Hidden Worlds

by Kristie Cook

  “Yeah.”

  “I’m in.”

  “I bet we could get in some Diving, too,” Jay adds.

  “Hell, yeah. Tell the others when you see them,” I say, heading off to class.

  I meet up with Rio in the lab. I ask him about playing Runner Ball after school.

  “You really think that’s gonna help your problems?” he asks.

  “Why can’t you just be cool and say yes?”

  “I just think you need to figure some stuff out.”

  “What do you think I should do?”

  “That’s not for me to say.”

  “That’s bull. You’re standing there like you are the freaking Sage and you’re judging me. If you are so much smarter than I am, tell me what to do.”

  “First off, you shouldn’t be rolling Runners up in a ball and kicking them around like a damn school kid. Then maybe you can be a man about it and just tell Ameana that you want your Rah back.”

  “Why are you so concerned about my girlfriend?”

  “Well, someone should be. Now that you’ve stripped her of her powers, what is she supposed to do if they attack her?”

  “It’s Triweekend. No one is going to attack anyone.”

  “You drove her to do that, Marcus. You drove her to attack Emmy. How could you just think she would be okay with being disrespected like that?”

  “I wasn’t the one who did it. I didn’t have any idea what the third condition was going to be.”

  “You have to stop these games. It’s hurting her. It’s hurting both of them.”

  “Rio, is there something you’d like to tell me about you and Ameana?”

  “Yeah, I’m her friend. Maybe you should try that sometime.”

  “Look, the guys want you to come and hang for Triweekend. You in or not?”

  “No, thanks. I think I’d rather be a grown-up today. Try me tomorrow,” he says as we walk down the hall.

  Just then Miku and Emmy came around the corner.

  “How do you feel?” I ask Emmy.

  “Okay, thanks.”

  “You have to take her. I need to go recharge. I have been up all night. I need to go back in the car and get some quiet,” Miku says. Her tone was unfriendly and cool.

  “Yeah, no problem,” I say.

  She turns and walks down the hallway. Emmy calls out goodbye to Miku but she does not reply.

  “She’s a little mad at me,” I say.

  “Well, that’s something we have in common. I think she’s had it with me, too.”

  “She isn’t upset with you. She’s just ticked off because I took Ameana’s wings away.”

  “Did you really have to do that?”

  “I had to. She injured a human who was in no way attacking her.”

  “Okay, I didn’t touch her, but I could understand her being mad.”

  “If you knew she was gonna be pissed, why did you do it?”

  “Because you would have taken the same risk for me.”

  “Emmy look—”

  “Wait. I’m not asking to be with you. I’m just saying that last night I thought I would take the chance, but now I wouldn’t. It was wrong.”

  “Alright, let’s just forget about it.”

  “So, when are you gonna fill me in on all things angel?”

  “Miku hasn’t been doing that?”

  “Yeah, but I still have questions.”

  “Okay, what do you need to know?”

  For the rest of the day, we would meet between classes so I could answer all her questions. She wanted to know about everything. She listened carefully and asked really good questions. I was impressed with how much information she had retained.

  “So, that’s the last question?” I ask.

  “For now. If I think of anything else, I’ll let you know,” she says.

  “We are taking off for Triweekend.”

  “The council’s holiday is this weekend?”

  “Yeah, supposedly the Paras are gonna be there.”

  “I thought they never come down here.”

  “They will for Triweekend. Or so the Splash said, but you can’t really go by them.”

  “The Splash?”

  Shoot. I forgot to tell her that part. And I know all too well why I did. I explained about the gossip paper and how to read it.

  “That sounds so cool. Can I break one?”

  “It’s really just trash, Emmy. They never get anything right. As a matter of fact, they go out of their way to get things wrong.”

  “What’s the big story now?”

  “I didn’t break any this week.”

  “Okay, let’s go get one and break it.”

  “You have class.”

  “Why do I get the feeling you are trying to hide something from me?”

  “Why would I do that?”

  “Because you want to protect me?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “C’mon, Marcus. What’s in the Splash?”

  “Gossip and innuendo.”

  “Tell me. You said no more keeping things from me.”

  “The big story is us.”

  “The Guardians?”

  “And you.”

  “Me?”

  “Well, yeah. You’re kind of big news.”

  “Cause I’m the clue?”

  “The clue who kissed me.”

  “How did they know about that?”

  “Traveler angels are sneaky. They eavesdrop on people all the time. Anyway, just forget about it, Emmy. Soon they’ll move on to another story.”

  “Did Ameana see it?”

  “Yeah.”

  “So, she hates me?”

  “You kissed her boyfriend, you asked him out in front of everyone and she lost her wings for attacking you. I don’t know if she hates you, but I wouldn’t be expecting a hug from her anytime soon.”

  “You think I deserve all that’s happened to me, huh?”

  “I think you deserve to be happy. I’m sure there is a guy who can help make that happen. Have you ever thought about Henry? He’s nice.”

  “What are you doing?”

  “What? You don’t like him? I had him checked out. He has a good heart and Rio says he likes you.”

  “So, just like that I’m supposed to replace what I feel for you with another guy?”

  “I want you to be happy.”

  “You want this thing between us to go away so that I’m not hurting anymore.”

  “Is that wrong?”

  “You can’t get over me. What makes you think I can get over you?”

  “Maybe you’re stronger than me.”

  “Doubt it.”

  “You shouldn’t be alone. You should be with someone. That way you’ll be happy.”

  “You’re with someone—are you happy?”

  “Not at the moment.”

  “But you’re sure that’ll change soon?”

  “Meana and I’ll work things out. We have to.”

  “And if you don’t?”

  “We will.”

  “Is she talking to you?”

  “No.”

  “You talking to her?”

  “No.”

  “I’m gonna wait on the finding someone. ‘Cause I don’t think I could handle being as ‘happy’ as you and Ameana are.”

  “Look, we have to live with the situation the way it is. We all have to deal. But that doesn’t mean that you can take shots at my relationship.”

  “I don’t have to shoot at it Marcus, it’s already dead.”

  “I am not leaving her.”

  “Yeah, I got that part. And I see how well that’s working for you.”

  “Go to class.”

  She glares at me and goes inside. I lean on the wall and rub my temples to relive some of the pressure but it doesn’t help; the pressure is all in my mind. Moments later Jay calls out my name.

  “Marcus?”

  “What’s up?”

  “Why do you look like death is coming for you again?”
/>
  “I’m not that lucky.”

  “Man, c’mon. Let it go. We gonna go play some Ball, do some Diving and take in the best concert in a century. It’s all good man.”

  “Who’s playing this year?”

  “Marley. Marley is back, man.”

  “What? When?”

  “I overheard a Traveler talking about it. He’s back for Triweekend.”

  “We have to go see him.”

  “Go see who?” Emmy asks as she walks out of class. I didn’t even realize the bell had rung.

  “There’s a Triweekend concert down in Jamaica and we’re going.”

  “We’re going to Jamaica?” she says, taking her voice two octaves higher than it needed to be.

  “Yeah, Saturday night,” Jay says.

  “I have never been to Jamaica.” She jumps up and down like she had won something.

  “Well, we ‘bout to get it poppin. I ain’t missing this concert for nobody, son,” Jay says.

  “Who’s performing?” Emmy asks.

  “Marley,” I say.

  “Marley who?” We look at her like she was clueless for asking.

  “You mean … ?” She is so shocked she can’t close her eyes.

  “The very one.”

  “How?”

  “Every Triweekend, the council sends Para angels to entertain us. This year it’s Marley in Jamaica. The year before that was Selena,” Jay says.

  “And we get to go? Seriously?”

  “You know I don’t play when it comes to Reggae music. I would never make a joke about Marley.”

  “Where are the others?” she asks.

  “I don’t know if they’re coming. But I told everyone about it. But for right now, I need to play some ball. Let’s go,” Jay says.

  “They know where to meet us if they want to come along,” I say. I hope in the back of my mind that the twins and Ameana would join us.

  ***

  The meeting spot is an hour outside of New York City. Once a week, you could walk into a state park and find the outline of wings on a ball. It could be spray painted or drawn by hand. Wherever you saw the picture is where all the angels would gather to go to the ball field. We took the train upstate. I thought that would give time to whoever wanted to come along but was undecided.

  When we get to the park, there is a Native American guy in his early twenties sitting on a boulder that had the Runner Ball sign. He spoke as we approached.

  “Wow, Guardians in the house? This is gonna be good.”

  “You Travel or inhabit?” Reese asks, not sure if he had wings behind him.

  “Travel. I get the right news to the right people,” he says proudly.

  Then he studies Emmy.

  “That the human?”

  “Hi, I’m Emmy,” she says as she extends her hand to him.

  “I’m Apoleo. Nice to meet you.”

  “Yeah, you too.”

  As we stand there, more and more angels came to the spot. Most of them are Travelers but there are a few Ground Walkers who come in the body of young athletes.

  “You the one who gonna help save the world?” one of the angels asks Emmy. Everyone turns to hear her answer.

  “I was thinking I’d do that later. I just came to play some ball,” Emmy says.

  Everyone starts to laugh.

  “What?”

  “Emmy, you can’t play. If the ball were to hit you, it would actually kill you.”

  “I think we should take that risk,” someone says.

  I turn around and find Ameana standing a few feet away.

  “Hey, girl. You playing with us?” Jay asks. He tries to defuse the situation by being light and casual.

  “I was planning on watching. But I’m not sure if it’s okay with Queen Emmy,” she says sharply, turning to Emerson. Suddenly everyone was looking at us.

  “I’d like it if you came along. It would give us a chance to talk,” Emerson says.

  “You’re a second-rate, desperate human who thinks she can get away with taking what doesn’t belong to her. What’s there to talk about?”

  “I wanted to say I’m sorry for what happened. I wasn’t trying to … can we just move on and forget everything?”

  “Forget everything? You must be on something.”

  “Ameana, give it a rest,” Reese says.

  “No. I think it’s very ungracious to try and steal a girl’s boyfriend when that girl came all the way down here to save your ass,” she says.

  The rest of the angels looking on all nod in agreement. It was like she was putting Emmy on trial. The jury was on Meana’s side from the word go.

  “I just wanted to tell him how I feel,” Emmy says.

  “We all know how you feel. You want him. But you’re too weak to have him. He’s a First Guardian. What use would he have for a girl that is so useless, she can’t stop a simple little human from gutting her only friend?”

  That last comment hurt, I can tell. Emmy turns away and bites her lip to keep from crying. Sara was a fresh wound for Emmy.

  I walk up to Meana and take her off to the side.

  “What is wrong with you?” I ask, disgusted.

  “Me? What about her, Marcus? Why don’t you ask her what is so wrong with her that she would try and break up two people who had to die to find each other?”

  The crowd was eating it all up. Meana turns her attention to Emmy who was standing with Reese protectively by her side. Ameana speaks to Emmy in no uncertain terms.

  “You touch him again and I will kill you. Ask about me.”

  She glares at me and walks out of the Park. Everyone in the crowd starts talking all at once. They were placing bets—not whether Ameana would kill Emmy, but how long and in what way.

  I go over to Emmy.

  “You okay?”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “I’m sorry about that. She would never hurt you.”

  “Again you mean. I don’t know if you remember, but she slammed me into a wall not too long ago,” she spits at me.

  “She wouldn’t kill you. She’s just pissed off.”

  “She’s a raving lunatic.”

  “You can’t just make a play for some girl’s guy and except it to be drama-free. I didn’t tell you to ask me out.”

  “So, you’re the victim in all of this?”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “You didn’t say anything. You don’t care what happens so long as you get to keep your precious word. You made a promise to her a long time ago and it doesn’t even matter that you have changed your mind. You’re just gonna stay with her out of guilt and some distorted sense of duty?”

  “I don’t know who you’ve gone out with, but I do not walk out on people.”

  “Well I do.”

  She turns on her heel and stomps out of the Park.

  I turn to Jay and Reese. “Go get her.”

  It was already time to go to Ireland and play Runner Ball, but I knew that not one angel in crowd would budge. Travelers and Ground Walkers alike wanted to see how this would all play out.

  “What the hell is everybody looking at?” I bark.

  “The end of humanity,” someone in the crowd says. Everyone else laughs.

  A few minutes later they bring back a fuming Emerson.

  “You can’t make me come with you.”

  “You can come in peace or I can get Samson String, tie you up and put you over my shoulder like a load of laundry. It’s up to you,” I say.

  “I hate you.”

  “Get in line.”

  “Maybe we should forget the game,” Reese says.

  “No, we are going. I need to kick something right now.”

  “Alright, Guardian rage!” someone shouts from the crowd. Everyone cheers and we all take off from the same spot. It’s important that we all take off at once so we can form a plane-type shape so that when humans look up, that’s what they would see.

  I look over and Emerson is in Jay’s arms. She is still fuming, at
least underneath. Most of her is terrified about being several thousand feet in the sky without so much as a seatbelt.

  We land a short time later in an open field. Normally it would just be a few dozen angels, but this is the start of Triweekend and everyone is there, including the Paras.

  We saw them miles before we landed. There is an air of respectability that comes along with being a Para. They are so white, they almost glow. They have no skin to speak of and are almost ghost-like. Their eyes are hard to look into without being dazzled. They are the closest thing to Omnis, so they have a calming way about them. They all seem to move as one. They are so much of the same mind, in fact, that most of the time they don’t even need to talk.

  After landing, everyone goes to find their friends and figure out who is going to be on which team. Most of the angels are here to watch. The ones who come to play will be out on the field in a matter of minutes. Each side would choose a representative. It was almost always the home team, Ground Walkers, against the visiting team which, in this case, is us.

  I run down to the field and gather my team. Had the Paras not been there I could not have left Emmy alone on the bleachers. But with the brilliant light of goodness coming from the Paras it would be very hard for Akons to attack, even if it weren’t Triweekend. Also, a Pawn could not stand anywhere near a Para and not be noticed. Paras have a very keen sense of goodness, or lack thereof.

  As I look up, the twins head our way.

  “I’m glad we all made it,” I say as we gather in a huddle.

  “Not all of us,” Miku says.

  “Jay reminded me how much you suck at blocking so … ,” Rio says.

  “I think we can take them.”

  “Hell, yeah. Their game is weak. They have some good Locators but they don’t Trap very well. A Runner could dodge them easily,” Jay says.

  “They’re gonna feed the Runner with Brawn Snaps,” Reese says.

  “How do you know that?” I ask.

  “Whoever feeds the Runners only feeds them Snaps that they are sure they can conquer if they have to. Every one on the home team is a muscle head.”

  “Yeah, I’m getting overconfidence from everyone of them,” Rio confirms.

  “So, they think they’re stronger,” I say.

  “Well, stronger than the rest of us. There’s no way they can think they’re stronger than you, so what they’ll do is—”

  “—Keep the strongest player on me,” I finish.