The Guardian Angel

Chapter-12: James

I didn't want to dress too well for this.... meeting we were going to have. Even though I didn't like it, I had to admit she was right. I couldn't have expected her to just walk it off like nothing ever happened. This whole thing made me uneasy, I didn't want to talk about my death.

Why did she have to be so fucking stubborn? Would knowing lesser about me kill her?

This was what a major part of my brain thought. The minor part thought it would be good to have some company. I had been a loner ever since I died and to be honest, I was on the verge of going mad. The night at Leah's friend's house was probably the most fun I had had since dying. The time last night made me forget about my death, what I had to do about my future , everything even if just for a moment. Yeah man, I don't remember her friend's name. Who gives a fuck? I was looking at Leah the entire time.

Yeah, alright time to start leaving. I had to pick Leah up since her friend was going to work. Good riddance if you ask me, after what she pulled last night. Crap. I hadn't even seen that coming. I had just been standing in front of Leah, seeing the same shock in her face as I was feeling inside me. The blush in her face was still fresh in my memory.

Okay, I steered too far away. I didn't want to wear anything too extravagant. So, I decided to wear a plain tee and camo pants.

I made my way through the streets towards her friend's house. She was waiting right in front of the apartment when I reached there. I sighed a sigh of relief as I saw her dress. Nothing too extravagant. Even if I didn't want this soul baring conversation, I didn't want to show up underdressed.

She wore a plain tank top and jeans. Pretty normal. She got into the car and fanned her face. I put the AC on full blast. She turned to look at me gratefully.

"Thankfully you aren't wearing anything too fancy." She muttered. "I was wondering what to wear."

Aha! She was thinking about it as much as I was.

The car ride passed in silence. Not a weird or awkward one. I could tell that both of us were just trying to collect our thoughts. Surely, neither of us have heard about others having dreams about people. It happened in movies and shit, sure. But what did it mean for us? Before long, we had reached the location Leah had given. It wasn't a fancy place or a frequently visited one, which is why it would serve our purpose. And also made me thankful for my choice of clothes.

I might've been living in Phoenix, but I didn't get too much time for sightseeing. I was mostly away on tours, enlisting myself for everything. Just to drive away the loneliness I felt when I was back at home and looked around to find absolutely no one.

We entered the café to see it mostly deserted. Just like I had thought. The few customers they had were high schoolers who skipped school and came here with their girlfriends.

Leah and I found ourselves a much quieter and more private corner. I waved the waiter over. We ordered two milkshakes and some donuts. Once he'd left, I turned to Leah.

"So?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "What do you want to know?"

She folded her hands on the table. "You said you had been having dreams about me too?" She waited for my confirmation with a raised eyebrow, continuing after I nodded my head, "What kind of dreams? Like was it my childhood or adolescence?"

"Only childhood really. Mostly with you, your dad, mom and some guy called.... Steve?" Her mouth curled in disgust at the last name. I suppose I could figure out why.

Just then the waiter came back to our table with our order. I thanked him before placing one in front of each of us.

"What's the deal with you and Steve anyway?" I asked, my mind piqued with curiosity.

"His name is Stephen actually but people call him Steve. Our parents decided to get us married when we were.... What? 5 or 6 years old?"

I hummed, thinking. "If what you say is true, then the dream I had makes much more sense." I recounted the dream where Stephen had stolen her toy and her dad had done absolutely nothing about it.

She sighed deeply. "Honestly, I got used to it. I used to get angry and upset... But then realized that it didn't affect anyone other than me. So, I tuned everyone off and did what I wanted to." She sipped her drink, avoiding my eyes and set it down before she continued. "And soon enough, I found real friends. Those who didn't care about my money or my really awkward situation of being promised to another guy or the fact that my father controlled half the city back at home." She stopped and furrowed her eyebrows. "I just told you that my father was a gangster, didn't I?" She buried her face in her hands and let out a frustrated grunt.

Her eyes peeked out through the holes between her fingers to see my expression.

I laughed, amused by her actions. Before I got to reply, her eyes widened in panic. She grabbed my hand from across the table and pulled me towards the restrooms. Just before she pulled me away, I saw a huge guy walking through the door accompanied by two men who were just as buff as him. His jaw was set high as his eyes scanned the room, almost falling on me, just before the warm hand in mine, led me away.