Angel's Wings

Chaoter Four: Songs and Mysteries

"Hey, moon. Please forget to fall down." -Panic! At the Disco

The waltzing music is playing again, lulling me to the same happy feeling I always feel in the beginning. I feel a smile creep across my face as the blissful feeling of warmth envelopes me. I feel the smooth gown again, and search for the same man who always appears.

As soon as I've thought of it, he's there. I can't see his face, but I hear him singing. I can't make out any words as he takes me into his arms and swoops me to the ballroom floor. The melody of his song is upbeat, but seems sad and mysterious underneath it all.

Who could you be, mystery boy?

I don't speak— just listen to his singing as we sway. Suddenly his grip on me grows stronger and I return to the fear that always comes. He sounds like he's in pain, and I look up with just enough time to see white feathers sprouting—

"Today's the day honeyyyyy!!!!"

Again, Tyrone? Must you always interrupt my sleep?

Sure enough, Tyrone's sparkling hair and black-lined eyes greeted me as I pried my eyes open. He was beaming and clapping his hands, much to my confusion. Then I remembered.

"It's that Alfonzo guy, huh?" I asked, and Tyrone nodded vigorously before correcting, "Well, Alfredo. But close enough little tea-bag." He grabbed my arm and dragged me to the closet to help me find an outfit.

After about 491 possible outfits for the day, he finally settled on a sparkly blue blouse and tight black jeans. He messed with my hair and did some sort of magic with the curling iron, then shoved me in front of the mirror to admire myself. Somehow Tyrone could make my mousy, dirty blonde hair look voluminous and my pale skin look delicate with the color combinations. I stood in awe for a moment before my stomach loudly intruded by grumbling.

"Sister, you can't catch a man on an empty stomach!" Tyrone exclaimed before ushering me downstairs. Was I really so pathetic that Tyrone had to practically force someone to be attracted to me?

I finally reached the kitchen all the way down two flights of sprawling and immediately went for the fridge. A bowl of Trix was calling my name, but I wasn't going to use milk. I like my cereal with Coke, and I've been teased relentlessly about it. I finally figured out to just not tell anyone about my odd habits, except for people who I know wouldn't care.

Tyrone tsked his tongue at me and shook his head as he watched the Coke bubble up in the bowl. The sweetness of the Trix was accented by the rich, slightly bitter taste of the soda, and I smiled as it fizzed. Before Tyrone could lecture me about my weird habits yet again, Uncle Lythe entered the room sleepily.

"Good morning Mr. Owens," Tyrone said, blushing. I rolled my eyes and mumbled a good morning to my uncle as well.

As he sat down to the table with his own "normal" breakfast, Uncle Lythe glanced up at me. His expression seemed surprised as he asked, "Vaelyumme, have you been getting enough sleep?" I choked a little on the Trix I was eating, but didn't answer yet.

Is it really that obvious?

Uncle Lythe looked at me curiously, and Tyrone just stared at his face obliviously. "Well," I said, hesitating, "I've been having the same dream a lot. There's always a... a man. I never see his face, but always right before I wake up he..."

"What happens, Vael?" my uncle asked. Tyrone even looked up to hear what my response would be.

"Well, the man always sprouts wings," I said, almost embarrassed by the ridiculousness of it.

"Is there more?" Uncle Lythe inquired, raising a gray eyebrow."

"Actually, yeah." I responded. "This last time I had it, there was a... a song. It sounded familiar somehow." Uncle Lythe nodded, deep in thought, when Chadd suddenly burst through the door.

Well that's my cue to leave.

I stood up abruptly and grabbed my backpack, hurrying to Tyrone's car. Once we were on the road, Tyrone turned on the radio.

"Ooh, girl,
I only have eyes for youuuu, girl."

"YASS," Tyrone screeched, "It's Alfredo D. Jones!!!" He turned it up to a deafening volume, forcing me to listen. It seemed familiar, probably since I'd heard it on the radio billions of times before. There was some tone of sadness, probably due to the minor key. Although the words were stupid, the song wasn't half bad.

***

The moment I walked through the door to Human Anatomy I felt a dark cloud roll over my head. I did not want to see Joesephe again, but he was already sitting at our shared desk, dark hair hanging over his burgundy eyes.

I sat down with a sigh and rolled my eyes, knees faced away from Joesephe's body. Luckily he pretended not to notice me. I readied my notebook as the bell rang, preparing myself for the stupidity that would take up the next 45 minutes in the form of the boy next to me.

Mr. Stephens turned his strong body towards the whiteboard and begins writing, when suddenly the classroom door banged open. Shocked, everyone turned to the now open door. What stood in the entryway made my jaw drop.

It was none other than Alfredo Jones himself.