I’m pretty sure my eyeballs rolled like I was some sort of human slot machine.
“Ugh. Okay.” I finally relented and opened what was sure to be another rejection letter.
In my best haughty voice, I mockingly read the letter.
“Dear Emerald S. Morrissey, we have received your application for Angelic Service. We have reconsidered our previous position on the matter and are pleased to accept you into Angel Academy Class 43-1.”
My head snapped up from the paper, my mouth hung at an awkward angle. This couldn’t be. The light in the room immediately dimmed, everything looked really fuzzy.
“This is weird…”
Ka-thunk!
Next thing I knew, Mom, Dad, and Jerry were leaning their worried faces over me.
“Is…is...it for real? They actually accepted me?” I squeaked.
“It looks official to me,” Mom said.
The three of them nodded in agreement.
Handing the letter back, Mom cocked her head—just like Jerry when he hears a strange sound. “Are you okay, sweetie? I haven’t seen anyone faint like that in years.”
“I think so.” I sat up and scanned the letter again, to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. “Holy smokes! I have to report by tomorrow morning!”
“Then there’s no question about what we have to do.” Mom looked like she was ready to break out into her happy dance.
“To the mall!” I shouted and jumped up off the floor. I lived for the mall. I loved the happy vibe of it, and don’t get me started on the people watching. It was the best. You never knew who you’d see there or what they would look like. The outfit, the hair—all unique and fabulous.
Now, my parents always told me how much nicer shopping in Heaven was compared to when they lived on Earth. I never quite understood what they meant. Then, there was the whole money thing. I could never comprehend it. Having it, saving it, or using it. The entire concept of buying something in Heaven is completely unheard of.
If you need something, you just go and get it. And when they talked about something called greed, well, I couldn’t grasp the idea. In Heaven, there is no point in taking more than you need. I just didn’t get it.
We decided to make a day of it. A family outing if you will. Me, Mom, Dad, and Jerry.
After some finagling, we finally managed to get Jerry into his harness, and we were off. Like a good boy, he pulled the wagon to the corner without any incidents. My parents walked beside him, holding hands as usual. We gathered inside a small glass shelter—something my dad called a bus stop. What a bus was, I had no idea. Something else from their time on Earth, I failed to understand.
Dad eyed the menu of destinations, his finger hovering over Meadow Lake as if his subconscious was fighting for an alternate location.
Mom’s intervening little finger darted in to select The Mall. And thank god she did. Not that I didn’t love Meadow Lake or Dad’s desire to go there but I had things to do, and I’d waited far too long for this entire experience.
A sparkling gold cloud instantly filled the shelter. As it slowly cleared, I could see the welcoming and familiar mall.
Jerry quickly freed himself from the harness and darted toward the interior courtyard, disappearing into the teeming mass of people and pets. He had the pet stores on his mind, and that was exactly where he headed. I felt bad for anyone who got in his way.
“You’ll want good, sturdy luggage. None of that flimsy stuff with the weak zippers,” Dad suggested, but Mom and I were already skipping away toward the entrance of a large department store. This was truly an event of epic proportions—something we’d been planning for years. Especially my mom. I mean…how often does your only daughter go off to the academy?
Dad, on the other hand, was the more practical one, thinking of zipper strength on luggage.
I think sometimes it’s even more thrilling when you’re anticipating the future than when you actually experience it—like Christmas Eve, or how you feel when you wake up on your birthday. The great unknown is a sparkling path winding through all the dreams and hopes you’ve built up, and you’re about to step onto it.
I was moving forward. No longer stuck at home as a newborn adult. I could have a chance at a real life, of finding my own epic love.
Finally.
Mom and Dad told me I should temper my excitement. That way, if the future was only half as cool as I imagined, I’d be okay with it. In all honesty, whatever my future held, it had to be better than spending an eternity stuck at home without a purpose.
Chapter Three
“Victorian? Way to make me feel like I’m ninety,” I mumbled, glancing around at the outdated wallpapered room and long cranberry curtains. I should’ve expected as much when I first saw the ancient ivy creeping up the exterior red brick walls of the mansion.
It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate the ancient building and antique décor, but it didn’t quite match the level of excitement one would expect from young prospective angels. Three beds, an assortment of dressers, nightstands, chairs, and desks crowded the room. The hodgepodge was very ornate and made me feel like I was part of a museum’s living history exhibit.
After stacking my luggage next to a small dresser, I picked what would be my bed for as long as I was at the academy. I sat down on the edge, my feet dangling off the side. I was finally here at the Angel Academy and I was about to start my future.
Gazing out of the second story window, I noticed only a few people strolling across the courtyard. Nothing like the packed sidewalks and buildings I had imagined. Sighing, I relented and acknowledged my first little disappointment. Well, a major disappointment, if I’m being honest.
These were the dorms?
I’m not sure if it was a question or a statement in my mind. I had envisioned so much more. Maybe my parents were on to something when it came to tempering my excitement. It’s just that I’d spent so much time dreaming about what the academy would be like, but now that I was actually here…
Well, let’s just say. I had an overactive imagination.
Where were the colorful posters plastering the walls, the overused corkboards announcing club meetings, intramural sports, and dances? Why weren’t the halls packed with chattering girls my age, their laughter filling the air? Where were the boys tossing frisbees or footballs?
A timid knock on the open door pulled my attention from my meandering thoughts.
Turning to look at the open doorway, I saw a young woman, my age, peeking in the room. She was tiny, with reddish blonde hair and she reminded me of a pixie I had read about in a book. My spirits were immediately lifted—her loaded luggage cart suggested I had just met my first roommate.
She flipped over a wrinkled piece of paper. Even with her thick lensed glasses, she squinted to read the writing. “Room 210?”
Nodding, I replied, “Yep. This is it.”
She seemed super shy, so I offered her a kind smile. “I’m Emerald, by the way. But everyone just calls me Emmy.”
“Chloe. But everyone just calls me Chloe. You know, no nickname,” she said.
After helping her unload the cart, we sat on our respective beds. I wasn’t sure what to say. It wasn’t like I was shy, but she sure was, and I didn’t want to make her anymore uncomfortable than she already seemed.
“Hey!” a voiced boomed from the doorway.
Wincing from the ear-piercing shout, I turned to see who was responsible for shattering our awkward silence. It was another young woman, wearing worn out distressed jeans and a black leather jacket. The loose curls of her messy dark hair fell over her shoulders.
“Which one of you lost your puppy?” the newcomer asked.
“Puppy? There’s a lost puppy?” Chloe asked, her eyes widened with worry for the metaphorical creature.
“Just kidding. But you guys do look totally bummed out,” she said, dragging her luggage into the room. “Name’s Jade. Actually, it’s Penelope, but I make everyone call me Jade because it’s way cooler. Don’t you think?”
“Way cooler.” I nodded. “I’m Emerald, but everyone calls me Emmy.” I waved.
“Jade is definitely more appropriate for a hunter,” Chloe said, shifting her gaze around the room.
A hunter? I couldn’t believe she’d just said that. Chloe’s thoughts mirrored my own.
Jade’s look said it all. Shiny black jacket, dark hair, her persona oozing strength, and even her name was tough, she was practically Jade Slayer—the heroine from my favorite paranormal romance series, Dark Beasts.
“Exactly!” I shouted, attempting an awkward high five with Chloe.
“Dark Beasts?” I whispered the title of the illicit series.
Dark Beasts were the mature rated works which I’d been borrowing without permission. Not only was the content more explicit compared to what Mom had normally lent me, Heaven wasn’t too keen on the smuggling of unapproved earthly texts into the realm.
“Oh yeah.” Chloe smiled. The subject had definitely drawn her out of her shell.
Finally, a kindred spirit. Someone to fangirl with.
“Just imagine if we had some Max right now!” Chloe added, referring to the series’ dark and conflicted vampire-angel hybrid. He was the absolute bad boy and a total hottie.
“Oh, hell yeah!” I replied.
“Drugs? You girls are on drugs, aren’t you?” Jade asked, retrieving her suitcase. “I didn’t know that was an issue in Heaven. But hey, who am I to judge? I guess I walked into the rehab room by mistake. I’ll just check with the front desk.”
“No, no, no,” Chloe said, flipping open one of her suitcases. It was identical to one of mine, it was packed with books—a virtual library on the go.
“Here.” She handed Jade an obviously well-read paperback by the looks of it.
“It’s the first book in a series called Dark Beasts. The girl on the cover is named Jade. She hunts bad vampires and rogue werewolves. She looks a lot like you,” I explained.
“Jade? Huh.” Jade closely examined the cover. “Um…l don’t know if she looks like me. Maybe if I lost forty pounds, squeezed into some leather pants and got a boob job, I might be a little closer. Who’s the yummy snack next to her?” She tapped the image of a shirtless, muscle-rippling, blond haired Adonis.
“That is Max. Her on again, off again boyfriend,” Chloe swooned.
Jade smiled. “Hmm…putting him on again, off again? I could get into that. Definitely.”
Chloe and I joined her laughter. “I think we’re all going to get along great,” I said and truly meant it.
“I brought along a ton of books, so feel free to borrow what you want,” Chloe offered.
“Same,” I replied. “But we should keep it quiet. All of my books were brought from Earth by my mom, and I know they don’t have them in the bookstores here. There must be a reason.”
Chloe nodded. “Same. My mom was addicted to these kinds of books as well. No one has ever specifically said books like this aren’t allowed, but we didn’t exactly go around asking about them either.”
“Taboo books? You naughty vixens. Now, I’m really intrigued. Don’t worry, I can keep a secret,” Jade said, dragging her suitcase up onto the remaining bed. “And I’d like to start with this book, if it’s okay.”
“Anyone feel like exploring the campus?” I asked, ready to see what Angel Academy had to offer.
Without needing any encouragement, my new roommates jumped at the opportunity. Apparently, they were just as anxious as I was to check out our new home.
“Explore this fricking haunted house? Yeah, I’m game,” Jade replied.
“Haunted?” Chloe squeaked, her eyebrows twitching nervously.
“Just giving you guys a hard time because you like reading those Dark Beasts stories. There are no such thing as ghosts in Heaven,” Jade said. Shooting us a wry smile before she playfully whispered, “Or are there?”
Approaching the grand-marble staircase, which led back down to the great hall, I paused to appreciate how beautiful our temporary new home looked. We spotted other new arrivals milling about the hall—all of them young women.
“No boys?” Chloe asked, her words dripping with disappointment.
“They probably have them stashed away on the other side of the campus,” Jade sighed.
“For their own safety.” I nodded, adding a low growl for special effect, thinking I talked a big game for someone who wasn’t even on a first name basis with a boy.
Once we descended the stairs and made our way through the hall, right off the bat, I knew something wasn’t right. The other girls backed away from us. I knew they weren’t giving us personal space. They were avoiding us.
“Okay, that was weird,” Jade said once we’d cleared the hall and made it to the main doors.
“Is there something wrong with us?” Chloe asked.
“No.” I could feel my eyes involuntarily squint out of suspicion. “But it seemed to me it was as if…they’d been warned to stay clear of us.”
“We’re overthinking it. Come on.” Jade beckoned us toward the green lawn dotted with angelic topiaries.
A classical marble angel stood in the center of a pond, surrounded by a ring of fountains. We all stared quietly, mesmerized by the curtain of shimmering diamonds created by the spray. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever seen anything quite like it—or as beautiful.
Jade must have noticed my awestruck look. I guess my mouth was hanging open. “Yeah, this whole place is over the top,” she said.
Scanning the rest of the campus, we spotted two more buildings. One was identical to our dormitory mansion and the other building I assumed housed our classrooms. Small groups of young men walked down the steps in front of the dorm.
“Boys? Oh my god! There really are boys here!” Chloe whispered.
I couldn’t help staring at the way she timidly extended her delicate finger toward the other dormitory—like she was poking an invisible force field in front of her.
“They aren’t apes, Chloe. You do realize they are the same species as us, don’t you? Well, technically speaking, we’re the same species. I mean, there are some who have left me seriously doubting.” Jade tilted her head, completely befuddled by Chloe’s spaced-out reaction.
Jade lightly nudged me with her elbow. “How about you? Did you grow up a prisoner locked in a tower?”
“No. But to be honest, I’ve never had any friends who were boys, much less a boyfriend.”
“Same.” Chloe nodded.
“Never fear, kids. I’ll be your guide to the weird, wonderful and often disappointing world of the male gender.”
Chapter Four
“Get ready for the good stuff,” I whispered. Wiggling with so much excitement, I nearly fell off my chair.
But that excitement quickly waned. Jade, Chloe, and I scanned the empty desks, all wondering if we hadn’t settled into the wrong room. Surely, we couldn’t be the only three students in this class.
A scraping sound, a god-awful, eyeball scrunching noise, filled the hallway and grew louder as it approached our classroom door. A gray-haired old man dressed in coveralls huffed as he pushed a tall contraption into the classroom. It looked like a security scanner for people to walk through. I instantly recognized the machine from some of the pictures in my mom’s old magazines.
The elderly gentleman smiled, nodded, then left without saying a word.
Within seconds, a short, heavy-set woman entered the classroom. Her round chubby face was one big smile. “Good morning, ladies. I’m Mrs. Portobello, and I will be helping you with your indoctrination program. It’s a big day for all of us.”
She began to pace as she introduced herself, wringing her hands and obviously growing more nervous by the second.
“A big day indeed,” she giggled, sort of.
Chloe tapped my back, whispering, “Why is she acting so jumpy?”
Jade, obviously one never to hold back, took this as her cue to ask the question on all of our minds. “Why are you so nervous, Mrs
. Portobello?”
“Nervous? Don’t be silly.” She practically chattered.
“Yeah, you are.” Jade called out her noticeable lie. “You’re as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. What’s the deal?”
Mrs. Portobello forcibly folded her arms in an effort to control her nerves. “Well…maybe because you are all so different from our usual students. I mean, special.”
“Great. I knew it,” Chloe moaned, nearly smothering herself.
“And this is the beginning of a special program,” a new, more confident voice sang out. A woman quite the opposite of Mrs. Portobello, in every way, walked into the room. She was tall, long-haired, thin and had a laser-like stare. I’d never seen a woman in a leather business suit—probably because most of us would look like morning after leftovers from a low-class Halloween party. But this lady had the look to wear the outfit with complete confidence.
“I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if she had a bull whip,” Chloe whispered.
“Crack. Yee-haw,” Jade added.
Oh my god, we’re not going to make it through our first day.
“Ladies, let me introduce Natasha Volkov. She is from the S.O.S., Special Operations Sector,” Mrs. Portobello said.
“Thank you,” Natasha replied before turning what I assumed to be her ire upon us. “Special. You ladies are special. Does that mean you are superior? Of course not. Inferior? Probably not.”
Her words drew a tiny, panicky squeaking sound out of Mrs. Portobello. A sound you would expect to hear from a leaking balloon.
Slapping the security scanner, the contraption magically sprang to life. “This type of machine is located at each portal to Heaven. Anyone passing through this device will trigger a green or red light. A green light means they are angels and otherwise allowed entry. A red light means they are something entirely different and forbidden entry at all costs.”
Natasha walked through the scanner, which immediately caused a green light to flash. “Step up to the machine, Candidate Morrissey. Let’s see what you are.”
Practically Angels Page 2