Chapter 2: Angel

Ellie's POV

"Ellie wake up we're gonna be late for school!" Alec exclaimed as he came barging into my room. "Alec, can you shut up!" I groaned as I peeled my eyes open to see him peering down at me.

"How you feeling?" He asked, his lips pulling into a frown as he lowered himself down beside me. "Fantastic don't you see?" I murmured sarcastically as I lightly pushed him away from me. He sighed deeply and ran his hands through his hair, "how long do you have, Ellie?" He suddenly asked.

"Uhm. . . 365 days." I whispered.

"How long is that?" He asked confusedly, and I chuckled lowly, staring at him quizzically. Of course he wouldn't know he's so stupid, "It's a year you, idiot." I exclaimed and the colour suddenly drained from his face as he stared back at me in astonishment.

"A year?" He muttered in disbelief, his eyes assessing me as if I were a fragile doll. God, I really despise when they do that. "Yeah," I nodded in response. Silence enveloped us and he lowered his gaze, "Ellie. . .I don't-I don't want you to die."

"I don't want to die either," I mumbled, and he peered up, his eyes glassy with tears.

"Who am I going to annoy the hell out of? Who am I going to piss off when they're already not in the mood? Who the hell am I going to share my heartbreak with?" He asked, tears slowly trickling down his cheeks as he intertwined our hands.

I pulled him into a hug as I myself tried to contain my tears. It was gonna be okay, I know it will. "Alec, you can't tell anyone this, not Lizzie or Stewart."

"I don't even talk to those pricks." He scoffed as he wiped away his tears. I rolled my eyes and poked his puffy cheeks before he could slap them away, "I know you have a crush on Lizzie so shut up."

"I don't like your best friend, not romantically, and not even as a person." He exclaimed in disgust as he unwrapped his hands from my waist and rolled off of my bed. "Now get ready we have to go to school," He smiled halfheartedly before he pivoted on his heels and rushed out of my room.

He definitely likes her.

•••

"It's okay mom I can live through this, look at it this way I still have a year." I chuckled nervously, making a scowl stretch out on her face. "That's not enough, I want you my whole life!" She sobbed loudly as my father took a hold of her now limp body.

I hated seeing my parents like, broken and shattered all because of me. I brought all this pain onto them. . .I didn't want to. "Mom, stop crying or I'll cry!"

I pivoted on my heels and exited the hospital room. I didn't want to see them cry, hear them cry, nothing. It's a constant reminder that before I blink my eyes I'll be in the grave. "Lie!" Alec shouted from behind me but I ignored his shouts of protest as I rounded the corner.

As I made my way down the hallway I didn't see the figure approaching me until it was too late. Before I could comprehend what was happening I crashed into the figure which sent me flying towards the ground.

I flickered my eyes shut, awaiting the impact of the hard floor but it never came. Instead a pair of arms wrapped around my waist, preventing me from meeting my sudden doom. I flickered them open and sucked in a harsh breath at the angelic face staring down at me.

"Princess, you're kinda heavy." He spoke, his voice smooth and as angelic as his face. He's British, although it's buried beneath a Canadian accent I can still hear the curve in his words as he spoke.

"I. . .ugh, I–"

He suddenly hoisted me upright and untangled his hands from around my waist.

"Ugh. . .sorry for–for. . .bumping into you!" I stuttered nervously, my voice slightly rising an octave higher as I flickered my eyes down to the floor. He suddenly let out a throaty chuckle, using his fingertips to tilt my head upwards and our eyes immediately interlocked. "Wanna know a secret, princess?. . .I like when angels fall into my arms." He smirked.

Oh wow, fantastic, he's a charmer and a hopeless cliche romantic.

Damn!

"Ugh yeah I'm no angel." I coughed out as I brushed his hands away from my face. "I see you as one, though." He smiled and I scoffed although my heart said differently, "are you always this cocky?" I blurted out, catching him off guard.

Caught in the headlights, he began scratching the nape of his neck nervously before answering. "When I see cute girls yeah, but occasionally no." He exclaimed.

I mean he doesn't seem like the cocky type. Straightforward yes, cocky? Maybe a tad bit. "Oh okay, well sorry for bumping into you again," I mumbled as I fiddled with my fingers nervously. Damn what's it with me and suddenly being so nervous!

"No problem, princess. Hope to meet you again but I have to scurry off, see you around!" He pivoted on his heels and strutted away, leaving me standing still, wondering to myself what the hell just happened.

•••

"Morning, mom." I chirped as I lowered myself down onto the kitchen stool.

"Morning, Sweetie." She smiled cheerily as she placed two pancakes in front of me. "Thank you," Alec chirped as he stabbed his fork into one of my pancakes and placed it onto his plate.

"Mom!"

"Alec be nice." She threatened lowly to which he shrugged. "What? I'm hungry too." He exclaimed as he flew his hands up in the air exasperatedly. "It's okay," I smiled as I hopped off the stool.

I stalked towards him and leaned into his ear, "I hope you choke on it," I mumbled softly and he sputtered on the pancake before swivelling his gaze towards me.

"Now Ellie that was not nice." My mother scolded but I could see she was fighting back her laughter. I laughed inwardly as I propped myself back on the stool, smirking victoriously in Alec's direction. "Are you ready for school?" Mom asked as she sat down next to me.

"Yeah, why? It's just like any other day." I shrugged as I stuffed my face with the pancake on my plate. "Slow down you pig!" Alec groaned as he began to snort like an actual pig, mocking me. "And may I add who's the one snorting at the moment?" I asked with arched eyebrows.

He stuck his tongue out for me playfully to which I responded by flipping him off. "I swear you two will be the death of me," Mom groaned loudly as she hopped off the stool and made her way out of the kitchen.

"Alec let's go I need to get to school early so I can turn in my assignment or Mr. Stornelli might kill me," I said to him as I placed my plate in the sink.

"Whatever you say fat face," He snorted as he placed his plate onto the counter, smirking maliciously. "You're so annoying," I mumbled as I grabbed his plate off the counter and placed it into the sink.

"Let's go!" He chirped as he sauntered out of the kitchen with me following in suit behind him. We exited the house, said goodbye to mom and toppled towards the car. "Let's listen to some music," I grinned widely as I turned on the radio. "Oh no I can't take your singing it's unbearable!"

"Shut up you so love my singing, it's obviously sublime!" I exclaimed in a faux British accent as the song began, I flashed Alec a smirk and began to sing, laughing loudly at the disgusted look etched on his face. "And I'm still thinking bout you when you not with me no this ain't healthy!" I sang out loud.

"Oh kill me now!"

•••

"Morning, Miss Green, nice of you to finally join us." Mr Stornelli exclaimed with a small halfhearted smile. I handed him his assignment and took a sit in the front of the class. "Why are you so late?" Lizzie whispered in my ear.

"Alec," I whispered back.

"No surprise there." She chuckled as she averted her eyes back to the board. For the next forty minutes I jotted down notes but occasionally I would find myself losing track of what I was doing as my mind drifted.

Before I knew it the bell has rung; indicating that class had ended. I grabbed my binder and stood up. Lizzie sauntered towards me and flashed me a smile, "do you want to go shopping later?" She asked as she linked her arms in mine.

"Ew you know I hate shopping," I exclaimed in disgust and she rolled her eyes in annoyance. "You're going, end of story, no rebuttals, okay?" She exclaimed as she removed her hands from mine and took her usual route to her next class.

"Like I have a choice," I grumbled to myself as I bent the corner and much like yesterday I crashed into someone and prepped myself to meet my maker as I careered backwards. But a pair of hands encircled my waist, preventing me from falling.

God I'm getting really clumsy!

I flickered my eyes open and gasped at the familiar face peering down at me. "Angel!" I blurted out. I mentally slapped myself as his lips pulled into a smile, his dimples on full display as he peered down at me. "Angel? hmm, princess, we can't keep meeting like this." He chuckled as he hoisted me onto my feet.

"I know right...haha I think I have a thing with bumping into hard chests, wait I mean I don't usually bump into hard chests, mostly walls or. . .or, I'm gonna stop talking now." I babbled as I fiddled with the hem of my shirt nervously.

"It's okay, it's kind of cute." He chuckled.

"Cute would be an understatement." I mumbled.

"Precisely." He exclaimed, his brows arched upwards as my cheeks grew red. He rolled his eyes and ran his hands through his hair.

"Uhm, I gotta get to class," I mumbled as I tried to maneuver past him.

Tried.

His hand suddenly encircled my wrist and he tugged me backwards. My back crashed into his chest and I sucked in a harsh breath when he lowered his mouth to my ear, "I'm kinda looking for the Chemistry lab, any chance you're heading that way?" He inquired softly.

"I--I'm actually heading t-to that class right now." I stuttered and his grip loosened on my arm. I yanked it from his hand even though he was already prepared to let it go. I pivoted on my heels to face him and scowled deeply.

"What's your name?"

"That's for me to know and you to figure out." He winked as he shoved his hands into his front pocket and bounced on his heels. "Now let's get to class."