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I WANT TO TELL SOMEONE about my date with Sandalphon, to share the news, but I can't bring myself to do it. If I told Grandma, she would probably tease me and start talking about double dates again. If I told Alyx, she would probably start freaking out, because that's the kind of girl she is. No, it's better to keep my Sandalphon to myself.
The fact that I'm already thinking of him as my Sandalphon says a lot. He's hardly mine, but learning about his feelings was a revelation. I never thought I would be on an Archangel's radar, let alone, date one.
I'm in charge of the first part of our date, so I manifest all of my favorite picnic foods. I fill my woven basket with Grandpa's potato salad, baked beans, mozzarella sticks, and a variety of fruits. Sandalphon doesn't seem too interested in the beans, but that's okay. Grandpa's salad is sure to satisfy anyone's palate, including an Archangel.
“So... I have a confession...” As I build up the courage to continue, I lean back on my elbows and munch on a peach. “The first time I learned your real name, I thought it was Sandal-fun.”
Sandalphon chuckles, so I guess he's not too disgusted by my blunder. “Sandal-fun, huh?”
“Yeah.” Like a dork, I lift my sandaled foot and wiggle my toes. “It made sense to me! Sandals are my favorite kind of shoes, and you seemed pretty fun, so...”
“Really? I thought I came across as dull.”
“No, not at all. You're cool... and sexy.”
I can not believe I just said that. It's so out of character for me, I can barely recognize the words coming out of my mouth. Maybe I've been hanging out with Alyx too long. Overall, she seems a lot less timid than me.
“Thanks. But you're a lot cooler... and you make me look plain by comparison.”
I blow raspberries of denial at that ridiculous claim. “Everyone looks plain compared to you. Everyone.”
“It's kind of you to say that, but... you know I'm one of the less popular Archangels, don't you? No one even notices me when the others are around.”
I throw up a shoulder at his reply. “That's what Alyx said, but we both agreed that you should be more popular than you are. You're the handsomest Archangel I've seen so far, and you're really nice. I know a lot of girls prefer bad boys, but a lot of girls are stupid.”
Sandal-fun drags a hand through his hair, looking like a golden god, or Greek statue. I swear, I'm a little bit obsessed with his hair.
He says, “That's very kind of you. I guess... in the end, the only opinion that matters to me is yours. I don't care if everyone else likes me. I only care that you like me.”
“And I do!” I assure him, grinning cheekily. “I want to know more about you, too. I've already learned a few things today. For instance... you hate baked beans.”
“I'm... not a fan,” he admits. “But for you, I would eat an entire plate of them.”
“That's sweet, but I won't make you do that. I'm not that cruel.” I polish off my peaches and tackle a pear instead. I love fruit. Fortunately, Sandalphon seems to like it too. It would have sucked if he didn't like anything I manifested. “Hey... if you're a Sandal-fun fan, does that make you a Sandal-fan?”
“Possibly.” He chortles into his hand and reaches for his potato salad. He's eaten quite a bit of it so far. I knew Grandpa's salad would be a hit. “Mikey... I know you were a fan of the Notebook movie. You watched it all the time. I'm curious, though... what were some of your other favorites?”
“Well, you already know I like Lord of the Rings.”
“Romance movies,” he corrects me. “I need to study up for our next date.”
Our next date. Those three little words fill me with hope. “To be honest, I prefer older movies. The best ones are about ten or twenty years old. I do like the Notebook... and maybe A Walk to Remember... but I prefer happier endings. I like Pride & Prejudice, but to be honest, I'd rather see you dressed up like Legolas over Mr. Darcy. Um... The Princess Bride is cool. I always get chills when Westley says as you wish. I like Beauty and the Beast and... oh! Call Me By Your Name is amazing, but again, I'm a sucker for happy stuff.”
He pretends to take notes, grinning as he does.“This is very helpful. Thank you.”
Sandalphon was supposed to plan the second half of our date, so I can't wait to see what he's got up his sleeve. Lucky for me, I don't have to wait long to find out. Right after the picnic, he manifests a hot air balloon. Its red giant bag is rippling over a basket made for two.
“We're going to fly over Mount Roraima... which is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful places on Earth.”
“Cool,” I reply, even though it would have been more accurate to say he will be flying over Mount Roraima. I wouldn't know the first thing about piloting a big balloon. Sandalphon helps me into the basket, and even though I'm already dead, I'm a little apprehensive. I'm not really afraid of heights, but it's still unsettling to be hundreds of feet above ground, dangling from a bag. To distract myself, I return to our earlier conversation. “So... what's Sandalphon's favorite movie?”
“I don't really have a—” I probably look disappointed, because Sandalphon stops himself. “I... I think I'm a fan of the Die Hard movies. They don't make action films like that anymore.”
“That is such a guy answer,” I tease him. Personally, I haven't seen any of those movies, but I know enough about them. “Do you like... Harry Potter?”
“I do!” Sandalphon exclaims. “As I recall, you nearly had a Harry Potter party instead of a Lord of the Rings party.”
“Yeah...” Even though he was my spirit guide, I'm amazed that he knew that. “I decided to go with hobbits because Grandpa is more of a Tolkien fan. Also, I'm probably not smart enough to be Hermione.”
Nudging my arm, he cries, “What are you talking about? You're very smart!”
“Thanks... but I'm no Hermione.”
Our balloon is a gazillion feet above ground now, so I should definitely not look down. Ever.
That plan changes when we reach our destination. I've never heard of Mount Roraima before, but it's beyond breathtaking. It's a towering plateau with several slender waterfalls dripping from its crags. I've never seen anything like it.
“This is really beautiful,” I tell him. “I always wanted to travel, but I never thought I'd get to go anywhere like this.”
“Where did you want to go?” Sandalphon asks.
“I don't know... maybe... the pyramids of Egypt?”
A second later, our big balloon is drifting over the Sphinx. When I see the pyramids, I resist the temptation to coo or clap my hands. Below us, I see a few people and camels scattered around, but no one seems to notice us. Like always, we're invisible to people in the physical world.
“Let's go to London!” I exclaim—and my request is immediately granted. I see Big Ben, some kind of church, and the big Ferris wheel.
“It's called the London Eye,” Sandalphon says. “It's probably the most recognizable wheel in the—”
Sandalphon is interrupted by an earsplitting screech above us. When I look up, I see a nebulous bat, its black wings wrapped in hazy smoke. In the time it takes for me to scream, Sandalphon's sword is out of its sheath and plunging upward, through the bat's body. I hear a loud pop as the creature explodes.
“Try not to let this ruin our date,” Sandalphon says. “As you can see... an Archangel's work is never done.”