𝐓𝐈𝐃𝐀𝐋 𝐖𝐀𝐕𝐄

3

"Nope, I don't want to" Hazel Reyes was leaning against her black SUV and seemed to be texting on her phone, so she couldn't see Angel and Noa watching her in an almost frightening way. "It's not that horrible, she's super hot" The green haired had barely finished her sentence when the brunette gave her a chilling look. "Hot or not, she's a stupid bimbo who I clearly don't want to work with. I'm not even sure she'll move one of her fake nails to help me." Her best friend's jaw was almost touching the ground as it had fallen so much at the brunette's words, he really hated her, huh. "I don't want to go, and I don't want to give her my address. Actually, I don't even want to see her," Before he even finished his sentence, a hand fell heavily on his cheek, making his eyes widen, and making him almost lose his glasses. "Get your shit together, Angel! It's a duo assignment, due in two months. You can see her for an hour or two, and then she'll leave. Stop sulking like a kid and go before I shout her name loud and clear," Noa said, caressing his friend's cheek, which had taken a slightly red hue. Angel sighed then turned his head towards Hazel, holding back a jump when he met her gaze. "Let's go, big boy," the young woman said next to the brunette before pushing him in Hazel's direction. She stood up and smiled slightly when she saw the brunette cautiously walk towards her, it almost made her laugh. "So, I'm following you?" Angel nodded, without moving his legs, before the blonde arched an eyebrow, unconsciously asking him what he was still doing there. "Right," he whispered before walking towards his midnight blue pickup and unlocking it without saying a word to Noa. The latter smiled widely and proudly as she watched the brunette start the machine. "You'll do it, it'll be nice" Angel cut her off by telling her to shut up, making her giggle. The path was rather quiet, Noa was scribbling as best she could on her arm and Angel was driving, not stopping his glances at the car behind him. The idea of ​​leaving Hazel in traffic and going back to his room had crossed his mind many times, but he knew that his best friend, next to him would have been able to get out of the car, find her and to guide her to her destination. "Promise to be good?" With the engine off, the two best friends turned their heads towards each other, Angel couldn't stop another sigh while the Asian grinned. A fist knocked gently against the driver's window and he turned to the blonde who was waiting, her eyes fixed on his. Her ocean gaze seemed to win over the desert in Angel's eyes and he would never have admitted it out loud, but at that precise moment, he would have sworn he was facing a real angel.

"Well, here we are, just the two of us" Angel's voice broke the silence that had settled since they entered the pretty house with brown walls, and after Noa left. Hazel couldn't help but stare at the place, the simple but adorable decoration raised the corners of her lips. She probably wasn't going to say it out loud but she really liked the brunette's house. "It's probably not as big as your kingdom but you'll have to get used to it," Angel said, in a dry tone. "I don't live in a kingdom," the blonde replied, putting her bag on the ground and sitting on it, facing the small table in front of the TV. With an arched eyebrow, the young man pointed to the dining table, higher and more pleasant to work on but his partner seemed not to want to move. "Nice," the brunette murmured before settling down in front of Hazel, who was smiling. "Do you mind if I put on some music? I need to work in a chill and pleasant environment, it helps me concentrate" The brunette took a sketchbook out of his bag without paying attention to his partner. He intended to ignore her all along but she made the task difficult by asking her all these things. "Whatever, princess," he growled in his beard, making the blonde roll her eyes. Even this pet name seemed denigrating in his mouth, she thought. Sweeping her hair to the back with one hand, she took out her phone with the other before diving into her playlist. Completely in her world, she failed to notice Angel's surprised look when he heard Mona Lisa's melody resonate in his living room, a song that he knew only too well and that he clearly didn't think was the rich kid' style. The latter began to scribble on a notebook that she had taken out of her bag at the same time as her phone. No words were exchanged, only the music was master of the play and it suited both. Hazel had no grudge against Angel, she didn't necessarily appreciate his behavior towards her but she knew that it was partly, no, entirely because of her boyfriend. She was his best friend's bully's girlfriend and the "rich, popular and probably arrogant girl", she knew that it didn't attract many people. She didn't necessarily understand the animosity he seemed to have towards her, but she - "Stop" The train of her thoughts stopped suddenly when the same brunette she was thinking of suddenly expressed itself, breaking the silence. "Stop what you're doing," he says again, his gaze fixed on the sheet of Hazel's notebook. Looking down, she felt her ears warm up when she saw what her fingers had decided to draw. "I was thinking and," Even before she finished her sentence, the brunette cut her off. "Then stop thinking" The oldest held back a sigh and tore the sheet from her notebook before rolling it into a ball and throwing it on her partner's face. "The drawing was pretty nice, I don't see what bothers you but yeah, anyways, keep it or throw it, whatever" This afternoon was going to be long. "Well, I guess you don't want us to make a portrait," Hazel spoke again after several minutes of silence. Angel held a sigh and leaned against the sofa, looking at the blonde with an annoyed air. He suspected that she would make such a simple proposal, probably to avoid working a lot. Just thinking about it, the brown rolled his eyes, which the blonde didn't miss. "Can I know what your problem is? I propose ideas, you refuse them, I don't say anything, you yell at me. What do you want in the end? I understand that you don't like me but you'll have to work with me, whether you like it or not so stop acting like a kid and just talk," she said suddenly, fed up by her partner's childish attitude. She was trying to stay calm, she was really trying, but Angel was infuriating, yes, infuriating. He raised his eyebrows, he didn't think she would talk to him this way. "It's way too easy to make a stupid portrait of anyone" It was the blonde's turn to roll her eyes. "It could represent much more than a stupid portrait. An emotion, a connection with someone, is much more than a vulgar drawing of someone on the street," she said, crossing her arms and keeping her eyes hard in the brunette's. He did the same and for several seconds, the two teenagers looked at each other without words, fighting with their eyes. Unfortunately, or fortunately, the door interrupted them, then Paige's cry of surprise. "Oh, Angel, can you come for a few seconds, please?" The brunette turned his head towards his sister, rolling his eyes as he heard the platinum blonde sneer, before frowning. "Angel," Paige repeated, a little louder and with a forced smile. Now in the kitchen, the black haired hit her older brother's forehead, who screamed in surprise. "What's your problem?"