Usual rubbish with the Disclaimer, blah, blah, blah, update story and so on. Sighs heavily

I would also like to take the time to dedicate this chapter to jovhyz, the best friend any guy could ever have. Whenever I feel down she always says something to cheer me up, she understands what I say and she is always there for me. If I could, I'd hug you for all you have done for me and I hope that I can repay the favours.

....

Chapter 13: Aftershock

Angelica sat with her arms sprawled over one of the tables in the Java Lava. Her head lay on the table as she watched the counter and Kimi behind it. Kimi would keep giving her death glances and Angelica feared that she would attack without hesitation. Alternatively, she may not attack her at all. THAT is what Angelica feared about Kimi...her unpredictable nature. She knew no-one who could predict even remotely accurately what she would do and no-one knew just what she was able to do, it is as if she doesn't even know what she can and can't do.

In a straight fight she could defeat Chuckie's sister with relative ease as she was far more agile and graceful than her younger adversary but she would never lay a finger on Kimi. She never had looked for any kind of trouble or confrontation with Kimi and she never would, doing so would cause herself, Kimi, Chuckie, Tommy and everyone else associated with the 3 a great deal of pain. She's walking on a thin tightrope and one wrong move would see Chuckie never forgive her. That was something she was not sure she could live with, knowing that she would be shamed for as long as she lived. She wouldn't do anything to harm him anyway; she had done too much to bring herself down to that low level again.

She sighed deeply as the one of the doors that led to the back opened. Chuckie emerged struggling with a bag of coffee beans. He managed to get it onto the counter before he passed out from exhaustion. This made Angelica smile. To see him helping out and struggling with the work amused her so. It was like old times when she would watch him struggle with virtually anything in the Java Lava. The most amusing was the blender as he always messed that one up and usually ended up losing most of the smoothie mix. But this is no time for a trip down memory lane.

He came over and sat next to her.

"Enjoy yourself?" She asked quietly.

He gasped for air, completely exhausted.

"I'll take that as a yes." She smirked.

Chuckie threw an angry glare at her but that only made her grin.

"I...bet you...enjoyed watching...me there." He gasped.

"It was amusing, yes." She merely replied. She started to reach over to lay her hand on his shoulder but when she saw Kimi's angered glare which told her that she would be better off not touching Chuckie, she withdrew her hand.

"You feeling better then?" Chuckie asked. He had been able to regain his breath and could complete his sentences without pausing.

"Not really. I'm still down about...everything." She said in a depressed tone followed by another sigh.

"What's wrong?" Chuckie asked.

Angelica looked at him. She wanted to tell him everything, absolutely everything. She wanted to tell him about how she was attracted to him but she couldn't bring herself to say anything, not yet at any rate.

"I..." She stopped.

"What?" He asked.

"I...I'm sorry. I can't tell you." She shut her eyes and turned her head away from him.

"Why not?"

"I'm not brave enough. I can't tell you! I'm sorry." She got up and rushed out of the Java Lava and ran down the street.

"Angelica! Wait up!" Chuckie shouted as he started to run after her. He got to the door when a hand grabbed his shoulder and stopped him from taking another step. He turned to look at Kimi.

"Let her go. She wants to be alone." Kimi said in an unemotional but quiet voice.

Chuckie sighed and walked back in. Something was very wrong with Angelica.

....

Tears streamed down her face as she ran. She did not know where she was heading for, but it had to be somewhere safe and where she could possibly express herself. She kept running, dodging past people and such until she stopped. She bent over and rested her hands on her legs as she took deep breaths after her long run. She looked up to observe her surroundings. This place was very familiar. Why? Because she stood in front of where Tommy and Dil lived. The house to the right was where Phil and Lil lived.

'Now I'm here what do I do?' She asked herself.

Maybe she needed to talk to Tommy. He would listen to her although he may not take in what she says he would defiantly listen. She wiped her eyes and calmed herself as she walked to the front door and rang the doorbell. A few seconds later the door opened to reveal Dil.

"Angelica? What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Is Tommy in?" She asked.

"Yeah, he's in his room. Why?"

"No time to explain, little cousin. I need to talk to him." She walked past Dil and headed up the stairs to Tommy's room. The door was closed so she knocked on the door.

"What now Dil?" A frustrated voice shouted.

"It's not Dil. I need to speak to you Tommy." Angelica called.

"Angelica?"

Angelica waited. She heard Tommy trip over something and fall to the ground and a giggle to go with it. She heard him curse and she shook her head.

'Looks like his girlfriend is with him...just for a change.'

The door opened and Tommy stood there, his clothes overflowing with creases and his hair a complete mess. Angelica folded her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow and that made Tommy become nervous. He started to blush a little.

"Having a fun evening?" She asked with a mischievous smile on her face.

"Erm...maybe. Yes...I mean no...I mean er..."

"Save it Tommy. I don't really want to know what you and Lil have been up to. I need to talk to you."

"What about?" Tommy asked.

"Well, it's kind of private so I was wondering if there was somewhere we could go where no-one would hear us."

At that moment Lil came out and stopped when she saw Angelica. She blushed a bright red when Angelica's eyes flicked over to her. Her clothes, like Tommy's, were crumpled and creased and her hair was all over the place.

"Give me strength." Angelica moaned.

"Erm...Lil? Angelica wants to talk to me alone. Could you let us be alone for a few minutes?" Tommy asked trying not to offend Lil.

Lil shrugged her shoulders. "Sure. I'll go downstairs and watch some TV." She said as she walked past the two cousins and headed downstairs.

Tommy and Angelica walked into his room. She sat on a chair while he sat on the end of his bed.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Well, I'm sure you've heard about what happened to me today."

"No. What?"

"Er...I was...suspended form High School." Angelica said.

"What for?"

"Well, there were these 3 bastards who decided to threaten Chuckie as they wanted cash and he just happened to be around and I told them to leave him alone and I started to fight them and then the Principal called me to his office and suspended me for what I had done and for skipping school. Then mum and dad came and they had a go at me for getting into a fight and I shouted at them and...and..." She broke down. The tears streamed down her face as she sobbed.

"Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Drew said you should have just left Chuckie to those guys?"

"Yes...I couldn't...I can't hurt him anymore. I don't want to hurt him..." She continued to sob.

"Why? Why the change?"

"I can't live with this guilty conscience! He's become a part of my everyday life! I can't just forget about him and continue on as if nothing happened! I need his forgiveness! I...I..." Angelica snapped angrily at Tommy.

"You what?"

"Nothing."

"Come on Angelica, there is something more. Tell me, I won't tell anyone. We're cousins, you can tell me anything." Tommy reassured her.

"I love him alright! I want him more than anything in the entire galaxy! I picked on him all the time because I needed his attention. I LOVED his attention! I couldn't just come out and say that I wanted him so I made fun of him to cover it up!" Angelica hurriedly explained.

"You...love him?"

"YES!"

"So, why the change over the summer?" Tommy asked.

"Being cruel wasn't getting me anywhere so I thought that if I was nice to him maybe we would become close. Possibly go out on a date or something."

"So why did you revert back to your old self again?"

"I had popularity. Chuckie would threaten that so I thought that if no-one knew that we knew each other I would stay popular." She explained.

"So that's why you assaulted him! Someone found out and you assaulted over some crappy popularity?!" Tommy shouted angrily.

"YES! My ego was inflated and stopped me form thinking wisely! When I attacked him, I lost my popularity with everyone who knows me. I regret doing what I did and I always will. I'll never forgive myself for hurting him." Angelica replied in a raised voice.

Tommy shook his head. "You bitch. You fucking bitch! I can't believe that even you would sink so low as to put someone in hospital over something as trivial and small as popularity! Just...leave." Tommy scolded his older cousin.

Angelica didn't say anything. She deserved what she got and she knew it. She just got up and walked out of Tommy's room and headed back into town to get her car and go home.

....

When she eventually got home, Angelica headed up to her room to be alone. She looked at the floor as she opened her door, walked in and locked it shut. She wanted to be alone but when she looked up she saw the last person she wanted to see sitting on her bed.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I've been waiting for you for around an hour. What's wrong?"

"I've told you that I can't talk about it. Please go home. I really need some time alone." Angelica begged.

"Sorry Angelica, but I want to know what's eating you and I'm not going to go until you tell me." He replied.

"But Chuckie..." Angelica started.

"No buts about it Angelica! What is wrong with you?" Chuckie asked as he got off her bed and moved closer to her.

"Please don't. I...I can't say."

"You can and you will. Just get it over and done with." Chuckie told her.

Angelica looked deeply into Chuckie's eyes. Could she tell him? No, she couldn't. She can't say what her problem is but she can show him.

"You want to know what is wrong with me?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Alright then, I'll show you." She replied as she neared him.

"What do you mean 'show me'?" Chuckie was confused.

"Are you oblivious Chuckie? THIS is what I mean!" She sternly said before grabbing his arms and thrusting her lips onto his lips. She backed him up against the wall and moved her arms so they were around him. He tried to push her off but she just tightened her embrace on him and pushed herself closer to him. He was warm and what she was doing made her feel good. The tension and pain she was going through seemed to vanish as she kissed him. She needed this badly. For the first time in ages, she felt happy, calm and at peace.

To Be Continued...

....

How is THAT for an ending to the chapter?

Once again, I am happy with this chapter's length and quality and for once I did what I said I would! Congratulations to me!

Please R&R!