#angeleven

Summary: Angela made the worst decision of her life— She chased after Jane.

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Chapter One:

They lied still next to each other in the back of that ugly pizza van. Her back was already starting to ache and it still smelled like the nasty weed the older boys had been smoking and stale pizza. It was cold and they were pressed so close together, she could feel every breath and shift the other girl made. She tried to ignore her. She tried, she tried, she tried.

Maybe if she had done so from the beginning- on that first day when new, alien Jane had stumbled into their shiny school with ugly clothes, an ugly haircut, and absolutely no social skills. Smiling and stuttering and voice too quiet, words off and wrong. Maybe if she had just kept her hands to herself, her thoughts to herself, maybe if she had just-

Angela thought this was the most confusing turn of events. She had only come to the Byer’s house to demand an apology from Jane, for hitting her at the roller rink. Her nose was still covered in bandages and she knew it could scar.

Jane could leave a scar on her.

Angela lifted her hand to caress it but their closeness had Jane peering over at her from her side of their makeshift bed.

Angela turned away from her and caressed her nose. She was going to do whatever she wanted, regardless of whatever a loser like Jane thought. She was not embarrassed and she was not sorry for teaching her a lesson about snitching on her.

She hoped it wouldn’t scar. She was too pretty to have a scar. Her pretty, perfect face with a crack in the middle.

Jane pressed her hand against Angela’s shoulder. Angela tried to shrug her off, wanting to be left alone to tend to her poor nose, but Jane was stubbornly holding on. Never could get a clue.

“I’m-“ Jane started, but Angela kicked out at her.

“If you say you’re sorry I swear to god.” Angela growled. She did not want an apology anymore. That died hours upon hours ago on the way to save her in this stupid smelly pizza van with Jane’s ugly brothers and their stupid, ugly friends (Why was everyone here so ugly?)

Because Angela wasn’t sorry. Not at all. She wasn’t. She wasn’t. She wasn’t. What she wanted was for Jane or Eleven- what the fuck- to be normal and not a science experiment with a buzz cut and superpowers.

Oh my god, she was trying to use them on her that day wasn’t she? Angela wrapped her arms around herself. She wasn’t sorry. She wasn’t.

“I’m sorry,” sweet Jane— the freak, said anyway. She almost pressed the tips of their fingers together in a lame gesture of some sort of sense of camaraderie or comfort, but Angela quickly pulled away. Jane looked wounded and Angela almost smiled for it. “I’m glad you’re safe.” She added softly.

I’m glad you’re safe. A mutual sentiment. Angela had wanted that apology, she had dropped everything to see her, Angela had jumped in the car, Angela had-

Angela had to fight men for her earlier. Had to drag them off her. Jane had clung to her then, in the middle of all of that chaos, surprised to see her. She let her fingers slide back to where Jane could touch them a little, if that’s- if that’s really what she wanted.

The tips of Jane’s fingers trembled as they brushed hers. It was silent between them for a moment.

“But I haven’t forgiven you yet.” Jane whispered, her gaze soft anyway.

“Yeah, well, I’ll never forgive you,” Angela snarled back in a whisper-yell and snatched her hand away, before she rolled over. “So why don’t you just shut up?”

Jane swallowed audibly and Angela believed for a glorious moment that she was going to actually do so, but the stupid girl with no respect for social cues pressed on. “You’re very pretty, regardless.” She fidgeted from too close behind her, “I always thought so.”

Angela said nothing. Of course Jane thought she was pretty, everyone did. It wasn’t really an opinion so much as just true- “She’s naturally gorgeous!”- as her mother would say, while piling lipgloss on her as a baby.

“I don’t care.” Angela snapped, close to tears. Why was she so close to tears? It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter. “I know that, okay? Why don’t you save that line for your boyfriend. He needs someone to lie to him.”

Jane gasped in great offence, and grabbed her arm. “Mike isn’t ugly!”

“If he were any uglier the Make A Wish foundation would give him one out of pity.” Angela baby-voiced with a pouty lip, breaking and smiling at Jane’s red face.

Jane froze. She leaned forward towards Angela, unprompted and tried to touch her face. Angela’s eyes widened and she shot back and rocked the car a little when her back met the side of it. Jane’s hands suddenly on her shoulders. Jane was reaching towards her face again, had completely taken over her space, no social skills, none.

Did those scientists not talk to her while they were experimenting on her or something? They had done Angela, and the rest of world, a huge disservice.

“Get off,” Angela hissed, cheeks pink and- and a little wet. Her nose stung.

“Why are you crying?” Jane asked, sounding so concerned. Her thumbs collecting water and grazing her eyelashes.

“Oh my god, get off.” Angela tried again, pushing at her. Why couldn’t Jane just leave her alone? Why couldn’t she just go to sleep? Everyone else in this car was asleep, they should be asleep.

“Does it still hurt, Angela?” Jane asked desperately- looking guilty and clinging to her with a grip that Angela just couldn’t get loose. “I’m sorry. You hurt my feelings and ruined my day and I just wanted to make you hurt too.” She told her as she cradled her face. She pressed their foreheads together, but thankfully not their noses. Angela’s lips trembled with how close they were from Jane’s.

I’m not sorry. She thought desperately. I’m not. You can’t make me- you can’t make me sorry.

Because that’s exactly what Jane was trying to do when she forced that roller skate into her face and Angela refused to let her get to her like that. Refused to let her win. She shouldn’t have been a snitch if she didn’t want to be dealt with like one.

Angela twisted her face away. “Let me go, you freak! I mean it!” She cried out softly as she shoved at her.

Jane reluctantly let go only to hover beside her head in a criss-cross applesauce position, her eyes deeply hurt. “Why did you come?” She asked desperately. “Why are you here?”

I don’t want your apology, I don’t want it anymore, I don’t know.

I’ll never forgive you.

“I’m glad you’re safe.” Angela settled on, before she turned on her side, away from her again. “Now, leave me alone and try to actually get some beauty sleep.”

“Really?” Jane wondered, eyes wide in shock and curiosity.

“Yeah, you need it.” Angela reflected and smiled wickedly. Jane sat by her for a moment longer, before she reluctantly climbed back over to her side. She settled down before she peered back over at her.

“Goodnight, Angela.” Jane whispered.

“Goodnight, Jane.” She answered softly.

She closed her eyes and tried to force her mind empty. Tried not to think about all of the terrible things waiting for her tomorrow. Like monsters and evil men, Jane and Jane’s ugly family and friends, the smell of their awful smoke…pain. Her pain medicine left behind.

She scowled pitifully and buried the urge to roll up into a ball. She should’ve stayed home. It’s not like they needed her here. It’s not like her and Jane were friends. It’s not like Jane needed her help. She

had powers. The freak had powers and Angela didn’t so what the hell did she need her here for?

Why did you come?

I shouldn’t have. She thought furiously. I really shouldn’t have.

Why are you here?

It doesn’t matter. I’m not going to get anything I want. She thought bitterly, I should just leave.

Jane’s fugly boyfriend (“Mike isn’t ugly!” Bullshit.) had made it perfectly clear that he wanted her to leave as well. Well before the other girl had even joined them. Something about a party and not being invited. She had never not been invited to a party, but seeing as who was throwing it, she knew she wasn’t missing much. Regardless, she had never cared about the thoughts and feelings of a wimpy nerd like him so she had ignored him, but now she was beginning to wonder if she should have just taken his advice instead of forcing herself into one of the other older boys laps and slamming the car door.

She ended up climbing in the back after they pulled out their stash and Jane’s brother scooted over to make room for her as her stupid boyfriend had spread his legs wide to be as obnoxious as possible.

She didn’t understand what Jane saw in that thing, but then again she supposed a quiet, odd girl like Jane didn’t have many options.

When they got to Indiana, Angela was going to try to find a prettier boy for her. Not because she liked her and thought she deserved better, but because she wanted to get rid of the one currently sleeping in the car.

She was pretty sure he was gay anyway. Everyone at school already thought her brother was. He rejected every girl who had tried anything with him, and just stared at the some of the boys in their classes for way too long. And even though they had pretty much already come to a consensus, It didn’t stop some girls from keep trying to “test” him, like it was a game.

Maybe those two could run off together and leave Jane alone.

Wouldn’t that be wonderful? Jane would be devastated and humiliated. Angela smiled and snuggled into her arms.

She’d be fine though, eventually. All she needed was a better boyfriend and that would be easy considering how low the bar was.

A prettier one that didn’t dress like that or pull those stupid faces.

She felt Jane shift beside her, but she ignored her. A hand slipped onto her hip and she had a harder time ignoring that. She almost snapped out a snarky question, but it died in her throat as the hand slid further around her waist, gently holding her against her, gently spooning her.

Oh my god, get off of me. She thought horrifically embarrassed as if they had countless of invisible witnesses laughing at their expense.

“Cold.” Is all Jane said as she snuggled into her.

Oh my god, I don’t care. Angela thought horrified. I don’t care if you’re cold. Why would I care if you’re cold? She felt so much warmer this close to Jane.

She tried to calm down, because how can she sleep with an accelerated heartbeat and flushed skin? But her mind won’t let her as it focused on Jane’s hand and arm and where they rested on her.

She eventually calmed down without realising it, and when she noticed, she immediately connected Jane’s calm breathing on her back as to why. She had subconsciously began mimicking her at some point.

She swallowed, her head heavy. Jane was such a fool. Why couldn’t she be normal? Why couldn’t she have boundaries and social skills? Instead of being this crazy alien girl.

“Why aren’t you pushing me away?” Jane asked softly, right next to her ear. When Angela didn’t answer she brushed her hand up her stomach.

Angela shivered, “It’s cold.” she excused bitterly. “Just go to sleep.”

The arm wrapped around her tighter, pressing Jane against her tighter, and she buried her face into the back of her hair. “Okay,” she agreed.

Angela shivered more violently. Her heart beating too fast again, but she knows it’s only a matter of time before it matches back up with Jane’s.