26 Don't hate the messenger

Back to square one. I was back at this place... this crowded and claustrophobic place that even the most powerful beings of all time won't dare to enter... if you thinking hell you pretty close but it's not, it's even worse, it's... "high school."

It's been a week since I've seen Felix and guess what... my bathroom is still a wreck. He better pay for the damage he caused even if he is my cat and no amount of cuteness or flattery is going to get him out of this one, no sorry. He better pay up.

I walked further down the crowded hallway as students passed me by. You would think after all that has happened, this is the last place I would be. Yet, here I am, walking this dreaded path to certain death... I'm just exaggerating... it's not that bad but yeah, why am I back here? I have no idea.

Felix said I should go back to school even with my life being in danger and all because of this so called "Him" and this so called "They" that Cara mentioned. He said it was best because then my parents won't worry about me and it would also keep them out of danger, which I'm already in.

As you can see... my parents clearly didn't know anything since it turns out that the "Union" that Felix answers to did wipe them of their memory.

This was good I guess, cause it allows me to have a normal life with them. If they get their memories back it will be different... my dad and mom will never be the same so it's best they don't know anything. Other than my parents being the closest thing to normal for now... the rest of my life isn't even close to that... it's just the opposite, it's... "abnormal."

Felix also didn't say much... like, for example... he didn't tell me what he was or who was after me but telling me about my parents was a start and hopefully I can get him to crack.

I stopped in the hallway as I waited for the chaos to come to a stop. Looking further down the passage, I saw Eva... She looked like a mess... her hair was messy, her glasses tilted almost falling off her nose and her top slightly hanging off her right shoulder... I observed her whole outfit until my eyes landed on her feet... taking a closer look at her shoes I noticed her socks... wait, is she wearing two different socks? I thought to myself as she spoke.

"I just got here and I'm already drained." Eva said with a sigh, my eyes now focusing on her.

"Wow, you look like crap..." I said teasingly as I looked at her. "What happened to you? Did you get hit by a train or something?"

"Hahaha," she fake laughed, "but no, I didn't get enough sleep last night."

"Wow, that's usually my line." I said grinning. "Looks like the tables have turned."

"You think?" She replied sarcastically as she rolled her eyes.

"No, I don't think... I know." I said acting all smart... Felix must be rubbing off on me, damn smart ass. "Looks like you following my bad influences Eva, and here I thought you were Mrs Perfect."

"Well, you know what they say... good girls are just bad girls that never got caught." Eva said with a mischievous grin.

I just laughed at her reply... "That's what you say now but we all know you a Mrs Goody Two Shoes."

"And you would know because?" She said grinning, waiting for me to reply.

"Because I'm your best friend..." I said giggling like a little school girl. "But anyway... I need to get some stuff in my locker, do you mind?"

"No, not at all." Eva said as she dragged her feet behind me while we walked towards my locker.

While we continued to walk and come to a stop once we reached my locker, Eva, was still talking to me and I turned in my locker combination as she continued to talk.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot..." she said, "there is another reason why I look like a wreck today."

I was still busy getting my locker to open... "Mmmmmm..." I said as the locker door finally swung open, "and why's that?"

"Because," she replied excited for some reason, "there's a new student in class 1B."

"And this student is the reason you look like you do?" I said teasing her. "He or she is the reason you're wearing two different socks?"

"Well, I wouldn't put it like that," she said laughing, "but yeah, kind of and no, "they're" not the reason I'm wearing two different socks. I was in a rush this morning and I grabbed the first thing I saw and it just happened to be a pair of socks that weren't the same colour."

"See this is why I tease her. It's hilarious when she tries to explain herself."

"So what happened?"

"Well, long story short, I kind of ran into him." She said in an awkward tone not long after a giggle.

Clumsy much... Said the sarcastic voice in my head.

"So the new student is a guy?"

"Well, yeah otherwise why else would I have said him." Eva said giggling as she pointed out the obvious.

"Wow, another one," I said, "first Felix and now whoever this guy is."

"Yeah, but there is just one thing that makes this guy different from Felix." She said seeming slightly worried now.

"And what's that?" I said as I waited for her to speak.

"Well, where is Felix anyway?"

"He'll be here now..." I said, "he's just running a few minutes late cause he needed to check in on things but hey, don't change the subject, you made me interested and now you want to leave me hanging."

"Okay... Okay... Geez..." Eva said, "he's the bad boy type."

"Like that's any different from Felix." I said smirking to myself.

"Well, it kind of is... I mean, he's good looking, similar to them, but his attitude is way different from James or Felix's attitude. They both act tough but they sweet, but this guy I don't know? He seems so cold. I mean, he helped me when I accidentally bumped into him but he isn't really what I would call friendly."

"Yeah so, he's a bit cold but what does it matter to you..." I replied, "you have James, remember. So why you worried about some other guy?"

"I don't know..." Eva said, "I just have a bad feeling about him, or maybe it's just the rumours that are getting to me."

"Rumours? What rumours? Oh, you mean, like that bad boy rubbish people make up? That type of rumours?" I said furrowing my eyebrows. "I'm sure he's not such a bad guy... you should quit jumping to conclusions."

"Yeah, you right..." Eva said. "Well, you know me always overthinking things. We don't know him and I shouldn't judge. Maybe we should invite him to come with us to the movies after school... you know, to get to know him. I can ask Sam to come with us too, it can be a group thing... Felix, You, James, Me, Sam and the New Guy. Hopefully we'll know his name by then otherwise I just have to keep calling him the New Guy."

"See this is why Eva and I were friends, we the biggest overthinkers of all time."

"Yeah, today is our day off from work I guess. A movie doesn't sound too bad... I don't know if you asking me to go or if it's a demand though?" I said jokingly. "But I'll go with."

"That's great..." Eva said, "you on board, now all I have to do is tell the others... I'll send them a text."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah... go for it." I said, not really concentrating as I checked my schedule that was stuck on the inside of my locker door to see what periods we get next.

Still listening to Eva, I placed the books I didn't need inside my locker and took out the ones I needed for the next period after homeroom when a small piece of paper flew out of one of the books I was holding. I didn't notice it until Eva picked it up and placed it in my hand.

"What's this?" I said as I looked at the note she placed in my free hand.

"I don't know it fell out of one of your books."

Placing the rest of my books in my locker I unfolded the note to see what it said but Eva spoke before I had a chance to read it.

"Isn't that one of the sticky notes that you usually use to, you know... book mark your notes?" Eva asked, her voice breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." I said shaking my head as though I were trying to shake myself out of a daze and folding the piece of paper up again, "you right, it probably is. I just don't remember my my sticky notes being this colour."

I slipped the note into my pocket as I grabbed my bag and shut my locker. "Do you have all your books?" I asked Eva as we walked further down the hallway.

"Yeah," she said, "I got all the books I need."

After walking for what felt like ages down a never ending hallway we finally reached homeroom. We entered the classroom with a not so happy looking teacher giving us an evil as hell death glare but it's not like she could do anything now... we were on time.

"What's up with Mrs Smith?" Eva whispered to me as we took our seats. "If she keeps on glaring at us like that I think I'm going to pee myself."

"Just ignore her and keep your cool," I said as I placed one of my note books on my desk, "we early so there's nothing to worry about."

"Yeah..." Eva sighed as she looked out the window, trying to avoid the holes Mrs Smith was burning into our heads.

While I was seated, I flipped through my note book, I had my pencil out... I wanted to sketch something since there was nothing to do other than hear the teacher calling out the names of students and asking if they were here or not. I flipped through the pages that had sticky notes on them to get to a clean page. But all the sticky notes in my book were yellow, I scratched in my pocket taking out the crumpled up sticky note... it was blue? I didn't book mark my book with blue sticky notes so it wasn't mine.

Placing my hands on my desk I unfolded the sticky note and read what was written inside.

*╔═══❖•ೋ° °ೋ•❖═══╗*

I'll see you after school

                                ~A

*╚═══❖•ೋ° °ೋ•❖═══╝*

Who the heck is A? I thought to myself. Thank god Eva didn't think much of this... it would have freaked her out. She hates stalkers... and this better not be a "Secret Admirer" cause I really don't need that right now. I already have enough problems to deal with, I don't need another one.

"Felix?" I heard the demo- sorry, the teacher call out as her loud voice pulled me out of my thoughts, making me almost jump out of my seat.

I looked on the other side of me to see an empty desk. Felix still isn't here? I thought to myself. Where could he be? Maybe he couldn't turn back into a human? *Buzzing* Yeah, it's my phone... a text from Felix? I was right. I took my phone out of my pocket and read Felix's message under my desk.

Felix

Hey! Couldn't make

it today. Have to go

to the Union. Something

came up and it's

important. Will be there

when you get home.

I messaged him back...

Alice

Okay... I'll see you

when I get home

then.

Felix wouldn't just leave me here, not with my life in danger. I mean, he's my Guardian slash Protector slash Whatever. I guess, it must be really important that he's leaving me hanging like this, but one things for sure... I have to be really alert today since he won't be here to protect me even though I have no idea who the people that are after me are. This is going to be very difficult since I don't know how they look and it could be anyone for all I know. Looks like I'll just have to keep a low profile today.

"Alice!.." The teacher exclaimed sounding furious for some reason. Don't look at me... I have no idea why she's angry. "I want to see you after class."

"Looks like keeping a low profile is going to have to wait."

When the bell rang I was forced to stay behind because "Mrs Anger Issues" sorry, Mrs Smith, decided to keep me behind. Eva just nudged me on my shoulder and said... "I'll just wait for you outside." She looked sad but relieved at the same time. I guess, sad because it was me who had to stay behind and relieved because it wasn't her who had to face the evil queen that stood before me.

"You can come to the front now." She announced when everyone left the classroom, seemingly somewhat superior and angry, very angry, and did I mention angry?..

What did I do now?

"Alice, what are you turning into?" She said glaring towards me with her arms crossed.

What is this lady talking about?

"I didn't know you like this?" She said still glaring at me.

Yeah, she's angry...

But what did I do?

Think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts.

I never do anything wrong...

Okay... yeah, sure I'm lazy and I come to school late but that's it.

"Excuse me Miss but..." I said trying not to make her more angry but cutting her off so that I could speak, "what did I do?"

She gestured me to walk with her towards the window and so I followed behind her. When I got to the window I stood next to her and she then pointed at one of the cars in the parking lot. I didn't notice it before but when my eyes zoomed in on the car, which by the way was a lime green Kia Picanto... looking at it I saw that it was totally trashed... and no, I'm not talking about... like someone toilet papered it... no, that's still nothing... I'm talking about spray painted it and you don't want to know what it said, smashed the windows in, threw actual rubbish on it and then toilet papered it.

I feel sorry for the car...

I'm guessing it's her car...

Wait, did she think I was responsible for this?

That explains the death glares... I thought to myself.

There's no way one person could do all that. How can she think that, and even if it was me... honestly, I don't like all my teachers but I'll never stoop so low as to actually trash their car. Plus only a huge amount of people like a gang would be able to pull this off.

"The new student..." she continued to talk as she looked out of the window at the car, "Azrael..."

Makes sense... the bad boy Eva spoke about and his groupies did this.

"Sorry, who?" I said cutting her off.

Not even noticing that I cut her off because she was staring at the car, she continued... "Azrael Jones, did that to my car..."

Ah!.. So it is her car... I thought.

"and..." she continued after taking a deep breath, "he says you helped him."

W-what?!..

I don't even know the guy!.. I thought to myself.

"The same guy responsible for making Eva look like a mess, okay I can't blame him for that, was responsible for this."

Okay now... I take what I said back...

I don't like this guy...

And how did he know me anyway?..

"But... but... Miss..." I said trying to explain but miserably failing to get my words out.

"Don't but me!.." The teacher exclaimed... I kept quiet knowing I would only make her more angry if I spoke again.

I couldn't even say that I don't even know the guy cause of the death glare she shot my way. So I just had to suck it up. This was a losing battle, of which the teacher and the idiotic bad boy, were winning. I hate him already. I didn't even meet him yet, but I hate him. Unable to protest and tell her about this whole predicament I was in because she was already fuming with anger... I just had to accept my fate, which was obviously... "detention."

"Yay, me!" Note the sarcasm.

And with me being forced not to talk because she looked like she wanted to kill me... she ended our conversation with... "So because of what you did, you and Mr Jones will be staying after school for detention."

Ouch!..

Looks like I have detention with the bad boy.

After the chat I had with Mrs Smith... I walked with Eva who waited for me outside the classroom, but I didn't bother to tell her what happened cause I mean, he did nothing to her, she didn't need a reason to hate him even though I did. And besides maybe this was just a one time thing... but that doesn't mean I won't flip on him. So I just told her I got detention and skipped the part where that New Idiot was involved.

~During Lunch Break~

Knowing I had detention, I walked into the cafeteria and sat in my usual spot with Eva, and yes there was an empty seat on the bench next to me because... Felix wasn't here.

We started eating our lunch and Eva asked me if I wanted a piece of her Kit Kat, which I gladly accepted. To tell you the truth, the chocolate actually made me feel a bit better.

"Huh..." I sighed.

It's just an hour of detention. I thought to myself. On the brighter side I'll still make it for the movie thing Eva planned... but then again, that guy's going with. Do I even want to go?

Eva saw my face and she was about to ask me what's wrong, when he happened...

A whole group of guys about eight of them entered the cafeteria. The leader of course was... the one with the black leather jacket, white T, black jeans and a pair of white shoes with black stripes.

He really likes black and white...

"That's the New Guy..." Eva said as his face came into view.

He walked in like he owned the place and looked directly towards me... smirking... He was smirking. Damn, I wish Felix was here. I gave him the best death glare I could muster, well the best death glare "I thought" I was giving him. I'm not a mean girl... it probably didn't even look like I was glaring at him from his point of view. It could have even looked like I was staring at him but I didn't care he got me into trouble for no reason... of course I would be pissed.

Eva went back to eating, seeming to forget what she was about to ask me and I just stared down that Moron... him watching me as he laughed with his friends.

~After School~

*Whispers* "AKA Detention for me."

It was finally the end of another long and exhausting day... I was here... "detention." I just wanted to get this over with, then I could chill with Eva and watch that new movie.

I walked in the class expecting to see a teacher but there was no teacher here just an empty classroom with the word "Detention" written in bold on the chalkboard.

I seated myself while I waited for the teacher that was supposed to supervise us and make sure we sit through the full hour, to show up.

If there's no teacher here, I can just get up and leave... I thought to myself.

"You here..." Said a rough husky voice. The person moving out of the shadows. It was him... Azrael. He had been leaning against the wall at the back of the classroom and I was seated in a desk close to the front with my bag on the floor.

I didn't answer him, just ignored him and that's when I heard footsteps... he was walking towards me.

"Did you get my note?" He asked me, his voice still rough as he reached my desk and leaned on it, his face so close to mine. "The one I put in your locker."

I guess, that's what the note meant when it said "I'll see you after school."

Wait, how on earth did he get into my locker?

Pick the lock?

I just looked at him without saying anything... my eyes cold and emotionless, or at least that's how I thought it looked.

"I would describe how he looked but right now I'm too angry."

Okay I'm not that angry...

He was looking at me with his steel grey eyes, his spiky hair so black, a raven black, it was almost the colour of coal with ashy silvery tips outlining his head, a strong jawline almost similar to Felix... in fact they looked rather similar. But that's as far as I'll go with his description... cause like I said I'm still angry.

"You don't talk much?" He said more like asked, sitting next to me as I focused straight ahead of me in an attempt to ignore him completely.

"I had to do it..." he continued, sounding more like he was talking to himself than to me, "it was the only way to get you alone. Where is your Guardian anyway? Your Protector, where is he? Where is Felix?" He said seemingly like he was mocking Felix.

I turned to him at the mention of Felix's name... "You know Felix? How do you know Felix?" I questioned him, my face serious as my eyebrows furrowed.

"I know everything..." He said vaguely, not bothering to answer my question. "Don't you know who I am?" He questioned me now.

Does this guy really think I would know him... I just met him today.

"No..." I said coldly, "I don't know who you are."

"I'm Death, the Angel of Death..." he said to me, his voice holding the same coldness as mine once did, "and I'm here to fetch you for Him."

The Angel of Death was a bad boy?

To be continued...