How to Be a Guardian Angel -- Chapter 8

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Chapter Eight

“So, what exactly are we doing?” I asked, as we faced each other in the park, the light of the day long gone. Cash placed both of our jackets on the park bench, but still didn’t elude to the real reason we were here. This park – the same one I’d been shot in – looked not much different than it had in the days when I’d peacefully played my guitar here.

Staring at the stones that once might have been stained with my blood, I didn’t realize that I’d moved away from Cash and towards the scene of the accident. How long had people maintained the forlorn scene, avoiding it out of respect for the dead girl I’d once been – or out of the fear of the incident itself.

It wasn’t until I sensed the motion behind me that I was brought back to reality, and dove out of the way of the foot flying through where my shoulders had just been. “What’s the big idea?” I demanded, coming out of my rolls and standing to face the shadow that was Cash.

“You could have been sent flying if you were still human,” he said, his hair and the outline of his wings glittering in the dim light of a street lamp. His outline disappeared again as he moved faster than a human could have. Diving again, I knew I wasn’t going to make it. His kick impacted into my left side, and sent me flying. I felt no pain, but I skid on the paving stones on the path – feeling the fabric on my shirt pick up dirt and fresh wear marks.

Now, it was my turn. Standing up, I picked out his outline and went for it. Willing my limbs to dart for him, I felt a fist impact his head – but the knee to his gut missed as he spun away, laughing. “We can’t hurt each other – what’s the point?” I growled, turning to face him as he came within inches of my face, looking down at me with the half smile I’d always known.

“Because I didn’t know if you could fight or not. You’re good, I guess.” Cash brushed a piece of hair off of my forehead, the idea of his touch sending a thrill through my new body. “What was that, Angel?” He asked, his eyes suddenly level with mine as they glittered in the street light. The glitter wasn’t something I was entirely comfortable with, so on impulse, I stepped away.

“Why are we fighting, Cash?” I asked.

“I just told you–,” He started, and I shook my head.

“I mean, what does this have to do with showing me the ropes?” I asked, looking towards my jacket.

It has everything to do with it. If you don’t know how to fight,” he paused, and made his stance casual. “You’ll need to be taught. There are some things that really aren’t avoidable when you’re a Guardian.”

I nodded. “Okay, I can agree with that.” I said, and fixed my hair into a tighter ponytail. Walking back over to the bench, I grabbed my jacket. It was a cold night – and anybody who would have looked out their windows would have definitely thought both of us were out of our minds. Slipping it on as Cash seemed to step away, his back to me. He ran his hand through his hair, and then walked over for his coat.

“You up for some drinks?” He asked. I chuckled.

“I still look seventeen, remember?” I asked. His eyebrows met briefly – and then he laughed.

“You haven’t really looked in the mirror, have you?” He asked, and then took my hand. “You don’t look seventeen anymore. Not that you really ever did,” his voice came with little bursts of fog as he pulled me back onto a sidewalk, and towards a row of shops. The lights on the street lit the glass like mirrors, and as we passed a particularly wall reflective one, Cash stopped, and placed me in front of it.

I froze, looking at a much older looking me. My wide brown eyes were even more defined then they’d been before, and my skin was as flawless as Cash’s. My long, curly brown hair was glossy, but overall, I was still me. Not wearing makeup, I would easily pass as a twenty-one year old, or better. Fixing the collar on my turtleneck, and checking my figure once more, I looked back at Cash. “And you didn’t mention this sooner because?” I asked, and he shrugged.

“I was told girls look at the mirror a lot – so I just assumed you had.”

“Classy, Cash,” I said, taking the would-be insult in stride. I’d tried hard to never be that kind of girl, but the fact was hard to avoid that some girls really did do that. As we neared a local bar, I spotted the characteristic outliers of the crowd – the ones that were leaving, the ones that were coming, and the varying degrees of loiterers. The space, or what I now realized was a busy club, danced with lights and life. I’d never been in one – but with Cash, there was no backing out now.

Cash had taken my hand again, and when we walked through the door, the bouncer didn’t even look twice at us. My tight jeans and converses, while plainer than what most of the scantily dressed girls were wearing, still blended in with the casual crowd around the black marble bar.

“Whatcha' want?” The female bartender asked, her face a calm smile, when she noticed us standing there. When Cash replied with a smile of his own, I noticed that they must have known each other.

“The usual,” his voice seemed to disappear into the music of the space, and then the girl was off – making whatever his ‘usual’ was.

I leaned against the counter, my elbows on the cold stone, and watched the dancers moving in near synchrony on the floor. The music didn’t have lyrics – or at least this song didn’t – and the dancers all looked like they’d found partners of one or another sex. The smile that crept to my lips was more of amusement as Cash seemed to notice me looking.

“So, what do you think?” He asked, and then seemed to look in the same general direction. “Something you’d get used to?”

I turned my head as if I was going to look at him, but kept my eyes on the dancers. “If you gave me long enough, maybe. I’m more curious as to how you got used to it.” I paused, and took my eyes away to watch the bartender place the two identical drinks on the counter.

“Twelve bucks,” she said, and seemed to pause there as Cash swiped the money out of his pocket, and into her suddenly waiting hand.

“Thank you for your patronage.”

She winked, then was off taking more orders, and not looking back.

“You two know each other?” I asked, and Cash handed a thin necked martini glass to me. “Should I?” He answered, and his cavalier attitude made me laugh.

“Guess not.” I said, and eyed the green olive in my glass.

“I guess you always knew you liked things dirty,” I joked, and Cash laughed as he eyed me.

“I’m not that kind of guy,” he said, frowning. It was my turn to wink as I lifted my drink.

“Bottoms up.”

The taste of the alcohol was sharp, but the burn of it didn’t come as it slid down my throat. Cash and I continued to watch the dancers until both of us finished our drinks, and walked to leave our coats at the check – something Cash had managed to forget about doing beforehand.

I bit back sarcasm as Cash got me onto the floor and into the throng, dancing to a slower song to start. His hands gripped my wrists gently as he taught me how to move like the others, though something told me I wasn’t going to be nearly as good. I’d chosen never to be a good dancer long ago, but it seemed my lack of trying really was going to cost me now.

When a faster song came on, though, nobody paid attention as everyone moved their focus to their partners, and I felt caged by all the pulsating bodies. Cash danced with me, his hands around my waist, keeping me there. Eventually, it became less uncomfortable, and I almost wondered if alcohol could still bother me, as an angel.

I could feel the lust of the people in the air, and I could smell every bead of salt that poured off the bodies. It was a situation I was slowly becoming tolerant of, until I looked into Cash’s eyes, and saw the unbridled desire there. Finally shown in it’s true form, I couldn’t hide as he moved his face down, and his lips brushed my nose – just before the song ended – and I rushed to break apart.

He didn’t notice my movement, or if he did, he appeared not to be bothered by it. Saying I wanted a break, he shrugged and said it looked like I wasn’t that into being here at the bar, and offered for us to call it quits for the night. I nodded gratefully, we grabbed our coats, and then left without so much as a backward glance.

The walk home was quiet, along the lit sidewalks. The only sound for a long time was of Cash and I’s breathing, and our joined footsteps. It didn’t change much until we were long past the park, and we passed an alleyway.

What happened next probably should have been predictable, but as the large man tackled Cash to the ground, and the other one grabbed me by my coat, I hadn’t been thinking of the possibilities. Their yells were incoherent for several seconds as they both tried to establish dominance in the situation – and Cash and I exchanged looks as his face was pressed against the concrete of the sidewalk. The man holding me, however, was the one who finally seemed to give the demands. “Your wallets, and whatever valuables you’ve got,” his voice growled, and I felt the presence of a knife against my back. Cash didn’t move, and neither did I - but images of Cash’s attacks filled my head suddenly, and I looked over at him.

“Fight, Krista,” I heard his voice, but saw no movement, and I froze even harder. His lips hadn’t moved - but his instructions were crystal clear in my head. Nodding imperceptibly, I lifted my leg and drove it with such force that I heard the bones snap in his foot. His grunt filled the air as his knife moved away, and I darted just far enough away to get a successful elbow slash to his face.

The big man watched his companion fall in pain, unmoving, until he locked eyes with me and decided to attack. “You dumb bitch, you’re in for it now!” Seemed like a cliche thing to say, but as the words came grunting out I dodged the goons knife, and then sent a foot solidly between his legs, his words turning soprano before he even hit the ground. Cash appeared behind me a flash later, but we didn’t stick around to see if the two were up to continuing the brawl.