Wings- Chapter 2

II

“Verity!” Alec’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

I glanced at him while he swirled a french fry in his chocolate shake. A smirk spread across his lips. “No need to be so obvious.” He popped the fry into his mouth. He was the perfect image of snark. Messy red hair, sparking brown eyes.

“What are you talking about?” I didn’t bother making sense of this conversation as my mind urged me to look at the boy at the register again. No wings. My brain couldn’t comprehend it. Everyone had wings. No exceptions. Well… except for this random guy in Wendy’s.

Cate and Alec exchanged a look.

“Girl, this isn’t like you.” Cate flicked my arm. “Snap out of it, or, I don’t know, go say hi?”

“Um.” My thoughts were all over the place. I struggled to form a coherent sentence. “It’s not like that,” I said quickly.

“Right, sure.” Alec shrugged. “I told you she was gay,” he said conspiratorially to Cate. She broke into a smile.

“I am not!” I felt a flush creep up my neck, over my cheeks, and to the tips of my ears. “You idiot.” I punched Alec in the arm.

“You seem to be allergic to boys,” quipped Cate.

I glared at her. Since when is she on his side? I felt betrayed. What happened to the sisterhood? “Not true. I’m around Alec all the time and never get more than a mild headache,” I said smoothly.

He gripped his chest in a gesture of mock-pain. “Ouch, V. That hurt.”

I grinned sharply at him. “See? I can talk to guys.” I stood up abruptly, before I could let my common sense take over. Why I felt the need to prove myself like this, I didn’t know. I blamed it all on my overwhelming curiosity. This mystery boy was a freaking anomaly, after all.

My friends went silent as I took my first step toward the counter. Nerves flooded my system. Okay, so he was a hot guy. That didn’t matter. What mattered was the impossibility of it all. No wings! It was my job to figure out what the heck was going on. I quickly smothered the terrified voice in my head that was currently spouting off nonsense about Mystery Guy’s effortless hair and oh, wow, what if he drives a nice motorcycle because I’ve always wanted to ride on one of those.

I bet he drove it here and it’s parked right outside.

I must have blanked out or something because suddenly I was right behind him. I coughed. Gathered my nerve. Tapped him on the shoulder.

“Am I in your way?” Mystery Guy asked, turning to face me.

I blinked, taken aback by his stark gray eyes. His gaze was sharp, scrutinizing. I felt like he could see right through me, all my layers and walls knocked down with a single glance in my direction. I hated it. Nobody could have that kind of power over me.

I clenched my jaw. Raised my defenses and enforced them with iron-will.

He raised his eyebrows in question.

You need to say something, Verity. You’re freaking the poor guy out! I let out a breath. “Hey.” I smiled warmly. Where I was going with this conversation, I had absolutely no idea. “I was just… looking at your jacket. Where’d you get it?”

He blinked at me. “You like my jacket?”

Well… the truth was, I could rock a leather jacket like nobody’s business but that’s beside the point. “I do, but I was honestly just wanting to get up and introduce myself to you.” I paused, taking him in again. “You seem new in town. My name is Verity Coles.” With more bravado than I felt, I stuck out a hand for him to shake.

He smiled at me, his teeth a violent slash of white against his olive-toned skin. I refused to stare at his dimples. He didn’t take my hand. “Really? I’m flattered.” His voice was rich and melodious with sarcasm. I tried to process what he was saying. “You can call me whatever you want, babe, but I’m not interested.” With that, he strolled away, vanilla frosty in hand.

I distantly noticed that my hand was still stuck out in greeting. Robotically, I lowered it. Oh, if looks could kill. I felt heat flood my face as I watched him stroll over to his table and pull out his phone, scrolling with his thumb.

I curled my hands into my hoodie’s sleeves and bit my lip, stalking over to my table. Which was, thankfully, across the restaurant from Jerkwad over there.

I slumped in my seat, arms crossed and fuming. How degrading. “Babe”. I despised that word more than I could confess. Why did all the hot guys have to be so rude? How dare he assume I was hitting on him in the first place? That was a totally narcissistic move, okay?

I felt a hand lightly touch my shoulder. “You okay there?” Cate asked, worry clouding her features.

I took a breath. “I’m fine. Just lost my dignity, that’s all.”

“I’m sorry boys suck, Verity.”

Alec nodded in agreement.

“I made a total fool of myself!” I blurted out, exasperated. “Is this how I always am? I can’t behave like a normal, sane teenager for more than five seconds. What is wrong with me?”

“There’s nothing wrong with you, V.” Alec leaned across the table, wings flickering, spread out and encasing our little group protectively.

“Listen.” Cate’s eyes sharpened to shards of ice. “You did nothing wrong. You’ve been through a lot this year. One numbnuts guy isn’t anything compared to that. You’re strong and capable.”

Through the orange veil of Alec’s wing, I stared across the room at the boy. He was sitting with someone now, laughing and chatting. It was a pretty brunette, tall and willowy. I could just make out her full pink lips and the smattering of freckles all over her face, like she’d been out in the sun for most of her life. I jolted. She didn’t have any wings either. Nothing protruded from the back of her bleached jean jacket. No aura. No nothing.

No soul?

Maybe I was losing my mind.

***

I made it home with an hour to spare before the party. Alec and Cate trailed me like dogs all the way back, insisting on forgoing any homework for the night.

I trudged up my driveway, noticing that my mother wasn’t home from work yet. Her telltale royal blue truck wasn’t parked in the driveway. That meant no worrying lectures about my mental health and “Are you taking your meds, dear?”. I quickened my pace. Sure, my mother was late. No use in looking a gift-horse in the mouth.

Chewy would be starving by now. I was normally home much earlier than this. My keys jingled as I unlocked the door, then stepped inside. Immediately, a harsh banging erupted across the halls. The guest bathroom door shook and bowed as I got closer and I could hear sharp claws tearing up the paint on the other side in their excitement.

I opened the door and out shot my dog.

Chewy was a gray two-hundred pound great dane. Did I name him Chewy, as in Chewbacca? Yes, indeed I did. He wasn’t brown or fluffy, but I had been a sci-fi child, through and through. I’d insisted. He was one of the remaining pieces of evidence from Before. Before my dad died. Before my family shattered. Before I became homeschooled. Before I came clean about the wings and supposedly lost my mind.

There were too many before’s.

Chewy reared back and plopped his paws down on each of Alec’s shoulders. The two were eye-level and my dog took full advantage of that as he began licking Alec’s face. Alec laughed, scratching his ears and rubbing his sides.

Cate was more of a cat person herself, but she smiled as she kept her distance from the giant, slobbering creature.

“Chewy, down,” I ordered. He obeyed, staring up at me with big brown doggy-eyes. I patted his massive head. “Let’s get you some food, huh?”

His long tail thwacked against the walls as he pranced ahead of me, toward his food bowl.

“You’re not going to Grayson’s party smelling like dog, I hope,” shot Cate.

Alec grinned at her, running nimble fingers through his hair. “Only if you insist.”

After feeding the dog I turned down the hall and entered my room. The sun was creeping down beyond the horizon, sending pale streams of light through my teal curtains and splashing against the walls. Walls that were covered in posters of my favorite people. Mostly fictional, I’ll admit.

I strode forward and my friends slinked in behind me. I could feel their eyes on my back as I slid my tiny closet doors open. I didn’t own anything impressive, but I could feel Cate assessing the possibilities in the silence. She wedged herself in between me and my clothes. She dug through a hamper of old clothes that I had decided to donate with all the passion of a hound that had finally caught the scent of its prey.

“Ha!” Cate stood up straight, prize in hand. She ducked underneath my arm and held it out to me. “I knew you never planned on wearing this!”

I slowly turned to face her. “It… didn’t fit,” I lied lamely.

She narrowed her eyes at me.

In her hand, she held a short pastel pink dress. The tulle layers shone in the evening light, cascading in ombre waves. The fabric criss-crossed at the chest and rose into pale pink cap sleeves. In truth, the dress was beautiful.

I hadn't even taken off the tags. Or the plastic hanger.

Cate stalked over and hung the dress onto a tack in the wall, smothering a poster of David Tennant posing in front of the TARDIS.

“You said you'd go tonight.” Cate planted a hand on her hip. “If you have a problem with your socializing skills then you should go out there and change that. You can't go in a hoodie and sweats, Verity.”

I glanced at Alec, who was currently propping an elbow against Captain Kirk's face. He gave me a subtle shake of the head. “What's wrong with the dress anyway?” he asked.

I hesitated. There was nothing wrong with the dress. Cate and I had picked it out specifically to match my copper hair and fair skin. It was pretty. Eye-catching.

The problem was me.

Wearing this dress would be like stepping into an old skin. Me from Before. Happy, careless, flirty me. The me who did a pretty great job of ignoring the vibrant wings sticking out of everyone's backs. That's not who I was anymore. Stepping back in time to when I was semi-normal seemed wrong, somehow.

“Come on,” pleaded Cate. “Just try it on at least.”

I sighed. I had said I would go to the party tonight, even though little old homeschooled me almost certainly wasn’t invited. Cate was right, too. I couldn’t show up in a hoodie and sweats. Which, admittedly, I had been wearing all day.

I gave my friends a small smile. “Okay, I’ll wear it.”

Cate grinned and handed the dress over.

Maybe it was time to be getting out of my shell. I walked into the bathroom down the hall with renewed purpose. I was stagnant. Something had to change.

I padded back down the hall and into my bedroom, dress swishing around my legs. I glanced down, thankful I had shaved the other night. Cate and Alec both gaped at me as I gave them a little twirl.

“How do I look?” I asked slowly.

“You look great, V.” Alec nodded approvingly.

Cate stood in front of me and tucked my mid-length hair behind my ears. “I’ve already picked out earrings and shoes,” she said, gesturing to my bed.

On its pale blue covers rested a pearly white pair of pumps and next to them, a set of diamond studs. I put in the earrings, but hesitated before the shoes.

“Aren’t they gorgeous?” exclaimed Cate.

“They’re my mom’s,” I said slowly, raising an eyebrow at her.

“I’m sure she won’t mind.”

I grimaced. “I don’t know…”

“She wants you to get out of the house, remember? And these shoes are a must.”

They looked like a foot-ache to me, but one look at Cate’s face told me I wouldn’t be leaving without putting them on. Cautiously, I slid my feet in and fastened the shiny straps. I stood, wobbling a bit. “I haven’t worn heels in forever,” I said, teetering.

“They look like death traps,” remarked Alec.

“They probably are,” I muttered to myself.

My friend rolled her eyes at us. “It’s not that difficult.” She paused. “You should see what I’m going to wear,” she admitted.

True.

Cate opened her mouth.

“No! No makeup!” I said quickly. Makeup had only ever made me feel more insecure about myself. I didn’t see the point in it.

“I wasn’t going to suggest that! You don’t need it.” She waved her hand in dismissal. “I was just going to go put on my own dress. See you in a few.”

Alec and I just stood there for a little while.

“What are you going to wear?” I asked him.

He gave a rueful laugh. “Nothing as fancy as you two.”

“What, no one to impress?”

He shot me a lopsided grin. “We’ll see, won’t we?”

I frowned at him. Cryptic as ever. Typical.

Cate came whooshing back into my room wearing a flowing lilac dress that reached her knees in the front and fell in satin waves to her calves in the back. On her feet, she wore black stilettos. She stood there unwavering in all her glory, the only person I knew who could wear heels with perfect grace and never tire of them.

“You look stunning, as always,” I exclaimed.

Alec simply stared at her. I nudged him with my shoulder. He blinked. Flushed a little.

“What?” Cate smirked at him. “Finally speechless, I see.” She shoved him a little. “Chill out. I’m not that pretty,” she added nervously.

Alec stood up straighter. “I wish you could see how beautiful you are.”

Cate giggled abruptly. She patted his cheek. “You’re cute when you’re flustered.” Then she walked purposefully out of the room.

Um. Okay. How had I not noticed this before?

I darted out of my room and nearly collided with Cate in the hallway. She gripped my arm tightly and steered me to the front door.

“What was that?” I demanded in a low voice.

“What was what?”

I shot her a look. “Don’t make me say it.”

“We’re just going to pretend I didn’t make a fool of myself in there, okay Verity?” She leveled her metallic gaze at me. “Nothing. Happened.”

I swallowed. Felt my mouth twitch into a tiny smile. “Whatever you say.”

Cate rolled her eyes and promptly turned to the closet nearby. “It’s chilly outside. You should wear a jacket.” The door was open and she was already rifling through the options on display. I already knew what I wanted, though.

I reached past her and yanked out a black leather jacket, its collar folded down and silver zippers gleaming on the pockets. I slipped it over my shoulders. “I’m wearing this.”