Guardian: The Guardian Part 14

"Well, that is it," Azrael answers me, his blonde curls falling over his forehead as he leans over. "We work for G.o.d!" I look back at him in confusion.

"I don't understand," I say puzzled. "You just said G.o.d is a concept."

"In the beginning, there was a word," one of the twins starts.

"And the word was G.o.d, and the word was with G.o.d.. John 1:1 I know. I have heard that bible verse countless of times from my very religious African family side, and it still makes no sense." I interrupt, growing impatient.

"Listen again," I a.s.sume it is Ca.s.siel speaking now. "In the beginning, there was a word. And this very word, was G.o.d!" He states slowly. "And this very same word, was with G.o.d." I shake my head in puzzlement, making no sense of the point he is trying to make.

"One day you'll understand it all, son of man, but not today." Who else but Raphael says this, still insisting on not using my name?

"But..." I start.

"You need to get back home and rest," Raphael says, standing up from his seat. He p.i.s.ses me off so much at times!

I get up from the table, and head to the bathroom where I my clothes are draped over a railing. I grab on mom's T-s.h.i.+rt, but I snub my parka, whose front is soiled with blood and G.o.d knows what. My jeans are also soiled, but not as badly, so I pull them on, and stick my sockless feet into my boots by the door.

I walk out the bathroom to find Raphael hovering in the air just outside the door. Before I can protest, he swoops in to pick me up, holds me close to him and we fly off. It takes us a couple of minutes to navigate through the dark tunnels, before we make it out to the crispy fresh breeze outside. The sun is setting low in this area, and I worry what time it is back home. I hope it is still night time, because I am in desperate need of a nap.

It is chilly outside - especially without my jacket, and Gooseb.u.mps quickly form along my arms, a slight s.h.i.+ver escaping me. Raphael must have felt it, and he brings his second free hand over me to try form better cover around me. His body temperature rises impossible another notch, and I snuggle in even closer.

There are 99 green bottles standing on the wall, I start, as my body starts reacting to him again.

When he starts running his hand over my arms and back to stop my teeth's chatter, I can't help but let out a soft moan for whatever reason. I freeze at the sound I have just made, so very disappointed in myself as I flush profusely. Unlike last time, though, he doesn't stop to scold me. I guess there is no one in particular that he is tracking right now, so my emotions are my own problems.

Sooner than I honestly expected, we sail through my slightly ajar window. The alarm clock on my desk shows the time to be 5:48am. I can still squeeze in a good one hour's sleep.

"Goodnight, Caroline!" He says. I do not manage to say anything, before my hands are empty again, already missing his body close to mine.

What is wrong with me? I take off the soiled clothes, and hide them under the bed, where my nosy grandmother would hopefully not go looking. The blood stains would scare her too much, and I would not know how to explain them.

I pull on another of my T-s.h.i.+rts, and some clean underwear, and sink gratefully into bed, which groans in response. Lying down, I try fight away the disturbing images of the day, which surprisingly aren't of the horrors of the battles, but rather images of a certain blue eyed angel, whose touch burns hotter than any fire.

There are 99 green bottles standing on the wall...

Chapter 18.

Ring... Ring..!

The alarm could be coming from an eternity away, for I do not even bother to turn. As annoying as it is, I would rather not move a muscle. I let it continue ringing, opting instead to think of it as a lullaby.

I don't know for how long it goes off, but someone does eventually turn it off. I mumble a thanks to the Good Samaritan, before nodding off again. However the person proceeds to shake me out of my sleep.

So much for good Samaritans!

"Caroline, get up! You'll be late for school," grandma prods. I fight the urge to cuss at her.

"Just a few more minutes..." I mumble begrudgingly.

"No, it is already 7:30... You need to leave now if you want to catch the bus." I groan loudly at her, she is clearly bent on waking me up.

I finally drag myself out of bed, my eyes still tightly shut, as I fumble around to the bathroom.

7:30! Great! No time for breakfast today too.

I open my eyes just a crack to grab at my toothbrush, wanting to get rid of the sticky feeling in my mouth from yesterday. I then stumble back into my room and drag on some leggings and a long buggy sweats.h.i.+rt. I grab my lunch from the kitchen table and rush to the hallway to get my school bag, stuffing my phone and charger inside, while sticking my feet into my old converse sneakers.

"Good day!" I shout over my shoulder as I jump onto my bike and cycle furiously towards the station.

Luckily, the bus is still parked in the station with a minute to spare. I doubt the driver will have been as understanding as he had been yesterday, had I been late again. I manage to just sit by Magnus when the bus starts.

He laughs out at my disheveled self, as I finally manage to reach down and tie the still untied laces of my converse.

"Again? You are making it a habit to be late," he says smiling. I grimace in answer.

"And you look terrible."

"I know," I say frowning.

"There is this thing girls call make-up..." He starts, and I jab him hard between his ribs with my elbow.

"Aww..! Alright!" He says laughing, and I manage a smile. "So did you brush your teeth today?" He asks and I nod giggling.

"Breakfast?" I shake my head, and he laughs out again.

"Don't they do any parenting in the Christiansen home?"

"Maybe I am just impossible to parent," I say cheekily.

"I bet you are," he laughs in agreement. He lets me eat one of the sandwiches dad made in silence, and I down it with water. The other kids in the bus look away after a quick glance our way.

They must think me homeless by now, I chuckle to myself. Magnus looks at me questioningly upon hearing my chuckle.

"What a cool friend you have, Magnus! Eats her breakfast in the bus, never combs her hair and sometimes even skips brus.h.i.+ng her teeth."

"The coolest friend ever," he mocks, and we poke at each other lightly. I then freeze in place, remembering how much I have blown off A.M. I take out my phone, and note that she called me about five times last night, and left a couple of voice mails.

"Hi Caroline, you said you'd call. I've been waiting for your call. I really need my friend right now. I need to talk to you about Mikkel. Please call when you can. Take care!"

"Hi Caroline, what's going on? I tried calling you tonight but you did not pick up. I know you are very busy with the house, but I really need to talk to you. Please call."

My heart breaks at the sound of her voice, and despite the loud clamor in the bus of excited school children, I decide to call her then. Who knows how long I have to live anyway, with angels warring around me constantly.

"Hi,"

"Hi, I am so sorry I haven't called. I really want to talk to you too."

"It's alright, I know you are very busy. I hoped you'd be able to call last night"

"Oh, we Skyped my mother when we came home, and then it was late and I was tired. And no it's not alright! How about over lunch today we find our own little corner and talk?"

"That sounds perfect!"

"Great! See you in school in a few."

"Ok, bye sde!"

"Bye!" I hang up, and stare out the window past Magnus' straw coloured head.

"Was that Anne-Marie?"

"Yeah," I confirm quietly.

I am behind in most of my a.s.signments, and in all I give the excuse of the house we are renovating. It is true, mostly anyway. When am I to do my homework when we get home every evening at about 10pm?

The teachers are quite understanding, but they do not take away my a.s.signments. They choose instead to extend my deadlines, which just results in more piled up work.

"You look terrible!" A.M. whispers over the English grammar cla.s.s.

"I know," I whisper back. I cringe my face as a kid at the front answers a question using a very wrong tense. Is that how terrible I sound when I struggle through my Danish grammar? Goodness!

The clock strikes 11:50, and we all stride out for the lunch break. I walk hand in hand with A.M. Instead of making our way to the cafeteria as usual, we walk in the opposite direction, and sit down by the rarely used backstairs where it is quiet. There is a chilly breeze, so I pull the sleeves of my jumper longer over my knuckles. We first eat in silence. I do not push her to speak. She will open up when ready.

"He doesn't care for me," she confirms what I already know from Magnus, but I let her keep talking. "He likes sleeping with me, but he doesn't want anything serious."

"I am so sorry A.M. What will you do?"

"I want him," she breaks into tears. "I don't want him to be with someone else."

"He doesn't deserve you..."

"I know, but I like him, a lot, I think I'm in love with him..."

"All the more reason to let him go, for you will only keep hurting yourself."

"I can't... I don't know how to."

"Yes you can. You just have to do it. Cut the cord, and don't even kiss him. Just be friends, but let him go."

"What if we are drunk and..."

"Haha! Just run away. Don't do anything anymore with him. You already care too deeply for him. I know that it can be very hard to let go of someone one cares about, but just do it."

"It hurts so much, Caroline!"

"I know," I say, pulling her taller body into my arms and brus.h.i.+ng her hair back gently. "I know."

"I can't stop thinking about him, and I am dying to call him all the time."

"You just need to make yourself very busy."

"Can I come to your house after school?"

"Really?" I ask completely surprised. "You know you will have to do something to help? And my dad is a slave driver!" She giggles when I say this.

"I hate physical work. But if it means managing an afternoon without thinking about Mikkel, I'll do it."

"Great! Because I have honestly missed you, and we could hang out."

"I can't stay long, however. Just an hour or two. I have to make dinner tonight."

"That's alright with me." I say, and we hug again.

"Caroline, I love you, but you need to comb out your hair once a while," she exclaims while pulling away from the embrace, and I giggle in response.

"You mean I don't pull off the s.e.xy ruffled out hair?"

"No, not this instant, you don't! Honestly you look like a mop!" She says cringing her face, and I laugh back at her cruel honesty.

"I plan on combing it out tomorrow... evening..." I joke and she shakes her head in amus.e.m.e.nt.

"And your face! Why do you have bags under your eyes? Aren't you sleeping well? And your skin looks splotchy..."

"Gee thanks!"

"I am not trying to be mean, you just need to take care of yourself a little more. You are a very pretty girl, but at this instance, the point is highly debatable." I look up at my friend with raised eyebrows, before chuckling some more.

"I will try my level best to look better tomorrow."

"You just need to crush on a cute boy, and then you will have a reason to always look your best. Where is Mr. Mystery man that you kissed last Friday?"

"Oh, nothing can happen between us," I say slowly, the perfect picture of Uriel with her beautiful rich black hair and amazing body crossing my mind.

"Why not?" A.M. asks stubbornly, interrupting my thoughts.

"He has a girlfriend..."