by Lola StVil
“We’re just supposed to go to school like this baby thing didn’t just happen?” Bex says.
“What you’re supposed to do is take orders from me. And my orders were clear—get to first period, now. Also, no one outside this team is to know about what’s happened. It would put Ruin in danger from whoever else out there fears us.”
Bex glares at Aaden and Ruin and storms out. Swoop and Randy follow him. I turn my attention back to Aaden and Ruin.
“I know this…situation may be difficult for the two of you. However, Ruin, you are carrying a Noru and we are here to protect you in whatever way we can,” I promise in my “official” voice.
“Um…okay, thanks,” she says awkwardly as she looks at Aaden.
“Yeah, thank you,” he replies as he studies me.
“Sure,” I reply simply.
“I think I’m gonna take Diana to get checked out by a Healer,” he says.
“There’s no need to do that. I feel fine,” she replies.
“I think that’s a great idea. It’s better to be safe than sorry,” I confirm.
“Okay, I guess,” Ruin says as she watches Aaden watching me.
“Diana, it’s chilly out. You should maybe grab a sweater before we go,” he suggests.
“Be right back,” she replies as she heads up the steps to her room.
“Pry…” Aaden says as soon as we are alone.
“I know…”
“This is all so…I’m still not…I never thought…”
“Yeah, me neither,” I admit.
“I don’t know what this means for us,” he says.
“You should probably concern yourself with Ruin. She’s the priority right now.”
“I know but, Pryor…I love you.”
“Yeah, same here,” I reply with a sad smile.
“Okay, I’m ready,” Ruin says as she walks back down the steps.
Aaden and I exchange a lingering glance as the two of them head out the door.
“Oh and, Ruin…congratulations,” I say softly.
She smiles warmly. The two of them walk out, together…
Chapter Two:
Are You Done?
How could she do this? Who has a kid without telling the guy? How crazy do you have to be? Is this her way of trapping him? Is this how far she would go just to be his? Or was it like she said, an honest mistake? Did she really think that they had a future?
I think back to the conversation they had back at Mrs. Maybelle’s. Ruin genuinely sounded scared. I think she really thought they had something; maybe they did. Maybe they still do. And now that there’s a baby…
I race to my room to look at it. I also know that doing so will only make me feel worse, but it’s something I have to do. It’s like when you watch your favorite sad movie; you know it will make you cry, yet you watch it anyway.
I go under my bed and pull it out of the box. Anyone who walks in my room and sees me holding it will think that I’m crazy. They’ll look at it and see it for what it is: a hammer. But for me it’s so much more. This is the first sign I got from Aaden that he had feelings for me.
I had gone to his house and I was fed up with all the drama and I just wanted him to say if there was a chance for us to be together or if I was wasting my time. Later that night he had this hammer delivered to me. It meant that I should keep pounding away at the walls he put up around himself.
Well, new baby trumps old hammer…
As I look at the hammer again, something comes over me. Before I know it, I’m using the hammer on my room. I smash everything in sight; nothing in my room remains intact, least of all me. I stop only when I’m too exhausted to continue. I’m on the floor, surrounded by debris and rage.
Are you done now, Pry? What’s next? You climb into bed, under the covers with your hammer, and listen to an Evanescence playlist? Or maybe sulk and binge watch every sad romance movie ever made?
Pull yourself together, damn it! You are the First Noru, not some lovesick broken girl. You were grown up enough to make love to him, so you better be grown up enough to handle the aftermath. Ruin is having his child, and nothing you did in the last ten minutes will change that. Chances are it’s over for you and Aaden. You better find a way to deal with it because it is what it is. Now, get the hell up! And don’t even think about missing class today.
It’s an hour later and I’m so lost in thought I don’t hear the bell ring indicating that class is over. In fact, I haven’t heard anything that’s been said in the last forty-five minutes. Yet, as much as I zone out, I do not want to be anywhere else but class today.
I know it sounds strange, but I need to hear background noise. It helps to remind me that the world does go on, even as my love life implodes. When I look up and realize the classroom is empty, I gather my stuff to get to the next class or rather the next series of white noise. On my way there, Randy corners me and pulls me into the nearest stairwell.
“Okay, let it out,” he says.
“Let what out?” I ask.
“C’mon, Pry, can we just skip the part where you act like this isn’t killing you? I mean, really, it’s been a crazy couple of weeks and I think we can fast-forward. Don’t you?” he pleads.
“Randy, I’m not freaking out or breaking down. I’m fine,” I reply.
“So I guess we’re gonna do it the old-fashioned way, then.”
“And what way is that?”
“That’s where you act like nothing is wrong and then set the world on fire.”
“You want me to say that I’m thrown by this whole thing? Then yes, I am stunned.”
“And…” he pushes.
“And it sucks because who wants to lose the angel they just made love to a few hours before? But that’s out of my control,” I reply, mostly to myself.
“Wait, what? Back at Mrs. Maybelle’s, you and Aaden—” Randy shouts.
“Shhhhh!”
“Sorry, I just…I knew you guys were gonna make out and stuff, but…”
“Yeah, well, we did more than that; we spent the night together,” I reply.
“Oh, Pry, that makes it even worse. I’m so sorry. And as much as I want to ask you, like, a thousand questions about Ruin and how it’s even possible that she can get pregnant, I will respect that now is a bad time.”
“Thank you.”
“But can I sign up for the ‘angel baby 101’ course later?” he asks.
“Deal.”
“So, what was it like, your first time?” he ventures.
“Aaden almost set me on fire, I drained all the color from the garden outside our window, and we nearly destroyed Mrs. Maybelle’s house. It was perfect.”
“Wow…epic.”
“Yeah, but none of that matters now. We won’t be together anymore. Last night was the last night,” I remind him.
“Why does it have to be that way?”
“Um…did you miss the part about Ruin having his kid?”
“No, but did Silver say he doesn’t want to be with you?” Randy asks.
“He can’t be with me. What about Ruin?”
“Look, this situation isn’t ideal. But you two can make the best of it. You battled the Center to get back to each other. There’s nothing the two of you can’t do.”
“Are you saying you think Aaden and I can get past this?”
“I’m saying you need to stop jumping to conclusions without him. He just found out a few hours ago he’s gonna be a dad. That’s major. But that doesn’t mean it’s over for you two. You know, Pry, it’s Aaden’s decision too. Did you guys talk before this about being together?” Randy asks.
“This morning we said that we would be a couple. We admitted to loving each other and wanting to be together.”
“And you held on to that promise for, what, three hours? C’mon, have a little faith,” he says.
“Having a kid with one being but being a couple with someone else? Randy, that’s not done in my world.”
“Well, it’s done in min
e all the time. In fact, it’s usually weird when the one you have a kid with is the one you marry,” he jokes.
“I don’t know if it’ll work,” I admit.
“That’s just it; you don’t know. So wait and see how it plays out, but don’t just mourn the relationship. It might be sick or even on life support, but it’s still alive. I see an ‘Aaden and Pryor’ happy ending somewhere out there,” he says, jabbing me playfully.
“I never even thought about us getting past this, but maybe we can,” I venture.
“Why the hell not? Ruin and Silver will be parents, and you and he will be together romantically. He might go for it.”
“What if he doesn’t?”
“I’ve seen the way he is when he’s around you. It’s the craziest thing, Pry. It’s like he’s not whole if he’s not somewhere near you.”
“I feel the same way about him. Randy, I really do love him.”
“Then stop giving up so easily. Pry, you’re the one Aaden lives for. So stay in this fight. In the end you’ll get the one you love. That makes this the most important fight you’ll ever be in. Stay. Fight. Win.”
Randy has saved my life, yet again. He was the one who yelled at me and pushed me to get out of my head and back into the real world when I got back from the Center. And he saved me yet again by allowing me to consider the possibility that all is not lost with Aaden.
And as I sit here, in my last class of the day, I’m starting to warm up to the idea. I know it won’t be perfect, but we can figure it out. Randy is right. We got past the Center; why shouldn’t we be able to get past this? Why should this mean the end of Aaden and me?
Okay, so this isn’t the way I planned my life, but so far nothing I’ve planned has turned out the way I thought it would. Yet we have survived it all. We haven’t given in to the evil that seeks to destroy us, and we keep fighting a good fight. That’s what Aaden and I will do—keep fighting. The thought that we still have a future together puts a smile on my face. For the first time since hearing Ruin’s news, I feel good; I feel hopeful.
I want to fly off and tell Aaden that even though it’s going to be hard at times, I’m willing to go on this ride with him. But I make myself stay in class since I’ve missed so much school. Honestly, I’m tempted to leave school altogether, but our parents really want us to finish.
Mercifully, the class ends only a few moments later. I rush out to text Aaden. I try to craft the perfect message in my head. I want him to know that I support him and everything that comes with that. It will take some time, but when things settle down, we can go right back to being with each other. Now how do I put that into a three-line text?
Crap.
“Hello?” Bex shouts as he blocks my exit out of the school.
“Oh, sorry, I didn’t hear you,” I confess.
“I called your name, like, ten times,” he says.
“I was somewhere else in my head.”
“Were you alone?” he asks.
“What?”
“In your head—were you somewhere in your head alone, or did you have company?”
“Um…I don’t know. My thoughts are kind of all over the place.”
“It seems to me your thoughts are only on one thing,” he says bitterly.
“Bex, what is your problem?”
“Me? You’re the one chasing after a guy who clearly isn’t ready to give you what you need.”
“Excuse me? Why is this any of your business?”
“I’m just trying to look out for you.”
“No, you’re just trying to piss me off, and you can go now because your mission is complete.”
“Look, Pry, I’m not trying to be a dick. Really, I’m not. I just don’t understand why you’re so willing to forfeit your whole existence for Silver. He can barely keep his hands to himself.”
“I don’t want to have this conversation with you.”
“That’s because you know I’m right. Silver isn’t the one for you.”
“Then who is?”
“Well…”
“Yeah, Bex, that’s what I thought. You can’t even say it, can you? For months now there’s been nothing but childish hints and vague whispers about how you may or may not feel about me. Maybe I shouldn’t get involved with Aaden given the Ruin situation. But I don’t think getting involved with a Para who won’t grow a set and tell me that he likes me is the way to go either.”
“You think I ‘like’ you? You think this is some kind of schoolboy-crush crap? Seriously?” he says, clearly offended.
“What am I supposed to think? You’ve told everyone but me how you feel. You have something to say to me, then just say it already,” I challenge.
“And what good would that do?” he demands as he grabs me possessively and pulls me over to him, causing our bodies to be meshed together. I look into his ardent gaze, our lips nearly touching.
He looks down at me with laser focus. My core body temperature rises and I have difficulty remembering what I was saying before. I’m keenly aware of the fact that his hands are around my waist.
I feel a spark originate from my chest and spread out to the rest of me. Bex gazes at me once again, catches his lower lip between his teeth, and then slowly releases me.
“You guys okay?” Randy asks as he approaches us.
“Yeah, we’re good,” I reply as I swallow hard.
Bex looks me over intently one last time, then walks off.
“I would love to know what that was about, but I’ll put that on my list. Right now someone is looking for you. I found her coming out of the main office,” Randy says.
“Who is it?” I ask, trying to get my bearings.
“Hello, Pryor,” a woman behind us says.
I turn and embrace the pretty Quo before me. She’s in her late forties, slim, wears purple highlights, and has warm familiar eyes.
“If you’re looking for East, I haven’t seen him in school today. I think he’s back at your house,” I tell her.
“I know, I just left him. I actually came here to speak with you,” she says.
“Oh, okay,” I reply.
Randy tugs on my shirt and signals indiscreetly that he would like an introduction.
“Randy, this is Winter, Easton’s mom.”
“Oh my Omnis, I totally read about you in one of the Guardians’ journals. You’re the one who used to be a spy back during the war between the angels and the Quo faction called ‘Believers,’ right?” Randy says, studying her closely.
“Yes, I was,” Winter says, surprised by Randy’s knowledge.
“That’s awesome! I have a few questions. The Believers were nuts, thinking they could get rid of angels everywhere, and I get why they needed to be stopped. Yet they were still half angel like you, so how did it feel to have to battle against your own? Were you ever conflicted?” Randy asks excitedly.
“The situation wasn’t ideal,” she says, clearly uncomfortable.
“Randy, maybe enough with the questions?” I suggest.
“Wait! Just one more: Did you ever pass messages around? You know, secret codes?” Randy asks, brimming with delight.
“I don’t think we should be doing this out here,” Winter says.
“You’re right, sorry,” Randy replies as he herds us towards an empty classroom.
Winter signals to me, and I turn to Randy and ask him to excuse us.
“You want me to go?” Randy says, sounding like a wounded puppy.
I look over at Winter, and like me, she’s having a hard time getting past Randy’s sad eyes.
“Is the human—”
“Trustworthy? Yes. He’s my best friend. We can talk around him,” I promise her.
“Okay, he can stay,” Winter says.
Randy grins from ear to ear and looks at us like a five-year-old waiting for a spectacular magic show to start. For all I know, Winter is just checking up on us like Uncle Rage does, or so I thought. However, one look at Winter now tells me this isn’t “just” a visi
t.
Winter is twisting her wedding band around her finger repeatedly, and with each turn she gets more anxious. She looks away from us and faces the window. And although we can’t see her face, judging by the quiver in her voice, East’s mom is crying.
“Winter, what is it? What’s wrong?” I ask, stepping in front of her.
“You’re not going to understand. You’re young. And East, he won’t understand either. He’ll be so angry and hurt. But I had to do it. I didn’t have a choice,” she pleads.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about. What won’t we understand?” I ask as Randy and I exchange a look of alarm.
“I did what I thought was best…” she says.
“Winter, look at me,” I order as I place my hands on her shoulders. She does what I ask and looks into my face.
“Whatever the problem is, we will try to fix it. But we can’t do that if you don’t tell us what’s going on. So, start from the top and don’t leave anything out.”
“I met Frank years before the war between the Believers and the Quo. He was a good if misguided Quo. We were on again and off again for years. Every time we broke up, he thought we’d fix things and get back together. I think I thought that way too. Then the war came and I had to pick a side.
“I chose to stand with the angels. Frank was livid. He sided with the Believers, who thought the world was best left without angels at all. So once again we broke up, and I went to work as a spy for the Angel world; specifically I was working with your father, Pry, and the Guardian team,” she says.
“My dad told me you helped them plan attacks and gave them vital information to stop the Believers. He said they couldn’t have won the war without you,” I reply.
“I helped a little, yes. But the truth is there was another reason I hung around the Guardian team: Rio,” she whispers, mostly to herself.
“Rio was an original member of your dad’s team, right?” Randy asks me.
“Yes. The Guardians had a set of twins on their team, just like we do: Miku and her brother, Rio,” I reply.