Wings

22. Alexander

I left school early. I sent Gracie a text saying I'd be over late.

I just.

I just.

That was it. I needed to think and sort all this out.

The feathers on Alexa's back... Surely, they weren't from me, right? I mean, the whole classroom had turned to stare. It was one of them.

Because I loved Gracie.

And she said I could only love her.

I tried the doorknob. Locked.

My hands patted my pockets. Empty.

An agitated sigh puffed out of my lips. I tried each of the downstairs windows, to no avail. In a cruel twist of fate, I saw my own bedroom window open, perched, unattainable, on the second floor.

Defeated by my own home, I sat down on my front step and stared at the neighborhood around me. The comforting scent of civilization - gasoline and sweat - filled my lungs. The dull roar of distant cars echoed down my quiet little street.

I lived between two very differing families. To my right was a quaint little yellow house, a home to a single mom and her two sons. Randy and Justin were one and three years younger than me, respectively. That meant they wrought hell on their poor mother, Ginny.

To my left was a little, pale green house. A beautiful garden sprouted from its front yard. Inside lived a stereotypical little old woman, not unlike Miss Maudie in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. Mrs. Tellin was a sweet, quiet widow.

She must have seen me through her window, because she hobbled out of her little home and started towards me, wielding a light, white umbrella as a shield from the sun.

Upon seeing her struggle to my steps, I hopped up and took her fragile arm in mine. She smiled at me, deepening the wrinkles around her eyes and cheeks. Her diluted brown eyes shone with life her little body surely couldn't contain.

"Hello, young man," she said in her wobbly, old lady voice. She was what I hoped Gracie would someday become with me.

"Hey, Mrs. Tellins."

"Tell me," she said, looking up at me. "What are you doing sitting so pensively on your steps when you should be in school?"

I smiled softly. "I left early. It was a rough day."

Mrs. Tellins' eyes drifted to my wings for a moment and she nodded. "Is it that girl?"

"Gracie?" I asked, eyebrows raised. "No, ma'am. Well..." I paused and she stared. "No, ma'am," I repeated. "It's another girl."

"Oh!" She laughed. "I always did love a good drama. Come, walk with me and tell me all about this scandal." And she tugged me gently along.

I took a moment to look at the fragile little wings on her back. Soft, like baby's feathers. And white, speckled with grey. I smiled softly.

"Well, I'm in love with Gracie," I started.

Mrs. Tellins made a psh sound and waved the arm that wasn't linked into mine. "That girl isn't right for you." I looked at her and she looked away. "Sorry for being brash, sweetie pie. Continue. I promise I won't interrupt again."

"Alright... Well, then, I think I'm in love with Gracie. But sometimes... I don't know. She does things that scare me. I disagree with things, and she yells. Or... It's whatever, that's not really why I'm stressed anyways."

Mrs. Tellins pressed her thin, painted lips together and brought her grey brows close, but she stayed silent.

"My classmate, and partner for this project... Her name is Alexa and she's fucking-" I coughed. "Sorry, excuse me. That was inappropriate."

Mrs. Tellins laughed. "Oh, don't worry about swearing with me, young man. I think censoring is bullshit anyways."

A slow, awkward, but then natural laugh rolled out of my throat. Mrs. Tellins was adorable. "Alexa is fucking crazy. Not even in a bad way. Just... She's nuts."

Mrs. Tellins gave me another sly grin. "Ah, the crazy ones are keepers."

"I'm not interested in her."

"Then why are you talking about her?"

I frowned, looking around. We'd made it around the block, back in front of my place.

"I don't know."