Love and Angels

three

Laney

Kass and I hadn't really hung out much away from our houses. He'd come over a few times to help Dad with the 'Stang, shoot some hoops with me in the driveway, or I'd go over there to swim, but we really didn't spend a lot of time together. So I'm shocked when my phone rings and it's his name flashing across the screen. We'd just hung out yesterday at his pool party. Surely he doesn't want to hang out again. We almost never see each other two days in a row.

"I'm headed to the diner to meet up with Geo and Renee. You wanna come?" he asks.

I think about it for a moment and run through the things I have to do today. Clothes are haphazardly thrown on the floor and banister of the bed. I should probably do laundry, but it's still summer, I can do it tomorrow.

"Sure," I find myself replying.

"Cool, I'll be there in a few."

The line goes dead, and I stand there for a moment, frozen.

"Shit."

I haven't even showered today. Running for the bathroom, I trip over a pair of jeans and a tennis shoe. The image in the mirror taunts me. My hair is smashed to my face on one side and frizzy on the other. The mascara I'd worn to dinner with my parents last night is caked under my eyes, creating horrific dark bags.

"Shit," I grit out again, turning toward the shower and twisting the knob to get the water flowing. I need to at least wash my hair and face.

The doorbell rings as I'm applying new mascara to my fresh face. I run my fingers through my soaking wet hair. An air dry will have to do. A knock on my door startles me as I'm pulling my jean shorts up.

"Kass is here. He says y'all are going to the diner with some friends."

I look up at my mom and smile. "Yeah."

She nods and commands, "Don't stay out too late."

I glance at the watch on my wrist. "It's only two in the afternoon, I'll probably be home before dinner."

Mom smiles and nods before heading back downstairs. I rush to finish getting ready before following her down, hopping on one leg to fasten my sandals.

***

"You gonna eat those fries?" Geo asks Renee, and she shakes her head.

"I'm going low carb. I want to drop a size," she claims.

Geo laughs. "If you drop a size, you'll be shopping in the kiddie section."

The back of her hand pops him in the stomach, and he smiles, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"You don't need to diet, babe, you're perfect the way you are," he concurs, and she melts into his side, smiling broadly.

Kass, who is sitting beside me, pretends to gag, and I let out a giggle. Yup, I giggled. What the hell is wrong with me?

The bell over the door to the diner chimes and in walks Melanie, the bitch of the school, and some other girl I've never seen before.

"Who's that?" Renee asks.

Kass stares at the new girl for a moment too long before turning his attention back to the table.

"You know her?" I ask him.

"Who?" He glances back to the girl as she sits down at a table with Melanie then shakes his head. "Haven't seen her before."

I turn my attention back to Renee, who is smiling a knowing smile at me. I don't have a clue what she thinks she knows, but she's most likely wrong.

"Maybe she's Melanie's cousin or something," Geo offers, and Renee gags.

"We definitely don't need two of her in this town," she muses, scowling at Geo like he's the reason Melanie has a new minion.

I shrug. "Maybe she isn't like Melanie."

Geo and Renee both shrug. "Maybe," they respond in unison.

~~~

Ryder spins the napkin container on the table. He knows he can't be seen, but watching Laney can be so boring sometimes. He loses control of the napkin dispenser and it clatters to the tabletop. Several heads turn his way. Crap. Ryder rights the dispenser and sits on his hands, something the Archs are constantly telling him to do.

The door to the diner opens, and the girl who's been mean to Laney walks in with... No. The seat that had been vacated before fills with Ryder's most senior leader. The head Arch—well, the one who is head of the keepers like Ryder.

Ryder begins to slide the salt shaker from one hand to the other.

"Would you stop doing that?" the Arch barks loud enough to make Ryder's ears ring.

"Sorry," he answers.

The Arch sighs and returns his attention to her. Sasha. The girl at the top of the DO NOT ASCEND list. She has keepers whose only jobs are to keep the people around her from dying. So far they've been successful, but considering the fact they aren't allowed to directly intervene, it's only a matter of time before they fail.

"When the hell did she move here?" the Arch asks, turning his glare on Ryder.

Ryder stares at the unmoving salt shaker in front of him and shrugs his shoulders. "I don't know."

"Have you seen her before?"

Ryder shakes his head. "No."

The Arch bangs his fist on the table, rattling everything on top, and then he's gone. Ryder's shoulders sag in partial relief until he catches sight of what has Sasha's full attention. This isn't going to be good.