Newborn

Chapter 39: Maggie's Own Chapter

Aaron Hart

Maggie gets to school early and heads straight to class in order to avoid me.

She’s still a little freaked out by what happened the other day.  Not only did I challenge her conception of possible, I tried to touch her with the light.  I violated her. 

I’d like to believe that humans can feel each other’s souls.  I don’t know if it is true.  The angel told me that it isn’t possible.  Still, I’d like to believe that when two people get very close they can bring down a barrier and know each other’s essence. 

Maggie couldn’t feel the light.  What she felt was me tearing her soul from her body, washing her being away with my light.  I almost killed her.  I’m oblivious to this fact. 

I still don’t understand why Maggie freaked out.  I’m enamoured by the light.  I want to learn to use it so I can share it and spread it.  Right now I’m in my room lying half-dazed.  I’m exhausted from training with the angel last night.  I just stare blankly at my ceiling.  I’m too entranced to get up or to even go to sleep.

 “Hey there Maggie,” a voice says.  Maggie turns around.  It’s Josh.  Me and Maggie have gone to school with him pretty much forever.  He’s gotten really sexy lately.  When we were in the third grade, he asked Maggie out on a date.  Maggie was a precocious child.  She told him that she didn’t want to date until high school.  Now he’s back, but Maggie hasn’t really given him a chance.  I keep telling her to go for it, or find someone she could be interested in.  I would’ve gone out with him if he was interested.  Before I met Day, obviously.  Sometimes I worry that because we’re so close, she doesn’t open herself up to other men in her life.  Not that I would ever want to lose our bond, but there are just certain things I can’t do for her.

“Hi,” Maggie says. 

“What are you doing in class so early?” Josh asks.

“My Dad gave me a lift before work,” Maggie says.  A half truth.  I appreciate that she didn’t add in the, ‘and I don’t want to be around Aaron because I think he might be going a little insane.’

“That’s cool,” Josh says.  I hate that word cool, although, Josh is the type who can use it and actually be kind of cool.  “Coach let us out of rugby practice early today.  Drills this morning were brutal though.”

“I can imagine,” Maggie says.  She isn’t too interested by sports.

“Yeah, we had to do like thirty laps, seventy five push ups, a hundred sit ups, and then we started practicing some plays.”

Maybe there’s some justification for Maggie not being too interested in Josh.

Maggie notices some blood on Josh’s arm.  “Are you okay?” she asks.

“Yeah,” he says.  “I took a bad fall and then got a little trampled.  Someone’s cleat just tore into me.”

“Can I see?”  Maggie asks.  Josh pulls up the shoulder of his shirt.  There’s a cut.  Maggie reaches into her purse and pulls out a box of tissue paper and a band-aid.  Having Maggie around is really handy.  Her over-preparation almost offsets my absentmindedness.  She takes a couple pieces of tissue paper and wipes off the blood.  “Hold still,” she says and sticks the band-aid on over the cut.

“Thanks,” Josh says.  He rolls down his sleeve.  “Can I pay you pack by buying you dinner?”

“No, thanks,” Maggie says.

“How about coffee then?” he asks.

“Do you mean like a date?”

“Maybe, if you say yes.”

Maggie doesn’t answer right away. “I was thinking of waiting until college to start dating.”

Josh smiles.  He remembers Maggie’s last rejection.  “I’ll wait,” he says.  “Want to pencil me in for coffee for two years tomorrow?”

Maggie has to look away for a minute.  She’s pretty embarrassed.  She’s smiling though.  She looks up at Josh again.  “How about Wednesday?”

“Two years Wednesday?” he asks.  “Is two years tomorrow already booked?  If I would have known you were so busy, I would have made the date in the second grade.”

Maggie laughs, “No, I meant two days from now, Wednesday.”

“I just wanted to make sure,” Josh says with a cautious grin.  “Want to meet up in front of the school after class?”

“Sure,” Maggie says.

Maggie and Josh talk a bit.  The bell rings and class starts.  After class, Josh has to go get ready for gym.  Maggie sees Day in the hall.  At first she’s afraid I’m with him and she looks away.  Then, she’s worried she’s being rude and approaches him.

“Hi,” she says.  She wants to be friendly to the guy I’m dating.  At least I think I’m dating him.  What does dating really mean? We have been on a couple dates.  I think that’s enough.

“Hey there,” Day says.  “How are you doing?”

“I’m good,” Maggie says.  She still has a bit of that ‘I’ve just been asked out on a date by a cute boy’ glow.  “How about you?”

“I’m good,” Day says.  “I was wondering, have you seen Aaron?  He wasn’t in class today.”

“No,” Maggie says.  “You know Aaron, punctuality isn’t really his thing.  I wouldn’t be surprised if he walked in halfway through second period.”  As it happens, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.  Sometimes I hate how well Maggie knows me.

Day laughs, “Yeah, I’m starting to get that.  Although, maybe I just don’t know him well enough, but he’s seemed really different the last couple days.”

“Yeah, he’s been a little off.”

“Is it me?” he asks.

“Oh god, no,” she says.  “Trust me, it isn’t you.  Some stuff’s going on.  Just give it a day or two and hopefully he’ll be normal.”

“Thanks,” Day says.  “Do you mind not saying anything to Aaron about this?  I don’t want him thinking I’m super neurotic or anything.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Maggie says.  Although Maggie’s very worried about me right now.  Even Day’s noticing something wrong with me.

“Thanks,” Day says.  “Do you want to grab lunch together?  Aaron talks about you so much, I feel like I know you already.”

“I feel the same way,” Maggie says.  They make a plan to meet up after the next period.  Day heads to class.  Maggie goes outside to make a phone call.  She calls her Aunt.  Maggie wants to know more about the Sword of God.  She wants to save me.  Her Aunt says that the information isn’t in yet, but gives Maggie access to the university library.