Children of the Archangels

CHAPTER 7: ALPHA STANDS UP TO A BULLY

Luke thought his college schedule which included Philosophy: Kant's Critique of Pure Reason (or pure torture), Physics: Mechanics and Special Relativity for the Average Mind (this shouldn't even be a thing), and a three-hour seminar on Abstract Technology in the Modern Theological Era (why the heck did he take that again?) on the same day was intense until he saw the stuff SGA was putting their students through.

7:00 AM: Exercise around the track field and in the indoor pool (okay, an early workout doesn't hurt).

8:00 AM: Breakfast at the mess hall (gonna be hungry after that workout).

9:00 AM: Language of God: Mathematics and the Universe (even an awesome title like this can't hide the fact that it's still math and math sucks).

10:00 AM: Theology: The Study of God (pretty standard for a religious school).

11:00 AM: Mass: Religious Service (AKA nap time).

12:00 PM: History: From Angels & Demons to Adam & Eve (oh, now we're talking).

1:00 PM: Lunch (food!).

2:00 PM: Speaking in Tongues: Language Elective (Spanish here we come).

3:00 PM: Defending the Word: Weapon Making in the Modern World (hey when convincing them to convert doesn't work why not persuade them in a different way?).

4:00 PM: Iumenti 101: God's Dangerous Creatures (is this a disguise for biology?).

5:00 PM: Survival & Combat Training (hopefully no one dies).

6:30 PM: DEAR: Drop Everything and Read (AKA nap time part two).

7:00 PM: Dinner (more food!).

Twelve hours. What kind of school does this to a student? Granted, Luke thought some of the classes were pretty interesting. Who wouldn't want to learn more about the history of angels and demons or how to make weapons?

But Luke thought some normal subjects were missing like science or English classes.

"Don't worry, it's only your first year. Most first years start off with this schedule and unlock more classes as they progress," Sirius said.

"Why do you make it sound like a video game?" Luke said.

"Because sometimes life here is like a video game where you're blindfolded and can't find the controller."

Crap.

Then Sirius started laughing. "Relax. It isn't too bad. Your education is what you make of it."

Luke understood. He had signed up for this. Between living a normal life back home with his girlfriend in D.C. and learning more about his past and who he was, he chose the latter.

Yeah, such a really tough decision—bae over education or fun versus boredom. Yet when he chose school he hadn't expected to be surrounded by a bunch of sausages.

And of course, a sprinkle of assholes.

Luke had just finished his first day of exercising and although laps around the track and swimming sounded simple enough, when machines were shooting real arrows at him while he was trying to avoid ice pits filled with glass sharp smithereens, it became exercising one's ability to remain alive. SGA made things so extra for no reason. Swimming wasn't fun either. Luke never considered himself a good swimmer, but when the pool was filled with mermen-like creatures who chased after him and tried to drown him, he was surprised he hadn't had a heart attack already. In a world where angels and demons existed, why not throw in merpeople as well?

Twice a merman caught up with him and grabbed him by the leg. The thing was fast, half fish below the torso and half human from the waist up. Luke couldn't compete. The thing didn't speak at all, but Luke knew it could speak and that it could understand the curses Luke was yelling at it.

Meanwhile, the mermen never caught up with Sirius, who usually had three mermen trying to flag him down. He made swimming look as routine as breathing. When he was done with the ten laps, he shook the mermen's hands and told them to keep pushing him to be better. Meanwhile, the mermen looked like they had just escaped becoming canned tuna meat.

In short, Luke felt blessed when breakfast came.

Until George showed up.

Meals occurred at the same time for all year levels. Luke was classified as a dove and his uniform was white sweats and a hoodie with the symbol of SGA across the left breast. The next level was dusk, reserved for those who had finished year one.

Luke went ahead and grabbed a table while Sirius and Alpha were busy grabbing their food. George approached Luke's table with a gang of orange shirts, the mark of second year students.

"What's a brown pigeon like you sitting at Uriel's table?"

Luke ignored him, because ain't nobody got time for that.

But Luke couldn't ignore George once he yanked him off the table by his hoodie. Luke fell backwards and knocked his head on the ground. "Answer your superiors when they talk to you."

Luke's eyes were fuzzy. George looked like a blob of tomato that had been sitting in the fridge for a month and collected fuzz. His eyes were vomit green, his breath smelled like stale tobacco, and he hacked up dark phlegm on the regular either on the ground or in a tissue.

This time, Luke's face was the tissue.

"Hey! You leave Lulu alone!" Alpha shouted from across the mess hall. Luke was glad to have someone watching his back, but if only Alpha could do it more quietly and with a little less embarrassment.

"Lulu!" George and his goons laughed. "What a faggot ass name."

Alpha had charged to the rescue until he stopped and shifted his head. "What's a faggot?"

George's goons snickered, while he pointed at Luke. "That's a faggot. Better watch out Alpheus, or he'll be coming for your cheeks."

"My cheeks," Alpha held his face as if his cheeks might actually get stolen.

Luke pushed himself off the ground while the others taunted him. Luke saw nothing wrong with being gay. He knew he wasn't attracted to men, and he didn't like when people assumed that being labeled gay meant it was a weakness. His fathers were the strongest men he knew, and they would take on the world to protect him.

"That's enough," Luke said. He felt a warm sensation in his hands.

"Oh, the shit stain stands."

"Hey that's a bad word," Alpha screeched. "I'm telling the Dean."

"Yes, run to the dean you retard. Seems like you only ate half the fruit during your Garden Run."

"I said that's enough. Now, leave us alone."

"Afraid I can't do that. See, when a stuck up dove like you can walk into this school and think he's the shit because you got placed in HU, that's when I come in and say you got put into the wrong house. Uriel hasn't adopted anyone ever, and he won't start with a bitch ass faggot like you."

"Do you think calling someone that is an insult?" Luke asked.

George laughed. "Of course it is. Faggots go to Hell, and that's where you'll be going when I'm through with you."

"Hey, don't touch him," Alpha said jumping in front of Luke. "Stop being meanies and go away."

"How cute, he has a squirt protecting him." George grabbed Alpha by the shoulder and tried pushing him aside—only Alpha didn't flinch.

"Are you trying to die retard?" George said and threw a punch at him.

Luke was furious. He couldn't let Alpha suffer a black eye because of his inability to stand up for himself. His hand was burning up, and soon, he knew what was going to happen. He'll prove to them just how strong he really is.

Suddenly, Alpha's eyes twinkled white and the fist that should've connected with his head passed right through it.