Project Archangel Book One: The Conspiracy Project

Chapter 23

The bus pulled into the church parking lot and stopped. Once the driver cut the engine, Mrs. Rachel did one last roll call, and then we were all free to get up and leave the bus. Mr. Wes was outside, opening the hatches and removing our luggage. He handed me my black and hot pink bag and gave Michael his black and gray one, and we left the bus to wait for my parents to show up and pick us up.
As we were sitting on a bench out front of the youth building, Levi and Jess boarded off their bus and approached us. Levi was carrying a red and white duffel bag, and Jess had a light purple and white one. They set their bags down and sat on the bench with us.
“Hey,” Michael greeted.
“What's up?” Levi grinned.
I shrugged. “Just waiting for my parents to pick us up.”
“You don't drive?” Jess asked in surprise.
I shook my head. “Michael does all the driving. My parents already have two cars and can't really afford another one, especially with a teen driver on the insurance.”
“Do you have your license?”
I shook my head. “Nope. I can't really see the point.”
“It's okay. I'll teach you to drive,” Michael offered.
I smiled. “Thanks, Michael, but I think that's illegal.”
“And?”
I rolled my eyes. “Trouble.”
He smirked. “Beautiful.”
“We just drove my car and parked around the side,” Levi explained.
Michael shook his head. “My car is parked in Kelsey's garage. I don't trust people not to steal it.”
“Why? Is it nice or something?”
After Michael told Levi what kind of car he had, right down to the year, Levi's eyes grew wide.
“You're that guy!”
Michael blinked. “I am?”
“Yeah. Everyone knows your car. I just didn't know who drove it. It's probably the nicest car in town.”
“Huh... I guess that's why everyone stares when I park somewhere in public...”
“I wish they wouldn't,” I mumbled in irritation. “It's annoying.”
“How did you afford that?” Levi asked in disbelief.
“Um... My parents...”
“They must be rich! You must be rich!”
“It's their money, not mine.” Michael looked uncomfortable.
“Hey, that's okay though,” Levi added quickly. “You’re still cool.”
“Thanks.”
“So that means you go to Meadow Ridge, right?”
Michael nodded. “Is there another high school in town?”
Levi shrugged. “Some private schools probably. I think Meadow Ridge is the only public high school though.”
“That's awesome,” Jess exclaimed. “We can hang out at school and stuff.”
I smiled. “Yeah, probably.” That did sound fun. It was always good to make new friends.
My parents pulled up in my dad's SUV around then.
“Time to go,” I said as I stood up.
Michael stood up as well. “See you guys later.”
“Bye, Michael, bye Kelsey,” Jess and Levi waved as we got in the back seat.
We closed our doors, and my dad started driving.
“Hi, Kids!” Mom greeted. “How are you doing?”
“Good,” I replied.
“Fine,” Michael muttered.
“Those are some nice looking rings on your fingers,” my dad said to the rear view mirror.
“Thanks, Dad.”
“Did you have fun?” Mom inquired.
I nodded. “Yeah, it was okay.”
“Just okay?”
“Fun.”
“Michael, what about you? What did you think?”
Michael shrugged. “It wasn't too bad.”
“I'm glad you enjoyed yourselves.”
“Have you kids had lunch yet?” Dad wondered.
“No, Sir,” Michael and I both said in unison.
“Great. We'll stop on the way home,” Mom beamed.
"What about that nice buffet by the movie theater?" Dad added. "We can make it a celebration!"
"Yay," Michael and I replied sarcastically.

---
We arrived back at my house around two PM. My father and mother stayed downstairs to watch TV together and play games on their phones, and Michael and I went upstairs to my room.
“Wanna watch a movie or something?” I asked Michael as I began looking through the collection of movies in my closet.
“Yeah, that's fine,” he mumbled absentmindedly, sitting down on my bed.
“What movie?” I called over my shoulder. When he didn't answer immediately, I repeated the question.
“Anything is fine," he finally answered.
I stopped looking and turned to face him. “Are you okay?”
He looked back at me. “Yeah, why?”
I left my closet and walked over to him, taking a seat on the bed beside him. “You seem distant. What's wrong?”
He looked at the carpet beneath us. “Nothing.”
“Michael.”
He sighed and met my eyes. “You don't just like me because of my parents, do you?”
“You mean because they have money?”
He nodded. “Yeah...”
I pretended to be deep in thought. “Hmm... I don't know...”
His eyes widened, and I had never seen such a serious look on his face.
“Of course not, you dummy,” I laughed, giving him a playful shove.
He didn't seem convinced.
I sighed. “Michael, I love you. I would still love you even if you were sleeping on a park bench with a newspaper for a blanket. Though I hope that never happens to you because it would really suck.”
“Me either...”
“Is this because of Levi?”
He looked down again and shrugged.
“I think he was mostly surprised that you were the owner of the car.”
He glanced at me from the corner of his eye. “Is it really that surprising?”
“Maybe surprised isn't the right word... Maybe excited is closer.”
“Excited?”
“Think about it this way. You have a favorite actor, but you'll probably never meet them. Imagine one day you're wandering around the mall and see that actor working in the food court. Of course, you are going to approach them and order food, tell them they look like so and so, and they'll tell you they are that person and they're filming for their new movie. You're gonna be excited, right?”
“Yeah, but I'm not a celebrity.”
“No, but you're popular. If everyone knows your car, and they really like it, but they never knew who drove it, then of course they are going to be excited and surprised when they find out that the owner is their friend from Jesus camp.”
“Jesus camp...” Michael snickered.
“You see what I'm trying to say?” 
“Yeah, I guess.”
“So don't worry too much about it, okay? Maybe if he starts constantly asking you for money, then you can worry, but right now, I wouldn't be too concerned about it.”
He smiled and leaned over, placing a gentle kiss on my lips. When he pulled away, he met my gaze, still smiling and said “what would I do without you?”
I grinned and gave him a quick peck on the lips. “Cry.”
“Boys don't cry.”
“Boys can cry if they want to.”
He shook his head. “Not me.”
“Whatever you say, Boy.”
“You know,” he said thoughtfully, “I don't even know where that car came from. It was just in the garage when I moved back in, and the key was hanging on the key holder by the front door with my house key. It could be stolen for all I know. Though I'm pretty sure my parents left it for me. Before I left, they told me I would have everything I needed.”
“Wait, you didn't drive here?”
He shook his head. “I flew. In a helicopter.”
“Your parents have a helicopter?”
“Well, Wydic Pharmaceuticals does.” He blushed faintly.
“And let me guess, you know how to fly it, don't you?”
He shrugged. “Not that I know of, but maybe. I'm learning I can do a lot of things I thought I couldn't do.”
“Like?”
“I meant what I said about not being good at sports.”
“Liar.”
“I'm serious. Then we started the game, and it was like it just came naturally. It was really weird.”
“Muscle memory?”
“I can't remember ever playing basketball before in my life.”
“Not even in elementary school? Because I really feel like we did.”
He shrugged. “Maybe. I can't remember back that far.”
“That's weird...”
He nodded in agreement.
“Well, we've already agreed that you're pretty weird anyway.” I gave him a grin and got up, returning to the closet blu-ray collection. “Now, what do you want to watch?”
“Something sappy and gross,” he joked.
I laughed. “Don't tempt me. I can probably find something.”