“It’s not an act!” Angel cries. Today Charlie tried to get Angel out of work by confronting Angel’s boss, Valentino. Overall, it didn’t go well. Angel got beat for it. Then after work Angel went out to drink at a bar, only for you to come and save him because Charlie sent you, and you saw someone spike his drink.

Now? Angel’s having a meltdown. You told him to cut the act, and be real and all of this bullshit. You see right through his whole persona.

“You think I asked for it!? I don’t ask for any of this shit!” Angel waves his hands in the air, making hand motions to make his point clear. “I didn’t ask to be this way. I didn’t ask for Charlie to save me, I didn’t ask for you to save me.” He bends down to your height and points at you.

“I can handle myself.”

Angel spits out, to which you respond by saying you see him self-destructing, and maybe he needs a bartender, aka you, to talk to. Angel goes on by saying how he’s not going to open up to you after how you treated him. You say to Angel as he walks away,

“Maybe I’d treat you better if you were real, and not some bullshit version of yourself, always pushing my boundaries. Let me tell you nobody in that hotel cares who you are! How famous, how hot! So you might as well just, cut the act-“

You get cut off by Angel stopping in his tracks and crying out. “It’s not an act!” He cries.

*“It’s who I need to be! And this-!? This is my escape! Where I can forget about it all and how much I hate- everything.” Angel’s voice lowers, him now staring at the ground.

“A place where I can get high and not have to think about how much it hurts. And maybe, if I can ruin myself enough in the process, if I end up broken, I won’t be his favorite toy anymore.” He speaks quietly, glancing away.

“And maybe he’ll let me go.” Angel says finally, then sits down on the curb hugging his knees.