Seeing Salvation
Chapter one - Cryptic
"What's all the fuss about?" Joan entered the room, pausing at the commotion. Grace stood besides her, leaning against the table. People milled around the front of the room, and a teacher's faint cry of 'Sit down! Please!' was heard.
"New student." Grace said shortly.
"But it's the middle of the school year!" Joan exclaimed, temporarily confused. She slung her bag onto the table beside Grace and sat herself down. "Who is the new student?"
"How do I know? I just got here." Grace's tone carried a bitter edge. Her head was slumped deep into the palm of her hands.
"Everybody sit down, or I will have to start handing out detentions!" The teacher's voice resonated in the room, ringing clear at last in the students' minds. They dutifully sat down at their desks - the muttering eventually ceased.
The crowd had cleared, and Joan could see the object of their fascination at the front of the room. The girl stood unwaveringly next to the teacher, unfazed by all the ruckus. Wavelets of strong black hair ran like liquid down her back, and her eyes were a dreamy cerulean colour. She lifted her hand and waved at Joan - almost as if she knew her. Joan gave a sharp smile and bent her head down. She felt awkward under the girl's gaze.
"Class, I'd like to introduce you to Rill-ee Paronn." The teacher pronounced. She gave an unusual stress on Angel's name; it was extremely foreign to her tongue. "She's just moved here from Canada."
"Rile-e." The girl quickly corrected. Her voice was very quiet - but at the same time clear and full of melody. "Spelt r-i-l-e-e."
"Yes, dear." The teacher said absentmindedly, already looking at the papers on her desk. "Please find a seat in the room, any seat will do." She didn't give Rilee a further glance and started to scribble on the blackboard. Rilee rolled her eyes and looked around the room. All the seats were taken up except the ones right at the back, behind Joan and Grace.
"Nice name." Friedman chuckled as she walked past him to the back. She ignored him, walking faster. Glynis gave Friedman a smart shove.
"At least it's not as bad as your name." She whispered.
"Joan." Rilee called her name. Joan whipped around, eyes widening in shock.
"I'm having class right now, can't you see?" Joan said between her teeth. It was the most imperfect time for God to show up. Grace was giving her furtive glances. "I'll talk to you later."
"Did you tell me your name?" Rilee suddenly said. Her eyes took on a glazed effect, clouded by utter confusion. "How did I know your name?" Joan stared back at her, brows furrowing.
"What?"
"Ladies!" The teacher slammed her hands down on the table. "Would you be so kind as to stop talking?" She breathed hard through her nose and then turned back to the board.
Joan stiffened and tried to ignore Rilee's eyes boring into her back. She picked up her pen and swivelled it between her ivory fingers. She pressed the pen onto the paper and began to scribble; little pictures sprang from the pen. She was oblivious to the teacher's incoherent ramblings.
"Wow, Joan." Adam's low voice shook her back to reality. "That's really good."
Joan didn't know what surprised her the most - hearing Adam say 'Joan' or him telling her that something she had created was good. She shook her head furiously and gestured at the teacher, making a motion to zip her mouth. Adam nodded and turned back to his desk.
Joan looked again at what she had drawn, comprehension dawning upon her. She flicked the papers round and noticed a steady pattern in what she had drawn. It was almost flag-like, an emblem of two wings surrounding a globe. Attached to the wings there were faces, bodies, arms - they were two angels. The globe was one of the earth - and there was someone holding the earth - and that person was none other than God.