Fly Me Away

Whenever I tried to imagine, or just think about those ghostly women flitting about everywhere altering memories, my head just spun. They did so much in so little time. It was as if absolutely nothing had happened. Time passed, I went to school, walked around the neighborhood; nothing had changed.

It had been a whole month since it all went down. I sat at the dinner table listening to Mom spiel about how hard I needed to work in school if I was going to get into a good college, just like she did most nights. I placed a bean in my mouth and shyly glanced at the handsome man seated to my left.

Yes, he was still there.

Jackson hadn’t left my side yet. When I fell asleep, when I woke up, when I sat in class unable to concentrate, he was the reason. Whenever I asked, he had no explanation as to why he hadn’t been called away. I wasn’t convinced he was telling the truth, but to be honest, I didn’t care. He was there, we were together and that was all that mattered to me.

Jackson cut something on his plate, but smiled slyly, completely aware of my staring. There was no denying he was enjoyed the effect his unwavering devotion was having on me.

“Maggie…. are you listening to me?” Mom grumbled, “Stop ogling the poor boy.”

I laughed inwardly and pushed my plate away, “Can we be excused Mother dearest?”

She sighed and nodded, accepting the fact that I had not heard a word she had said.

I bounced to my feet and grabbed Jackson’s hand on the way to my bedroom, pausing briefly as he laughed and thanked my Mom for the wonderful meal. She blushed and began packing the dishes away. I bolted up the stairs.

“Behave yourselves!” Mom called out after us.

The second she was out of view, Jackson scooped me up and threw me over his shoulder while I giggled like a little girl. This was how I wanted everything to stay. Life was so good. Something had changed in him since the demons stopped coming after me. He was so much happier, more annoying, and a lot less stressed. The same could be said about me.

One thing that really bothered me though, was that Pip’s memory was cleared as well. I constantly had to hold my tongue around her. It was hard when we’d just been through this huge ordeal together and she was the only other helpless human caught in the drama with me.

Kelly would forever remain oblivious. On the Brightside, her and Pip made up—but not completely. Our childhood trio had split up for good, but on good terms. Kelly opted to stay with her new group of friends, whereas Pip and myself would hang out with her boyfriend Kyle, who was actually a really decent guy. I could see how much he liked Pip—I was the only one who knew how distressed he would get if he ever lost her, since I was the only one who remembered it actually happening. Kelly and her friends were a bit much for me anyway, and I was never truly forgiven for ruining the beautiful dress.

Bronco called me every now and then to ask me if I’d broken up with Jackson yet. Whether it was all just a joke or not, I didn’t care – He would always be met with a loud ‘no’ that made me feel like leaping around the room every time I said it. I would never tell him, but I’d grown to like that glimpse of jealously I’d see in Jackson's eyes whenever this happened.

The days were growing shorter, and Jackson and I were falling into a routine, just like a normal couple. A normal couple!

I sat on the end of my bed that night with a half written essay on my knee. Mom never let Jackson stay past 9 O’clock and sometimes I wondered whether she thought it was suspicious that I never argued with her about it. Unbeknownst to Mother, and despite some seriously half hearted protests from me, he was sitting behind me with his arms around my waist, ‘helping’ me with my essay. I was trying to debate the uses of chemistry in everyday life with him, but he was driving me nuts by whispering the answers to all my questions directly into my ear. I threw the essay on the ground and twisted around to face him.

“Seriously, you can’t do this to me,” I moaned, having recently master the art of the quiet speaking voice to avoid my Mothers wrath.

“Whatever do you mean?”

“That right there,” I taped a finger on his nose, “Stop being so darn cute.”

He laughed and pulled me closer to him, smiling gingerly. I tried to keep my serious face on but struggled.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you something—"

“I love you,” he interrupted me.

I forgot what I was going to ask. I knew I had been patiently waiting some time to ask it, but poof - gone. It was the perfect way to avoid being questioned. Well, if you looked like him it was.

To my delight, he followed this up by pulling me down and kissing me softly. No matter how many times he did it, it never ceased to send shivers down my back and through to my fingertips. I melted into a heap on his chest.

“So, since I’m your little love bug and everything,” I whispered against his lips, “….what do you think about finishing my essay for me?”

He smiled and flipped me over, pinning my arms on either side of me head, “Not a chance.”

I jutted out my bottom lip and blinked innocently.

“Your teacher would wonder why your writing suddenly became so good.”

“Hey, If you’re going to stay here you’ve gotta pull your weight.”

He grinned at me in an almost animal like way, giving my heart just enough time to somersault into overdrive before he kissed me hard. That perfect specimen of a human chest was beneath my palms, and I managed to slip a hand under the collar of his shirt to touch his warm marble skin. He lifted me closer to him, his lips not leaving mine for even half a second. His hands kneaded my waist, sliding down to my hips. I may have heard him ask me whether he was pulling his weight or something along those lines, but my crazed erratic brain may also have made it up.

That heat. It was so hot. It all became too much for the human when his mouth slid down to my neck – I groaned loudly.

He sat up bolt straight, almost tearing me away and holding me at arm’s length, his eyes were staring at the door.

My hands slapped over my mouth. I knew what I had done. I had done it too many God damn times to count.

The scramble began. Jackson literally flung himself off me and scattered my homework across my bed to make it look like I was busy. The pencil I was previously using was now broken in half, so he magically pulled a new one out of somewhere and placed it in my hand, my cellphone went into the other.

All I had to do in this situation was pull myself together. That was my only job.

“Maggie?” Mom called from the hallway.

I tried. I honestly tried to cool myself down. When you are in the midst of a passionate embrace and you needed to flat out stop, it is just neigh on impossible not to look like a deer in headlights.

She opened the door without knocking and I slammed the phone to my ear awkwardly.

“Maggie are you alright? Who are you talking too?” She furrowed her eyebrows and scanned my bedroom. To assist me in my cooling down, Jackson had left the building completely. My balcony door was slightly ajar.

My first instinct was always to say I was speaking with Jackson, but honestly, if I was making that kind of noise on the phone to Jackson Mom would take the thing off me throw it in the trash. It would have to be Pip. Why on earth I would make that noise over the phone to her…. I guess that was up to Mom's imagination.

“Pip,” I mouth, managing somehow to pretend I was actually talking to her, “Okay okay, I’ve gotta go. Thanks for the ideas, but chocolate cake isn’t really chemistry essay material. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I made sure to beep one of the buttons loudly so she would be convinced. I packed up my homework and dumped it on the floor beside me, “Goodnight Mom. I’m done for the night.”

She narrowed her eyes a little bit, but slunk away anyway.

The second the door shut behind her I collapsed forward, face planting onto my pillow. The weight shifted on my bed and I felt Jackson’s hands on my back. “You need to show some self-control,” he whispered, chuckling slightly, then he proceeded to pull my blankets open beneath me and slot me under them. He turned off my bedside lamp and the room became dark.

Guessing there was no continuing after that awful cool off period, I found his hand innocently before he could escape.

“Jackson?”

“Yes.”

I whispered so quietly, even I could barely hear it, “Why are you still here…?”

He could have taken that the wrong way. Anybody looking in from the outside would have thought I was telling him to leave. Quite the opposite.

He sighed, and whispered equally as quietly, “I don’t know Maggie.”

“So you’re staying?”

He sighed again, dramatically this time, and placed himself on my bed beside me. I rolled over to face him, still having a hold of his hand. He reached up with his free one and stroked a lock of my hair.

“Maybe they’ve finally realized how much of a failure I am as an angel.”

“Or how perfect you would be as a human...?”

He ran his hand down my side, his eyes lingering as it curved slowly to my waist and rested there. “Wouldn’t that be the dream,” he whispered with a smile.

I held his hand to my lips and kissed it, then closed my eyes. I couldn’t have been more comfortable if I was lying in a field of marshmallows. What a luxury having him there whenever I wanted him.

“Jackson.”

He didn’t respond. I opened my eyes to find that his were closed. It was rare to see him with his eyes closed, considering her didn’t need sleep, and it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. As my eyes adjusted further to the darkness, I tried to imagine what he looked had he been younger and could only think of the most gorgeous little boy in the world with mountains of blonde waves and big green eyes.

I imagined what his parents might have looked like. A slim graceful mother with the same golden hair as him, spiraling past her shoulders, and I decided her eyes would be blue. He would have his Fathers green eyes and broad shoulders. Maybe his father was a powerful businessman who travelled the world while his sweet wife took care of their pride and joy and awaited his return.

I shuffled in closer, still holding his hand, until we were mere centimeters apart. “Jack.”

He didn’t open his eyes, just whispered in a sleepy voice, “Yes my beautiful gardenia..?”

“Can—” As soon as I started to ask it I stopped and considered that it might offend him.

He opened his eyes, interested now, and silently urged me to finish.

I took a breath, “Are angels able to have children?”

He stared at me for a long time. His expression was completely and utterly unreadable, something I hadn’t seen since he last looked into the face of a demon. I felt guilty. I felt like I was being burned and I wished I had never asked.

“Forget it,” I quickly muttered, hiding behind his hand and shutting my eyes with so much force I started seeing shapes.

He didn’t reply

------------------------------

It was 3.38 pm on Saturday Afternoon. It was raining heavily – I knew something was wrong as soon as I saw her.

A single nymph in my bedroom standing before the balcony.

I had stopped beneath the door way, while I was on my way to nestle up on my bed with Jackson and watch one of the DVD’s we’d just chosen out. I flung my arms out and grabbed the doorway so he couldn’t get past me; my heart was racing faster than it ever had.

“What do you want?” I demanded.

She smiled sadly, then lit up. The light gradually got brighter and brighter until I had to look away. When looked back again, my heart broke into a million pieces as I saw two brilliant white wings. I knew what she was.

A messenger.

She was magnificent. Completely mythical and beautiful beyond words—exactly what you would expect an angel to look like, even more so than Jackson. She had shining copper hair that cascaded around her shoulders in gentle waves, her dress colored with pastels and her face was that of a porcelain doll. Flawless.

“No...”

Jackson put his hands on my shoulders and I spun around frantically, slamming my hands back against the doorway, now able to stare up at his face.

“Stay,” I begged. Tears were rolling down my face, but I didn’t notice.

“Maggie—”

“—No no, no Maggie. Just stay.”

He hugged me. He grabbed me and pulled me into a vice lock. I didn’t like this at all, I struggled, I cried, “Let go!” I wailed. He carried me further into my room while I trashed around.

“Margaret,” the new angel spoke softly. I could feel the air becoming calmer as Jackson put me down before her. She was doing this. That awful ugly witch was doing this.

I turned to her and wiped the tears with me sleeves, “He’s no good as an angel! It will be better if you leave him with me.”

Her smile was sympathetic. “Margaret, he is an outstanding angel.”

“But he broke every rule!!”

“If you had been given a different angel, would you still be standing here?”

I sobbed until I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t want to listen to what this thing had to say but… I had to. I felt like I was being persuaded by not just her words but her presence. Her voice was like music, and she was right. Neil said himself that he would have given me up.

“He kept you safe when nobody else would have,” she reasoned, moving forward with her palm outstretched. She placed her hand, warm as sunbeams, on my cheek.

“You are still needed.”

I stepped backwards sharply, suddenly aware that I was falling for everything she was saying. She was going to convince me that I didn’t need him next. I wasn’t going to let him go.

“Jackson help me!” I turned to him and pleaded.

His expression was blank as he looked at her, the messenger. I latched onto the scruff of his collar and tried to shake him. He needed some SENSE shaken into him! I couldn't convince this divine creature on my own!

He blinked after a moment, and looked down, finally taking notice of the hysterical girl in front of him. He hushed me and firmly grabbed my shoulders.

“Maggie, she’s gone.”

I froze….What?

I twisted me neck stiffly around to see for myself, and she was indeed absent. Not a trace of her. She didn’t even make a sound as she left.

I was speechless – was this a trick? WHAT A DAMN AWFUL TRICK TO—

“I’m staying,” Jackson announced.

My head snapped back to look at him so fast I got whiplash.

“You’re….?”

“Staying with you.”

A bag of butterflies exploded into magic dust in my stomach and I made a high pitched noise of glee.

But I was confused. Jackson wasn’t smiling like my brain told me he should have been.

“This is….a good thing?” I managed to wheeze out. It was more a question that it should have been.

“I’m not finished running around after you Maggie, but….”

“…But?”

“Neither is Claude.”