Wish-Upon-A-Star

Chapter 13- The Story of Me

Riccardo's POV

Life and death. What is the difference? Isn’t life itself a part of death? From the moment you took your first breath, you also began your decaying process. Isn’t that correct? I paced in my room, watching the pictures on my wall, remembering every moment spent with Angelica. Whatever. I can’t keep these loving thoughts in my mind. She’s Gawain’s girl now.

            I felt my phone vibrate in my back pocket. Angelica? I answered the phone and was greeted by Gawain’s charming voice. “What do you want?” I sighed. It was past midnight and there’s school tomorrow.

            “She thinks you abandoned her.” Gawain sighed back. I heard Angelica breathing in the back ground.

            “Why should I care anymore?” I sighed. Gawain stayed silent. “I’m coming over.” I hung up the phone and stuck it in my front pocket. I opened my window and jumped out. What’s so fun about doors? There’s no jumping from high places involved. I used my ‘special mind powers’ to close my window back up. I took a step, my eyes glowing red because of the use of my powers, and I appeared at Angelica’s house. I floated up to her balcony and permeated through the locked doors.

            “What’s up?” I muttered to Gawain, who glared at me with an irritated expression. “What’s your problem?”

            “You shouldn’t be using your powers.” Gawain nagged. “You know better than that. It drains your life.”

            “Blah, blah, blah. It’s nothing.” I shrugged. “Illness can’t defeat me.” Ironically, I doubled over coughing. I managed to wake Angelica. She jumped off my bed, calling my name. “Don’t touch me!” I yelled, feeling my temperature rise greatly. I felt a pain in my gut and blood began to come out at each cough.

            “Riccardo, please, let me help you.” Angelica begged.

            “You can’t!” I growled, my body becoming amorphous. “You can’t help me anymore!” I felt my temperature rise rapidly.

            “You’ll burn their house down,” Gawain said, throwing me over his shoulder. He jogged out the balcony doors and jumped down. I used my telepathy to bring Angelica down with us. She needed to see this. Without her for moral support, this would be the end of me. Gawain dumped me on the middle of the road. He caught Angelica from the air. She displayed no emotion, probably shocked from what I said to her earlier.

            I laid on the floor currently motionless. I heard Angelica’s footsteps near me. “Don’t come closer.” I turned to her and bared my fangs that come out when they feel like it. “I don’t want to hurt you.” I breathed heavily. “Please stand by Gawain, he can protect you if I go insane.” I looked at her. I was sure my eyes were red now, but she still looked at me like I was normal. Usually, if a girl caught me with my red eyes, she would run screaming “vampire!”

            “Alright,” Angelica began to walk backwards, keeping her eye on me. “I trust you, Riccardo. Don’t die on me though,” Angelica laughed. “I already lost you for two years.”

            If I died, right now, the universe was being a little bit too unfair.

            I felt a jerking in my stomach. It’s coming. “Stand back,” I growled. Gawain immediately stood in front of Angelica. I felt the fire crawl up my throat. It felt normal. Well… except for the burning pain on the inside of my body. This is what my kind called ‘internal combustion.’ If this is what is happening to me right now… it means I only have a year left. Or, maybe, less than a year. The fire nipped at my skin. It was red, which was my fire color.

            I didn’t worry about what the humans thought. Humans can’t see what’s happening to me. I’m in a completely different place. Although, there will be scorch marks in the shape of a human on the road tomorrow morning. I felt my temperature raise to at least one thousand degrees.

            “I can’t take this anymore!” I heard Angelica yell from the sidelines. “I can’t just stand here and watch you die!” Angelica cried. “I’ve never even heard you call me by my real name once! When I save you, I want you to call me Lian!” Weirdest suicide cry ever. Worst part is, Gawain didn’t stop her from coming nearer.

            What’s his problem?

            I eyed Angelica walking towards me. I shook my head to signal her not to come any closer, but she pretended not to notice. Her forehead was beaded with sweat. Her clothes began burning in the intense heat. Although, I knew why Angelica wasn’t burning up. In her hand, she held a lock of Gawain’s black hair. My, my, my… What a cheater we have here.

            “I don’t care what happened in the past between you and me.” Angelica told me past the roaring fires. “You’ve always been important to me. You’re my best friend. You’re my first love. You’re my moral support. You’re my hero. I don’t want to lose you here.” She cried. I was shocked. I thought she hated me.

            Idiot. My conscience taunted. Is that why she’s been hanging around you this whole time? Because she hated you?

            Pretty good point there. Angelica put her hand on my cheek and did the only thing she could do. She kissed me. The fire disappeared on the spot and so did the human Riccardo. Instead, Angelica was nose to nose with a grey wolf. Naturally, it had red eyes. I breathed meat breath on her face. She looked shocked. Of course she didn’t think kissing me was enough. I didn’t have the energy to maintain human. Usually, it takes no effort to stay human… but I gave that away so that I could have something else.

            Now. I’m a canine. Yay.

Surprisingly, Angelica smiled. “Aiden has a friend! He’s been lonely for a long time?” Ugh. That stupid dog. I think he knew that I’ve been a dog more than once. He kept sniffing me in places that should not be named. That’s one reason I dreaded going to Angelica’s house. “Gawain, would you help me?” Gawain walked over to me.

I growled, remembering that I could manipulate my canine vocal chords. “Ahr caang ngo hup mar serf.”

Never mind.

I ignored them and walked up the wall and into Angelica’s room. Idiots. Never underestimate alien wolves. Especially if its name is Riccardo Blake.