Unkillable (Monsters Series #1) (Wattys2014)

Chapter 7: Changed

When I opened my eyes, I saw everything. I saw every particle of dust, every color in the light of Angel’s room, every groove, striation, and creases on the walls. I could see things I had never seen before.

I heard sobs from the corner of the room. I saw Angel, my Angel, sobbing into his hands.

“Angel,” I croaked, “I’m okay.”

Angel rushed to my side. He took my hand and kissed it; he gently caressed it.

“I thought I lost you!” he exclaimed, “I’m so sorry, Jesse, so sorry!”

I let him sob into my chest. I just stroked his hair. It was amazing how much pain it caused me to hear Angel cry, while when my mother cried when I told her my secret, I felt numb and unfeeling.

“What’s to be sorry for?” I asked, “I feel better than I’ve ever felt before now that I know you care for me too.”

Angel was suddenly silent. His black eyes were bloodshot, and his adorable little nose was red from crying. His dark hair was sticking up in all directions. He looked so utterly miserable, my heart ached just to look at him. He was miserable because of me. It seems that I affect him just as much as he affects me.

“There are much better people in the world to give your heart to.” he breathed.

“Have you forgotten?” I replied, “You stole my heart the first time I looked into your beautiful eyes. I didn’t have much choice in the matter.”

“So you believe in love at first sight then?”

“Not until I met you.”

“You’re insane.”

“Love tends to have that effect on people.”

Angel and I just stared into each other’s eyes for a moment. His eyes hardened to stone.

“I want you to see something.” Angel whispered in my ear.

He took my hand and led me to bathroom. It had black and white checkered floor tiles; the walls were painted light blue. He stopped me at a rectangular, full body mirror.

“What do you see?” Angel asked softly.

I saw in the mirror a familiar face with dyed red locks, platinum blonde roots, and a body like a tiny tree. The face had a large, pointy nose, and crooked, yellowish-white teeth. There was something that was different about this face. The face’s eyes weren’t gunmetal blue anymore. They still sparkled with the magic of the stars, but they were different.

They were black, like the beautiful man beside him.

“Do you know what this means?” Angel asked.

I turned and looked into his eyes, identical to my own now. I felt a new consolation forming as the intensity of my gaze grew. I drew a deep breath.

“It means,” I answered, “you’re never getting rid of me.”