The House of Angels

If not now, then when?

"Mommy... mommy, where are you? Why did you leave me?" Lucy's wounded little voice echoed from her room.

Moon felt a pang in her heart, hearing the pain that little child was going through. She approached the door, not exactly knowing what to do.

The little girl was crying with her face against the pillow, her little body shaking with every sob.

"Lucy...?" Moon whispered softly, slowly approaching her bed.

The little girl stiffened for a moment, before her cute face came into Moon's vision.

"Moon..." She cried softly, looking at her.

"What's wrong, honey?" She asked frowning, sitting on Lucy's bed and stroking gently her pretty head.

"Moon, Lucas took me to the park this morning and two girls kept calling me "ugly orphan" and they told me I'm so stupid and useless that even my mommy didn't want me." She said, bursting out crying again.

"Ow poor Lucy..." Moon whispered to the little girl, hugging her in a gentle way. "Do not listen to those petty girls... they don't know anything about you and they should think about themselves and their bad attitude. You are the most beautiful, cute and smart girl I've ever met! Trust me, anyone would be lucky to have you in their life!"

"How do you know that?" Lucy asked sniffling and looking at Moon with an hopeful expression.

"I know beacuse I feel lucky to have you in mine!" She smiled softly at her.

"So where is my mommy? Why did she leave me?" The girl asked, sniffling again.

Moon had no idea what to say.

"My mum left me too, Lucy. I was so young that I can't even remember her face. I kept telling myself that it was beacuse of me, that maybe I'd done something wrong, but the truth is I didn't do anything to make her leave, like you didn't do anything to make your mommy leave. I don't know why she left, but I can promise I will help you find her, ok?" She said, immediately regretting it. She hadn't been able to find her own mother, it was too confident to assume she could manage to find Lucy's. She thought about taking back her words, but when she looked at Lucy's hopeful, sparkling eyes she couldn't manage to deprive that little angel of hope, so she smiled at her gently. Maybe she could ask Sister Mary about Lucy and see what she could do, hoping her mother wasn't a drug addict, a violent person or worse, dead.

"In the meantime will you be my big sister, Moony?" Lucy asked, smiling sweetly.

"Sure! And I will teach you how to play soccer and next time we'll go to the park together and I will keep you away from the mean girls!" Moon said hugging her again before standing up.

"Now, what can I do to cheer you up?" Moon asked, helping Lucy out of bed.

"Why don't you read me a story?" The little one asked with a serious tone, placing her hands on her waist.

"Sure! What kind of story?" Moon smiled at her.

"Uhmmmm... I don't know, let's go downstairs!" Lucy said, grabbing her arm and heading downstairs.

They went through a sort of recreation room where Justin and Peter were playing ping pong, they politely greeted them and focused back on the game; then they went through a corridor with two bathrooms on each side and a double door in front of them at the end of it.

Lucy struggled to push the door open with no results, Moon giggled a little before opening it for her.

She remembered that room, Helena showed her when they took a tour of the place.

It was a large room full of bookshelves and some desks, even an old computer. It was all wooden and two large windows offered a great view of the rear garden where Moon could see Josh playing soccer with Russel and Lawrence.

Then she saw him. Daniel St Vincent in all his glory. He was sprawled on an armchair with his messy hair and tired eyes, in a black shirt with a skeleton giving the middle and a pair of sports shorts. He was reading something but glanced at the door as he heard them entering the room.

"Hi Daniel..." Lucy smiled shyly.

"Hi, Lucy..." he answered politely. He then focused on Moon again. "Good morning, little brat, slept well?" He smiled.

"Oh, yeah..." she answered. Then she thought about her puking on him and felt a little guilty.

"I owe you an apology, Daniel... Josh told me about yesterday and I'm so sorry about... you know..." she said, embarassed.

"It's ok, Moon." He shrugged. "We had fun, you really are a party animal!" He laughed lightly.

"Oh, I can't remember much." She rubbed her neck, embarassed.

"Well, next time I'll make sure to make a video..." he said, trying to hide a smirk.

Moon was confused by his weird attitude and what was he even talking about? Make a video of what, exactly? She furrowed her brows and looked him straight in the eyes.

"Lucy, go choose a book." She said to the little girl who was witnessing their weird exchange in confusion. She immediately obliged, running toward one of the shelves. Moon focused back on Daniel.

"What do you mean?" She asked sternly, folding her arms on her chest.

"Woah Moon, calm down, that came out wrong, I didn't do anything, I swear!" He raised his arms in surrender. "And I'm actually a little offended you think this low of me." He furrowed his brows, and Moon could tell from his expression that he was hurt, but what was he expecting?! He had just clearly hinted at something, he had no right to feel offended if she'd thought the worst.

"And what were you referring at, then?" She pursed her lips and took a step forward.

"Ok. You asked for it." He folded his arms as well and took a step forward too, narrowing his eyes and looking at her in a challenging way.

"At some point of the party we lost you. We began looking for you and we found you two minutes later, behind a bush with a drunk college girl, making out and touching each others. You happy now?" He said nodding his chin in her direction.

"Oh crap!" Moon whisper-yelled.

"I thought I heard you say that Josh told you everything about yesterday, but it seems he 'forgot' this part." He said carefully.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you. But I didn't know this part of the story and..." she was cut off.

"It's ok, it was a misunderstanding." He shrugged. "f**k, you went berserk! You should have seen your eyes!" He laughed heartily.

"Don't feel ashamed, little brat. It is good to explore your sexuality. We are young, if not know, then when?" He winked at her, going back to his armchair, not sparing her another glance.

Moon was sitting on an armchair with Lucy at the corner of the room, reading the Beauty and the Beast, when Sister Mary walked in with a bloody, bruised Carlos beside her.

"What happened?!" Moon asked, startled.

"Oh this little boy was involved in a fight! I seriously don't know what to do with him!" Sister Mary said frowning.

"But why?"

"So there were this two bitches-" he was cut off by Sister Mary "Watch your tongue, boy, or I will ground you until school begins!" She patted his neck lightly.

"So, Lucy told me there were this two girls (bitches) at the park, who kept calling her names and I wanted a (f*****g) explanation..." he went on, keeping the swear words to a whisper so deaf Sister Mary could not hear them.

"I knew their brother and I asked him what was wrong with his (b***h) sisters and he had the (f*****g) guts to push me, so I jumped on this (motherfucker) wrapping my hands around his throat and as we landed on the (f*****g) ground I punched his (f*****g) face. He was k.o. on the ground but his (motherfucker) friends jumped on me, I couldn't do much the cowards were three against one. No match." He frowned, furious.

Moon didn't know whether to scold him for fighting and swearing or hug him for the nice gesture he'd done for Lucy.

"You did good, man. Go see the nurse we'll talk later." Daniel said to him, the two exchanged a knowing look, making Moon frown. What was all that about?

"Oww Carlos is hurt because of me???" Lucy sobbed softly, clearly trying to hold back her tears.

"It's not your fault Lucy. Come with me, you'll keep me company!" Carlos smiled at her softly,taking her hand and going after Sister Mary.