Angel on a Mission

Chapter 3

Gabrielle's POV

I walked purposefully to my next class, but in a sudden, unexpected move, I found myself suddenly being dragged by my arm into another empty room.

"Are you following me?" he hissed at me, his tone sharp and accusatory.

"Excuse me?" I replied, looking at him in sheer disbelief.

The person standing before me was none other than Alexander Smith.

He was Brooke's eldest brother, the guy I encountered yesterday.

"Don't play innocent," he retorted, irritation evident as he gritted his teeth.

This guy really must have an attitude problem. Unbelievable.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're talking about. Could you kindly move to the side so I can leave? I have a class to attend," I stated, trying to sound bored and unimpressed.

He shot me a glare that could pierce through steel.

I sighed deeply, trying to maintain my composure.

"Okay, do you want to talk? I can talk," I offered. "Is it about the incident by the lake again? What on earth do you even want to know about that day?" I continued, irritation creeping into my voice.

"Do you know how I got there? Well, I, too, have my own property nearby and was roaming around the woods when I heard your sister's scream for help. Believe it or not, that's the honest truth," I explained, my tone calm but firm.

"Why did I seem to know you? It's not difficult to read someone like yourself, and I realized you were a pretty well-off guy given your private property. I could grasp your personality instantly from your first reaction when I saved your sister. It wasn't a very good one, I’ll tell you that," I added, noting the way his brows furrowed at my words.

"Let it go. I have no business with you whatsoever. I'm just grateful that Brooke is safe and sound, and that's what you should be focusing on instead of harassing me," I asserted, hoping to put an end to this unnecessary tension.

His jaw clenched, but he remained silent.

Choosing not to engage any further, I used the other door to exit the room and continued on to my class as if nothing had happened.

However, it turned out that he was also in the same class.

Now I see why he might think I’m stalking him.

But still, that accusation was a bit much.

He certainly thinks quite highly of himself.

I ignored him as he cast daggers my way with his intense glare.

He really needed to calm down; after all, I wasn’t even the villain in this situation.

Class eventually came to an end, and I began making my way to the cafeteria, all the while feeling the weight of curious eyes watching me.

They looked as if they had seen an angel.

Literally.

And, well, they were pretty much staring at one.

Upon entering the cafeteria, I quickly spotted Mikaela sitting in one of the seats. Our eyes met, and I waved at her with a warm smile on my face.

"Can I join you?" I asked politely, seeking her approval.

"Are you sure you want to sit with me?" she replied, seemingly surprised.

I nodded enthusiastically.

"Of course, I do," I assured her.

Mikaela smiled back at me, her expression brightening.

I took a seat across from her, acutely aware that people were still stealing glances at us.

"Aren't you going to get your food?" I inquired, noticing she hadn't moved.

She shook her head slightly.

"I have... a lunchbox," she said, her voice soft and shy. I smiled, feeling a wave of camaraderie.

"Cool! Me too," I replied, pulling out my lunchbox filled with a colorful vegetable salad and some fruits that I had prepared earlier that morning.

Mikaela's eyes lit up with excitement as she looked at my meal.

Just as we were about to dig into our lunches, someone abruptly plopped down at our table, causing Mikaela to freeze in her seat.

"Hey, Elle! The name's Emily. Emily Summers, but you can call me Em," she declared cheerfully. I offered her a smile in response.

"Why don't you join us for lunch instead? Surely, you shouldn't be having lunch with this loser," she added with obvious disdain, reaching out to twirl Mikaela's red hair. Mikaela flinched at the unexpected touch.

I lightly grasped Emily's wrist, stopping her movements.

"No, thank you. Also, please keep your hands to yourself. It's very rude to touch someone without their consent," I stated firmly, maintaining a polite yet assertive tone. She gasped in disbelief at my comeback.

"Excuse me?" she exclaimed, her anger palpable from my confrontation. I simply smiled back, unmoved.

"Have a nice lunch," I said, watching as people began murmuring amongst themselves. Emily flushed a deep shade of red, her expression shifting to one of irritation before she glared at me and stormed off.

Thank you, God.

"Elle, that was E-Emily Summers," Mikaela said in a whisper, her voice tinged with fear.

"Yes, I heard that," I replied, not surprised at all.

Of course, I knew who she was.

In this world, she's what people often refer to as ‘Miss Popular’ because of her looks and wealth, but she was also known for being mean and spiteful.

Well, if her father doesn’t stop gambling, she’ll soon be just ‘pretty’ and no longer ‘rich.’

"She's very famous here, Elle. She... bullies a lot of people on campus," Mikaela shared, visibly shivering with apprehension. I raised my hand, opening it to her. She looked at my gesture in confusion but ultimately reached for it, hoping to find comfort in my presence.

Immediately, I sensed her relax, and I smiled at her to help soothe her lingering anxiety.

"I'll be fine, Mikaela. You will be, too," I reassured her, and she finally smiled back, letting out a sigh of relief.

We spent the remainder of lunch getting to know one another better.

Admittedly, I didn't have much to share about myself—at least not much I could divulge.

All I could mention was that there was nothing particularly interesting in my life; I came from a very small town and tended to stay home a lot.

That was the identity I was meant to uphold throughout my mission.

It wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn’t the complete truth either.

Mikaela had plenty of details to share about herself, though.

None of which I hadn’t already heard other people say about her, but that was perfectly fine.

I enjoyed seeing her light up as she introduced herself without fear of judgment.

It was fun to allow her to express her thoughts and feelings freely.

She had always seemed so quiet and shy, primarily because people bullied her for no good reason at all.

Still, she possessed a heart of gold.

It felt like fate had brought me a wonderful friend to share my journey during this mission of mine.

Classes resumed, and Mika invited me to her house after school.

Yes, I had begun calling her Mika now.

She asked me to call her that since we were friends at this point.

She was adorably sweet.

After three more classes, school finally wrapped up for the day.

I waited patiently for Mika outside in my car.

However, I soon heard whistling that made me feel quite uneasy.

"Hey, hot stuff!" a guy called out, and I didn't turn around, but I felt their presence leaning in against the car I was sitting in.

It was a group of football players.

"You're the new girl, huh?" one of the guys said, giving me a wink that sent chills down my spine.

Yeah, no.

I absolutely refused to deal with this nonsense. But at the same time, I realized I would have to if I wanted to fit in for the sake of my cover.

"The name's Ash Jones," he introduced himself, extending his hand for a shake.

"Elle Martinez," I replied, accepting his hand. However, to my shock, he brought my hand to his mouth to kiss it.

That would have been sweet, under different circumstances.

But I knew precisely what thoughts were swimming around in his mind.

All those inappropriate, dirty thoughts about me.

Ugh.

How utterly disgusting.

"Jones!" a voice, familiar to me, called out from behind, causing all the guys to turn their heads.

"Sht," one of Ash's friends cursed under his breath.

I shivered at the use of such foul language.

Why do people choose to cuss anyway?

"Are you going to f*cking flirt or head to practice?" Alexander said with unmistakable anger in his voice. Ash groaned, giving me one last wink before departing.

Alexander's eyes burned into me with a glare, but I merely smiled back at him, undeterred by his intensity.

"Elle!" I heard Mika's familiar voice calling out.

"Hey, girl. Ready to go?" I replied, and she looked over the car with excitement in her eyes.

"Nice ride!" she exclaimed as I opened the door for her.

"Thank you. My dad gifted it to me," I told her with a wink that made her giggle with delight.

After that, we drove to Mikaela's house.

As we arrived, I was surprised by how large her house was.

It seemed that Mikaela was quite well-off.

Her father was a kind CEO who generously helped lots of people in need, both within the workplace and outside of it. Her mother was a dedicated housewife who took care of Mika, the household, and dedicated her free time to charity work.

Both of her parents exhibited remarkable kindness. They made a habit of donating to charity and actively engaging in goodwill.

A woman greeted us at the door with a bright smile, her demeanor warm and inviting.

"Cupcake!" she exclaimed, beaming at Mikaela.

"Mom, I'm with my friend," Mika whined, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. The woman turned her attention to me, still smiling.

"Good afternoon, ma'am. My name is Elle. I’m Mika’s friend," I introduced myself politely.

"Oh my! Hello there. It’s so lovely to meet you, Elle," she said, enveloping me in a welcoming hug.

"She’s really pretty, Mom, isn’t she?" Mika whispered to her mother, a proud grin on her face. I couldn’t help but smile.

"Mika, you’re definitely the prettier one," I complimented, and she blushed even more. Her mom observed us with affection.

"Come on in, girls," Mrs. Carter invited, ushering us into their lovely home.

Almost immediately, two rambunctious dogs rushed to greet us, tails wagging furiously as they welcomed us with uncontainable excitement.

So cute!

I knelt down, eagerly patting and caressing them.

“Angel!” one dog thought, as they bounced around joyfully.

Of course, they must have sensed my identity.

We settled onto the sofa while the dogs cuddled up to my sides, clearly feeling at ease in my presence.

"Wow, they really like you," Mika remarked, her eyes wide with surprise.

"I like them, too," I replied, continuing to rub their fur gently.

Mrs. Carter soon provided us with snacks, and the three of us enjoyed munching on them while chatting away for a while.

Around 5 PM, Mika and I ventured outside to take the dogs for a walk.

"You’re really good with dogs. Do you have a dog, too?" Mika asked, curious.

"Not really," I chuckled while reminiscing. There's no dogs where I came from, but I had met one before, and they were a genuine charm to spend time with.

We lingered in the park for a while, enjoying the fresh air.

"Elle? Elle!" a familiar voice called out, prompting me to turn and see a little girl sprinting towards me.

I smiled and caught her in my arms, lifting her up happily.

"Brooke," I said softly, setting her down gently and caressing her hair affectionately.

"Do you live here too?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. I shook my head gently.

"I'm here to visit a friend," I responded, glancing at Mika's shocked and bewildered expression.

"Brooke, this is Mika. Mika, this is Brooke," I introduced them to each other. Brooke shyly waved at Mika, who awkwardly waved back, looking both pleased and flustered.

"Brooke!" another girl who appeared younger than us came sprinting towards us.

It was Brooke's older sister.

"I'm so sorry," she apologized, pulling Brooke away from me while glancing up at me with wide eyes. She froze for a moment, seemingly captivated. I smiled warmly at her.

"It's okay. We already know each other. By the way, I'm Elle," I introduced myself. She snapped back into focus, her realization sparking a friendly smile.

"I'm Bella. Brooke's older sister," she said, extending her hand for a handshake.

"Nice to meet you, Bella," I replied sincerely. She smiled back at me, clearly feeling a mix of emotions.

So many thoughts raced through her mind, but they all seemed positive.

"Are you by any chance a model?" she asked curiously, her eyes full of admiration. I chuckled lightly and shook my head.

"You should definitely be one," she asserted, still in awe of me. I smiled politely.

"It's not something I really want to pursue," I told her, hoping to convey my genuine disinterest.

Afterward, I introduced Mika to Bella as well, and the three of us stayed in the park chatting together. I was genuinely happy to see Mika engaging in the conversation as well.

I think I may have just made a new friend—or perhaps even a few friends, including Brooke.