True Confessions of the Angel of Death

Studying with Jake

The next day, walking into Literature class with Bethany. I'd mentally prepared myself, determined not to let my guard down around my partner. I'd spent most of the morning, thinking of normal sounding answers to any questions that he could possibly ask. I was ready to face him, but what I saw wiped all of my preparation away.

Jake was sitting on the edge of Ms. Castle's desk, his eyes watching her every move. A red rose was laid in front of her and her eyes were as wide as saucers. His hand was over hers in a way that was extremely inappropriate, considering her age-roughly 30, and the fact that she was our teacher.

"This is inappropriate." She whispered so softly even I could barely hear her.

"According to what laws?"

"The school's for one. You're my student!"

Jake chuckled. It was clear that he had full confidence in himself, "I'm all grown up-old enough to make my own decisions."

"But what if we're caught? I'll lose my job, I'll never be able to work as a teacher again, I'll..." Jake silenced her, placing a finger against her lips and sliding it down to the hollow of her throat.

"We can be discreet."

He began to lean forward and Ms. Castle closed her eyes, completely under his spell. Suddenly, there was a loud bang behind us that made Bethany jump and Jake jump of of Ms. Castle's desk. Ms. Castle began nervously shuffling papers around on her desk as Ben Carter walked in, having dropped his book. I rushed to my seat and sat down, thinking about what I had just witnessed. Jake was at least eighteen. Legal to date her if age was the only issue. As our teacher though, this could have been very bad.

"Hello." Jake greeted me, sliding into the desk next to mine. I tried not to meet his eye. I may have been an angel, but like I'd told Bethany, I was more susceptible to human emotion, and I didn't want to fall prey to his charms like Ms. Castle.

Later in the cafeteria, I was alone. Maghen was sick today so I ate in silence. I could have gone over to sit with Bethany, Molly, and their friends, but they were going on about the shopping trip they'd planned for that afternoon to find dresses. Finally deciding that I was bored, I threw away what was left and walked out into the hall. Seniors we're allowed to roam the school during lunch hour as long as they were back in their classes by the time the bell rang.

I had already gotten my books and was taking a short cut to my next class through an outdoor walkway when a silky voice called out to me. "Hello there."

I turned around to see Jake there, arms crossed, leaning against a brick wall with a cigarette in his mouth. I walked toward him, noticing new things about him the closer I got. he had a stud in one ear and wore a half moon pendant around his neck. The pendant had strange symbols on it, though also slightly familiar and hurt my head looking at it for too long.

"Since when do you smoke?"

"A while now." He blew a ring of smoke into the air. "Calms the nerves you know."

"Yeah. And it will kill you." I knew from experience. I rolled my eyes and shifted my bag so that the weight of my books wasn't digging into my shoulder. "Besides. I don't hang out with smokers."

Once again, I saw that strange look in his eyes and he took the cigarette from his mouth. "Very well. If it would make you happy." He dropped it on the ground, put it out with the heel of his shoe and kicked it into a flower bed just as the librarian walked by, giving us a suspicious glare. "I think you just saved my skin."