The Mark of a Fallen Angel

21: Blonde

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My hand involuntarily jerked forward going straight into the fire. I shut my eyes waiting for the flame to singe and burn my skin but...

I opened my eyes.

The fire danced around my hand and arm as if my arm were a being licked. I pulled my hand out slowly but it followed like an obedient dog. An, also involuntary, smile spread across my face.

This felt normal, in a way. Like... I'd done this before. I lifted my arm and watched the fire burn around my hand and arm tickling me with each stroke.  My body started turning around and my eyes landed on a screaming man in the distance. I couldn't make out his face but I could see the greyish large wings of... An owl? A bird? Whatever it was, it started lifting into the air and floating off into the smoke filled sky. I stepped forward but a hand stopped me. My head turned toward the person and I gasped.

The hooded man chuckled.



****



"Miss Gardiner!!"

I was startled awake by a small shove; my head turned toward Ian next to me but he only shook his head and laughed. Mrs. Cortez narrowed her eyes at me. "¿Qué dije?"

I gulped and shook my head trying my best to forget about the dream. 

It's Wednesday. 

I've been having dreams like that since Saturday night. Except this one... 

This one was different. I'd never touched the fire before and the hooded man had never appeared.

My Spanish teacher tapped her foot repeatedly waiting for me to answer.

What did she say...? Oh! She asked me what she just said! Crap, that doesn't help...

"Um...¿Puede repetir a ti mismo?" I asked.

She frowned. "I'm disappointed to see you sleeping in my classroom. I've never had to repeat myself with you."

I cleared my throat. "Sorry,"

She raised an eyebrow and turned back to the electric whiteboard. A small piece of paper moved in front of my notebook. I opened it and read, "What's up with you? X"

I glanced up at Ian and wrote back. "I haven't been sleeping well lately ;("

I passed it back and watched him read it. He wrote back, "Have you gone loco?"

I chuckled and Mrs. Cortez turned her head toward me. I cleared my throat and continued pretending to write down notes.

Class finished as quickly as it started. Only because I slept through half of it.

Ian walked with me toward my locker. He came back today from... God knows where. "So, where have you been?" I wondered out loud.

"Oh, well my dad came over last week. My mom was still a bit baffled at his arrival and my uncle sort of threw him out on his ass."

I nodded slowly and wished I'd never asked. It wasn't any of my business to pry anything out of him.

"Sorry," I mumbled.

He waved it away with a smile. "No worries."

Jayden suddenly popped up with a grin. "Mr. Lamb," He bowed to Ian.

"Sir Lockwood," He bowed back.

I rolled my eyes and opened my locked.

"What are thy duties today, Mr. Lamb?" Jayden said with a crappy English accent.

"Thou shalt not tempt fate, Sir Lockwood," Ian said also with an English accent slightly better than Jayden's.

"Thou art pitiful," I mumbled imitating them. Of course, my accent was so much better.

Ian and Jayden turned to me in outrage.

"Excuse you!" Ian said normally.

"Yeah! You're not part of this. And we are so not pitiful." Jayden nudged my arm. 

I closed my locker and started toward my next class. Jayden followed but Ian went toward his class.

"Jay, can you come with me to the mall after school?"