NEW ANGEL ABRIDGED

NEW ANGEL ABRIGED

 

“You don’t look like one”

“Well what does one look like ?”

 

Sofia instantly regretted taking the bus to school that day. Angeline had told her she should let  Séverine drive her, but no, she had insisted on riding the bus for the first time in her entire life. As she slipped in her head phones she was interrupted once again.

 

“You really don’t look like one”, Brad repeated taking one earbud out of her ear. “Is your mom a crack addict, or something ?”

 

She made a daring escape by moving to the front of the bus while it was still in motion and wondered if she had a sign on her back that said “ I’M A FOSTER KID”. She also wondered if in small print it should explain that she wasn’t one of those foster kids.

 

Anneleigh and Sofia Madigan had been a mother daughter team against the world. Until the world pushed back. Anneleigh Madigan left her daughter's side forever. At 14 Sofia was placed in foster care and with the help of her penpal Séverine Duval, Sofia was taken in by the gracious and lovingly department store millionaire Angeline Duval.

 

As soon as the bus arrived at Petal Brooke High Sofia dashed across parking lot. She didn’t have to wait long to see Séverine and her friends. Séverine had her layers of blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail and despite her glamorous name she was wearing jeans and white t-shirt.  Séverine was adopted by Angeline many years ago and from what she could tell her sob story vastly differed from her own. If the world couldn’t exist without a glamorous fashionista then it was a good thing Paige Harlow existed. She was dressed in green off the shoulder dress and wedge heels, you would never guess she was a pastor's daughter.

 

“How was the bus, Sof ?”, asked Paige as she changed into flats.

 

“It was an experience I guess”, she said looking towards the massive public school, “and this is another one”

 

+++

 

Sofia glared at the paper in front of her. Tapping her pencil against the page as she searched for the answer somewhere in the numbers.

“Math really does suck”, commented Angeline as she peered over Sofia’s shoulder.

 

Sofia stifled a laugh somehow words like suck didn’t come off the same from Angeline’s sophisticated accent. She held up her cup as Angeline poured in more green tea. A delicacy she bought back from her recent trip to her parents in China.

 

“I know”, she replied, “I want to do well in school. I mean homework on the first day ?”

 

“I’m sure Séverine can help when she gets back from dance class, you’ll get it done.”

 

Angeline lingered in the kitchen, perhaps she wanted to help or she just wasn’t used to Sofia being alone most of the day. When Sofia had first arrived she had breaks downs without warning and threw  unpredictable emotional tantrums. It felt childish to her now.

 

“I think I hear Séverine”, said Sofia. Leaving her books on the table

 

The two girls nearly ran each other down at the door, Séverine carefully avoided a collision.

 

“Where’s the fire, girl ?” asked Séverine

 

“I need help with my homework but you seem to be in more of a rush”

 

“Yeah I know”, she shook her hair out, “I though I saw Bill following me so. . .”

 

Sofia rolled her eyes. She had dated Bill last year and since Séverine grew a few curves he was suddenly chasing her.

 

“Are you going to the bonfire with anyone?” asked Sofia.

 

“Yeah, we are all going; me, you, Paige; we all have dates”

 

“We do?” she asked taking a seat on the couch next to her

 

“Yes, my dear fo-sister. Do you know a Brad ?”

 

Her mind raced back to the bus questionnaire

 

“Is he my date ?”

 

“Yeah, he;s super sorry about the third degree this morning, and wants to make it up to you and Paige is waiting for us at the mall”

 

“Guess I’ll save the homework for another day”

 

+++

 

Fire.

 

She remembered fire. She was at the arcade with Lance waiting for her Mom to arrive so she could ask her for a few dollars and maybe a new skateboard. Lance went to get snow cones cause it was so hot that day. He ducked back in and she thought he wanted money he kept on saying the same word over and over again.

 

“Fire, Fire, Fire”

 

She followed him outside and saw her Moms gold Taurus burning away in the house across the street.. The large bonfire was burning like her mom’s car but no one was screaming, “Mommy” as loud as they could.

 

“Don’t worry, babe, your hotter than that flame ?”

 

“Shut up, Brad”, she said turning back to her date for the evening. Brad had been perfectly reasonable that night except for his comebacks and habit of calling her by anything but her name. She sat down in the sand and Brad followed making a big show as if he was really tired. She let him rest his head on her shoulder.

 

“I’ve always liked you, Sof”

 

“I like you too, Brad, but just as a friend for right now”

 

The whizz-bang of fireworks went off.

 

The sky was dark and she waited for him to turn his head. She could see Séverine and Paige watching her from their spot by the water. Another firecracker went off and he turned his head and a trail of blood ran from his mouth

 

“Brad ?”

 

Suddenly whizz-bang became BANG BANG. Her instincts kicked in and she scrambled from her spot infront of the fire. The faster she moved the slower time became.

 

Whizz Bang

 

Bang

 

Bang

 

+++

 

Her body felt stiff and as she struggled to keep her eyes opened all she could see was the face of a kind woman gently touching her.

“It’s alright”, the woman said, but Sofia could see her own terrified reflection in the woman’s glasses.

 I must be dead, she thought, where is Brad ?. She strained to ask questions but the darkness took over. When she awoke she was being glided towards a row of hospital beds. Each one was filled with women covered in blue sheets and looking for something to do. For the first time in what must have been hours she was able to speak.

 

“Where am I”, she did not recognize her own voice it was harsh and dry. No one answered her and for some reason she was content with that.

Large hands lifted her onto a bed and the click of heels signaled a new arrival.

 

“Hello”, said the woman with clicking heels, “I’m Dr. LaRue, and you are in Petal Brook. Do you know what happened to you?”

 “I think I fainted”, she managed

 Dr. LaRue’s face grew sullen and she signaled for someone to bring her a chair.

 “Sofia, you were shot”

Point blank

Sofia’s body reacted with fear, even though it had happened or was happening to her she still couldn’t focus. Her eyes filled with tears and she had no idea why, she was alive after all.

 

“Now, Sofia”, Dr. LaRue continued, “I know this may seem terrifying but you are a very lucky girl”.

 Dr. LaRue took a mirror from her pocket and Sofia was able to see herself. Her long brown hair was gone, replaced with sickly skin and gauze.

From the middle of her forehead there was a thick piece of gauze drenched in blood

 

“Oh, God”, she said wishing she could touch it to see if it was real.

 

“Your foster family can’t wait to see you”, she said with a smile, “It’s been months since they’ve seen you awake.

+++

She cried all night. She hated hospitals, everytime she saw a hospital bed she expected to see her mother with a tube down her throat and that beeping machine that made up a hospital soundtrack.

Angeline came in first; she seemed to command the room with her presence.

“What is this ?”, she said to Dr. LaRue, “ I want her in a private room”

Before LaRue could protest Angeline waved her off and took a seat beside Sofia. She reached as if sweep back her hair but stopped when she saw the bandages.

“Am I going to die ?”, Sofia managed

“Not on my watch, Angel”, she comforted her with he words but the older woman’s face was filled with fear. Angeline turned towards the nurse.

“I want this ward cleared and some more appropriate decorations, I don’t want her infection to get worse”, Angeline reached for her check book.

“Miss. Angeline I’m sorry but you aren’t a doctor. Sofia’s infection depends on her body and you can’t just buy her health. And you can’t just redecorate our ward”

Angeline may have traded a few more insults with the doctor until she got her way but when Sofia woke up again she was in the same ward this time with a gaggle of fake walls put up and luscious furniture that screamed Angeline. Sitting on a love seat was Angeline and Séverine they were snuggled and sleeping together.

Sofia tried to climb out of bed but the wires and tubes kept her in, just like her mother. She tried to stretch out more but pain hit her.

I’m trapped, she thought, I’m trapped

+++

Petal Brook became her new home. She fought with Angeline until she agreed to remove all the walls and furniture and she was put in a private room with a TV she never used a dry erase bar for when the tutor came. Each day she wondered when she would get better when would she be healed ?

THE END