Keeping it Real
Page 12
With so many angels crowding into one place, our grungey school hall suddenly seemed like the loveliest place on Earth.
Unless you belong to the Powers of Darkness.
The hell trash clicked and warbled their panic, tumbling over each other in their desperation to escape. The shadowy teachers and pupils were actually morphing in and out of each other as they fled, driven from the hall by the overwhelming light generated by such a massive influx of angels.
Sky had shown no trace of emotion while the kids were furiously defending the honour of their show, but now she looked panicky. She couldn’t see the angels or the mass exodus of the PODS, but she must have felt the soaring light levels. Perhaps they made her feel she was in the wrong place? Suddenly she bolted from the hall.
“Help me!” I called to Jools, “or she’s going to be sucked down that hideous thing with the hell trash!”
We went hurtling after Sky.
Caught up in the invisible stampede back to the vortex, she was running crazily towards the bridge.
She never reached it.
I heard a cold voice call her name.
When Sky spun to see the youth standing in the foyer she gave a sob of relief. “Oh, Billy!” She rushed to him.
“They’re still singing in there,” he said coldly. “What went wrong?”
“I don’t know!” she wailed. “I did everything just like we planned. I don’t understand why it didn’t freaking work!” Sky tried to cling on to him, but as they left the building I saw him angrily shake her off.
I wished I could help my friend get back her self-respect, but I’d finally realised this wasn’t my job. Like Jools told me once; sometimes angels think they have to help one kid, when it’s a totally different kid who needed you all the time.
When Brice saw Jools and I walk into the Cosmic Cafe, he looked like he was too afraid to even hope.
“It’s OK,” I mouthed to him. “I know.”
It’s a bit unreal, meeting your killer in your neighbourhood cafe, and finally knowing that this was the same human soul who sent you zooming out of human history into a whole new career direction.
The cafe was steamy with good cooking smells. I could hear Nikos laughing in the kitchen.
For once Shay had hardly touched his meal. He was just staring emptily into space.
Jools and I sat down at his table, gently covering his hands with ours. I felt a deep tremor go through me, as Shay’s soul connected with mine, and in one shocking jolt, I saw it all.
Shay high on his joyride, then desperately trying to brake, and eventually crashing into a bollard further on. I watched him stumble off into Bell Meadow, cut and bleeding, so sick with guilt and horror that he could never tell another soul.
This was Shay Hickman’s version of our story, and though both our stories were equally true, they were as different as day from night. Shay’s version of my death was about shame and endings. Mine shimmered with jnew beginnings, a magical flight through the Universe, a scholarship to the coolest angel school in the cosmos, a joyful reunion with my soul-mate, and another really special friendship with the angel girl who was sitting with me in Nikos’ cafe, softly holding Shay’s other hand.
In that moment I felt my heart just fly open. I had everything, but Shay had nothing, and it was down to me now to set this right.
With the hum of the cafe all around, I hitched my chair closer and started talking.
Most of what I said was for Shay’s ears only. I’ll just tell you what I told him in the moments before we left. I leaned in and whispered right into his ear. “I forgive you, Shay,” I told him huskily. “You have a beautiful heart, and I’ll tell you something else. I know you feel like you’re all alone, but that’s not true. Angels are watching over you twenty-four-seven, and if you ever feel able to let us, we’d really like to help you, yeah?”
But I knew that Shay Hickman had been deep-frozen for so long that thawing out could take a long while -plus it was going to hurt big time. That’s when he’d really need his faithful guardian angel.
At the door, Jools and I turned back to give Brice an encouraging wave. I was stunned to see Shay taking out his mobile. He was shaking so badly that at first he couldn’t key in the right numbers.
“Kelsey,” he said in a choked voice. “It’s me. I’m -I’m in some pretty bad trouble, man.” He was crying. I was in tears too.
It was only now that I understood what a desperately delicate mission the Agency had entrusted to me and Brice. That angel boy had known all along that I was the one being in the Universe who could release him and Shay from their mutual ordeal; but he couldn’t tell me, because for this to be real, I had to choose to forgive Shay, from my deepest core, so he could start to live - perhaps for the very first time.
Outside the cafe, Jools saw how wobbly I was feeling and instantly hooked her arm through mine.
“So now you’ve saved your school from the evil hell vortex, angel girl, what do you want to do in your few remaining minutes!”
When the Agency is about to bring agents back home, there’s a particular vibe in the air. But I didn’t feel ready to say goodbye to my new friend just yet, so we sauntered on, chatting about what we’d do on her next trip to Heaven, as if we had all the time in the world.
Maybe my heart was still wide open from forgiving Shay, because even though this was Park Hall and not Heaven, I could see rainbow sparkles round all the passers-by.
Jools and I finally said emotional goodbyes outside the Buddhist wholefood shop, then I wistfully returned my borrowed Parka, and Jools thoughtfully lent me her rainbow scarf to keep me warm until I got back to Heaven. You see I had one last call to make.
To my surprise the lights were on in the sitting room.
My mum and step-dad were still up, poring over holiday brochures, planning their first ever holiday. I kissed each of them lovingly on the tops of their heads, then I peeped in on Jade.
My little sister was snoring softly, her fingers still gripping a red crayon. She’d fallen asleep in the middle of drawing me a picture. At the top it said: To Mel Beeby, Angel Skool, Hevun.
The drawing showed two little stick figures facing off a huge three-headed monster.
I gave Jade exactly three smacking angel kisses, breathing in her sleepy wax-crayon smell for the last time, then I whispered, “I’ll be back soon, Fluffyhead, don’t worry, but you’re going to be fine now - all the bad monsters are gone. You’ll just have sweet dreams from now on, I promise.”
Then a whoosh of white light enfolded me, taking me home.
About the Author
Annie Dalton has been shortlisted for the Carnegie medal and won the Nottingham Children’s Book Award and the Portsmouth Children’s Book Award.The twelve Angel Academy books (previously known as Agent Angel), became an international best selling series. Annie lives overlooking a Norfolk meadow with a ruined castle, in a row of cottages that were rescued from bulldozers and lovingly rebuilt by a band of hippies.
www.anniedaltonwriter.co.uk
Also by Annie Dalton
Urban Fantasy Books
Night Maze
The Alpha Box
Naming the Dark
The Rules of Magic
Angel Academy Series
Winging it
Losing the Plot
Flying High
Calling the Shots
Fogging Over
Fighting Fit
Making Waves
Budding Star
Keeping it Real
Going for Gold
Feeling the Vibes
Living the Dream
The Afterdark Trilogy
The Afterdark Princess
The Dream Snatcher
The Midnight Museum
Swan Sister
Friday Forever
Zack Black & the Magic Dads
Ways to Trap a Yeti
Cherry Green, Story Queen
Invisible Threads co-written with Maria Dalton
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br /> World 9 stories
Ferris Fleet the Wheelchair Wizard
How to Save a Dragon
Moonbeans stories
Magical Moon Cat: Moonbeans & the Dream Cafe
Magical Moon Cat: Moonbeans & the Shining Star
Magical Moon Cat: Moonbeans & the Talent Show
Magical Moon Cat: Moonbeans & the Circus of Wishes
Credits
Cover Illustration by Maria Dalton & Louisa Mallet
Lily Highton
Sarah Nash
Alistair Johnston
Juan Casco
Table of Contents
Copyright
Dedication
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
About the Author
Also by Annie Dalton
Credits