AQUA ANGEL

Episode 7

I sat under the tree on one of the park bench for a very long time that I lose count just how many hours I was there, I staggered on my feet as I finally stood but my friends were there waiting for me, I know they meant no harm, they just wanted to defend me but I felt hurt nevertheless.

"I'm so sorry Helen...I-

"Don't wanna talk about it" I forced myself to say and they nodded. I staggered a little and were brisk to offer me support.

"You haven't had lunch and it's late" Jenna worried and I smiled.

"What about I get you ice-cream" we all share knowing looks before I burst out laughing because that was a perfect escape, I love ice-cream. I ended up in the school ice-cream stand with the girls, we sat outside and devour a bowl of chocolate ice-cream but I had vanilla with mine.

"Umm" I moaned forgetting my complicated love life for a minute.

"This is so good" I let out shaking my legs as the taste kept surprising my taste buds. I never get to eat ice-cream like most kids when we were young, I was never able to afford it so, I grow a big appetite for it. It was way better than alcohol, as it melts in my mouth...so did my worries. By the time we were done, I had a smile on my face and the girls were kinda fulfilled that they were able to make me smile, so we decided to head home afterwards, we were humming a particular song I was trying hard to remember the name when Dylan's car pulled over in front of us, then I recalled just how hurt I was by his actions. Jenna and Becky as if on cue moved to stand gallantly in front of me to stop Dylan from reaching me.

"Please I need to talk to her" Dylan pleaded but the girls weren't having it.

"Please, just...let me explain, you have to hear me out Helen" He sounded desperate so I raised my hand to the girls shoulders and they turned to see a warm smile on my face. They moved apart so I could face Dylan who sighed on seeing me.

"You promised not to get mad" I couldn't help the laugh that left my lips and the scoff it resulted to.

"I'm sorry, I have no excuse I ruin it...I should have told you but I didn't have the guts to hurt you, I was gonna come tell you but..but then I met your friends and then I figured I was gonna hurt you if I tried to-

"But you hurt me anyway, it's not your first time Dylan. I'm pretty used to it" His face dropped.

"You were pretty harsh when I tried to introduce myself before, I wasn't expecting any less-

"I'm not like that anymore" Dylan sounded exasperated but I don't care I was done being tied down to him.

"I...I started noticing you ever since Helen" His words had me frowning.

"When I said I didn't remember I lied, I remember every single part of it and when I approached you, in the cafeteria...I wanted to make Ashley jealous I admit but now...I want none of that, I don't want to be tied down by her anymore. She forced me to kiss her Helen, She has a boyfriend, she already called it off...but she's still clinging unto me, none of it was my fault, I'm a victim too" He sounded frustrated and desperate and it made me sad really.

"I know you don't want to believe me right now, you're probably fighting yourself to ignore me but give me another chance to prove to you I'm worth it-

"You've had your chance Dylan-

"One more, it's all I ask...go out with me Helen" He pleaded and I gave him a weird look.

"Why would I do that-

"Because I like you, maybe not love but I do like you and I'm willing to show you that, if you let me. Go out with me tomorrow. Hennessey's...3 o'clock. Please Helen...give me another chance to make things right, I wanna make this work" I don't know if he sounded as sincere as I wanted him to sound but he sounded sincere enough, I turned to the girls and they nodded making me sigh softly.

"Okay" I saw his face lit up in excitement.

"Thanks, Thanks Helen" He repeated and started to move back towards his car.

"Are you sure that's a good idea" Jenna asked me immediately I watch Dylan get back into his car.

"He deserves a chance too Jenna-

"You gave him one, when he shouted at you because of Ashley" Becky reminded.

"Just this once" I pleaded to the girls and they shrugged.

"If you want, we just don't want you to get hurt again but I'm happy for you...you finally gained your first date" I smiled at that suddenly considering it. I've never been on a date before and it all seem so weird and so strange to me, how happy I was, so satisfied with my simple innocent life, probably I shouldn't have given Dylan another chance, maybe I could have been saved all the trouble, maybe my normal life would have been instact, maybe I would always wake up to smile at myself in the mirror like I always do every morning. The girls spent the night talking to me about dates and faulty dates. They told me about girls that tripped on their first dates, girls that had their make up ruined on their first date and the clumsy type as well, my day was rough but I went to bed smiling with different jokes on girls on first dates. I felt fulfilled. I woke up to the constant ringing of my phone and I groaned from my sleep feeling lazy to stand but I stood anyway, I figured it was my uncle calling and I picked almost immediately.

"Dad" I called into the phone softly.

"Helen, I was worried sick when you refused to pick" He said sounding worried, making me smile.

"I clearly told you there was nothing to worry about if you called and I wasn't picking, I might not be with my phone" I explained but one thing about my uncle is...he's kinda persistent.

"Doesn't matter, phone is mobile, it has to be with you all the time, don't make me worry like that again Helen" His voice was low and calm after that.

"I gave Leon some money to send to you, so just focus on your studies and don't go any summer partime, Helen I want you to be the proffessor you've always wanted to be...you can't let anything take away your dream from you and I know my baby girl would make me proud" he sniffed at the other end of the all and I knew he had tears in his eyes that moment.

"If you cry, I will too" I told him and I heard him laugh.

"Of course I'm not crying" He lied but I had to pretend to belief him so he wouldn't have to worry about me crying.

"Thanks Dad" I replied softly and I heard him clear his throat.

"Take care my intelligent bright daughter. If you need anything, make sure to call me" His voice was calm but yet commanding.

"Yes dad" I responded and then the connection went off after his 'bye' trailed behind. I heaved a heavy sigh and stood moving to my books to see my academic reports, everything was A and yet...I felt empty, I keep feeling I was gonna fail him somehow. Shoving off the insecurities I was feeling I concentrated on my surrounding and found out the girls were missing, I tried calling but both of them was ignoring me, for a minute I consider the idea of reporting them missing but they weren't gone for past an hour I was certain.

"Why am I having this weird feeling all of a sudden" I muttered to myself before heading for the bathroom and after thirty minutes I was ready to go to class in my plain green draping top and circle floral dress, picking a black sandals to match with the colour of my dress I walked towards the mirror setting and pulling my hair into a ponytail and then the doors open to reveal the girls with about three shopping bags each.

"Where the heck have you been?" I questioned them turning back to apply my mascara.

"Surprise!" They both screamed raising up the shopping bags in their hands and having me wonder cluelessly as them.

"Um...what's that for?" I asked them covering my mascara and watching them give me a hopeless look.

"We wanted to surprise you for your first date, we brought you some clothes-

" Jenna aren't you having class?" I cut in and Jenna gave me a pensive look for a minute then smiled.

"it was canceled" She replied and I rolled my eyes. Does she have to give me a dramatic response? Why think about it? I wondered.

"I thought you'll be excited we bought you things for your first date" Becky sounded disappointed or might be faking it.

"I am excited guys, I just really have to go right now, I'll see you later by noon...I love you guys" I gave them each a peck on the cheek then head for the door, then head back again after recalling I forgot my phone, after that I left for school. Thankfully I wasn't late for the class and I was able to get in before the professor. To my surprise, my proffessor announced for an emergency test which most of the student complained about but I was the type that was never actually surprised about surprise test. The proffessor graded us immediately after taking our sheets. After exiting the tiring class I met with Ashley who I would have loved to ignore if she wasn't standing in my way.

"Hey" She had a mischievous look on her face that gave me the creeps.

"I don't wanna talk to you Ashley" I stated plainly and she chuckled.

"And what makes you think I wanna talk to you?" She questioned me playing with her hair by rolling it on her finger. I groaned at the action 'Show off' I thought.

"Just wanted to tell you to stay away from Dylan-

"What's your boyfriend Ashley? He's not even your boyfriend any more" I sounded disgusted and make sure she noticed that by the look on my face.

"I own both the boys-

" Unfortunately, they are not yours to own" I retorted sharply and she scoffed.

"You don't tell me that-

"Hey b***h!" That was definitely Becky's voice, Ashley turned to her and earned the most disgusted look of the century.

"You back off!" Becky spat at her.

"I ain't see what Dylan saw in you really, you're just skull with no brain really" Ashley turn red by that.

"And why do I care? You've got all the brains Becky Stephen but your boyfriend left you for me anyway" Ashley quipped and I saw a flash of hurt on Becky's face but she did a good job hiding it.

"You know what? I ain't sad because mama always tells me to give my used toys to the less privileged, I just never imagined you're one of them" Becky made comeback and everyone around laughed.

"Treat my old toy well you know, I used to give him t**s to suck too...oh, figured you don't have one" My eyes bulged out in surprise like everyone else watching while all of them concentrated on Ashley's chest which of course wasn't under the sexy definition. Ashley groaned and stormed off with her friends Diana and Roxy.

"You just destroyed her" I commented while I head towards the exit with Becky.

"Can't have her talking to you that way...besides I have bones to pick with her myself. We need to show that b***h what you're made of, now let's go get you ready for your date" Becky urged and then my phone beeped and I check the notification. It was a text from Dylan, told me he got my number from Jenna and he hoped I'm ready for the date? I smiled and texted him back 'I think so'. I was my way out of campus when I saw Thomas heading towards me wearing a frown, as usual I chose to ignore him but he came for me.

"Hey" He called me coldly and I shared a surprise look with Becky.

"Where are you from?" He's question was shocking and it just had me frowning instead of replying.

"Did you cheat?" Thomas asked me and I suddenly got a hint about what he was in front of me about. I must have topped the class again.

"Why would I? It was a surprise test and you know that-

"Exactly my point, how could you have scored all if you didn't know the questions or didn't study for it?" Thomas expression was hard and it made me mad.

"Excuse me? What's it with you? You wanna be like her? Study harder" Becky hissed harshly at him and draw me by the hand but I heard Thomas call me something.

'Freak' it wasn't the first time I was called a freak, I have been called a freak on different occasions and most regarding my strange intelligence. I was a called a freak when our neighbors figured I couldn't swim too, both my parent was known as the best swimmer. It been long since I've been tagged a freak but I never let it affect it, so I just shrugged it off as usual.

"You look amazing" Jenna commented after I got back home to get myself into the layered dress and wedge heels they got me.

"Thanks guys" I smiled at them. They had straightened my hair and even wore me wake up to get me ready. I told Dylan I was gonna come to the place myself because I know by the time I got there I would have calm my racing heart and pounding heartbeats from nervousness. So I exit the house and got a taxi which dropped me right in front of the restaurant. It was posh actually, it was looking all so expensive and I wondered who might have own such a fine place. I could see Dylan from outside the restaurant, through the glass. He had a casual outfit of golden shirt and white chinos pant that made him look quite the gentleman that he is, I was about to walk in when the commotion started and I wondered what was going on but I didn't look, instead I just walked into the restaurant and standing in front of Dylan's table to have him ogle at me a bit when everyone started to run across the streets, everyone in the restaurant was startled as well and they started walk out to clarify what was going on, I did the same with Dylan.

"What's going on?" Dylan asked holding my hand as we walked outside. We noticed too late there was a bank robbery in action and the police were chasing the robbers our way, gunshots were heard and everywhere was discombobulated so Dylan urged us to run but then I saw this young girl, crying across the street, I couldn't just leave her, I wasn't the type of person, never once.

"Dylan give me a minute" I shouted over the noise of the running people and commotion, I took his hands off mine and run across the street to take the girl. I had successfully do that and hid her but when I turned, I got hit...right in the chest, my view blurred and I felt the type of pain I've never felt in my life.

"Helen!" I heard Dylan scream but I was falling and I reached the ground with a thud while everything just black out!

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