Sang's Freedom (Original And Rewritten)

Chapter 27: Sneaking Pictures

-Chapter 27-

"Can I brush her hair?"

North's words startled me so bad I smacked my head into the faucet and swore like a sailor before Gabriel could pull me out. "Ah shit, Trouble are you okay? Damn it, North. Why do you have to act like such a weirdo?"

"Fuck, is she alright?" North asked as I sank to the bathroom floor covering my head.

"No," I grumbled. "Am I bleeding?"

Big, warm hands pulled away my fingers and touched at my hair. "No Sang. You're going to have a hell of a bruise, but the skin isn't broken." North's voice was gruff and I was surprised when he helped me to my feet. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"You said you wanted to brush my hair?"

"Oy, well he can't! That is our thing."

North's eyes narrowed, but Gabriel simply put his hands on his hips.

"Oh no, just because you chose now to come back from Planet Douche Bag doesn't mean you get to steal my thing with Trouble. You snooze, you lose."

I blushed deeply as Gabriel pulled me close to him and began working a brush through my hair.

North looked as uncomfortable as I felt as he crossed his arms over his broad chest. "I only offered because of Luke."

It took me a moment to infer that North was responsible for brushing Luke's hair. A giggle slipped and North's grumpy face came back.

"It's not like that," he grumbled. "He's a little cry baby when his hair gets knotted. He won't do it himself."

I could picture Luke sitting with his legs crossed in North's lap and just kept on giggling this time.

North rolled his eyes, and I wondered why he didn't leave. First he doesn't want to talk to me and now he's offering to brush my hair. I looked down at my black shirt. Maybe it was the clothes?

"Oy, look up Trouble. I have to be all delicate with you now that you bumped your head."

"Doc will want to take a look at that," North said as he pulled out his phone.

Nathan chose then to stumble up the stairs. "What the hell, North? Why would you punch me?"

North's dark eyes shifted over my head to Gabriel and they all did that creepy thing where they talked without speaking. Vampires. It was the only explanation for so many good looking, mind reading men.

I giggled.

"Oy, what the fuck, Trouble? North isn't that funny."

"Maybe she hit her head when I dropped her..." Nathan whispered worriedly.

"No she hit her head when she bashed it on the faucet, courtesy of North."

"I didn't make her hit her head!"

Everyone's phone started going off at once.

Group Message: Mr. Blackbourne; Dr. Green; Kota; Nathan; Victor ♡; North; Luke; Silas; Gabriel.

Dr. Green: OMG! Look at how cute she is! #sharing is caring

There were several pictures of me getting my hair brushed by Gabriel. My cheeks flared. How did they... I looked over to North who was acting as if he just discovered that the bathroom tiles were the most interesting things in the world.

Dr. Green: What is on her forehead?

Mr. Blackbourne: In my medical opinion, I would define that as a lump.

North: She hit her head. I was trying to let you know before you group messaged everyone...

Dr. Green: Well perhaps you should detail why you are sending me a picture of a pretty girl next time ;)

North: You know Sang is in this group chat right?

Dr. Green: I wanted her to see how cute she looked. Don't you think you look cute Sang?

Me: I'm not sure what's cute about that lump on my forehead...

Victor ♡: You are going to look at that, aren't you Doc?

Dr. Green: Yes, after my shift at the hospital. For now one of you should help ice that.

Nathan: Dibs!

Gabriel shoved Nathan. "Oy! Back off of my Trouble. I haven't even finished her hair, and when I do, I'll take care of her face."

Nathan chuckled, barely budging. "Fine, fine, Gabe." He typed a quick message.

Nathan: Gabe has claimed Sang's face...so...

Luke: You can't claim her, Gabriel! We are a sneaky sneak team and she needs her face to sneak!

North: That doesn't make any sense, Lucian...

Luke: Well I cannot very well say the real reason with her in the chat!

That confused me.

Me: What is the real reason?

There was no response. Nine people in the message and not one more text came through.

I looked up at Gabriel who was just finishing with my hair. His blue eyes were intent as his fingers worked their way through my hair.

North was no better, muttering something about getting some dinner together before dipping out of the room.

I lunged for Nathan, managing to catch his arm before he disappeared, too. "Nathan? What did I do?"

His eyes narrowed and then widened. "You really don't get it, do you?"

"Get what?" I felt my lip trembling. What had I done wrong? Why had they all stopped talking to me at once?

I knew I was getting too close, too dependent on these boys who claimed to be my friends.

I didn't know what a friend was.

I didn't know what friends did.

And in a matter of days, this group had stolen a very unique place in my heart. I trusted them to touch me. I trusted them enough to look them in the eye.

I couldn't tell them what was going on at home, but they knew anyway and chose to stand by me.

Victor had been burned. He knew better than anyone what I have been through. He knew what it was like to look at your own parent and see a monster.

Nathan was still looking down at me, and I took a step back into Gabriel who instantly put his arms around me. "Oy, Trouble. You didn't do anything wrong. We...just aren't used to having a girl around." He pressed a soft kiss to my hair and my world went still.

Gabriel just kissed me.

It was like electricity was coursing through my body. My cheeks flushed. I couldn't breathe.

I felt myself falling...