| |
THE BEGINNING OF THE Isaiah-Angelica date starts out a bit rocky and awkward. Angelica's restaurant of choice isn't immediately handicap accessible. The tables are packed too closely together for a wheelchair, and they have to wait a half-hour for the restaurant to accommodate them.
While they browse menus and wait for their food, the conversation is practically non-existent. I know Isaiah's nervous—I've peeked into his head. I can sympathize with those nerves, but I wish he would make an effort to get to know her better.
The waiter arrives with two massive plates of spaghetti, topped with a snow of Parmesan cheese. Seeing their food has me licking my lips with envy.
As they're eating, things start to look a little more promising.
“You know, I've always had a crush on you,” Angelica admits.
“What? No way!” Isaiah laughs it off. “You're making that up, right?”
“Not at all. It was really serendipitous when you showed up at that Harry Potter contest. It was like... fate. Right before I saw you, I had just been thinking my soulmate would probably show up in a Harry Potter costume... and there you were.” Angelica starts twirling her hair, which seems like a good sign. A lot of girls do that when they're flirty or nervous, right?
“You think I might be your soulmate, huh?” There's a hint of mischief in his voice. I think he's teasing, but Angelica doesn't realize that.
“No. I-I mean... maybe. I-I don't know!” Angelica stutters through her reply. “Now you're probably totally creeped out, aren't you?”
“Not totally creeped out,” he teases her again. “Maybe more like... fifty-nine percent creeped out.”
Angelica's pretty bad at recognizing sarcasm, because she takes that seriously too. “Oh gosh. I'm so stupid!” she exclaims.
“I'm just messing with you,” Isaiah reassures her. “I'm not creeped out in the least. I think you're really cute... and sweet... and I really like you too.”
The date seems to be going well now, thank goodness. After they eat, I follow them to a nearby park, where they're pounced on by a puffy brown dog. The dog is so enamored by Isaiah, he leaps into his lap.
“Someone seems to like you,” Angelica says.
“I hope you're referring to yourself.” This time, Isaiah's wink makes his sarcasm more obvious.
“You already know I like you,” she says. “But the dog... he really, really likes you. You're already getting kisses.”
Angelica isn't kidding. The dog won't stop licking Isaiah's chin. When he finally does stop, the dog glances in my direction, so I give him a little wave.
The dog doesn't have a collar, and he seems lost, so they start discussing the possibility of adoption. As they do, I catch a glimpse of another spirit guide in the distance. Our eyes meet, and he gives me a thumbs up.
I shout at him, “Are you the dog's guide?”
“Aye,” he answers in a Scottish accent. “I hope you don't mind that I used your people. They seemed nice.”
“They are!” I'm still shouting at the dog's guide, because neither of us can be bothered to close the distance between us. “You chose well!”
“You look even more beautiful in person, by the way,” says the Scottish guide. I guess I look puzzled, because he quickly adds, “I know who you are. You're Kaylene. You're kind of famous.”
I never know how to react when people recognize me, and I'm even more befuddled when they flirt with me. I just smile, nod, and hope that's the end of our conversation.
Angelica and Isaiah leave the park with their new canine friend. As they discuss their plans for a second date, I get lost in my own thoughts. What am I going to do about Ben? I've never had to banish someone in the middle of a mission, and I've never completed a mission without my student at my side. Should Ben get credit for it? Should I fail him? I honestly don't know.
I return Home to think it over—in bed, in lounge pants, with a huge plate of spaghetti and Parmesan cheese on my lap. Every time I twirl a new bundle of noodles around my fork, I change my mind on how to handle the situation.
I should give Ben a pass, right? It was my decision to banish him, after all.
But... maybe I should fail him? He was rude, annoying, and intentionally disrupting the mission. I shouldn't give him credit for a mission he barely participated in, should I?
As soon as the last noodle is spun, I make my choice. Ben is not getting credit for a mission I completed on my own.
I'm failing him.