Guardian

Liam, Liam, Liam

Who is he? I have no idea. But then again I do for as long as I can remember he has been a part of my life. We grew up together. But the only person that knows about him is me. He isn't an imaginary friend I feel like there is more than just that. Is that possible? To know someone, and yet not know them at all? Well that's what my situation is. Liam is my guardian angel. I'm not supposed to know about him but being the curious boy that he is, he revealed himself to me many years ago. We then became best friends, but to me he is more than just that. I think I'm in love... With my guardian angel.

When you're a little kid you depend solely on your parents. As you grow older you start to let others into your life and you allow yourself to form relationships with those people. I was never one of those kids. I already knew how things stood with just about everything. Or at least I had thought that I did. But one day everything changed and that was the day I met Liam.

(flashback)

My mother is shaking. She's done something wrong. I can see it in her eyes and hear it in her voice.

"Riley honey, can you go to your room please? And put your head phones on and listen to your music please. Hurry!"

I ran up the stairs of our small 3 bedroom home and slammed my door. I wanted to hug my father when he walked in the door like I do everyday!

I heard the door open and I was about to go meet him when mother started speaking,

"Jeremy! Jeremy I am so sorry! I-I-I was drunk and he came on to me, nothing happened I swear!! Jeremy please understand!" she begged.

I could hear my father slam their bedroom door shut, and I heard lots of rustling and dresser drawers and closest doors being forcefully opened and closed and then a zipper.

What was he zipping? I wondered. I listened some more. By now my ear was pressed up against my door when suddenly my door swung opened and I saw my fathers feet but that was it because then everything turned black.

In the middle of the night I was awakened by the sound of a slamming door. I tip toed out of my room to the front door and peeked through the little oval shaped window. My mother and father were standing there screaming in each others ears. I put my ear on the door and tried to

Understand. Then my father spoke in a calm voice,"I'm sorry but I

Can no longer deal with your nothing happened speeches," then he reached into the front pocket of his jacket and pulled out an envelope. "Give this letter to Riley on her fifteenth birthday," with those last words I watched my dad walk out of my life. There was nothing I could've done to stop him.

I was awakened by the front door slamming. Again. And I found myself in my bed not remembering how I got there with a note scribbled on one of the pages of my coloring books. It was from my father, it read:

Riley,

I'm so sorry. I love you.

Love,

Daddy

Short and simple. Even though I was 5 I could read. I was so confused. Why is daddy sorry? I ran down the stairs to ask him only to find my bruised mother weeping on the floor.

(We could also add in Liam when she wakes up and she goes downstairs to show her mother both of them. I was in writing mode and if I had tried to add that in I would have forgotten what I was writing. Haha)

I froze. I rattled off in my head all of the possibilities of what could have happened to my mother, avoiding even the thought that my father could have had a part in it. She carried me up the stairs and put me in my bed then as she was coming down the stairs she fell. That would also explain how I got in my bed so that's what I went with. I ran to her.

"mommy! Mommy are you okay? Come on, get up. We have to take you to the doctor." I said softly. She smiled at me and wrapped me in a hug.

"I love you Riley."

"I love you too mommy." I said back. And we sat on the floor and hugged for what felt like forever and i didn't even ask why.

As soon as my mom fell asleep I carefully got up and snuck over to her telephone. I started to dial the numbers that I had known forever when a voice stopped me. "Riley, put the phone down and go to sleep." I looked over and thought I was looking into the eyes of an angel. "Who are you?" I asked the mysterious boy. He looked shocked for a second but regained his composure. "You can see me?" he asked. "Of course I can silly." I giggled. Worry crossed his handsome features. He muttered something under his breath and came over to me.

"hi I'm Liam." he introduced himself as he held out his hand. I shook it.

"Riley." i said thinking this must be a dream, because he appeared out of nowhere and light was radiating from him. but it felt so real.

He started muttering again and then began walking toward the door. I stopped him.

"it's dark out there," i said worriedly, "don't you think you should call someone to pick you up?"

"I can fly." he said sounding slightly like he wanted to showoff.

"No you can't stupid!" I said irritated, "People can't fly!"

"I'm not stupid! And I'm not a person." he smirked, "So that makes you the stupid one!"

That made me angry. So I tackled him.

"Take it back! Take it back!" I yelled while giving him a noogie.

"NEVER!!" he shouted defiantly. Then he struggled right out of my hold.

That's it I thought. I tackled him again and this time knocked him down, flipped him on his back and pinned him.

"How about now?" I asked.

"fine fine!" he said, "I take it back."

I smiled. "It's late, I think I'm going to go to bed. You can sleep on the couch." I pointed to the living room a few feet away. Then I went to the closet and pulled out two blankets and two pillows. I handed him a pillow and a blanket and put the other blanket over my mom and the pillow under her head and kissed her forehead.

"goodnight Liam."

" goodnight Riley."

I scurried up the stairs and crawled into my bed eager to fall asleep so I could wake up and play with Liam.