Earth Angel

Chapter 1

"Kendall, Katie! Time for school!" My mom called up the stairs. I groaned as I stretched my tense muscles. I let out a breath, scratching my side as I stood and walked out of my room. Katie passed me in the hall, flashing me a tired smile. "Morning big bro."

I grunted in response, stumbling across the hall into the bathroom. I closed and locked the door behind me. When I looked into the mirror, along with my reflection, I saw him again. "Morning Kendall." The long-haired brunet grinned at me. I groaned, throwing open the medicine cabinet and pulling out my tooth paste and tooth brush.

When I closed the door, he was gone. I breathed a sigh of relief, but I knew it was only temporary. He never went away. He was stubborn and annoying like that.

While brushing my teeth, I turned and threw open the shower curtain. There he was again, muscular arms crossed over his well defined chest, hazel eyes slightly narrowed. "Well, that's no way to greet a friend."

I turned back to the sink to spit. I wiped my mouth and glared at him. "You aren't my friend." I deadpanned going back to the sink to rinse.

He reappeared beside me, on the counter, kicking his legs like a child. "Why not?" He whined slightly.

"Because I don't like you, and I don't want you here!" I snapped. "You've caused me nothing but trouble since you've shown up. No one can see you but me and people think I'm crazy! Hell, I think I crazy! Why don't you just go back to wherever you came from and leave me alone."

I looked to where he was sitting to see he was gone.

I breathed out and relaxed, but I wasn't out of the woods yet. He was never gone longer than a few minutes. He was like a gnat. One of those gnats that keep appearing and no matter how much you swat it, it never gets the hint and goes away.

After I showered, dressed, and had breakfast, I was off to school. As I was walking, I couldn't help but be a little paranoid. It had been at least an hour and the pretty boy spirit thing wasn't back. I was fifteen percent sure that he was gone for good, that I had finally gotten rid of him. But of course, I knew him better than that.

When I arrived at school, people were staring at me. It happened a lot lately. They were probably waiting for me to start 'talking to myself.' I continued to my locker, not bothering to acknowledge the attention they were giving me. I learned to just ignore the stares and whispers. I wasn't crazy. Everyone had imaginary friends.

"Yeah, when they were, like, five."

I groaned turning to face the tall brunet figure leaning against the lockers. "Would you take a hint?" I hissed.

He pouted. "I was thinking about what you said earlier, and I've decided that you didn't mean it." He waved me off. "You like me. You need me. I wouldn't be here if you didn't need me."

I rolled my eyes, putting my combination in my locker. "What are you? I don't even know what to call you and why do you think I need you?"

"I'm your guardian angel. I'm supposed help you do the right thing and make the right decisions and protect you...and you can call me James." He explained with a grin. I rolled my eyes. "Lately, you haven't been listening to me, so I decided you needed a little bit more nudging."

"A little more nudging towards what? Insanity?"

"Your future! What are you going to do with your life?"

"I already know what I'm doing with my life." I ripped open my lock angrily, because honestly, this guy was getting beyond annoying. "I'm going to play hockey, get a hockey scholarship, go into the NHL, and be rich."

The 'angel' shrugged. "That's a good plan and all, but what happens if you bust up your knee or something? And what about your grades? Do you really think a scout will give you a scholarship if your grades suck? And what about..."

"You know what?" I slammed my locker shut. "I don't need this. I'm going to class." I began to walk off, before turning around to face him again. "Do not follow me." I turned on my heel, fast walking down the hall.

Unfortunately James was right beside the whole time. "Fine, if you're not going to listen to me, I'll find someone you will listen to."

I stared at him strangely. "What are you t-" My sentence was cut short by my colliding with another body.

I fell to the floor, as did the other student. I groaned, waiting to hear the berating, yelling, and name calling, but instead I heard a small voice repeating an apology over and over. I sat up to see a small, pale brunet boy with spiked hair, hurriedly picking up his dropped books and rambling on about how he should watch where he's going. "Again, I am so sorry. Are you okay?" He finally finished, looking up at me with big brown eyes.

My mouth went dry. I couldn't form words so I just gaped at him. I probably looked even crazier than when people saw me talking to James and thought I was talking to my imaginary friend. "Say something!" James' voice hissed at me.

"Uh, I'm fine." I finally stuttered out. I began gathering up my own books.

"Are you sure?" The brunet asked, helping me to my feet.

"Yeah, I...thanks." I smiled. Our hands lingered together for a moment before I pulled back at the sound of the bell. The short boy in front of me cleared his throat, and I tried to hide the blush appearing on my cheeks.

"I'm, uh," The teen began jerking his thumbs in random directions. "I have to get to class." He chuckled nervously, before speeding off down the hall.

I watched him as he walked off, shyly looking back at me. I smiled softly, raising my hand and giving a little wave. The brunet did the same, clumsily bumping into the wall behind him. He blushed, quickly turning back around and heading to class.

I continued to stare in the direction the brunet went.

"Whoa." I breathed. I couldn't help the smile that appeared on my face. I have no doubt in my mind that it was one of those lovesick smiles either, but at the moment I don't care. That was the most beautiful boy I've ever seen. I literally just ran into an angel.

"So you believe he's an angel but not me?"

I flinched, his random appearance scaring the breath out of my lungs. I looked around, trying to get my breathing under control and was happy to see that the hallway was empty. "James! Don't do that." I hissed.

He smirked at me.

"What?" I questioned the look he was giving me.

"Nothing." He shrugged. My guardian angel continued to smirk in the direction that the short brunet went. "But he was cute, don't you think?"

That was the understatement of the century. Just thinking about those big brown eyes got my heart beating faster. The way his smile gave me butterflies. I had barely had a conversation with him and I already felt so drawn. I needed to be near him. I needed to know him. I needed -

My eyes shifted back to a still smirking James. "What?" I snapped at his annoying grin.

"You should ask him out."

I felt my jaw unhitch slightly leaving it hanging open, and my eyes squinted. "What the hell? Why would I do that? We just met...if you can really consider what just happened meeting." I said incredulously.

"But you like him. I can tell." James' excitement was beginning to show as he slightly bounced on his heels. "Maybe you two can go out this Wednesday at say...seven?" A day planner and pen appeared in his hand suddenly.

I sighed. "I can't do it then. I have a...hockey game..." I trailed off, directing a skeptic look toward the tall brunet.

James smiled sheepishly at me.

"Oh no no no. No way. Don't go there. It's hockey dude. Hockey! I can't not go!"

James gaped at me. "You're going to pass up a date with an angel for hockey?" He looked at me like I was crazy. "What if he's the one Kendall?"

"Then he'll still be there after the hockey game." I replied stubbornly, heading to class that I was extremely late for.

Before I entered my classroom I could've sworn I heard James growl at me.

...

I looked around nervously as I walked to my locker so I could head to the next class. The day was just about over, and I hadn't seen or heard from James since this morning when he tried to get me to ask out the Angel. No, I still didn't know his name. In fact I haven't seen him either. This whole situation seemed a little freaky to me.

Either way, I was still anxious. James was never gone this long before...or when he was, it was never good. It meant he was off conspiring a stupid plan that would most likely end up doing more bad then good. I rolled my eyes at the thought as I rounded a corner and got to my locker.

"So, I've been thinking..." James was there waiting for me. Great. I tried to ignore him, going straight to my locker and gathering my books for class. "Maybe I was a bit too subtle before." He shrugged.

"No, you came in loud and clear James." I spat. "You're trying to get me to give up hockey for some random guy that I only bumped into this morning. But that's not happening." I glared, slamming my locker shut. My eyes widened slightly when I didn't see James, but a hallway full of people staring at me for talking to myself again. I groaned. "What!" I glared the the crowd that had stopped to watch the show.

They all quickly sped off. The one good thing that came from James was that along with thinking I was crazy, everyone slightly feared me for it.

It was a bittersweet perk at best.

I sighed, rounding the corner again, stopping just in time before I hit the Angel standing in front of me. He jumped back slightly, chuckling. "Oh, um, sorry for...I was just..." He continued to laugh nervously. I however was stunned into silence, finally being able to see that beautiful face again. I just stood there listening to him ramble about us running into each other again. I wasn't sure if he was using complete sentences or not, but I didn't care. A series of incomplete sentences was better than not saying anything at all. "I'm Logan Mitchell, by the way." He extended his hand towards me.

I smiled, reaching out to shake it. "Kendall Knight." I responded, trying not to focus on how soft his skin was. It was almost unreal.

He grinned at me. "Kendall...that's a nice name." He said softly.

I could feel the lovesick smile forming again, and silently cursed myself and looked away from him and some random group of people staring at us and whispering to each other. I glared at them before looking back at Logan. "Um...thanks." I said rubbing the back of my neck. "So, uh, you new here?" I asked.

"Uh...yeah, kind of." He said quickly, biting his lip. My brow furrowed, wondering what he meant by 'kind of.' "Anyway, I was wondering if maybe you'd want to hang out...after school or something?" He continued before I could say anything.

I opened my mouth, immediately ready to say yes, when I remembered I had hockey practice after school all this week. That was just perfect. I get asked out by this perfect Angel and I couldn't even go. Logan continued to look at me with a small hopeful smile. Maybe I could ditch hockey practice...just this once. I grinned, but then it faded. I couldn't do that when we had a game coming up. Coach expected us all to be there, and I couldn't let the team down.

"Are you seriously thinking about this?" I heard James' voice but I didn't see him. Oh my god, I'm going nuts. "Say yes!" He hissed.

Of course he wanted me to say yes. I glared slightly, running my hand through my hair and looking down, away from Logan's anxious brown eyes. "Actually, I can't. I've got some stuff to do." I said. I glanced to the side as if expecting to see James there. "Important stuff to do." I added, knowing James was listening.

"Oh," The short boy looked disappointed. "Maybe another time then." He smiled hopefully.

"Maybe," I smiled as well, somewhat sadly, as he walked away.

"You're an idiot." James scolded, once again appearing beside me.

I glared at him. "No, you are for thinking that you can get me to give up hockey by throwing this guy in my face. It's not gonna work James. You can't trick me. I'm on to you." I stomped off.

"Why can't you just give him a chance?"

"Because hockey is too important."

"There are things more important than hockey!" I rolled my eyes and ignored him, continuing to class. "You can't just ignore me Kendall! The more you ignore me, the longer I'll be here. I'm just trying to help you!"

So what do you guys think? I don't know why I'm feeling so insecure about it.