Hello again, I was happy to receive some responses to my last chapter. Thank you! I decided to go ahead and write a short chapter through Jordan's POV. I admit it was a little more challenging, but I think it set up some interesting things for Angela to respond to. Also, I feel that I should mention, this chapter dives back into the past. So, it takes place at the start of the next school year (after the show's final scene.) I hope you enjoy! Side note, I am going to see 30 Seconds to Mars on Tuesday, yay!

...

I once knew a girl with shocking red hair. The world around me was this sort of… mechanical thing. It ran on its own, but every now and then something would break. I couldn't fix it, for fear of being a tool. Through a sideways stare, I could see her mending this hard baggage as if it were made out of cloth. At times it was clear that she could use a hand. However, what was I to do when I, myself, needed to be restored? If I was a machine than she was organic… soft, vital, and unfamiliar. I felt disinclined to engage with her invasive intrusions. A part of her was fragile, like glass, and a part of me wanted to break her. I was afraid she'd get inside me...start to patch my torn sleeve. How could I sit behind the wheel in idle if she insisted on going somewhere? And once we moved forward, where would we go?

Back then, I could never have written these words to her.

…

1995

Ah, the first day of school...it's like this long big day. There is this constant pressure, like expectations or something, of what other people think you should be doing. Meanwhile, I was just sitting in my car trying to decide if I wanted to go through it anymore. The sound of my engine starting helped me to decide. Just as I put the gear in reverse, there she was. I hadn't seen her much that summer. Surely, she was on her way over to scold me. Without a single thought, I had reached over and opened the passenger door. I suppose I had let her in after all. As I rested back in my seat I sighed, while she leaned down.

"So, like, are you really ditching on the first day of school? Aren't you the least bit curious about your classes?"

"Not really."

"Well, were you even going to say hi?"

"Hi."

"You're impossible."

When my gaze finally met hers, I noticed a bit of red in the corner of her eyes. My hand clenched a fist when I realized that she was about to do that thing, where she walks away. I couldn't stand to see her leave, but I was too proud to admit that it was because I was afraid. Afraid, she'd go somewhere… like a place, I couldn't follow. "Get in."

"Are you serious? You just expect me to get into your car whenever you ask? Well actually, you didn't even ask… It's was more of a demand."

"Please?" I had learned that Angela couldn't say no when I asked like that. A smile pulled at my lips as she climbed in, but I could tell that a lecture was coming on. So, I spoke first, "so, what's wrong?"

"What do you mean, what's wrong? Nothing- is wrong."

"Then why are your eyes all red?"

"I don't know, allergies… I guess."

"Allergies? So, what you allergic to? Sunlight?"

"Yeah, maybe."

"Angela, you don't have to lie to me. You could just say that you don't want to talk about it."

"Fine then, I don't want to talk about it. It's too depressing."

I knew that wasn't true. She had to talk about...things. The truth was, she couldn't handle not saying what was on her mind.

"It's just that when you're a kid…" A sigh escaped those pink lips that I had lost the right to. "You just have this sort of idea about your parents… about love. You don't really question it. Instead, you assume that they were meant to be or something and that they always will be. Now, I'm starting to question the whole idea of it all. I don't know if I believe that true love really exists. It's like, just a fairy tale that people tell you to make themselves feel better. Maybe people just need each other… until it gets old or they find someone else. So, that's what's bothering me." The car went silent for a few moments. "Sorry- my parents are probably finalizing their divorce and it's kind of a nightmare at home right now."

For some reason, her words sort of stung. I couldn't help but feel like she was saying that she didn't love-. "Well hey, if it makes you feel better… I never even thought my parents loved each other." My hand crept into my pocket and pulled out a half-empty bottle of eye drops. I needed an excuse to be close to her...to touch her.

"No thanks, I can never manage to put anything in my eyes. Besides, it's half-full... I wouldn't want you to waste it on me."

"Hold still." Just like that, my weight was leaning on her. "Now, look at me and don't blink."

"Don't blink? How can I not blink?"

But, she didn't. Angela just stared at my careful movements as I put the solution in her eyes. My rough hands wiped away the bit that ran down her warm cheeks. "If you want, I can start picking you up in the mornings… So, you don't have to ride the bus. Maybe I could come inside when everyone's gone, and we could have-" I leaned in close enough to kiss her, while my hands webbed into her soft hair. "Coffee."

"Coffee? Oh... sure. My mom and Danelle are usually gone before 7 anyways."

"So, tomorrow then?" I asked as my fingers gently combed through faded red strands. My gaze stayed locked on her lips.

"Uh, yeah, tomorrow… Look, we should really get to class."

"Yeah, ok." After grabbing my backpack, we walked in together. Her small hand was firmly in my grasp.

…

Present time

I couldn't help but take her silence, to my reply, as being underwhelmed. Perhaps, it wasn't only the job that wasn't enough for her. Which made me wonder, what had Angela Chase been up to these past few years?

To be continued... thanks for reading!