“This isn’t doing us any good.” Ada stepped in between them. “There are still two more Trials. And we’ll never win if you guys keep this blame game going.”
X looked to Kane as he considered it for a moment. “I’m sorry,” X conceded. “I guess it is pretty hard to spot an invisible guy.”
Vero heard the sound of footsteps. He turned and saw Uriel walking toward them. Uriel placed his hand on Kane’s shoulder. “Kane, I know this all seems confusing to you, but you were right — the Thrones see all your actions, hear your thoughts, and listen to your words. And what they know, God knows. And that should bring you solace,” Uriel looked deep into Kane’s eyes.
Kane met Uriel’s gaze, but he gave no indication that he understood what Uriel was trying to tell him. Kane jerked his shoulder from under Uriel’s hand. Uriel turned his gaze to the others. “Go home and rest up. You’ll be back here soon enough.”
Uriel headed out toward the doors. Vero watched him leave, debating whether or not to chase after him. But then his legs decided for him, and he broke into a sprint.
“Uriel,” Vero called.
Uriel stopped and waited until Vero caught up with him.
“Did I do something wrong?” Vero panted.
Uriel furrowed his brow. “Why do you ask?”
“Ever since the Trials began, you seem to be mad at me,” Vero told him. “Like you don’t want me to be here . . .”
“I’m not angry at you Vero,” Uriel said. He sighed. “But yes, I wish you weren’t participating in the Trials.”
Vero felt as if he had just been punched in the gut. “But why? Am I not good enough?”
Uriel paused, as if deliberating a thought. “I fear you’re not advanced enough.”
“You think the others are better than me?” Vero asked, holding back tears.
“I pray you prove me wrong,” Uriel said, and then he walked out the doors.
Vero belly flopped hard, really hard, into the water. As the thud reverberated throughout the pool deck, Tack, along with just about everyone else on the swim team, winced. Vero sank into the depths of the pool, opened his eyes, and realized he was back on earth. What was going on? Oh yeah. The high dive. Davina. Kira. At least he had remembered to change back into his bathing suit before he left the Ether. He started swallowing water, so he quickly swam to the surface. His head broke through the water, and once again, air filled his lungs. Vero felt an arm grab him under his shoulders. Tack was swimming him Red Cross style to the side of the pool. Vero grabbed onto the ledge.
“That was intense,” Tack said, his voice shaking. “You shouldn’t have done that.”
Vero spat out water. “You dared me!”
Vero and Tack climbed out of the pool. As Vero bent over to catch his breath, he felt someone place a warm towel around his shoulders. He turned his head and was surprised to see Kira. “Oh . . . thanks.”
“You okay? That didn’t sound so great,” she said.
“Yeah, just got the wind knocked out of me,” Vero replied. He felt his face burn red with embarrassment.
A whistle blew. Vero looked over to see an angry Coach Cindy storming toward him, her long, dark ringlets bouncing with every step. Vero and Tack shrank against the wall as her fit, nearly six-foot frame towered over them.
“Leland, Kozlowski, hit the showers! You’re done!”
“Why?” Tack asked.
“You know the rules. No one in the water until I arrive.”
Tack opened his mouth to protest, but Kira cut him off. “Vero accidentally fell in the water and Tack bravely jumped in to save him.”
Tack flashed Coach Cindy a self-satisfied look. Vero looked curiously at Kira. Why was she lying for him?
“It didn’t look that way to me,” Coach Cindy shot back. “I just got this job, and I’m not going to lose it because you two knuckleheads decided to break the rules! Now hit the showers!”
Vero didn’t put up a fight. Truth was, he was tired from the Trials and disorientated by the transition from the Ether. All he wanted to do was go home and rest. He looked over and saw his clothes had made it back from the Ether and were piled on the bench. “Thanks, Raphael,” he said in a low voice. Vero walked over and tucked them under his arm. As he and Tack walked toward the boys’ locker room, Coach Cindy yelled to them. “Oh, and since both of you obviously like clowning around, I decided that you’re going to be the mascots at the pep rally.”
“You idiot!” Tack said as they stepped into the locker room.
“Don’t blame this on me. You dared me!” Vero answered, sitting on a bench. “And I know what you’re going to say . . . ‘only the biggest dorks are the mascots!’ ”
“Not that. Being a mascot might be fun. Everyone will get to see my dance moves. I’m talking about when Kira asked if you were okay. You should have told her you needed mouth to mouth,” Tack said. “You totally blew a perfect opportunity.” He turned on a shower and jumped under, keeping his suit on.
“You talk big for someone who’s never had a single date in his life,” Vero said.
“Not true. Remember last year when we went to see that movie about the guy who becomes a robot?” Tack asked, squeezing a huge amount of shampoo into his hand.
“Yeah?”
“It was you, me, and Clover. And you got sick from the popcorn before the movie even began, so your mom came and picked you up, but she let Clover and me stay and watch the whole thing . . .”
“Is there a point to this?”
“It was me and Clover, just the two of us alone in a dark movie theater. That counts as a date.”
“It was my sister!”
“You know, she’s pretty good-looking,” Tack said, lathering soap all over his face. “Kind of hot.”
“No guy wants to hear that about his sister!” Vero said.
“I do. I hope my sisters all become the next Miss USA.”
“You do?” Vero asked.
“Yeah, ’cause that’ll up their chances at getting married and moving out of the house sooner,” Tack said.
Suddenly the water cut off, leaving Tack with a face full of soapsuds. “Hey!” he said. “What’s your problem?”
“I didn’t do it!” Vero retorted as he stood and crossed over to a sink. He turned the faucet. Nothing came out. “Guess the water’s shut off.”
“Great,” Tack said, spitting out a mouthful of soap.
Yellow school busses pulled away from the curb at Attleboro Middle. They were the late busses for kids who had after-school activities. As Vero and Clover sat on a bench waiting for their dad to pick them up and take them to the mall, the school looked deserted. Vero put his head in his hands.
“What’s wrong with you?” Clover asked.
“I’m tired. I really don’t want to go to the mall.”
“I know exactly what we’re getting mom so it’ll be fast.
“Better be.”
Clover looked over at her brother. “Why are you so tired?”
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“I might. I had a stressful day too. Algebra test, world history quiz, someone slammed the door on my ponytail, and all the girls agreed to wear blue nail polish, but no one told me, so I looked like a freak with red polish . . .”
Vero rolled his eyes.
Clover laughed. “Okay so maybe that isn’t the biggest problem in the world.”
“Yeah, well try fighting Nephilim — ” Vero quickly shut his mouth. He shouldn’t have said that.
“You went to angel training?” Clover asked, wide-eyed.
Vero slowly nodded.
“What was it like?”
Vero looked down, feeling uncomfortable. He wanted to share everything he learned in the Ether with his sister, but it wasn’t possible. If he tried to reveal something he shouldn’t, Uriel would send a siren-blaring fire truck past them or create some other loud noise so Clover would miss whatever it was he shouldn’t have been telling her. There was a kid in his class last year whose
father was in the CIA. Vero remembered how his friend once told him that was all he knew about his dad’s job. The kid wasn’t allowed to ask his own dad any questions about his work. Being a fledgling felt a lot like working for the CIA, Vero thought.
“It was kind of boring,” Vero said.
“You’re lying,” Clover accused him.
“Of course I’m lying so don’t ask me any more questions about it!” Vero looked up. “You’ll force me to lie, and then I’ll feel guilty about it.”
“Fine,” Clover said dejectedly. “I won’t say another word about it.” She crossed her arms and leaned back on the bench.
Vero and Clover sat in silence for a moment. Then Clover spun around to face Vero. “You know nothing about this angel thing is easy for me either! You expect me to accept it blindly like it’s no big deal. No questions asked. Well, that’s just unfair!”
“Oh geeze, there’s that word again,” Vero groaned and sat up straighter on the bench. He could feel the frustration growing within him. “It’s the same for me too, you know. Do you think they tell me everything? I only find out stuff little by little.” Vero was gripping the bench armrest so hard his knuckles were turning white. “You’re not the only frustrated one here!”
The anger in Clover’s face began to soften. “What are Nephilim?” she asked.
Vero sighed, releasing his grip on the armrest. “Giants.”
“Seriously? Like in Jack and the Beanstalk kind of giant?”
“Kind of.”
“I have a hard time making sense of it. How can you be sitting here with me in a boring suburb and yet be out battling giants?”
Vero smiled grimly. “I know. Freaky, isn’t it?”
Clover looked at Vero, her shamrock green eyes serious. “Just answer one question.”
“What?”
“Promise me you won’t lie, please . . .” Clover’s face was apprehensive. “I need to know.”
Vero looked at her and considered carefully. “I won’t lie, but I can’t promise I’ll answer you.”
“Please,” Clover said. Her eyes were big and pleading. Vero held her gaze then slowly nodded.
“What happens when you’re done training? What happens to you?”
Vero looked down. He did not want to answer her question, but he knew he needed to prepare her. He turned back to her. “I won’t be here anymore.”
Clover’s eyes instantly filled with tears. “What? You mean you’ll die?”
Vero solemnly nodded. “You guys will think I’ve died.”
“But you’ll be really old when that happens. Right?”
Vero shook his head. A lone tear streaked down Clover’s cheek, as the implications of his answer sunk in. Vero held her gaze, his gray eyes steady. “I’ll go to my spirit form, but that doesn’t mean I’ll leave you. I’ll always be with you.”
A car horn tooted. Dad’s car pulled up to the curb, and Clover quickly stood.
“Maybe I’ll get hit by a bus and die before you,” she said angrily as she headed for the car. “So you can see how that will feel.”
The mall was nearly empty as Dad, Clover, and Vero headed for the department store to buy Mom’s gift. The whole ride over, Clover had refused to talk to Vero. Now Vero thought she didn’t want to look at him either, but his Dad hadn’t seemed to notice. He stopped in front of a store window where all the latest sneakers were on display and tapped the glass.
“While we’re here, Vero, you need new sneakers. Those things you’re wearing have holes in the bottom.”
Vero put his foot up on the window ledge and looked at his sneakers. Tired as he was, his dad was right.
Dad examined his shoe. “Come on, I’ll get you a new pair.”
“Hey, I didn’t sign up for this,” Clover protested. “I have a test tomorrow. Let’s just get mom’s gift and go home.”
“Here,” Dad said, as he pulled his wallet from his back pocket and took out some cash. “Take this and go buy her gift. We’ll wait here for you.”
As Vero studied the shoes in the window, he saw a girl’s reflection. He spun to see Kira standing behind them.
“Hi,” Kira said, waving.
“Hi, Kira.” Clover’s face lit up.
“Is this your dad?” Kira asked.
Clover nodded and gestured to her friend. “Yes, Dad, this is Kira. She’s new at school.”
Dennis shook Kira’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“What are you guys shopping for?” Kira asked.
“My mom’s birthday present,” Clover said, “but Vero thinks we’ve come for new sneakers for him.” She made a face.
“Vero,” Kira said, half scolding.
“I’m gonna go buy a gift for my mom. I know the perfect outfit. You want to come with me?” Clover asked Kira.
“Sure.”
“Don’t take too long,” Dad said. “We’ll be waiting here.”
“It was nice meeting you,” Kira said. “I hope to see you again, Mr. Leland.”
Vero watched as Kira and Clover walked away.
“Nice kid,” Dennis said.
Vero didn’t comment.
13
SURPRISE PARTY
Dad nervously tapped his fingers on the kitchen counter. Dressed in her nurse’s uniform, Nora was stacking the dirty breakfast dishes into the dishwasher.
“Nora, don’t worry about that,” Dennis said. “We’ll do them later.”
“I hate to come home to a messy house.”
“You’ll be late for your shift,” Dennis told her.
Nora looked up at the clock. “Oh, you’re right,” she said, shoving the dishes into the dishwasher even more quickly.
Vero walked into the kitchen, all dressed and ready for school. Dad made eye contact with him, and motioned impatiently with his hands to Nora whose back was turned to them. “I need to go to work,” Dad mouthed to Vero. Vero understood.
“I can do that,” Vero said to Mom. He took a juice glass from her hand. “I have time before the bus comes. It is your birthday after all.”
Nora looked to Vero. “Oh, okay. Thank you. I have to get to the hospital before the morning rush,” she said glancing at her watch.
Dad breathed a sigh of relief. But then Nora opened the cabinet under the sink and pulled out the trashcan. Dad looked like he was going to lose it. As Nora pulled out the trash bag, Dad grabbed it from her.
“I’ll have Clover take it out.”
“Where is she?” Mom asked then shouted down the hall. “Clover! It’s getting late!”
“Yes, it is. Nora, just go!” Dad raised his voice.
Nora smiled suspiciously at him, “I get the impression you want me to leave . . .”
“Yes, so I can get to work!”
Nora turned to Vero and kissed his forehead, “Bye, honey.”
Holding the trash bag, Dad leaned over and kissed his wife on the cheek. “Have a good day.”
“Bye, Clover, honey!” Nora yelled. “Do well on your Spanish test!”
Mom picked up her purse from the back of a dining chair and walked out to the garage.
“I thought she’d never leave,” Dad said after he heard the door shut. “Clover, now!”
“Where are the decorations for tonight?” Vero asked as he dropped a fork into the dishwasher bin.
Clover walked into the room. Vero and Dad gave her a look. She was wearing a full-length raincoat.
“They’re not calling for rain today,” Vero told her.
“Well, I heard differently,” Clover said.
“But the sun’s out!” Vero said.
“Who cares?” Dad said. “I’m late, but before I go, here are the instructions. All the decorations are in the dining room hutch along with everything you need to make the cake . . .”
“You put eggs in the hutch?” Vero asked.
“Don’t be stupid,” Dad said, annoyed. “Come straight home from school, and I’m counting on you two to decorate and bake the cake.”
Dad
grabbed his briefcase when someone knocked on the door.
“It’s Vicki,” Clover said. “Gotta go!”
Dad stepped in front of her. “As soon as you get home, take the steaks out so they’ll defrost in time.”
“Okay, bye,” Clover said as she picked up her backpack and raced to the door.
Ever since last year, Vicki’s older sister, Molly, drove the girls to school each morning. Vero was rarely invited, and he missed riding the bus with Clover. Although, next year, he’d have Clover on the bus with him again when Molly graduated and went on to college.
Dad looked out the window. The school bus was pulling up in front.
“The bus is here,” Dad said.
“But I’m not done with the dishes,” Vero said.
“They’ll be here when you get back,” Dad said as he dropped the trash bag, picked up Vero’s backpack and handed it to him. “Go.”
Tack walked down the crowded school hallway as kids fished through their lockers while others hustled out of classrooms. As Vero got a drink from a water fountain, Tack walked up behind him and put his finger partially over the water fountain jet. A stream of water shot up Vero’s nose. He turned to Tack, coughing, as water dripped out his nose.
“Got you good!” Tack laughed.
“Jerk.” Vero smiled, wiping his face with his sleeve.
“Hey, stop wasting water,” Tack teased. “That might just be the only water left in the whole school.”
“What do you mean?”
“Remember yesterday when the shower cut off? Well, there’s no water in the gym. They’ve got a bunch of plumbers trying to figure out where the leak is. So there’s no P.E. this afternoon. Isn’t that awesome?”
Vero didn’t answer. He was too busy staring at Clover as she walked toward him flanked by Vicki and Kira. She was wearing skintight jeans way too snug for her body. Vero wondered if she had to butter the sides of each leg in order to squeeze into them. Her shirt was cut low, and black makeup was smudged thickly around her eyes.
“Does Mom know you’re wearing that?” Vero asked with a look of disgust. “There’s no way Mom and Dad would let you out of the house in that.” Then Vero remembered that Clover had worn her raincoat to school. She must have worn it to hide her outfit.
Pillars of Fire Page 13
