The
Sun Angel
Ashley Martinez
Copyright © 2015 Ashley Martinez
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For information, address publisher at:
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover design by Sarah Keele Copyright © 2015. All rights reserved.
For my Dad.
Thanks for all the late night story tellings that kept me at the edge of my seat.
Chapter One
A shrill ring rang out through Jenna’s room. She jerked and opened one eye, but reflexes kicked in and her hand came up to hit snooze as her head hit the pillow, already back asleep.
Five minutes later, her alarm clock went off again, refusing to let her sleep. She groaned as she pulled herself awake.
“Jenna! Breakfast!” her dad called out.
Jenna stood and shook the sleepiness from her. She was usually a morning person, but lately she’d been having the same strange dream. She couldn’t shake it no matter how hard she tried convincing herself it was just a dream. The boy in her dream felt so real.
None of that mattered now as Jenna pulled on a clean blouse and jeans. She had to get ready for school, something she dreaded every day. It wasn’t that she hated school; she was actually quite good at it. It was the fact she had no friends. She didn’t try to be socially awkward, but ever since she could remember she’d always had a difficult time making friends. Everyone seemed to avoid her as if she had some contagious disease unbeknownst to her.
Jenna sighed as she brushed her brilliantly blonde hair away from her face. She studied herself in the mirror, trying to picture what others saw her hair was long, falling to the middle of her back, looking like most of the girls in school. Her top lip was smaller than her bottom lip, but no one ever pointed it out. Maybe it was the light scar on her left cheek by her ear that made people snicker, but then her gaze came to rest on her eyes. They were the color of liquid gold…different from anyone else’s and the reason –along with her blond hair-- that her dad called her his sun angel, but to Jenna they were what made her stand apart from her peers and not in a good way.
“You’re going to miss the bus if you don’t hurry, angel,” her dad commented as Jenna entered the kitchen.
“Sorry, I overslept,” she apologized as she grabbed the bowl of cereal her dad set out.
“That’s not like you. Is something going on I should know about?”
“No,” Jenna said around a mouth full of Fruit Loops.
“Okay,” her dad eyed her skeptically. “Did you finish your homework?”
Jenna nodded and continued to eat.
“Good,” he returned to his newspaper.
A few minutes passed in silence as they sat and ate. Jenna thought about her dream and what it could mean. She hadn’t ever seen the boy before, so why would she be looking for him knowing he was the only one who could help her. And what was she running from?
“Bus is here,” her dad announced.
Jenna jumped up and ran for the door, not wanting to be late and giving the kids another thing to ridicule her about, like the time in fifth grade when Angie Miller put gum in Jenna’s hair and then called her a Backstreet Boy for the rest of the year after she had to get it chopped off to her chin.
Rushing into school she smiled at the only person who was ever nice to her, James was his name, as he held the door open for her. He never really talked to her, but would hold doors, pick up books she seemed to always drop, or just smile at her.
The day passed in a boring blur and before long Jenna was sitting in the back of her biology class, sitting alone at her table for two. She ignored everyone as she opened her book bag and began searching for her paper and pencils
“Class, I want to introduce a new student,” her fifth period teacher, Mrs. Schwartz announced.. “This is William,” she indicated the boy standing next to her at the front of the class. “Please make him feel welcomed.”
Jenna still wasn’t paying attention barely even hearing the announcement to begin with; she was too busy studying her notes from yesterday’s lecture. It wasn’t until she felt eyes on her that she even noticed her name had been called out.
Most of the students in the class were looking at her in bored contempt. She pulled her gaze away from them and up to the teacher, with an unreadable expression, was it pity or dislike? Jenna’s eyes moved over to the boy next to her.
She did a sharp intake of breath, hearing some sniggers and Angie whispered, “Gosh, Jenna, keep it in your pants.” More kids laughed and Jenna felt her cheeks redden. He was making his way slowly to her table. Jenna couldn’t take her eyes off him; fear rippled through her. This was the boy from her dreams. In her dreams she’d known this boy was dangerous but knew she needed his help.
“Hey, I’m Will,” he introduced himself but didn’t offer his hand knowing her hand would be too hot for his cold one.
“I’m Jenna,” she answered still unable to tear her gaze away from his face. She took in all she could, from his shaggy jet-black hair, hanging down to his equally dark eyes, to his olive colored skin to his taut muscles, which were obvious even underneath his fitted plain black t-shirt. She felt something prodding her memory, like she knew him outside of her dreams.
“You like what you see?” he interrupted making her blush.
“Sorry, I…” she stopped unsure if she would scare him away.
“You what?”
“You just look familiar,” Jenna shrugged, but her embarrassment went deeper than being caught staring.
“It happens,” the new boy named Will turned to the front of the class, ignoring her for the rest of the hour.
Too soon the bell rang signaling the end of class. Jenna didn’t want to leave him though, she felt questions tugging on her mind. She knew Will and wanted to know how. Unfortunately she lacked courage and didn’t want to risk anyone else over hearing her. She couldn’t take her thoughts away from Will nor could she stop stealing glances at him while Mrs. Schwartz prattled on.
“Hi, I’m Angie,” the most popular girl in school and Jenna’s biggest tormentor, was suddenly at their table introducing herself to Will.
“Will,” he grunted putting his new books in his bag.
“Just so you know, there are way better people out there for you than your new lab partner,” she pretended to whisper but didn’t try to conceal it from Jenna, who had just dropped her notebook, spilling her papers everywhere.
“I could figure that one out for myself, thanks,” he answered glaring at Angie but also ignoring Jenna as she scrambled to pick up her papers.
“Well, if you want-“ Angie began but was cut off by Jenna.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but you’re sitting on my book, and I need to get to last hour.”
“You mean this book?” Angie hopped off the table grabbing Jenna’s book in the process.
Jenna nodded, not wanting to antagonize the most popular mean girl in school.
“You really should take better care of your book, it’s school property after all,” she said flipping through the pages before finally tearing some out, making the girls around her giggle.
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Jenna blushed in anger and embarrassment but didn’t say anything knowing it would just egg Angie on.
“Oh, you’re so pathetic,” Angie rolled her eyes and dropped the book on the floor.
Jenna stooped down to get it but Angie kicked it out of reach and the book flew to the very corner of the room, by the door.
Burning with humiliation, Jenna hurried to grab her book when a hand reached out picking it up for her. She looked up in surprise and found James holding it but he wasn’t looking at her, he was looking at the new boy behind her. Curiosity crossed over his face as if he knew him too. Gathering himself quickly he smiled and handed the book to Jenna who gladly accepted it before racing out of the room, leaving Will behind knowing he’d be just like everyone else and shun her sooner or later. The last hour passed by too fast for Jenna’s liking. She always saw Angie after school since their lockers were right next to each other and didn’t want another confrontation.
She made her way slowly down the hall hoping Angie would already be gone, but as she rounded the corner she saw the big crowd that always accompanied Angie. Sighing in defeat, Jenna tried squeezing past the kids who were in front of her locker, but they wouldn’t move for her.
“Jenna,” Angie sang out. “We’ve actually been waiting for you!”
“You have?” Jenna asked in surprise.
“Yeah, we want you to tell everyone what you did to the new kid today.”
The smirks and snickers that followed told Jenna they already knew she had stared open mouthed at Will all hour.
“Well?” Angie poked her arm. “Are you going to tell us?”
“There’s nothing to tell,” Jenna mumbled trying to get to her locker, but Angie’s boyfriend stood in her way.
“Go on,” Sara, Angie’s best friend and cheerleader, urged. “Tell everyone how you couldn’t take your creepy eyes off the new kid.”
Jenna automatically shut her eyes, trying to hide what other’s viewed as unnatural. Taking a deep breath she opened them deciding she wanted to leave, whether or not she had all her stuff.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Angie jumped in front of her, now holding a water bottle.
Jenna knew what was coming next, so she starting backing off as quickly as she could, but it wasn’t quick enough. Soon Jenna was drenched from behind. Angie and the other kids were laughing hard and moving away from her. Jenna had been tricked. It wasn’t Angie who’d dumped water on her but three of the football players who had been standing behind Jenna.
“What happened to you?” A strangely familiar voice asked.
It warmed Jenna’s heart and sent shivers down her spine. She turned and realized Will was watching her. She looked down at her wet clothes and knew she probably looked like a drowned rat.
“Nothing,” she mumbled and opened her locker to retrieve her stuff.
“Doesn’t look like nothing,” Will moved closer but kept his distance feeling the heat radiating off her and not wanting to burn his skin. “You do know you’re soaking wet, don’t you?”
“Actually I do,” Jenna laughed softly. “Fortunately for me, it happened at the end of the day and it’s only water.”
“Does it happen often?” Will tilted his head not understanding this girl who stood before him soaking wet and laughing about it.
“Sadly, yes,” Jenna nodded closing her locker and walking away.
“Why haven’t you done anything about it?” Will fell into step with her.
She laughed again, “And what? Make it worse? No, thanks.”
“Why not stand up for yourself?”
Jenna shrugged not answering. They reached the front doors of the school and Jenna stepped gratefully out into the sun feeling the warmth penetrate her wet clothes.
“Besides,” she turned back to Will. “It’s not like anyone’s going to help me.”
Leaving Will behind, she climbed on the bus that would take her home to her sanctuary.
***
Jenna intrigued Will. She wasn’t at all what he expected, so it was no wonder she’d been hard to find; she disguised herself brilliantly Will thought as he watched Jenna in her backyard from the seclusion of some shade trees. It was early the next morning, before Jenna had to leave for school, so Will took this opportunity to study her He watched her water some flowers, stopping every now and again to smell one or pull something away from them.
There was something about Jenna that Will found disturbing. Instead of the cruelty he’d always known her for, she was kind and thoughtful. He could still feel her gaze as she had watched him in class yesterday. It was the staring he found disturbing…something about it made him feel like she could see his soul.
“Why did you call me here, sir?” a voice interrupted his thoughts.
“Her,” Will shook Jenna from his thoughts even though he was talking about her.
James was silent assuring Will he knew exactly who she was. Will knew it’d surprised James when he’d shown up at the school, but James knew better than to ask why he was there, he knew Will’s plan.
“You know who she is, right?” Will asked watching his second in command and friend.
James’ eyes narrowed with pain, sorrow, or anger --Will wasn’t quite sure, “What do you want me to do, Will?”
“Call the Queen and tell her…” Will paused unsure of why he stopped. He watched Jenna as she held up something to an animal in a tree. She seemed so innocent; he felt a sudden need to protect her.
“Tell her what, Will?” James once again interrupted.
Shaking this unfamiliar feeling he continued, “Tell her I found the Angel of the Sun.”
“You’re going to be late if you don’t hurry, angel!” Jenna’s father hollered out.
“I’m going, I’m going!” Jenna raced inside with her bag slung over her shoulder and grabbed the banana and bagel her dad held out for her. “Thanks, Dad! See you after school!”
She was out the door before her dad could respond with his usual “be safe” and “don’t talk to strangers”.
Jenna was eager to get to school. It was Friday but also she wanted to see Will. Her dream had been different last night. Instead of always being alone when she was running, she was with Will, and he was showing her the way and keeping her safe from creatures that hid in the dark. Her dreams always left her feeling doomed, but this last one made her swell with hope.
The first half of the day passed in a blur; Jenna didn’t pay much attention to anyone or anything and no one bothered her. She was the first to arrive to her fifth hour class and sat anxiously awaiting for Will to show up.
Soon the kids trickled in one or two at a time, but none of them were Will. Jenna’s balloon of hope deflated and she laid her head on the table feeling stupid she’d gotten so excited to see this guy she didn’t even know.
“Tired?” Will asked as he sat as far from her as he could.
“Not really,” her head snapped up as she realized it was Will asking her.
“Huh,” he nodded, not understanding her actions.
“Okay, today’s class we’re going to be dissecting frogs,” their teacher began. “Your frogs are in the fridge. One person from each table go and collect the one that has your table number on it.”
Jenna felt squeamish. She hated when animals of any kind died.
“What’s our table number?” Will stood seeing Jenna’s face almost turn green.
“Eight,” she whispered gratefully.
“How about you read the paper on what we’re to do, and I’ll do the actual cutting,” Will suggested as he returned with the frog.
Jenna nodded and reached for the paper to read the first instructions. She knew the anatomy of most animals but hadn’t studied frogs before. The paper indicated where each organ was located and where to cut to find them without puncturing anything.
She held back a gag as Will pulled at the scalpel, “Where to cut first, Angel?”
“What did you call me?” she whispered in shoc
k at the nickname temporarily forgetting about the frog.
“Angel? Is that bad? It was just a joke.”
“No, it’s fine; that’s just what my dad calls me,” she blushed. “Well he usually says sun angel.”
“Huh,” Will nodded already knowing why her dad called her that. “So, where do I begin on this frog?” He moved his hand to cut a leg off.
Jenna reached out and took hold of his wrist to stop him. He jerked away at the same time Jenna took her hand back. His skin had been cold, making her feel as though she’d had a bucket of ice water dumped on her head.
“Sorry,” she mumbled. “It’s just you don’t have to cut the legs off.”
He nodded shocked how her touch hadn’t burned his hand or how his skin hadn’t frozen her. Will didn’t understand what was going on, and he was dying to reach out and touch her hand to test it again.
“You start with cutting down the center of the frog,” Jenna instructed not knowing Will wanted her to touch his arm again. “Make sure you don’t cut very deep. We don’t want puncture any organs.”
“You don’t like this, do you?” Will asked as he worked. He noticed she closed her eyes after she’d told him what to do.
She shook her head, “Although I do understand the need for research.”
He didn’t answer; instead he focused on his task. He couldn’t help himself though and looked at Jenna often. Her eyes were such a gold he wondered how she didn’t know who she really was.
“Will?” Jenna was watching him staring at her.
“What?”
“Watch what you’re doing,” she pointed to the frog in disappointment.
Will looked down and realized he’d cut the frog more than he needed to, “Oops.”
Jenna giggled, “Well this will be a first.”
“A first what?” Will glanced at her liking her laugh.
“I’ve never failed at something,” she smiled wider surprised at how true it was.
“Well, there’s a first time for everything,” he answered not returning her smile.
The Sun Angel Page 1
