Fallen Identity

"Carter! Wait up!" I heard Cameal's voice shout from behind me as I sped walked to my room. I stood in front of my room and waited impatiently for Zach to come since he had the room key.

The other guys finally made it over to where I was standing. I held out my hand for the room key and Zach hesitantly got it out and I snatched it and opened the door and went in. I shoved Zach in and slammed the door shut and made sure to lock all of the locks and then proceeded to check the window.

"What's going on? Why are you acting like this?" Zach asked with worry heavy in his tone.
I turned to look at him and I saw his eyes widen when I noticed the tears streaming down my already pink stained cheeks. Damnit! I thought I was done crying.

I turned away from him and tried wiping the tears away from my eyes with my sleeve but my efforts were futile. I could tell that Zach was hopelessly confused and didn't know what to do. I felt like I was on one of the soap operas and I just found my husband cheating on me with my sister-in-law.

I curled myself up on my bed and let the tears silently fall. I felt the bed move as if someone was sitting down on it and assumed it was Zach. Who else would it be? I was answered with the face that's been haunting me all day.

"You can talk to me you know," Zach started to say and then took a deep breath before continuing. "I may be a guy but I'm thousands of years old and have some intelligence. I do know that sometimes it's better to just let it out instead of keeping it inside."

"He's back," I said, since it has been the only thought on my mind ever since I saw his face this afternoon. Zach was silent, I guess he was waiting for me to continue. So I told him everything; the reason I ran away up to what happened today.

He was silent for a moment before saying, "Did you try pressing charges?"

"Yes, nobody helped me at all," I nodded.

"How can they let somebody get away with someone so sick," he whispered angrily.

"Because he has money and I'm just a worthless girl," I answered even though I knew it was a rhetorical question.

"You're not worthless," he said.

"I might as well be. People are already calling me, the girl me, dead and I have no money and nowhere to go."

"You have us and they can't necessarily call you dead until 7 years later if a body hasn't been found and a parent or guardian signs a release form declaring you dead."

"How do you know so much about that kinda stuff?" He just shrugged and replied with, "Television."

"Right," I replied. Television had the answer to everything.

"If you see him tomorrow. Can you tell me who he is so we can steer clear of him?" he asked.

"Ok. I know for a fact that he's staying in this hotel and I don't know if he saw me or not." I looked down at my fingers where were playing with the seams of the bed comforter. He stiffened for a moment and then said, "No wonder you were so eager to get into the room and lock the door."

"Yeah," I yawned.

"We should get some sleep."

"Okay," I replied and then laid my head down. Zach got up and turned the light off.
I found it very hard to fall asleep. Whenever I did manage to fall asleep, I just woke up 30 minutes later.

"Can't sleep?" Zach's voice seemed so loud even though he was whispering.

"Yeah," I replied truthfully.

"Me neither."

"I-I just keep seeing his face in my mind. I don't feel safe anymore."

"Well, if you want, you can sleep with me. I won't try anything, I promise," he said then added, "That's stupid, being in the same bed with a guy is the last thing you wan-"

He was cut off by me crawling into bed next to him. "Thank you, and I know you won't try anything. You're not like that."

"You're welcome," he said but I was already drifting off to sleep, feeling safe knowing I had an angel watching over me.

I smelt coffee and some of those pastries from yesterday morning. I fluttered my eyelids open to see Zach sitting at the table with a croissant hanging out of his mouth as he was attempting to watch the French news.

I looked to see I was still wearing my clothes from yesterday and went to go take a shower and put fresh clothes on. I came out feeling rejuvenated. Showers always had a soothing effect on me.

"How are you feeling?" Zach asked me as I sat down and grabbed a pastry.

"Better then yesterday but I'm still a little terrified," I answered. He nodded his head in understandment. I looked down to see what he was wearing because I never really noticed before. I guess sleeping with someone really opened your eyes to them.

He had on a plain black hoodie so I couldn't see what kind of shirt he was wearing, and a pair of regular jeans on. So he dresses casual.

"Do you think you're ready to go?"

"Yeah, I just hope I don't run into him again." I didn't have to say who 'him' was.

"Right, then let's go," he said and gave me a light smile, which I returned. He led me downstairs to the hotel lobby where all the guys stood waiting. It occured to me that I didn't even know what we were going to be doing today since they said yesterday that we were on business today.

"Um, where are we going today?" I asked as we headed out the door and into Paris.

"Were looking for a cherry tree," Gabriel replied.

"A cherry tree?" I cocked an eyebrow. What the heck do they need a cherry tree for?

"The cherry tree is France's symbol so we know where to go to find the other Fallen," Elijah explained.

"There's more Fallen Angels?" I gasped. I had no idea. I thought these guys were the only ones besides Iofiel.

"Of course there are. I think there are about 57 Fallen Angels that are still alive to this day," Raz said. 57? That's way more then I anticipated.

"So, where should we start looking for this cherry tree?" I asked. It seemed impossible to find a cherry tree in such a big city, I only hoped that the guys had some clue as to where to start looking.

"Were going to start with the Avenue des Champs-Elysées," Raz answered.

"Well couldn't we search there at night?" I blurted.

"Why? It's easier to see during the day," Elijah said with an odd expression on his face.

"It's just that, I heard it's really pretty with all the lights at night," I replied and then added, "My girlfriend told me."

"You have a girlfriend?" Cameal yelled out. I swear, everyone on the street stopped at the same time and went silent like in the movies.

"Y-yeah," I stuttered. I hated lieing, but maybe this would distinguish any doubts they had about me being a boy.

"How come you never told me? Is she pretty? What's her name? Is she older or younger? Is she blonde or brunette?" Cameal bombarded me with questions all at once.

"Uh, the answer is C?" I said. I heard that if you put C for every answer on a multiple choice test, you can get a passing grade. I never tried it though.

"C for Carter!" Cameal yelled out.

"That was random, emphasis on dumb," I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms.

"Carter, you're such a girl," he said after a couple minutes of walking in silence. I kept walking as if what he just said didn't effect me but on the inside, I was a firework ready to explode. Why would he say something like that? Their gonna find out I'm a not really a guy. I knew I was a terrible actor. How could I think I could pull this of-

"Earth to Carter. I was only kidding," Cameal interuppted my thoughts. I pretty much sighed in relief on the inside. Phew, close one.

"Haha, right, I knew that," I laughed as we continued walking down the famous Avenue des Champs-Elysées.

We were stolling past the Montecristo when I saw him again. He was sitting with a woman outside. I noticed that this woman was different then the woman he was with only yesterday. I started walking slower until I was in pace with Zach, who always seemed so lonely in the back of the group.

"That's him," I whispered. I knew he heard me because he immediately asked, "Where?"
"There," I pointed inconspicuously, "Sitting with the woman with the red hair." When Zach finally saw who I was pointing too, I could see hate written all over his face. Luckily, he was able to control himself. For a second there I thought he was going to jump out and strangle Mr. Berings to death.

Zach gave me a look that told me we would talk later and I nodded and headed back up to Cameal. I couldn't help but look back at the man who stole everything from me, except for the money that Kage stol-

Kage. Whatever happened to him and his little Demon gang? And Jezebeth? I wonder how they are taking our sudden departure. I hadn't seen Kage, Lennox, or Jackal since the day they attacked me, which is weird because they seemed like they wanted to beat me to a bloody pulp.

Jezebeth had said that there were more rounds to play in her little twisted game of cat and mouse, but she hadn't shown up in a while either. Is that why we ran all the way out here? To seek help from the other Fallen Angels.

"Aha! Found it!" Raz exclaimed. "I found the cherry tree!"