Angel's Wings

Dreaming and Drunk

"You'll never know if you don't ever try again." -Panic! At the Disco

"H-hi Alfredo," I said nervously. My legs were quakey and my voice was wobbly to match.

How am I supposed to talk about this with him? What if I'm just crazy?!

No. I couldn't be. These dreams had been terrorizing my sleep for weeks now, and I was finally close to maybe stopping that. To solving the mystery that had become my life. There was no turning back.

Alfredo grinned at me with his million-dollar smile and winked, but I wasn't fooled. His trickery was in my dreams, but it couldn't extend farther than that.

"Alfredo," I said, now more sure of my self, "I need to talk to you. It's serious." His face grew almost somber at my words, but I pressed on. "I've been having this dream... it's strange. It's about a boy with wings, and he's protecting me. Or at least I think he is, the boy's intentions are never clear."

I saw a bead of sweat on Alfredo's forehead. Just a bead of sweat? Or a sign of nerves?

"There's more," I said hesitantly, "the boy... he has wings. I think he's an... an angel. And a song is always playing... I think it's your song. I think you're the angel in my dreams." My heart was beating, my cheeks going red. Would he think I was crazy?

Alfredo's eyebrows shot up. He looked around as if wondering what to say to my wild accusation, but then a determined look spread acrost his face.

"Vael," he almost whispered, just inches from my face, "I am the boy in your dreams. I am an angel." My eyes widened in shock and I fell forward, almost into Alfredo's lips. He caught me, his arms wrapping around my waist and pulling me close to his muscular, strong body. I looked into his beautiful eyes and leaned forward. Alfredo bit his plump lip, and looked into my eyes seductively.

I leaned forward, my mind whirling. I'm about to kiss a pop star. My hands were shaking on his shoulders with the strength of my desire. My eyes fluttered closed.

Then I remembered Blake and his sweetness. I couldn't kiss Alfredo, no matter how tempting he was. There was a hunger within me, but I couldn't fill it with something like Alfredo Jones. My eyes opened and I started to back away, but Alfredo's sweet lips touched mine.

He started to devour my yearning, and I started to lean into him more and more. There was an urgency— a need, in his lips. It matched mine. I was confused and scared, and still thinking about a boy with green eyes and a caring smile, but I let myself forget all of that for a moment. I kissed Alfredo with a fierceness I'd been needing to release. We rolled with each other's bodies, when all of a sudden the absurdity of what I was doing hit me.

I backed away from Alfredo, gasping for air. "You're-you're an angel," I whispered, the shock settling in. He grinned and said, "I know," then pulled me close again. His teeth but my lip and I groaned with pleasure, but remembered what I was supposed to be doing.

"No," I said, gasping again. Alfredo's smile fell slightly as he looked deeply into my eyes. His eyes were the deepest, prettiest blue I'd ever seen.

Something about them was cold though. I remembered that feeling earlier, where my stomach had started to have butterflies, and not in a good way. The mystery and darkness surrounding Alfredo was intense and sort of scary. I removed his arms from my waist and said, "I can't do this. I can't talk about this right now and I can't kiss you— ever. I need to think about this."

Alfredo nodded, his hair dropping in front of one eye. He kissed me one last time, then whispered, his lips brushing my ear, "Just let me know when you're ready for an explanation. We'll talk all you want. When you're ready." He curled his fingers through my hair, then turned to go back to the stage.

What have I just done?

I touched my lips, remembering the feeling of his desire, his urgency. Like nothing I'd felt before. But it wasn't altogether pleasant.

I needed something to get my mind off of all this. I pushed through the crowd of dancing teenagers and found Tyrone. He was jumping around to the song that was playing, a red solo cup in hand.

"Ty," I said. "Yes, sugar cube?" he responded. "What's in your cup?" I said, gesturing.

"Some beer," he said with a nonchalant tone. I took the cup from his hands and gulped it down. Tyrone laughed as I drank the alcohol, but warned me, "Don't go too fast, honeycomb! You've never been drunk before, and you look too fabulous to do it now!"

I shrugged, a faint buzz going through my head. Already I was feeling better about the whole ordeal. I searched for the rest of the beer, scanning the pulsing crowd. My eyes found a table in the back, with stacks of red solo cups.

Ding ding.

I pushed my way through the crowd, and finally reached the back table. I filled the cup, and downed it in only a few gulps. One cup. Two cups. Three. Four. Five....

Something inside me told me to stop. I didn't remember what I was doing anyway. I twirled around and zig-zagged back to where I thought Tyrone was, but couldn't see him anymore. "Tyyy..." I mumbled, too drunk to form words.

I awkwardly walked around, sewing with each step, confused about what was happening. Why did my head feel weird? Why were so many people moving around? Why did I recognize that dog? Where were my friends?

All of a sudden I felt a hand on the small of my back, sending a zing up my spine. I spun around and my thoughts were turned to hatred when I saw none other than Joesephe standing before me. "Wa aya dooin—" I tried to speak, but it came out as mumbles.

Joesephe snaked his hands around my waist and brought me close to his chest. "Let's get you somewhere safe, huh?" he said, his voice like a lullaby. I tilted my head to the side, then tripped forward to be leaning against his chest. He brought his lips, so sweet and juicy, closer to mine, and I felt them touch my own lips

Right before everything went black.