Star Angel: Awakening (Star Angel Book 1)

by David G. McDaniel

  The clerk nodded. “What’s he into?”

  Jess struggled with the question, rattled.

  What’s he into?

  Oh. “Sports,” she said.

  The clerk waited, then asked patiently, “Any particular one?”

  Of course. “Soccer,” she stammered. “And swimming. Diving, actually. The High Dive. He’s a diver. And he plays football. Quarterback. Plus weightlifting. And some lacrosse. He really likes sports.”

  Bianca stared at her, stunned.

  The clerk humored Jessica’s nervous nonsense, directing them to a different set of racks.

  “He should like these,” he flipped through a few.

  “Cool.” She was suddenly so nervous.

  He continued flipping. “What size?”

  “Big,” said Jess, then realized that wasn’t enough. She looked to Bianca for support, beyond uncomfortable in that moment.

  Bianca rolled her eyes. “Double X L,” she offered, considering the size of the guy that fell in the woods.

  The clerk whistled. “Big boy. Chunky?”

  “No,” said Jess, surprised with the defensiveness of her own response. “Tall. He’s just really tall.”

  “How tall?” the clerk asked idly as he checked shirt after shirt for a double XL. “Over six feet?”

  Was it important? She turned to Bianca: “Six-three?”

  Bianca gave a little shrug and a thumbs-up motion, to indicate he was taller than that. Now the clerk looked pointedly at Jessica. “How old is your boyfriend?”

  Jess pressed the conversation forward. “Do you have anything that size?”

  The clerk eyed her a moment. Now he knew she was lying and it made her feel stupid, but there was no way around it.

  At last he handed her a red shirt with a pattern.

  “Not that one,” she corrected. “The plain black.” She looked at Bianca for help. “He’ll look better in black, right?”

  “For crying out loud, Jessica!” Bianca had had about enough. “Just get a frickin shirt!”

  * *

  Jess hustled them to the next store, clothes bag swinging in her grip.

  “You got him fat guy shorts,” Bianca commented when they were long gone from the last, barely keeping up.

  Jess looked back, slowing a little. “What?”

  “Guys don’t wear one size. Just because he wears a big shirt doesn’t mean he wears big shorts. His waist was normal. You got him fat guy shorts. They’re going to fall off.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “You were having too much fun.”

  Jess slowed more, almost ready to turn around, then decided against it. She’d just get him a belt.

  Suddenly her phone rang. She jumped. Everything was making her jump. She checked it: Amy.

  “Hello?” she answered. “Yeah. I know!” It had been way more than fifteen minutes. “We’re almost done” Amy was in danger of leaving them. “Please,” Jess implored. “I’ll call you in, like, one minute.”

  She hung up and directed Bianca hurriedly to a shoe store, looked around as they cruised in, spotted a wall of basketball shoes and headed for them. At the racks she began looking them over, picking up and putting down various styles.

  “Don’t tell me,” Bianca rolled her eyes, “he plays basketball too.”

  “Shut up.” Jess kept looking. She was starting to doubt herself heavily, but it was too late to go back now.

  Bianca picked up a shoe; a black one with cool markings. “Ooh,” she said, “these would go great with his black shirt. He can totally rock that on the soccer field, or on his way to diving practice.”

  “I said shut up. Why don’t you go pick out socks or something?”

  “Of course. What kind? Since he’s so into sports he’d probably appreciate—”

  “Would you please stop teasing me?” Jess continued checking out shoes. “What size do you think he wears?”

  “Evening,” a male voice caused her to jump, yet again. Another clerk. Bianca was calm. Her friend seemed to be settling down at the same rate Jess was growing more on edge.

  “Can I help you find anything?”

  Jess held up a twelve. “Is this the biggest you have?”

  “I think we’ve got a thirteen in the back.”

  Nervously she looked to Bianca for help. Her friend might be annoyed with her right then, but she knew these kinds of things and Jess needed her. Bianca nodded.

  Jess turned to the clerk. “I’ll take the thirteen’s.”

  The inevitable questioning look came over his face and Bianca was kind enough to fill in the blank: “It’s for her boyfriend.”

  The clerk nodded, understanding—then stopped when he realized the size. His eyes went wide. Boyfriend?

  But he decided not to pursue it.

  “Let me check,” he said, and went off to the back.

  When he was gone Jess turned to Bianca.

  Made herself calm down. “Thanks for doing this.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Bianca ran her hands absently over some of the shoes. “You owe me.”

  Then a thought struck Jessica and she looked around quickly, spotting a rack of flip-flops. Close! Her whole, stated reason for making Amy bring them. To get shoes. She selected a pretty white pair and grabbed them off the display. New shoes for herself, so the story wouldn’t be a total lie.

  * *

  Jess and Bianca exited the mall, bags in hand. Jess was on the phone and hung up as Amy’s car pulled to the curb.

  They went around and got in.

  “Decided to go for more than just shoes?” her sister eyed the multiple bags, perturbed by the number and size. Then, more to herself: “I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”

  “Sorry,” Jess offered, closing the door. Amy took off as soon as it shut.

  “I don’t even want to know what this is about.” She sped out of the parking lot, ignoring the flashing yellow light of a security truck. At the mall exit she stomped it and spun the tires, drifting into the far lane and racing up to the next intersection.

  “This cost me more than gas,” she checked traffic and ran the light, curving onto the ramp and up onto the higher road, streetlights flashing past quickly as she rammed through the gears, chirping the tires with each upshift. Amy’s little car was fast and, angry or not, she never missed a chance to push it.

  “Sorry,” Jess insisted, holding on. Then, meaning it: “Thanks for taking us.”

  “I don’t know about you, Jess,” Amy shook her head, looking in the mirrors as she merged at high speed, racing past everyone else on the road. “You could take a lesson or two from Bianca there.

  “She has her issues, but at least she understands boys.”

  CHAPTER 5: UNEXPECTED COMPANY

  The front door to the house banged open and Jess hurried in, followed by Bianca. Outside the Brrrrip! of Amy’s car echoed across the yard as she raced away. Bianca closed the door and headed across the living room, trailing Jess slowly.

  Jessica’s dad came ambling in as they crossed, reading something on his phone. He looked up.

  “Hey girls. Bianca.”

  “Hi.”

  “What’re you guys up to?” It wasn’t as if he really cared, Jess thought. He was just trying to make a father-ish comment.

  “Just going out back,” she said, continuing on with purpose, mall bags in hand. “I need to show Bianca something.”

  He nodded, staring absently as they went on through the kitchen and out the back door to the screened porch.

  Jess turned off the outside light and rummaged in a drawer for a flashlight. Found it; checked it. Nice, strong beam. She opened the screen door and headed out, followed closely by Bianca. Now more than ever it seemed her friend was just along for the ride, following without any mind of her own.

  And, just as she was thinking that, Bianca seemed to snap from her mild trance.

  “Jessica,” she got her attention. “You need to wait. Think about this.”
>
  Jess continued on. “I don’t want him to wander off.” What if he’d already left?

  “Wander off? Think about what you’re doing. I mean, you just bought clothes for a guy you just met. Now you’re about to take them into the woods, at night, so you can dress him.” She hurried to keep up. “Seem a little odd to you? And, may I keep reminding you, in addition to being a complete stranger he fell flaming from the sky. Oh, right, and he lived.”

  Jess was undeterred. She went on across the yard and down the hill, flashlight shining the way. Bianca made little disapproving noises but otherwise kept up. Jess crunched into the tall field grass, across the field, past the dark hulk of the barn, on toward the woods—which now seemed so much further away than during the day. A sliver of moon and a sky filled with stars made the trip that much more foreboding. Very little light fell on the area. Her flashlight was awfully lonely in that vast space.

  At length they drew close to the edge of the trees.

  All at once Bianca was scared again.

  “I’m going back,” she reported, stopping.

  “Don’t,” Jess implored. She turned to her friend. “Bianca. I need you.”

  “Why? You haven’t needed me so far. You haven’t needed me all night. You haven’t listened to a thing I’ve said.”

  Jess just looked at her in the dark. Pleading.

  But Bianca was ready to call it off.

  “He could rape us,” she shuddered. “Kill us. There’s nothing we could do.”

  “Come on. You know that’s not going to happen.”

  Suddenly a man’s voice: “Hello?”

  Bianca screamed and Jess jumped, whirling, aiming the light sharply into the trees. It was the guy. He stood at the edge of the woods. The sound of Bianca’s scream echoed into the night.

  “I know I was supposed to stay where I was,” he apologized—sincerely, it seemed—making no comment on their reactions. “But I was afraid it was getting too dark for you to find your way.”

  Jess unstuck her thoughts. It was as if the last hour had somehow dulled her memory of the bizarre situation. Bianca was right. She did need to think about this. About the boy on fire who fell from the sky. Now here he was, in all his reality, standing in the trees. From the future, or the past, or another world, or wherever. Fireball man. Crazy, falling-out-of-the-sky guy.

  She swallowed.

  He came a little closer. “Did you find anything?”

  Consciously she held up the bags, having to think through each action. With a deliberate command to her own legs she made herself walk, flashlight beam locked to his face, the dozen or so yards and … handed him the shopping bags.

  “Thank you,” he said. She stood there as he took them, harsh light shining into his eyes. Piercing blue eyes. Youthful, deep, friendly blue eyes.

  He won’t hurt us.

  After a second he asked politely: “Can I have a moment?”

  “Oh!” she jerked and turned away. “Sorry.” She pointed the flashlight to the ground.

  Bianca stayed where she was, hands over her mouth as if to hold in the next scream. Her silhouette was stark against the lights of the distant neighborhood behind her, standing there like a statue. Wanting to be anywhere but there. Jess thought to shine the light on her, to read her expression, but kept it on the ground. Absently she started to wonder if someone heard the scream.

  Behind her she heard the guy going through the bags.

  At length he was done. “Okay,” he announced. She turned and he was dressed, any shreds of what he’d been wearing gone. The new shirt fit perfect. The shorts were bunched around his waist with the belt, as predicted. Bianca was right; the “fat guy” shorts didn’t fit. She noticed he wiggled in the shoes. A little tight.

  He’s so big.

  But he was genuinely grateful. “Thanks.”

  Jess tried to place the accent but so far couldn’t. It was slight, very slight, and she just couldn’t tell where it came from. As he wiggled in the clothes, adjusting to them, his actions struck her and, for a fleeting instant, she felt like she did when imagining the perfect boyfriend; dressing him just so, imagining how he would act, what they would do together …

  “Have you remembered anything?” she brushed aside the embarrassing thoughts.

  He shook his head. “I’ve been thinking. I think I was in the middle of a fire, or maybe even a fight or something. The images are kind of like a dream.”

  “How about your name? Do you remember your name?”

  He tried but couldn’t.

  “We should give you one.” She turned to Bianca. “We should give him a name. So we have something to call him.”

  Bianca just stared at her in the gloom.

  Jess looked back at the tall stranger, considering choices.

  One popped to mind. “How about Zac?” It had a uniquely familiar ring. She’d never known a Zac personally, but as she said the name she felt as if she’d known this boy, Zac, all her life.

  It fit.

  He considered it. The soft, indirect light on his handsome face made him more adorable than intimidating, and in that moment she had to ask herself yet again: was Bianca right? Was this really what she should be doing? Most importantly, was she doing it for the reasons she said? Even as she convinced herself she was, part of her knew she was also doing it because the guy seemed so helpless and … available. Right then he needed her more than any boy ever had.

  Something about that was terribly attractive.

  “I’m Jessica,” she said, then indicated Bianca. “This is my friend, Bianca.”

  Another awkward moment passed. Jessica’s plan had been clear to this point and she’d arrived with determination. Now …

  What now?

  “There’s a war going on, right?” The guy, Zac, wondered aloud. Jess kept the flashlight down, making it so they all just kind of glowed in its diffuse light. Zac looked up at the stars. “I seem to remember that much.”

  Jess traded glances with Bianca. Zac cast his gaze to the houses in the distance; the neighborhood, the lights of the city beyond.

  “Seems like there’s always a war going on somewhere,” Jess admitted. “Were you fighting for America? Does that sound familiar?” Maybe he was a soldier. In fact, looking at him in a new light that seemed most likely.

  “America,” he repeated, then shook his head. “No, doesn’t sound familiar.”

  Bianca brought them back to reality. “What are we doing?”

  Jess shot her a look that was probably lost in the half-light. She turned to Zac. “We should get back, or our parents will wonder where we are.” Saying so felt stupid. Juvenile. She pressed on. “That’s my house,” she pointed. Then thought a minute, wondering if that was smart; then went further and came to a decision she hoped she wouldn’t regret.

  “I’ve got a place you can stay.”

  Bianca’s unease grew. Jess could feel it.

  “Come on,” she said, continuing to ignore her friend the best she could. “I’ll show you.”

  * *

  In what seemed like no time they’d reached the playhouse.

  “This is it,” Jess stepped into the interior of the small wooden structure, flashlight off, followed closely by Zac. Inside was lit dimly by the thin moon shining through the windows. Standing with Zac in such proximity he loomed in her senses. Her heart raced faster.

  “I’ve never really used it,” she gestured around the interior of the small wooden room. “It was built for kids.”

  Carefully she moved past him, back to the door, glancing out furtively toward the main house. Bianca stood in the yard waiting. Jess ducked back inside.

  Zac made his own study of the space. Jess swallowed. It was almost like she could feel the heat radiating from his skin. In those tight confines her senses were suddenly overwhelmed. Deliberately she turned her attention elsewhere, looking around at the hardwood furniture and the floor. Nothing comfortable in sight.

  “I can get you a blanket and a few pi
llows—”

  “I’ll be fine,” he smiled; a wonderful smile, eyes and teeth shining in the gloom.

  “You sure?”

  “I’m sure.” Then: “I appreciate everything you’re doing.”

  For a moment she became lost in his gaze.

  “Um,” she stuttered a little, “I’ve got to go inside. I’ll come check on you in the morning, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  She lingered awkwardly, realized she needed to go, fumbled a little with the door and left.

  Bianca met her and they walked across the yard to the house.

  “You’ve really lost your mind,” her friend advised. “Totally lost it.”

  “You see how sweet he is.”

  “You honestly expect him to sit there all night?”

  Jess looked over her shoulder at the shadow of the playhouse.

  Bianca was shaking her head. “And what if he does? What if he waits? What then?”

  “He needs us.”

  “Yeah. And you need help.”

  Jess grabbed Bianca’s shoulder and stopped. “Not a word, okay?” She looked hard into her eyes. “You can’t tell anyone.”

  Bianca looked away, impatient. Then, after a few tense seconds, sighed, exasperated. “It’s the first day of high school. You think I’m going to say anything about,” she fished for a word; found none and simply waved a hand in the direction of the playhouse, “this? No thank you.”

  “Just keep it to yourself until we figure it out. Promise?”

  Bianca stared at her.

  “Promise me.”

  “Fine. I promise.”

  * *

  Jess came into her upstairs bedroom. It was late. She’d spent the last few hours nervously pretending to watch TV, waiting for her parents to go to bed, needing to know everyone was down for the night before she herself turned in. It was terribly unlikely anyone would go outside this late, especially out back to the playhouse—no one ever did—but she couldn’t assume anything. She needed to be sure.

  Finally all was quiet. Even Amy had eventually come home and gone to her room. It was a school night, after all. Gently Jess closed her bedroom door and stood in the darkness. Very little light shone in from outside but she didn’t want to turn any on. She wanted everything dark, just like it was. After a few moments her eyes adjusted and she went to her dresser.