Angel

LUDI

My nerdy sister Lora thinks that going to school is the best thing in the world.

It’s not for me, even if I pretend to jump up and down and yell with excitement.

For one, I’ve read modern books. School isn’t the perfect little heaven that Lora thinks it is. There are bullies, nearly as bad as demons. And those don’t go away as Uncle Salan does. Sure, there are a few ‘ Angels,’ but normally they have those in numbers like two or three. And with my luck, I’m bound to end up with one, if any.

And the only reason I’m going at all is that I’ll miss Uncle Salan’s visits. I don’t know if you’ve heard of him or not, but he isn’t the nicest guy. The very name of him freezes my bones, and I can tell that Lora doesn’t like him either.

And it also means that she can’t break into Dad’s ritual room. I know she’ll get caught one of these days. I know it. And if she gets into trouble, she’ll drag me into it.

So school is my chance to get Lora out of trouble and to weasel us out of Uncle Salan’s visits.

Good intentions. Would Dad approve?

You know who cares if my demonic father approves of what I’m doing? He married an angel, anyway. He should have known that one of his kids at least would turn good.

I sigh. Dad married Mom. An angel and a demon. It’s against the law, the Heavenly Law of Evil, as Lora and I call it. But they managed to get away (literally) with it, and their only punishment is that Mom’s family treats her like a stranger and Dad’s brother visits regularly.

The front door creaks shut as I finish this thought, and I don’t need Lora to yell her name to know who it is.

“IT’S MOM! MOM’S HOME!”

You can tell that Lora wants to prove herself an angel’s daughter. She’s the good one, through and through.

I’m more laid back about my purpose in life.

But I am excited to see mom, and I can’t hold back my form as it bursts out. I fly into the living room and tackle Mom with my wings and arms, my tail flicking excitedly.

We don’t see our parents that much, to be honest. Mom is always working, and so is Dad. But it makes the moments we have together even more special.

“Calm down, angel!” Mom teases lightly as I pull back to look at her fully. Everyone says that we look alike, and that’s not a lie. Blonde hair, blue eyes, delicate skin.

“Guess what, kiddo!” Mom says excitedly.

“We’re going to school! You got a new job at Cossie Costumes!” Lora says behind us.

“Cosplay,” I correct. I know she’s just waved her hand in the official act of ‘whatever.’ She can remember so much sometimes, but I’m amazed that she can’t remember the name of our mother’s job.

Mom smiles and laughs warmly. “Who wants some dinner?”

I grin. “Clearly, me.”

Rough hands roll me off my bed. “Get up get up get up get up!!”

It’s Lora. Only she could have this energy so early in the morning. I open my eyes and see her auburn hair is shiny and brushed to perfection, her narrow red eyes bright.

“School today! In a book I read, The Science of Being Active, it says an early morning is more successful!” She exclaims and flies out of the room, the white feathers blowing half my papers off my desk.

Great. And she gives me trouble for not being organized.

I get up with a groan. School. I can’t wait.

Note the sarcasm.

But it’s something I have to do. So I’m forced to return to my human form, and get ready.

Okay, so Lora was right about one thing. The school really is beautiful. The walls are soft orange, like a sunset. The doors are made of oak wood. The maple tree stretches to the sky, and the light goes through its leaves and shines golden.

When we’re inside, this girl runs up with orange hair and amber eyes, immediately pulling Lora away from me. My instincts tell me to seize her arm and keep her by my side for the rest of our lives, but a small source of common sense keeps my hand down. This is good. She’s going to make friends.

Is that how kids make friends here? I don’t want to get yanked away, thank you very much.

The bell rings, and as kids file out of the halls, I realize I don’t know where to go.

I’m lost.

This day is going very well so far, my angry mind thinks. I’m sure Lora knows where we have to go. She was so excited I wouldn’t be surprised if she memorized all the student’s names.

She might have, now that I think about it.

“Are you that new kid, Lora Crous?”

I turn around and see that there’s a boy around my age talking to me. He has brown hair and matching eyes. His skin his tanned.

“No,” I answer, a bit offended he’d thought I was Lora.

“Good. Lora is a ruffly girl’s name.” The boy says. “Isaac, on the other hand, is a strong name.”

I do not like his tone. It sounds like he thinks he is in control at all times. And he called Lora a ruffly girl. You do not tease my sister. Only I can do that.

“Lora is my sister,” I say, thankful that I sound cold.

“Oh, sorry.” Says Isaac, not sounding sorry at all. “So you must be Ludi?”

I nod, keeping my face expressionless.

“I suppose Ludi could be a somewhat strong name…” Isaac mulled. “If you joined us.”

My memory was screaming to scare this boy away. I knew where this was heading-I had read enough books about middle school. Also, who cares if my name is ‘manly?’ I don’t. “‘Us’?”

“The one and only Haters,” Isaac said. “Or boys club if you’re a teacher.”

I don’t answer. Isaac seems to think I’m considering it because he scrawls on a scrap of paper. “Here,” he says, handing it to me. “This has all the info you need. I’m in all your classes, do you want me to take you there?”

Since I’m lost, I have no choice but to permit him to help me.

The rest of the school went without any incidents like this. I explored the school at recess, even running into a few other new kids (a boy named Grayson Dean and a girl named Erin Delie), and because Lora was in none of my classes I didn’t see her till we were home.

I knew straight away I wanted to ask Mom for advice about the Haters, or the H8Ers, as Isaac had spelled it on the paper. Dad’s advice would be to burn them all when they weren’t looking, and I wasn’t comfortable with killing.

Not yet, anyway.

So it’s Mom that I seek, but it’s Lora that I run into, in the Hall connecting the Ritual Room to our bedrooms. She’s not looking happy.

“How could you let that girl take me?” She hisses.

I’m confused. “You’re right here.”

“At school, rotten maggot.” She frowns.

“Don’t call me that,” I glare. “Are you talking about that girl with orange hair?”

“Duh!” She rolls her eyes.

“Aren’t you friends now?” I tilt my head.

“No way! She’s horrible. Got his club called Haters.” Lora shakes her head. “I mean - I might - Maybe.”

“I met a Hater, too,” I grumble. “They asked me to join.”

Lora nods. “Yeah, they asked me, too. What do you think of it?”

I mime vomiting. Lora frowns.

“You’re not going to join, are you?” I ask suspiciously.

Lora shrugs. “Maybe. Some friends are better than no friends.”

“What if they’re terrible, sucky, bullying friends?”

“Still friends, aren’t they?” Lora flips her hair, which is totally unlike her. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to work on some studying.”

I let her pass, secretly wondering how one day at a public school could change a person so much. She didn’t mention ONE book reference! What has gotten into her?

Finally, I find Mom at the kitchen, still washing dishes from yesterday’s enormous dinner.

“Hey, Mom, can I talk to you for… a moment?” I ask tentatively.

She nods and guides me to my room, where she gestures for me to speak.

“There’s this group at school and the kids aren’t very nice and they asked me and Lora to join but I don’t know about it and Lora says she’s going to join and now she’s different because she flipped her hair and stalked past me and it was weird and I don’t think that Harley is the best for Lora because I don’t want Lora to be bullied like that by a ‘friend’ so please talk to her about Harley because she won’t listen to me and - it’s just weird!” I inhale sharply and cough. Mom is looking at me with an alarmed expression.

“It’s weird,” I conclude.

“Okay…” Mom begins. “So, are you talking to me about this because you need to tell someone all this?”

“Well, no,” I admit. “I need advice-I don’t know if I should join or not. I mean, Lora said that crappy friends are better than no friends.”

Mom thinks about this. “What did you think of these kids? Did you like them?”

I think of Isaac, and how roughly that girl pulled my sister away from me. “No,” I say firmly.

“Then you don’t want them as friends,” Mom says, smiling. “The beauty about friends is that you can choose them. And that they’re always there for you.”

I scrunch my nose. I can’t believe she explained it like that. It makes my decision seem so much easier.

“And I can talk to Lora about joining them. She’s not exactly correct about the crappy friends are better than no friends part. Meanwhile, try and find nicer people to befriend.” Mom leans back and walks past me, her soft white wings brushing my shoulder.

I just hope Mom is enough to keep Harley from hurting Lora..