Angels

Gone Forever?

I trundled downstairs, dragging my suitcase downstairs behind me slowly, it kept falling and hitting me in the back of the ankles, it took a while but I eventually made it. My Mum and Dad were sitting eating dinner in the dining room. I was dressed normally, but carrying luggage. My Mum frowned "can we help you?" She said as I stood in the wide doorway. "I'm leaving." My Dad snorted  and spat out some of his food, it was... quite disgustiing. "Oh yeah? Where to? Who with? And how did you pay for this mystery trip?" I stayed very silent and serious. "California. By myself. And I have my ways." I pressed down hard on the handle of the suitcase and it popped up. "Then to London, Ontario in Canada... Then if all fails... Winnipeg in Manitoba." My Mum frowned, I could understand. I would be a little shocked if I were her. "Excuse me!? They're way too far. That is London and California. I have no idea where Winnipeg is." I stayed serious, not laughing or sniggering at any of their sarcasm. "I'm going and you can't stop me." My Mum dropped her knife and fork. "Okay, what is this all about? It's not like you've ever wanted to jet off to America and Canada before now. There's got to be a reason for this sudden aspiration." I pushed the handle back into the bag again and sat on the suitcase. "I'm meeting with a friend. A pen pal." Both my parents raised their eyebrows. "In three different places..... Mmmhhhmm." I nodded and looked towards the front door then checked my watch as if I were late for my 'plane' "I'm not entirely sure where she'll be"  again, my Mother raised one eyebrow. "Well. If you're sure. Here are the rules. Wear suncream, don't talk to strangers unless you're asking where the toilet is. And finally... when you get as far as the beach and realise that there is no plane to get onto. Come straight back." She was being very, very sarcastic. I did a short quick sigh and pulled the suitcase back upstairs to my bedroom. I opened it up on my bed. I had packed a few outfits and some underwear. Suncream. A sunhat and all my unsent Angel letters."  I emptied it all out onto my duvet and reread some of the letters.

Dear Angel,

You'll never believe this, but I'm coming! I know you're going but if you can just tell me where, then I can come too. Once I get permission and plane tickets. We can be together and friends forever. I'm so excited, I hope you are too!

X Except...  Now I want to tell you my name. So:

Beau X

I scrunched it up into a little ball and threw it at the bin. It missed. I heard someone coming up the stairs. It was Claudia. "Mummy's coming." She said, standing still in my doorway, not moving, but waiting for a response. "Okay." She stayed in the middle of the doorway. "Okay! Okay! Go!" She gasped and ran away quickly into her room which was just along the corridoor from mine. Then I heard my Mum coming, she peeped her head around the door. "I know what this is about. And there is no such pen pal." I looked up at her. "Is there?" I nodded my head. I wasn't sad, I was annoyed at the fact that she was right and there was no way I was travelling to another continent alone. "There is." I said stubbournly. "This is about Julia isn't it? And her moving away. I know you miss her but it's going-" I sighed deeply and she stopped. "It's not that. I just want to be on my own. Go away." My Mum obeyed and got up to walk away. "Go." I looked at her and frowned. "Go wherever you need to." I smiled. It's not like I was actually going to go anywhere, but it meant a lot that she was supporting me. "Then I'll be off. You do realise I'm actually going." She nodded, for my Mum, this was very out of character. Usually she'd be crying by now. "Okay, see you whenever." She got up and left the room. I re-packed everything into my luggage and went downstairs again. I strode up to the front door confidently and walked outside. It was fairly hot for England at 8:00 in the evening. I went down onto the beach first, I sat down, and looked up into the sky, it was a clear night with lots of stars. I heard a noise and looked round it was Jed. He was closing the shutters on the shack. He looked around and waved "hi!" I smiled and acknowledged him. Josh appeared from behind. "You know the beach is closed right?" He said "you have to leave. Not my decision." He said. I sighed and walked up, ready to continue on my journey. I'd just told her my name. As I was pretty sure I knew Angel. I walked up the prom, towards the slightly less busy side of town. I found a payphone, I slotted in a twenty p and dialled Georgia's number. I'd got to know it quite well lately. It rang for ages, about eight times. Then a muffled response. "Hello? If this is a company number, my Dad isn't here right now. Neither is my Mother, sorry for the inconven-" I sighed, short and quickly. "No, it's me Beau. I'm gonna ask you, straight out. Before you left for Canada... Did you recieve any... Did you- Did anybody mail you any letters addressed to Angel?"