CHAPTER 17
Saturday, the day everyone looked forward to, the day I always tried to avoid was here again. It had been a while since my ordeal with the tendrils of darkness. Now everything was completely back to normal, if you could look past Allen still not being here. I was getting used to the fact that if he needed one of us, he could and would let us know. Angels were definitely strange creatures. Even though I knew I fell into that category as well, I still felt a little awkward claiming the title being a wingless human.
It kind of felt as if I was the new kid on a team of smart students at an academic decathlon accepted to compete nationally. The other kids know you are smart or the teacher would never have let you on the team, but with every question asked all eyes are on you just to make sure you know what you are doing. Then, when you do your thing, everyone stares in amazement. Sometimes it was also like being in a new school and trying out for cheerleading.
The others prayed that you can tumble so they wouldn’t look lame on the field or at competition. I would just be glad when everyone got over the whole idea of my existence, period. I always felt like they were waiting for a magic show or some kind of song and dance. It was not any of my fellow angels around me all the time, but it was the others who lived at Angel Towers who had not gotten to know me.
Avan had been practicing with the group after work more than usual this week for their Saturday night routine, so I had not been able to spend much time with him. I was not sure why, but he had prohibited me from entering his thoughts except for very basic ones over the last week. I knew something was up since the only time he did that was when he was planning something for me. I had no idea what it was, but recalling my birthday, which he all but moved the sun and moon for, I knew it had to be something he was putting a great deal of effort into. I just hoped it would not be something too outrageous.
As I turned the dryer on to finish the load of laundry I had just washed, I heard the front door close, announcing Avan’s arrival.
“How is the most beautiful angel ever created?” he asked, walking around the corner into the hall with something behind his back.
“Well, I don’t know about all that, but this angel is doing awesome today! What is it that you’re hiding there?” I asked, attempting to see what was in his hand but failing due the basket of clean clothes in my hands between us.
“I brought you a little something. I was on my way to see you and saw something that reminded me of you.”
“Oh really? Was it a hobo dressed in sweatpants, unshowered, with its hair in a bun?” I asked as I laughed.
“No ma’am, it was something beautiful, hard to come by, and unique,” he answered as he pulled a dozen lavender roses from behind his back.
Dropping the laundry basket, I could not resist the urge to run into his arms and sink into one of his hugs. Once I brought myself back to reality, I took the beautiful lavender roses and placed the vase on the table next to my bed. I had no idea what I had ever done to be so special that anyone would have created an angel as wonderful as Avan specifically for me. I could not be any more thankful for anything as I was for him. He was the one who held all my broken pieces together and slowly mended them for me at my own pace. Where I was now in comparison to where I was last year was ten thousand times better than I had been before Avan had come into my life. He was the rock I could count on to be steady, no matter how strong of a storm I faced.
“So, I have a request,” Avan said, giving me that partial grin that made me melt as he ran his hand through his dark, voluminous, shiny hair and pushed it away from his face.
“Oh, okay, I get it. There’s a catch to getting roses, huh?”
“No, I brought you roses because you are the most unique, gorgeous, and the most important thing in the world to me! The request would just be an added bonus. I will treat you special through all eternity just because you are you.”
“Oh yeah?” How in the world could I possibly say no to anything he requested after hearing that? Especially knowing it was true.
“Yeah, a bonus I would really enjoy and will ensure you will too,” He said with something in his voice that made me so curious to find out what it was he wanted me to do that I could not stand it.
“Okay, you win! What is it that you want me to do?”
“I want you to come to Spirits tonight for the show. Please?” he asked with his best puppy dogface that I could not resist if I tried.
“I guess I could do that for you, since you are kinda cute when you make that face, but only because you begged,” I said as I gave him a smile and a wink.
“Really? That was easy! Maybe I should beg more often!” He laughed as he gloated.
“Um no, don’t even try it! What should I wear to this shindig so I don’t completely embarrass you?” I laughed.
“Okay, just to clarify, you could never embarrass me regardless of what you ever choose to wear!”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”
“No really. You could come just as you are now and I would still be more that proud that you are mine! Surprise me. You are gorgeous no matter what! In the meantime, I’m gonna head to Spirits and help get things set up, okay?”
With that the conversation ended as he kissed me on the forehead and winked before leaving.
Being an angel, I really should monitor some of the thoughts that went through my mind but considering that I was a mix of my good angel mom, bad angel dad, and somehow being trapped inside of a human body, I still had quite a few human thoughts. At this particular time, I could not stop myself from thinking how good those jeans fit Avan and how amazing that tight white t-shirt he wore looked as I could see the muscle definition just underneath.
The more shocking thing was how I knew Avan heard all my little humanistic, questionable thoughts, and though he was one of the good guys that under most conditions was pure and innocent, he actually liked my little thought processes about him and shared some reciprocal thoughts from time to time as well. We had never actually discussed things, but I figured eventually we would get around to it. As long as I was in a human body without wings to remind me of my angel blood in my veins, I was not completely sure I could keep myself on a leash forever with him, and I knew he felt the same way.
Considering I had never been to any of the Saturday performances, I was clueless as what to wear. Showing up overdressed would make me feel stupid, but I certainly did not want to show up underdressed either. Since it was a public event, I knew I was going to stand out no matter what. Among the non-angelic humans of those in my age range, my reputation, known for being the one girl who was good enough for Avan Rork, was like being famous. Most of the girls who came into Spirits on a regular basis gave me envious looks as they drooled over him.
It did not faze me one bit, considering I knew I had nothing to be jealous of as he never paid attention to any of them, but it was clear they never got the hint. These days I found it humorous to kid Avan when any of them stared. I could not help always joking around, asking him which one he was going to take out on the next Friday night! Every time he would just shake his head, laughing, as he told me to be nice. Either way, I did not want to call any more attention to myself than I would already get for simply being me.
After taking a shower and doing my hair and makeup, I lingered in front of the closet, weighing my outfit options before going with a white button-up shirt with three-quarter sleeves, a short, pleated, blue, plaid skirt, tall boots, and Avan’s leather jacket. It was a cutesy schoolgirl look that said dressy-casual yet young and fun. I topped it off with my charm bracelet, earrings, necklace, and of course my ring that I never took off my left hand.
Once I had everything on, I took another look in the full-length mirror to make sure I was free of any tags hanging out, or weird stuff going on with the collar on my shirt that made me look like a “wanna be” Elvis impersonator. The look was satisfactory, and I did not appear to have any fashion faux pas going on, so I sprayed on a few squirts of my favorite perfume before starting down to the car and heading for Spirits.
Pulling into the parking lot at Spirits, I glanced at the clock, which informed me that I was going to be right on time with little to spare. It appeared that being on time was to be late, judging by the amount of cars in the packed parking lot. The only spot open was in the very back, so that meant I got my exercise on the walk to the front door, wearing the heeled boots I had chosen. Once I got inside, I could not believe how many people were there! I had never seen this many people here at one time! They had brought folding chairs and placed them all around for extra seating with the exception of an empty space in the center of the stage area.
Glancing around the shop, there was not a single seat unoccupied, and it was also no surprise that 85 percent of the population was female between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five. I scoped out the group from our apartment building that Trev, Alex, Declan, Dorian, and Bradley had been talking to at my birthday party and waved; unfortunately, there was no available room to join them. I continued looking around for the miracle that there would be an empty chair, completely oblivious to the fact that all eyes were on me like white on rice.
I was so used to it that I no longer noticed. Sometimes I wondered if being numb to it all was such a good thing. Luckily I could sense if something was wrong or evil and I sensed nothing of the sort, so all was well. About that time, I saw my usual spot with a sign that said Reserved. I looked around for Avan, but all I got was a thought from him telling me the chair was for me and that I had a peppermint mocha topped with whipped cream and sprinkles on the way.
Within a few minutes, comfortably seated, I held a piping hot cup in my hand that smelled the same way I hoped heaven would. I could still tell that several people were eyeballing me as I looked up and caught them quickly turning away, trying to make it appear they were just casually glancing around the room. It always made me wish they would just come get to know me or ask whatever question they had as opposed to pretending not to spy and gawk. I guess the general population failed to realize that when you try to make it look like you are simply looking around the room innocently, it only makes it that much more obvious!
Suddenly, the house lights went down and the stage was illuminated, causing the otherwise hushed crowd to go into fan mode. A roar of screams from the crowd of doting females in the room filled the air so loud that I could have sworn I felt my overstuffed, sturdy, leather chair shake. I had to admit I was excited myself; I had never heard Avan sing so I was a looking forward to the crowd envying me as the one that the singing hottie belonged to. Judging by the reaction of the room Avan and the boys must know how to rock the place, so I was going to sip my coffee and enjoy it.
Taking the first sip of my peppermint mocha, I was unable to avoid the small hint of a whipped cream mustache, which I quickly wiped away, hoping no one noticed. Then there was the familiar voice that unmistakably belonged to Avan in my mind, telling me he hoped I could forgive him for what was about to take place. All I could do was smile and shake my head as I stared at the stage in anticipation. I knew there had to be more to this whole thing than just coming to the normal Saturday night concert.
He never pushed my coming before so I should have caught on when he showed up with roses. Whatever he was about to do would be well planned, that I knew, which meant there would be no chance to make a successful escape! I was stuck! Being stuck meant that somehow I was quite certain I was about to become the center of attention. I had no idea what Avan had up his sleeve but I knew now that I was about to find out what it was.
As soon as my last thought finished I heard the most thrilling harmonization of voices I had ever heard before, followed by Avan, Dorian, Bradley, Declan, Trev, and Alex spotlighted all around the floor. Tonight they were all in white slacks and black shoes. Avan wore a black sleeveless undershirt, Declan was in a tight black regular t-shirt, Trev, Alex wore black V-neck t-shirts, and Dorian and Bradley wore black turtlenecks. Each added something different to the well-coordinated look with their own hairstyles and physical traits that made them each look just as different as they looked alike.
The second I heard the first chord, I knew the song. It was the Billy Joel number “Uptown Girl.” The voice I heard next was one that was so familiar but more breathtaking than I had ever heard it before; Avan took the lead on the song, staring right into my eyes. I had heard the comparison before, describing someone with a nice sound as having a voice like an angel but now I could totally understand what it meant.
This was the first time I had ever heard an angel sing other than my mother cast into a human body. It was clear why they had acquired so many loyal and devoted fans of the female gender. The look plus the voices and choreographed movements created a show that any boy band would kill to achieve. I hardly noticed that they were all moving toward me, mesmerizing me in the song until they had surrounded me by the middle of the first verse.
All the practices they had had over the past week must have been intense, as they went over each song perfectly, going over each step and space occupied repeatedly until they had it down so well they could do it in their sleep! I saw why they put so much into their practices now, watching the creation their hard work produced. Everything they did was without flaw, even down to their facial expressions throughout the song. It was more like watching a musical as opposed to watching a weekly concert. I felt like Sandy in Grease as every girl looked at me in jealousy and outright envy.
By the middle of the song Avan, was on one knee in front of me, holding my hand while the others framed my chair; Dorian and Alex stood on the table in front of me. Every eye was on me as I could feel the huge, idiotic, I am so in love smile pasted across my face. Once again everyone and everything else melted away into oblivion, leaving only the vision of Avan knelt in front of me as he had been the first time we had kissed.
I was lost in time; I could have stayed right here forever! I was living the romantic fantasy that every girl in the world secretly dreamed of finding. Everything was surreal and exquisite as the song continued. They ended the song back on the stage with an audience exploding in whistles, screams, and applause. The next song was yet another from my MP3 playlist as Bradley took the lead singing, “Your Love” by The Outfield. I could not resist tapping my feet and singing along in enjoyment.
As the concert progressed, every song featured was from my playlist of eighties music that I listened to repeatedly in the car. Avan had outdone himself once again by putting together a personalized concert for me made up of all of my favorite songs! It hit my right then that it was not just Avan who had done this, but our closest mutual friends as well. I realized how special it made me feel to have such amazing friends. Granted they were special anyway due to being angels, and maybe that is what gave them the extra oomph to go above and beyond to make everything count.
What I knew from hearing their thoughts throughout the performance was that they had put it all together to remind me of the good times my mom and I had always had, singing these same songs together so many times before when I was younger. The good news was that they had made it an ultimate success as the titles that kept coming sounded just as awesome, if not better than the original versions I listened to on a daily basis. All of my favorites were performed one right after another, “Faith” by George Michael, “Kyrie” by Mr. Mister, “King of Wishful Thinking” by Go West, and more.
The concert was almost over when Avan announced that they had saved the best song for last. I wanted to stand up and dance when I heard the music for “Make Me Lose Control” by Eric Carmen start to play with the prominent base line that made the song. Suddenly a spotlight shone right on me as once again all six of them started making their way back toward me. The light bounced off Avan’s hair and danced electrically in his creamy brown eyes as it played across his olive skin that showed the perfect definition of his muscles.
I could not take my focus from his beautiful face as his flawless smile showed his dimple when we locked eyes. His full, soft lips were begging me to kiss them, making it harder than ever to restrain myself as he read my thoughts loud and clear, smiling wider to show his dimple even more. He had pulled his hair back into a ponytail, showing off his thick neck and square jawbone, which were features that made every female who had ever seen him crumble. It was right then I also noticed that the other five were looking at me with the same wide smiles.
“Nice, Mattie, I wish you would tell us the details more often! This is incredibly entertaining. Do go on,” I heard Alex’s thought loud and clear.
“Super angel forgot we can all read angel minds! You should have only sent that message to Avan! You might want to keep your thoughts to yourself!” Dorian added to the thought conversation.
“So what else are you thinking there, missy? Don’t get shy now!” Trev chimed in.
“That’s enough, guys. We don’t kiss and tell!” Avan shot in as he winked at me.
“That is not even right dude! You get the angel of all angels, and she’s giving us details and you’re gonna stop her! Buzz kill!” Declan commented in thought to Avan where we could all hear.
“Yeah, it’s just because he’s embarrassed. He doesn’t want us to know all the good stuff! It’s like those guys on reality shows. You only get to see what’s aired on TV and they edit out all the juicy details,” Bradley interjected.
“Correction, you guys are just jealous because you aren’t the center of these thoughts!” I retorted jokingly to them all.
“Let’s do this!” Avan said as he jumped on the table in front of my chair. He started singing the first verse, making me blush as he changed the wording to put my name in the song. Every word Avan sang he inched closer, jumping down from the table and leaning over me in my chair. He pulled me up at the end of the verse, continuing with the chorus while his best friends harmonized, singing back up.
As Avan began singing the second verse, he led me to the empty spot in the middle of the room in front of the stage. My heart was beating so hard I thought it might explode right out of my chest as he sang. I could tell he was enjoying this more and more every second as he made sure I had become the center of attention.
I could not deny that I was not enjoying being the object of his affection and undying love in front of the entire world. His eyes glinted in satisfaction as he very obviously checked out my rather cute and sexy appearance from head to toe, letting me know I looked stellar. About that time he and the other guys in the band jumped on the nearest table to each of them, started the second chorus as they and I swayed to the music in the brightly shining spotlight.
At the end of the second chorus Avan placed one foot on the back of a chair pushed back from the table in perfect position that someone had conveniently moved from with the back facing me. Within a few seconds his other foot was on the seat and the chair tilted backward. He effortlessly balanced his weight, landing the back of the chair on the ground without even a thump and strode toward me with a confidence that was dead sexy! Backing me up until I bumped into the coffee bar he stared into my eyes the entire time as he sang the first half of the third verse; I never wanted to lose the feeling I had right then.
Finishing the first half of the third verse, I felt his arms slide around my waist and hoist me up onto the coffee bar as he jumped up beside me, pulling me to my feet. Bradley and the others made their way to the coffee bar as they jumped from their tables without missing a word or a beat on their back-up parts. They joined in for the second half of the third verse and chorus.
After the third chorus they joined in perfect harmony for the a cappella chorus before the explosion of instruments for the last chorus that ended the song that was exhilarating! My ears had never heard such a beautiful sound in all my life! This is why such crowds never failed to come see them all the time and I was just now discovering it! I wished at this moment that I had come every Saturday the millions of times when everyone else from school had talked about it over the past few years. Even though Avan had not always been a part of the group I was sure that the performances had more than likely never failed to be showstoppers!
Starting the last chorus, they all lifted me off the coffee bar, placing me on the floor and leading me onto the stage. At the same time the instruments started back in, the stage lights went crazy as they synchronized with the music and the song ended with a bang! Avan and I, locked in the mother of all kisses, remained only in tune with one another when the house lights came back up. The crowd was going wild! I couldn’t have cared less; at that particular second it was all I could do to control my thoughts of pushing him into the nearest closet and locking the door.
When we pulled away from each other, we were still receiving catcalls, applause, and all kinds of angry looks from many different girls who were making it clear they didn’t like me very much at all. Shockingly we were receiving many more “awe, how cute are they” reactions than we were negative reactions. I was just happier than ever that I knew he was mine for all eternity! Lost in happiness I completely ignored the weird feeling that I thought I had felt. As I looked out on the crowd, my smile went cold as my eyes met Lena’s.