Angel of Fire - the Breath of Immortality - Book One #Wattys2014

A New Friend

"To spend any amount of time with you is like being on duty twenty-four hours a day," he admitted, sounding slightly frustrated. "I never know when you're going to fly into a rage and hurt yourself, or if something else will happen to you..." his voice trailed off as if ashamed. I watched his gaze fall, then come up suddenly, reaching for mine. The pain in his eyes mirrored my own. "Sooner or later, Chaos, you always need to be rescued."

My face crumpled, voice squeezed tight. "What am I? Some kind of charity case?" The truth stung more than his words. He made it sound like I couldn't maneuver my own emotions. What I absolutely hated the most was that he was right. How was I suppose to control my own when I had everyone else piling their emotional crap on me like I was some kind of garbage dump.

I started walking again, this time in a daze. I hated that he knew me so well.

"What are you doing this weekend?" Thomas asked, breaking the silence.

"Do you have brain failure or something?" I grumbled. "I'm still mad at you. Quit talking to me."

Out of the corner of one eye I saw him smile, dismissing the warning as if I hadn't meant it.

He was wrong. I meant it.

Just then I heard a vehicle slowing down. A shiny silver Cadillac with darkly tinted windows pulled up beside us.

"Thomas, can anyone else see you besides me?" I quickly asked.

He shook his head. "Not unless I want them to."

"I'll take that as a no," I replied, turning to face the car.

The front passenger window rolled down and Carmen stuck her head out. "Hey Chaos! Wanna ride?"

"I just live down the road." I pointed to my house past the enormous cornfield.

"Get in. We'll give you a lift, unless you wanna go hang out?"

I glanced at Thomas. I didn't get a chance to tell him about Carmen and now he was shooting daggers at me with his eyes.

Protective much?

I could've stood there and explained to him how I met her at school and stuff, but nobody could see him. I wasn't about to make a fool out of myself. Not on purpose, at least.

I looked past Thomas to Carmen. "Sure, I'd love to hang out."

"Chaos, there's something important I need to talk to you about," Thomas cautioned.

"Not right now," I mouthed. "I'll talk to you later."

"It can't wait," he insisted.

I gave him angry eyes, mouthing the words, "Yes, it can." I was so excited that Carmen had actually drove around to find me, I could hardly focus on anything else. Opening the door, I climbed in the back seat. When I turned to shut the door, I gasped.

Thomas sat right beside me, face smug.

"What's wrong?" Carmen asked.

"Nothing?" I changed it very quickly to, "Nothing's wrong. Thanks for the ride."

Carmen smiled, eyes flitting back and forth as she introduced me. "Chaos, Dad. Dad, Chaos."

I nodded to the back of Mr. Montgomery's head. "Hi." If he heard, he didn't acknowledge me.

As we pulled away from the curb, we passed my house in less than a minute. I cringed in the luxurious leather seat looking out the window at the ramshackle three-story farmhouse my grandfather had built. It was the only house around for miles and miles. If the peeling paint on the wrap around porch and the plastic pinwheels dotting the lawn didn't scream redneck, then the flowers planted in an outdated bathroom appliance smack dab in the middle of the front yard did. My mom called it country charm.