Jariel had left the apartment and was now wandering around the city, lost in thought. Dawn was still not home, and he guessed that she was still mad at him. The cold air nipped at his face and he pulled his jacked up higher. Now that he had calmed down some, he was beginning to feel a bit guilty about how he had acted earlier. He scoffed. He felt that he was starting to act like a human himself. He was starting to be selfish and only care about himself and his needs. He figured he could, reluctantly, apologize to her later.
Jariel continued to walk the streets of New York, looking at the people that passed him by. Most of them were on their cell phones, iPods, or some other technology device. People these days, he thought to himself. They took life for granted. They didn’t live it to its fullest. They lived day by day, acting as they were going to be on this planet for the rest of their lives and were then surprised when someone died. Again, humans stumped Jariel. He couldn’t wrap his mind around why someone wouldn’t want to live life to its fullest.
“Jariel, is that you?” a familiar voice asked from behind him. Jariel whirled around to see Isaac with his cart, picking through garbage.
Jariel laughed. “Yeah, it’s me. How’s it been?”
“So-so.” He answered, trying to laugh, but it was interrupted by a nasty cough. “Looks like you’ve been doing well.”
“Yeah, found somewhere to stay.” He said, feeling a bit guilty now that he was living a little bit better, whereas Isaac still had to sleep outside in the cold.
Isaac coughed again. “Good, good. I’m happy for you.”
“Are you okay?” he asked when Isaac coughed again.
“It’s just a cold.” He waved it off. “I’ll be fine.”
“You sure?” he asked again.
“I’m positive.” He said. He then waved goodbye to Jariel, saying that he had things to do, and was off. Jariel waved goodbye, but was still a bit worried about him. That cough sounded worse than a cold. He shrugged it off though, Isaac probably knew how to take care of himself, and he didn’t need his help.
Jariel continued to walk, not caring that the cold air wouldn’t leave him alone. Most of the leaves were off the trees now, and the leaves crunched under his boots as he walked. He guessed that winter was on its way here, and he wished that it would stay away. He didn’t want to experience snow, or for it to be any colder than it already was. He put his hands in his pockets and buried his face in to his coat, hoping to get warm. He finally gave up and decided to turn around and head back to the apartment. Dawn might be home now and he hoped to get the chance to tell her that he was sorry. He hoped that she would accept his apology, but who knew, she may not and decide on throwing him out. He hoped that she wouldn’t throw him out, especially so close to winter. Hell, he would even get a job if he absolutely had to.
He walked in to the apartment to find it exactly as he left it. So, Dawn still wasn’t home. He wondered where she was and for how long she would be angry at him. She couldn’t be angry at him forever, could she? Then again, he didn’t really know her. For all he knew, she could be mad at him forever. He wouldn’t blame her if she did though. He had been a jerk to her and he deserved whatever was going to come his way.
Jariel flipped on the television and watched the news, despite his dislike for it. He was bored and there was nothing else on, and so he chose to suffer through the torture of watching people’s miserable lives flash across the screen. He eventually got sick and tired of it again and turned it off. Instead he went over to the bookshelf and browsed through the collection of CD’s that was there. He didn’t know who any of the artists was, naturally not being from this realm. He decided to put a few in to the CD player and listened to some of them to see how he would like it. After listening to Keith Urban, Escape The Fate, Black Veil Brides (whose song “Fallen Angels” insulted him to a point) and Thirty Seconds to Mars he decided that, although the bands were good, he didn’t want to listen to music anymore. Instead, he decided to play with Michelangelo, who seemed interested in chasing the small, pink, feather until Jariel accidentally stepped on his tail, causing him to hiss and claw at him. He sighed and eventually gave up on trying to find something to do. He figured he could start planning on how to get his revenge but he didn’t even know where to start. He had no idea how to even get in to heaven, in the first place, much less know what he was going to do when he got there. He let out a frustrated groan and sat on the floor, leaning against the couch. He was starting to think that he would never get away from here. That he would be stuck here forever.
* * * * *
Dawn rolled her eyes and hung up after trying, again, to reach Annette. Fine then, she thought to herself, if she doesn’t want to talk to me, then I’m done. She sat down on a wooden bench close to her and rested her head in her hands. She didn’t know what she was going to do. All she knew was that she needed someone to talk to, and badly. She sat up, knowing exactly who to call. She opened her cell phone back up, scrolled through her contacts until she found Sam’s number, and then hit send.
“Well if it isn’t Miss Meyers.” Sam said, picking up and causing Dawn to feel some relief. “It’s about time you called! What’s up?”
“I’m in a huge horrible mess.” Dawn groaned in to the phone, tears welling up in her eyes.
“Aww, honey.” Sam sighed. “Tell me about it. What happened?”
“So I met this guy, named Jariel.” Dawn started to say. She told Sam how she felt about Jariel, how at first she hated him and then now she may have a bit of a crush on him. She told her about how she took Jariel in, and how Annette was now furious at her. Dawn even told Sam that she had told Jariel about Jenny.
“And I just don’t know what to do anymore Sam!” Dawn cried. “Annette won’t answer my phone calls, and Jariel, I don’t even know what I am going to about him.”
“I think Annette will come around when she cools down.” Sam said. “She’s just upset because you told her the truth, and maybe she’s just not ready to face it yet. You shouldn’t feel guilty about being a good friend.” This made Dawn smile some. “As for Jariel, I think he needs to be put in his place and come back to reality. Go back and tell him that he either gets a job and helps out, or just kick him out. He’s a stranger really, and so he really doesn’t have to be there.”
“I was actually on my way to talk to my boss about getting a Jariel a job.” Dawn laughed. “If he turns down every job offer I hand to him, then he’s going to have to deal with the choice I make.”
“That’s a girl!” Sam laughed. “Look, I have to go. Call me later and tell me how everything goes, okay? I miss you like crazy girl!”
Dawn laughed. “I promise. Miss you too.” With that she hung up, a smile now on her face. Somehow, talking to Sam always made her feel better. She knew exactly what to say to make Dawn feel better. Dawn put her phone back in her pocket, stood up, and continued to walk to Joe’s Diner. She didn’t know what Joe would say, but who knew, maybe he would be nice for a change and hire a man who really needed the job, whether he admitted it or not.
The weather was cold outside, and Dawn had to pull her black and blue knit mittens on to keep her hands from freezing. She really needed a car, she admitted, but she refused to buy one right now. Most of her money went towards the rent, food and, of course, her painting supplies. She didn’t have the money right now to even think about getting a car, even a beat up, used one that probably didn’t run all that well. She let out a sigh and laughed to herself. If only she could sell her paintings, then maybe she would have enough money. Maybe. Most likely not even then.
Life could be so unfair sometimes, but then again that was life. While some people have a lavish life, full of money and nice, expensive things, and other people had a dull life, a poor life, living paycheck to paycheck. That was life though, if it was fair then maybe the world would be a better place, or not. God only knew. Dawn walked passed people, who were involved with their cell phones, iPods or talking to other people. Life may be unfair but people still made the most of it, she realized. People couldn’t let their life get them down; if they did it may be the end of them. If people lived their life as unfair as it was, then the world would be more depressing than it already was.
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Change of Heart (NaNoWriMo 2011)
Random**In The Editing Process!!** Jariel, a once favored angel in Heaven, has been thrown out. Not by his own accord, however. He was tricked, made a fool of, by an angel named Elise, bent on being the center of attention no matter what. Jariel is now s...