"Seriously, Heady, nothing will happen, I promise!"
"Marty, it's against all kinds of rules."
"I know, but just this once. I swear, I'll never bother you about it again."
Heady was quiet for a moment, giving Marty some hope. Finally, he shook his giant head. "I'm sorry, Marty, I just can't do it. If I allow you to go back, everyone else will want to, too."
"I won't tell anyone!" Marty protested. It had been over a year since Marty DePolo died from eating a six-month old hamburger in his best friend Steve Beauchamp's room. Marty had always thought that Steve was the only one who could see him but was soon proved wrong when his other best friend, Jade Harper, and Steve's grandfather could see him, too. Delighted at the prospect of being able to communicate with his best friends again, Marty felt on top of the world. But something didn't quite feel complete.
"Heady, look, the end of the school year dance is coming up and I really want to take Nia." Nia was the girl that Marty had liked for over two years and he was dying to take her to the dance.
"Nia?" Heady looked thoroughly confused. "What about Jade?"
"I don't like Jade that way!" Marty snapped. There was a strict bond between Steve, Marty and Jade; friendship. Jade had made it perfectly clear that she never wanted anything but friendship from the two boys and for the ten years that they had been friends, both boys had obliged happily, just glad to have her as a friend. Jade was a beautiful girl, with long brown hair and deep green eyes. All the boys at school liked her and Marty often spent his free periods (when he was alive) playing the part of her big brother and chasing all the boys away.
Heady looked somewhat sceptical but Marty overlooked that. "Heady, please. I'll never ask for another thing again, I swear!" He raised his right hand in a solemn oath.
Heady sighed. "There's one way it can possibly be done," he said, somewhat reluctantly. "Don't get too excited yet," Heady warned, seeing the ecstatic look on Marty's face. "It's a lot to wager. If you go back to Earth, for one day, you must sacrifice some things. For starters, when you return, it will be like you never died. Your death and the year following will have been erased from everyone's mind. And when you return to Heaven, it will be as if you never returned to Earth. Only those who can see you now, as an angel, will remember.
"Second of all, and this is the hardest part, if you return to Earth as a living, breathing boy, your powers as Steve's guardian angels are null and void."
"What?" Marty had been all happiness and smiles until this news came about. "You mean I can never see Steve and Jade again?"
"You will always be able to see them, Marty," Heady replied gently. "But you will never be able to communicate with them again, like you do now."
Marty was silent for a moment. "Any other conditions?" he finally asked.
Heady, looking surprised, obviously confident that his stipulations were foolproof, shook his giant head. "No. Just those two."
Images flashed through Marty's mind. Nia, in her cheerleading outfit, smiling and laughing outside the gym doors. Nia, studying quietly in the library, her dark eyes mysterious and studious. Then the images changed and he saw himself in Steve's room, laughing with Jade and Steve on either side of him. That was when he felt happiest; that was what he wanted again, even if it was for a day. He knew he had that with his best friends now, even though he wasn't real, but thoughts of Nia returned as Marty shook his head defiantly.
"It's a deal."
"Marty, it's against all kinds of rules."
"I know, but just this once. I swear, I'll never bother you about it again."
Heady was quiet for a moment, giving Marty some hope. Finally, he shook his giant head. "I'm sorry, Marty, I just can't do it. If I allow you to go back, everyone else will want to, too."
"I won't tell anyone!" Marty protested. It had been over a year since Marty DePolo died from eating a six-month old hamburger in his best friend Steve Beauchamp's room. Marty had always thought that Steve was the only one who could see him but was soon proved wrong when his other best friend, Jade Harper, and Steve's grandfather could see him, too. Delighted at the prospect of being able to communicate with his best friends again, Marty felt on top of the world. But something didn't quite feel complete.
"Heady, look, the end of the school year dance is coming up and I really want to take Nia." Nia was the girl that Marty had liked for over two years and he was dying to take her to the dance.
"Nia?" Heady looked thoroughly confused. "What about Jade?"
"I don't like Jade that way!" Marty snapped. There was a strict bond between Steve, Marty and Jade; friendship. Jade had made it perfectly clear that she never wanted anything but friendship from the two boys and for the ten years that they had been friends, both boys had obliged happily, just glad to have her as a friend. Jade was a beautiful girl, with long brown hair and deep green eyes. All the boys at school liked her and Marty often spent his free periods (when he was alive) playing the part of her big brother and chasing all the boys away.
Heady looked somewhat sceptical but Marty overlooked that. "Heady, please. I'll never ask for another thing again, I swear!" He raised his right hand in a solemn oath.
Heady sighed. "There's one way it can possibly be done," he said, somewhat reluctantly. "Don't get too excited yet," Heady warned, seeing the ecstatic look on Marty's face. "It's a lot to wager. If you go back to Earth, for one day, you must sacrifice some things. For starters, when you return, it will be like you never died. Your death and the year following will have been erased from everyone's mind. And when you return to Heaven, it will be as if you never returned to Earth. Only those who can see you now, as an angel, will remember.
"Second of all, and this is the hardest part, if you return to Earth as a living, breathing boy, your powers as Steve's guardian angels are null and void."
"What?" Marty had been all happiness and smiles until this news came about. "You mean I can never see Steve and Jade again?"
"You will always be able to see them, Marty," Heady replied gently. "But you will never be able to communicate with them again, like you do now."
Marty was silent for a moment. "Any other conditions?" he finally asked.
Heady, looking surprised, obviously confident that his stipulations were foolproof, shook his giant head. "No. Just those two."
Images flashed through Marty's mind. Nia, in her cheerleading outfit, smiling and laughing outside the gym doors. Nia, studying quietly in the library, her dark eyes mysterious and studious. Then the images changed and he saw himself in Steve's room, laughing with Jade and Steve on either side of him. That was when he felt happiest; that was what he wanted again, even if it was for a day. He knew he had that with his best friends now, even though he wasn't real, but thoughts of Nia returned as Marty shook his head defiantly.
"It's a deal."