9Chapter Three
"Did you sleep well?" Marcus asked. I stretched my arms above my head and let out a long, loud yawn. Marcus stood up from where he was on the floor and folded the blanket he was using to cover himself up with the night before. For a house in heaven, the furniture, and the blankets were very, very real. "Is the bed here just as comfortable with the bed you had in your house?"
"Surprisingly the felt exactly the same." I told him as I made my bed. Even without my mother here, her attitude and mannerisms were still drilled into my head. I picked up all the pillows from the floor and then straightened out the towels in my bathroom. After brushing my teeth and making sure that everything was back in its rightful position, I joined Marcus back in my bedroom. I wore the same thing that I wore the night before but none of it was wrinkled or looked like it was worn before. Apparently in heaven, everything was perfect, why that surprised me, I wasn't sure. "Everything is exactly the same, but I'm sure that you already knew that." There was a guilty smile that crossed Marcus's face. He handed me the blanket and pillow he used and I placed them on the bed precisely where I had them on my old bed back home.
"Aren't you a little anal about your bedroom and everything in it?" Marcus asked me. I shrugged and blushed, mildly embarrassed. "I think you are the neatest sixteen year old that I have ever seen or met at all." I stuck out my tongue and threw a pillow at Marcus. He caught it with ease and then tossed it back to me. I was less then graceful and the pillow hit me point blank in my face. I stumbled back and tripped over the leg of the bed. Falling, my knee hit the corner of my night stand and tore open, leaving blood on the corner as well as dripping on the cream carpet. I let out a yelp and immediately grabbed a washcloth that was in the drawer of my night stand. I pressed on my wound and tried not to cry. I was a complete baby when it came to pain. "Hey are you okay? Here move the washcloth." I shook my head and resisted when he tried to pull my arm away. "Seriously Christina move the washcloth and I'll fix everything." He tugged my hand and this time I let him pull it away, exposing my wound. Marcus didn't seem bothered with my bloody knee when he placed his hand over it. His lips move in a silent speech, or prayer of some sort, and then when he pulled his hand away, the blood was gone and it looked like nothing happened. There wasn't even a little scar where the wound was. It was completely perfect and there was a slight tingle where his hand was. I was starting to think that it had nothing to do with him being an angel and everything to do with him.
"That is so cool." I said in awe. "When do I get to learn how to do that?"
"It takes years and years of being an angel too get as talented as I am." Marcus stated. He stood up and held out his hand to help me up. When we were both standing, he helped me put the pillows back on the bed and then we went down the stairs for some breakfast. "I'm glad you're rested. We have a long day ahead of us. We have school, and then soccer practice and then rehearsal. When we're done with that, we have homework, then dinner and finally bed." I stopped a spoon midway from the bowl to my open mouth.
"Are you kidding me? You mean to tell me that even as an angel you have to go to school and everything? That, like, seriously sucks." I complained. "I thought that being an angel would be more laid back and cool. I thought coming to heaven I would get out of the tests and homework and everything. I can't believe you're telling me that I actually have to do work." A cell phone rang and Marcus took it out of his pocket to answer it. They have cell phones in heaven? Is this honestly happening? I mean it's a cell phone…angels shouldn't have sell phones! And they should be wearing white robes and wings. What is this world, or whatever you want to call it coming to if there aren't even original angels? I watched Marcus as he talked into the phone. He held up his hand in front of me and suddenly he went silent. It was like he put a sound proof wall between the two of us, blocking me from hearing anything he was saying. His face contorted and turned red. His eyes narrowed and I knew that soon he was going to be shooting things out from them. Suddenly he slapped closed the phone and put his hand down. His face relaxed but his eyes were still menacing. "So about this whole work thing? Do we really have to do it?"
"Yes we really have to do it."
"That really sucks…I don't want to any work."
"Well that's life princess." Marcus said sarcastically. "I'm sorry that the poor baby has to actually do work and this isn't a free pass." Marcus drank his coffee and sat on the couch in the kitchen. "Do you want to know something? You are the most spoiled and selfish girl I've met. Did you really think that this was going to be some kind of vacation?"
"Sort of I guess." I admitted. "I mean what do we really have to go to school for? You guys don't use math or history or English do you? You guys don't have gym in heaven or any sciences do you?"
"Not exactly." Marcus took a bite of an apple that he conjured up in his hand. "But as angels we have our own classes we have to attend and learn things in. Like the classes Alchemical Writings, The History of the Guardian Angel, Wings 101, and Popular Magic. These classes are really essential to becoming an angel and if we don't take them then we can't become angels."
"First of all I am not spoiled or selfish so shut up." I growled. "Second of all if we don't know if we're going to become an angel until after we complete our mission and even when we finish we might not become an angel. So therefore, why do we have to take these classes if we're not even sure we're going to become angels?"
"I'm not sure, but rules are rules." Marcus told me. "And yes you are spoiled. Do you see what you're wearing? When I was alive, the cost for your outfit would have paid for my whole wardrobe."
"So it's my fault that I'm very comfortable and that my parents have good jobs that pay well? It's not my fault that I can buy the fancy bags or clothes." I huffed. Marcus rolled his eyes at me and went back to his coffee. "And what is your problem? You were just happy go lucky before, why are you all nasty now? Is it that time of the month again?"
"Ha-ha." I glared at Marco who had a scowl on his face. His hands were shaking and his knuckles were extremely white. He didn't look like the happy go lucky guy that I woke up to this morning. Something was bothering him but I couldn't ask him what. I barely know him, why should I be concerned about what's wrong with him? And he's been really mean to me too. "You think you're so funny don't you? Well news flash Christina, you aren't funny."
"Okay I don't know what your problem is but don't jump down my throat." I snapped.
"So it's okay for you to jump down my throat when you got here and be obnoxious to me, but I can't be mean to you? That's not hypocritical or anything."
"Geez Marcus." I cried. "When I got here, first of all I had just gotten hit by a car, second of all I found out my best friend had sex with my boyfriend. I think I had a reason to be obnoxious to you."
"Well I have a reason to be obnoxious today too. But that's none of your business. So if you could just shut your whiney little mouth for ten minutes we can get to school without being late." Marcus barely waited for me to put my spoon down before he grabbed my wrist and we were spinning in the familiar, yet nauseating vortex.
"I'm sure that this isn't the only way we can get to places."
"No it's not but it's the only way I wanted to go for now so deal with it princess." The vortex stopped almost as soon as it started I fell with a thud on the floor and Marcus seemed to float down with ease. "That's why we need to go to school princess." He hissed in my ear. "So that we learn how to get out of the pull and land without looking retarded." I stood up and dusted myself off. I was about to say something back to him but I stopped when I realized that Marcus wasn't paying any attention to me anymore. His body was turned and he was staring at a girl that was walking up to the building in front of me. She was the typical blonde hair, blue eyed beauty. She was tall, willowy and her smile literally gleamed against the sunlight. I could have sworn I could see the halo around her head. "Witch." I heard Marcus whisper.
"Well at least I know why you were acting all P.M.S. like this morning." I told him. "Want to tell me what's going on?"
"Not really." The girl turned to us and Marcus grabbed a hold of my arm and pulled me to him. His hand went to my face and I barely had time to breathe before I felt his lips on mine. They were soft, a little chapped, warm, and they felt very sturdy against mine. His arm slithered around my waist and what started out as me pushing him away ended with me tangling my hands in his hair. I was just getting really into the kiss when he pulled away and grabbed his bag from the floor. I turned to see that the girl, whoever she was, was glaring at us and then one of her friends whispered something in her ear and together they went into the building. Marcus wiped his mouth and rage entered my body. With all the strength I had, I punched Marcus in the arm. He dropped his bag and grabbed the arm that I punched. I took that opportunity to knee him in the stomach too. Marcus forgot about his arm and clutched his stomach before dropping to the ground. "What the hell was that for?" Angels are allowed to say hell? I didn't think that was possible.
"That was for kissing me! How dare you kiss me when you barely know me! What kind of girl do you think I am?" I yelled. People glanced my way but I paid no attention to them. Marcus put out his hands and I knew that he created another sound proof box. No one would be able to listen to us argue now. "I didn't want you to kiss me, why did you do it? Does it have to do with that girl that was just over there looking at us?"
"Sort of." Marcus gasped, still clutching his stomach.
"So you used me?" I stated even though I already knew the answer. "You used me to make her jealous? I was just some kind of pawn? I'm sure that's exactly what guardian angels are supposed to do. I'm sure your boss, whoever he is, would be very proud of you."
"It's not like that." Marcus stood up with some difficulty and took his bag. We were still in the sound proof box and it moved with us as we moved. "It's just that…well she's the one that called me today."
"And let me guess…she's not your girlfriend anymore?" I guessed.
"She doesn't want to be exclusive." Marcus admitted. "She said she was tired with being with a perfect little goody two shoes and she wants some excitement in her relationship." An angel that doesn't want to be with a goody two shoes? I thought that all angels were like that. I mean, aren't they programmed to be like that? "She told me I was too boring for her basically."
"So you wanted a pull a One Tree Hill move, didn't you?"
"One Tree Hill?" Marcus asked. "What is that?" I rolled my eyes and pushed Marcus's hand down, disintegrating the sound proof box.
"Never mind…you angels are so delayed when it comes to shows." I commented. "Anyway, so what is this chick's name that decided she wanted a break?"
"Alicia. Her name is Alicia." We walked up to the school and Marcus held the door open for me. He wasn't as angry as he was before but he didn't seem completely happy either. But then again who would be happy after hearing that he was boring and a goody two shoes? "We started dating just about the same time that we both became angels. She was my first girlfriend and I was her first boyfriend. I thought I was enough for her but apparently things like that don't stay as perfect as we want them to. I suppose I just need to move on."
"Don't be too sure about that…the way she was looking at us, I'm sure you guys will get back together very, very soon. Trust me on this; I'm like an expert in relationships." Marcus grinned. "Alright except the whole Luke thing…but that came at me when I wasn't even ready for it."
"News flash princess, most things do."
"Princess? Is that like my new nick name now?"
"Yep." Marcus said with a genuine smile. "But it's only my nick name for you, no one else's."
"Whatever you say."
I felt like I was in an alternate universe, and thinking about it, I really was. At my school at home, I was popular. I was one of the top cheerleaders and everyone looked up to me. Everyone knew me and everyone had my back. Not only did I roll with the popular kids in my grade, but dating a senior, I rolled with the popular seniors too. Here, in this school, I was a nobody. No one knew me and everyone was staring but in a bad way. They were all whispering and snickering behind there hands, I felt like one of the members in a freak show. There was nothing I would have liked to do more than to leave the school and curl up under my comforter and wait until I knew what my mission was. Marcus, on the other hand, had other ideas. He wanted to show me off to everybody and any body. Everyone we came across, Marcus had to introduce me to. As those kids walked away form us, they would start whispering. It was completely unnerving.
"So how was the first half of your first day?" Marcus asked as we sat down at a table full of angels, one of them being Alicia. I couldn't understand how Marcus could still sit with her after what happened but I learned not to question his motives. Knowing him for only a day, I could already tell that he had a motive and reason for everything.
"It was alright. The teachers did all these little tricks that poured all the information that I missed into my head and so I have a massive headache and I feel like I know too much for my own good."
"That's what happened to me too." Marcus said. "The feeling will go away in a couple of hours and then you'll just be like the rest of us. The teachers do that so that they don't have to waste time trying to catch everyone up. We get new angels, and trainees every minute of every day. It's too hard to keep trying to catch people up." I noticed that Alicia kept glancing at us as she ate her frozen yogurt. Her brunette headed friend whispered something in Alicia's ear and they both laughed. Almost immediately I felt self conscious about myself. "So anyway this is Katelyn, Paige, Jake, Nate, Sarah, and Chris." Marcus introduced, noticeably skipping over Alicia and her friends. The rest of the table smiled and waved at me.
"Nice to meet all of you." The friends that Marcus had made up quite a group. In the high school at home, all of his friends wouldn't be caught dead together. Katelyn and Jake were Goths, wearing all black and Katelyn's hair was streaked neon pink and Jake's hair was longer than my own. Sarah was the geek, wearing thick glasses and a perfectly pleated skirt. She wore Mary-Jane's on her feet with knee high socks. Now Nate and Chris were both more my type. Nate was a football player while Chris was a basketball player. Even with their baggy shirts on, I could tell that they were toned. Jocks are so yummy to look at. Now if only they weren't all jerks as well. "My name is Christina."
"That's a pretty name for a pretty girl." Nate winked and squeezed my hand over the table. "I can't wait to get to know you better." Chris smiled but said nothing which disappointed me a little. Not many guys like Chris could keep their mouth shut around me, in any way shape or form, but he didn't seem fazed by my gorgeous locks of hair or my smile. Katelyn must have saw my look and grinned.
"Don't take it personally." She whispered to me. "Chris is one hundred percent gay. I don't think he's looked at a girl since he's been here." I hesitated talking to her, not sure if I wanted to be seen associated with someone like her. But heaven isn't like regular school. No one cares who everyone else hangs out with. In theory everybody is an equal or something like that. Things are a lot different here.
"And how long is that?" I asked. "He doesn't look older than sixteen or seventeen. As a matter of fact, no one looks older than that here. Now I doubt they all died or whatever at the same time so why is it everyone is exactly the same age?"
"Well it's like this…when people become angels they decide in what year in their life that they want to stay in. They can be eighty-five when they come into heaven but when they're angels, they can pick any age that they loved to be their permanent age in heaven."
"So any of you guys here can be any age?"
"Yeah basically…well except me, Jake and Marcus. We were all actually sixteen when we died. We all actually know each other and we were friends before we died too."
"Did you guys die at the same time?" I asked. I didn't want to tread on water that was better left untouched. Katelyn nodded.
"Yeah… I don't remember exactly what happened but all I remember is ending up here with Marcus and Jake with me. That was about a year ago and since then none of us has talked about the accident. It's like if we don't talk about it, then it never happened.
"So it took you a year to finish out your mission?" I asked astonished. I'm going to have to stay here a whole year of my life? I'm going to miss out on so much. There will be no homecoming, or prom, or anything. I won't see my friends for a whole year, I'm sure that they'll forget about me by the time I get back. This is so not fair! I wanted to cry. I could not handle the fact that I was going to be here for a year with no one to hang out with except Marcus and his friends. But I don't want his friends…I want my own friends, and my own life. I want to get a boyfriend and go to all the school functions. I don't want to stay in heaven! "Does it usually take people that long?"
"No…sometimes it takes them longer, but then again others it could just take a week. It really depends on the person and how dedicated they are to finishing all of this. Sometimes the missions are really hard to complete and then sometimes they are really easy. It depends on what the person was like when they were living." I heard Marcus sigh next to me and looked up to see him looking at Alicia who, at the moment, was talking to Nate. She was touching his arm and batting her eyes at him. I used the same move myself time and time again. She was just doing it upset Marcus and make him jealous. That little bitch. How dare she treat someone like Marcus so badly? Maybe someone needs to beat her at her own game and it looks like I'm just the girl to do that. Watching Alicia's every move, I leaned over and discreetly whispered in Marcus's ear.
"You want your little girlfriend back? Just follow my lead." I kissed his cheek and rested my hand on Marcus's upper thigh. The table was clear glass and as Alicia's gaze moved, I could tell that she was staring at my hand. Perfect, I got her attention. I moved my hand up to his hip and gently slid it under the bottom hem of his shirt. He was trembling and something told me that girls didn't do this to him much, or at all even. I leaned over and kissed Marcus's neck and collar bone before kissing his nose and then his lips. Pushing Marcus's chair back I swung my one leg over his lap and straddled him I put his hands on the small of my back and continued to kiss him. At first he resisted and then eased into the kiss. I sucked on his neck enough to leave a hickey, if angels got hickeys. The talking at the table stopped and I knew that everyone was staring at me. Nate was whistling and next to me I could hear Katelyn chuckling. She must have known what I was doing. With one more peck on the cheek, I got off Marcus's lap and picked up my books. "Well I must go, I have to find my next class. Katelyn would you like to join me?" All eyes were still on me and I could see Alicia mumble something under her breath.
"Sure why not." Katelyn said, her neon hair shaking with silent laughs. I waited for Katelyn to get her things and then the two of us left the crowd, but not before I winked at Nate.
"Call me sometime Nate." I said in his ear as I passed him.
"What the heck was that?" I could hear Alicia screeching at Marcus. "That…that skank was all over you!" I hope she's worth fighting for Marcus because this going to be one fight. I said in my mind but when I heard Marcus laugh in my head, I knew that he read my thoughts. "Are you seriously going to hook up with the likes of her? She is such a slut. She gives trainee's a bad name. I can't believe she was even allowed up here. I thought for sure that she would be in hell. That's where everyone else who sells t hair body is." I wanted to go back and slap Alicia but Katelyn put her hand on my arm.
"It's not even worth it." She told me. "Alicia rules this school and if you get on her bad side, you're screwed. I think right now you're skating on thin ice."
"Don't worry I can handle her."
"Why did you have girls like her in your real school?"
"Have girls like her? I am one of those girls." Katelyn looked a little disgusted but said nothing. "Listen I'm not boasting or anything but I'm just saying don't worry too much about me…I can pull my own weight with her. You kind of learn how to toughen up when you're the girlfriend of the quarterback of your school and every other girl is all over your boyfriend."
"Well I'll say good luck anyway. Alicia kind of scares me." I couldn't help but laugh.
"But you could kick her ass if you wanted to."
"Again, if you get Alicia on your bad side, you're screwed." We'll just see about that.