by E. Van Lowe
I moved back to Suze.
“Is that Erin with that boy?” she asked as the bike drove past.
“No, of course not. What would Erin be doing with someone like that?” The old guilt over Matt’s death kindled in my belly like a brush fire in dry weeds.
I have to save her.
“That girl on the bike looks like an older version of Erin gone bad.”
I nodded and emitted a soft grunt.
“Have you seen her lately?”
“I stopped by her house the other day.”
Suze had never mentioned how I’d gone from spending all my time with Erin to spending all my time with Maudrina. It was impossible not to notice. I believe she thought we needed a break after Matt’s death.
“I’m glad today worked out,” she said, her voice brightening. “I need to learn to trust you more. You told me it would work out, and it did.” Relief flooded her face.
All I could do was smile. What could I say? I couldn’t take credit for what had happened today. I had dodged a huge bullet, and I knew it.
“Well… I guess I should get to work.” Her voice cracked, and I realized her eyes were filling with tears.
“Mom, it’s going to be okay,” I said. “We won.”
“It’s not that,” she said smiling through her tears. It’s… you’re growing up.” A burst of laughter sprang from her lips. It seemed both happy and sad. “I know. You’re thinking, What is the matter with this woman? Of course I’m growing up. It’s just that it’s happening so quickly.” The tears washed down her cheeks. “Look at me. I’m making a scene in front of all your friends.” She pulled a tissue from her purse and dabbed at the tears.
“Hey,” I said pulling her into a hug, right there in the parking lot, with classmates and teachers passing by. “I may be growing up, but I’m always going to need my Mom.”
There was a time if she tried to hug or kiss me in front of my classmates, I would have shooed her away. Back then, I didn’t want to seem like a little kid. Today, as I stood holding her, a part of me longed for those little girl days. Not the not just hugging part, but all the little girl stuff.
The first bell rang.
“We need a girl’s day,” I announced, changing the subject. “Saturday. Just the two of us. A little shopping, lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, huh?”
“Sounds like a plan,” she said, putting an end to the storm clouds.
A few moments later, I headed off to class and mom to work. Life was getting back to normal, at least it seemed normal for those on the outside looking in.
#
Because of the special assembly, school was on a shortened schedule. That meant we’d still go to all our classes in order, but ten minutes had been shaved off the length of each period to get a full day in.
English was first period. When I got there Maudrina was waiting by the door.
`“Eeeee!” she squealed as I walked up. She dropped her books. They clattered to the floor as she corralled me in her arms, and started jumping up and down. I didn’t feel like jumping up and down, but she was my best friend, the first person to stand up for me, I couldn’t leave her hanging.
“I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!” she squealed still jumping.
I looked around and realized all eyes were on us. Jeremy Bowen and Alonzo Briggs were passing by on their way to class. Both boys were smiling. Jeremy shot me a near imperceptible nod as they moved past.
“Can we stop jumping now?” I was getting out of breath.
It dawned on me that I had turned a corner with my classmates. As I looked at them in the corridor, everyone met my gaze. No one looked away. I had a feeling the days of poor Megan Barnett were behind me.
“I told you we could do it.” We had stopped jumping. Maudrina was beaming at me.
“Us, huh?” I said with a smirk.
“I was the first one who stood up. Who knows what would have happened if I hadn’t kicked it off.”
“Don’t ever do anything like that again,” I said turning serious. “We both could have been kicked out of school.”
“This school would be a dump without us.” She smiled at me, and I realized Maudrina wasn’t just a high school friend. She was the kind of friend you had for life; the kind of friend who was at your wedding and there when you named your first child. “I guess we should give a tiny bit of credit for what happened to that gorgeous man with the hot accent. Who was he?”
“Harrison. Usually he’s an arrogant jerk. I don’t know what got into him today. But I’m glad it did.”
“How do you know him?”
“Guy,” I responded, my voice dropping.
“Where is Guy? I haven’t seen him since that day on the steps with the beautiful girl.”
I let out a slow breath as the painful memories came flooding back. “It’s a long story,” I said, my voice suddenly weary. “I’ll tell you later.”
She didn’t press the issue.
When class began, Ms. Karcher allowed us to work on our A Raisin In The Sun papers. The papers were due in a week, and with all the getting kicked out of school and The Book of Calls drama in my life, I hadn’t been working on mine.
Today, for the first time in a long time, I felt I might be able to concentrate. I was hard at work when I heard the classroom door open. I didn’t look up until I heard my name.
“Is this Megan Barnett’s class?” a boy asked.
Oh, no! I thought. My spirits plummeted. Principal Lockhart was waiting for the assembly to end so she could ambush me with no one else around.
I looked up. I had never seen the boy standing at the front of the room. He was incredibly handsome, with dark unruly hair and a pair of dreamy eyes that made my heart stop.
Those eyes.
“Yes, this is her class.” Ms. Karcher said to the boy.
“This is for her,” he said in a voice that was both sexy and sweet. He moved to Ms. Karcher’s desk with the grace of cat, and dropped a small envelope.
“I’ll give it to her,” said nosey Doris Baxter, who sat in the first row, leaping from her seat.
The boy started from the room, his eyes scanning the seated students until they found me.
I knew he was an angel.
“Wait!” I called getting up. My heart fluttered back to life. Has he been sent by Guy?
“What’s the matter?” whispered Maudrina.
The boy didn’t respond and neither did I. He eyed me all the way to the door and exited. I was right behind him, brushing past Doris Baxter who was bringing me the envelope.
“Megan! Where are you going?” called Ms. Karcher in her you better not voice.
“Be right back,” I responded. I was already halfway out the door.
I spotted the boy walking up the corridor.
“Hey!” I started after him.
Instead of stopping he quickened his pace. He was wearing acid wash jeans and a stylish checked shirt. His high top sneaks made a squeaking sound with each step he took.
Squeak… squeak…squeak.
“Hey! HEY, WAIT UP!” I shouted after him. My cry reverberated off the hollow walls as if we were in a cave. A few classroom doors opened. Teachers looked out to see who was causing the commotion.
I started running.
“No running in the halls!” a teacher called.
The boy continued rapidly away from me. Squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak.
I was gaining on him as he rounded the corner at the north end of the school.
Squeaksqueaksqueaksqueaksqueak.
As he turned the corner, a loud whoosh erupted in the hall. I rounded the corner right behind him. The corridor was empty. Silent. No sound of squeaking sneaks moving away. The boy had vanished.
I was disappointed, but not surprised.
Chapter Twenty-nine
I returned to class just before the bell. When I walked in, everyone was staring.
“Sorry, Ms. Karcher,” I said. I lowered my eyes. I could tell she was trying to get a f
eel for what was going on.
“Next time, there will be a price to pay,” she said, adding enough tone to her voice to make the threat stick.
“Yes, ma’am.” I moved to my seat.
The envelope was on my desk.
“Open it,” Maudrina implored. The envelope seemed innocent enough, but I knew once I opened it, my life would be changed forever.
“After class.” I picked up the envelope as if it was a hot coal, and dropped it in my bag.
Brrrng!
“Class is over,” Maudrina crowed, her voice tinged with excitement.
“I know that Maudrina! I can hear!” I snapped.
“Sorry,” she said softly. I could tell from her tone she was hurt by my explosion.
“No. I’m sorry. There’s been so much on me lately. I… lost it.” I said. “You’re my best friend, Maudrina. Please, forgive me. I never want to hurt you.”
“I know. And I totally understand,” she replied, the pain in her voice falling away. “If it was me, I would have lost it a long time ago.”
“Why don’t I hold onto the envelope ‘til after school. We’ll go to my house. I’ll tell you all about last night, and we can open it together.”
“The last time you had a mysterious envelope it was good news.” She knew I was concerned, and was trying to lighten the mood by bringing up the invitation to The Explosion. That seemed light years ago.
“That was last time,” I replied. My voice was flat.
#
I was crying.
I’d been doing that a lot lately. In just a few months I’d gone from Bad Girl Barnett to Little Miss Weepy Pants. By the time I caught Maudrina up on everything, including my trip to Aunt Jaz’s house and hell, I was near tears. Then I read the tiny piece of parchment that was inside the envelope.
I was destroyed.
My tears were coming like Niagara Falls, my chest quaking in huge spasms. We were seated on my bed. Maudrina slid closer to me, putting a consoling arm around my shoulder. I was inconsolable.
“He’s not coming back.” I finally managed to choke out a few words.
“You don’t know that, Megan. I think you’re jumping to conclusions.”
“What else could it mean?” I was hysterical.
“I’m not sure. It’s very cryptic, which is why we shouldn’t jump to any conclusions.”
“It doesn’t seem cryptic to me. It’s seems pretty clear. Guy is dead.”
“We don’t know that.”
I snatched up the note and read it again. Little did I realize, for the next several months I’d be reading it again, and again, and again, and again, and again….
Many sit at his right hand
Two have fallen in the quest for man
Two have fallen, one will rise
The one to help you claim the prize
So even though your heart may yearn
Two have fallen, but only one shall return
The End
Two have fallen, but only one shall return… Find out which one returns to earth in Heaven Sent, Book Three of the Falling Angels Saga. In stores and on eReaders, December 2012.
About the Author
E. Van Lowe is an author, a television writer, screenwriter, playwright, and producer who has worked on shows such as The Cosby Show, Even Stevens, and Homeboys in Outer Space. He has been nominated for an Emmy and an Academy Award. Van Lowe recently stepped into the young adult fiction genre with his novel Never Slow Dance With a Zombie, a horror novel with a comedic twist. It was a selection of the Scholastic Book Club, and a nominee for an ALA Award.
Visit E at his website www.evanlowe.com.