Heavenly Hell (Heavenly Hell Book 1)

by Aria Williams

  He was telling the truth. I was glad to hear it come out of his mouth without me forcing it. I knew I wasn’t being paranoid and that I really was being followed. Good riddance to that confused boy. I moved out of the doorway, and we headed to the car. Connor had driven every day this week, so naturally I gave him my keys. There were no questions—he gladly took them and walked around to the driver’s side.

  We were late. Everyone was already heading in. Connor swung the car into the closest park, and we quickly caught up. I could see Mark’s head bobbing in the crowd. I squeezed in through the crowd and ended up exactly where I wanted to be—right next to him.

  “Hey you, I caught up with Nate yesterday. I bet your afternoon was steamy,” said Mark.

  I didn’t know if I should go along with it or say we broke up. I don’t know what Nate had said yesterday, so I didn’t say anything. We were about to enter the classroom when we noticed there was no longer a door where there had always been one. I could see signs that it been broken, and little splinters still lay on the floor. I wondered what the hell happened.

  For once, Hopwood wasn’t perched in the classroom waiting to eyeball the girls. Mark and myself took our usual seats and got comfortable. I hoped we would be watching movies again. I just hoped the teacher wasn’t a pervert and that Mark stayed with me for the day. Yesterday was very boring without him.

  Mark’s phone chimed a funny little ring. He pulled it out of his pocket and smiled at the screen.

  “It’s lover boy. He is telling me to tell you that a special present is coming for you, and he is very sorry for stuffing everything up,” read Mark.

  Mark was still reading the text, though. There was more than just that on there, but he wasn’t going to share the rest.

  My anxiety level raised a few notches. I wasn't sure how Nate felt about me, and the way I re- educated the men I met. This could be a very bad surprise. Any minute now there could police or FBI agents coming to raid the high school. I had no idea the connections that Nate had, and for all that I knew, he could have worked for some special agency. I checked the location of my schoolbag; I moved it closer to me just in case. There were two exits out of this room: the classroom door and the windows. Three of them were all the way open, and I could easily dive through, if necessary. Then I would be on foot. I would be running for my life. I didn't grab the car keys from Connor. Stupid decision. Another dumb choice I had made was making these friends. Connor would be livid if this surprise was not a good one—especially if I was hauled away forcefully. Then what would become of Connor if he made a scene about my disappearance?

  The possibilities were endless and my mind was running away with anxiety. Not so much worrying about myself, but for other people I care about. I hadn't realized that I was stressing ‘til this moment. Taking a small peek at Mark, he was giggling to himself. He knew something was going on. He was sending a text to someone, and I presumed it was Nate.

  Hopwood walked into the classroom. I wasn't going to look in his direction. I wanted this lesson to be as pain free as possible and with this unexpected surprise coming, I was on edge. The class gasped collectively. I could not stop my eyes from leaving my desk and looking at the teacher. His face was a mess and large black circles surrounded both of his eyes. His nose also looked to be off centre. “Oh my God. He wouldn't. Would he, Indy?” asked Mark.

  Even I was having trouble taking it all in. I didn't know how to respond to Mark. The shock that I was feeling was at an all time high.

  Then the knock on the door came. The principal stood outside with a stern look on her face. Standing behind her were the police officers. I grabbed my bag and looked at the window, guessing which would be the best one to crash through. I hadn't realized I was standing ‘til the principal ordered me to sit. I had no intention of doing that. The officers walked inside the room. The tall, skinny one held out the handcuffs and spoke softly.

  “Let's not make a scene. If you come willingly it would be better for the class. Or we can take you by force.”

  Was this Nate’s big surprise? Had Hopwood been assaulted and now Nate was taking matters into his own hands and setting me up for this? I was slowly inching toward the window. A hand grabbed my wrist firmly and tried to yank me around. I wasn't going to do as asked.

  I heard the click of the cuff and then realized they had not closed around my hand. Turning slowly, I realized that Mr. Hopwood had been arrested, and I missed it because I was too paranoid. The realization of Nate’s gift struck me. He had found the truth and roughed up Hopwood himself, then contacted the police. Connor had told the truth that Nate didn't leave, and it must have been him following me around. This was a big thing for Nate to do. He believed in doing the right thing when it came to mortals. Going to the police was what I had expected of him, but inflicting physical damage and breaking a mortal's nose was amazing for Nate.

  “He misses you, Indy. He didn’t say so, but I could tell,” said Mark.

  I very much doubted that Nate missed our fighting or me. I will admit, it was great to come across someone who loved physical combat as much as I did, and he was nearly as unbreakable like myself. The other angels I knew were romantics and would never spar with me. They tried to not engage in any physical form of fighting. AJ would kill for Nardia, but I doubted he would go that far for anyone else. In the past, Russ was always saying the wrong things in a drunken stupor. Insults came naturally to him. Many times I had to step up and take care of the situation.

  The principal stood in front of the classroom. Her eyes zeroed in on me. I was expecting anger and disappointment, but the emotion looking back at me was only compassion.

  She cleared her voice. She was about to address the class,

  “I am very sorry for the display which just took place. If there are any students who need to discuss any matters with me, I urge you to come and see me. All precautions will be taken to ensure confidentiality takes precedence. You may leave the classroom, but stay on campus for the other classes today. We had no to time to organize a substitute teacher.”

  She had seen my behavior and misunderstood this to be a sign of anxiety connected to the teacher. She had assumed Hopwood had abused me, and that I was scared he would retaliate against me. Nice guess, but nowhere close enough. If anyone was scared, it was Hopwood.

  The whole class sat out back asking many different questions. They had no idea the real reason why he had been arrested. Most of the students thought it was connected to drugs or steroids. I was happy their brains were still innocent enough to not connect what had been happening right in front of them—daily.

  Mark sat with a cheeky grin across his face. He was in his own little world, looking at a photo on his phone of a beautiful teenager with similar facial features to his own. I didn’t know who she was, and I was burning to ask, but my inner voice was telling me to shut up. He had caught me looking and handed his phone over to me.

  “It's my sister, Cindy.”

  Mark had stood up and started to walk away from the rest of the class, and I followed him. This conversation seemed very important to him.

  “Flick to the next photo, Indy,” requested Mark.

  I did as he wanted and this new photo was of a girl who was a lot older than the previous girl. She didn’t look mentally well. Her hair was very greasy; a good brush would have been a great idea. A better option would be to simply wash it. This lady took no pride in her appearance whatsoever.

  “Look at the photo closer, Indy,” said Mark.

  I looked up at Mark. The cheeky grin had disappeared leaving a grim, sad frown. I looked at the photo, assessing the lines of her face and her high-defined cheekbones. I almost dropped the phone, but thanks to my super fast reflexes I caught it before Mark realized it had left my hand.

  I placed my hand on his back in a show of support “I am very sorry Mark. I had no idea,” I said.

  “It happened before you came here, and no one speaks about it. Everyone thinks my sister is mental. It was
a very slow spiral into what everyone thought was insanity. She told our parents that she had been abused, and they thought it was a story going on in her head. I did, too, but since then I have watched him very closely and have seen the way he treats all of the girls,” said Mark.

  I felt very helpless at this moment, I had saved Nessa from this fate, but there was no one to save Cindy, and now she had this mental health label that would stay with her forever. I was going to contact AJ tonight to see if there was anything he could get Nardia to do. I wanted to save Cindy from this bleak future and create some healing inside her fragile heart.

  By the time the next class came around, no one spoke of what had happened. They had exhausted all of the possible reasons and got nowhere close to the real one. I could not wait to tell Nessa of this new development. She would be relieved.

  It didn’t happen the way I was hoping. Everyone already knew the news and was demanding a detailed account from Mark and me. Neither of us gave any possible reasons about why the police had taken him, and I didn’t want to elaborate on scenarios either. I was happy to forgot about what had happened. He would be serving jail time, and that was good enough for me.

  Mark went home early. His parents had received a call from the school explaining what had happened, and they needed him to come home. Now his parents believed his sister. I hope this was good for them all.

  Nessa and I had a mini celebration in the afternoon now that Hopwood was behind bars. We baked a big fat chocolate chip mud cake and devoured half of it. By tomorrow morning the whole town would know what he has been doing. Justice for Mark's sister would be great, but I'm sure the damage has already been done, and at some point, it is irreversible.

  It was getting very late. I should have gone home ages ago, but we were having too much fun. I had suggested that I should leave a few times, and then we would start again talking and laughing and forget we had school tomorrow.

  Nessa was starting to yawn. I was keeping her up, and it was time to go home, so despite her protests, I left. It was very dark outside now. Connor had wanted me to ring him when I was finished. I needed a good run and was going to pretend I forgot his offer.

  Setting off at a fast pace, my hair slashed across my face as the hot air streamed through it. I had been running two blocks and felt so alive and healthy. My muscles had relaxed and moved to the sleek flow of my strides. A branch behind me cracked in the stillness of the quiet night. Swinging around like lightning, and noticing no one was there, I called out.

  “Nate? Is that you? I thought you had left ...”

  Silence. I looked around and dashed back to where I heard the noise. It was a T-intersection. If he, or someone else, was around, they had plenty of room to hide. I couldn't sense anyone, but I most definitely was not hearing things. I started to jog home again, but then put some power into my stride. Creating long lean movements, I was nearly flying through the air. Only one person in this world could come near to keeping up with me, and he was supposed to be four hundred kilometers away. My breaths started to even out as I reached high speeds. I tried to listen for sounds or any indication that someone was in pursuit behind me. I knew what to listen for: the fast beating heart or irregular breathing patterns. There was nothing but absolute silence filling the air.

  The lights of my house came into view. I calculated the exact strides it would take for me to reach it. I had abandoned the idea that I was being followed; I was just having fun now. Three leaps and I was at the top of the stairs. I was still going a little fast. I reached out to grab the door, but it was no longer there.

  Connor was standing in place of the door ‘til I knocked him over. We lay completely still, my eyes staring into his as I lay on top of his warm body. His hands rested on my hips, holding me, and neither of us moved. I could see the indecision across his face. He didn't know what to do, and I didn't want to get off. There was a small part of me wishing he would make a move. I craved to feel lips pressing up against mine. I just wasn't sure whose lips I wanted. Did I want Connor? A crazier idea played through my thoughts: did I want Nate?

  The magical spell weaving us together broke as Connor looked away, pushing me off. I felt very embarrassed wishing for more. I walked towards the stairs to leave the room and have a shower. I felt very uncomfortable now about what just happened, and based on Connor’s red face, he was embarrassed.

  “Indy … um …” said Connor.

  He was searching for something to say. The ice did need to be broken or otherwise we might end up being funny toward each other for days.

  “Indy, why were you running so fast?” he asked, clearly trying to change the subject.

  I had been panting very loudly and was still recovering from the mad dash. Now I was going to feel even more stupid. I was still paranoid after Nate left, thinking people were following me. That boy had certainly left a lasting impression on me, in some good ways and other bad ways. I had better give Connor my answer.

  “I was running along and heard a noise behind me. I thought I was being followed and that maybe it was Nate, but it was no one, of course. Then I started jogging again and started to run stupidly fast, hence the reason I landed on top of you.”

  Connor just nodded, shrugged his shoulders, and went to his room. I guess that even he thought I was stupid.

  Chapter Thirty

  Nate

  I was both happy and sad to be leaving. I would receive a new case and would be able to forget about everything that had happened here. Mark had made me promise to not be a stranger, and if the time came that I could return then I should do so and quickly. He had the wild idea that since I had melted the cold, uninviting heart of the hottest girl in school, it would not be long ‘til she was dating others. He had all bets on Connor. I was hoping this wouldn’t be the case, but they were very close. If it had to be any guy, then I would prefer it to be him. He would treat her right.

  The drive was only three hours, but the traffic was very heavy, and it was taking a lot longer than it should. My legs were becoming cramped in the small space, and I had to go to the bathroom so incredibly bad. I typed the address of the house I was renting into the GPS.

  Pulling up to the destination, I double checked the address. This house did not seem right. I usually stayed in old, run down houses with mould on the walls. This brand new house was nice with all of the modern technology I was used to having at home. The boss must have felt guilty about putting me in the situation that he had and was now trying to make up for it. I walked around the house trying to take in all in. I wondered what the estimated time of completion for this mission was. I checked my email and discovered the information had not been sent yet. I was going to take advantage of this small rest and find a skate shop to buy myself a new board. Thanks to my bonus, I had a healthy-sized bank account now, and this would allow me to purchase a pretty sick board.

  There were three shops in this area that sold the Tony Hawk Birdman Boards. I took a long time deciding which one to go to as I raided the fridge. I noticed that there were three six-packs of beer. The guilt must be pretty high, if my boss left those here. I was going to be a horrible employee and ride the perks of this job and try to dull the ache I felt from leaving the only true friends I ever had. An hour later I was finally soaring through the air, reaching the high elevations I craved. It had only been a bit over a week, but I missed riding a board off an edge and trusting in your own skills to not fall and damage yourself. I didn’t own much in life, and I didn’t feel that I needed to. As long as I had a board I was happy.

  Throwing myself off the side headfirst and feeling the impact as the board hit the ground, I beat my leg as hard as possible to travel up the side of the bowl and around, growing momentum for the big jump. I soared perfectly, feeling nothingness around my body. I was imagining this is what it would feel like to have wings and allow them to take me higher and higher, toward a new destination. I wasted hours at the skate park, doing the same tricks over and over, never growing bored. The su
n was my only companion, as he descended on his last trick for the night, I let him guide me home.

  When I reached my house, I noticed my mobile was flashing to indicate I had a new email. I sat on the lounge and turned on my laptop. I opened up the email, and I had a full profile of my new target with a detailed outline of his daily activities. This demon was named Max. He was said to have been an addict of a different kind, sucking happy emotions from mortals and leaving only depression and suicidal thoughts in the minds of those he met. He had the perfect cover story. He worked for a counselor in their accounts department and as a bar man at night. The clients would pay their bills after their session, and he would suck away all of the progress that was made in that appointment time. Max had an endless supply of vulnerable victims who only wanted to be happy, and made countless appointments to enable this to happen. He stole these emotions by touch and the transfer must have been quite fast. I couldn’t imagine much contact in exchanging money or taking a key card from a customer. But, like my other cases, I had to personally investigate this for myself, especially after the Indy incident.