Birth of an Angel

As my computer ran the newest addition to my program, I stared at the sketches left on my bed.

The eyes seemed to stare up at me from the paper, asking me to understand some silent message I couldn’t decipher.

I had drawn them the moment I had gotten home, as if my muse was suddenly woken up and demanded I draw something.

After a few sketches, my muse seemed satisfied and left me well enough alone.

The first ones I had done were of various robotic humanoids, all different sizes and shapes, but with the same kinds of eyes that seemed to be so alive.

The others were of this large cube, which was covered in these strange, intricate symbols.

I had just added all of them into ‘Battle for Earth’, and I couldn’t help wondering where the idea had come from.

Sure, I’m pretty weird, and my imagination tends to take crazy tangents, but I had never thought up anything like ‘Battle for Earth’ before.

God, but I feel like I know them…

“This…I can’t do it anymore. You’re putting girl jewelry on a boy dog.”

Jerked out of my thoughts, I turned towards my open window and peeked out as mom replied.

“What?”

“He’s got enough self-esteem issues being a Chihuahua, mom.” Sam complained.

“That’s his bling!”

Only my mom would try to make our Chihuahua gangster…

Still, I had more urgent things to take care of instead of wondering whatever malfunction my mom had.

Sam was leaving.

Practically jumping out of my chair, I ran down the hall, slid down the railing, and bolted out the front door.

Slowing down to catch my breath, I stopped by the driver’s side and leaned on the open door.

“Where are you going?”

I swear, Sam must have jumped three feet in the air.

“N-Nowhere! Wh-What makes you think I’m going anywhere? ‘C-Cause I’m not!”

“…Sam, you’re in the driver’s seat of the Camaro with the keys in your hand.”

“…Just get in.”

Grinning at the easy victory, I practically jumped into the backseat, careful to keep my sneakers off the upholstery.

It was nice to see that the seats were just as comfortable there as in the front.

“So, where are we going?” I wondered.

“We’re picking up Miles and going to the lake.”

I couldn’t help but slump in my seat, pouting.

“Miles? You’re letting that idiot get inside Bee? Are you trying to ruin everything I love?”

“He’s my friend, so you’re going to be nice to him. And that means you don’t make jokes about him he can’t understand!”

“It’s not my fault he can’t keep up with my wit!”

“Just-Just be nice to him, okay? Just this once?”

“Fine…”

I’d be nice to his nose-picking friend just this once, and only because Sam had asked nicely.

Smiling like the goof he is, Sam started up Bee and we were on our way.

“You better appreciate this…” I grumbled as the car pulled to a stop outside Miles’ house.

The car seemed to rumble underneath me as Miles got in, and I figured it was from the engine.

“Man, you brought the little supercomputer?” Miles whined, looking betrayed.

“Be nice.” Sam replied.

“Keke’s already promised not to pick on you, so don’t bait her.”

The idiot grumbled his agreement, looking more sulky than I felt, as we pulled out and headed to the lake.

“So, what are we going to the lake for?” I wondered, playing with the frayed edges of my jean shorts.

“There’s a party.” Miles answered simply, still upset.

“Are you two invited to this party?”

“…”

“…”

“…You guys are idiots.”

“Hey, it’s a public place! This is a free country!” Sam defended, looking awfully red.

“We can go there if we want!”

“I’m sure that all of the people there will be happy to see you two, then.”

Rubbing the bridge of my nose to fight down a headache (these two always gave me a stupidity overload), I leaned back and let out a sigh.

This was a bad idea…

Feeling the Camaro stop, I mentally prepared myself for the embarrassment and violence that was sure to come.

Climbing into the front once Miles was gone, I paused as the radio gave off static again.

I remembered what had happened last time the radio gave off static…

“Once there was the sun/Bright and warm and wonderful/Just like the love within my heart…”

Remembering the song from an old movie I’d watched as a kid, ‘Thumbelina’, I giggled.

Slipping out through the passenger’s side (while making a note to tell Sam about the radio), I immediately realized that this had been a horrible idea.

How did I know, you ask?

Because Trent was there with his jock buddies, and Miles was climbing a tree.

Yeah, you read that right.

Dumbass…

“So, what are you guys doing here?”

“We’re here to climb this tree.” Sam answered after looking up at his friend.

Correction; dumbasses.

“You know, I thought I recognized you. You tried out for the football team last year, right?” Trent stated.

“Oh, no, no, that…No. That, that wasn’t like a real try-out. I was researching a book I was writing.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah!”

“Yeah? What’s it about? Sucking at sports?”

I refrained from slamming Bee’s door in my anger (no matter how good it probably would have made me feel).

“No, it’s about the link between brain damage and football.”

Damn, Sam’s pretty good at this…

“No, it’s…it’s a good book. Your friends will love it. You know, it’s got mazes in it and, you know, little coloring areas, sections, pop-up pictures. It’s…a lot of fun.”

And then he starts talking…

Trent looked about ready to blow a gasket and knock out some of Sam’s teeth, causing me to practically jumped in front of Sam with a scowl.

“Don’t even think about it.”

“You don’t scare me, pipsqueak.”

And then he shoved me.

He shoved me!

I landed on my ass, stunned, while Sam started panicking and trying to calm me down all at once.

It didn’t work.

Enraged, I stood up and punched Trent in the face.

I can’t even begin to tell you how satisfying that was.

Shaking out my hand to keep the throbbing down, I smirked as he clutched his broken nose and tried to cuss at me.

He seemed ready to punch me back instead of shove me, and I was ready to do worse than break his nose when someone else got in the way.

Sam took the opportunity to grab me around the waist and haul me back to Bee, and I didn’t fight him.

Explaining to my mom why her ‘defenseless little girl’ had gotten into a fight with a high school football player wasn’t something I’d enjoy doing…

Climbing into the backseat, I dropped onto my back on the worn leather and relaxed, waiting for the pre-fight adrenaline to wear off.

The radio clicked on again as Sam went to get his friend out of the tree.

“She left that loser in a dust cloud…”

Smiling, I stretched out as my muscles slowly uncoiled and my thoughts slowed down to a more subdued pace.

“Are you okay?” Sam wondered cautiously, turning around in the driver’s seat as Miles wiggled in through the window.

“Fine.” I mumbled, kicking Miles in the shoulder for not using the door before turning away from them.

When the Camaro didn’t start up, I lifted my head and looked at my brother curiously.

“Sam?”

“She needs a ride home…”

Levering myself up, I saw the girl that had stopped Trent walking away from him angrily through the windshield.

What was her name again?

All I knew was that Sam had a crush on her.

“Go for it.” I replied, dropping back down with a huff.

“Really?” He replied, sounding hopeful.

“Sure.”

“…Miles, get out.”

“What?”

“Miles, get out!”

“Dude, let her walk home!”

“She lives over two hours away! Get out, man!”

“Bros before hoes, dude!”

I kicked Miles for that one, and he grumbled while getting out of Bee.

Sam reached across and flailed a moment before closing the door, shifting Bee into reverse.

I managed to grab onto the seatbelts before we pulled out, keeping myself from falling onto the floor, and winced as my knuckles throbbed in pain.

Guess I punched Trent harder than I had thought…