Jennifer Murgia: Angel Star

The only question.

Why me?

They were all wondering how quiet, mind-her-own-business Teagan McNeel could suddenly snag the attention of the beyond-humanly-handsome new boy in record time. Claire would have flamboyantly shouted something snotty and sarcastic to them all, but it was more my style to take the quiet route. My butterflies, however, were jumping for joy in a thousand directions and I dare not let it show.

I allowed myself one quick peek at the audience we were attracting, while Garreth removed the Jeep’s top, stashing it in the back. Yep. Eyes. Even some of the teachers had noticed. I turned back to face the mind-blowing fact that I was now sitting in the very car that had caught my eye and everyone else’s interest for the last two days. Shaky jubilation filled me.

Garreth opened the driver’s side door and flung his backpack onto the backseat. The breeze rustled his clothing through the open framework of the Jeep, bringing the warmth of an incense I recognized.

Champa Blue Pearl. How strange. I had burned a stick of that very same fragrance in my room last night.

His car was startlingly clean inside, which really didn’t surprise me. It was that mature, clean-cut thing I had noticed earlier. I was pulling my hair into a rubber band when my eye caught the glint of something delicate hanging from the rearview mirror. It was a rosary. It appeared quite old and remarkably fragile with its delicate blue topaz Hail Mary stones wrapped with simple silver wire, dropping to three more stones, slightly larger in size, that fashioned into a cross in what appeared to be genuine marcasite.

“May I?” I instinctively reached up to touch its delicate beauty.

It struck me as unusual that such a thing would be on display in the car of a teenage boy. Garreth smiled and nodded permission.

“Is it antique?”

“It’s been…in my family for a long time.” He seemed hesitant but obviously pleased by my interest.

“It’s beautiful.” I found it reassuring that it was in his car on display, like he came from a good background or something, good stock.

“So where to?” I was suddenly aware I had no idea where we were headed, but I didn’t quite care. I was thrilled beyond sanity just to be with him. My butterflies had settled down and pure excitement now pulsed through my veins cleansing me of the uncertainties I had felt earlier in the morning. His attention turned to the dashboard and he turned the key in the ignition.

The Wrangler rumbled to life.

“I know just the place,” he said warmly.

I felt completely at ease sitting beside him, as if I belonged there, though I tried not to get too ahead of myself. So far, this could hardly count as a first date and there was so much I was eager to know yet. I decided to enjoy the moment and revel in the unknown laid out before me.

We were nearing the street now. The long line ahead had trickled down to us and a few remaining cars. The buses had filtered out in the opposite direction, leaving large plumes of exhaust to linger after them, and the parking lot was emptying quickly.

“Oh, no! Claire!” My hand shot up to cover my mouth as I saw her still waiting for me beside her car.

Then I realized the impatient anger on her face was not directed at me for my absence but was aimed instead at the person furiously arguing a few feet in front of her.

Ryan’s usually happy-go-lucky demeanor had been strikingly replaced by stone and his dark eyes glared at my best friend as they continued their very public discussion.

“Did you want to stop?”

A wave of guilt suddenly washed over me. I didn’t know which was worse, leaving Claire alone to fight her own battles or the sinking feeling that I had witnessedsomething she wouldn’t want to talk about later.

“No. Ryan’s with her. I’ll…I’ll call her later.” My voice unavoidably sounded detached with concern. I would call Claire as soon as I got home, not to gloat about my impromptu date, but as a friend.

Garreth put his hand over mine and gave it a gentle squeeze then pushed a CD into the stereo. Soon the car was filled with the soothing chords of Rush’s “The Pass,” an outdated classic I secretly held close to my heart. I stared at Garreth in wonder and my soul slowly began to fill with something I had never felt before.

We drove down Church Street and pulled into a little shopping center already bustling with the early-afternoon business of high school students free for the weekend. Although I was elated to be with him, this was the last place I wanted to be. All those eyes watching us, wondering, forming rumors, unnerved me.

As much as I, too, wanted those whispers to be true, I couldn’t help but wish they would mind their own business.

We parked in front of Starbucks and Garreth turned to me, his beautiful smile blinding me; and, just like that, the “eyes” seemed a million miles away.

“Do you like coffee?”

“Love it. It’s my one weakness.”

Until now.

I lowered my eyes, convinced if he stared into them long enough they would surely give me away.

The door to the coffee shop opened and the sharpness of the Arabica beans hit me as I inhaled the penetrating caffeine rush. We stepped inside to take our place in line. It was the only decent place in town to give in to an all-consuming caffeine addiction and was becoming increasingly more crowded by the second; several kids I recognized turned to look at us.

Brynn, unfortunately, was holding court at the back table, conferring with her wicked groupies. As if catching our scent over the bold Colombian cloud, they turned in unison, their dark eyes unreadable. I looked away in hopes of forcing them out of my head as I scanned the menu board on the wall, but I was already distracted and overwhelmed. Making sense of the newly listed coffees for the season was mind-boggling, so when I overheard Garreth ordering a latte I figured that was good enough for me too.

“I’ll have the same. Just a tall.” I reached for my wallet to pay my share but he was quicker and handed a twenty to the frazzled girl behind the counter, who happened to spare enough time to drink in the tall, blond wonder standing beside me.

We stepped aside to wait for our drinks at the crowded counter and I realized I was self-consciously aware of nearly everything around me; aware of how close we were standing to each other; aware of the dark scowls Brynn and the other girls were shooting across the room at us; and, very aware of the problem they seemed to have with me getting coffee with Garreth Adams.

“I believe your friends are trying to get your attention.”

Garreth motioned with a nod of his head.

I followed his gaze but quickly looked away when I realized whom he meant. “Um, they’re not my friends.”

Sensing my unease, Garreth rescanned the room, resting his gaze on the back table. He defensively stepped between me and Brynn’s glare, and to my delight, I felt his hand protectively settle on the small of my back. At last our little white cups materialized on the tiny countertop and we were free to leave. It was entirely too crowded and too hostile in there.

I was hardly aware of the Jeep moving swiftly over the blacktop beneath us. Between sips, I stole glances at him, wondering if he felt the strange comfort I felt when we were together. I wanted to see inside, into his heart, to see if it raced in my presence like mine did when I was in his. Was I the only one affected?

Of course I was. That was logical.

If I looked like Brynn Hanson, perhaps he would show signs of being as physically altered as I was, but then why was I there and she wasn’t, never mind the fact that she needed a major attitude adjustment.

Before I could gather my mental and physical bearings we came to a stop in front of a small playground.