Darn Stupid Brother You Are

(Angel's POV)

I went back to the dorm, after my conversation with Hendrix. I was worried about him, and I knew that when he was feeling better, he would confide in me. I just had to remind him that I was always there for him. That would never change. As I opened the door to my room, I was greeted by the smug face of Miss Stefan. She was sitting on my bed, a self-satisfied smile was on her face.

The hell?

I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Ah, Angel, welcome back," she said, her voice was so cheery you wouldn't tell that we had just had a falling out this afternoon. What game was she playing at? And why was she here?

"I see you're right on time for our little chat."

I raised an eyebrow, feeling annoyed. "What's going on? Why are you here?"

Miss Stefan's smile grew wider. "I've been assigned to be your new dorm mother, Angel. I'll be keeping an eye on you and your roommates from now on."

My eyes grew wider at that.

No she didn't!

"What? Why?" I nearly screamed, shocking my roommates with my tone. Dilada literally jumped.

Hande came and stood beside me, nudging me, "Angel, what's gotten into you?" She asked me from between her teeth. I looked at her momentarily and faced Miss Stefsn with my glare again. "Sorry ma'am she's just a bit stressed cuz of her brother." She apologized to Miss Stefan, and dragged me to sit beside her.

But I wasn't done.

I wretched my hand from Hande's grip and folded my arms across my chest.

Hande looked hurt as she went to sit down. It didn't matter to me right now. I would apologize later.

"We don't need a babysitter, Miss Stefan. We can take care of ourselves."

Miss Stefan chuckled. "Oh, I'm sure you think you can, Angel. But the center has decided that it's necessary. And I'm afraid it's not up for discussion."

I frowned, "But why you, huh? You're already the general dorm mother. Why do you need to be in our room too?"

Miss Stefan's smile stayed in place. God! Nothing could get through to this woman, could there? She was like an automated robot or something. "Well, Angel, I suppose I'm just particularly suited to... handling difficult patients... like yourself." I huffed at the implication. "Difficult patients? What's that supposed to mean?"

Miss Stefan shrugged. "Just that some patients require a bit more... attention than others. And I'm happy to provide that attention."

I didn't like the sound of this one bit. "I don't want you here. Can't we have a different dorm mother?"

Miss Stefan laughed. "Oh, Angel. You're not exactly in a position to be making demands. Now, let's move on to the new rules, shall we?"

She was impossible!

I knew exactly why she was here. She had assigned herself to my dorm room, just to spite me.

My roommates, Cylan, Dilada, Hands, and Charlotte, were all seated on their beds, looking like they'd rather be anywhere else. We all listened to Miss Stefan's speech about the new rules.

"...and remember, girls, I'll be keeping a close eye on all of you," Miss Stefan said, and she seemed so excited like it was the greatest job in the world. To control adults. "No more sneaking out, no more breaking curfew. We're going to have a strict schedule to follow, and I expect all of you to adhere to it."

I rolled my eyes. This was going to be a nightmare.

"Any questions?" Miss Stefan asked, looking around the room.

No one said anything, but I could tell they were all thinking the same thing. This was ridiculous. We were practically adults, and yet we were being treated like children.

"I'm glad you're all so eager to follow the rules," Miss Stefan said, her smile growing wider. "I'll be making sure to check in on you treatments too, to make sure you're getting better. So, you girls behave yourselves."

I couldn't take it anymore. "This is absurd," I said, standing up.

"The rules are in place, and you'll all be following them. That's final." she said as if she had been expecting a remark from me.

Smart ass.

I fumed, but I knew better than to push my luck. I sat back down, trying to calm myself down. This was going to be a long few weeks.

"Oh... lest I forget." Miss Stefan said out of the blue, "Your mom said to call her immediately, Angel."

My face immediately turned as white as a sheet of paper. I felt sick.

"Oh my goodness, Angel... Are you alright?" Cylan asked.

I smiled tightly.

Miss Stefan smiled sweetly. "I'm sure it's nothing, girls. Just a little misunderstanding."

But I knew better. I knew Miss Stefan had reported me to my mom for disobeying her earlier.

"Angel, are you going to make that call?" Miss Stefan asked, her voice still carrying that fake sweet tone in it. She was really evil. I could see that now.

I nodded, trying to hide my fear. "Yeah, I'll call her now."

Miss Stefan smiled, seeming to enjoy my discomfort. "Good. I'm sure your mom is very worried about you. I'll be leaving to check on the other dorm rooms now."

I glared at her, but she just turned and left the room, closing the door behind her.

As Miss Stefan left the room, my roommates gathered around me. "What happened?" Cylan asked. "Are you alright?"

I shook my head, feeling a lump form in my throat. "I don't know but I think I'm in trouble."

I could already imagine the yelling, the threats, the punishments.

"What the hell happened?" She asked again.

I sighed, feeling so frustrated at how everything turned out. "I disobeyed Miss Stefan earlier. I stayed at the infirmary with Hendrix instead of coming back to the dorm."

Hands frowned. "But why is that a big deal? Isn't he your stepbrother? Would they prefer it if you weren't worried?"

Her questions were valid. But we were talking about my mom here. My mom was a realist, not an idealist. To mom, rules are made to not be broken.

I shook my head. "My mom will believe whatever Miss Stefan tells her. She never believes a word I say. And she'll be so mad at me."

Hande put a hand on my shoulder. "We're here for you, Angel. Whatever happens."

I smiled weakly, feeling grateful to them. "Thanks guys."

I quickly grabbed my phone and saw that I had ten missed calls and countless texts from my mom. My heart raced as I scrolled through the messages, each one more threatening than the last. "Where are you?!" my mom demanded in one text. "I'm going to rain down hell on you if you don't get back to me right now!"

I sighed. I felt the lump in my throat grow painfully and my eyes sting with unshed tears as I read the messages. I knew I had to call her, but I was afraid of what she would say.

"Guys, I have to make this call," I said, clearing my throat.

My roommates nodded sympathetically, giving me space.

I took a deep breath and dialled my mom's number, my heart pounding in my chest. What would she say? How angry would she be?

The phone rang twice before my mom answered, her voice sounding as stern as it always did, but this time ten times worse. "Angel, where have you been? I've been trying to reach you for hours!"

I hesitated, trying to think of an excuse. But I knew my mom wouldn't believe me. She never did.

"I was just... worried about Hendrix," I said finally, trying to sound calm.

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Hendrix? What does he have to do with anything?"

I sighed. Of course Miss Stefan hadn't given her the full details. "I was at the infirmary with him, he slumped and-and I didn't want to leave him alone."

My mom's voice rose in anger. "You disobeyed Miss Stefan and stayed at the infirmary? Angel, how many times do I have to tell you to follow the rules?"

I felt a surge of frustration. Why couldn't my mom ever understand me? Why was she taking light of the matter?

"Mom, are you even listening to me?," I tried to explain. "Hendrix was really hurt, and I was worried about him. You could have asked about him. He's your relation too. Not like I meant to disobey Miss Stefan." But my mom wasn't having it. "Mind your tone when talking to me Angel Deidre Accutane! You ungrateful brat. You better behave. Is that clear?"

"Ugh! Fine!"

I hung up.