ACOUPLE OF WEEKS before my first day of college classes I drove from my dorm to the campus sports complex for the beginning of volleyball camp.
My pulse sped up a bit as I walked toward the gym.
How will I measure up to the other players? Will they like me? Will my nerves take over today and make me look like a loser?
The thunking of balls hitting walls and the squeaking of sneakers hit my ears as I entered.
Several girls were warming up, doing stretches and practicing serves. I watched for a few moments before setting my duffle bag on the bottom bleacher. These were the best players on their high school teams. I’d have to prove my skills. But I also wanted them to like me as a person.
At freshman orientation I’d met a few girls who said they played, but I didn’t see any of them yet.
I shed my heavy sweatshirt, then moved to the wall by the net and did some leg and arm stretches, shooting smiles at the girls who passed by.
“Five more minutes,” Coach Spencer yelled from the other side of the net. “Then we’ll huddle up for introductions.”
I was a little nervous to meet Coach. Would we hit it off? Would he be extra stern with the newbies or gentle so we’d relax? I’d seen pictures of him in the college catalog, and he looked exactly the same. He hunched over a bit when he walked and kept shoving his round glasses up his nose.
“Hi.”
I glanced at a tall girl who started doing stretches next to me.
“I’m Jessica.”
“Olivia.”
“You nervous?”
“A little. But I’m also excited.”
“Can you believe we’re going to be playing for one of the best volleyball teams in the country?” Jessica’s eyes twinkled as she tied her long, straight red hair into a ponytail.
I sat on the bleacher and tightened the laces of my sneakers. “I feel humbled to be in the same gym with these girls.”
“I think all freshmen feel intimidated. You’ll do great.”
Strangely, her words made my nerves settle a bit.
The whistle blew. “Huddle up!”
The sound of bouncing balls ceased, and the fifteen girls walked to the middle of the gym, where Coach stood, exchanging glances and smiles along the way. I waved to the two girls I recognized from orientation. I couldn’t remember their names. I’d have to look at the roster and pictures Coach had taped to the wall near the door to the locker room.
“It’s a privilege to work with you all. You are some of the best volleyball players in the country, and you’re playing on one of the best teams in the country. But this is a new year, and we’ve got to keep the winning streak going. We play hard, and we play fair. We’re good winners. But we need to be good losers as well.”
I liked that. Being a good loser builds character.
“This week is our time to bond, learn each other’s skills, and start to formulate a strategy for this year.” Coach turned to the tall brunette girl on his left.
“I’m Brittany. I’m a senior, and I was the team captain last year. I want you all to introduce yourselves. Tell us where you’re from and what position you play. Let’s start with the freshmen.” She glanced my way.
“I’m Olivia Stanton. I’m from Rising Sun, Maryland. I’m a setter.” I offered a big smile.
The introductions went quickly, and I knew I’d never remember all the names. Thank goodness for that roster on the wall, so I could glance at it whenever I needed to.
Coach shouted out the first drill. “Setters, spread out over the two nets.
Newbies, team up with one of our present setters.”
I was about to share a court with some girls I’d watched on ESPN for the past four years. I hoped I wouldn’t embarrass myself the first day.
I must have had adrenaline racing through my body, because I did really well, setting up some great spikes. I got several compliments from teammates and the coach. That settled my nerves, and I began to have fun.
The seasoned players were all kind and helpful, except for one tall blonde hitter who never once glanced in my direction. I figured she was probably threatened by the “new blood.” I decided to go out of my way to win her over as soon as I had the opportunity.
I had so much fun, practice seemed to soar by. I couldn’t wait until tomorrow. It was refreshing to play with such seasoned players.
On my way out I looked at the roster and found the name of the tall blonde hitter: Anya.
I waved at Jessica, grabbed my gym bag, and headed to my dorm. Rounding a corner in the hallway I ran into Anya. The collision pushed her back against the wall. “Sorry.” I laughed nervously.
“No problem.” She shifted her backpack into place. “You did well today.
But you need to work on your form.”
“Thanks. I’ll try to do better.”
Irritation rose in me. I would have accepted that suggestion from Coach. Coming from Miss I’m-Better-Than-You who’d snubbed me the entire practice was humiliating. Being nice to her was going to be a real challenge. Her eyes and her voice were equally icy.
Anya flipped her long hair and continued down the hallway.
I stormed out the door and headed down the elm-tree-lined path to the myriad buildings I’d have to begin thinking of as home. Tears of frustration crept up. I stuffed them.
It’s only the first day. Things will get better.
As I headed onto the Green in the center of the campus, I saw three guys in soccer uniforms about twenty feet in front of me. They must have finished practice and were heading somewhere to hang out together. They looked hot. I wondered if they might be going to the food court at Trabant University Center. If so, maybe I’d go over there myself.
I tried to check them out without getting caught staring. One of them had wavy blond hair exactly like Mike’s. I snuck behind some bushes that were just tall enough to hide my face so I could observe them secretly.
As the blond guy walked along the pathway, his stride looked so much like Mike’s, my heart leaped. Could the other two hotties see him?
His companions slapped the object of my pursuit on the arm and then went in the direction of Memorial Hall.
So they can see him! Maybe they’re all three angels. In soccer uniforms?
Blond Guy entered Morris Library, a large brick building with white colonial trim. I waited a moment, then followed him inside.
A week from now this place would be bustling with students, but today it was practically empty. It smelled musty, but the smell of books made me inhale deeply. I loved that smell.
The librarian looked up at me from the front desk. “Can I help you?”
“No, thanks. I’m just touring the building.”
Since the aisles all went the same direction, I could scan each one as I strolled along. After passing several rows of books, I saw him. I stopped so suddenly I almost tripped myself.
His back was turned to me, and he was paging through a book. I took a deep breath and walked in his direction. When I was about a foot from him, I said, “Excuse me.”
He looked up, and I exploded in relief. “Mike! It is you.”
Confusion shrouded his face. “Excuse me?”
“Real funny, Mike. What are you doing here?”
He stuck out his hand, “Sorry, but my name’s not Mike. I’m Leo Palmer.”
I couldn’t figure out why Mike was playing this charade. “I’m from Rising Sun, Maryland.”
“Really? What part?” I decided to play along for a while. Maybe there was someone in the library Mike didn’t want to reveal himself to. But why? There’d been countless times he’d let me see him when no one else could.
“Do you know Sullivan Street on the west side?”
“That’s only a few miles from where I live.” The guy who had filled my gas tank that dark night almost a year ago lived on Sullivan Street. That guy was Mike. Wasn’t it?
“So what’s your name?” He shut the book he was holding and tucked it under his arm.
I looked up at his face. His expression was guarded. This really was a stranger.
“I’m Olivia. Sorry for acting so stupid, but you look just like this guy I knew back home. In fact, he could be your twin.”
I wished he would suddenly laugh and confess to being the guardian angel I knew. But his expression didn’t change.
Leo opened the book he’d been reading. On the binding was one word:
Angels. I tilted my head. “Are you interested in angels?”
He flashed me the same smile I’d become so familiar with. “I am.” Coincidence?
The skin on my forearms prickled. Was it some kind of sign?
“Would you like to get some coffee?”
I was relieved he’d invited me to join him and didn’t just walk away thinking I was some freak.
“Sure.”
Leo slid the book back onto the library shelf.
We headed down the aisle toward the exit. I wondered what Leo thought about me. Did he wonder if I’d cooked up a pathetic pickup line to start a conversation with him? Or did he think I was a crazed lunatic?
When we got outside the building, we walked toward the food court. Leo chatted, flashing that brilliant smile. I couldn’t help being attracted to him. Leo was a flesh-and-bones version of Mike. I grinned. How brilliant of my guardian angel to take the form of a real person, a guy he knew I’d be attracted to someday.
Fluttering with anticipation, I glanced at Leo, then immediately looked at the ground as I felt heat rise from my neck to my face.
As we approached the cafe he opened the glass door for me. What a gentleman!
When we entered the room, a girl shouted, “Hi, Leo!”
I followed the voice, and my eyes came to rest on Anya. She was sitting at a booth with two of my new teammates.
Great. The one girl who hated me seemed very familiar with my new human angel. No doubt she was very attracted to him. Her face glowed until she saw me standing beside him.
Leo waved, then gestured toward me. “Anya, this is Olivia. She and I just found out we’re from the same hometown.”
Anya’s expression darkened further. “Oh, that’s interesting.” She drew out the last word. She stuck her nose up in the air and stared me down. I felt like a weak animal about to be hunted by a stealthy beast. I smiled at her, waved at the other volleyball players, then walked up to the counter to place my order.
Oblivious to anything that just passed between Anya and I, Leo shouted, “I’ll catch up with you later, Anya, OK?”
Leo stood so close behind me I could feel his breath on my neck.
“What would you like?” His low voice so close to my ear felt like hot lava trickling though my head and down my spine.
I’d like to wrap my arms around you and not let go.
I looked at the menu behind the counter and ordered the first thing I saw. Iced mochaccino.
“I’ll have the same.” Leo placed a ten-dollar bill on the counter.
I felt like Anya’s eyes were burning a hole in my back.
After we got our cups I walked as far away from her table as I could and took a seat by a window.
Leo sat across from me. “So, we obviously went to different high schools. Where’d you go?”
“Rising Sun High. How about you?”
“I went to Holy Angels.”
I remembered the Catholic school several miles from where I grew up.
What an ironic name.
Leo took a sip of his drink, then looked into my face. His eyes were different from Mike’s. They were a deep grayish-blue. But they seemed to gaze into my soul. “What brings you to U of D?”
“I’ve always wanted to play volleyball here. I never thought I’d actually be recruited, but I was. Are you here on a soccer scholarship?”
“Yes. I was shocked to be selected since I went to a pretty small school.”
I wanted to find a way to ask him if he was a Christian. Just because he went to Catholic school didn’t mean he was a born-again believer. “Did you go to the Catholic church in town?”
“No. Community Bible Church. It’s great. My family and I attended every week.”
That was good news. At least he didn’t only go to church at Christmas and Easter.
“How about you?”
“We went to Pike Valley Methodist.”
“Oh, I’ve heard really great things about your church.”
I took a sip of my drink and set it back down on the table in front of me. “So why were you looking at a book about angels?”
“I’m fascinated with them.” Leo glanced sideways as if he was uncomfortable about answering in any more detail. “You want to take a walk across campus with me?”
I glanced at Anya. She returned another cold stare. “Sure.” Any opportunity to get away from her sounded good to me.
We strolled until the sun went down, chatting the whole time. We had many things in common and knew a lot of the same people. I found it easy to talk to him after just meeting. Far more so than with any other boy I’d ever met.
This has to be the guy Mike referred to.
As the sky darkened into a pinkish blue, I noticed a black figure dash behind a bush along the walkway. I averted my gaze, knowing it was a demon and not wanting Leo to see me staring at something he couldn’t see. But Leo’s eyes looked in the same direction.
Does he see it too? If he’s intrigued by angels, maybe he can see them—every kind.
When we stopped beside the parking lot near Memorial Hall, Leo looked at the sky. His eyes darted in every direction.
I looked up, too, and saw myriad angels streaming across the sky.
There were so many I could hardly see the stars behind them. They made a cloud of sparkling white that went on as far as my eyes could see.
“Can you—?” I began.
“Yes, I can.”
We had the same gift! Could I ask for anything more? Thank You, God! Our eyes drifted to the adjacent parking lot, where an enormous dark cloud hovered. It stretched over the entire concrete area, with a trail streaming toward Academy Street. I’d never seen such a gigantic force of evil spirits congregated in one location. Not even at the music festival. I grabbed Leo’s hand. I also felt a familiar invisible hand on my shoulder. Mike.
Leo squeezed my fingers. “Whatever happens, we’re in this together.”
I had no idea what we might be getting into. But I knew I wanted to go there with Leo. Between him, God, and my guardian angel, I had nothing to fear.