back tomorrow, ok? Need me to tattoo that on your forehead so you don't forgot? I swear... fucking ridiculous..." I muttered more obscenities as I grabbed my purse and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind me. I walked quickly to the elevator when I passed one of Charleen's minions.

"Have you seen Char?"

"Yeah. Way too much of her." I grumbled as I climbed on the elevator, practically punching the down button before she could say anything else. I got outside and started walking toward the main road, pulling my cell phone from my pocket. I found Zack's number and quickly dialed it. He answered right away.

"Hey what's--"

"Can you come get me?" I cut him off.

"Woah, yeah. Everything ok? You sound pissed."

"I am. Just please come get me. I'll explain later." I told him where to meet me and hung up the phone, flustered. I waited for Zack in front of the school, pacing anxiously. I was suddenly aware that I didn't know what he drove, or if he drove. Apparently he did. He didn't say no. I kept a closer eye out for him, inspecting every car that drove by. I had just slumped down on a nearby bench when a cherry red convertible pulled up. I didn't think to look in that car until I heard it honk at me. I looked at it once more to see Zack behind the wheel. I couldn't stop my mouth from falling open for the second time in the last half hour. I threw my purse over my shoulder and walked steadily to his car. I was careful as I pulled open the passenger door, not wanting to hurt it. As I climbed in, I couldn't help but turn to him and smile.

"This is your car?"

"Yeah... got it for graduation." He said very casually. He wasn't trying to come off as an asshole. He actually assumed this was normal because that's all he's ever known. I smirked as I cozied down in the seat. As soon as he pulled off from the curb, he began his interrogation.

"So why are you so pissed off?"

I huffed and turned in my seat, even though I knew he couldn't really look at me, and launched into the scene I had walked into earlier. I watched as his face contorted the longer I went on. By the time I was done, we had pulled up to the front of his house. He turned and gave me a look of disgust and then, to my surprise, started laughing. I gave him a questioning look.

"What's so funny?"

"It's not that funny I guess, it's just... that's so nasty. I don't know anyone else that would happen to." He said, still chuckling.

"I know, right? Story of my life..."

"You said she's single right?"

"Hey!" I turned and gave him a death stare and jokingly punched his arm.

"I'm just kidding." He pushed me back playfully. "So, what're we doing now?"

"Well... I mean, I kind of wanted to shower and change before tonight..." I looked down to my lap, suddenly self conscious of my appearance. I had sort of bummed out today so I could get dressed up for the party tonight. I was in black sweat pants, a red and white baseball tee and my hair was thrown up into a messy bun.

"You look fine to me."

"You don't have to be nice about it. I look like a bum."

"I thought you looked kind of cute." He said shrugging his shoulders. I felt my cheeks heat up but managed to chuckle at him.

"Yeah, ok." I pulled my feet up in the seat with me but quickly put them back on the floor board, looking at him apologetically. "Sorry. I didn't mean to put my feet in the seat. I didn't think--"

"It's totally fine. It does get cleaned every now and then." He laughed at me. I was still treating everything in the car as if it were made of glass.
It was a really nice car. I smirked at him as I slowly pulled my feet back in the seat.

"So, are you really that uncomfortable in what your wearing?" He asked me again.

"I just don't know what this party's going to be like. If it's anything like the ones Charleen goes to, then I'm going to feel really stupid."

"I can take you back to your dorm to get clothes if you want."

"No! God no. I don't want to go back there."

"Well, what if I took you to get new clothes?"

"Oh... I don't know..." I mumbled, picking at the hem of my shirt. I could feel the heat rising to the surface of my cheeks again. I was too embarrassed to tell him I didn't really have the money to buy more clothes. He must have caught on to my awkwardness. I saw his hand reach out and rest on my knee. I glanced up at him and tilted my head to the side, trying to ignore his naturally strong grip on me.

"I meant I'll buy you something. I wouldn't offer then make you buy it. Don't say no either. It's really not a big deal."

"Really?" I looked up at him through my lashes like a small child. I felt silly. Just let the man buy you clothes! my subconscious said, stamping its foot. He didn't answer, just smiled, put the car in gear, and took off.

After, what I'm sure was for him, a long hour of shopping, I had finally found the outfit. After some talk, we realized it was probably going to be one of "those parties" that Charleen usually attends. We had gone back to his house and I was changing in his bathroom. The party started in ten minutes and I was still trying to do my hair just right. Zack had only asked me twice if I was ready yet, but I think he was just being nice. I don't know when I started caring so much. After a long debate, I decided to wear my hair down and straight. When I came out of the bathroom, Zacks face had fallen from a smile to a look of shock. I felt my face heat up.

"What?" I asked defensively.

"Nothing, it's just... you look incredible."

I flushed even more and looked down at my feet. I had bought a black baby doll like dress with a red sash around the middle. I had put a small red ribbon in my hair. To top it off, I had bought my first pair of heels. They weren't crazy like stilettos but they were high enough for me. They were black with little red bows on the heel. When I was able to look him in the eye again, I couldn't stop the shiver that ran down my spine. He looked so hot. He decided to dress up slightly as well. He had on a white button up with a red tie and black suit jacket. He had finished the look with dark washed jeans and classic black and white converse. I felt a little guilty, but you couldn't blame a girl for looking.

"You're looking pretty good yourself." I managed to say without sounding too winded.

"Shall we?" He stuck his arm out to me. I raised my eyebrows and gave him a sly smile before walking over and lacing my arm through his as he led us down stairs and out to his car. When we reached the red convertible he surprised me by coming to my side of the car and holding the door open for me.

"Zack the gentleman. This is new." I said sarcastically as I slipped into the passenger seat. He shut the door behind me and made his way to his side.

"Keep it up and I'll show you the other side." He said as the car roared to life. As it shook to life, I couldn't stop the tremor that ran through my body. The way he said that made my skin tingle with adrenaline. He revved the engine before quickly taking off to the random house party. I gripped the seat partly from the quick take off, partly from the excitement of flirting with him, but mostly from how terrified I was. What was I doing? Something about this just didn't feel right. I forced the anxiety building in me to the back of my mind and tried to enjoy the ride.