Fly Me Away

“Don’t stay out too late honey!” Mom called from the doorway as I bounced out towards Jackson’s expensive car with a grin on my face.

“I won’t!”

“And Jackson, make sure she gets home!”

“I will.” He unlocked the car with the click of a button and I was in like a flash.

“Quickly Jackson!” I urged, leaning through the car to his side and tugging on his shirt.

“Oh wait!” Mom hollered, “Maggie you forgot your sweater! I’ll just—”

“—I’m fine Mom, bye!”

I’d managed to rush Jackson along and he settled into the car shaking his head, “she’s just worried Maggie,” he murmured. I gave him a skeptical look. He had never seen my Mom in ’Maggie’s going to a party’ mode.

I gestured towards the front door. She was running towards us with an old knitted sweater in her right hand, waving it around above her head. “Go go go!” I yelped, beating my hands down on my knees.

Jackson laughed and the car flew to life. We hurriedly pulled out onto the road, leaving a very worried looking Mom on the edge of the yard calling out and waving.

I raised my arms up into the air, “victory!” Jackson laughed and shook his head.

“I don’t know how you managed it Jackson, Mom never ever lets anyone else drive me to parties. And what’s more amazing is that you convinced her to let you pick me up! Did you use some kind of angel spell on her?” I asked, taping a finger on my chin, “I shouldn’t have left you two alone for so long….”

“She was very reasonable about the whole thing. I think it is safe to say that I have your Mothers trust….and as for leaving us alone,” he laughed, “beware my angel voodoo.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the last part; Jackson didn’t say things like that very often. I glanced up at him in between laughs and took note of the casual smile on his face. His lovely face…

I was so excited, and the fact that Jackson was being so cool about this made it even more exciting. I never thought I’d be able to go out again after Jackson showed up, especially once he’d decided he would be my boyfriend and impact my social life, but all was well.

“You’re still happy from your Nymph gift?” he asked.

I nodded.

“I see. Are you still capable of making rational decisions?”

I nodded.

“…are you sure?”

Was this leading to a lecture about drugs, boys and alcohol?

“Yes Jackson!” I answered, adding a half hearted laugh at the end.

“Alright…. then there was something I wanted to ask you.”

My head perked up and I twisted until my whole body was facing him, still buckled in tight, “okay, shoot.”

He appeared a bit tense against the steering wheel, but it was barely noticeable. Anyone who hadn’t spent every minute of the last few weeks with him would have been oblivious. His eyes were fixed on the road and his eyebrows slightly furrowed, “I… do you miss being alone sometimes Maggie?”

I was taken-back by his question. Why would he be asking something like that….?

“I don’t understand.”

He sighed, relaxing his hands on the steering wheel, “this probably isn’t the best time.”

He was right. I could tell that whatever he wanted to talk about would not work right then. I was in the ‘ready to have fun’ mood, as opposed to the ‘I want to discuss my life with you’ one. I waited patiently for him to continue.

“….I’m going to leave you alone tonight. I don’t want you to feel like I’m watching you, because I won’t be.”

I frowned, “where are you going? You can’t just leave—”

“—I won’t leave you, I’ll still be nearby. I’m just going to try a different approach. Maybe I’ll perch up on the roof or in a tree, but the whole party will be safe from demons tonight, not just you.”

I took a moment to ponder this one. So he was actually going to leave me alone with my friends? Some real bonding time with the girls? There would be no scrutinizing eye watching my every move? No safety blanket to look to for reassurance? No calming angel drug to help me if I needed it? Some much deserved privacy?

“….thanks,” I mumbled, not really sure whether this was what I wanted or not.

Jackson didn’t reply. I turned back to face the road and took a deep breath in. I knew this would be extremely difficult for him, as he always liked to keep a close eye on me, but I didn’t know what else to say. Thanks didn’t seem right. He thought he was doing me a huge favor here but….

Then, like a tidal wave, I suddenly felt an abnormally deep surge of affection for Jackson. I was shocked. My hand slipped up to my collar bone and I left it there in an attempt to cool down the sudden temperature rise.

He looked over at me and smiled politely, “call me when you want to leave alright? I’ll be able to hear you if you call my name.”

…..what was going on?

-----

“I can’t wear this Kelly.”

“Why on earth not?”

“It’s too….perfect.”

“…that’s not a good enough reason.”

“What if I wreck it?”

“Then we’ll fix it."

I looked at myself warily in the full length mirror. The dress was amazing; Dark blue, just above the knee with satin halter straps and a swirling silver pattern running across the bodice.

Kelly was standing behind me nodding her head in unison with Zoe. Monique, the miniature Kelly, and the dark mysterious Karina were there too, sitting on Kelly’s pale pink bed cover, Karina polishing Monique’s nails. They were all dressed up in pretty dresses with their hair curled and pinned and their faces powdered to perfection. I was the only hold up.

The dress was so stunning that I felt guilty wearing it out in case I hurt it in some way, and my hair was hanging limply down my back, untouched by the extensive hair utensils spread out on Kelly’s duchess. Zoe had made it her mission to tend to my face the second I walked in the door, but that was about it.

“Just wear it and get it dry-cleaned if you spill something on it,” Monique chirped, not looking up as Karina’s long, steady fingers applied the polish.

I picked up the full skirt and dropped it a couple of times, marveling at the way it sat down perfectly in place each time. “I don’t know Kelly, it’s just—”

Butterflies ignited in my stomach when I caught sight of the green eyed boy staring at me through the mirror. His hair looked extra scruffy, wind-blown, and just the way I liked it. Even though he’d been sitting on the roof for the past hour and a half, I hadn’t forgotten that he was around. It was just the sight of him that got my breath caught in my throat.

“Beautiful,” he stated thoughtfully, presenting me with the sweetest smile I had ever seen.

He ran his eyes up the dress until they finally met mine. I swallowed and took a breath in to calm myself, convinced I was about to start hyper-ventilating. I was aware that my cheeks had turned pink, yet I tried my best to pretend he hadn’t just called me…beautiful. Me. Beautiful. Me.

“What? It’s just what? Seriously Maggie, you should wear it,” Kelly interrupted my thoughts, bringing me back to reality, “….where’s the super happy Maggie that walked in the door gone?”

I shrugged, trying to keep my eyes off the handsome boy in the mirror. Kelly wrapped her arms around my waist and rested her head on my shoulder, “you don’t have to wear it. Whatever makes you happy I guess.”

Oh how I wished Kelly was Jackson right then….

I exhaled and rubbed my eyes, “I need to use the rest room.”

“Don’t smudge your makeup!” Zoe hissed, zoning in on me and running her thumb under her eye.

Kelly let go of my waist and leapt over to sit with Monique and Karina, her red dress flowing behind her, “I hope you change your mind in there.”

Avoiding all eye contact, I walked swiftly past Jackson and through the door.

Thankfully, I knew my way around Kelly’s house just as well as Pip’s, maybe even better. Kelly’s was a lot smaller, more like mine; the size of a regular house. I was moving so quickly that I was sure I would walk straight into anybody trying to walk the other way. I had too much momentum going; thank goodness I was the only one rampaging through the hallway at the time. As soon as I made it, I sat myself on the closed toilet seat and folded my legs. Jackson wouldn’t bother me in there.

Unless I called out to him…

I pulled at my hair – Something was wrong with me. I couldn’t pin point the exact time when it happened, but I had fallen completely head over heels for Jackson within the last couple of hours. It was as if my normal adoration for him had just been multiplied by ten.

I closed my eyes and pressed my head against the wall, trying to fall into a sort of, mock-sleep. Stupid Nymph stupid Nymph stupid Nymph! I should have known there was something fishy going on when she winked. Argh!

It was so obvious that my night was already over. I just wanted to go home and spend it with Jackson. I wanted to be sitting on my bed, him standing in front of my balcony like every other night, except I would be wearing this blue dress. He would walk over to me, take me gently in his strong arms and whisper softly in my ear. He’d tell me how beautiful I looked…how beautiful I was.

He would kiss me, and my mind would soar. I would finally know what it felt like.

I was woken up by the faint sound of someone repeating my name from outside the door. I tried to ignore it, but I suddenly snapped my eyes open.

“Maggie.”

It was Jackson. I sighed; I loved his voice. It was so low and smooth, like dark melted chocolate. And the way he said my name was just…

“Maggie, are you alright? I’m sorry if I scared you, I only meant that the dress was…”

No, stop talking. Don’t finish that. You meant that I was beautiful and the dress had nothing to do with it. I don’t want to hear the truth.

He sighed, “have fun tonight, you won't see me until you’re ready to leave Danielle’s party.”

No no no!

“Jackson!” I called abruptly, standing up off the toilet and waiting for him to appear.

When he didn’t reply, I rushed over to the door to unlock it, thinking that maybe he couldn’t get in. That was the only reason he wouldn’t come when I called him. Once the door was unlocked, I swung it open, but there were no angels waiting for me.

“Whoa, you’re hung up on this guy aren’t you?” Zoe was standing on the other side of the door with one raised eyebrow, “I just came to check on you…you’ve been gone for a while…”

Did I fall asleep?

It was then that I realized Jackson didn’t need me to unlock the door for him, he just wasn’t coming. So he really meant what he said. How would I have a good night when I wouldn’t get to see his face? I stared out the window at the end of the hallway longingly, hoping to catch a glimpse of my now elusive angel. My angel. I was so hung up….

Zoe thumped her hands on my shoulders and turned me until we were face to face, "here’s what we’re going to do okay? You’re going to walk back and tell Kelly you’ll wear her dress, then we’re going to open a bottle of wine and you are going to sip away at a glass while Karina does your hair, then, we are all going to be jolly and forget all our boy troubles. All of them. That’s it. No boyfriends tonight Maggie, it’s just us girls.”

It took me a few seconds to detract my mind from Jackson enough to be able to make a sane decision. Zoe looked serious, pleading even. She sent the message to me like a jolt to my system.

“You’re right. I need a night like this.”

She clapped her hands, “that’s the attitude!”

-----

“I deserved it though,” Kelly muttered, placing an empty wine glass on the floor in front of her.

The five of us were sitting in a circle on Kelly’s floor. We were up to our third bottle of wine; one wine glass had been broken and only minor secrets had been spilt.

“You didn’t deserve it! That Rita girl is just jealous,” Monique defended, chugging back the rest of her glass.

Zoe was touching up her mascara in a compact and delicately sipping wine at the same time, yet she still managed to voice her opinion, “Rita’s a nice girl…”

“No Zoe! Rita is the enemy!”

Whoa, this Monique girl had a lot more bite than I’d first thought, especially with a few wines in her.

“Ugh!” Kelly groaned, “enough about my love life, I want to hear about Maggies!”

Kelly wiggled her eyebrows and Monique turned to me eagerly.

“Oh no no no no no no! No boys tonight! You promised!” I pleaded dramatically, taking another sip of wine. I disliked the taste, but I had had enough of it that I ceased to notice.

“Aww come on! Just a few details, I don't know anything about this fellow,” Kelly pushed, leaning over and topping up my glass with wine like a pro. Kelly had probably had the most, but it was barely noticeable.

I watched it splash into my glass and suddenly felt a little bit tipsy. How many had I had? It didn’t matter. I held the glass up to my mouth and downed a big mouthful before setting it shakily back on the floor. The girls all whistled and held up their glasses, toasting to me, before drinking some themselves.

I felt brave.

“What do you girls want to know then? Quick before this stuff wears off.”

Kelly laughed, Zoe shut her compact and Monique shuffled closer. Karina, who was our driver for the evening, smiled and tilted her head curiously. That was the most energy I had ever seen from that girl. Sure, she could twirl hair into perfection, but she never showed much interest in anything else….

“I want to know where he’s from. He’s an art student or something like that right? Has he been here for long? I’m sure I would have noticed him,” Zoe pondered, staring at me intently.

“He just moved here at the beginning of the year from Germany.”

“Wow Germany! He’s not German though is he? He doesn’t sound German.”

“No, he does a lot of….traveling.”

Zoe clapped her hands together, “oh what a catch Maggie! A man who’s seen the world, you know?”

My fearlessness grew as the semi true answers flew out of my mouth like water.

Kelly grinned and my attention was drawn to her, “does he live alone?”

I nodded and smiled shyly, reaching down for my glass again. The girls squealed and bobbed up and down in a very cliché manner. What an excitable bunch.

“Sound’s like you’ve got it good! None of this high school boy business…” Kelly rolled her eyes, “ hey, what does your Mom think about him?”

“She thinks he’s great,” I answered completely truthfully. Mom was definitely a Jackson fan.

“You lucky thing you! I could never ever take a guy home, the folks would freak!”

“Is he a good kisser?” Monique shot in, leaning her whole body towards me and grinning like a Cheshire cat.

I almost spat out the wine in my mouth. I was not expecting that.

I had never kissed him. I had never even come close, but if I told them that.... I shuddered. In my dreams he was a good kisser, not that I knew a whole lot about the act. I had had very minimal experience in that department.

I hesitated. My face started turning red and I fumbled with my glass of wine before taking a sip. But the alcohol had made me brave, and the blushing could quite possibly have been a drinking related tinge. I felt special, like the center of attention, and I needed to tell these girls what they wanted to hear. I just hoped to God that he wasn’t listening.

“….yes. Incredible,” I answered calmly, feeling enough confidence to lie like a pro....or maybe I wasn't lying. Maybe he really was incredible? I just didn't know.

I held the glass to my lips again.

“I knew it!” Monique threw her arms in the air and rolled onto her back, “that’s all I needed to hear, now my fantasy is complete!”

“Hey!” I hollered playfully, puffing my chest out in a melodramatic way. I leapt onto the fallen blond girl and growled like a possessive husky, “my boyfriend. Mine.”

“DOG PILE!!”

Kelly landing on top of the two of us and my arms buckled, sending us crashing to the ground. The weight grew when Zoe joined the fray. The laughing was almost deafening. I had my face pressed against the carpet and my rib was getting squished, but I just laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed.

“I think it’s time we got going,” Karina’s low, south African accent cut through our laughing like a knife. We all rolled over to our own spaces on the carpet, trying to recover.

“I….think….you’re….right,” Kelly breathed between laughs, "let's hit this party!"