By My Side

Chapter 2

Everything in italics is in FRENCHHHHHH because I don't want to translate. LOLLLLLL ITALICS DID NOT WOOOOOOOORRRRKKK sorry.

A Few Weeks Later...

After that night Angelica drove me home, I slipped into my bed still thinking about her. We would talk to each other in the halls, sometimes it was flirtatious, sometimes it was funny, and sometimes it was about Jefferson. But something weird happened, Angelica hadn't come to school for almost a week. Angelica never missed school, she yearned for more knowledge in every subject. But today she showed, just like nothing had ever happened, but something had changed. Her eyes, they looked deeper and like her soul was trying to reach out for help. But she acted to normal, so happy? Her actions were so different from what I could see. Someone spoke, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Okay! Settle down!" The debate teacher yelled, who happened to also be the gym teacher. "Today's discussion will be... Should a woman be able to abort her child? Who wants to participate?" several raised their hands, including me. "Let's see... How about Thomas, and... Angelica! Aaron, you can be the mediator. Now I could care less about this class... I'm going to go the break room. Have... Fun?" Angelica looked at me and rolled her eyes, I gave her a soft chuckle. Laurens and Laf moved next to me.

"Are you ready for this?" Laf chuckled

"What do you mean?"

"Angelica is so stubborn that she would go up to a wall and hit her head against the wall until it breaks." John responded, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"and Thomas is just as stubborn-" I said catching on.

"Just like someone else we know" Laf said looking at me with a smirk

"Whatever," I said rolling my eyes in a dramatic way

Thomas and Angelica walked to the front of the room with Burr standing in the middle.

"Thomas? Your standing?" Burr asked.

"Pro-Life." He said glaring at Angelica,

"Angelica?"

"Pro-Choice." She responded staring right back.

"Angelica, you're up first."

"Get ready, sir. I'm going to blow your fucking mind" Thomas's face scrunched up as he let out a dry laugh.

"What did she say?" John asked

"She's going to "Blow his fucking mind" I can translate for you if you want," Laf responded. When I was younger my mother taught me how to speak French. It was one of the few good memories I had of her.

"The majority of our Congress is dominated by men. Men making our country's laws. They have no idea how hard making a choice of deciding whether to terminate their child. But some women become so desperate as to go to Mexico and get this procedure done and hope they come back alive." Angelica was speaking so fast that it was almost if she was rapping. But Laf kept up with translating.

"Some become so desperate to stick hangers up themselves to try to terminate their baby. Abortion is a human right, why do want to strip away women's rights to their own body's? Why should you control what we choose to do with our body? Naomi Asherah, a woman from Africa has had eight children, if she has another she will die. Why should MEN in Congress cut off the flow of money to countries in need? Should we not be allowed to help women like Naomi?" Angelica stepped back signaling that she had finished

"I understood nothing..." Arron mumbled, "Jefferson, your response?"

"Now I must admit, you were slightly impressive, but now I must open your eyes. Dear it's unethical, illogical, you're killing a human." Jefferson started speaking fast as well, but he was not as fast as Angelica. "Responsibility, a little chore that you need to learn. Have you heard of it? Maybe your mother can teach you." Laf stopped translating as a sly grin slipped onto Jefferson's face, all the color drained from Angelicas face. "Oh, wait, I'm sorry. My condolences." The sneer on Jefferson's face was awful.

"You fucking dick," Angelica responded her voice slightly quieter. She thrashed her head around and stormed out the door. 'My condolences?' What did he mean? I met her mother only... a few weeks ago. I stood up and walked out of the class, stopping before I reached the door and glared at Jefferson. I saw the slightest glimpse of remorse in his eyes.

I sped down the hall calling Angelicas name. I checked the whole upper floor, so I walked down the stairs to the lower floor I ended up in the right wing of the school when I heard beautiful piano music, but it wasn't soft and delicate, it seemed to be infused with anger, and sadness. It was being played so fast, whoever was playing it had tremendous skills. I slowed down my pace as the sound grew louder. I slowly opened the door to room 225, the room was dark but I saw Angelica sitting at the piano. She was nearing the end of the beautiful piece, I stepped closer to the piano, her eyes were focused on the keys but I could see the tears silently dripping down her cheeks. Her fingers slowed on the keys, playing softer and gentler. She finally lifted her fingers off the keyboard and put them slowly on her knees.

"Sorry," she mumbled, as she looked up at me and looked me in the eyes. They were riddled with pain. "Don't tell my sisters, please" Her voice was wavering. "I'm sorry,"

I tried to step close to Angelica, but she stood up and bolted out of the hall. I ran after her calling her name. She ran out of the school, I looked up and the sun was almost set and there was a storm approaching. Angelica was running at full speed down the sidewalk, and boy, she could run fast. I followed her down the street following her full speed, she turned ending up in an alley way. She realized that she reached a dead end and violently flipped around. I swerved to block her as she tried to escape. She put her hands on my chest and tried to move me.

"Move, Alexander!"

"Not until you tell me what's going on with you," I felt a drip of rain on my head, the storm is here. She backed away from me.

"WHY do you CARE?" She responded, letting sobs escape her mouth. Loud thunder boomed somewhere in the distance, the storm was definitely here now

"Because I care about YOU Angelica! Please just tell me what's wrong." She looked up at me with worried eyes

"Why are you scared?" She asked,

"I'm not" I tried to reply calmly.

"That's shit, I can see your hands shaking. What are you afraid of?" The thunder boomed again louder this time. "Alexander? Are you okay?"

But then I remembered my mom, remembered her horse voice singing me a lullaby in her last hours. I remember the very last thing she said to me, she looked at me, and it felt as if she was staring into my soul. I remember the sweet, tentative nature of her voice, "Alexander, I know you can make it out of here. Please for me, make it out. But when you do, please find someone as brilliant as you to share your wit with." I remember how she lifted her hand up to my cheek and stroked it gently. "I love you Alexander," I remember her pulling me close, and she died. Right there in my arms. I remember crying and just holding her because I was too sick to move. I remember walking to her grave sight and almost fainting with every step. Then I remember the hurricane. Wiping out everything I knew, killing everyone, destroying everything in her path. I felt Angelica hesitant arms wrap around me and push me over to the wall then force me to the ground.

"W-what are you doing, A-Angelica?" I tried to say between ragged breaths, it was now pouring rain, and tears were stinging my eyes. Angelica only responded by tightening her her grip on me. She slid down to the ground with me, only holding me closer when we reached the ground.

"Breathe, Alexander," I could feel myself calming down.

Angelia loosed her grip and leaned on her knees looking me in the eye.

"Alex, why are you afraid of the storm?"

"What was going on with Jefferson?"