Fly Me Away

I went home that day. Mom came home from work too; she spoke to Pip’s parents on the phone for a long time. We had been family friends since I was 5 years old, and she could handle these situations much better than I could.

Jackson only left me for a few minutes at a time. He never said anything, but I knew we was worried that whatever…happened to Pip, would happen to me. But It got to a point where he stopped leaving all together. He just stayed there, staring out the balcony window for hours.

It made me feel uneasy, like something had changed.

“Why aren’t you looking for Pip…?” I asked, legs folded on my bed, gazing out in his direction.

He didn’t answer me, which only added to my concern. I wrapped my arms around the bed post and leaned my head against the polished wood. “Jackson?”

My attention was drawn to my door which was sliding open slowly.

“Maggie, are you alright Honey?” Mom spoke from behind it, then peeped her head around the corner. She looked like she was too afraid to be near me for some reason. Scared I might lash out.

“I’m alright,” I brushed her off, “Any news?”

“Sorry, none yet. Everybody’s working really hard though. I’m sure we’ll find her.”

I glanced back over in Jackson's direction, but he was gone. Searching for Pip I guessed. Good…

Mom strolled over and sat on the bed beside me, staring out into the empty space before the balcony “Honey…?”

I was glad that Jackson was helping with Pip’s search – he would undoubtedly be the one to find her – but I was struggling with thoughts about the situation that I didn’t like. I didn’t like the fact that Pip was gone, but I also… didn’t like it when Jackson left. I was grateful that he was helping, but I was scared….for myself, and for him…..

I know it was selfish but…

“Maybe you should invite Kelly over?” Mom interrupted my thoughts.

I jumped, shocked back from my horrific thoughts. I stared at Mom for a little while, still trying to decipher what it was that made me think like that. The crease above her eyebrows deepened and she frowned, “Maggie dear?”

“Her parents won’t let her leave,” I explained, “and I’m not sure she wants to.”

“Oh alright…”

Mom returned to her silent thinking, the frown never disappearing, “are you still fighting with Jackson?”

My eyes widened in disbelief, was she really asking me about my relationship at a time like this? My own Mother?

“Mom! This isn’t the time to—”

“You just look upset,” she interrupted again, placing a hand on my knee softly, “I’m going to go and help the search and I don’t want you to be alone."

She sighed and I could see it, the worry and anguish that she hid so well when hard times presented themselves. “I wish your father was here….” She whispered, smiling a little bit. She was thinking about how much easier everything would be.

I hated it when she brought him up. Of course I felt sorry for her, losing the love of her life at such an important time, but I never met him and I wish so badly that I had. I had spent countless hours deciding which parts of my face came from Mom and which were his.

Mom desperately wanted to help with finding Pip, and I wouldn’t stop her. I wanted to help too, but I didn’t know what I could do. I had already been asked several times about where I thought she would be, but they’d looked in them all. Nothing.

Plus, I couldn’t blame her for not wanting me alone. I didn’t want to be alone myself…

“I’ll call Jackson,” I stated, making up my mind on the spot.

She smiled appreciatively, but her eyes were still sad, “That would be good. He’s a nice boy, I trust him to look after you.”

I nodded, saddened by the sight of her and by what she said. Sometimes I wished I could tell someone, maybe Mom, the truth about him. Well, not the angel part, but about our complicated relationship.

But…I probably wouldn’t make sense if I left out the angel part…

Mom pulled me gruffly to her side and planted a kiss on my forehead, making a big ‘mwah’ noise while she did. Usually I would mind, but not today. Today, I was going to take all the love I could get.

I did shrug her off though, giving her the signal that I wanted to be left alone in my room. That was when I would ‘call’ Jackson.

But she just sat there.

After an awkward minute or so, I raised an eyebrow at her. She just looked at me expectantly, then frowned again when I didn’t do anything.

“Well?” she said, “Are you going to call him?”

“Oh!”

I panicked and my hands began fidgeting around in the immediate area for my phone, not that it would do me much good. Jackson didn’t have a number for me to call, how the hell was I going to fake a phone call when Mom was 30 centimeters away?

Baby elephant walk began blaring from the front pocket of my school bag. I startled, as did Mom, before I leaped over and answered my phone wearily. “…Hello?”

“Maggie.”

“Jackson?” I asked, my voice sounding far too surprised. I quickly stopped myself from asking where he was calling from. Good timing; I hope Mom didn't think it was suspicious.

“It’s Jackson?” Mom jumped up too, seeming a bit brighter, “Could I have a quick word with him?”

I flicked my hand at her and mouthed the word ‘no’, but she was persistent. She stood in front of me wherever I went and constantly tried to pry the phone out of my hand.

“Tell her I’ll be over in five minutes and I’ll talk to her then,” I caught through the receiver, then he hung up.

She snatched the phone from my hand triumphantly, then looked at it for a split second, figuring out what it was she should do. She eventually held it to her ear, “Hello Jackson?”

I threw my arms up exasperatedly. She squinted her eyes at the floor and held her hand over her open ear, “Are you there?”

“He’s gone Mom,” I snatched the phone back. “He said he’ll be here in 5 minutes, you can talk to him then.”

Mom looked shocked for a second, before she gave up and nodded, satisfied. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at her. Was it really that important for her to talk with him? I knew she enjoyed their little heart to hearts, Jackson could hold a captivating conversation when he wanted too, but surely she just wanted to get out of here.

Mom bustled around the living room placing things in her purse and jacket pockets frantically. In the short time it took her to walk down the stairs, her hair had become a frazzled mess. I hated seeing her like that, she was usually so carefree and happy. Mom always felt the need to take control of everything, something I didn’t pick up from the gene pool.

There was a knock at the front door.

I leapt out off the sofa and pranced over eagerly. Mom ran a hand through her hair and followed me at her own pace. My heart beats doubled at the sound of his hand against the door for some reason; I hadn’t seen him in a whole five minutes. How pathetic.

The moment I swung the door back I was enveloped in a warm embrace. My heart beat was heavy against his chest and I threw my arms around him without hesitation. Sure, I was surprised as hell, and I knew my wide eyes would show it, but I wasn’t shocked enough to stand there like a deer in headlights. I dug my face into his shirt, feeling utterly relaxed as I breathed him in.

Why on earth was he letting me do this…?

“I’m glad you came,” Mom peeped from back in the house.

Oh right, I got it, this was still a show. No matter how much I tried to wipe it from my mind, Jackson was not doing this for me. He was showing my Mother that he cared about me, and that she could trust me with him, which was true. She could trust him for sure, but whether he truly cared or not I—

“I know about Pip,” Jackson announced, pulling me closer, “I’ve got Maggie now. She’s safe.”

He grinned down at me, his gold hair flopping onto his forehead in a cute way. I lost my train of thought. Whoever it was that sent me the most beautiful angel in the world was beyond cruel. That gooey feeling in my stomach stretched to my fingertips and I gripped tighter, dreading the moment he would let me go.

And it came too soon.

He gently tugged me away from him, but I looped my arm around his persistently. Jackson chuckled lightly and let me cling to him, shrugging a little bit at Mom. She smiled sweetly and shrugged back.

“So you two are good again?” Mom asked, confident of the answer.

Jackson frowned for a fraction of a second, then unleashed a brilliant, mind boggling smile. Only my eyes, which were accustomed to the ways of Jackson, would have seen the switch. I hoped he was thinking about how much I hated him yesterday, that better have been where the frown came from. Mom grinned back obliviously and hooked her handbag over her shoulder.

“Alright alright. Take care of my wee girl, and behave yourselves!”

She gave the two of us a quick hug, before shooting off past us and down the driveway. We waited in the frame of the door and watched as Moms car reversed slowly back and onto the road. There was a strange silence between us – we both knew what would happen the second she was out of view. To my extreme displeasure, Mom waved quickly, then zoomed away.

Jackson pulled his arm from my grasp with ease and closed the front door. I sighed and frowned, waiting on his next move. Was he going to leave me alone again? Or would he stand in the corner and watch me while I did nothing, like he usually did.

His eyebrows furrowed and he gave me a hard stare. I didn’t like the stare, it was more of a warning.

“What was that?” He asked, disapprovingly.

I raised an eyebrow - Was he talking about me not letting him go?

Hey, who was making up the rules here? If he wanted convincing, he was damn well going to get it. I scowled at him, not in the mood. I needed a hug, not his judgment. And he fricking started it!

But he wasn’t letting it go, “I told you how things were,” he rambled on, “There’s a line. You can’t—”

“—Could you just…shut up?” I interrupted, rubbing my eyes with my palms. I had a massive headache.

“This is important Maggie—”

“This is not important. This is so trivial that I can’t even believe you’re bringing it up. Think what you want Jackson, just stop whining to me about it! You can’t barge into my life, guns blazing, completely mess everything up, then tell me what I can and can’t do. You just…can’t do that…”

Darn it, I was crying. I spun on my heels and bee-lined to the living room, taking up refuge in the corner of the biggest, comfiest sofa I could find.

I didn’t hear anything from him for a while. At least 5 minutes passed in complete silence while I stifled my tears. God knows what he was doing; I was too chicken to look. Maybe he’d finally gone out to find Pip. Hopefully…

The weight of the couch shifted. Completely out of place, I felt relaxed. Cheater.

“Are you going to go look for Pip?” I murmured, still facing away from him. She was important.

“I can’t leave you alone right now,” he stated sternly.

“I’ll be fine.”

I felt him staring a hole in the back of my head, “People who are being hunted by demons can’t say that.”

Oh God, I’d almost forgotten. I hated his use of the word hunted with all my being. Could my life get any crazier?

“I’ll stay with you tonight,” he soothed. The words were innocent, but I just caught them the wrong way, making my checks blush furiously. Thankfully he took no notice and I watched his hand stretching out for the TV remote. Were we parking up here for the night?

I couldn’t believe it. A good friend of mine was missing and my mind was in the gutter…

I felt useless; wallowing in how upset I was, and how much better Jackson could make me feel, when Pip could be anywhere. She might have been dead for all I knew, and I was at home on the couch with a guy…

“I should be helping with the search,” I confessed, the guilt making my stomach turn.

“No, leave that all to me. Get some rest Maggie, you’re exhausted.”

"If you're here with me, who's out there with Pip?"

"...I've called in some favors."

Favors....I relaxed again at Jackson's words. That was the reason why I was cooped in here instead of helping; I couldn’t do a fraction of what he could. Did he ask other angels for help? That would be good. They could fly for Christ’s sake, and be would be able to see her from a mile away. Jackson's proven his immaculate hearing enough times too.

I trusted him with my life, and I trusted him with Pip’s.