June 10th Friday
Summer was almost here. The weather in New York had started shifting as the gentle, breezy spring days slowly gave way to intense, bright afternoon sunlight. The streets below were already filling up with people in lighter clothes, crop tops, and shorts, all eagerly preparing for the heat of the season.
Inside Dove Manor, however, the atmosphere was unusually quiet.
Sunlight slipped through the heavy curtains, landing softly right on Angel's face. She frowned in her sleep, turning away from the glare, but the persistent light followed her. With a tired groan, she finally sat up, blinking a few times to clear her blurry vision. Still half-asleep, she let herself collapse back onto the pillows, rolling around with a sigh.
"If you're awake, leave my room."
Angel paused. Her eyes flew open, and she sat up a second time, pushing her messy hair out of her face. Her gaze landed on someone sitting near the desk.
Max.
He was lounging comfortably in the chair, staring back at her with his usual lazy expression, his hair still slightly damp from a morning shower.
Angel stared at him, bewildered. "What are you doing in my room?"
Max raised an eyebrow. "You're in my room."
Angel froze. She quickly scanned her surroundings the unfamiliar decorations, the darker furniture, the massive gaming setup in the corner. She blinked. Oh. She really was in Max's room.
Noticing the sudden realization dawning on her face, Max let out a small, amused smile. Angel glared at him. "What?"
"Nothing."
"You're smiling."
"I'm really not."
"You are."
Max rolled his eyes, leaning back. "Go back to sleep."
"Whatever."
Angel immediately lay back down, pulling the heavy blanket securely over her shoulders. For a few seconds, the room returned to absolute quiet. But then, the heavy memories of the previous night came rushing back. The sudden announcement. London. Leaving everything and everyone behind.
Her eyes snapped open, and she sat up slowly. Max noticed the shift instantly.
With her hair partially veiling her face, Angel looked down at the sheets, a small, involuntary sniff escaping her. Max sighed quietly. He already knew what she was thinking.
"We're really leaving?" she asked, her voice incredibly small.
Max's guarded expression softened completely. He stood up from his desk and walked over to the side of the bed, bending down so they were at eye level. "I don't think we have a choice, Angel."
Angel looked away, her lips forming a tight, hurt pout. For once in her life, she didn't try to argue or snap back. Max reached out, gently brushing the stray strands of hair away from her face before pulling her into a firm, grounding hug.
Angel didn't fight the embrace. She just leaned into him quietly. As much as she hated admitting it, right now, she really needed her brother.
After a long moment, she gently pushed him away, wiping her nose. "Okay. Enough."
Max smiled faintly.
Angel swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. "I'm going back to my room." She took a few steps toward the door before freezing, a sudden thought hitting her. She spun around. "Wait."
Max looked up. "What?"
"Don't we have school today?"
He shrugged carelessly. "I decided we're not going."
Angel blinked in surprise. "You decided?"
"Yes."
She stared at him, processing the rare act of rebellion, and then simply nodded. Honestly, she didn't have the energy to care about missing classes, let alone argue about it.
"Fine."
She opened the bedroom door, standing silently on the threshold for a brief second as the weight of their situation settled over her again. Then, she stepped out into the hallway.
Max watched the heavy oak door click shut. The moment she was gone, his reassuring smile completely faded. He sank into his thoughts, because even though he was trying his absolute best to be strong for his sister... he was terrified of the move, too.
******
Westbridge Academy ... Cafeteria
Something felt entirely off today. Everyone in the cafeteria noticed, though nobody quite knew what to make of it yet. The two seats that were usually the most impossible to miss in the entire room were completely empty.
The Dove's were absent.
The whispers had already begun rippling across the student body. Miley Harper sat at their usual table, her phone gripped tightly in her hand as she stared at the screen for what felt like the hundredth time.
She had been trying to reach Angel all morning through calls, text messages. Everything went unanswered. Nothing but silence.
"Did you get through to Max?"
Miley looked up. Calvin had just taken the seat beside her, sliding his lunch tray onto the table with a heavy thud.
She shook her head, her frustration turning into genuine worry. "No."
Calvin frowned, breaking off a piece of his bread. "Do you think they just up and left for some kind of impromptu vacation since their parents are finally back in town?"
Miley immediately shot down the idea. "No." She looked back down at the glowing screen of her phone. "Angel would have told me. She wouldn't just disappear without saying something."
The rest of the table stayed quiet because they knew she was right. Angel and Miley were attached at the hip; Angel told Miley absolutely everything. Well, almost everything.
Before anyone could speculate further, a familiar, high-pitched voice dramatically interrupted the quiet tension of the group.
"Guys!"
Everyone turned to see Molly walking briskly toward the table, with Ariana trailing just a step behind her. Molly placed a manicured hand dramatically over her chest, looking thoroughly distressed. "I literally cannot reach Max. He's completely ghosting me."
A collective sigh echoed around the table. Luke leaned back in his plastic chair, balancing it on two legs. "That's old news, Molly."
Molly frowned, crossing her arms. "What?"
"We all can't reach them," Luke explained, gesturing vaguely with his fork.
Ariana looked genuinely confused, glancing between them. "Seriously? Both of them?"
Nathan nodded, confirming the grim reality.
"Yeah. Nobody in the group chat or the
football team has heard a single word from either of them all day."
Suddenly, Miley's phone buzzed violently in her palm. The change in her expression was instantaneous; the worry vanished, replaced by an urgent focus as she unlocked the screen. "They replied!"
Everyone at the table leaned forward, their attention locking onto her.
"Finally," Fred muttered into his drink.
Miley quickly pulled up their shared group chat. Luke had sent the initial, blunt message that had broken the silence.
Luke:Are you guys dead?.
A second later, Max's name popped up on the screen with a characteristically casual response.
Max:No. Much alive.
A wave of amused chuckles rippled through the group, breaking the heavy tension. "Of course that's his answer," Calvin said, shaking his head.
Miley smiled slightly, but her eyes locked onto the screen as a new bubble appeared. It was Angel.
Miley:Are you guys okay?
The reply came almost immediately.
Angel:Yes.
Miley let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, relaxing back into her seat. But before she could text back, another message from Angel popped up, sending a chill of curiosity through the table.
Angel: Let's all meet at the coffee house after school.
Miley looked up, her gaze scanning the faces of her friends. "Angel wants us to meet up at the coffee house right after the final bell."
Everyone exchanged knowing, slightly wary looks.
"Good," Calvin said, his expression turning serious. "Because I have a lot of questions."
Molly nodded quickly in agreement. "Same here. Something weird is going on."
Luke grinned, though his eyes remained curious. "Especially for Max. I need to know why he had the nerve to ignore my calls during lunch."
Miley rolled her eyes at Luke, but secretly, a deep pit of unease settled in her stomach. Something major had happened—she could feel it in her bones. Angel wasn't the type to just ditch school and go radio silent for hours on end.
Whatever they were about to find out at the coffee house, Miley suddenly felt like their entire world was about to change.