Diamonds and Why Men Buy Them

Slipping out the front door of Soma without being seen by one of my fans is pretty easy. All the kids inside are too busy jumping around and screaming for the headliner band. My band, Pierce the Veil, is just the opening band for the night but with the way things are heading we will hopefully be the headliners soon.

I bring my water bottle to my lips, my head tilted back as finish the remaining water. Then toss it in the already overflowing trash can. I sit on the curb, my hand cradling my chin as I look up at the stars that sparsely cover these San Diego skies.

Vic was supposed to join me because he loves space and always talks about stars and tonight a total lunar eclipse is going to happen but he was too busy writing to follow me out. He said he’d catch up later.

Something moves near me, catching my attention in my peripheral vision. I turn and see a silhouette leaning against the concrete wall. All I can see is that they’re short and thin so I assume it could be Vic.

“Hello? Vic? Is that you?” I ask, shielding my eyes to get a better view but since it’s nighttime it makes no difference and I drop my hand.

The silhouette straightens and begins making its way towards me. Heels click against the sidewalk, meaning this isn’t Vic, unless he took up a new liking to drag.

She crosses under the street lamp and I see she has short black hair framing her face and falling to her shoulders. Her bright cherry lips match the silky tank she is wearing, a fitted black leather jacket covers her shoulders but is pushed up to her elbows and a short black skirt tosses to the movement of her hips. She looks like any other fan probably wanting an autograph or something I won’t give her.

Her brown eyes darker, under the shadows as she walks whispering foreign words, “Bonus sanctus Thomas operor mihi vox quod addo meus diligo ut mihi is nox noctis ut ego operor vultus eum in vultus quod in meus telum may eum complexo.”

Okay maybe she’s not a fan. Maybe I should just leave before she kills me or something.

She touches my arm as I try to stand. My eyes close as I feel a warming sensation spread from where her fingertips previously touched my skin. I feel it pulse in my veins and tingle against my skin.

“Jaime, open your eyes,” She whispers in my ear.

I do as I’m told, seeing a beautiful sun kissed woman in front of me. It’s like my eyes opened for the first time and I’m seeing everything in a new light.

“Hello,” I manage, words failing me. I can’t help but stare at her.

Her arm stretches between us, pointing towards the moon. We stand side by side watching the moon finally return turning a dark orangey color. I can’t help but keep glancing at this mysterious girl next to me out of the corner of my eye rather than look at the moon.

“My name is Angel Mancini,” She says in an accent I’m not quite sure of but assuming is Italian even though her name is Spanish.

I turn my attention completely towards her. I’ve never wanted a girl so badly before her, she intrigues me and I don’t even know anything about her other than her name.

“I’m from Rome so are my parents. They gave me a Spanish name because they said it fit me. I’m their angel. I think it’s just wishful thinking.” She pauses and laughs a little. “Is there anything else you want to know?”

It was like she read my mind. I shake my head, watching her carefully as she extends her arm towards me. She takes my hand, pulling me towards the street. I take one last glance back to see if Vic was around but he wasn’t.

“He’s not coming.”

I open my mouth to respond but I have nothing to say. Instead I close it and follow her. We cross the street heading into a clump of trees. The path we walk is worn from tread and winds between trees. Every tree looks the same causing me to think we’re going in circles until we come upon a little log cabin. A large pond sits next to it with a small fire still blazing between the two. It’s very picturesque.

Angel drops my hand, smiling at me before disappearing in the cabin.

“Jaime come to me,” Her voice echoes out from inside.

I smile, taking the steps she did to enter the cabin and push open the door. The cabin is one room with one window facing the pond. Shelves line the walls with many different colored candles, bottles of oils, jars of herbs, rocks and books. Chalk lies on the ground and Angel is no where to be seen.

“Angel?” I call out.

There’s only one door and I never took my eyes off of it. How could she have disappeared? I step outside and call her name louder but receive no answer. After a few minutes of waiting for her to reappear I head back to Soma.

Vic is standing on the sidewalk when he notices me. His head cocks to the side in confusion.

“Where were you?”

“This girl, she…she…” I struggle for words to describe what just happened but nothing came to me.

Vic raises an eyebrow and nods his head in approval. “Nice. So that’s why you didn’t come get me when this started,” He says as he points towards the sky.

“No. We didn’t… You were busy when that started. Besides it’ll last for another hour.”

“Right, sure.”

I can’t just tell Vic she disappeared right in front of me. He’d think I was crazy or high and I’m neither. Well, at least not the latter. Maybe I am crazy. But one thing is for sure, I’m crazy for this mysterious girl. I know it sounds corny but there’s no other way to describe how I feel or how sudden it happened.