"So let me do a redo...." Paul sighed exasperatedly, his eyes sending a glare to his son, while his arms were crossed to impose his authority. "You got into a verbal fight with your sister..."
"Yeah." He aggreed, with his arms crossed as well, seeming to dare his father to make him go off his hinges and lose his uninterested expression.
"And you pushed her down the stairs." He grits his teeth as he slides the letter of hospital bills for Angela's two fists and several broken fingers onto the table.
The blond licked his teeth and shrugged his shoulders. "She deserved it, she was annoying and stubborn."
"This is no reason to be violent !" He lost his temper, banging his fist on the table. "This kind of behavior will not be accepted under my roof !"
"Your roof ? You're barely here, and Angela's mad at you, why do you care anyway ?" Timothy replied insolently, raising a provocative eyebrow.
Paul had been the only one who moved, his son staring at him impassively. The tension had risen considerably in the room as the two men stared at each other in a dead silence.
Angela, from behind Timothy, cleared her throat uncomfortably before speaking softly. "Maybe we should-"
"Apologize to your sister." Paul ordered severely. "Now."
"It's okay dad really-"
"Save it Angela." Timothy cut her off sharply, not even looking at her. "Iâm sorry, okay ?"
Paul twitched his right eye with frustration at boy tone. "Your car keys. You're grounded."
"I'm 22."
"And that's not what I asked." Paul grunted as he held out his hand waiting for the keys to be placed in his palm.
Timothy turned to Angela with anger and rage in his eyes. "For fuck sake ! Couldn't you just fall like normal people ? No obviously not ! You absolutely have to broke something !"
"I didn't asked you to push me !" She whined, clearly offended that he dare to be mad at her when she had defended him and even tried to cover for him when their father returned from his trip.
"Fuck this family." He muttered, grabbing the car keys from his pocket and throwing them on the table. "I'm fed up with the 'perfect little princess' Angela to whom 'daddy' gives in to all the whims."
He stormed off, stamping his foot on the stairs.
Angela raised her eyebrows with a face. "Girl, you talk a lot for a part-time drug addict-"
"DON'T FUCKING CALL ME GIRL !" He shouted before slamming his bedroom door.
âLooks like itâs that time of the month.â Angela added with a roll of her eyes before starting to leave the living room.
But as soon as Paul picked up Timothy's keys, he stopped his daughter in her tracks. "Angela. You're not leaving this house until you're completely healed. I'm calling my friend, he's the best-"
"I don't want your creepy friends here." The blonde immediately snapped, rushing over to her dad. "They're too touchy and always want kisses on the cheek."
"Okay." He conceded, grabbing his cap. "So I guess you won't mind me going to see my normal friends at the contryclub."
"Keep telling yourself that." She chuckled as she walked away before whispering in a low voice (but enough for him to hear). "Lottie will be here tonight, anyway."
Paul turned his head so quickly that he hurt his neck in the process. "Who ? When ? Angela !-"
"Stop being such a crybaby about it !" She shouted from the living room, sitting down on the couch and grabbing the remote and her phone at the same time.
"DON'T CALL ME A CRYBABY !" He shouted back before slamming the door of the house, stamping his foot on the path.
Angela, who was getting tired of it, huffed and mumbled to herself. "Why am I even trying with men ?"
----------------
Alfred was having a great evening.
He had done all his ironing and laundry, washed the dishes after eating his favorite meal prepared by himself, had taken a bath, read his favorites magazines.
And right now he was listening and enjoying Johann Sebastian Bach playing on his vinyl player, his favorite glass of red wine in hand.
Nothing couldn't ruin his night which was going to be perfect, he knew it, the scent of lavender was diffusing throughout his whole house, and the fire in his fireplace was crackling softly as the backroung sound of the music.
Everything was perfect.
When all of a sudden he heard the most horrible, odious, shrill and devastating alarm. His phone was ringing loudly from the other end of the couch.
He snatched the phone angrily and picked up before snapping. "What ?!"
"Alfred ?" Lottie's voice rang out softly. "I need your help."
"What is it ?" He mumbled, clutching cardigan even tighter in his hand.
"I-I hum- I'm-"
"Ms.Matthews."
"What are Angela's favorite kinds of snacks ?" She asked finally, embarrassment creeping in her voice.
"Can you please give me a second ?" He asked in a honeyed voice.
"Sure."
Alfred put his hand on his phone and began insulting and cursing his bosses names before removing his hand and clearing his throat to regain a neutral and professional voice.
"Ms.Matthews, I often drive, you and your girlfriend. And you don't remember the thing she always makes you buy ?" He asked politely hoping he wouldn't have to let this call last too long.
"Usually I just follow her around and agree to everything she says, but now that I'm at the grocery store, everything seems different." There was a slight pause where Lottie didn't speak, before she spoke again in a whisper, almost as if she was talking to herself. "Itâs quite disturbing actually, this place seems brighter when Angela is there..."
"It's Cheetos. Ms.Angela favorite snacks is Cheetos." He sighed, shaking his head. "Do you need anything else ?-"
"Is that Mozart ?" Lottie asked as she heard classic music playing on the other end of the line.
"It's Bach." Alfred corrected with a frown. "Ms. Matthews, is there anything else you need ?-"
"I've been down that aisle before." Lottie remarked in a perky voice. "Angela said something about Dr. Pepper. I'm not sure if it's negative or not. I was focusing too much on her outfit. She was dazzling with beauty that day. I really liked the skirt she was wearing-"
"Ms.Matthews." He cut her off sharply, taking a sip of his wine. "Please."
"Yeah so, do Angela like Dr.Pepper ?" She asked.
"I'm afraid I'm going to have to disappoint you. I don't know the answer to that question." He replied as he finished his glass of wine, leaning over to pour himself again.
"Can you please come and help me ?" She asked in a small voice.
Alfred imagined the pleading eyes she must have had and sighed in defeat, glancing at his driver's cap. "I'm on my way."
----------------
Eventually, Angela and Lottie had a perfect night as usual, watching Gossip Girl or Pretty Little Liars.
Lottie insisted on giving Angela her Cheetos so she wouldn't get her fingers and casts dirty. And also to help her drink her smoothie that she had bought for her and had gone to the other side of town to find for it her. Angela, who was used to not being treated differently in a good way, because she was in a cast, had internally felt her heart swell and warm at the fact that the black-haired girl wanted to take care of her so much, when everyone else everyone found it an opportunity to take advantage of her.
She was also surprised that Lottie remembered her dislike of Dr. Pepper, even more that she managed not to get lost in the grocery store.
"I can imagine living in this world without you." The blonde mumbled sleepily against Lottie's chest, both lying on the couch.
Lottie, who was already falling asleep, only opened one eye and raised her head slightly. "Hm ?"
"I said goodnight." Angela exhaled, closing her eyes completely, focusing on the rhythm of Lottie's slow heartbeat.
"Night." Lottie whispered as she gently kissed the top of Angela's head before putting her arm around her shoulders and tilting her head back.
Angelo suddenly looked up, noticing his now two completely asleep owners, he pouted happily before jumping onto the couch to snuggle up against them.
After a little while, and in the silence of the night, Timothy tiptoed into the kitchen to drink some milk.
On the way back, hearing snoring, he headed into the living room and found his sister and Lottie cuddling on the couch with their dog.
"I'm so single." He murmured to himself shaking his head as he took a photo with Angela's phone before walking away.