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I BARELY HAVE ANY TIME to myself before we have to accompany Garrett and Inez on their date, but that's okay, because I wouldn't know how to occupy any spare time. I still don't have any friends, and I can't manifest, so video games aren't an option. I read comic books on my LightTab, but other than that, I don't have anything to do.
For some reason, Karan really doesn't like me. Every time I'm around, he shoots daggers with his eyes and barely says a word to me. I've been thinking about asking Amber for a new roommate, but I don't even know if that's possible.
While Garrett and Inez have their coffees, Jophiel and I eavesdrop on their conversation from a nearby table. They seem to be hitting it off, but I don't think my instructor cares. He's more interested in singing his own praises.
“He has no idea how lucky he is to have an Archangel as his spirit guide,” Jophiel says. “Do you realize I haven't failed a mission in seventy-five years?”
“Wow. That's... wow,” I reply, because better words elude me.
“I know. Impressive, isn't it? And to be perfectly honest, you're lucky as well. There's a good chance you'll pass all of your five missions. Not many students can say that.”
“How did I get so lucky?” I hope I don't sound too sarcastic, because it's a genuine question. Why am I the one who got paired up with an Archangel when other students have instructors with a 6.0 rating?
“Good karma,” Jophiel replies to the question in my head. “Apparently, your behavior on Earth was close to faultless. But... don't repeat that. Students aren't supposed to know about the instructor selection process. We like them to believe it's totally random.”
Faultless behavior, huh? I guess I have a lot to live up to.
When Jophiel goes silent, I tune into Garrett and Inez's conversation again. They're both smiling, so that's a good sign. At what point is our mission considered a victory, I wonder? Do they have to kiss? Do they need to be in a relationship? Do they have to be married—because if that's the case, we're going to be here for a long time.
Between sips of her mocha latte, Inez tells him, “I have six sisters and four brothers.”
“Damn! That's a lot of siblings. It must've been stressful growing up,” Garrett says.
“It was! We're all just a year or two apart, and we lived with a couple of my cousins too. My childhood home was a crazy place. You could never get a moment of peace, no matter where you went,” Inez says. “I'm so happy to have my own apartment now.”
“I bet. I only have one brother, and he's more than enough for me. Is this your first time living by yourself?”
“A few years ago, I lived with a boyfriend for awhile. Does that count?” Inez asks. “But... yeah, this is the first time I've officially moved out of my family home. It's kind of scary.”
When I glance at Jophiel, he's rolling his eyes. “Kill me now,” he groans. “Are first date conversations all this boring?”
I wouldn't know. I've never even been on a date. In their defense, I say, “They seem to be getting along, though.”
“I don't know how. Garrett is bo-ring. Is it scandalous to say that about my own charge?” Jophiel drags a hand through his glistening blonde hair. I wonder how he gets it to glisten like that? It must be an angel thing.
“I think he seems pretty normal to me,” I defend him again.
“I know. And normal is dreadfully boring,” Jophiel says. “I've been called a womanizer recently. Some don't approve of my tactics, but I think it's genius. I present myself as a mix of enigmatic and chaste, and women find the combination more irresistible than chocolate. It lets me skip all of this dating nonsense.” He thrusts a thumb at Garrett. “If you ever hear me having tedious conversations in a coffee shop, I give you permission to drive a sword through my head.”
“A womanizer, huh?” I chuckle at the word. “So... basically, you're the opposite of me.”
“You seem hopeless. So yes, I suppose I am the opposite of you.”
That's putting it bluntly. When I turn my attention back to Garrett and Inez, they're chatting about their favorite television shows and movies. They seem to share an interest in fantasy and mystery.
“My god, this is so boring,” Jophiel complains again. “If Garrett manages to get a second date with the girl, I'm declaring the mission a success. If Michael has a problem with that, he can shove it up his arse.”
They chat for about an hour and have two coffees each. When their conversation reaches a natural end, they head back to their apartment building, and Jophiel and I follow.
“So... I had a good time,” Inez says.
Garrett's smile soars across his face as he echoes the sentiment. “Me too.”
“Do you think... you might like to do this again sometime?” When she asks the question, I can see Jophiel in the corner of my eye, giving me a thumbs-up.
“I absolutely would,” Garrett says. “I think you're really pretty. No... you're more than pretty. You're gorgeous. And you're really sweet and funny too. Sweet, funny and pretty is a really hard combination to find.”
“Aww! Thank you!” Inez exclaims. “I think you're really handsome too.”
Jophiel whispers to me, “She thinks he's handsome, but that's where her compliments end. The poor girl probably thinks he's dull as a rock, but she's too nice to say it. This is the reality of dating, Pho. Half of it is a bland, uninspiring waste of time. That's why I prefer to skip it and seduce women my own way.”
“O... kay?” I'm not sure how he expects me to reply to that. It's not like I'm going to give him a pat on the back for being a womanizer.
When they reach their building, Garrett holds the door for her, and they ascend the stairs to their apartments. Outside of 4B, we can hear Diego woofing and pawing at the door.
“It sounds like someone's excited to see you,” Garrett observes.
“He is!” Inez laughs. “Diego's always excited to see me. He almost gets too excited. It's a little ridiculous.”
“Well, I can't say I blame him,” Garrett says.
Their eyes connect, their chemistry is obvious, and when Garrett leans in for a kiss, Inez doesn't back away. In fact, she closes her eyes and meets his lips halfway. I feel pretty good about this. I'm the one who chose Inez for him, after all. I did well.
Jophiel knows it too, because he says, “Well done, Pho. You completed your first mission. I'm sorry to say, most missions are as inane as this one. I advise you to get used to it.”
“I didn't think it was inane,” I say. “I think it was sweet.”
“Of course you would. You're a bloody saint.” Clapping a hand on my shoulder, he asks, “Well... are you ready to head back to Archangel Tower?”
He doesn't give me a chance to answer. Before I can even blink, we're standing in his office again.
“Normally, I would send you on your way without a second thought, however... I believe you have concerns about your lack of friends?”
I know he can hear my thoughts, but it's still unsettling for him to bring up a topic I've never discussed with him. I don't think it's a topic I would've discussed with anyone. It's too embarrassing, and it makes me sound like a loser. “Uh... yeah. I haven't really made any friends yet,” I admit.
“Well, I'd like to introduce you to my friends, if you don't mind,” Jophiel says. “It would benefit me as well. If I parade you around a bit, they won't think I'm ashamed of my probation. Maybe they'll even think I'm enjoying it.”
I don't think I have a choice in the matter, because he's already clapping a hand on my shoulder and steering me out of the office. “Who are your friends?”
“You'll find out soon enough,” Jophiel says. “You're a lucky young man, Chris Pho. I can't think of another student who's interacted with so many Archangels.”
After a brisk walk down confusing corridors, we enter a bright room with several plush sofas and the biggest television screen I've ever seen. When I see Archangel Haniel sitting on one of the sofas, I have to hold back a gasp. She's so jaw-droppingly gorgeous, the word beautiful isn't sufficient. There needs to be a word to describe someone who's more than beautiful. She's the kind of beautiful that's hard to look at, but when you do indulge yourself, you're afraid she could hold your gaze forever because you never want to look at anything else.
Before I died, I had some expectations of how angels might dress. I expected them to be in white robes and togas and sandals. I expected them to be dripping in gold jewelry, with halos floating over their heads. Haniel is not what I expected. She's wearing ripped jeans and a loose-fitting graphic tee. There's a tattoo of a butterfly on her wrist, her ears are pierced three times each, and she's got a bass guitar on her lap. Her fingers stop strumming when we enter.
“Hello, Jo,” Haniel greets him, and when she waves at us, there's a pleasant jingle from the many bracelets engulfing her wrist. “Is this your new student?”
“It is.” Jophiel gives me another clap on the back, and I feel like I'm twelve years old again. A pat on the back seems like a reward for a kid. I definitely do not want Archangel Haniel to think I'm a kid.
“I bumped into him before, I think,” Haniel says. “What's your name, young man?”
Young man. Her words sting like a poison. “I'm Chris... Pho.” I don't know why I inserted a pause between my first and last names, but I'm pretty sure it made me sound like an idiot.
“Hello, Chris... Pho.” Haniel repeats my name, pause and all. She's grinning, so I guess she's teasing me. “Is Jophiel behaving himself?”
“Uh... yeah.” For the first time, I realize there are other people in the room. Two guys—I assume they're Archangels too—are sitting on another sofa, not far from Haniel.
“He is behaving himself? That's a miracle,” Haniel says. “Well, it's lovely to meet you. You're welcome to join us.”
Before I can ask what they're up to, Jophiel says, “I should probably introduce the others. The absurdly beautiful guitarist is Haniel, if you didn't know that already. Over there is Archangel Sandalphon...” An Archangel with curly white hair raises his hand, identifying himself to me. “And Archangel Azrael,” Jophiel finishes.
Azrael doesn't look too happy to see me. He's glaring at me under a mess of stringy black hair. This guy really doesn't look like an angel.
“What are you guys doing?” I ask.
“We're just hanging out,” Haniel says. “I'm pestering them with my music. I'm in a band called Beggar's Tongue.”
“Wow!” My eyes light up at the thought. “I didn't realize you could be in a band here.”
Haniel cocks her head and smiles at me. “And why not? Home is quite the same as Earth... but infinitely better, of course.”
Haniel makes me nervous. Really nervous. I feel like a thousand butterflies just exploded from their cocoons and are now flapping around in my stomach.
“Did you enjoy your first mission, Chris?” Haniel asks. My ears practically melt when I hear her say my name. Like Jophiel, she's got an English accent. If she said my name again, I'm pretty sure I'd fall in love with her. I'm already halfway there.
“Yeah. It was interesting.” Say something clever, Chris, I beg myself. I'm not that cute, so if I'm going to get her attention, I have to be witty or sweet or something other than the gaping idiot I'm currently embodying.
“What'd you do?” Sandalphon asks.
Sandalphon. With a name like that, he should definitely be one of those storybook angels in sandals and a toga.
“We helped a guy find a date,” I reply. “I think it went pretty well.”
“Sounds boring,” Azrael says. His voice is low and raspy, kind of like a hiss. I think he's intentionally trying to sound intimidating.
I tell him, “I didn't think it was boring. I really enjoyed it.”
When Haniel starts strumming her guitar, I'm entranced by her hand. I didn't think fingers could move as gracefully as this. As I watch her caress the strings, I feel envious of the guitar. I wonder what it would be like to be touched by a hand like hers.
I should probably be honest with myself, right? I'm more than halfway in love with her.
Jophiel whispers in my ear, “You might want to set your sights a bit lower, mate. I know I said I would help you find a girlfriend, but... Archangel Haniel? It's called matchmaking, not miraclemaking.”
“She's so pretty, though,” I whisper my reply. “Unbelievably pretty. I've never seen anyone prettier in my life. Do you think we could go on a mission with her sometime?”
“Perhaps... if she's up for it.” Jophiel wraps an arm around my shoulders. “But honestly, do set your sights lower. I'm offering this advice as a friend, not your teacher. Archangel Haniel is above your reach. It's never going to happen. Never.”