The Angel of Outer Banks

Friends and Foes

In a way, moving from Malibu to the Outer Banks was like the sun setting on an era, and rising in a new one. In this new era, I was creeping out of the house before the sun rose to meet a group of strangers.

Last night, when I got back, my mom made me report, in gratuitous detail, the content of me and Sarah's conversation.

"Did she see your wings? Did you tell her that I was Lana Del Rey?"

"No, and no."

"You need to be careful."

"I was, Mom."

Her warnings repeated in my head as I crossed the boundary of dunes over the beach. Not just from last night, but from years and years prior. Early morning birds had just started to chirp, and the sky was an oppressive blue.

My mom had done a lot of my worrying for me when I was younger, but now I was old enough to understand the risk that came with my angel powers. Just being around other people was risky and talking to them was even worse. One slip-up could progress to my death. My mother had never put it in those exact terms, but I was smart enough to know what she was implying.

"She asked me if I wanted to watch the sunrise tomorrow." I had mentioned.

"You said no, right?" She had asked.

"Of course," I replied.

I saw five heads in the dim morning light, only one of which I recognized.

Over the ocean, a light yellow was beginning to bloom. The waves crashed untiringly far below us. I came to sit next to Sarah.

"Good morning," Sarah said sweetly, and four pairs of eyes turned toward me. Each one seemed to be expecting something different.

"Hello," A blonde boy said, admiring me.

"This is John B, JJ, Pope, and Kie. Everybody, meet Rogan."

John B was simple-minded. I could tell he was just happy to be here, with Sarah and his other friends.

JJ boasted a devious smirk, the kind you saw from a drunken man at a bar who was hoping to pick someone up. His intent was so unfiltered, I eagerly pulled my eyes away from him in hopes that he wouldn't think I was trying to communicate something back.

Pope had a scornful expression on his face that made me feel shy. I couldn't tell what exactly he was thinking, only that he didn't want me there at all. Kie glanced at him before reacting to me. Her expression was friendly and simultaneously carefully neutral. Something about her was different than the others, more at odds with herself.

They asked me the same questions that Sarah had. Where I was from, how it was over there, how the waves were, and whatever other surface-level things they thought were important. I was awkward, from Pope's glare and my anxiety of sharing too much about myself. Eventually, they eased off, and I gladly stared out to see the sun peeking it's resplendent head over the rim of the sea.

Everyone and everything on the beach had turned golden, as if by Midas' touch.

I hadn't realized what I had been doing until it was too late, and I saw everyone staring at me again.

"You can sing!?" Sarah asked.

"Oh, uh..." I stammered, "Was- was I singing just now?"

"Yeah." Sarah replied, putting a strand of hair behind her ear coyly, "And it was really pretty."

"Sorry," I said, for lack of a better thing to say.

JJ poked his head out from beside John B.

"Don't be sorry. Sing. More," He demanded.

"Oh! Um... okay..." I flipped through every song I knew, thinking about what might impress them, but I couldn't help but indulge a little.  I knew each one of my mom's songs by heart, and one in particular felt strangely in place in this moment.

I began unsurely, but my confidence came quickly as I got lost in the lyrics, "All I wanna do is get high by the beach, get high by the beach, Get by, baby, baby, bye bye. The truth is I never bought into your bullshit, when you would pay tribute to me. 'Cause I know that..."

They started clapping, and I quickly wiped the tears from my eyes.

"Did you come up with that?" John B asked.

"No, my m- I mean, um, the song is by my favorite music artist. Her name is Lana Del Ray."

"I think I've heard of her before." Kie suddenly added, "I love her song A&W."

"You like Lana Del Ray's music too?" I exclaimed, and began singing A&W (but only the first part).

As the sun rose higher and higher, I forgot about my fears, and I became a jukebox as my new friends took turns requesting songs. Everyone but Pope, of course. He just stared at me, and when Kie thought I was distracted, she would whisper to him. I didn't have time to worry about what she might have been saying. I saw that the sun had risen fully. I leaped to my feet.

"Oh gosh I have to go," I said frantically.

"Why?" JJ asked.

"My mom is gonna kill me!" I replied. I began jogging down the beach back to the entrance. "Um, I'll see you guys later okay? It was fun hanging out!"

I sprinted over the uneven sandy boards of the walkway, and over the gravel path. Maybe my mom is still asleep, maybe she already left for work, maybe-

It was only when I turned the corner that my heart dropped. My mom was leaning over the blue banister of our white house, and she was furious.