Chapter 1

Could you imagine tight pains in your back for ten straight hours, an hour break, and then have family time with that same pain? What about the same headache each and every day? Sometimes I like to wonder what everything would be like without that. Sometimes I like to wonder what going to school would be like not in the sky a couple thousand feet in the air.

Now you may be wondering why am I thousands of feet in the air. To give you physical evidence, my wingspan is 12 feet long. My feather colors go from black to white and blend as they transition. The back pains I told you about come from them. No one but me knows about them though.

It doesn’t matter to me if they know or not. Everything would be easier if they did, but they also might take advantage of them. Something tells me no one else will find out by walking in.

I mentioned before headaches each and every day before. Here you may get skeptical on whether or not I speak the truth. Angelic prices suck butt holes for what they are worth. Having wings and living like a human is the worst job I signed up for in all of eternity.

Before I start ranting about the job system we have, let me answer this question. Yes, I am not actually 14 years old. We originally had Earth created for something new to explore. With the idea came the question of other things to interact with. That was how the evolution you learn about today in science class is there.

There is more about the knowledge I carry to say right now. Everything I want to say has to wait for a little while though. Maybe we should start from day one of my adventure. Angels are common at your local schools, right? No? Try looking more closely at everyone’s backs the next time you enter one. We took over 1% of every town’s population about 800 years ago.

No one who writes this stuff is allowed to reveal their location. Some insider information says some people trying to make angels out of normal human fetuses are now hunting them down. They are a bit younger than me, but each one is smarter and stronger than their hunters.

Enough about them! This is MY book, not theirs’. Where was I with day one...? I don’t know. Let’s just say I was flying over the highway on my way to school this morning. A line of buses going to the same location were getting off the exit below me.

Before high school, a quick up and down would suffice for the travel distance. Now my morning consists of stretching out my wings before take-off so they don’t break apart mid-flight. Landing requires stealth and making everything seem like a bird is there instead.

Have you ever noticed how loud trees are when you land in them? Other students watched as a tree mysteriously shook violently with no wind around.

Everything was normal inside as students interacted with each other. My wings tucked into my sweatshirt to the point they weren’t noticeable. Everyone here was new to me and I wasn’t alright with that.

Mom told me that everything would be like last year and my classes will help me meet people. There was no way I could meet all of these humans in eight classes.

I don’t actually have anything interesting to tell about my schedule or what we did that day. It all sort of kicked off during my last class, a free period.

Everything I am about to tell you may be different from what you know. We have four options as to what a student could do during this time. You could go to the gym and do gym things. Other students went down to the cafeteria and chatted to their friends. Quiet students, like myself, went into the library and did our own thing. Our last option, which is completely useless this week, is to go into teacher’s rooms and complete work you miss or make-up tests you failed.

Today I spend my time in an aisle reading stories about certain athletes and how they got to where they are. The school librarian would walk by the end and “check-in.” At first, he would get mad with how I laid on my stomach. But my years of practicing excuses pay off.

“I’m trying to get my spine fixed through self-straightening. My muscles will memorize the position and fix themselves later.” That statement… basically everything I say to other humans. Mom and dad barely hear any sound come from me since I stopped crying as an infant.

The time was 1:40 PM and the afternoon announcements were about to start. Another pair of feet came thumping down the aisle. Flip flops clapped against the bottom of her feet as each leg went up. Her toes were painted a color; I decided not to retain those memories.

I got up from the floor, placed the book I finished back and started walking the other way. Something about my back felt different. It was so open. So free. So, exposed. “Did you forget something already?” she asked.

My body tensed up as the realization kicked though my nerves and into my brain. The wings could come out. I had to think of a reason. I had to turn around and get alone somewhere.

“Maybe I was going to look for another book to take out before school ended. Thanks for reminding me though,” I said. Something about her felt familiar. The awkwardness of recognizing a new person in another location came.

She handed me the backpack and watched as I flipped it onto my left shoulder. We both waited for someone to say goodbye. Our eyes moved away from the other.

“Do you plan to try out for any of the teams this year? The football team is expecting a lot of freshmen to be trying out this week.” This girl was either looking for a new friend or a football player to match some cliché high school thing. Under normal circumstances, I might have said yes to the tryout. Wings bring the answer to a no for numerous reasons.

“Do you know of any other teams having tryouts today? My football skills haven’t been useful in a while now.” I asked, looking towards the clock. The girl reached into her bag and pulled out a paper with each season and the sports that are played during them. Each one I could qualify for, by gender, would have the consequences of revealing my wings.

With a slow head shake and returning her paper, she began to look disappointed. “If you are worried about harassment from the other boys, the coaches make sure nothing happens! But if you need to focus on school I understand.” She looked down and at our different sized feet. “I almost had to quit cheering in middle school because it was more important to me. Come to the gym though if you want to see how things go first.” The bell rang and off went a human female.

“Maybe it would be good to check it out,” I said. Slowing I walked out of the library with the new book I picked up. Sports could be a good way to make some friends! Right?