Wingless

by Taylor Lavati

  "Do you like it?" he asks me before I have a chance to speak.

  "I guess," I answer back. "I don't know what a lot of it is, but it's nice. I've never been alone before."

  "Are you okay with being alone here?" he asks me.

  "Definitely."

  Micha goes through various objects with me, explaining its purpose and how to use it. I'm shown how to work a shower, which is a genius thing. I think I could definitely come to love it. I'm not sure if I'll sweat down on Earth; if maybe the Veil air was what kept us clean. I'm shown where people keep food and receive a quick tutorial on how to cook it.

  My head's a little hazy by the end of his long list of explanations. I barely remember what a toaster is and what the different remotes go to and how they work. By the time we're done going through things in the apartment, the sun has begun to set and the light outside is turning a weird dark blue color.

  "Want to explore?" Micha asks, his face lit up like the Earth sun.

  "Yes!" I squeal, clapping my hands together.

  "It's spring here, so it's chilly. I recommend going into your closet and finding a light jacket."

  "Okay," I say as I retrace my steps to the bedroom. We called it a chamber in the Veil, but here 'bedroom' makes more sense, since it's where you sleep and where the bed is. I shut the door behind me and open the sliding door that leads to the closet. It's filled with clothing in all different colors. I gasp at the array of dresses and coats and pants that aren't just white, although there is some in that color. I'm downright amazed by this new wardrobe.

  Instead of just grabbing a coat, I go through every piece of clothing and put together my dream outfit. I don't know who put this together, but they definitely know me and got the perfect sizes. I'd guess this was Perry's doing. She's just a gift that keeps on giving. I wish I could thank her.

  When I glance in the mirror, I'm amazed that I'm even the same person in this new outfit. My mother never let me wear things like this. She said boys don't like girls who wear pants. So, I was forced to wear dresses and skirts that ended right above my knee for most of my childhood. It wasn't until I discovered the training center that I was allowed to wear pants and shorts. And even then, I'd say I only owned two or three pairs.

  But now, I'm alone and free so I can wear whatever I want. And I look edgy. The leather pants hug my normally straight body and give my hips the illusion of curves. A thin, gray tee-shirt is loose against my chest, and with the leather jacket over it, makes it look even better.

  In the Veil, I had to wear my hair up most of the time, but right now it's down to my waist in dark, thick waves. Makeup didn't exist up there, so I never had to apply it or even worry about it. But in the bathroom, there's a bunch of different things with labels on them. So I figure, why not?

  I don't know if I did it right, but from the television shows, I'm able to get a ballpark idea. I just lined my eyes in black and put the thing labeled 'mascara' along my eyelashes. There's a short bottle with LIP written on it so I rub it on my lips, but not too much.

  I step back into the living area, and Micha's back is to me. I'm a little anxious to see his reaction to the new me—but the real me. He turns just a smidge, and his eyes widen in shock. His mouth opens up a little and then shuts his lips in a straight line.

  "You changed," he muses. Mr. Obvious over here.

  "This is more my style than what I wore in the Veil," I tell him, widening my arms so he can see the full outfit. I feel outgoing, confident, and it's thrilling. I spin around for him and almost giggle with joy.

  "It definitely suits you more," he says. "I like it." My heart flutters in my chest at his words. I'm pretty sure I just received the best compliment ever.

  "Where are we going?" I ask him as he starts to move for the front door. I think he's trying to get away from me.

  "Just outside. Come on, follow me." He gestures for me to follow, waving me towards him. As I stumble behind him, I notice for the first time that he's not flying anymore. In fact, while I was in the bathroom, he must have put on a coat, because his flawless wings are hidden beneath a black jacket, and his feet are firmly planted on the ground.

  "Why aren't you flying?" I ask him as we trudge down metal stairs.

  "Humans don't know about us. They never should either. Remember that," he answers as we continue down stair after stair after stair. I lean over the railing and it seems like these steps are never-ending. But I trudge behind Micha, not wanting to complain too much.

  After twelve sets of identical stairs, we make it into a little lobby on the bottom floor. It's very quaint, more like a house than the apartment upstairs. There are a few chairs set up in circles, but mostly it's empty space. We're only in there for a second, because Micha opens a set of double doors with his hands, and we walk into the city together.

  "Oh, dear Rem," I say as the scents and air hit my face. My arms spread out wide as I let myself feel everything I never thought that I'd know about. Earth was always just a mythical place that Archers went to and tried to keep safe. Now that I'm breathing Earth air, stepping on their ground, and becoming one of them, it's like a twisted dream I never knew I wanted come true.

  Micha laughs from behind me, and I whip my head his way. As I twirl around the dark, gray street, Micha watches me with such intensity it almost burns through me. But it's short-lived because he looks around and then comes to my side, his face shielded.

  "It's completely different than the Veil, you have to know that. Humans are weak and fragile, but the world is unrelenting." He speaks sternly, like he's making a vital point. I just nod as I look around, the over stimulation making my eyes dart from object to object in a hurry.

  "There's just so much to see," I say aloud as I try to take it all in. My eyes dart from place to place, trying to discover what it is that makes this place work. There are horns honking in the distance.

  "Close your eyes," Micha tells me, stepping in front of me so that I can't see much. I shut one, but keep the other open because I'm nervous what he's going to do to me. Before I know it, his hand comes to my face and covers my eyes so I'm left in the dark. "What do you smell?" he asks me.

  Blinded, I let myself breath and try to figure out what exactly I can smell. It's hard for me to find words to describe it. The Veil was always just air and cleanness. Here there are other things competing with each other, some strong while others are underlying. "Garbage, maybe," I tell him. "Water. Fire-like smoke, but not really, more dirty. Flowers. Sweat. Soap." I rattle off exactly what I smell.

  "I think those last two are my hand." Micha laughs as his palm uncovers my face. He rubs his hand on his black pants, and when he looks up, our eyes lock onto each other. It's like time suspends as I try to figure out what's going on behind those big, blue eyes. "Let's keep moving," he says as he averts his eyes to the ground, breaking my hold.

  "Now what?" I ask as I trail behind him. He starts walking fast towards where the edge of the building meets the walkway. I run to catch up with him.

  "I'm going to show you some places you'll want to visit," he says, looking left and right constantly as if he's paranoid someone will notice us. I try to keep up, but he's moving so fast I can barely match his movements.

  "Can you slow down?" I ask him, panting for breath. The air here feels heavier, like it's having a hard time getting into my lungs. Between the walk down the stairs and trying to run after Micha, my lungs ache in protest. Something like water trickles from the base of my neck down into my shirt. I think I'm sweating.

  "Sorry," he offers, halting. "I just want to make sure you know everything before I have to go."

  "You're leaving soon?" I ask, suddenly terrified. It kills me, but I can't hide the hurt in my voice. I should've known that once the mission was accomplished, he'd ditch me as fast as the others.

  "I have to get back to the Veil." He shrugs his broad shoulders like it's no big deal. But, it's a big deal to me.

  "Whatever," I grumble. I cross my arms over my chest an
d start to walk ahead of Micha. He's going to leave me soon, so I might as well start blending in and being alone in this enormous place, with thousands of humans who all are nothing like me and will probably hate me. I only make it about five steps before he catches up to me. "Leave me alone. Just go now," I turn and tell him, narrowing my gaze.

  "You don't want me here?" His voice actually trembles, like I've hurt him. He steps backwards, like he's scared I may hit him.

  "Well, you're leaving anyway so why not throw me to the Demons a little faster," I huff out, immediately regretting my words.

  "You're being immature," he states, mimicking me by leaning back and frowning. His eyes narrow on me like he's scolding me—like he's better than me. He may be two Angel years older, but that doesn't mean much, especially on Earth. That's like a half a year here, and I don't think it even matters.

  "Well, you're being…" I struggle to find the right word so my voice trails off. Point one to the evil Archer. I turn my back to him to hide my now hot face. I feel childish.

  "Shall we continue then?" he asks, his voice right above my ear. My skin tingles right where his breath hits me.

  "Why not?" I answer, looking over my shoulder at his way-too-close face. He smiles, showing his teeth, and then walks ahead of me. We walk in silence. He turns left once we get to the end of this street and continues along, hugging the building's walls. In the middle of the separate buildings is a thick lane where the cars zoom by us.

  There's constant movement; my eyes flutter from car to car, and I watch as they drive by faster than I've ever seen something move. It feels like my neck is going to break off as it snaps from left to right, trying to follow each car. The cars are so diverse. There are large and small cars, white and black cars, and every color in between. Some cars are slow, while others are fast. And some are full while others just have a driver in them. Some even have animals in them.

  "Here is where you can buy clothing and food and anything you'll need for the apartment," Micha says as he stops in front of a monstrous building. I look up, and the place is in a little parking lot off the main road. There's a huge sign on the front that says, Walmart. I've never seen a place so wide.

  "Are we going in?" I ask him, wondering why we've stopped walking and are just staring.

  "No, you can explore that alone. Let's keep moving," he says, all business-like.

  "You've got places to be, right?" I can't help the snip in my voice. But his words just remind me that he's leaving me again. My mother would scold me something fierce if she knew the way I was talking back to Micha—an almighty Archer. But she's not here anymore. It's just me left to myself. I don't have to impress anyone.

  He faces me, lining up his shoulders with mine. "What's your problem?" I walk away, not wanting to address him, but he reaches out and grabs my forearm, tugging me backwards. I'm forced around so we're face-to-face, chest to chest almost, and my breath hitches in my throat. "Well?" he asks when I still don't offer an explanation.

  "I hate Rem, and I hate the Angels for leaving me like this. Unfortunately, you're the only Angel I can take my anger out on, so I'm sorry for that. But you guys banished me like I was nothing. I'm mad at this whole thing," I say, throwing my hands to the side. "I don't fit in here. Why am I even trying?" I ask, more to myself, trying contain my hurt and anger.

  "You can fit in if you just try," he says, his voice raised.

  "I'm me. I don't want to change. While it's great that I can live alone and dress how I want, I'd much rather be wearing a set of gray wings with a white dress and acting proper. You can't blame me for hating what's happened to me."

  "I don't blame you," he says, his eyes softening. "But I don't know how to make it better. I'm sorry this has happened to you. I thought you knew that. I took you down here to help you. They wanted to just fly you down and forget about it. I put my neck out…" He pauses, running his hand through his cropped cut hair. "For you," he finishes softly, as if his admission is Earth shattering.

  "I do appreciate it. I'm just a little bitter."

  "I get it. Can you just be nice to me? Pretend to like me?" He shakes his head side to side as if he's asking me for something enormous, which he isn't at all.

  "I do like you," I tell him, and then clamp my mouth shut. I'm so stupid for saying that and almost instantly I can feel my cheeks heat up and burn. Other than a smile, he doesn't ask or talk anymore. He takes my hand in his, and we walk to the next location.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Training Center

  Micha walks me up to a large, brick building that has a sign on it stating it's a gym. I basically lived in the training center in the Veil so I'm excited to check this place out. It was the best place to visit when I was stressed or frustrated, and it's where I prepared to become a Fighter.

  Micha squeezes my hand, and then we walk together towards the glass doors. There's a set of short, hard stairs that only have about five steps to them. They lead to the front door, which Micha so kindly holds for me.

  As we step through the doors, my excitement instantly plummets. In the Veil, everything was white, perfectly kept, and shiny. I swear the place was so immaculate that you could lick the ground, and it would taste like clean air. Of course, I don't know why you'd do that, but you could.

  This place would be the polar opposite to that. First of all, nothing is white in this place, not even the walls. Actually now that I think on it, not much on Earth is white except for those lines down the middle of the street. The floor matches the doors, which matches the hues of the place: black and dark gray with some glass to bring the light in.

  Other than the darkness, the place is extreme. Everything looks intense and intimidating. There are things I've never seen before in gyms. Like these little ropes that hang from the ceiling, and the bikes you sit on with pedals. It's a known fact that Angels have weak legs; we don't need them much because we fly, so it's surprising to see these leg machines. I want to try one out right now.

  "I got you a membership," Micha's voice breaks through my admiration as I stand still in shock, still rooted in the entryway.

  "Oh, thank you, thank you!" I jump up and yell. I wrap my arms around his neck and squeeze as hard as I can. He chuckles into my hair. When I release him, he actually looks like he's having fun.

  "This is Carla," Micha says as he walks me over to a dark brown desk. A pale woman sits behind it, clicking on a television and typing furiously. At Micha's voice, her head darts up and she smiles. She stands up to greet us.

  "Mike!" she yells, reaching across the counter. "It's been way too long since you visited us. How's it going?" she asks while chomping on something in her mouth. It's not an attractive look.

  "It's going well," he answers. "This is Annie. I got her a membership. She just moved here and doesn't know anyone." Micha reaches back towards me and grabs my shoulder. He pushes me forward a little bit, and I stand in front of this girl awkwardly, swaying on my heels.

  "Hey, Annie. I'm Carla," she drawls, popping whatever is in her mouth. It's a weird noise. I try to hide the disgust on my face since it makes her look even worse than before. "You can hang here whenever. Do you need a trainer?" she asks, looking from my face to Micha's, as if he speaks for me. The way she looks at him bothers me. I can't place why, but it's like she's admiring him, which is completely understandable, yet annoying to me. I try to hide the scorn on my face as I watch them converse.

  "She's a good fighter. I think she'll be okay working out alone," Micha stands up for me.

  "That sounds good. Here's a key tag for you," she says as she reaches into a drawer under the television. She pulls out a little square piece of thick paper and hands it to me. I take it with trembling hands. "Most people just attach it to their keys." She winks at me like I'm unintelligent.

  "Oh, okay," I say, searching my pocket for my house key. I pull out the key and look between it and the piece of paper with confusion. Micha takes both from me and fixes it, sliding a ring into the key and the tag.
"Thanks," I tell him as I take the key with the dangly paper back and shove it into my pocket again.

  "I'm going to show her back really quick," Micha says and smiles at Carla. I smile at her, too, but it's very much forced and completely just to be polite. I follow behind Micha as we make our way through the maze of machines.

  Micha steps through an arched entry way and inside is a ring surrounded by different bags hanging from the high ceiling. "You can still train to be a Fighter. I know that's your dream, and even though you won't get to fight Demons, you can still train." My heart warms, because he's thinking of me.

  "This is amazing," I say as I walk up to one of the hanging bags. I punch it lightly and the thing barely moves. I do it harder and it swings left and right. "I love it." I turn and face Micha, my eyes wide with happiness.

  "I'm glad," he says, stepping towards me.

  "Thank you for all of this."

  I look around the room and decide that this will be where I spend most of my time. Just like Micha said, I can still be a Fighter in my own way. Although, he doesn't know that I know about halflings. If I can find them, maybe I can still fight Demons like Perry said.

  "I just want you to be happy here," he says, looking down at the ground. "You ready to head back?" he asks, his face a little tense.

  "Sure," I answer, despite the fact that I don't want to go back to my house. I know that once I'm settled, Micha is going to leave me, and I don't think that I'm ready for it yet. I'm not ready to be alone.

  But there's no point in prolonging the inevitable.

  We say goodbye to Carla on our way out, and she promises to give me a full tour next time I come in. We pass most of the same places on the walk home, and it's starting to feel familiar.

  The bottom level of the apartment building is vacant, and we move through it fast. Once we get into the stairwell, Micha stops and stares at me with a wicked gleam in his sky blue eyes.

  "Want to fly?" he asks.