Cruel World

2: "Arabella."

Aella sat on the couch with her feet up on the coffee table. She checked the time again and flicked through the channels, not being able to find anything good to watch.

The sound of the front door unlocking made her sit up and look at the door. "Hey, little Lowell." He smiled at her as he took off his shoes. "Hey." "How was school?" "It's ok. Got to go to my first extra class today." "That's awesome." "Yeah." He moves to sit at the counter and started to work on something.

She sighed before continuing to watch TV, let him do what he was doing. She listens to him turn around and look at her. "Yes?" He didn't respond, but he turned back around and continue to work.

Around 5, she got up and started to make him dinner. As she looked down at the frying pan, the girl from before appeared in her head. She shook her head before finishing up. She didn't understand the reason she was coming to mind.

But she was curious about why she did.

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After Lowell had gone to school every day for the last few days, Aella basically stalked the coffee shop. And if she wasn't, someone from the gang was. They didn't know why, and they weren't going to know why.

One day when she was walking over there she saw that the mystery girl was in there. She grinned slightly and walked in calmly.

The girl from the other day looked up at watched Aella walk in and over to the counter. She then started to walk over to a table with her cup. The girl noticed she was coming to her table.

She sighed before looking back down at the book in front of her again.

"Well hello there. I was wondering when you would come back." The girl just continues to stare down at her book, drawing. "Well rude." "And stalking someone isn't?" Aella stared down at the girl, studying her. "I don't know what you are talking about." "Cut the bullshit. I'm not stupid." Aella calmly took a sip of her coffee, pissing the girl off even more. "Look I don't care who you are. Just leave me alone." Aella set her cup down with a grin that made anyone's skin crawl. "I'll make a deal with you. Just tell me your name and I'll leave you alone."

The stare that the girl gave Aella shown that she won.

"Arabella."

"Arabella. That's nice." "Ok, you said you would leave now." "Did I?" The girl huffed. "Yes. You did."

Aella grinned again at her. "I don't remember saying that." The girl huffed once again before getting up again. Aella watched her as she made the way of to the door. Aella got up and slowly followed her.

"So Miss Arabella," the girl continue to walk down the sidewalk, not looking at her. "Why do you not want to talk to me?" "You are annoying." "Annoying? That one is new." "New?" She stopped and turned to her. "Are you really saying that no one has called you annoying?"

"Nope." "Wow, that's a shocker." Aella started to work away. "Hey wait I'm not done talking to you." Aella grinned as she heard the other girl running up behind her. She looked to her left, as she walked by the road. "Are you really serious?" "Yep. Serious."

Arabella stared at Aella before Aella turned away from Arabella, walking the other way. "I'll see you later Miss Arabella."

When Aella got back to the apartment she was shocked to see Lowell sitting on the ground, tears running down his face.

"Lowell, what happened?" He looked up at her to show some bruises and a busted lip. He shook his head before picking up all his stuff and going into the building. She followed him. "Lowell Alex Whine. What happened to you?" "What does it look like. I was jumped trying to get in, ok?"

Aella face went red with anger. She sighed before walking up the stairs with him. "Come on. Let's go get you clean up." He nodded before unlocking the door and threw his stuff down while walking to the bathroom.

She set her stuff down went to the bathroom where he sat on the counter, with the first-aid in his lap. She opened it and started to clean up his cuts.

He had a busted lip, a few cuts on his palms, knees, and legs. His neck has black and blue handprints on it. While cleaning him up, her anger boiled more and more.

"Who did this to you?" "I don't know. I think some people from school." He looked down at his hands. She placed her hand on his chin and made him look at her. "Lowell. What happen?" "Some boys followed me home and jumped me." "How many?"

"Don't worry about it." "God damn it Lowell. How many fucking boys were there!" She slammed her hand on the counter beside him. He jumped and looked at her. "4. They were 9th and 10th grades." "Do you know their names?" She mumbled.

"Yeah." He told her the names and she nodded.

"Hey." She placed her hand on the side of his face. "I didn't mean to scare you. I just...." "Hate it. I know." "I love you baby brother." "I love you too sis." He hugged her as she hugged him back before setting him down.

"How about we go out to eat tonight, yeah?"

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Aella sat on the couch with her laptop in her lap. She looked into the names that Lowell told her. She looked into all their files and everything that needed to know about them.