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"How you feelin'?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, I'm okay I guess."

"Okay." My mom nodded, fixing my blankets around me. "Angel's on his way. You want me to send him up when he gets here?"

I nodded. "That's fine. Where's Kenz?"

"She fell asleep on the couch, I had to wake her up and send her to her room. Need me to wake her f-"

"No no, it's okay. I was just making sure she was okay. I know she was really worked up earlier." I sighed. "She doesn't even want to be around me anymore, mom. Probably thinks I'm disgusting for allowing something like that to happen."

My mom took a seat on my bed next to me. "Now you know that is not true, Rumi. She doesn't know how to deal with what went on today, honey. She probably doesn't want to say or do the wrong things to make you upset or anything of that sort."

"She can't make me upset, though. She had nothing to do with it and I told her that." I felt myself beginning to get upset again. "I need her more than anything right now and it's like she doesn't even want to be there for me."

"It's not that she doesn't want to be here for you, Dri. I'm sure she would love to be here for you, laying right here next to you." She patted the spot she was sitting in. "She probably just doesn't know how. She's never been through anything like this, Audri."

I wiped the tears that fell. "I haven't either, mom. It's all new to her just like it's all new to me. I've never had to go through anything like this. Ever. But the fact that I'm going through it and I feel like my best friend- my sister- doesn't even want to be there for me..." I shook my head. "It makes it so much harder to deal with."

"Oh, honey." My mom hugged me, rocking me side to side. "She'll come around, trust me. This is something new for all of us, and as a family, we have to figure out how to deal with it together an-"

The doorbell rang, causing my mom to stand up from where she was sitting on the bed. "I'm guessing that's Angel. You ready for company?"

"Yea." I nodded. "You can send him up."

She kissed my forehead before sending me a soft smile and walking out of the room. A few seconds later, I could hear her and Angel's voices, but I couldn't tell exactly what they were saying.

Biting my nails, I listened as Angel's footsteps echoed up the stairs and down the hallway to my room.

"Come in." I said just loud enough for him to hear on the other side of the door as he knocked a few times.

Stepping in slowly, his smile disappeared when he seen the dried up tears on my face. See, Angel had no idea about anything that went on today. All he knew was that I had to go to the hospital earlier after school, and as many times as I asked for him to be there, the nurses wouldn't allow it.

"Hi, Angel." I softly smiled at him.

He nervously smiled back, not moving from by the door. "Hey."

"Sit." I motioned to him. "You don't have to stand over there."

He chuckled nervously, sitting on the bed across from me. "So... I'on see no casts or no crutches."

"I know."

"So what happened? How you feelin'?"

I shrugged, unsure of just how I was feeling about this whole thing. "I think I'm okay. Definitely better now that you're here."

"I ain't know you was at the hospital. You know I woulda came as-"

"I know." I nodded. "The nurses recommended that no visitors come."

He raised his brow. "Why not?"

"Because of the seriousness of the situation." His eyes searched mine but he didn't say anything so I figured I'd get straight to the point. "So you know how I went to Dayna's little slumber party sleep over thing over the weekend, right?"

He nodded.

"And then you took me to take a drug test to complete my job interview the next morning?"

He nodded again.

"Okay, well..." Letting out a deep breath, I tried my best to control my emotions. "I got a call earlier from La Vie. They asked me to come in because I was tested positive for Rohypnol."

"What that is?"

"It's a date-rape drug."

His eyes widened. "Fuck is you say-"

"Let me finish..."

His jaw clenched, but he didn't say anything so I took that as a sign to continue. "Since I made it clear that I had not taking any drugs voluntarily, the police got involved and instructed that I go to the hospital. Once I got there, they did a rape kit on me-"

"So-" Hw went to interrupt me again, but I gave him a look which seemed to work because he stopped talking.

"Unfortunately, because it's been four- almost five- days since the incident, and I've showered, used the restroom, cleaned down there and all that, nothing really came up. I have no pain and no signs of rupture or semen, and there's no DNA so we just have to kind of assume that nothing happened."

Angel scoffed. "So that's it? You get drugged and all they can fuckin' say is that cause you done showered ain't nothin' they can fuckin' do to help? That's some bullshit. I'a kill them fuck niggas myself-"

"Angel, relax." I placed my hand over his. "I'm already stressing enough about it."

"I'm sorry, ma." He rubbed his forehead. "I really am. I just don't like the sound of that shit thea'. Obviously you ain't get drugged fa' no reason. Whoeva' did it, did it fa' a reason, you know what I'm sayin'?"

"I do." I sighed. "I'm just trying to hope for the best. I don't know who exactly did it, but I can't say anything about it because the police are now involved. They're going to try to figure it out and get some answers so I can't make it obvious that I know something happened. By "I", I mean you, Kenz, my mom, none of us. We have to act as if I was perfectly fine and nothing happened to me, okay?"

He bit his lip, looking around my room.

"Okay, Angel?"

"Aight, ma. I got you."

"I'm serious. We can't say anything, don't even look at them wrong if you see them in school-"

He laid down, placing his head in my lap as he looked up at me. "I said I got you, ma. I'ca ask you somethin' though? It's coo' if you'on wanna answa'."

"What's up?"

"That drug, what it did to you? I know it made you tired cause you was exhausted as fuck, but like, what else? If they ain't use it to, you know..." He trailed off, but I understood what he was saying so I nodded for him to continue. "Then what they used it fa'?"

"I honestly don't know." I shrugged, playing in his hair. "They could've just wanted to see how I reacted to it, they could've planned on doing something to me, but changed their minds. Hell, they could have done something to me and just left no signs. That sleepiness and exhaustion I was experiencing, that was like the residual effects of it. Everything else had worn off while I was asleep, I guess."

He nodded, biting his lip. "Do you rememba' anything afta' the drugs?"

"Not at all. I didn't realize I had no recollection of anything after that, instead of waking up and leaving with y'all, until the nurse told me the side effects of the drug, and one of them being amnesia. That's why it's such a common date-rape drug, because it makes you forget everything after it settles in." I shook my head at the thought of it.

"All I remember is having a conversation with Cedrick in the kitchen- the conversation I told you about- and then I went back into the living room, sipped my drink, and after that." I shrugged, feeling tears beginning to form in my eyes. "I don't remember anything."

Angel sat up, wrapping his arms and lifting me so that I was now in his lap. "I know it's hard to deal wit' right now, but God gon' get you through it. Maybe this just a lil lesson learned that you can't be trustin' everybody the way you do. As bad as I wanna beat the fuck outta that pussy and whoeva' the nigga was that was thea' wit' him, I'a leave it to the pigs. But, as soon as I feel like they ain't doin' they job good enough, I'm steppin' in. But lemme ask you somethin', you thank that fuck nigga had anything to do with what happened?"

"I don't know and I don't want to really think about him or that situation anymore." I sighed before changing the subject. "I don't think McKenzie really wants to be around me."

Angel furrowed his eyebrows, wiping my few tears as they fell. "Why?"

"I don't know. My mom says she thinks she's having a hard time dealing with it and she doesn't want to do or say the wrong thing to trigger me because she's never been through this before, but I haven't been through this before either. It happened to me, not her. So I don't see why she's acting like such a victim right now. You're my best friend, you shouldn't hesitate to be there for me through this."

"I get what you sayin', ma, I really do. But, not everybody handle situations the same way. Just cause I'ca sit hea' and comfort you don't mean she got the strength to do the same. Y'all watched each otha' grow up and I'm sure y'all went through a lot of shit togetha'. She don't know how to see ha' best friend sufferin'.

And, it may sound selfish, but she prolly so used to bein' the victim when it comes to serious real-life situations like this that she prolly don't know how to comfort somebody else when she ain't the victim. Even if that somebody else is ha' best friend."

I scoffed. "Sounds real selfish."

"Don't matta' how selfish it sound, it ain't. It's the truth. You'ca sit hea' and be mad at ha' about it, or you'ca unda'stand it's always mo' than one side to a situation like this and wait til she come around. Y'all live togetha' and y'all best friends, she gon' come around eventually. Ain't like she mad at you, she just ain't too sho' on how to deal wit this. But, I guarantee you as soon as she figure it out, she'll be right hea' wit' you the rest of the way."

I pursed my lips, looking everywhere except at him. I knew he was probably right, but at the same time, my feelings are going to remain hurt that she won't be there for me when, honestly, she's kind of all I need right now.

I was always there for her through her situations with her mom, why can't she be there for me? I've never hesitated to help her, to be her shoulder to cry on, so why is it so hard for her to do the same?

"I have to be out of school for two weeks." I pursed my lips, finally looking up at Angel who was already looking down at me.

He nodded. "I know. Ma told me on my way up hea'. I'a keep a eye on Kenz, you ain't gotta worry about that. I know that what you ova' thea' thankin' 'bout."

"Shut up." I slightly chuckled at how right he was.

No matter how upset or hurt I may be with my best friend/sister right now, I don't want her becoming Dayna's new target. Or her little minions'.

"Thank you." I smiled softly.

He chuckled a little. "Fa' what?"

"For always being there for me, always looking out for me, always looking out for the people I care about. It really means a lot."

"That's my job, ain't it?"

"Your job as what?"

Angel smirked. "As yo' man."

"Oh, so you're my man now?"

"Always have been. Since the first day I met you, you just wanted to play wit' a nigga."

"Is that right?" I laughed. "I don't think that's how I remember it. I'm pretty sure I had to turn you down plenty of times, and you never got the hint that I wasn't feeling you."

He smacked his teeth. "I neva' gave up though."

"That is true. You never gave up with me."

"Cause look whea' we at now." He held my chin up with his index finger. "You woulda' neva' guessed it, but, see, I knew all along."

I smacked my teeth. "I just bet you did."

"I did." He held his hands out. "As soon as I laid my eyes on you, I was like 'yup, that's the one'!"

I felt myself blush. "So you just knew I was your next victim, huh?"

"Sho' did. I could already imagine takin' you home to meet my parents."

"Well, technically I met your mom here at my aunt's surprise birthday party so-"

He pursed his lips at me. "You always gotta ruin a good moment, I swea'."

"I'm sorry." I laughed. "I just wanted to make sure it was clear that your statement was only half true."

We both started laughing, and in that moment I realized just how thankful I was for Angel. He managed to make me laugh at such a bad time in my life. He managed to make me forget that my life is in the middle of a special victims investigation. He managed to make me smile when I felt like I had no reason to.

Leaning over, I grabbed his face, pecking my lips softly against his.

"Angel..."

He lifted his head. "Wassup?"

"I love you."

"I luh you too, mamas."

"No, like I love-love you."

He chuckled. "I luh-luh you too."

"You do?"

"I do."

I smiled. "Oh... okay."

"You silly."

"How?"

"You just is." He shook his head, keeping a smile on his face which kept a smile on mine.

I shrugged. "I wish you could stay with me tonight."

"I can."

"My mom will kill us if she wakes up and your car is parked outside and you're in my bed."

"What time she wake up?"

"Five-thirty."

"I'ca leave befo' she wake up."

I thought for a second. "What about your car? What if she wakes up in the middle of the night and sees-"

"I'ca go park down the street at that lil park." He grabbed his keys. "I'ma go down thea', tell her bye and act like I'm leavin' and walk back."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay." I nodded. "We can do that."

He nodded. "Aight. You still got my gym shorts hea' from the oth-"

"Yes, Angel."

"Aight." He walked to my door. "Come walk me out."

A few minutes later, Angel was calling me to let me know he parked his car and was ready to come back.

"She still in the livin' room?"

I peeped around the corner before going back upstairs. "Yea so you'll have to come around the back. Do not knock over the flower pots like you did last time."

"Man, dat wasn't me. That was Amere dumb ass."

"Yea, whatever." I giggled. "Let me know when you're by the back patio door."

"Aight."

It was silent on the phone for a few minutes. All I could hear was the wind blowing through the mic while Angel walked.

"I'm hea'."

"Okay, coming."

Making my way back down stairs, I slowly crept down the back staircase, making sure my mom wasn't in sight before unlocking the back door. Letting Angel in, I let him go upstairs before me while I closed the door back and locked it.

The last time Kenz and I decided to sneak Angel and Amere in, we left the back door unlocked like freaking idiots. My mom seen in and thought someone had broken in, but Kenz and I had to convince her that we just stepped out during the night for fresh air.

That led to 101 questions, including the typical drug interrogation, but eventually she finally let it go. I did not need a reason for it to be brought back up.

Once we made it to my room safely, the first thing he wanted to do was shower so I got it ready for him.

"You don't have anymore boxers here." I informed Angel as I shuffled through my drawers.

He shrugged. "I guess I'm free ballin' then."

"Great." I mumbled sarcastically.

As soon as he stepped in the shower, he slipped and knocked down all my soaps, my shampoos, my conditioners, my shaving creams, and my razors.

"Are you serious right now?" I grunted.

"Man, it ain't my fault yo' tub slipperia' than a bitch. You needa put a mat down hea' so I won't be-"

Just then my mom knocked on my room door. "Hey, honey! You okay in there?"

"I'm fine, mom! I just almost slipped and knocked over my stuff."

"Okay! Be careful in there. Remind me to get you a mat so you won't slip anymore!" She yelled, making Angel gave me a "see?" look.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Okay, mom."

"Alright, honey. Kenz is still asleep and I'm going to head to my room. Don't be afraid to knock if you need anything. I love you."

"Okay, I love you too mom. Thank you."

I heard her foot steps as they faded away from my door. Letting out a deep breath I didn't realize I was holding in, I headed back to the bathroom and leaned against the frame. Looking over at Angel, I busted out laughing when I seen him trying to do the reverse nae-nae.

Oh, this is going to be a long night.

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