A Deal With Death

Impatiently I waited until 7 in the morning and then I got ready a lightning speed.

I was out the door in half an hour telling my mother I had an assignment to finish at school.

I got to Caleb’s house and just let myself in, as I knew where the spare key was.

His ‘parents’ were still home but I was as quiet as a mouse.

When I got to his room I hid my bag just encase I needed to hide if his parents came to check on him.

Then I crawled into bed next to him and held him in my arms.

Hiding my bag was never needed as I heard his parents get up and then leave before 8, they got ready fast.

I lay with his sleeping form for a few hours drifting off to sleep myself.

When I woke up I felt a light touch through my hair.

I raised my head off his chest and looked up at him.

“Afternoon sleeping beauty” he painfully smiled down at me.

“Hi” I smiled rubbing my eyes.

I rested my chin on his chest just watching him; he was looking down at his left hand that wasn’t in my hair.

In his hand was the letter from Death’s Assistant.

“She’s really nice,” I whispered not knowing what to say.

Seeing as ‘she’ had sent me I would have to have meet her now.

“She’s the best” he replied dropping the letter to the floor and wrapping both his arms around me tightly.

“I’m glad you’re okay” I hardly managed out burying my head in his chest.

When I was under the hood I felt so much more secure, so much stronger than I do now.

It was like a shield for me, it hid who I was; I could be anyone under it.

I felt tears well up in my eyes and I squeezed them tightly trying to hold back the tears.

He didn’t answer me, he just continued to run his hand through my hair and I started crying into his chest.

“Why did you do that?” I had gotten past sad and was now angry.

I pushed myself up with my hand on his chest.

“You wouldn’t understand” he sighed looking at the ceiling.

“I wouldn’t understand? I’m probably one of the only people who would understand!” I shouted sitting up and facing away from him.

“No there’s only one person who would understand,” he answered,

“You’ve never even given me a chance and you say I don’t, you have no idea Caleb” my voice calming but saddening as I folded my arms in front of me.

“It would only make you sad” he was behind me now rubbing my back.

“Too late” I whispered as I remember he did when I told him not to get attached to me as Death’s assistant.

“I really like you Airlea and I don’t want to see you hurt” he wrapped his arms around my waist holding me close.

“That was my job,” I said more to myself than him.

I told myself that I would make him happier as myself being able to actually be myself.

“I’m supposed to protect you,” he whispered into my ear through my hair.

I could feel his breath on my neck, making my hairs stand on end.

“You can’t do that if you’re not here” a few stray tears leaked from my eyes and ran down my cheeks uninterrupted.

He moved so that we could now see each other.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he sounded so genuine but I couldn’t trust him now.

I just looked at him wanting to believe him but not being able to.

“I promise” he held my head between his hands as he said it.

“On my life?” I asked since his obviously didn’t mean much to him now.

For a moment he didn’t say a thing.

“On your life I promise I’m not going anywhere” he promised me and then for the first time I leant in and kissed him.

He seemed surprised as he didn’t move an inch as I pulled back.

He looked surprised and confused.

I knew why.

He loved ‘Death’s Assistant’ and was willing to give ‘me’ his heart but he still didn’t know whom to pick.

If only I could tell him.