by L. L. Wright
With her homework out of the way, Emmie pulled the takeout menus from a folder in the pantry, fanning them across the counter she weighed her options. Chinese? No. Italian? No. Hmmm. She thought. What do I want?
With her mother working long hours, and her lack of aptitude in the kitchen, Emmie found herself eating a lot of take-out. With her favorite restaurants lacking their usual appeal she dug to the bottom and selected a menu from a place she hadn’t tried. Duke’s grill, she thought with a shrug. Without hesitation, she placed her order. The friendly woman on the other end of the phone took her credit card information and told her it would be about 35 minutes. Perfect. Emmie thought to herself. Just enough time to do a load of laundry and ironing, she decided, heading up the stairs.
The doorbell rang and Emmie checked her watch. 32 minutes since I placed my order. She made a mental note to give them points for punctuality as she hurried down the stairs, suddenly realizing how hungry she really was.
“Oh. My. God. I’m coming,” she called towards the door, her irritation rising as the bell rang for the 3rd, 4th, 5th time. Throwing the door open, she didn't even try to hide the frustration on her face. Her eyes were wide, with brows raised dramatically, and she hoped the delivery person would realize how annoying their actions were.
“You,” Emmie said, sounding more accusatory than friendly, as she looked up into the deep blue eyes that had made their way into her mind several times since her chat with Lisa. What if I made a mistake earlier? What if this is a sign and a chance for me to fix it? She could feel her heart beginning to race in her chest as her brain struggled to find the words her lips wanted to speak. “W-why...What are you doing here?” she stuttered, stumbling over the question and immediately regretting her choice of words.
Leo took a step back, checking the number on the house against the order slip in his hand. Emmie noticed that his expression matched the surprise she was feeling as she waited for him to speak.
“I...uh...this is kinda weird,” he said with a nervous chuckle.
“You must see a lot of familiar faces, right?” Emmie smiled, thinking about how small her town and the surrounding areas were. The kind of place where lines blurred and you saw the same people everywhere.
“I technically don't work here,” he said, gesturing to the Duke’s Grill shirt he was wearing. “My friend’s family owns the place and, well it's kind of a long story, but I'm covering for him tonight,” he explained. “You’re actually my first delivery.”
“Oh,” Emmie said, at a loss for words as she felt a familiar warmth settle in her cheeks. She smiled and looked down at her feet, hoping to hide her nervous excitement at his unexpected appearance.
“So, this is where you live,” Leo spoke slowly, clearly feeling as out of place as she did.
“Do you want to come in?” she asked, the words escaping her mouth before her brain could thoroughly process them. Oh. My. God. Did I seriously just ask him to come in? Who am I? Emmie yelled at herself, biting her lip to prevent herself from saying anything else.
“Yeah, sure,” Leo replied, peeking past Emmie into the house. “Are you sure that's ok?” he asked.
“Definitely,” Emmie returned, feeling a sudden wave of confidence. She stepped aside to let him enter. Maybe Lisa was right and I should take a chance with this guy, she thought to herself, pushing back the urge to do a small victory dance while his back was turned.
7
Leo
Leo stepped through the front door, and found himself standing in the foyer. He looked around the room and noticed a single doorway on either side. One looked like it opened into the living room, the other to the kitchen. Straight ahead, he saw a staircase that led to the second floor.
"The kitchen is through here," Emmie said, leading him through the door to the left. "You can set that anywhere," she nodded to the pizza box and brown bag he was holding as she opened the fridge, returning with two water bottles. His attention shifted back to the girl in front of him, settling on the drinks in her hand, before quickly moving on. He trailed the perfect shape of her body, memorizing the roundness of her breasts and hips and cursing the loose outer layer that hid everything in between, what I wouldn’t do for a peek at the curves beneath that cardigan, he thought with a heavy sigh.
Leo slid the food onto the kitchen table as he glanced around the room. He felt like he was looking for something just out of sight, the kind of clue that leads you to an 'ah-hah' moment.
"Thanks," Leo said as she handed him one of the waters and sat down on the opposite side of the table. "Is it just us, then?" he asked, slowly walking around the room to get a better look at some photos hanging on the far wall.
"Yeah, my mom will probably be at work for a few more hours," Emmie explained. "Those were taken in California," she informed him, placing her chin in the palm of her hand and resting her elbow on the table. "My mom had a long business trip in San Francisco and she let me tag along. Most of it was unbearably boring, but we were able to sneak in some fun here and there." She smiled, and Leo couldn't help but smile back as he returned to the table and sat down.
"Is it just you and your mom," he asked, feeling a pang of guilt for prying into her personal life. It’s not personal, he reminded himself, it’s intel for The Faction.
"Yeah, just me and my mom. It's always been the two of us," she said, looking down and picking at the skin around her nails.
What am I missing here, he wondered, thinking back to their first run-in at the school, and the one after that. Was it really just two teenage mishaps, or is it something more? I know I felt a surge of energy when we touched, but maybe it was just me. If she had something to hide, surely she wouldn't have invited me into her house. He told himself, making a mental note to fill Collin in on this mysterious side project, I could use a second set of eyes and a fresh perspective because I'm either reading way too much into nothing or overlooking something, maybe a major detail. Emmie Clark, the distracted girl taking more honors classes than anyone should be able to manage, and probably the only fifteen-year-old girl who would turn down coffee with me. He stared at the take-out box in front of him and the massive stack of textbooks piled neatly up at the end of the table. Maybe she’s just a perfectly normal human who’s just really smart and driven. One thing I know for sure; she's absolutely gorgeous, he thought, taking in the way her dark red-brown hair framed her fair skin and made her emerald eyes glow under the warm lights. He leaned across the table slightly. Wait a second, he thought, inching closer, her eyes are actually glowing.
"Leo?" Emmie asked, eyeing him with quiet concern.
"I'm sorry, I guess I zoned out for a minute there, what were you saying," he asked, sitting back and blinking several times.
"I was just asking if you wanted to stay to have pizza and watch a bit of T.V," she said, smiling and pressing her hands into her lap nervously.
"Oh! Yeah, I would like that," he blurted out, intending to sound a little bit more aloof. Emmie got up and crossed the kitchen, shuffling through the pantry. I really need to talk to Collin. I have no idea what is going on here, but Emmeline Clark isn't just an ordinary human.
"Can I ask you something?" Emmie spoke from behind a cabinet door, breaking his train of thought again.
"Sure," he replied curiously, his pulse quickening at the unknown.
"You're in my freshman math class, but you drive, that just doesn't add up," she said, heading back to the table with an armful of paper plates and napkins. She sat them on the table and began placing slices of pizza and fries on the paper plates before looking up with bright, expectant eyes. Maybe I just imagined the glowing. Her eyes look completely normal now.
"Oh, right, that must seem a little off," he admitted. "Well, I turned 16 over the summer, so that explains the driving, and I'm a year behind because my parents traveled a lot when I was a kid, so I started school late," he explained, reciting the rehearsed cover story for what felt like the hundredth time since coming to West Creek at the beginni
ng of the summer.
"That's really cool," Emmie said thoughtfully, nibbling at a french fry.
"Cool?" Leo asked, between bites of pizza, wanting to understand her reaction.
"You spent time traveling around Europe, bonding with your parents and experiencing another culture's lifestyle. That's an incredible opportunity. Most five-year-olds are stuck indoors gluing macaroni and cotton balls to construction paper for no good reason," she explained with a playful smirk. "I'd choose Europe over noodle art any day," she finished with a smile.
Yeah, I'm definitely in trouble, Leo thought to himself, unable to wipe the smile from his face. This girl is pulling me in deeper with every word she speaks, and I don’t even know what she is, he realized the truth in his words as their eyes met across the table, he saw a bright spark in her dark green eyes and they lit up again before returning to their normal dark hue. His heart fluttered in response. I know I didn't imagine that.
"I should get going," Leo announced abruptly. "It's almost 8 and I have to stop back at Duke’s before I go home. Raincheck on the T.V?” he asked.
"Ok, sure," Emmie replied quietly, disappointment clear in her voice as she followed him back to the door.
"I'll see you around," he said, before turning and heading to his car. Once inside he stole a final glance back to the porch. The door was shut and Emmie was nowhere in sight. As he turned on the engine and pulled away, he noticed a car in the rearview mirror as it pulled into the driveway. I don't know what she is, but I know one thing for sure. That girl is not human, he thought to himself as he used speed dial to call Collin.
"Where are you? I thought you'd be here an hour ago," Collin said
"I got...distracted, look we need to talk."
"So, talk."
"Meet me at the West Creek cemetery," Leo said, ending the call before Collin could argue.
8
Leo
Leo parked his car in the gravel lot at the edge of the cemetery and hesitantly walked toward the open iron gate. He stepped onto the consecrated ground and breathed in the fresh air deeply. Unlike most of the other members of The Faction, Leo didn't see humans as lower beings, a step above the demons and slaves to their sinful habits. But that didn't mean that normal, earthly air was easy for him to stomach. Even after spending centuries away from heaven, hunting the demons that plagued and threatened the earth he still longed for the pure air that surrounded holy grounds.
He found Collin leaning against one of the fallen angel statues, and rolled his eyes as he closed the distance between them. Churches and their stone angels.
"Don't lean on that thing," Leo huffed, stopping a foot away and looking up at the tasteless stone carving.
"I like it," Collin shrugged, pushing himself off of the cold surface and standing beside his friend. "But, I have a feeling I'm not going to like this conversation if it had to take place in a cemetery."
"I found something. Someone," Leo said, choosing his words carefully. "I think she's part angel."
"Part angel? That's not even possible," Collin scoffed. "Look, I don't know what you’re playing at, but we’re here to look for demons, that's all. No side missions, no distractions, just a good old fashion demon hunt."
"This girl is different. At first, I thought she was just a normal human, but now I’m not so sure. I think there's something going on with her, but I can't put my finger on it. She doesn’t fit the bill for a demon, but she’s more than just an ordinary girl and I can’t figure her out. It's like I have a blind spot."
Collin groaned and threw his head back.
"What is it that you need from me?"
"Just talk to her. Spend some time with her and see if you can get a read on her," Leo said. "I'm telling you, something is off."
"Alright, fine, but if we get caught going off-mission, I'm throwing you under the bus, man," Collin said as he walked deeper into the cemetery.
Leo watched him disappear between the headstones before he walked back to his car and climbed in. On his way home he made a detour, driving past Emmie's house. The car he saw pull into the driveway two hours earlier was no longer there and the house was pitch black aside from two glowing windows at the corner of the second floor. Emmie, he thought as he slowed down, nearly coming to a complete stop before driving past.
9
Emmeline
“What do you mean he was at your house?” Lisa asked at the bus stop the following morning.
“I ordered pizza and he was the delivery guy,” Emmie shrugged.
“You have to tell me every single detail,” Lisa shrieked excitedly. “Did you change your mind about coffee, are you going to give him a chance?”
“He didn’t ask again. We just talked and then he left in a hurry. Oh. My. God, you don’t think he noticed something weird do you?”
“No, I think if he noticed anything witchy you would know. He would have freaked out. Teenage boys aren’t known for their tact, Em.”
Emmie felt the chill of the early September morning run down her spine. She rolled her shoulders instinctively, pulling her cardigan around her as she looked around.
“Hey ladies, what are we talking about?” Jenny asked as she walked towards them. She knows we’re in Connecticut, not Paris, right, Emmie wondered as she took in the sight of Jenny’s skin-tight leather pants and designer crop-top turtleneck ensemble.
“Jenny, you look A-mazing, love the leather,” Lisa gushed.
“Thanks, doll, I thought we were walking together this morning.”
“Oh, sorry. I totally forgot,” Lisa said as the bus pulled up.
“I have some reading to do for class. You won't hate me if I sit alone, will you?” Emmie asked innocently.
“Aww, we’ll miss you,” Jenny pouted.
“We’ll survive. Enjoy your reading,” Lisa smiled before steering Jenny to the back of the bus.
Emmie hurried off the bus again, wanting to avoid any anxiety-provoking interactions with Jenny. She stopped at her locker and then headed into the classroom, taking the same seat as the day before. Leo came in a few minutes later. He caught her eye and smiled, sitting down beside her.
“Long time,” he said with a crooked smile.
“You’re telling me,” Emmie said as Mr. Stevens tossed his bag roughly at the desk, missing and making a loud clattering sound, immediately followed by a string of obscenities that silenced the room.
The rest of the class was basically the same as the first two minutes. Mr.Stevens dropped his book several times and knocked over the trash can beside his desk twice. Each incident was followed by mumbled profanities she assumed the teacher didn’t intend for the students to hear, but it was obvious by the whispers and giggles that everyone did.
After class, Emmie sat down on a shaded bench in the courtyard and put in her earbuds. She scrolled through her playlists, settling on a pop list to get her through the double math assignment. She jumped when out of the corner of her eye she saw a figure standing a few feet away. Emmie breathed a sigh of relief as she turned and saw Leo holding two cups from the West Creek-High coffee cart. She stared at him for a moment before taking out her headphones and accepting the cup he extended toward her.
“No time like the present,” Leo said before taking a sip from his own cup.
“Excuse me,” Emmie questioned, raising an eyebrow and giving away her confusion.
“We agreed to get coffee during our morning free period, so I figured, why wait,” he spoke rhetorically.
“Technically, I declined, politely,” Emmie reminded him. “I assumed that was more of an empty offer anyway. Like when you bump into someone you haven't seen in a long time and you offer to catch up.”
Leo chuckled and took another sip from his cup, his eyes fixed on her.
Emmie sighed, collecting her thoughts before gesturing to the cup he had given her and saying, “thank you.”
Leo sat down, and she closed her book, sliding it back into her bag.
Emmie cleared her throat.
“I hear you’re kind of a big deal,” she said as she ran her fingers through her hair nervously. “On the football field, I mean.” And in that shirt your muscles are nearly tearing out of.
“Yeah, I guess you could say that,” he laughed. “What about you, what’s your thing?”
“I don’t have a thing, but I’m trying to find a thing.”
“Why’s that?” Leo asked, as he sipped his coffee, never taking his eyes off the brick wall on the opposite end of the courtyard.
“My mom says colleges are looking for the whole package,” Emmie explained as she nervously ran a finger along the lid of her cup. “Good grades aren’t enough, you need to have volunteer work and diverse extracurriculars,” she said. The thought of squeezing in more community service and nailing down and after school club made her hands sweat and her pulse rise. Not here, not now. Calm thoughts, she told herself as she took a deep breath and looked up at the clouds in the sky.
Leo turned to face her.
“Hey, you’re one week into your freshman year of high school, you have plenty of time to worry about that,” he assured her.
Emmie smiled and looked into his blue eyes, now marked with concern. His words sank in, pushing away her worries and slowing her pulse. Her breathing returned to normal and the feelings of anxiety faded away completely. For now.
Leo talked about his football practices and tried to fill Emmie in on the basics of the game.
“Will you be at the big game next week?” he asked.
“I’m undecided. I’m not really into sports or crowds.”
“You should come, I can introduce you to my friend, Collin,” he said. “You’ll like him, everyone likes Collin. He’s a real charmer,” he joked. "But he's a really good guy, he’s stuck with me through a lot.”
“Like what,” Emmie asked.
“Uh, well, my family moves a lot. I was born in West Creek, but my dad owns a company based out of London with offices all over Europe so we never really stay in one place for too long,” Leo explained. “Collin has been the one constant friend I've had. When I’m away he phones and writes, never forgets my birthday, he’s just there, ya know? No matter how long we’re apart for we just pick up where we left off. He’s a good guy.”