Angel of Mine

by Jessica Louise

  The rain is pouring down now, and as we walk inside, the sound only increases as the drops pelt hard against the metal roof of the building. Crowds of people gaining shelter from the storm clog the space around us and I notice Ally shrink into herself as though she is uncomfortable.

  Leaning into her ear I ask, “Is everything okay?”

  She shakes her head, and little drops of water sprinkle down around us. “I’m just not used to crowds, but I’ll be fine.” I slide my arm around her petite waist, pulling her close, and loving the way she fits against me and the warmth that blankets the side of my body where we touch.

  Guiding her carefully through the crowds, I find a coffee shop. As I pull a chair out for her at a corner table by the window I ask, “Is this okay?”

  “Perfect.” She smiles reassuringly up at me, which makes me feel as though I am a knight in shining armour who just saved the damsel in distress. Pride swells in my chest; it feels terrific to be able to look after someone else for a change.

  As I take a seat, I pause for a moment, appreciating the sight the rain makes as it moves across the window, shimmering like little crystals. The drops sparkle around the edges from the glow of the lamp beside our table.

  My gaze roams over the rest of my surroundings. A large floor-to-ceiling bookshelf covers the far wall. Oversized velvet cushions border around low-level mahogany coffee tables where people lounge, quietly reading and sipping from giant mugs.

  A few tables dot this side of the room, but they are mostly empty. Strains of soft bluesy music tease my ears and the smell of roasted coffee beans fills my nose. I soak up the entire atmosphere that this cozy little café has to offer.

  My gaze rests on Ally again as I pass her a menu. “Are you a coffee or tea kind of girl?” She peruses the menu while chewing on her bottom lip. I fixate on the motion, thinking I would like to drink her instead.

  “I’m a sweet tooth kind of girl, a hot chocolate with marshmallows and cake kind of girl.”

  My mind instantly conjures sinister thoughts around this ravishing beauty, and before I can stop myself, the words just seem to fall out of my mouth. “I can be really sweet.” Then I wink. I actually fucking wink. Why does she inspire such corny thoughts to rush from my brain and escape via my big, stupid mouth?

  “I’ll just go place our order. Be right back.” I dash off towards the counter before I can see her reaction to my verbal diarrhoea. In the queue, I give myself a pep talk. Be smooth Theo; be smooth. By the time I place our order, I feel as if I have my act together and I head back to her.

  When I return to my seat, Ally places her hands on top of mine and relieves the tension in the air by getting rid of the elephant in the room. “That was really sweet of you to take care of our orders.” She emphasizes the word sweet and winks back at me. Wow, that was seriously hot.

  I feel instantly relieved that she isn’t offended and a little turned on by her cheeky retort. I grin and shrug my shoulders as if to say ‘hey, can you blame me? You are smoking hot, and I’m unable to think clearly when you’re around.’

  Moving back to safer topics I ask Ally what she does for a living. “Well, I’m finishing my high school education this year and would love to go off to university next year and study to be a doctor.”

  Images of her in a schoolgirl’s uniform fill my head, and I decide that no topic with her is a safe one. I feel like a pervert. I should be picturing her in a doctor’s coat, not dressed as a schoolgirl. What am I saying? Should I be picturing her at all? “How old are you Ally?”

  “I’ll be eighteen next month. How old are you?” Okay, so the age difference isn’t bad, I’m only two years older. That makes me feel less like a perv.

  “I just turned twenty not long back.” Suddenly, a thought occurs to me that she might be attending the same school Alex just enrolled in. “So, do you go to the local high school here?”

  “I’m actually home schooled. We used to move a lot when I was younger, and Mum thought it would be easier that way than constantly changing my schools. We’ve been all over Australia, but we’ve lived here going on five years now. Home schooling works for me, so we’ve just kept it that way.”

  Her reply surprises me. I’ve never met anyone who was home schooled before. “Why did you have to move around so much? Is your father in the army?” As soon as I finish asking, her face drops slightly. I realize that something may have happened to her father because they didn’t need to move around the past five years. I hope that’s not the case. Foot in mouth syndrome strikes again.

  Giving her an easy out of this conversation, I hastily add, “Sorry, it’s none of my business. You don’t have to answer that.”

  She shakes her head. “No, it is fine. I’ve just never met my father before. Mum always does an excellent job at looking after me though. I’m a little worried to broach the subject of university with her. I don’t want to leave. It’s always been just her and me, you know, and we are extraordinarily close. I feel terrible that after all she has done for me, I want to go away to university and leave her on her own.”

  I get the impression that she is the selfless type who is always taking care of others, even though she is the child and not the parent. The need to keep her sheltered and protected washes over me, and I wonder where the hell this feeling came from. I hardly know her. Figuring a hot chick can brainwash a man with her beauty, I try to shrug it off. I’m unsuccessful because she totally fascinates me.

  When the subject changes to me, I give her vague answers to avoid talking about my unpleasant past. I subtly try to steer the conversation to lighter topics like favourite movies, music, hobbies, and so on.

  Ally mentions she used to love playing the board game Operation when she was younger. “Alex and I used to play that a lot too, although he used to alter my body parts for real.” I snicker at my own joke. I shouldn’t make fun of this fact, but if I don’t laugh at it, I’d cry. If only she knew the half of it.

  “So your younger brother used to beat you up. Poor Theo,” she razzes me, totally walking right into my come back.

  “Do you want to kiss me and make me all better?” Whoops, I may have gone too far. Her face goes red, and her mouth opens and closes a few times, but nothing comes out. I know better than to ask her if she wants to know where it hurts.

  “Can’t blame a guy for trying.” I make light of the situation instead. “I was always more of a Monopoly man myself. Something about getting punch drunk at the prospect of owning so many hotels. I totally kicked Alex’s butt at that game.”

  The conversation flows easily, and before I know it, we have been bantering back and forth for hours. As I gaze out the window and see another storm approaching, I regretfully suggest that we head home.

  The storm brews, causing the air to feel charged around us as we make our way home from the mall. Cars whiz by, hurrying to make it home before the severe weather hits.

  The wind flows through my hair, tickling my scalp and making my hair stand on end. Theo takes my hand and twirls me around. I’ve never felt so carefree, and I can’t help but to giggle in delight.

  A sudden loud crashing noise has me practically jumping into Theo’s safe arms. On the street, about twenty meters away from us, two cars are now mangled together. Twisted metal lays scattered across the asphalt.

  My body goes onto high alert, anticipating what is to come. Other cars stop, and as people rush frantically towards the scene, I’m frozen on the spot. My mind is working in overdrive as I try to figure out if anyone’s been hurt. There are too many witnesses here for me to heal anyone, as that would reveal my abilities.

  “Ally, look at me. You’re okay. Everyone is okay. No one got hurt, and everything is going to be alright.” Theo is bending down to my level, staring me straight in the eyes. It takes a moment for his rushed words to register, and for me snap out of my minor freak out. I have no idea how long he’s been trying to talk to me before his words finally make it through.

  After my zoning out
like that, he must think I’m a complete freak. The need to escape his presence and to redeem myself while I’m still able has me shrugging him off. “I have to go. Thanks for the hot chocolate.”

  As I go to step around him, he blocks my way. “Okay. That’s fine Ally, but I’m seeing you safely home.”

  His arm goes to snake around my waist, and I dodge it by jumping to the side. “I’m all right, really. No need to trouble yourself by going out of your way.”

  The disbelief is clear in his eyes, and he raises his eyebrows as if daring me to challenge his next words. “Clearly you are shaken up by what just happened. What kind of guy would I be to let you walk home alone after that? It’s no trouble, and I enjoy your company. Besides, I insist.”

  All I remember of what he just said is ‘I enjoy your company,’ as it runs on repeat through my head. A brief smile touches my lips and I nod. We make our way up the footpath in silence, lost in our own thoughts.

  As I contemplate the severity of what could have just happened, I start to shiver lightly. Without being asked, Theo takes off his jacket and places it over my shoulders. A woodsy scent that reminds me of a campfire surrounds me, and I try not to look too obvious as I breathe it in. The fleece lining is soft and warm against my skin. There is no way I’m telling him those shivers weren’t from the cold because I want to wear it forever.

  “Thank you Theo. That’s so sweet of you.”

  “My pleasure. I like the look of my jacket on you,” he replies with a wink.

  He is true to his word and walks me right up to the front door. With sad regret, I go to give the jacket back. “Keep it.” He refuses to take it, already backing down the steps. “It will give me an excuse to see you again. Take care Ally.” He jogs off as it starts to rain and I go inside, hugging his oversized jacket around me.

  Stupidly, I never got Ally’s phone number while we were at the mall. By the time I walked her home, she was still understandably quite shaken up about the car accident we witnessed, and it didn’t seem right to hassle her for her number. So here I am only two days later, sitting on the couch like a creeper, staring out the window and hoping that I might catch her walking by like the last time I saw her.

  The crimson drapes rest heavily on my hands as I part them only an inch to peek through from my perch on the window seat. There is some type of fair going on in the park across the street and hundreds of people litter the footpath.

  Even though the road is extremely crowded, it’s easy to spot her as she walks by and eyes the park hesitantly. She reminds me of a goddess walking through the masses, and I would have to be blind to miss seeing her.

  She’s layered my leather jacket over her white sundress. I enjoy how it makes her appear as if she is taken, as though it’s her boyfriend’s jacket that she is wearing. Even though I’m not her boyfriend yet, I plan to be.

  I used to think the way guys had their names printed on the back of their jackets made them seem full of themselves. Did they think they were so fantastic that they had to parade around advertising their name on their clothing? Suddenly, it doesn’t seem so stupid anymore. I would love to see my name written across Ally’s back right now.

  Alex throws me a pack of breath mints and laughs as I get up and scramble for the door. “Very funny bro.” I take one anyway, and jam the rest in my pocket.

  “Hi Ally.” When I approach, her knowing smile goes wide as if she expected me.

  “Hi, I was hoping to see you here. I forgot the yearly fair was going on though.” While biting her lip, she seems to shrink into herself, and I remember her aversion to crowds from yesterday.

  “Have you ever been before?” I question. She shakes her head, and I get the feeling that she genuinely wants to go there but is a little intimidated. “It’s okay. I’ll protect you; let’s go check it out.” I’m thrilled when she allows me to put my arm around her waist and guide her over to the fair.

  Her eyes widen with excitement. The lights from the rides reflect off them as she takes everything in. “What do you want to do first?” I ask. The childlike thrill written all over her face makes me eager to experience it all with her.

  In slow motion, she turns a full circle, and then stops, staring directly at the Win-A-Prize tents. While gnawing on her bottom lip and bouncing on the balls of her feet, she shoots me a few sideways glances.

  When I follow her line of sight, I see a guy in a funny multi-coloured wig giving a girl wearing giant novelty sunglasses a stuffed bear. They walk off hand in hand, and I direct my gaze back to Ally who is positively beaming.

  My mind flickers back to yesterday at the mall when she told me about her love for romance movies. The typical date scene of winning a prize at the fair for a girl is probably right up her alley. And as corny as it sounds, I love the idea of getting to act all macho in front of her.

  “Would you like me to win you a giant teddy bear?” Instantly, she nods her head, and I can tell she is trying to contain a squeal of excitement. I scan the stalls until I find my specialty, throwing a football through the small hoop.

  “How many times do I have to make it through the hoop for the top prize?” I ask the guy behind the counter.

  He studies me a moment as if trying to make his decision based on whether or not I look like a ball player. He must decide that I do. “Ten through the smallest hoop,” he says as he smirks.

  “No problem.” I pass him a twenty, and he hands me the ball. The pigskin feels familiar. I toss it around in my hands a few times, warming up my arms and preparing myself. An amused chuckle comes from the guy behind the counter, but I’m able to ignore it because I know I’ll soon be able to show him.

  The first nine throws sail effortlessly through the air and into the boundaries of the hoop. Showing off just a little, I take a large step further back and wink at Ally before easily getting throw number ten where it needs to go.

  When she receives the giant teddy bear, she jumps up and down squealing. It doesn’t annoy me as it usually does with other girls though. Maybe it’s because it’s her. She squeezes the fluffy toy so tight anyone would think I just won her a million dollars. What I wouldn’t give to hug her that tight.

  As we walk through the rest of the fair looking around, the sickly sweet smell of fairy floss is in the air. “Want to get something to eat?” Ally must be reading my mind as she points to a battered hotdog on a stick.

  “Definitely, but trust me you want to go on the rides before you eat.”

  We go on a few of the rides, and I enjoy the way her hand grips tightly over mine while we fly through the loop on the rollercoaster. Loud music belts through the speakers around the attraction. My stomach drops as we fall through the air and I feel like a little kid again. “That was awesome! You were right though. I’m glad we didn’t eat first,” Ally says as we come to a stop. The metal safety bar is lifted, and she jumps out of her seat. “Again, again.” Chants of glee come out of her mouth as she tugs at my hand.

  After she manages to talk me into going on to the rollercoaster three more times, I am finally able to steer her over to the Ferris wheel. Yeah, it’s a wimpy ride, but it’s one that I can sit close to Ally without all the safety gear.

  The cart rises into the sky, and I rock it slowly back and forth. She shrieks like a typical girl and grabs a hold of me, and just like that, I achieve my desired effect. Well played, I think to myself.

  With a grin, she gives me light-hearted swat on the shoulder. “You idiot, you could have gotten us killed.”

  We are only two meters off the ground so far. I grin wide and slyly wrap my arm around her. “It’s alright Ally. I’ll protect you.”

  “You dork,” she retorts. Soft locks of her hair tickle under my chin as she rests her head on my chest. There isn’t much room behind the safety bar for her, the giant teddy bear, and me, and she is pressed tightly against me. Perfect. My master plan is complete.

  “You love it. Anyhow, I thought you were an adrenaline junkie after all the times you just dr
agged me on the roller coaster?” I feel her warm breath even through my shirt, and I wonder if she can hear my heartbeat speed up at her close proximity. The way she affects me makes my head spin.

  “I enjoy a good buzz, but I don’t have a death wish,” she laughs. “So have you tortured other girls on the Ferris wheel like this before or am I your first?” I wish you were my first, I think to myself, and I don’t mean the Ferris wheel.

  “Are you fishing for my girlfriend history?” I tease. She goes to move off me, obviously feeling embarrassed, so I wrap my arms more firmly around her. “I’m not as experienced as you seem to think Ally. I’ve only had a couple of girlfriends back in high school, but neither relationship was serious.” At this revelation, she relaxes and sinks back into my chest.

  “As for torturing girls on the Ferris wheel, you are my first. Inspiration hit from the insight you gave me at the mall about your love of romance movies. I believe it was Danny in Grease who rocked a Ferris wheel cart, causing his girl to snuggle up close for protection.”

  She tilts her head up to look at me. Her smile is so wide it doesn’t even leave her face while she talks. “You little sneak. I don’t remember that actually happening in Grease, but you totally score points for remembering my love of romance movies. Hey, you never did end up telling me what type of films you liked. What’s your favourite?”

  Since I’m a total movie buff, I have so many to choose from. You can’t go wrong with a first-rate horror flick though. “Arachnophobia, an oldie but a goodie. It’s a classic.” She scrunches up her nose in distaste.

  “Yuck, spiders make my skin crawl. I only lasted about ten minutes into that one, and that was peeking through my fingers while my hand was over my face.” Her body shakes as she shudders underneath me. “I had nightmares for a week that giant spiders were going to come and eat me alive.” I’d like to eat you alive. That thought pops into my head, and I can’t resist the perfect reason to touch more of her.