by Aron Lewes
“Aww. Thanks. That's very sweet!”
I'm glad Colton's being nice. I always hoped he would be.
“Well, if you don't mind, I'm going to shove off,” Colton says. “I have a meeting with a producer in ten minutes, and I can't be late.”
“Sure... sure...” Cynthia nibbles her lip as she sidles away from him. “Seriously, though... it was awesome to meet you.”
As Cynthia and Colton part ways, I slowly turn to Taishi. He looks extraordinarily pleased with himself, despite having caused the bicycle crash.
“Wow...” As I speak, I pop out the thoughtshare and hand it to him. “After all that... their encounter only lasted two minutes.”
“At least we succeeded,” Taishi says. “And that means you've successfully completed your first mission. How do you feel?”
“I feel... alright.”
“Your rank will be ten out of ten,” he informs me. “You officially outrank me.”
“Pfft. Puh-lease. No one really outranks the great Taishi Nakamura!”
“The great Taishi Nakamura?” he repeats with a sly smile. “I like that. Can I officially change my name to that?”
Is he actually attempting humor—and was that a real smile on his lips? I'm stunned. I didn't think he was capable of smiling.
Our success must have put him in a good mood.
And you know what? I'm feeling pretty good about it too.
As soon as we make it back to Heaven—or Home—we're greeted by Amber and Jophiel. The latter looks even more gorgeous than usual, which blows my mind. How can the most gorgeous guy in the world keep topping himself? I blame his black t-shirt and windswept hair.
“Well done, Miss Riley!” Amber exclaims as she shakes my hand. “Roughly fifty percent of spirit guides are successful on their first mission, so take a moment to be proud of yourself.”
“Wow... only fifty percent?” When Jophiel moves closer to me, I feel my entire body tensing up.
“Indeed. We have yet to calculate the results of your fellow classmates, but we expect it to fall in the fifty percent range.” Amber gives me a smile that could make anyone melt. I'm sure Alyx would melt. “Anyway, I think you've earned a visit with your family. When you're ready, one of us can take you.”
“Just... one of you?”
“Unfortunately, yes. We can only provide one escort.”
My eyes pass over the three faces that surround me. Taishi, Amber or Jophiel. I doubt Amber would care, and Taishi's probably tired of me, so I give her the only answer that makes sense. “I... I guess I'd like to go with Jophiel.”
Amber practically sings her approval. “Wonderful! Jophiel is an excellent choice!”
When I see Jophiel's fingers moving toward me, I assume he wants to shake hands, so I try to meet him halfway. But he doesn't shake my hand. Instead, he pulls my hand to his lips and brushes a kiss across my knuckles.
“I'm also very proud of you, Leigh,” Jophiel says. When I hear my name in that sexy British accent of his, I'm surprised my ears don't fall off and roll across the ground. “And it will be my pleasure to escort you to your family. We will, unfortunately, have to wait until tomorrow. I have a few errands to resolve before I'm available. Is that alright with you?”
“Uh... sure.” I steal a glance in Taishi's direction. He's not looking at me. What if I'm wrong? What if he is upset that I didn't choose him?
“The hard work begins now, I'm afraid,” Amber warns me. “We always try to choose an easier mission for beginner guides. It will be rather more difficult from here on out.”
I'm really glad my “easy” mission had a happy ending. Cynthia got to meet Colton, as well as a potential new boyfriend. Before Taishi and I left London, I saw her swapping texts with Kieran. I really hope it works out for them.
“That's okay. I'm up for a challenge,” I confidently state. But my confidence feels like a lie. I actually have no idea what I'm doing. “So... I have a question.”
“Of course,” a smiling Amber allows. “You may ask us anything.”
“I'm just wondering if you know Alyx's result yet? Was her mission a success?” I'm probably being nosy, but I'm dying to know.
“We... do.” Amber's voice is tinged with disappointment, so I can already guess her answer. “Unfortunately, Alyx didn't succeed. According to her guide, she wasn't a very willing participant. Do you think you could talk to her, Leigh? Perhaps you could convince her to put a bit more effort into it next time?”
“I'll try.” I don't have much hope, though. Alyx is kind of a rebel.
All of a sudden, Taishi rushes away from us. He doesn't say goodbye or anything. He just takes off without a word!
“Taishi!” I try to shout his name, but he chooses to ignore me. He's walking so fast, I have to sprint to catch up to him. I need to talk to him. I hope Amber and Jophiel aren't mad that I ditched them in the middle of our conversation. “Taishi, wait!”
“What?” Taishi croaks. He stops walking, but he doesn't turn to face me.
“Are you upset with me or something?” I ask. “You looked happy when our mission was over... but now you're acting weird!”
“This is how I always act.”
I can't really disagree with that, but I still think he seems crankier than usual. “Are you sure you're not mad at me?”
His answer is frustratingly terse. “No.”
“You're not upset that I chose Jophiel?”
Taishi snorts at the thought. “No! Why would that make me upset? I couldn't care less.”
“Ouch.” I wince at his words. “That's... harsh.”
“Sorry.” As he mutters the halfhearted apology, his sandaled foot slides forward. “Now... if you have nothing else to say, I should really be on my way.”
“Okay.” I can feel my lips drooping into a frown. Taishi is mad at me. I can tell.
“I'll see you on our next mission.” When his obsidian eyes finally meet mine, I don't see any gentleness in them. Taishi Nakamura is colder than ever. “Goodbye, Riley-san.”
As I watch him go, I feel oddly disappointed. Taishi's a pain in the butt, but I want him to like me. I certainly don't want him to give me the cold shoulder. It sucks.
When I turn around, Amber is standing right behind me. Her close proximity makes my shoulders leap with surprise.
“Amber!” I exclaim. “I, uh... I didn't know you'd be standing there.”
She gives me an innocent smile. “Sorry to alarm you, dear. Now that Taishi's gone, I wanted to have a word with you. In private.”
“Of course.”
“Hmm... how should I put this?” Amber leans forward and whispers directly into my ear. “Even though Mr. Nakamura is one of our best guides, we've been told he can be a bit... difficult to work with.”
“You can say that I again.” I hope my honesty doesn't get him in trouble. It's not like I dislike him or anything.
“He seemed a bit icy toward you,” Amber observes. “So I was wondering... would you like a new instructor? One who's a bit more pleasant, perhaps?”
I don't have to think about it. Not even for a second.
“No!” I practically scream my answer. “No... no no! Not at all. I don't mind working with Taishi. I think he's a good partner and a good teacher.”
“Okay.” Amber accepts my decision with a tense smile. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I can't imagine working with anyone else.” The words passionately pour from my mouth. “I can't. I really can't.”
And it's the honest truth. I wouldn't want another instructor. I couldn't even imagine another instructor.
In the beginning, I never thought I'd say this, but I actually like working with Taishi.
And I'm looking forward to our next mission together, whatever it may be.
I try to get Alyx's attention for three whole minutes before she finally unplugs one of her ears. I'm constantly competing with her headphones, and I rarely win.
“What?” my roommate snaps at me. “I already know w
hat you're going to say, Leigh. Just spit it out.”
Alyx's hair isn't blue anymore. It's lime green and blindingly vibrant. I want to ask if she manifested the new color, but I have a more pressing matter on my mind.
“Amber said you didn't even try to complete your mission,” I broach the topic as gently as I can. “She wanted me to ask you... if you'd try a little harder next time?”
“Why?” Alyx snorts. “I'm so over this spirit guide crap. None of it is mandatory, is it?” Right before my eyes, she manifests a diet soda and brings it to her lips. I have no idea why she's still drinking diet-friendly beverages. I don't think we can gain weight here.
“Do you really want a record like that?” I ask. “Do you want everyone to look you up and see that you've got a zero out of ten?”
“Believe it or not... I actually don't care!” Alyx answers with a roll of her eyes. “I got bad grades in high school, and I'll get bad grades here. I honestly couldn't care less. Now, can you leave me alone?” Her second earbud is already ascending, preparing to block me out. “I have no interest in talking to the teacher's pet.”
Before I can respond, the bud is back in her ear. My roommate returns to Regal Crimson and reading her magazine.
“Oh well,” I whisper to myself. My shoulders slump as I shuffle to the door. “At least I tried.”
Am I the teacher's pet? I'm certainly not Taishi's favorite person in the world, so she must be referring to Amber. Speaking of which, I have a meeting with Amber today. Those of us who successfully completed our first mission were summoned to the classroom. When I get there, I realize the student body has thinned considerably.
A few minutes after the students assemble, Amber flits into the room with a smile on her lips. Our teacher looks gorgeous, as always. Her brown skin is glowing, her black curls are more voluminous than ever, and for the first time, we can see her wings. They're bright white and glittering, and I can't stop staring at them.
“Hello, my lovely students!” Amber's smile expands to reveal a set of perfect, white teeth. “Let me start by saying I'm extraordinarily proud of each and every one of you! If you're sitting in this classroom, you completed your first mission. Well done!”
When I look over at Alyx's empty seat, I can feel my lips dropping into a frown. The vacant chair is strange to see.
Amber's speech continues. “From now on, your tests will be increasingly difficult. Those who failed will be stuck with menial jobs. However, your human charges will tug at your heartstrings. They will infuriate you. They will make you cry. This is all part of the learning process. You might have to make some impossible choices and stay calm under pressure. Does anyone have any questions?”
In the front row, a gray-haired old man timidly raises an arm.
“Yes, Lawrence?” Amber allows.
“I've been thinking about something...” His voice trails off, revealing his reluctance. Apparently, he's about to ask an uncomfortable question.
“Go ahead, Mr. Brooks. You're welcome to speak your mind.”
While Amber's distracted, I pull out my LightTab and search for my own spirit guide profile. I wonder if it's been updated yet?
Name: Leigh Riley
Last Mortal Age: 17
Occupation: Student
Current Rating: 10/10
A proud grin explodes across my face when I see my perfect score. Awesome.
“W-well...” Lawrence is still hesitating. “Some spirit guide instructors are better than others, Amber. So... I've been thinking... it's not really fair.”
“Hmm.” Amber sits on her desk and stretches her wings. “Do you mind elaborating for me?”
“Well, for example, my instructor's score is an eight point five,” Lawrence says. “My roommate's instructor had a six point three... and he failed. It doesn't seem right that some of us are paired with superior guides.”
“I understand your concerns. Truly. I do,” Amber assures him. “However, your instructors were randomly chosen. It really was the luck of the draw, Mr. Brooks. If you were assigned to a skilled guide, consider yourself lucky.”
I wonder what would've happened to Alyx if she was paired with Taishi? She would be sitting here instead of me, I'm sure.
Another man's arm shoots up, so Amber calls on him. “Yes, Mr. Sood?”
Mr. Sood, a middle-aged Indian man, turns around and glares at me. “Leigh's instructor has a nine! Nobody has a nine! I'm with Lawrence. It doesn't seem fair!”
To be fair, Taishi doesn't have a nine. He actually has a 9.86. From what I can understand, he really is the elite of the elite.
“As I said, I understand your concerns,” Amber repeats. “However, Miss Riley has her own set of challenges. Her instructor, despite his high ranking, is notoriously difficult to work with.”
Notoriously difficult to work with. Notoriously difficult to work with. Notoriously difficult to work with. Amber's words must echo in my head at least a dozen times. I can't believe she just slammed my instructor in front of all of these people! Is it weird that I want to speak up in Taishi's defense? True, he can be a little icy, but I like working with him. Getting Taishi Nakamura to crack a smile has been an interesting challenge.
One of the younger students slowly raises her arm. She's not as young as me, but she is still way too young to have died from natural causes. Amber's smile wavers as she addresses her student. “Yes, Emma?”
“Umm... can I request a different spirit guide?” Emma asks. “Mine won't stop hitting on me, and it's getting a little weird.”
“Oh my!” Amber gasps. “Who's your guide?”
“Uh...” Emma looks a bit reluctant to call him out in front of the class, but she does it anyway. “Ewan Stillwagon.”
His name's unusual, so it's easy to look him up.
Name: Ewan Stillwagon
Last Mortal Age: 38
Occupation: Bartender
Current Rating: 8.1/10
Wow. An eight point one seems pretty high for an alleged pervert.
“I-I-I-I don't hate him or anything!” Emma stammers. “I just... I wish I could spend time with someone who makes me a bit less uncomfortable.”
Amber offers the solution to her woes. “Speak to me after class, Miss Watson. I'll try to find someone to accommodate your needs. Now... does anyone else have any questions? Anyone?”
No more arms shoot up, but Mr. Sood still looks a bit disgruntled. I don't think he likes me.
“If there are no more questions, there's only one more thing I need to tell you,” Amber continues. “If you pass all five of your field exams, you'll return to this classroom for a final test and a special reward. It is very rare for a student guide to successfully complete all missions. However, if you're one of the lucky few, your efforts will be rewarded with an amazing prize.”
An amazing prize? Okay, now I'm curious. I wonder what that could be?
“I wish you luck on your next mission,” Amber says. “I'm sure all of you will give it your very best!”
With that, class is officially dismissed. As I shuffle out of the room with the rest of the student guides, I've got my eyes on the ground. I should have been paying more attention to where I was going, because I almost run into Jophiel's rock hard chest.
“Jophiel!” I gasp as he pulls me aside. My favorite Archangel is still the most gorgeous man I've ever seen. He's so beautiful, it's hard to look away from him. “Did you need to talk to me about something?”
“No, silly. Have you forgotten?” a grinning Jophiel playfully admonishes me. “I'm taking you to your family... remember?”
I see my dad first. He's pouring his morning coffee like he always does on Saturday, but he looks a little more lethargic than usual. He drinks it black, which I've never seen him do, and judging from the face he makes when he sips it, he isn't enjoying it that way. He sits down, smooths the pages of his morning newspaper, and stares at the words.
“Aren't you from the year 2017?” Jophiel asks. The Archangel accompanied m
e on this heartbreaking visit, but he was probably a bad choice. I have a crush on Jophiel, and he's definitely not seeing me at my best.
“Yeah. Why?”
“I'm just surprised to see him reading a newspaper. I thought everything went digital in this era.”
“No, you're right. But he always saw his dad reading the newspaper, so I think he wanted to keep the tradition alive.” I sink into the chair across from my dad. I don't think he's actually reading. His eyes are so vacant, he looks like a zombie. “Plus, my mom likes to clip the coupons.”
“There are digital coupons,” Jophiel haughtily notes. I don't know why, but it's really weird to hear an angel talking about digital coupons.
“I know. But my mom likes the paper ones too. She's the coupon queen.”
My eyes are drawn to a stack of cards on the table. They're sympathy cards. Apparently, a bunch of people my family barely knows are “sorry for their loss.”
It's really weird to think about being dead. Everyone I know will continue their lives without me. My parents will grow old without me. My friends will go to college without me. My little sister will grow up and get married without me. It's a strange and gut-wrenching thought.
All of a sudden, my dad starts sobbing. It's not even a little sob. It's huge and explosive and it makes my chest ache.
“This is the first time I've ever seen my dad cry...” I whisper to Jophiel, who's looking at artwork I painted in kindergarten. My mom really needs to take down that refrigerator art. It's ancient.
“You clearly meant a lot to him,” the Archangel replies.
“Yeah. He meant a lot to me too.” With a frown on my lips, I reach across the table to hold my dad's hand. I wonder if he can feel me, even a little bit? “Dad...” My voice cracks when I speak. I have a lot to say to him. I know he can't hear me, but I still want to say it. “Dad, I'm sorry I'm not around anymore. I miss you so much. I really wish we could've spent more time together. I was always at school and you were always at work, so... we didn't really see each other all that much.”
