So uh… oops. I guess I lied when I said it'd be finished in December, huh. I'm sorry guys, I've been really busy and then I sorta forgot about this story. Anywho, I'm baaaaaaaaaack!
This chapter's short. Then again, all my chapters are short. But I really wanted to post this just to get the story moving again.
I guess it's only fair to give my usual note to my reviewers, late as it is:
CES5410: Thanks! Sorry about the confusion, but don't worry, it's supposed to be a mystery. I'm taking a few artistic liberties with the plot here, so bear with me, it shall all be explained in the future.
Chalcedony Rivers: Yeah, that Roger.
Roger glanced down at his pants before meeting Angel's gaze once again. "You dot a problem with my pants?"
"No, no." Angel backed off. Okay, no humor for hardcore rocker dude, she mused.
He grunted an annoyed "hmph" before starting to bend down and place his guitar in its case, but he paused mid-bend, catching sight of Angel's hand.
"that's a nice ring. Where'd you get it?"
"Huh?" Angel glanced at her finger, and she saw April's gold band glitter in the sun. "Oh, ah, it was a gift from a woman I met named Mimi." Angel answered, deciding on a whim to leave out the whole manslaughter incident.
"It looks familiar. Like the ring..." His voice trailed off for a moment, "Wait! Did you say Mimi?" Suddenly Angel's statement clicked in his head.
"Yes I did. She's really sweet."
"Mimi, yeah, I've met her. She's really something." Roger smiled a little bit. "But…" His brow furrowed and he turned back to the ring. "I know that ring. Did Mimi tell you where it came from?"
Angel decided to tell a bit more of the truth. "It came from someone named April."
"April!" Roger exclaimed. "Ah, I used to date April. I gave her that ring years ago. No wonder it's so familiar. I wonder how Mimi got it, though."
Angel sighed, shifting from foot to foot worriedly. She was even less willing to explain the situation now, but she had to say something. "Well, April… eh, she, um, well she died." Angel finished quickly, afraid to say anymore. She hated giving bad news.
"Oh my God. How?" Roger looked suddenly melancholy.
Angel sighed. Might as well just get it over with. He's not gonna let this go. And I always was a terrible liar. "Honey, it was my fault. I lost control of my car, and – "
"You WHAT?" Roger was on his feet in a flash. He got right into Angel's face. "So what, you just kill people then take their stuff?" He was shouting now, far louder than the usual whispers, and people stared as they walked by.
Roger looked like he had several more minutes of ranting left to do, but suddenly he stopped and took a step back. His face softened.
"I- I guess I overreacted." His voice dropped back down to a reasonable volume. He took a deep breath. "It's just, a lot to think about."
"Oh sugar, I'm so sorry." Angel stepped forward to comfort him, but Roger backed away suddenly until he was pressed against the wall.
"Don't worry about it. I'm fine." He said shortly.
He looked like he wanted to forget the incident. Angel obliged him. "So hey, you still up for lunch?"
"Hm? Oh, sure. Yeah. Lunch sounds great."
Angel giggled and grabbed Roger's arm. She turned around. "Oh, Mark? You coming?"
Mark, who had been inspecting a menu on the wall in a desperate attempt to mind his own business (not one of his strong points), gratefully turned and joined Angel and Roger through the welcoming doors of the café.
Maureen glared at the trio through the window of her car, sitting just a few yards away, pondering over this new development. What is she doing with… him?