© Jojo B 2020

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Divine and Damned

Chapter 5

"So, what did you decide to have in the end?" I looked at the mug Cassiel was holding.

"Vodka lemonade, the usual," he replied, taking a gulp.

"In a mug?" I smiled. "I thought it was tea."

"Mug, cup, does it matter?" he lazily backhanded the air.

"Well, do you want to try again?" I asked him.

Cassiel paused, then nodded, passing his mug to me.

I stepped back, though I didn't know if it would make a difference or not. Standing outside the cabin, Cassiel had attempted numerous times to call his brother. I'd suggested that trying outside could be easier than doing it indoors, so Cassiel had been doing it that way.

He looked to the cloudy heavens with bits of blue peeking through, then he closed his eyes and touching his fingers to his temples. I took a sip of his drink, feeling the vodka immediately singe my nose hairs and bring tears to my eyes. His mix was at least eighty percent alcohol, and he made it look like nothing. Thankfully, he wasn't binge drinking though, and even with a beverage like this, Cassiel wasn't more than a little tipsy. Though he'd only just started.

"Anything?" I called out to him.

He shook his head, a frown of concentration on his face. I scuffed the ground with my tennis shoes (not that I played tennis), then looked around. Joe was, again, sunbathing not too far away from us, his arms folded behind his head. Gwen and Raphael were working, and who knew where everyone else was.

Cassiel's sharp sigh brought my attention back to him, and I saw him scowling in frustration, shoving a hand through his hair.

"Maybe he's working," I shrugged as I joined him again.

"Or he really does not care to know me," Cassiel muttered, taking the mug back from me.

"Why would he not want to know you?" I asked him, looking between his eyes.

He was quiet for a moment, then he lowered his gaze, "He must know I am a Fallen Angel. It is disappointing, or maybe embarrassing for him."

"Oh, come on, Cass," I placed a hand on his arm. "That's not true."

"It could be what he thinks," he met my gaze, then took another long sip from his mug.

I sighed and squeezed his free hand, not sure how to respond. It was possible that was indeed what his brother thought, but it definitely wasn't true. For the first time, I started to feel resentment towards this new sibling of Cassiel's. Had he really been ignoring Cassiel's attempts to connect?

"Anyway," Cassiel said. "There is your brother, this is your chance to make it up to him."

"Make what up to him?" I pulled a face.

"His eyebrows," Cassiel blinked at me, surprised I'd forgotten.

"You know, he was the one who removed them – okay!" I stopped when he gave me a look.

Crossing the baked grass over to where my younger brother lay, I came to a stop beside him.

"Joe?" I called, lifting my eyes to the sky when he didn't respond.

Bending down, I yanked the earphone out of his ear.

"Hey!" he objected, shooting me a look. "What do you want?"

I bit back my urge to snap at him and settled for a tight-lipped smile instead, as I sat down.

"What are you doing?" Joe looked at where I'd planted my bottom as if I'd sat on something dear to him.

"How do I make it up to you?" I got straight to the point.

"What are you talking about?" he frowned.

"Your eyebrows," I pointed at his face. "I feel bad so, how do I fix it?"

"You can't," he gave me the dirtiest look.

"Joe," I said in a controlled voice, feeling my nails biting into my palms. "I'm trying to make things better."

"Whatever," he picked up his phone, responding to a message he'd just received.

I fought the urge to kick him and stalk off, instead deciding to focus on the serenity of the lake in front of me. Glancing over at Joe as I heard him chuckle quietly, I narrowed my eyes.

"Is that the same girl you were texting before?"

"Why do you ask?" he locked his phone and looked at me.

"Curious," I shrugged, then smirked. "It seems like you like her."

Joe shrugged back, "She's my friend."

"Who you want to sleep with?" I added for him.

"No," he pulled a face. "She's different."

"What do you mean, she's a lesbian?" I arched my brows.

"No," he rolled his eyes at me. "She's not one of the girls I'd wanna hump and dump."

"Ew," my top lip curled in disgust.

"You're the one who brought it up!" Joe argued back.

"Yeah," I shook my head to clear it of such vile images of my brother. "You're too young for all that, you know."

"Yeah, well tell it to all the girls I've been with," he scoffed, smirking to himself. "Besides, I'm sixteen. It's legal now."

"Just stop," I shut my eyes.

His phone went off again, and I opened my eyes to see him hastily picking it up, smiling at her text.

"Invite her over," I blurted. "It's summer, who sits at home and texts when you can meet in person?"

Joe sent me a confused look, "Why do you care?"

"I don't know," I spread my hands. "I'm helping you out. Giving you advice, since Micah isn't here."

"Yeah, well, his advice is way better," Joe said. "He knows exactly what to say to her."

"Hmm, why don't I help you with how to reply?" I suggested.

Joe locked his phone again, "No thanks."

I pressed my lips together, "Fine. Well, I can help you sort out your eyebrows so you can invite her over. Teach her how to fish."

"There's barely any fish in the lake anymore," he said. "It's weird."

"Oh, right yeah," I brushed it off, recalling the day Nathan scorched the lake until its water bubbled and broiled. I didn't think many fish could survive an onslaught like that.

I started to pick myself up, dusting blades of grass from my legs, "Come on, get up."

"Why?" Joe sighed.

"I'm going to help you," I held a hand out to him.

He paused for a while, looking at my outstretched palm, "You're not putting makeup on my face."

"No," I shook my head. "That's not what I plan to do."

"Okay then," he got up, shoving his phone in the pocket of his shorts.

Joe followed me inside the cabin and to my old room – now Raphael's room. I still had some of my clothes packed away, and I spent a few minutes digging through my things until I found what I was looking for.

"A bandana?" Joe cocked what should have been his left eyebrow.

"Yes," I stood up. "It would look stylish and she'd have no idea that you don't have any eyebrows."

Joe looked sceptical, but eventually he nodded. I made him sit on the bed as I fixed the bandana for him over his forehead.

"You look good," I stood back, admiring my handiwork.

"Okay, now what?" Joe checked himself out using his phone camera. "How do I invite her around without sounding like a weirdo?"

"Well," I paused, since I had no personal experience of that kind. "What interests does she have? You could invite her to play video games, or to go on a walk."

Joe mulled over my suggestions, scratching his bare chest, "Maybe the video games, I could ask her if she plays."

I watched him type out a text, only to see his shoulders sink when she replied.

"She's never played video games before," he looked at me, his blue eyes flat.

"Teach her then," I replied. "That's perfect, isn't it? Hanging out together, eating snacks and shit."

Joe didn't object, and after a moment he nodded.

"Okay," he bit his lip once he'd pressed send.

His phone pinged less than a minute later.

"What did she say?" I chewed on a hangnail.

"She said yes!" Joe grinned.

"Great!" I held my hand for a high-five.

"Yeah, no," the grin plunged off his face.

"What?" I frowned sharply, dropping my hand to my side.

"I don't do lame shit like that," Joe shook his head, standing up.

"Fine," I folded my arms, standing aside.

"I should put a shirt on," Joe fretted, looking down at himself.

"She might be into piercings," I suggested, glancing at the small rings in both his nipples.

"It would look like I'm trying too hard," he dismissed. "Who answers the door topless?"

"Well, it's summer, like I said. But you do whatever you feel like," I said as I followed him out of the bedroom. "Why are you running?"

"She lives like five minutes away!" Joe hurried to his old room – now Micah's room.

"What? Since when?" I frowned.

"She's new, she moved over not long ago," Joe said. "Her family bought the house down the road."

I rounded my eyes, "Wow, well what have you been waiting for then? Who texts when you're literally next-door neighbours."

"Next-door neighbours is a bit of a stretch," Joe gave me a dry look before shoving a shirt on.

He was partially right. We had only a handful of neighbours, and since each house and surrounding land was so big, it was easy not to cross paths.

"Fine, well, have fun," I went to leave. "Don't take the bandana off."

***

I was sitting in the kitchen with Cassiel when Joe's friend signalled her arrival with a gentle knock at the door. I almost didn't hear it, but quickly gathered what was happening when Joe raced down the hallway, past the kitchen, to answer the door.

"Why is he running?" Cassiel asked, his voice a little slurred.

"His friend is here," I wiggled my brows back at him.

"Aaahh," Cassiel caught on, smirking as he nodded slowly.

I heard them speaking, Joe acting all cool and unbothered, the two of them sharing a few laughs. I perked up when the footsteps started coming back up the hallway and I smiled when Joe stopped by the kitchen door, actually taking the time to introduce us.

"This is my sister Vienna, and her boyfriend Cassiel," Joe said, looking back down to the smaller girl than appeared by his side. "This is Avani."

I was pleasantly surprised when I laid eyes on her. She was not what I was expecting. I thought Joe's friend was all into piercings, tattoos and drugs like him, but one look at her big brown eyes told me Avani was none of the sort. Her dark, glossy hair was cut just above her shoulders, and she wore a set of dungarees quite like something I'd wear. She reminded me of me...if I was short and innocent looking.

"Hello Avani," Cassiel nodded politely,

"Hey," I waved. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," she smiled sweetly.

Joe ran a hand over his brown hair, seemingly nervous as he stumbled over his words a little.

"So...um, should I show you how to play – "

He was cut off by the entry of Nathan, who I easily recognised from his boisterous tone. He and Micah must have had their shift and were now arriving back from work. When Joe saw Micah, he seemed to sigh in relief, a smile lighting his features.

"Hey Micah, this is Avani," he waved his friend and wingman over.

Micah came to greet Avani, shaking her hand as he smiled at her. He did a good job of pretending not to know the answers to the questions he asked, since my guess was that Micah had been the one telling Joe what to text her for the majority of the time.

Nathan sauntered into the kitchen after the trio left to go hang out in the living room. He pulled a seat next to me, still wearing his work clothes. His polo shirt was dusted in white smudges and he even had a spot of flour under his chin.

"Joe has a girlfriend?" Nathan looked surprised, his lighter in his hand.

"Girlfriend to be," I corrected. "He hopes anyway."

"She is cute," Nathan nodded, seeming impressed.

"Every girl is cute to you," Cassiel rolled his eyes exaggeratively.

"That is true," Nathan nodded again. "But that girl looks very cute."

"She is too young for you," Cassiel gave him a look.

"Not for me," Nathan put a hand to his chest. "For Joe. As for me, I need heat, fierceness, a woman who can turn me on."

"Okay! Enough, Nathan," I shoved a hand in his face.

He ducked out of the way and scooted his chair back, flicking his lighter on and off.

"A woman who can produce fire," he stared at the single flame.

"And which woman can do that, Nathan?" I looked at him dubiously.

"A demon," he looked me in the eyes. "Like Holly was."

"You can't be serious," I shook my head at him, not wanting to think of Holly.

Determined not to remember, I thought back to Joe and Avani, and how opposite they seemed to each other. It was hard to believe my brother actually had a crush on a 'good girl'.

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