by Lola StVil
“Be right back,” I tell Randy as I race outside.
Aaden stands by his bike looking reluctant to come in. I forget he’s never been to a human school before. I smile and go out to get him.
“Okay, I know you’re new to the whole ‘human social events’ thing, but in order to go to a dance you actually have to walk through the building where the dance is being held,” I tease as I walk towards him.
As I get closer, I make out the expression on his face: crestfallen and brooding.
He doesn’t need to say a word. I can tell by his body language. A language I’ve studied for years. I speak my revelation out loud.
“You’re not coming in, are you?” I ask.
He lowers his head.
“Aaden, if you hate dances that much then we can do something else,” I offer.
“It’s not about the dance,” he replies, finally making eye contact.
“So, what is this about?” I reply.
“I shouldn’t have kissed you.”
I can’t bring myself to speak. So I just nod slowly while my stomach ties itself into a thousand knots.
“I mean it was probably a bad idea for us to kiss,” he says.
I don’t reply. Still can’t find words to string together and form any kind of coherent sentence. I’d like to flee and be as far from this place as I can, but my knees are so weak I can hardly stand, let alone run.
Even if I could run, I would not. I’m the First Noru. I’m a leader, not a character in a young adult romance novel. I’m the child of Death and the First Guardian. I will not run off and cry; hell no.
I have to take in what Aaden is saying the same way I had to take in Harm’s bone-breaking blows. And yes, standing here is far more difficult than fighting a Kaster, but I will be damned if I run away.
“So this is as far as it goes for you and me?” I ask calmly.
“Yes.”
“Okay,” I reply as I start to walk back into the school.
“Pryor, wait,” he calls out.
I stop walking and turn to face him. I remain composed even though it feels like my insides are being pureed. And the lump in my throat has expanded to the size of a tennis ball.
“I want to explain why I think you and I would be a bad idea. Our parents were involved with angels on the same team and it got really complicated,” he says.
“Okay,” I reply simply as I head back inside.
“Pry, I’m sorry.”
“No worries,” I say without turning back.
I disappear behind the school walls. I stand far enough away that he can’t see me. But close enough to watch as he gets on his motorcycle and rides away. He doesn’t look back. Given everything that’s happened, for some reason that’s what hurts the most: he never looked back...
***********
Pryor Reese Cane, you can’t lean on the lockers forever. You have to go back in to the gym and move on with your life. So what if he doesn’t want you. It was just a kiss. It wasn’t even that good. Okay, it was amazing, but so what?
Don’t let him ruin your night. Just go in there and dance. The world is not over because the guy you’re in love with regrets kissing you. Everywhere all over the world girls wake up to realize the guy they want is a jerkoff. If all of them stood in this hallway like you, what would happen then?
What is the big deal about Aaden anyway? He’s just some angel with bad issues and a good body. You can find that anywhere. And you don’t like “dark and complicated” and that’s all Aaden is—a big bag of complications. Screw him. Seriously. Screw. Him.
I want to be the girl that can shake this kind of thing off like it doesn’t matter. But I don’t know how to be that girl. How do I pick up the pieces of my heart like it was no big deal that he hurled it on the floor? How do I go on with the rest of my life when I can’t even get myself to walk back into the damn gym?
What happened? What did I do wrong? Was it something I said or did? Where did I mess up? Did he kiss me just because he had never done it before or did it actually mean something to him? How could he be so taken with me one minute and the next, want me out of his life? What the hell happened? Why would he do this to me? Is it because I don’t have a lot of experience?
Stop it, Pry! Stop asking questions that you will never get the answers to. The fact is he doesn’t want you and the reasons are unimportant. So stop turning the situation over in your head in a million ways. No matter which way you look at it, Aaden is strong and willful. If he wanted to fight to be with you, he would. That “things get complicated” bullshit is just an excuse.
Do not spend another minute thinking about him. He’s not worth it. There’s a lot going on and the last thing you need is to be with someone who is too weak to deal with a real angel. Just leave him alone. Let him go have acrobatic monkey sex with his legions of fangirls. Who gives a fuck?
I do...
I sink down to the glossy waxed hallway floor, place my knees up to my chest and lower my head. The only thing I have going for me is that I am not crying. It’s a small victory, but it’s the only thing I can hold on to.
“Pry?” someone calls.
I look up and Bex is walking towards me. I quickly stand up and pull myself together. Concern spreads over his face when he gets a good look at me.
“Hey, are you and Key having a good time?” I ask, trying to sound light and carefree.
“What’s wrong?” he asks.
“Nothing.”
“Where’s Silver?”
“I don’t know. He came by and then took off,” I reply, hoping to Omnis he doesn’t ask me to explain further.
“I thought you two were...”
“He said it could get complicated with us being on the same team and everything...”
“That guy is unbelievable!” Bex snaps.
“It’s fine, really. I’m good with it,” I reply.
Please, please let the subject drop.
“He’s such a selfish bastard. I should’ve broken his damn neck. He comes back here after being gone with no explanation. He’s an arrogant self-serving son of—”
“Bex, please. I can’t do this right now, okay?” I snap.
“Sorry, I just think you should be with someone who knows how special you are. Someone who would fight the whole damn world if it meant being able to spend an extra minute with you,” he rages.
I look at him, surprised by his heated reaction. Judging from the expression on his face, he’s taken aback by it too.
“Sorry, I just...I think you deserve better,” he says, gaining his composure back.
Our eyes lock. He’s about to say something, but then we hear a voice call out from around the corner.
“Bex, where are you?” Key asks.
“I should go,” he says.
I nod in agreement and he starts to walk towards the sound of Key’s voice.
“Bex?” I call out before he turns the corner.
He turns and looks back at me.
“About the pendant you gave me...” I begin.
“Yeah, what about it?”
Does the pendant mean you have feelings for me? If so, how long have you had them? Why didn’t you ever say anything? And if you do have feelings for me, what does that mean for you and Key?
“Pryor, what about the pendant?” he asks.
“I just wanted to say...thank you. It’s really beautiful.”
He smiles back at me but there’s sadness in his eyes. Before I can say anything, he disappears down the hallway to find his girl.
***********
I take the compact out of my purse and study my face in the circular mirror. The girl who looks back at me feels like a stranger. She’s sadder than I’ve ever seen her. Yet she’s strong; strong enough to avenge her brother.
“That’s gotta count for something, right?” I ask myself in the mirror out loud.
I shake my head, feeling very much like a pathetic loser. I then place my compact away and head towards the back exit
. It’s time to give up on this dance.
I’m walking down the steps that look out onto the football field, when I hear Randy call out for me to wait for him. I turn and find him running towards me.
“Where you going?” he asks.
“Home.”
“Bex said you needed to talk, what’s up?”
I tell him what happened tonight.
“You want me to beat him up? I could you know. I’ve been taking this new limeade flavored sports shake. Man, I’m a freaking beast!” he says proudly.
I smile despite myself, but it quickly turns into a frown. Randy pulls me close and hugs me. It’s only then that I realize just how much I needed that. We just stand there for several minutes holding each other. Then we sit on the steps and look out onto the football field.
“How could I be so stupid? Aaden is the guy with a thousand secrets. How could I think for one second I could trust him?” I ask.
“It’s not your fault. Girls fall for guys like that all the time,” he says.
“I thought he liked me. I mean when we kissed I felt something I haven’t felt since my mom and dad were on earth. I felt safe. Then he comes over here and...why did he do this to me? Why did he make me think he cared about me when he doesn’t? Seriously, what was there to gain?”
“I think he’s scared because you happen to be one hot, badass chick. He’s just not ready to deal with you,” Randy suggests.
“Seriously, Randy, no bullshit. Is there something wrong with me?”
“Pryor, you put your life on the line for the ones you love. You’re a hero.”
“No, Randy, I’m not,” I counter.
“You are to me.”
“Having powers doesn’t really make you a hero, Randy.”
“You were my hero even before I knew who you really were. Every day you rescue me from complete and utter loneliness. You go to comic conventions just because you know I hate going alone. You let me pretend my mom is actually coming back even though we both know she’s not.”
“Randy...”
“It’s okay. I kept waiting for her to return so I could be part of a family. But I have you and my dad, so I’m already part of a family.”
I place my head on his shoulder while my heart continues to break. Being with Randy doesn’t stop the hurt but at least I’m not facing it alone.
“Hey, I just had a thought: What if the Blue Rose woman was a demon. And it turns out that Aaden is actually the Blue Rose descendant? That way you could kill him and it would fall under ‘official Noru business’!” He laughs at the thought and I join in.
EPILOGUE
It’s Saturday morning and I know staying in the house with Aaden will drive me nuts. So I try to get dressed as quickly as I can to avoid seeing him. Yet when I walk into the kitchen, I can’t help but peek around the corner towards the direction of his room to try and catch a glimpse of him.
Oh my Omnis, I’m so pathetic, someone please shoot me already.
“He’s gone,” East says.
“What? Who?” I ask innocently as I walk back to the table and sip one of Sam’s flavored mixture drinks.
“Silver,” East replies.
“Oh, I wasn’t looking for...I mean—where did he go?” I ask.
“I don’t know. He told me to tell you that if it has to do with team business, contact him and he’d come, but other than that...he’d be off doing his own thing.”
“Well as long as he’s here for the team, it’s whatever,” I reply, feeling anger surge within me.
I rush out of the house only to have Key race after me and hand me a small package. She says it came from The Face and that it was delivered while I was still Recharging. I thank her and take off. I’m too pissed at Aaden to stay in the house. I head straight for Randy’s apartment.
***
“Can you believe him?” I shout.
“Pryor, you’re going to make a hole in the floor and that makes it kind of hard to get our security deposit back,” Randy says.
“Argh, how dare he. So what, I’m not allowed to talk to him unless it’s about Noru business? Argh, that smug son of a bitch!”
“Maybe he just doesn’t want it to be awkward for you two,” Randy suggests.
“No, he’s rubbing it in my face. Who does he think he is? Better yet, who does he think I am? Does he think I would stalk him like some common fangirl groupie? Argh! The nerve of him!” I roar.
That’s when I hear a snap-like sound. I look down and realize I had taken Randy’s bat when I was ranting. And now it’s in two pieces in my hand.
“Sorry,” I reply as I place the wooden bat on the floor.
“It’s okay, but maybe you should take a seat and meditate or something,” Randy suggests.
I fall back onto his bed with a great big sigh. Then something falls out of my pocket. Randy picks it up.
“What’s this?” he asks.
“I don’t know. The Face sent it to me this morning,” I reply as I open the ring-sized box.
I pull out a sealed, small vial filled with dark blue liquid.
“What is it?” Randy asks.
“It’s called a Kurrent. It’s a mixture that creates a 3-D image of the being that purchased it and replays a message from them.”
“Wow, angel voicemail. Cool.”
“It is also programmed to know who it’s speaking to.”
“Who is the message from?”
“According to this note from The Face, my mom.”
“So, open the vial,” he pushes.
“Seeing my mom and knowing it’s not really her...”
“Pry, it’s a message your mom wanted you to hear. I’ll stay with you if it helps,” he offers.
“I guess I’d have to sooner or later, right?” I say as I pour the mixture onto the floor.
Instantly a 3D version of my mom starts to form. I’d forgotten how pretty she looks. Her warm purple, eyes stare back at me. She walks up to me, takes my hand, and looks into my eyes.
“Hello, Carrot. I’m making this Kurrent in case something happens to us. I was supposed to make the recording with your father but he couldn’t bring himself to imagine a world where he wouldn’t be there to protect you and Sam. You know us girls are much stronger than the guys. So it’s up to us to deal with what cruelties life may bring.
“There’s so much I want to tell you, but it would take an entire lifetime to say it all. I don’t know what will happen to cause you to have to play this recording, but whatever happened to us I want you to know that your father and I love you. And we love Sam. And while you may grieve for our absence, you are not allowed to give up. You are our child and you will make it through whatever lies ahead.
“I know you know how to fight and how to defend yourself. But what your training hasn’t prepared you for is this: if you win all the battles that lie ahead yet allow the evil you witness to change you, to make you hard and cynical, you have in fact lost.
“Sweetheart, no matter what happens, it is imperative to hold on to your kindness, compassion and yes, your humanity. That is what you fight for. That is what you die for. Do not let anyone take away your willingness to love and be loved. That’s an order. I’m your mom so you have to listen to me.
“Do you hear that? That’s Sam and your dad shouting for me to hurry up. We’re taking Sam to his first official day of flight training. Your dad could hardly Recharge last night, he was so excited. I better go.
“Just remember three things: You are loved. Protect your humanity. And your team is your family so protect them like you would Sam. Oh and one last thing: Aaden’s fighting a lot of demons right now. The kind you and I can’t see. He’s very much like your dad was when I first met him: he will require... patience.
“Okay, I’m coming! I have to go, but remember: You. Are. Loved.”
The mixture reverts back to its original liquid form and leaps back into the vial. I turn away from Randy and look out the window.
“I’m sorry, Pry. May
be it was a bad idea to listen to the recording after all,” Randy says.
“No, it wasn’t. I just didn’t think I’d hear Sam’s voice in the background. It threw me.”
He comes over and gently rubs my back. I try to smile back but don’t quite make it.
“I wish you could have heard your dad too.”
“Actually I do hear my dad,” I reply.
“What do you mean?”
“I hear him in my head saying, “Pryor, even angels need reminding.”
“I don’t get it.”
“Whenever they were on missions, my dad made sure that if at all possible the team got a chance to have fun and blow off some steam. He’d say even angels need to be reminded of the grace of Omnis. And you know what? I know just how to do that. Let’s go!”
***
Before Randy and I take off, I text the team and tell them the plan. Everyone responds and agrees to come along. Well, everyone but Aaden. Our plans aren’t “team business” so I guess he won’t be coming.
We arrive in Paradise Plitvice Lake, near Southeast Europe. Here, Omnis placed the most beautiful waterfall in the human world. Over a dozen rivers converge and cascade down throughout the picturesque terrain. The clear turquoise waters, lush planet life, and vast mountain range always leave me in awe.
“This is incredible,” Randy says as he looks around.
“Yeah, Sam and I used to vacation here with my parents,” I reply.
“Death takes vacations?”
“So do Time and Fate. Just never at the same time. My mom gets the summer months because it coincides with our school vacations.”
Bex, East, and Swoop fly past us and head for the highest peak they can find. They quickly strip down to their swimwear and get ready.
“What are they doing?” Randy asks.
“Another reason to come here is because the mountains are just high enough for the team to Soul Dive.”
“What’s that? I wanna do it too,” he says.
“No Randy, you don’t,” Key warns.
“How do you know, Key? I might have an adventurous side. A dangerous side,” he says, trying way too hard to impress her.
