Hillcrest Academy

by Cassie Pierce

  I don’t even know her. I think that I was just so desperate to fill the void left by Ashlee’s death, that I grabbed onto the first person that made me feel less empty. Could we be friends? Sure. I think that we could be awesome friends. There is just one problem. Friendships, the real ones anyway, are built on trust. Something that I no longer have in my roommate.

  “Can I stay with you tonight?” The question is barely a whisper, and I bite my bottom lip softly as I wait on his answer. Part of me expects for him to turn me away. The other part almost wishes he would, because sleeping in the same bed as Jaxon Lux is probably not the wisest decision.

  His eyes search mine, looking for what I don’t know. They churn with the intensity of a thunderstorm on a foggy night as he studies me. His lips turn up into the barest hint of a smile as he steps closer to me. His voice drops to a smoky whisper that confirms what I already know.

  Sleeping with Jaxon Lux is the definition of a bad decision. One that I am going to happily make. Possibly over and over.....

  “Princess,” he says softly, causing my bare toes to curl. “As delicious as that sounds...we can’t. I can’t.” I can hear the agitation in his voice as he rushes to explain. “If you stay in my bed, there is no way that I am not going to touch you. Every beautiful inch of you. I want to....Christ I want to, but we cannot complete the three pieces of our bond. To do so would be death for you. So no Maci......you need to go with C.J.”

  Then like he didn’t just break my already fragile heart into a million pieces— Jaxon walks away.

  Freaking boys! I swear! Who is he to decide what is good for me? That always pisses me off.

  I must make a sound somewhere between a gasp and a cry, because C.J. moves closer to me. She reaches out with reluctance, her tiny hand landing on my shoulder. I am not mad at her...not really, but she just happens to be the person that is here for me to be mad at.

  I turn on her, my eyes angry as my voice rises. She lowers her hand, but doesn’t step away from me as I unload all of my pent up fury onto her. “Don’t! I don’t need your pity.” I snap, stalking for the door.

  I have zero clue where I am, but all I know is that I have to get the hell out of this school. I can’t stay here! Not anymore. I want to go back to New York. Back to my life. It may have been a crappy one, but at least I belonged there.

  Here? I will never belong here.

  After a few turns down deserted hallways, I find myself outside. It seems that when we came back, we landed in one of the empty offices at Hillcrest. I spot my dorm in the distance, but I veer in the opposite direction.

  C.J. will be there, and I still don’t want to talk to her. I need time. Time to understand my own feelings, so that I will be able to listen to hers. I spot a little pebbled path that I have never noticed before, and my feet carry me in that direction. It is almost like they know something that I don’t. Once I start down the path, an urgency builds within me, and I pick up my pace.

  Before I realize it, I am practically running as the path winds down a narrow hill. It opens up at the bottom, revealing a picturesque lake. Millions of stars dot the sky above me, as the moonlight reflects off of the water.

  The lake isn’t what steals my breath. It is the girl standing in front of it.

  Her back is to me, but I would recognize her anywhere. From any distance. From any angle. I know her as well as I know myself.

  I blink. Once, and then twice, as I try to process what I am seeing. Her shoulder length white blond hair blows softly in the breeze as she looks at the water. She hums a soft tune under her breath, and my lips move on their own accord as the melody reaches me.

  That song. I know it.

  “I love you...Maci Lou.... I love you do you love me too.....

  “I love you...

  Tears fall as she sings that same lyric over and over again. A song that we have been singing since we made it up when we were seven. Lou is not my middle name, but nothing rhymed with Alexis, so Ashlee decided from that day forward to her I would be Maci Louise.

  It was a joke between the two of us. Something that no one else knew. In return, I made up my own song for her. Giving her a fake name as well. I step closer, my tears turning into full out sobs as I find my voice.

  “I love you....Ashlee May... forever and ever .......ever and a day.”

  My voice catches on the last line, and slowly she turns to look at me. I struggle to see her through my tears, and I frantically wipe them away as I walk closer to her. If she is a ghost, she is the liveliest looking ghost that I have ever seen.

  Not that I have ever seen a ghost, but I just always imagined them to be pale and floaty. Ash is none of those things. She looks alive.

  Last week, I would have said that her being here was impossible. Now.... I am thinking nothing is impossible.

  Her eyes shine with tears as she practically throws herself at me. I sink into her hug, burying my face into her hair. I almost feel guilty about getting snot on her, but I can’t.

  She even smells the same. Honey with a floral hint. I am ugly crying now, so I don’t try to talk. Talking when you can’t breathe is pointless. Her hands rub soothing circles on my back, as I shed all of the pain and sadness that I have carried within me for the last few months onto her shirt.

  “How........What?” I finally manage to get out, pulling back enough to look at her. My hands come up, pinching her cheek to see if she is real. When she doesn’t react, I pinch my own, wincing at the sting that I feel there.

  “You.....died,” I whisper, finally finding my voice through the shock. “I buried you. I went to your funeral. This.....this can’t be.....”

  “I am real Mace. There is so much that you don’t know. So much that you never knew. I wanted to tell you. I tried to come back sooner. I..... I’m sorry.”

  Her voice. Oh God. It is her voice. I have prayed a thousand prayers to hear that voice again. Begged God a million times to just have one more minute with her, and now that she is here.... I am just mad.

  “ASH! I BURIED YOU!” I fume, surprised that anger is the primary emotion that I feel right now. I always thought that if I could have her back, I would just be happy. Don’t get me wrong, I am happy. I am so damn glad that she is here, but if she is here then that means that she never died. That I went through hell...for nothing!

  That she lied to me.....that he lied to me.

  “TALK ASH! TALK NOW!” I am full out yelling now, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised when Jaxon appears beside me. He is tied to my emotions. He would sense my anger and confusion. He would know that something is wrong, and no matter if he is trying to keep his distance or not....he will always come for me.

  His eyes assess me quickly, before landing on Ashlee. They widen marginally before lowering. He lets out a soft breath.

  “Oh. That explains it,” he whispers.

  The way he says it. Resigned, but not surprised is like a dagger to my already bleeding heart.

  “You knew?” I question, and he nods once before looking away with a clenched jaw.

  Betrayal slams into me from all sides as I stare at the two people in this world who I thought loved me. They both knew, and they both said nothing. They let me suffer, knowing that they had information that could have taken away my pain.

  “Forget this! I am leaving! There is nothing for me here!” I fume, turning to go. I am getting the hell out of Hillcrest. I do not care if I have to run all the way back to New York. I am leaving, and nothing short of dying is going to stop me.

  “Wait!” she calls out, and it physically hurts me to keep walking. She must see that I am serious because moments later she says, “Jaxon. Stop her!”

  Hearing her say his name is the final nail in my heart. They know each other. Have they always known each other? Unable to ask I keep walking.

  A hand reaches out, latching onto my arm softly and pulling me to a gentle stop. A shudder works its way through my body at his touch. It would be so easy. To let him touch me....to let him
love me. To forget the hurt and betrayal. To let his words and lips take away the pain that burns a fiery path in the center of my chest. It would be so damn easy to believe whatever he says next, but I can’t.

  His lie, whether by omission or deceit, broke my fragile trust. That’s the thing about lying. You can’t un-lie, and the damage is done the moment that you decide to do it.

  Jaxon’s lie destroyed something inside of me, and I refuse to stand here and smile while he pours salt on my open wound. He knew! He knew how much her death broke me. If she even died? Which I guess since she is standing here...... she didn’t.

  She what? Faked her death? Why? Why would she do that to me, and why would he let me believe it? How twisted is that? How wrong!

  “Maci....” he whispers, using my real name. I can hear the hurt in his voice, and it makes me livid! What does he have to be hurt about?

  “Don’t!” I exclaim, pulling my arm from his grasp and turning on him. I shove him, and once I do, I can’t stop. Again and again I push him, knowing that he is only moving backward because he chooses to.

  I mean really..... I am a total badass, but Jaxon is a next level badass. I couldn’t move him an inch. Not if he didn’t let me.

  Angry tears fall as I keep hitting him. With one final shove, I force myself to regain my composure. “Whatever you have to say...save it! I don’t care! I don’t care about you.” Total lie. I do care about him, but my pride refuses to let me. “I don’t care about her!” I yell, pointing to a silent Ashlee, which is so unlike her that it almost makes me laugh.

  “And I sure as shit do not need you to Maci me! This,” I say, pointing to him and then to myself. “This whatever it is....it’s over. We are over! I am leaving, and if you value your balls, you will let me.”

  His face falls, and I hear Ashlee let out a startled gasp. I roll my eyes, totally ignoring my returned-from-the-dead-bestie. Later...I will deal with her later.

  When I can....If I can.

  Turning, I run. For someone who hates running, I run as fast as I can. I ignore the shouts behind me, or the sting in my side that serves as a reminder of just how out of shape that I really am.

  I slip, cutting my knee as I race up the hill and away from the lake. Blood runs down my cut as my bare feet slap against the moist dirt. I sprint past the faces of nervous students, trying to make their way back to the dorm before curfew.

  I slam into someone, but mutter a quick apology before darting around them. I don’t know what I am thinking. I just know that I need to get out of here. This place....something is very wrong here.

  Angels being real was enough for me. I was processing that. Being a part of a prophecy that may end the world...processing that. Finding out my soul was tied to Jaxon’s...accepting that. Realizing that I have lived thousands of years and hundreds of lives.....trying to process that.

  Best friend coming back from the dead....Nope! Cannot process that!

  I race down the hill that nearly killed me to climb on my first day here, almost falling in an attempt to escape. I all but slam into the gate, flipping off the angels that mock me from both sides. I tug, but just as I feared, it will not open.

  “NO!” I groan, slamming my head into the iron bars. Frustration and desperation fight for dominance as I take a step back. I have just sized up the gate, and decided to try to climb it when a noise startles me.

  The gate groans on its hinges as it starts to peel open, and I thank whoever is up there for small favors. I quickly dart through the narrow opening, feeling like I can finally breathe now that I am on the other side.

  “Thank you,” I whisper to no one in particular as I take off in the direction of the town.

  “Anything for you princess,” Jaxon’s voice whispers into my mind, and I almost turn around. I should have known he opened the gate. Instead, I start running again.

  This time....I don’t stop.

  ∞

  It turns out that there is not a lot to explore in the town of Carson Hill. I would hesitate to even call it a town. A community would be a better word. I realized that I was in trouble when I saw the one red light. One. Singular. It swings in the wind on the main street, casting a soft glow on the bank.

  As expected in small town life....nothing was open after dark. I searched for hours for a bus station, but even the buses avoid this little stretch of highway. I had a small flicker of hope when I saw the train track that divides the town, until I realized the trains that travel the railways here carry goods. Not people. I tried to call a ride share company, but my cell was back at my dorm, and the nice lady at the only gas station said that they don’t have those here.

  Who doesn’t have ride share?

  Carson Hill Alabama. That is who.

  That is what landed me here. In the one and only diner in town. Bailey’s was a small place that prided itself on its cheeseburgers and milkshakes. It was a mom and pop type place. The staff was friendly. The restaurant was outdated but clean. They had one waitress named Jan, who not only worked the entire floor, but also busted tables and worked the register.

  She must moonlight as a shrink, because the moment that she saw me she took pity on me. She placed me in the very back, and brought me the world’s largest order of fries and a chocolate shake, stating that they were on the house.

  Either she could tell I was in a crap mood, or she just thought that I was homeless. I did kind of look homeless. My uniform was torn and dirty. My hair a mess of tangles. Let’s not forget the fact that I wasn’t wearing shoes.

  Yep. She totally thought that I was homeless.

  I was drowning my sorrows in chocolate goodness and carbs, because let’s be honest. Is there a better way to drown your sorrows? I had just dipped a yummy French fry into my equally yummy shake when he found me.

  I sigh, angry that he was ruining my carb coma.

  “Just listen,” he says before I have a chance to say anything. I am too busy trying to swallow my food. He scoots into the booth right beside me, blocking me in. Smart boy. He eliminated my escape route.

  Realizing that I am going to have to listen to whatever he has to say, I dip another fry into my milkshake. The silent go ahead for him to continue.

  “Not telling you was wrong. I know that. She knows that,” he says, running a hand through his wavy hair. “We both wanted to. From day one I wanted to, but this was bigger than us Maci. This was an order from the Creator. Angels cannot defy him.....not even for someone they love.” He finishes sadly.

  I scrunch my brow up, my French fries feeling suddenly heavy in my stomach. Sighing, I toss the half-eaten fry onto my plate. “Why would the Creator make my best friend fake her own death? That....no offense, but that’s stupid!” I snap.

  He better be glad this wall is caging me in. I would have already been gone. Which I’m guessing was his plan.

  “She didn’t fake her death,” he says with exasperation.

  “Ummmm. I am going to have to call bullshit on that Jaxon. You were there. She looked dead! I went to her funeral! So...if that isn’t the definition of faking your death, please oh mighty one....enlighten me.” I am whisper yelling, because Jan was nice to me, and I do not want to ruin her day by accidently revealing to her that angels are real.

  “She was in transition. She wasn’t dead. Angels don’t die princess. She was injured. She looked dead, and for a few minutes she was, but our souls regenerate our bodies because angelic souls are immortal. When she came to, you had passed out. She told me that while in stasis the Creator told her that her time with you was done. That it was time for her next assignment.”

  Angels? Assignment?

  “Are you......are you saying?” I ask, unable to finish my sentence, but Jaxon already knows what I am going to say.

  “Princess.....Ashlee was your guardian before me. She isn’t human.” The way he says it, so softly like he is afraid that just whispering it will shatter me.

  A laugh escapes me as I try to process his words. Not human....


  “That is impossible Jax! I have known Ash since we were five years old. I watched her grow up! I watched her bleed! She is human,” I defend, cutting off my inappropriate laughter long enough to get my words out.

  “And I have known her since she was born. I was there when she came into her powers. You see....each angel has one dominant power. That power decides their destiny. Most of us manifest our abilities during puberty, so when Ashlee got her powers at five years old....we knew. There is only one angelic class that manifest early. A special type of guardian, if you will. Soul keepers.”

  “Soul keepers?” I repeat, not understanding what this has to do with anything.

  He nods, taking a fry from my plate and popping it into his mouth. “Yes. Soul keepers are guardian angels that are assigned by the fates to protect innocent souls. They are each assigned their mark, and then they are sent into the human world to blend in. They watch over and guide their soul, to ensure that it does not sway from its destiny. Only special souls are given keepers.” Jaxon finishes, begging me to look at him.

  His eyes are soft, and some of the anger that I feel toward him melts. “There is nothing special about me,” I sigh, wondering why my life just keeps getting crazier and crazier.

  “I would have to disagree,” he says sweetly, taking my hand and squeezing it gently. My heart does a weird little flip flop in my chest.

  “You still should have told me. I grieved her....” I say softly.

  “I know. I wanted to, but if I lost my wings then I couldn’t protect you. I have to protect you.” His voice begs me to understand, and on some level I do. Does it make it ok that he lied to me? No. It isn’t ok, but I get it.

  I would lie to protect him too.

  “Are you ready to go back now? Bailey’s closes in ten minutes,” he laughs, smiling at Jan. I should not be shocked when she gives him a wave.

  “She called you...didn’t she?” I laugh, pointing at Jan.