Chapter Three
Well, when I got home, Keith saw the satchel and had to see it. Then he saw the application inside and read it. He demanded I fill it out and summit it. Under his watchful eyes, I did fill it out. At six o'clock, we watched the news for Darien's announcement. He was still wearing the same suit, but a different tie. Before Darien had on a red power tie. Now he has on an ice blue tie. He is probibly matching my eye color.
I waited four days to submit my application. I had pictures attached to my application as requested on the form. Keith helped me pick out the best ones to submit. It was really nice having a best friend that lives with you.
I decided to go 'normal' to hand in the application. I learned how to not look like an angel a month ago and was getting better at it all the time. I learned how when I was meditating once. I felt the light that created me and started to pull in into me. I don't know what made me think of it, I just did it.
Keith thought I was a burglar when he saw me in my 'normal' form, but I ran to my room and changed back. He searched my room for an hour before he would listen to me. He asked for a demonstration which I did though it was painful. I made a mental note never to show him that ever again by the look in his eyes.
I was running down the street when I saw Darien Price waiting for his car in front of a high end restaurant. Then my heart nearly stopped as someone accidentally pushed him into the street. I ran and made it just in time to catch him before he hit the ground. I pushed him backward as a speeding taxi rushed by. I laid on top of him with his back on the sidewalk.
"Are you alright?" I bit back adding 'Darien' as if I knew him. He would not recognize me right now. I got off of him and looked him over. Thank god he was unharmed but had a bit dirty from the sidewalk.
"Thank you. You are the second woman this week to save my life." Um, technically the same woman, but I was not going to correct him. He sat up and brushed off the dirt from the sidewalk. "What's your name?"
"Joy D'Anges." I looked to my watch. "Damn. Sorry to save and run, but I need to be somewhere." I started off again to the fashion show location to submit my application. I weaved in and out of the crowd effortlessly. I made it with five minutes to spare. I walked over to the front desk and told them I was here to submit a fashion show application. They directed me to a table across the room.
"Application?" The severly serious woman behind the desk ask in a way of a greeting. I dug into my satchel, and yes the same one Darien gave me. I searched once, twice, three times. Not there. My heart sank when I realized it was gone. "You don't have it, do you?"
"I did. It must have fallen out." I hung my head.
"You must be Joy D'Anges then." I snapped my head up and wandered how she knew.
"Yes I am." Strange how she knew my name, then I remembered giving it to Darien. He really likes thanking those who save his life.
"You have friends in high places. You are to go to Price Towers. Darien Price wishes to see you ASAP." I just stared at her. "You shouldn't keep him waiting." I shook my head and turned to the doors. I set off going to Price Towers which was just two blocks away.
I walked through the front doors and saw the huge lobby with three stories high ceiling and glass windows all around. I walked up to the massive 'control center' of a front desk. "Excuse me. I was told to come here by the charity fashion show lady." I told the tight end man in a solid black suit with a grey stripped tie. He had on horn rimmed glasses.
"Joy D'Anges?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes." Everyone knew my name now. Damn Darien was fast.
"ID?" I showed him my ID and he called someone on the phone. "Have a seat please. Mr. Price's assisant will be down in a minute." He pointed to the hunter green leather couches near the windows to the left of the front desk. I sat and watched the people passing by the windows and laughed when a mime walked by and saw me. He decided to entertain me for a bit.
"Joy D'Anges?" I snapped my head to the familiar red-head from four days ago. "Follow me please." She turned and started walking to the elevator in the back of the lobby. The only elevator no one else was using. Guess that was Darien's personal elevator. I followed feeling nervous and hid the satchel behind me.
It didn't take but two minutes to get to the fortith floor which was the top floor, Darien's office floor. I found out that the guys that pushed Darien off of his balcony came here via sky diving from a plane. You see, you need a special key card and have the right finger print to use the elevator that comes up to his office.
"Please have a seat. Mr. Price will be here shortly. Would you like anything?"
"Maybe a glass of water, thank you." I walked over to the seats in front of his desk and sat down on the edge. I moved the satchel so it was not seen so easily. Then I remembered I was wearing a scarf and decided the take it off and cover the satchel with it. It looked like I just didn't want to wear my scarf any longer.
I sat drinking the water and making sure the light was still in my heart. This was the first time I had gone this long with holding it in. I was already feeling the burn as the light pushed at my hold on it. But I still had strength to hold it in a little longer.
The door opened and I stood up as Darien walked over to me. "Good to see you again Miss D'Anges. Please sit."
"Thank you for requesting me. How did you know I was entering the fashion show?"
Darien smiled and lifted a packet of papers from the desk and handed it to me. "You dropped this when you saved me. I had an idea after you hurried away and saw this on the ground. I want you to design the dress Angel Kat will wear for the event. Having one of the women who saved me design the out for the other seemed like a good way to go. That and I won't have to bother her with deciding who she would prefer to design it."
"What do you mean by that?"
Darien reached over to the application and pointed to a symbol in the upper right corner. A hand written D and P overlapping each other. "I put that there so I know if she gave it to anyone. I am happy to know she did." You don't know the half of it. If you knew I was her, you would freak.
He reached into his desk and withdrew a large minella evelop from a drawer. He handed it to me. "You are to only concern yourself with Angel Kat's formal gown. That is the only gown she is going to wear. You have the full thousand dollars to do it too. I saw from your designs that you are a very talented designer with an eye for making anyone look heavenly. With her, you won't have any problems because she would look gorgeous in anything." My heart beat and I forced the blush not to show on my face. "It should be long and dramatic as she is the reason for this charity event."
I took the envelop and put it into the satchel making sure to keep him from seeing it clearly as he watched me. I turned back to him. "You didn't have to do this for me. I would have been fine to redo the application and submit it tomorrow. Good deeds should not be rewarded like this."
"Humble, just like Angel Kat." He sighed and pushed a button before rising from his desk. I too rose when I saw him rise. He came around and held out his hand. "I hope you the best of luck on your design for the fashion show. My assistant will see you out."
"Thank you so much Mr. Price." I said shaking his hand as the red-head came into the room. I followed her to the elevator. The light was pushing hard now to be released. All I needed was five minutes, then I could be somewhere I could change.
That evening I got started on the design going with a greek goddess type of design with modern elements. I would use white cotton crinkled gauze that flowed down the length of my body in panels and into a train that draped from my shoulders. Darien did say dramatic. I added a delicate but strong looking corset along with solid panels of mystique satin. The corset and panel are white with a light, bright turquoise blue accents. I would embroider wings made of swirls on the corset and the train.
When I told Keith what had happened and showed him the design, he was over the moon happy. He even wanted to make up my hair for it, which I said he could. I worked on it and within a few days I finished everything but the emboirdery. The embroidery took about a week to finsh because I had to do it by hand. The event was in two weeks and I stared at the gown. It needed rhinestones to glitter. I added tiny stones to the gown in star burst patterns in every corner and randomly on the corest and train. I would look like magic in the gown.
Keith and I talked for days about how we were going to do this. We had decided to fake a family emergency and hope that Darien would not go looking to help me. We would say that I had to go out of town and that Keith did not know where my family was. He was to claim it is the one thing about me that is a mystery.
We had our plan. Keith would take the dress there with the bad news that Joy D'Anges could not come in person. He was already going to be there to fix my hair for the runway which the corridinators already know about because I called them. I would show up as Angel Kat ready to wear the dress and walk the runway. I was told I had my own dressing room because of how popular and special I was. The 'main attraction' was the words coming to my mind.
Well... The night of the event and the city was quiet as I patrolled the streets during the afternoon. I smiled at knowing that the city was safer because of me. All my hard work leading to people smiling more. People walking through the streets without the constant worry of a vandal hurting them.
I rounded the corner of the Grand Star Theatre where the fashion show was being held and was bewildered when a roar came from a massive group of people. I could not believe how many people were out just to see me. I could see police officiers keeping the crowd contained as well as making an area for me to land on the ground. Photographers and reporters lined up to speak with people in the fahion show.
I took a deep breathe before descending to the street below. Cheers and applause greeted me from everyone. It felt like waves of acceptance and kindness washing over my body in some silk water shower. I smiled and waved to everyone. I gave a few people autographs making sure to put Angel Kat and not sigh Joy D'Anges. That would be a big difference right there. I was ushered away from the reporters so I did not have to talk to anyone of them which I really appreciated.
Inside applause again making Darien turn around to see I had arrived. Since I had not been to any of the rehearsals because I was 'unavailable', I was to be last. They were going to do that anyways, but them saying it that way made them feeling better. Darien greeted me with a kiss on my hand before they were carrying me away to my dressing room that was filled with thousands of flowers.
"They really love you don't they girl?" Keith welcomed me as he set the last tool out on a huge vanity. He handed me a robe so I could undress and he could get started. I walked behind a changing curtain and took off my 'Angel outfit'.
Once in the robe, Keith got started unbraiding my hair and started to curl it. He did pin curls and braids and beautiful full body curls that made my hair stop at my butt and not my ankles.
About three-quarters of the way throught Keith's work, Darien came into my dressing room. "You ready for you big runway debut?"
"Actual I'm nervous about it. Though I can walk on the thinest cord, I'm scared of falling on my butt out there."
Darien and Keith were both laughing which was giving me strength. Darien was not paying any attention to Keith as Keith was working away to finish my hair. "You will do fine, just breathe." There was a knock on the door. "I have to go get the show started."
"Have fun hosting." I playfully said as I watched him turn to the door through the mirror.
"Have fun showing off your beauty for charity." I chuckled as he left the room.
Keith finished with my hair and left to get the makeup artist to put eye shadow, lip gloss, and the stones I needed them to put on my forehead. The makeup artist was a typical big city artist type. Strangely layered outfit with a scarf. Cropped hair of multiple colors of fire. Topping off with his own makeup job of smokey eyes and painted on eyebrows. Not to mention the lip gloss. Keith smiled liking the artist.
The artist got to work adding the stones first because no one needed to put foundation on me with my flawless skin. The most minimal makeup was needed for me to look simply perfect. He cooed about needing to do very little with me and it took all of fifteen minutes to have me finished.
Dressed in my outfit, Keith and I waited for my turn on stage. We only had to wait five minutes when there was a knock on my door. Keith answered it and the production assistant told us it was my turned in just a few minutes. Keith helped with my train and we followed her to the stage.
"And now the lady of the evening in a D'Anges original, Angel Kat." Darien's voice annouced as two panels slid from in front of me. Darien offered his hand and walked me out and down the catwalk. I smiled and walked effortlessly beside him. When he stopped, I posed with each turn he gave me. People were going crazy and were so excited to see me. I saw definite gay guys pointing and fanning themselves at my design. Lights were going off everywhere.
At the end of the runway, Darien and I bowed to the audience. Then Darien did something unexpected. He spun me around and then dipped me with a big smile on his face. My right leg bent itself in the air as my other rested on the ground. I throw my head back and laughed. The crowd seemed to eat it up too.
Even if I wanted to, I couldn't go to the after party. A fire had broke out in a highrise apartment right after I changed back into my 'Angel Outfit'. I ran through the backstage area and slipped easily out the back doors. I climbed up the fire escapes on the other building and took off to the fire.
The headlines the next day read: Angel Kat Can Have Fun For A Good Cause. The picture below it was of Darien dipping me at the end of the runway. Keith and I bought every newspaper and magazine that talked about the fashion show. It was a big success for the five charities that Darien had got for it. He knew that it would be big and profitable for those charities.
As an added measure, I gave Darien the dress to auction off for another charity. I heard it went for two million dollars. I found out that afterwards, the other designers too had their dresses auctioned off, but theirs never went anywhere near that high. I think it was because I, as Angel Kat, wore it.
As a small joke on Darien's birthday two weeks later, I gave him a paracute. I heard his laugh when he saw it. I was perched on the very top of his office where he could not see me. I also gave him the sketch of the D'Anges dress that I made for the fashion show. The next day when I flew by his office, I saw it displayed on the desk behind him. He added a picture of him dipping me to the corner of it.
One night I passed by a penthouse that was having a party and I saw Darien. I smiled as I passed. I saw him watch me fly by and he raised his glass up to me. I found out when I passed the same penthouse that he was there all alone. Must be his place. From that night on, I would fly by his place just to see him.
I laughed when I was being given the key to the city. Darien was there and the one to present it. The Prince of the City giving their superhero the key to the city. The newspapers publish the picture of me holding the key and Darien kissing my hand. They were thinking there was romance in the air for us. A girl who looks like an angel could only dream that could be true. Whenever a night talk show host managed to get me to agreed to come on. Darien was there too, just sometimes in the background such as phoning in or via video conference. Everyone started to notice Darien's attention to me.
On the last talkshow, the host suggested that I needed to have a night to relax. Darien had called and asked if I would like to have go to a dinner at Chez Noc. The whole audience was cheering and chanting 'yes yes'. How could I refuse the audience that wanted me to go? So I agreed.
~~Present Day~~
The next thing I remember hearing was the sound of a heart monitor as well as other medical sounds. I could also feel many things taped to my arms and chest. Nothing sticking into me which means that I was still in my angel form. They could have put things in me, but my body would have pushed them out no matter how taped they were. I could not even be given medicine because of that.
I heard a door open and then close. There was a light but deep gasp from what sounded like a guy. "Oh heavens... I did not think they were telling the truth on the news!" Keith! Oh my amazingly gay friend who is my best friend. What was he doing here? Oh right. I told Darien to find him if something happened to me to contact him. Which something did happen to me since I am in the hospital.
"You must be Keith. I am sorry for you having to come here and see her like this. I thank you for coming."
"Thank you for making it so I could... Oh honey, your hair!" It was wonderful to hear Keith worried about my hair in a time like this. I was unmoving on a hospital bed, yet he was concerned for how my hair looks. "Oh I brought her journal for you as requested. She would have wanted you to know who she was...is."
"I only requested it for when she woke up."
"She hasn't told you who she is yet, has she?"
"Not yet, why?"
I hear Keith's girly gay sigh. "She was going to tell you the other night, but I guess she never got her chance. If you want to know what she was going to tell you, you should read the front page of her journal."
There was the sound of my journal being opened. Darien must be very curious. "Oh..." Darien must have seen my real name and remembered that I was telling what I did when I talked about my dress. Joy D'anges was who I am. Well, who I made myself into since I left the corporation.
"Yes. That is her real name. She also looks different when she doesn't have her wings, long white hair, and ice blue eyes."
"She can change?" Darien must be shocked to hear that. Did he think I was always an angel throughout the entire day and night? Well, I do tend to prefer this form. It is hard to stay...well... like everyone else for too long. This feels more natural. More normal in its own strange way.
"Yes." I hear Keith huff a chuckle. "She has bumped into you a few times by accident in her...well...we call it her 'normal' form. If we could get her to wake up and change back, she could heal faster. But she needs to wake up."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"She trusts you. She would want you to know." I felt a hand touch my hair. "She started to write in that journal right after she first saved you. She wanted to give it to you in case she could not tell you 'bout herself. She would want you to read it." Now there was a few pulls of my hair. Keith was fixing my hair. Was it that bad that he had to start immediately?
"How long has she been an angel?"
"Read and find out." Keith was a good friend to hold his ground and let Darien find out about me from my own hand. I heard the movement of a page. Darien must be reading as Keith fixes my hair.