Weeping Angel: Malvada (Book 1 of the Weeping Angel Series)

Chapter XIX

My eyes slowly flicker open, but I'm suddenly blinded with flashing colourful spots. I feel a crushing pain in my head, and the room starts spinning. I groan softly, running my hand over my face and groggily sit up, feeling various pairs of hands on me, a few different voices bombarding me with a hundred questions per hour that I just tune out.

"Emma!" A voice that sounded like Clarice spoke up, shaking my shoulders. I snap out of my daze, and I look up at my sister to see her wearing a concerned look.

"What?" I ask, feeling a heavy pounding in my head. Headaches are the worst.

"Chica, are you okay?" Gabby? What was she doing here? Mason and Ethan were standing beside her, looking scared and worried.

Where was Josh?

"I'm fine, guys," I say dismissively. I realized I was still in my party outfit, except I was barefoot.

"Will you tell us what happened? Josh barely explained anything when I rushed downstairs after hearing you scream," Clarice gently demands as she sits down beside me.

I feel the chills go down my spine as I recall what just happened with the statue. I frantically look around, searching for it when I sense four pairs of confused eyes stare at me like I sprouted another head. "Where's the angel statue?" I ask almost, hopefully.

Gabby narrows his eyes at me. "Clarice and I threw it away for the time being, although it'll come back. We somehow figured it was the reason you fainted. Now tell us what happened."

I sigh and begin to explain what happened the second Josh volunteered to walk me to the front door, and their eyes widened in shock and horror. Mason looked mortified and scared, his jaw clenched, but he didn't say anything. I also told them that I did everything Gabby told me the other day, but the statue moved closer and closer whenever I looked away or turned around. Mason and Ethan ask Gabby what she told me, and Gabby explains the blinking concept to my sister than the boys since the boys probably know this already.

Clarice shakes her head and folds her arms over her chest. "I can't believe this. The statue is seriously fucked in more ways than I can count on two hands!" She exclaims. "Do you think mom or dad know this, or are they still oblivious?" Clarice asks me.

I raise an eyebrow at her. "I don't know about that, but I sure know I'm not oblivious to the fact that you told them about my dream, Claire."

Clarice purses her lips in a straight line, weighing some major decision in her head before she sighs and says, "Okay, fine. I told them. Big deal! They needed to know you're in danger," She mutters. 

This catches Mason's attention. "What do you mean she's in danger?"

Gabby and I exchange a look, and Clarice takes a deep breath before saying solemnly, "I think the statue wants to kill Emma."

"That explains the various encounters Emma's had with it up till now." Ethan realizes, and Mason grows tense. Clarice nods, and we all fall into silence.

Mason suddenly speaks up, "I'm really glad you're okay, Emma." I could hear the sincerity behind his concerned voice, telling me that he meant every word.

Gabby nods, "We're glad Josh called Ethan right away about you."

"Where did he go?" I scan the living room and hallway, hoping he'd pop out of somewhere and greet me with those ocean eyes filled with uncertainty. Stop that train of thought, Emma. Stop right now.

Clarice tells me Josh was here the entire time I was unconscious. He apparently carried me to the living room since it was closer to the front door. That's when Clarice came running downstairs, bombarding a worried Josh with so many questions, he growled at her to shut up and help him wake me up, which didn't quite work. Clarice suggested calling my friends, but she didn't have their number, so Josh immediately called Ethan since he knew they'd be here with me.

My heart stopped beating for a few seconds at this. I suppress the lunatic smile sporting its way onto my lips, suddenly feeling giddy before I snap myself out of my silly thoughts. Did he hate me this whole time, or did he always care about me? I know why he didn't want to stay; things were tense between us after that argument in the car, and he probably thought I'd yell at him for laying his hands on me.

I resist the urge to scoff. That definitely sounds like something I'd do, along with feeling all excited and nervous around him.

Okay, maybe not yell at him or accuse him of things now, but embarrass myself and look like an anxious weirdo in front of him? Most certainly.

I suddenly didn't hate him now, but I didn't want to go any further than that. It wouldn't end well.

I noticed Mason wearing a scowl when Clarice was explaining what happened with Josh while I was unconscious. He looked bothered at the thought of Josh driving me home and helping me as he did. I shrugged it off, not wanting to think about his issues with Josh and turn to look at Clarice.

"Claire, we need to do some research on the statue." I look at Gabby with pleading eyes. "Can you come with us?"

Gabby nods but tells us that she, along with Mason and Ethan, tried to search on the Internet for this, but nothing made sense to them. It was either that, or they couldn't find many resources to help them.

Ethan nods and agrees with Gabby. "We tried almost everything we could. We didn't hit the library since we doubted they could help us if the Internet couldn't."

I purse my lips together. "It's settled then. We all could go to the library on Monday since it will be closed for three days." Everyone nods in agreement, so I suggest that Gabby stay over for a few nights if it was okay with her mom. She says her mom's pretty flexible with hanging out with friends, so she's all good.

Luckily, my parents were out of town today and won't be back until tomorrow.

I could tell Mason wanted to talk to me because he was fidgeting in his seat across from me, looking uncomfortable and anxious. Clarice seems to get the hint because she says, "Let me show you two the different ice cream flavours we have!" Was she talking to Gabby and Ethan as if they were seven or seventeen?

Gabby laughs, getting the hint as well as she drags Ethan with her, who calls out, "Keep things PG-13!" Mason snorts, and I laugh when Gabby smacks him on his head as they disappear into our kitchen with Clarice.

This leaves Mason and me alone in the living room in awkward silence. Mason slowly and reluctantly gets up from his seat and crosses the room to sit next to me, and I shift in my seat, giving him more space.

"Are you okay?" He starts off. "I'm so sorry that happened to you."

I nod. "I'm alright. Don't worry about me."

Mason sighs and turns to face me, his chocolate eyes swirling with guilt and regret. "I'm so sorry for what I said about you at the party. I wasn't thinking straight, and Josh was getting on my nerves-"

I cut him off. "I know. At least you admit the shit you said about me wasn't the greatest." I was beginning to warm up to him again; I wanted to forgive him, but I needed to get my point across.

I continue saying, "You don't need to try to label me or any other girl as anything. It's a dick move, you know? I didn't expect that from you because we're supposed to be great friends, Mason."

Mason grimaces and nods, his eyes flooding with hurt, disappointment, and another emotion I couldn't quite place before he masks it, sending me a small smile. "We are great friends. Great friends also forgive each other. I mean, seriously, would you really stay mad at me for longer than a day?"

I suppress my smile and pretend to be deep in thought. "I don't know. If you're stupid, then yeah. Oh wait, you're stupid like 99.9% of the time." Mason rolls his eyes at me, and I laugh, and all the anger towards him in me is gone instantly.

"Jokes aside, I forgive you, Mason." I smile at him. "Just don't do that again." Mason gives me a genuine smile this time and promises me he'll never behave that way again.

Mason suddenly grows serious. "Emma, I've been hiding something pretty huge from you this whole time because I wasn't ready to talk about it, but you deserve to know. It involves the angel statue, and that means you're automatically in this too." I've never seen Mason so vulnerable and uneasy before, and it scared me.

Curious to know what he wants to tell me, I encourage him to continue.