Those With Wings

Evangeline/Emma

Alex' POV

I stared at Emma. She was staring back at me, her eyes disbelieving after I'd told her the whole story, and even demonstrated my wings when we reached a secluded spot.

"It's not possible," she mumbled.

"Yeah it is."

She shot a glare at me, and I felt myself cringe. She was scary.

"So how old are you?" she demanded.

I felt myself flush. "Well-"

Emma gave me an expectant look. "I turned 15 last week," she said proudly.

"I'm turning 15 soon," I muttered, wishing I was older than her. She looked like someone that liked older guys-

ALEX, WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST THINK?! a voice inside me yelled. I made a little jump. Uh, nothing?

What, do you want to end up as Luanna?

No...

Then ditch the dodo!

I swallowed. "I got to go."

Emma looked disappointed. "Can I come with you?"

"Uh- I don't think your family would approve..."

Tears sprang into her eyes, and guilt ate at me. To my own suprise, she burst out into sobs, and leaned against me. I raised my hand, and patted the top of her head in much the same matter I'd pet a filthy dog. "Are you okay?" I managed to say.

"T-they- they d-died i-in a c-car crash a- a- a-"

I waited, but nothing else came out. I guessed it'd happened in the same week I'd left.

"So...Why are you here?"

Another sob. "L-living w-with m-my a-aunt."

"Oh."

So out of all places she could've gone, she went here. Where I happened to live. Great.

And as if that hadn't been enough, she clearly wanted to be buddies. Something I wasn't too keen of.

Emma's face left my shoulder again, and I found myself counting the countless freckles on her face. Her hair was naturally curly, I noticed, and close to a shade, or a mix rather, of ginger and light brown. Her eyes were light brown, and Evangeline's face appeared in my mind again. I still found Evangeline prettier, with her large, smiling eyes, but this girl had something original too. A solemn, grieved expression on her face, like a mourning Evangeline.

Whoops, there I went again. Comparing a human to Evangeline. Boy oh boy.

How many times had I said her name in my mind? Let's see...three, no, four times.

I sighed.

"Can I come with you? I don't think my aunt will mind, I can call her," she muttered.

"I'm not sure whether that's a good idea..."

She grabbed my hand, and her eyes grew bigger. I found myself backing away. "I don't want to go home yet," she begged me, "please take me with you!"

I groaned. "Listen, Evangeline-"

The girl dropped my hand, and this time, she was the one to step away. "My name is Emma," she said, hurt.

I didn't respond. "You're comparing me to her, aren't you?" she guessed, her eyes flickering.

"No-"

"Yes you are!" she burst out, tears flooding over her face again. Her eyes were accusing and hurt at the same time, and the tough shield around my heart gave way a bit. Maybe, just maybe, I would let her come with me, and she'd be happy, and-

Argh. The hell with it.

"Will you come with me?" I asked her.

Her mouth was open, about to accuse me again, no doubt, but she closed it abruptly at my words, and folded her arms. Emma was chewing it over slowly, and I could see the fight in her.

One side probably told her that if she went with me, she'd be giving in, and she didn't want that.

The other reasoned that she really, really didn't want to go home yet.

I stuck out my hand, and tried not to pull a face as she wiped her tears away, and took it.

Luanna was going to rub this in. Harshly.