Chap 2
It was the start of the night, yet still as dark as the middle. This was the time when being a mortal couldn't have been more dangerous, why, with the gargoyles and vampires looking at them as breakfast. There was competition for mortal flesh. It didn't matter to Kelly and Drew, however. Instead of enjoying the nightlife, the two Demons were forced home, back to abandoned warehouse number six, where their curfew maker, Harley, waited for them in anxiety, or at least that's what he made it seem like.
They had gotten in an hour ago, and were now sitting on metal, fold up chairs at the metal, card stand they used as a dining room table, bored, waiting for Harley to grace them with his presence. Dark shadows danced over their faces, as the light bulb hanging on its wire from the high ceiling swung back and forth ever so slightly. The small room was dark aside from that bulb and was lined with long forgotten crates that they stored a few shared belongings in.
Drew and Kelly looked ahead as they heard soft footsteps. Harley was awake and the two already knew what they were in for when he appeared from behind the stacked crates that created a wall in the old, sea warehouse.
He was a tall, older man, though barely thirty and he acted as a parent figure to his younger companions. He wore a tight, sleeveless shirt, with a large, red, diamond shape on the chest, a smaller one below it, and another smaller one which was open and exposed his navel. His pants were quite the opposite as they were loose, black flares that hid his black shoes under the bellbottoms. He also wore a black, top hat with a red diamond-shape on the front, even indoors.
"You two came home late today," Harley walked up to them, his arms crossed as if he were a disappointed mother.
Kelly rolled her eyes, but she knew better then to answer him.
Drew answered instead, "Harley, five minutes isn't something to get your panties in a bunch about. Where were you when we got in the hour ago? Where was our warm meet n' greet?"
Harley huffed, "I was sleeping!"
Drew looked away from him as he mumbled, "Figures."
Harley now unfolded his arms and put his hands at his waist as he shot back, "Well, what else am I supposed to do here?"
"Clean, cook, screw around with Cacturne, I don't know," Kelly chimed in bitterly.
Harley glared at her just for opening her mouth. Kelly and Harley had never seen eye to eye, at least, not for a long time, and Drew could just feel the nightly fight coming on. He couldn't remember when the hatred had spawned between them and quite frankly, all he wanted to do was get out like the few Pokemon they owned always did when this sort of thing broke out. Just about now he could hear them scuttling into another room. Unfortunately any hint of movement from his position would drag him into the fight, so he watched as it grew into a storm.
"Why do you say things like that?" Harley snapped, "I can't take your constant, smart ass remarks! You should speak when you're spoken to!"
The tension in Harley's voice frightened the single light bulb and caused it to rock back and forth in a more pronounced fashion. Its light ran across the old stove that sat next to Drew and reflected back the three's hardships off of the many small, stolen articles that made their residence on the crate counters. Drew always figured that maybe the realization of their fucked up lives was the cause of all these fights. When once they were at the top of the food chain they now lived their lives struggling on the bottom while the Angels made sure of it.
Kelly growled back, "So, what? You expect me to become a phantom? If I could get a job I would've gotten out of here a million years ago!"
Drew shook his head, and took an ipod he had recently gotten from a victim's apartment out of his coat pocket. He turned the volume up to one of the many songs on it he didn't like just to drown the bickering out.
"We wouldn't have to hear your voice anymore! It's so incredibly annoying! You're such a nuisance!"
"I'm barely here all day! I never nag you! You're only saying that…because you think that…because I'm around you can't jump Drew whenever you want!" Kelly was stumbling on words in her anger - Drew could hear it through the blasting alternative.
"Don't take that tone! You know you're just annoying and never appreciate the things I do for you!
"Oh, you mean the meals I force you to cook?"
Drew growled loudly, "Would you two quiet down? This thing doesn't get any louder."
It was his way of telling them that if they didn't can it, some night patrol Angel would find them out. He sighed and the room filled with indifference again though tension was still running through the walls and under the concrete floor. Kelly and Harley bared teeth at each other, but their conflict stayed in their minds.
"I'm going then; fuck curfew," Kelly said, shouldering Harley out of her way.
She disappeared behind a large crate. Drew knew she was going to Jack Lantern's bar, probably to talk to Kitty who probably wouldn't listen but she'd make it seem that way.
"You come back here right this instant!" Harley shouted, although his power over the girl had been long gone.
"Just let her go," Drew mumbled, "You just want control over her and she's trying to resist. She'd nineteen, ya' know, she's had enough."
Harley's eyebrows came down in defeated anger, "I don't really care how old she is. If she gets caught they're going to know there are more of us and then we'll all be found out. Do you really think I want to be tortured by an Angel? That's damn pathetic."
Drew narrowed his eyes indifferently, "Kelly's fast and she's not as stupid as you think she is, but, the more you bother her, the more of a chance you'll push her to do something rash that could jeopardize us all."
Harley huffed again, and now defeated twice, he walked back to his room, disappearing behind the same rotten, wooden crate.
"I can't stand you either, Drew," he heard Harley mumble.
Drew shook his head and lowered the volume on the little, white music maker. He leaned back on the metal, fold up chair and closed his eyes as it creaked. Through the ear plugs, a young boy was screaming lyrics for an end to it all. Drew could agree – twas his favorite song.
…
Caroline opened her walk in closet, the beautiful chandelier that hung from her bedroom ceiling poured light into the smaller room before she switched on its own fluorescent lights. Caroline was a pretty Angel with brown, zig zagged locks of hair. She wore a white, silky blouse and a periwinkle skirt that reached over her knees. She walked into the large closet and started looking through the multitudes of clothing she owned, each one with its own pattern or story. She whipped past them with agile fingers and gasped happily when she finally found what she was looking for. She removed the hanger from the bar and looked at the stunning pearl-colored dress that hung from it. She smiled with happy tears accumulating in her eyes. She picked up the bottom so it wouldn't drag on the floor, and brought it to her bedroom where she set it down on the white sheets, admiring it all the way. Her bedroom was enormous, white, of course, and quite empty save for the bed, two dressers, and a few other small necessities, so she took long strides back and forth from the closet to the bed. May peeked her head in from the doorway, and watched as her mother went back and forth so happy.
"Um, Mom, whatcha doin'?" May asked as she stepped onto the wood paneled floor.
Caroline looked up at her with a warm, excited smile as she picked up the dress from the bed and showed May as if the girl had never seen it before.
"Oh, just getting myself excited," her mother said, her happy smile never dying, and her wings holding themselves high, "It's my wedding dress. We should see if it fits you. Close the door. Don't need your brother walking in."
"Uh, okay," May said, uneasily as the door clicked behind her.
She walked up to her mother's three paneled mirror, which presented her image in all front angles. Her mother got to work and detached the dress part from the corset. May hesitated a bit, but then just went with it and zipped down her casual clothes and removed her bra. Caroline untied the corset's back to loosen it and then handed it to May who slipped it on as gently as she could. It felt old and fragile against her skin, even though she knew that it had only been worn once. Caroline assisted her in putting her wings through the holes in the back.
"And the skirt…" Caroline trailed as she retrieved it from the bedside and handed it to May.
The girl stepped into it through the top and then slipped its lacey cloth up to her waist. As her mother worked to tighten the corset to fit her daughter's thin figure, May looked at the dress in the mirror, admiring its beauty. It was white, like any other wedding dress, but the corset part of it was breath taking with embossed patterns of roses and their leaves. The bra part of it showed the same design and topped with leaf patterns that appeared sharp, but were soft to the touch, and bended inward, trying though failing to cover her cleavage. The skirt was beautiful as well, all made of silk and lace with pearls sewn into it in a random pattern, and reached down to the floor covering her feet.
"Oh!" Caroline squeaked, "You look stunning in it! And it fits just about perfectly!"
May nodded in agreement, although the corset was sucking the breath out of her, literally.
"Yeah, but Mom, why the sudden interest in this wedding dress?" May turned around to find her mother dusting off the lacey veil and tiara.
"Didn't you go to see your father like I asked?" Caroline turned her happy expression into a worried one.
"I did…" May said, "But only I delivered news."
May walked to the bed, holding the dress up as not to trip on it and sat down on the thick comforter blanket that covered the bed. Her mother still stood ahead of her, her cheeks turning a slight pink.
"Oh," Caroline said, feeling a bit embarrassed, "Well…I didn't want to tell you, since it's really his duty…"
She trailed just as she heard the front door slam signaling that Norman was home. She rushed out of the bedroom and to the hall.
"Norman? Would you come up here?" Caroline called from the upstairs railing.
"Yes, dear, I know what you're about to say," he said as he climbed the stairs.
As he walked through the hall to get to his wife he explained, "I had forgotten to tell May about the plans because of a certain D she got on a particular Seven Deadly Sins test she took today."
He finished his sentence as he walked in the room, his arms crossed, showing he hadn't gotten over it. May bit her lip as she heard this, and turned to watch her mother's face become even more disappointed. Her wings sank.
"Oh, May," Caroline said in a dissatisfied tone.
"But!" Norman said, cutting off any sort of scolding Caroline could give their daughter, "I called her teacher and she can retake it on Friday, but that still doesn't mean the punishment is off."
May nodded, "I understand."
Complaining was futile. Her father's punishments were final - she was old enough to know that.
"On the other hand, Caroline, I think this worked out better. Now we can both be here to tell her," Norman said with a happy smile that seemed to have sprung from no where.
May looked up in confusion. She had known that something was going on and she knew it had something to do with marriage – the clue being the dress, of course. It then hit her as they began.
"May, the elder Angels and I have arranged your marriage," Norman told her with that same bright smile as he sat on the bed next to her, "As my oldest child it's your duty to become the next High Priest, but, as the rules state, only a man can have that position, so it would have to be your husband."
"Oh," May nodded indifferently.
She didn't mind that she, herself, couldn't get that position just because of her anatomy. She'd rather shave her own head than read from scrolls about demons and dragons and other fairytales, and for what? All of that was so boring.
"So, who's my husband?" May asked, knowing she didn't have a choice in all this and quite frankly didn't mind.
The elders at the church were good judges on compatible couples, and she figured her chances at unhappiness were slim.
"It took a good while, but in the end, we all agreed that Ash should be the new High Priest," Norman said, "He's quite capable, and you two are good friends, right?"
"Yeah, we are," May said, figuring the elders couldn't really pick anyone else.
They were right, on one hand, Ash was capable of being the High Priest, and unlike most of the other boys her age, Ash never once tried to get friendly with her just to have a shot at the position. He was kind, hard working, and had a mess of other good qualities, why shouldn't they pick him? The only problem was that she didn't want anything to do with it and the marriage would be so fake. That's not how she wanted her ceremony to go – she wanted it to be full of love and happiness, but now it would be full of political status and indifference on her part.
"Does he know about this?" May asked, eyeing her two parents.
"His mother should have told him when he got home from school," Caroline said.
"Oh, so that's why he didn't pick up my call," May muttered.
Just then, May's brother walked into the room, eyeing the situation. He was fifteen now, and a little taller than May. He had black hair, like his father, done in the same style he had always had. Dark eyes peered through thick, black frames and he wore a sleeveless, white vest that hooked together in the front and was decorated with black patterns along the edges. His pants her black, dress pants.
"So, I'm guessing you told her, finally?" the boy said, fixing his glasses, "About time."
"What? Max knew about it before me, too?" May exclaimed looking at both her parents in disbelief.
She then turned back to her brother, who had begun to speak.
"Come on, May, you know you're the last to find out about stuff, no matter what it is," Max came back calmly, "The whole Angel population knew about it before you. Duh."
"Why, you-!" May grumbled angrily as she got up with her hands outstretched to try and strangle him.
Caroline came between them, "Enough, you two. This is a time to be happy, not fight or pick on each other."
"Your mother's right. Get some rest, it's late," Norman told them as he got up from his seat on the bed, "Max and I will leave the room so you can get out of that dress, May."
Norman said, pushing Max toward the door.
Max commented before the door shut, "Looks good on ya, sis."
And then the door clicked shut. May got up from the sinking mattress and slipped the skirt off. Caroline came to help her with the corset. It loosened as soon at the tie was unraveled.
"So, what are the plans for tomorrow? Is Dad still letting you go to Misty's party?" Caroline asked as she helped remove the corset.
"Yeah," May said, becoming happy again with the memory of the party, "With all the excitement, I almost forgot."
May put her normal clothes back on. She grabbed her bra from the bed and clipped it back on. She then picked up her blouse and started to zip it back up.
"Do you know what you're going to wear?" Caroline asked.
"That blue dress you got for me a few weeks ago, I've decided," May said, cheerful.
"Oh! Good choice!" Caroline said.
They giggled in a girlfriend-like manner. Tomorrow was sneaking up quick, and the party would be a positive turn around from the dread May had endured that day…wouldn't it?