| |
RIGHT AFTER THE REVELATION hits me, Alyx says, “Dude, is it just me, or does he look a lot like your instructor? Let's look at another one...”
For a moment, I'm too stunned to respond, and I don't need to look at another picture to know I'm right. Even their names is a dead giveaway. Sander Phelan. Sandalphon. I suddenly feel like I'm the butt of a joke, and I don't know why.
I finally reply, “He doesn't just look like my instructor. That is my instructor!”
“Seriously?” Alyx starts scrolling through pictures of Sandalphon, and as she shares them with me, it only becomes more and more obvious. “Are you a hundred percent sure?”
“I'm like... three hundred percent sure,” I tell her.
“Let me see!” Leigh says, swiping the LightTab from her friend's hand. “Ooo, he's cute. But... why would you have an Archangel instructor? Isn't that strange?”
Alyx answers for me, “Very strange. The only time I've heard about an Archangel instructor was when Jophiel's punishment made the news awhile back. Wait... do you think that means Sandalphon is being punished for something?”
“Maybe,” Leigh says. “I guess that would make the most sense.”
I don't like where this conversation is heading. If they're right, is my time with Sander a punishment to him?
I need to start thinking of him as Sandalphon, I guess. But... if I do that, and he reads my mind, won't he know I've learned the truth? Maybe it would be smart to keep thinking of him as Sander, at least for awhile.
“He has really nice hair,” Leigh says.
I'm upset with Sander for lying to me, but I can't bring myself to disagree with her. “I know.” An accidental dreamy sigh slips out of me. “He's gorgeous. I guess it makes sense that he's an angel. All the angels I've met are really, really, pretty.”
“He's an Archangel,” Leigh gently corrects me. “There's a huge difference between angels and Archangels. Taishi always insists on telling me that.”
I start thinking about the time I've spent with Sander, and suddenly, everything makes a lot more sense. He had wings. He banished Phineas. How could he banish an angel if he wasn't someone important?
Alyx, having recovered her LightTab from Leigh, shares another picture of Sander. This time, he doesn't have a shirt.
“Wowwwww!” Alyx exclaims. “Look at this! He's hiding some serious muscle under his shirt!”
She's not wrong. Sandalphon has the six pack abs and pecs that most girls swoon for, but I've always been more into dad bods, so I don't coo over it like she does.
I say, “Uh... can someone explain why there are shirtless pictures of Archangels? Doesn't that seem weird to anyone else?”
Alyx agrees, “It's weird, yeah, but who could complain about this?” She points at shirtless Sandalphon again. “This is a gift, and he's sharing it with the world.”
We've been talking about Sandalphon way too long, so I try to start a different conversation. I start asking them about hobbies. Alyx and I share a common interest in video games, while Leigh and I both like classical music. I've never met another girl around my age who likes classical music, so that's cool.
When I talk about playing the piano, Alyx begs for a demonstration. For some reason, people always ask you to perform when they realize you're a performer. I tell her, “maybe one day,” and the subject is dropped.
Once our pizza is consumed, I exchange contact information with Leigh and head home. I need some time alone, so I can process the Sander news. I crash into bed, stare at the ceiling, and wonder why I, of all people, have such an important instructor. And why has Sander been lying to me?
Hours later, I get a message from the man on my mind.
“When should we meet for mission number three?”
I reply with a three-letter word: “Now.” I'm eager to see him again, to compare his face to the pictures I just saw. Now that I know the truth, I'm going to be really mindful of my thoughts. I don't want him to know that I know.
“He's Sander,” I coach myself as I head across the street to the Taco Barn. “Don't think of him as Sandalphon. He's Sander. Or... Mister Phelan, I guess.”
This time, I meet my instructor in front of the restaurant. One of these days, I want to get him inside the restaurant. There would be something really hilarious about eating fajitas with an Archangel.
When I see him again, I freeze up. The fact that he's an Archangel is seriously intimidating. This is going to change the way I feel about him, isn't it? This will ruin our rapport.
“Hello, Miss Frost,” he greets me. “You were surprisingly eager to get on with your missions.”
“Is that weird?” I ask. “I enjoy the work, so... why not?”
“It's not weird at all. I admire your enthusiasm,” Sander says. “I did have a question before we set off, though. After a mission or two, we usually ask our students if they would like to visit the family they left behind. Would you be interested in visiting your grandfather, James?”
Hearing him mention Grandpa's name is a little jarring, because I don't think I've ever talked about my family with Sander. I shouldn't be surprised, though. It seems like Sander knows everything about everything.
My answer flies out, “No thanks.”
“What?” Sander looks shocked by my reply. “You don't want to visit your grandfather?”
“No,” I answer again, with a firm, hard shake of my head. “I think it would be too sad. I know I would end up in tears, and... I'm an ugly crier.”
“Well, if you ever change your mind, I would be happy to take you,” Sander says. “And if you master your warping skill... which you've already done once... you will be able to visit any time you'd like.”
As much as I love Grandpa, I really don't want to visit him. I could see him, but he wouldn't see me. Maybe it's just me, but I think that's a heartbreaking thought.
“Are you ready, then?” Sander asks.
“For the mission? Yeah.”
I grab Sander's arm before he can grab mine, and he sends us to a new destination.