Be My Guardian Angel

Chapter 9

Lauren

August 18, 2015

I'm walking home and think I can feel someone following me so I subtly pick up the pace. I just want to get home to my loving boyfriend who's been waiting for me all day.

I pass the video game store right as a very familiar black neon flies out the alley and knocks me right over before I hit my head on the pavement.

Max

Lauren and I are sitting in Bill's office. She's twirling her gorgeously outrageous hair around her pointer finger, her long nails filed to perfection.

I really wasn't aiming for her with the car. I thought she'd already passed and I was going to hit Charlie. She forgave me though, like always. She's so nice.

"I think you need a girlfriend." I hear her say and snap back to attention before realizing she was talking to Bill, not me.

Shoot.

"Oh, uh, no. I couldn't possibly. Keeping your records is my life, Lauren. I can't abandon everything I know now." Bill stutters nervously stacking papers that he's stacked about three times already.

"But you have to have had a life before Lauren came along." I interject. Bill should get out and find a lady. He sleeps on a pile of paper for crying out loud.

"Yes, I did. I was the Record Keeper for this lovely lady who passed away right before Lauren was born. And a man before her, and another before him and so on. Record keeping is literally all I know, you two. I just couldn't."

"But Bill," Lauren reasons, "things are obviously a little confusing in my "life" right now." She made air quotes with her fingers. "You could use a break while we get everything sorted out; conjure up a restaurant to take a lady friend to." She slyly winks at me causing my cheeks to burn.

"Maybe you guys are right." He finally sighs, seeming to give in.

"I know we're right." I tell him, beaming. I get up and stand behind him, clapping my hands on his shoulders. I reach out my hand as if seeing a scene in front of me.

"Imagine it, Billy Boy. A lady record keeper, bright red hair to make up for the lack of color you've got going on and a huge smile to make up for whatever's under that big mustache of yours." He scowls at me before shooing me away.

"Nice boost of confidence." Lauren laughs, playing pushing on my arm sending waves of electricity through my body all the way to the tips of my wings causing them to flutter just a little.

"You're right!" Bill suddenly wails, slamming his head on his desk. "I'm so lonely! But with my lack of color and giant mustache what woman would want me?"

"The woman Max just described!" Lauren rushes to calm him, patting back. "You need a woman to be the half of you you wish you could be. The colorful, smiley kind of woman. You just have to go find her!"

"You really," he sniffles and rubs his nose with the heel of his hand, "think so?"

"Of course I do. Right Max?" She looks over her shoulder at me and it's as if everything is in slow motion. Her long wavy locks of ocean blue hair flow over shoulder and her bright green eyes sparkle as she beams at me with those pretty pink lips of hers.

"Right." I whisper, staring at the girl I wish I could call mine.

***

We came back to the restaurant I made for her and were sitting at the same table.

She was laughing and enjoying herself while making fun of Jerry just like last time but I just wasn't feeling it and she eventually caught on.

"Hey, what's wrong?" She asked inquisitively after she slurped up a spaghetti noodle, getting red sauce all over her face.

I chuckled slightly and reached across the table with my napkin, gently wiping the sauce from around her mouth.

"I want to be human." I tell her upfront.

"What?" She whispers, somewhat distractedly as she stares at the napkin I was pulling away.

"I want to be human." I run my hands through my hair in order to distract myself from just wanting to kiss her.

"Why would you want that?" She asks like it's the strangest thing she's ever heard.

"Because Earth just has it all; color, food, wonderful people, amazing smells, and the ability to interact and fall in love. And it has you." I quiet my voice as I say that last part. I know I shouldn't have said that and I'm embarrassed but I hold her eyes.

My gaze travels back down to her lips that are parted slightly making them even more tempting. I've never kissed anyone but I have a feeling if I kissed her, everything would be okay. I wouldn't be nervous and it would be perfect.

It's Lauren; it'd have to be perfect.

Lauren

What's happening? I watch him look at my lips, the expression is his eyes changing every second. Those beautiful big brown eyes of his that have drawn me in from the beginning.

I think of how he wants to be human and I'm suddenly reminded of Alex. I have a guy who loves me down on Earth; a guy I can actually be with. I can't be with Max. I have to get that through my head; no matter how perfect he may seem for me with his clumsiness and happy-go-lucky attitude.

Maybe I'm just like Bill. Maybe I need a guy who can color in my otherwise colorless life. Teach me to color outside of the lines and just have fun no matter what others might think of me. Maybe all of this happened for a reason. I was supposed to know Max because we're supposed to be together somehow.

I just don't know how.

***

We leave the restaurant, Max sticking his tongue out at Jerry behind his back. There was still some tension from that moment at the table but him doing that wiped it away and we were just like Max and Lauren again.

"I'm sorry again about the car. I meant to hit Charlie, I swear. I would never hurt a hair on your pretty little head." He gushed, tangling his fingers in my hair as he brought me in for a hug. I closed my eyes and just snuggled into his chest wanting nothing more than to stay there forever. Wait a minute.

"Why don't I just stay here?" I blurt.

"What? Lauren, you can't." He says, pulling back just far enough to look at my face.

"Why not? Everybody dies, Max." I shrug.

"You don't get it do you?" He whispers.

"Get what?" I whisper back, staring at his lips that are so close to mine. I start to lean in just a little and I see him do the same.

"You have to go back. I'm sorry, Lo." He closes his eyes and snaps his fingers before I can protest.

*** Max and Lo make me so happy. I absolutely love writing chapters about them. Get ready for some suspense in the next chapter ;)