9Chapter Four
"So how was your first week of school?" Marcus asked me. The table was set with extremely shiny, white china plates and crystal goblets filled with what looked like wine but I was sure was just grape juice. Silver forks and knives were on either side of the dishes and cloth napkins were folded on top of the plates. Two pink candles hovered above the table casting a rosy glow through the enormous dining room. The chairs were solid wood with carvings in the feet that matched the ones on the table. There was a bar at one end of the dining room and a dance floor right in front of the bar. Surround sound speakers were attached to the upper four corners of the room just waiting to be used. Wow this dining room is…wow. I never saw something as beautiful as this.
"Did you do this all? Like make it all like this?" I asked. "Because I was in this room before and it looked nothing like this." Marcus blushed and looked down at his ratty converse sneakers. Personally I would never have been seen wearing something as dirty and disgusting as those sneakers but in heaven, nothing seemed to matter.
"You caught me…I guess I did fancy things up a bit. I thought it would be nice, almost to celebrate your first week here. I hope you don't mind."
"Mind? I love it, I think it's gorgeous. The only time someone has ever done something like this for me was a few years ago and that was when I was with Luke." A sharp pain pierced my heart and I had trouble breathing. Just the mention of his name had me close to tears. In my mind I was still picturing the blond hair he had and those eyes that made me fall in love with him. I loved the boy who gave me my first kiss and first everything. I loved the boy who brought me a rose every single day for the first year that we were dating and left little surprises in my locker for those 'just because' reasons.
"What are you thinking about?" Marcus asked me, his voice making me jump. I was lost so deep in my own thoughts that I forgot that Marcus was sitting right next to me. "Christina? Talk to me…let me into your mind…" I shook my head and wiped angrily at the tears that pooled in my eyes. I will not cry over him. I will not cry over that stupid jerk who didn't think I was enough for him. I will not cry for the past because it's in the past for a reason. "Christina, I know something is wrong…please talk to me…I want to help in any way I can."
"Can you turn back time until I never met Luke so that I wouldn't have my heart broken?" I asked bitterly. Marcus frowned and shook his head. "I didn't think so. You can't do anything about the choices I made or the people I made those choices with."
"No I can't." Marcus agreed. "But I can show you how everyone is doing now." I looked at Marcus and waited for him to continue. "There's this thing that I can do which lets you look at everyone that you left behind on Earth. I've only done it once or twice but it worked both times. You can see how your family is doing and your friends. If you wanted to you could see what Luke was up to. Usually girls who look find out how exactly their boyfriends feel about them and stuff. Sometimes it helps a lot.
"I think I found out how my boyfriend feels about me when he slept with my supposed best friend. I don't think I need anymore proof on how he feels."
"I wouldn't be too sure." Marcus told me. "It could have really been just an accident. I wouldn't rule that scenario out. You should try looking in on everyone…see how it goes. Who knows, everything with Luke could come out great and you could go back to him or it could turn out bad and you'll move on."
"Easy for you to say." I grumbled. "I bet you've never even been in love."
"That's where you're wrong." Marcus informed me. "I have so been in love."
"Yeah what happened?"
"She fell head over heels with my best friend." His lips were pushed together in a thin line and his eyebrows furrowed together. Apparently he wasn't over the girl he was in love with, whoever she was. I put my hand on his and realized that he was hot to the touch. His eyes were clouded over and his breathing was coming out in gasps. My eyes widened and I was frozen in my seat, I didn't know what to do. But as soon as he became hot, he cooled down and a smile found its way on his face again. "Sorry about that…I tend to get carried away with my emotions and weird things happen to me."
"Weird is an understatement." I said and took my hand off of his. "Do all angels act like that when something goes wrong? You looked possessed and I was almost convinced that you were going to start doing an exorcist thing and your head was going to spin around. I guess the girl really pissed you off somehow didn't she?"
"You can say that." Marcus looked at the table and with a snap of his fingers; the food was put onto our plates and the napkins into our laps. "Well why don't we get started okay? Why don't we eat something before the food gets cold, we don't want to put all this food to waste?" Something told me that the food wouldn't get cold no matter how long it was sitting here but it was obvious that Marcus wanted nothing to do with the girl he was in love with even if that included talking about her. I said nothing and dug into the chicken that was on my plate. Usually I was a strict vegetarian and didn't touch meat at all, but this was heaven and everything was different here. For all I knew the chicken wasn't chicken at all but some kind of non animal chicken kind of thing. Anything was possible. I put the chicken into my mouth and flavor burst out of it. It was so juicy and tender that I actually moaned as I ate more of it. It was like the food was coming to life in my mouth and the more I ate the more I wanted to eat. I was sure that I was gaining twenty or even thirty pounds just by this chicken alone but for the first time in my life I didn't care. I would let myself be as fat as a house as long as it meant that I could have more of this chicken. Marcus laughed as he watched me shovel food into my mouth. "Are you enjoying yourself?"
"Absolutely." I said as I swallowed the chicken. I washed it down with the grape juice in the cup and put my fork down before I could eat any more. I didn't feel full despite how much I ate. I wonder if I'll ever feel full. Maybe I can eat as much as I want and not gain weight. That would be so completely amazing if that was actually possible. If I could do that I'm so going to. Hey this Heaven thing might be worth it if I can eat and not get fat. I can live with the not being actually alive…I mean I would eat like I am, not gain weight and I wouldn't have to see that lying, cheating ex-boyfriend of mine ever again. It sounds like the perfect plan to me. "Promise me that if I end up staying in heaven, you will cook like this for me all the time?"
"Definitely." Marcus said without any hesitation. "It's nice to see you eating. When I used to look after you when you were alive, you barely ate. I was so worried that one day you were just going to lose enough weight that you'll turn into nothingness. I don't know how you lived with just fruit and water…you lost so much weight."
"Yeah well I kind of had to so that I could stay on the cheerleading squad. They don't exactly like fat girls wearing their uniforms, if you know what I mean. It's not very attractive seeing some girls fat rolls coming out of their mid-drift top and her thighs rubbing together as she ran. The cheerleading squad consisted of thin, pretty, tan girls that wore too much make up and were too friendly with the boys. If you weren't like that you weren't allowed on the squad basically."
"That's harsh." Marcus whistled.
"That's reality." I told him. "Let me tell you a story…I was fourteen when I met and started dating Luke. I was a freshman and he was a junior. It was a really big deal for a freshman girl to be dating a junior boy because usually juniors didn't go lower than sophomores. But Luke told me he saw something in me that he liked and he wanted to get to know me better. So anyway we started dating and everything was lovey dovey. And then on my fifteen birthday he wanted to have sex with him…I told him no because I wasn't ready and he told me that he only wanted to do it because he wanted to give me a birthday to remember. He told me that he really liked me and it would really mean a lot to him if he was the one to deflower me. So a long story short I had sex with him and ever since then I've been popular. He and I continued to date and everyone knew me. I was the girl every guy wanted and every girl wanted to be, I was the queen of the school and considering I was a freshman that was a big deal. I would have been a nothing if I didn't have sex with him." I took another sip of the grape juice and felt every kink in my body loosen and a feeling of absolute serenity. "What is in this stuff? Is it like drugged or something? Are you planning on drugging me and then taking advantage of me?" Panic seized me and I started to shake. The room spun a little and I went to get up and found myself stumbling away from the table. "I can't believe you…you're, you're just like the guys at my school. All you want is sex, I can't believe this." I tried to get away but Marcus was faster than me and grabbed me around my waist. I struggled but his grip didn't get any looser. If anything, it got tighter.
"Calm down." Marcus whispered in my ear. "Calm down Christina or you're going to hurt yourself. I didn't drug the drink, I swear…it's just how drinks are around here. They make you calm and peaceful. They make you comfortable and just make you feel like your overall in a great place. No one is going to take advantage of you here Christina…no one is going to hurt you like Luke did, I promise." I wanted to believe him but experience told me that guys usually lied to get what they wanted, and I'm sure guy angels were no different. "Christina I didn't drug you, you're safe with me, I promise. I promise on my wings. Trust me." I stopped struggling and let myself go limp in his arms. He guided me over to the couch, laid me down and put a blanket over me. The room stopped spinning but I still felt light headed.
"I'm sorry." I told Marcus. "I'm sorry I didn't believe that you were a good guy, I'm sorry that I yelled at you." My eye lids were getting heavy and all I wanted to do was sleep. "You know, you're a great guy Marcus…too bad that girl picked your best friend."
"Thanks Christina…you're not so bad yourself." I faintly felt Marcus kiss my temple before I felt myself floating off into a fit sleep.
"Come on I have a surprise for you." Luke whispered in my ear. "It's a birthday surprise so I hope you like it."
"If you had anything to do with it Luke, I'm sure I will." I took a hold of his hand and followed him through his mansion to the elevator in the farthest corner. If anyone thought that I was rich, then they would definitely think that Luke was a millionaire. His house was easily three times the size of mine and took up a complete block. It was gated off with guards standing at the gates, waiting for anyone to come up and want to be let in. The house was made up completely of beige bricks and had three floors as well as a basement. The top floor was all Luke's. He and I stepped into the elevator and he pressed the button for the third floor. The elevator jerked and then started it's ascend up. "Luke what have you go planned?" I asked, my fourteen year old heart pounding with the thought of being alone with my first ever boyfriend. Maybe we'll kiss again, I love his kisses. They are so…so tasty and hot and sweet. Gosh Luke is so cute, I wonder what made him pick me, out of all the girls, to date. There's nothing special about me after all. He could have had anyone but he picked me. That's, like, the greatest thing ever.
"You'll see soon." Luke said and brushed his lips against my cheek. I shivered involuntarily and nearly squealed when the elevator stopped and the doors open. Luke pushed open the double doors to his room and my jaw dropped. There was rose petals scattered across the cream colored carpet all the way up to the full bed with its silk sheets and huge pillows. Candles adorned the whole room and the sweet scent of roses permeated the air. I stepped into the room gingerly and looked at the scene around me. "Do you like it?" Luke asked.
"I love it Luke…it's so beautiful." I gushed. "I don't think I've seen anything so beautiful in my whole life." Sheets were draped over the metal bars on the top of the four post bed, giving the bed a little more privacy. Luke took my bag and put it on the plush couch in the corner of his room and I slipped my shoes off of my feet. "I can't believe you did this all for me…this is amazing."
"Well you're amazing too." Luke informed me. "And I wanted everything to special when…you know…I make love to you. You still want me to, right?" Not trusting my voice, I only nodded. Luke pressed his lips to mine and cradled my head in his hands. The heat from his body engulfed me and added to my own. I pressed my hands against his shirt feeling the rock solid body underneath it. His hands slid from my face to my shoulders and then to my back. "I'm so glad you decided to let me make love to you. You won't regret it, I promise." I wasn't so sure that it was true but I knew that this was something that Luke wanted to do. And so do I…I think. I mean this is an honor right? He didn't choose anyone else, but he chose me. I should feel completely special that he chose me, right? And Luke loves me, he would never hurt me. "Come on, let's get rid of some of those clothes…"
I sat up, damp with sweat. I wasn't on the couch anymore but instead I was in my bed, and I was alone. There was no Luke with me, but there was no Marcus with me either. I pushed the sheets off of me and swung my legs over the side. Looking out the window, I noticed that it was going to be another gorgeous day. Are there ever any days that aren't gorgeous in heaven? I mean think about it…heaven is supposed to be paradise…and what's paradise without sun all the time and perfect days. To bad that paradise doesn't have perfect people too. I left my room and went down the hall to find Marcus. The hallway was bright even though there were no windows to let sunlight in and I looked at the pictures on the walls as I passed them. The pictures were actually paintings in frames and the paintings were beautiful paintings of different people. Some of them I recognized from school but others were new to me. When I got to the end of the hallway, there was on last painting. And the painting was of me. In the painting my hair looked even redder than in real life and there was a glow about me that I was sure I never had. I wasn't in my cheerleading uniform in the painting but in some type of evening dress that hugged my curves and floated gracefully to the floor around me. The dress was an emerald green and dipped low in the front. I was breathless, I never saw myself looking any more elegant than I did right there and then. On the bottom, in gold, was the inscription 'when wishes come true'.
"Do you like it?" Marcus asked, suddenly appearing in front of me. "I thought this painting showed the real you."
"You painted all of these?" Marcus nodded and rested his hand on the small of my waist.
"Yeah…I had to do something to pass the time before you came up to heaven. I wasn't sure how long I was going to have to wait for you. Painting is a hobby of mine, always has been, even when I was alive."
"Well these pictures are amazing. You definitely have talent Marcus. I would love to see more if you have any."
"Well maybe I'll show you my gallery a little later. Right now you and I need to have some breakfast and we have to talk about your mission. The sooner we start on it, the sooner we finish and the sooner that you'll become a full-fledged angel or a human again." Marcus tried to slide his hand around my waist but I moved before he got the chance.
"Can you not please?" I asked him. "It's just that…I just got away from Luke and right now I don't need any drama in my life, or not life, whatever this is. I need to focus on my mission and I can't if you're hitting on me all the time."
"You call this hitting on you?"
"Yeah…what do you call it?"
"I call it being friendly." Marcus told me. "You girls are so weird with your assumptions."
"Well I'm sorry but guys who are friendly like you want are usually only after one thing."
"And how long is it going to take you to realize I'm not that type of guy?" Marcus dropped his hand from my waist and stalked away, disappearing right before my eyes. Groaning, I went down to the kitchen where Marcus was, no surprise there, and eating a bowl of cereal.
"You know it's not polite to just disappear on someone when they're talking to you." I said as I sat down in front of him.
"Well it's not polite to assume that all guys are after one thing when not every guy is the same."
"Okay I'm sorry…what else would you like me to say? I'm sorry that I assumed thing but if you haven't noticed it by now, I'm just full of assumptions and I say stupid things. Either deal with it or get me another angel guide person. It's up to you."
"You're lucky that you're cute, do you know that?" Marcus grinned. "I guess I'll just deal with it then, like you said, because there is no way I'm letting any other angel guide near you. You're stuck with me." Marcus pinched my nose and then handed me the box of cereal. I took a handful and shoved it in my mouth. Crunching loudly, I took another handful and another until half the box was finished. I burped loudly, shocking Marcus and myself. I was never less proper in my whole entire life. "Wow, you belch better then half the guys I know. You are practically the perfect girl."
"Uh…thanks I think?" I responded and put the cereal box down. "So tell me all about this mission thing…I really want to know about it."
"Well first things first, it's not going to be hard. You will have to work long hours and sometimes it won't work out. There will be times where you think you have it but one thing won't fit with the other and then you have to start all over again. And then there's school you're going to have to work on as well. If you think you're a witch now, you're going to be worse when you start the mission." The more he talked the more uneasy I became. The mission didn't seem as easy as I first thought it would be and I wasn't sure that I was ready for all this responsibility. I was only sixteen.
"Maybe I don't have to do this mission." I suggested. "Maybe I can just go straight to judgment day or something..."
"Not possible." Marcus shot down my idea. "You need to do this mission or you will never go to judgment day. It's the rules." I put my head in my hands and groaned.
"You know I never had to work this hard when I was alive, I don't think I should have to work this hard now that I'm not alive, not technically at least."
"Well princess you have to work to get what you want, suck it up and deal." I went to punch Marcus in the arm but he moved out of the way before I could. "You forget, I know what you're planning on doing before you do it…you will never surprise me or get me before I can get away." I shot up from my seat and started chasing him around the table. Marcus was always a few inches out of my grasp. "You will never get me…you will never surprise me." Marcus taunted. I reached towards him and grabbed his shirt before he could move away again. I'll never surprise you? We'll just see about that. I pulled his shirt until he turned to me and I stood up on my tip-toes, licking my lips. I looked in his eyes for a split second before I brushed my lips against his. Marcus stiffened before he started to kiss back. I didn't give him the chance to get too much into the kiss before I pulled away. I gave him a sly smile
"So you're still not surprised huh?" I said while kissing Marcus's red cheek.
"Uh…er…no not at all." Marcus stuttered. I started to giggle, my hair bouncing all around.
"You are such a liar!" I cried. "I totally shocked you and you know it! Don't lie Marcus because you don't do it very well."
"Well that's not fair, you kissed me…you weren't supposed to do that."
"You weren't supposed to kiss me either but you did it…I can do it too then." I went back to sit at the table and I could feel Marcus staring at me. I tried to ignore the way his eyes bore into the back of my head but I couldn't keep my mind off of it, or of the feeling that his lips on mine gave me. I thought the kiss would make his body go out of whack and make him uneasy and it did…but I didn't expect myself feel the same thing. It's just that I'm still missing Luke and missing the closeness I had with him. I miss the way we used to be and now I'm substituting my feelings for Luke onto Marcus…that's all this is. Marcus is so not my type and he's not even that cute. I could totally get someone cuter then him…someone like Nate. Nate is so yummy. "See I can surprise you if I wanted to…just remember that Marcus…I'm just full of surprises."
"Whatever you say princess." Marcus muttered but his face was still red. No one could deny that my kiss made his world spin. "So are you done showing off? Can we actually talk about your mission now?"
"Don't become mister grumpy…I was just having a little fun with you." But Marcus frowned anyway. "Fine whatever, tell me about my mission."
"Are you sure you're ready now?"
"Yea I'm ready, I'm ready." I put my hands in my lap and looked up at him attentively. "Tell me oh great angel guide. My future lies in your hands." Marcus rolled his eyes but I could see the hint of a smile on his face.
"Okay well every trainee who comes into heaven, before they get into heaven, they have to perform a task. It usually has something to do with something that happened to them before they came into heaven."
"Okay and this is the time where you tell me what my mission is." Marcus hesitated. "Come on Marcus, tell me…I'm a big girl, I can handle it."
"Well before you can get to judgment day…you have to…"
"I have to what?"
"You have to tell your family that you love them-"
"That's it? That's easy, I can do that."
"And you have to forgive both Julie and Luke."