The Boy with the Books

Chapter Two

"Can I help you boys?" a young woman with kind eyes asked from behind the reception desk.

"Uh, yes, actually –" the angel started, but was cut off as Crowley tugged on his arm and led him away from there.

"Have you lost your mind?" he hissed, taking long strides as if he knew where he was going, "We have to keep a low profile. We don't want to raise suspicions." Aziraphale nodded and acted as if he had known this all along. The school bell rang, and a stampede of students poured out of the classroom doors. Aziraphale stood behind Crowley in case they were about to be trampled to death. Blonde girls wearing suggestive outfits strutted down the hall, arms interlocked, noses pointed upwards. The jocks didn't fall too far behind this group, causing a riot as they bolted down the hall and pushed their peers out of their way.

"Welcome to high school, angel." Crowley heaved a sigh as he started in the opposite direction of the flurry of students.

"Crowley, are you mad? Just wait till they're in class." Aziraphale cried, but it was too late. His voice had been drowned out by those of a hundred adolescents. Crowley had tuned him out and set off against the rush of students. The angel would have to brave his way through the mass as well if he ever wished to see his dear friend again. The teenagers yelled and squealed as they struggled to get through the crowd to get to their next class. Crowley wouldn't have taken off the sunglasses if he hadn't been getting a series of funny looks and overall much more attention than a demon should be used to. He tried his best to make it down the hall without ever taking his eyes off the ground, bumping awkwardly into every other passing stranger. Where was his angel?

"Crowley."

"Angel!"

"Don't you ever leave me behind like that again. We're in this together."

"Course, course." Crowley let out a sigh, relieved to have found his friend in the sea of unfamiliar faces. Aziraphale pulled him to the side. "Now, we wait for everyone to calm down."

"We need to find the kid." Crowley said, clearly just remembering exactly why he'd almost been walked on like a Persian rug. "Let's find the library."

The second bell rang, and the students scurried into their respective classrooms. What a pity, they'll never know there was an angel and a demon lurking through the school halls that day. Crowley and Aziraphale searched up and down every corridor, seeking out the library with more enthusiasm than any of the students ever had in all their years at the school. Well, all except for one. The boy with ebony curls whose nose was buried in "The Lord of the Rings" who the angel and demon now observed from a safe distance.

"Why isn't he in class?" asked Aziraphale.

"Go ask him."

"You go ask him."

Crowley sighed, rolling his eyes and heading towards the boy. He had to stop listening to that angel.

"Hey, kid." Though he was a six thousand year old supernatural entity, all the boy saw was a handsome sixteen year old with black strands falling in the way of his golden eyes. "What 'ya reading there?"

"Tolkien." The kid said, handing the book over to Crowley. He pretended to care, skim through the pages without catching a word and handing it back over to the boy. The angel should be doing this. He's the one who likes books, anyway, thought Crowley, and this isn't even my mission. This is rubbish. He glanced over to Aziraphale, pupils slit the way they always were when he was under too much pressure (pun intended). Aziraphale knew it was best he joined the conversation.

"Hello, there." He beamed as he approached the pair. "What are you two up to?" Crowley watched amused as Aziraphale buttoned up his shirt and adjusted his cuffs and bow tie.

"The kid was just showing me his book. You like those, don't you?"

"Right, yes, of course." Aziraphale nodded nervously. As one would when approached by this odd duo, the boy made a smooth exit.

"Well, I have a class to get to. See you two around."

"Right. Toodle-oo."

"Oh, shut up, angel. We lost him."

Aziraphale shot Crowley an annoyed glance before replying, "I know".